Chapter 1: Helping Secrets
Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Helping Secrets
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
Lets talk a bit about Slayer Magic, shall we?
Slayer Magic is as old and as timeless as the world itself is. Its existed as long as there have been ancient beings, as long as there has been life and evil and darkness that needed stopping. There are Dragon Slayers- those given the power and the means to fell those age-old beasts that once held dominion over the world. The true purpose of the Dragon Slayers has faded with the centuries, and is nearly all but unknown what came to pass that created Dragon Slayers in the first place.... But did you know there are also God Slayers?
Now that's a bit of information not very well known among the common people. God Slayers have been lost longer than the Dragon Slayers have, because they're reason for existence has fallen into nothing..... The evil and the turmoil they were created to combat have been missing and gone for centuries now, so they too faded to nothing. The first appearance of a God Slayer in centuries passed, was on that Island Fairy Tail has, Tenrou wasn't it?
Oh yes, it was Zancrow; the Flame God Slayer. It happened almost seven years ago now.... That record of the past isn't all together lost yet, I still hold on to it.
And now, there's another God Slayer in Fiore. Two beings in possession of a Magic and skill lost for so long.... First Zancrow, and now a young girl in the Lamia Scale Guild..... Sherria.... And then there is another, who bears the mark of a Tigers head.....
Three Slayers to show up out of the blue.... That's a sure sign something huge is coming. Slayers have been said to be the warnings of a great evil, as it is their existence to combat darkness. If suddenly there is a Slayer in the world, you can most assuredly assume they live and breath to combat with something cold, and dark, and dangerous.
Even more obscure knowledge that has been lost about the Slayers, is the knowledge of the existence of the Demon and Angel Slayers. Two halves of the same coin, two beings that exist to destroy the opposite evils.... One righteous, the other darkness in itself. Demon, or rather- Devil Slayers, they were lost on the ages of the world in which the Black Wizard reigned free and ruled. Angel Slayers.... They live on, but not seen as they once were.
There's this old Legend I've managed to scrounge up, a passing tale if you will.... Saying that an Angel, Demon, Dragon and God Slayer all wielding the same respective Element would fight for the world in its time of need.
I've been doing my best to keep track, just in the event this Legend somehow holds true..... The day there are four Slayers, all holding the same Element.... That is the day this world ends. It may be hundreds of years before then, it may be in a few months.... It may not even happen in this Plane of Existence. Its all a guessing game.
No one knows hardly anything about Slayers, their Magic, their purpose, and their Origin. It isn't important on most terms, especially if you don't see it that way.
Seeing the things I have, the subtle signs and messages.... I don't think the world is gonna hold out for much longer. And I only say this because I know how important Slayers are to the world, I know why we need them, and I know that great evil will come if things continue on as they are.
We lost too many Slayers seven years ago. If I'm counting right, we lost half the world's Dragon Slayers and one God Slayer that day; Fire, Lightning, Sky and Iron, all these Elements.... Lost in the swirling chasm of the Apocalyptic Dragon's breath.
The world relies upon a sort of internal Balance that the presence of Slayers creates, the world doesn't know about it, no one does. Its not something you 'know', rather its something you feel. But only if you're sensitive enough.
The Balance that Slayers bring to the forces of evil and good in the world was tipped dangerously when they disappeared. Things may not seem to have started to deteriorate here in Fiore, but they have.... I've seen it, I've felt it... I'm living it.
Evil is rising- great, cold, powerful darkness, we need those four Dragon Slayers back. Without them, evil will rise and those left may not be able to win. We may fall.
Zancrow is dead, the world is down a Slayer- and a God Slayer no less. Such a rare thing..
Although the others- the Dragon Slayers from Fairy Tail are lost, have been for seven years now, they are still alive.... I know they are still alive. I can feel it.
They need to come back, if not for the Balance of the World, or to help with whatever darkness rears its head in the future... but because why leave them lost, when they could be found?
No one deserves to stay trapped... no one.
My plan is to try and help find them, but that may be difficult.... I can't get involved directly. My assistance cannot be direct.... I have to be careful..... Master will like it very much if I leave........ Nor what I plan to do.
But you know what? Fuck It.
Master can burn in hell, he doesn't deserve to lead this Guild. He can punish me when I come back however he wishes, it won't bother me. This is something I must do, if they don't come back... I'm afraid of what the future will hold.
Let Master be angry.... The Balance of this world means more than his anger, or disapproval.
Wind pushed the waves back and forth relentlessly into the docks of Hargeon Port- lapping at ships and the wooden supports lazily, birds flew overhead, carried gently on the breeze, nothing more than white specks against a clear blue sky. The town was bustling under the light of the afternoon sun, traders and fisherman, travelers and citizens talking amongst themselves, conversation floating on the air softly.
Atop of the hill rising above the heights of Hargeon, on the higher most building gazing out across the vast port town and its bustling commerce, a figure cloaked in black stood atop the shingles. They were tall, slim, and completely motionless.
They stood facing the ocean, their warm dark blue gaze resting upon the ship waiting in harbor, with a band of people preparing to leave. The flag of the once strongest Guild was flitting in the wind atop the ship, its glory long passed. Even the members of the Guild preparing to shove off did not hold the same feeling of respect they once had.... Now they were a defeated, weak congregation of people looking somber, not all together hopeful as she had expected.
The figure shifted slightly, letting out a small exasperated sigh, slowing pulling down her hood to let the overhead sunlight bathe her. Her hair of short medium length and cut choppy, with a single strand of it near the front braided with multicolored beads woven into it. Her hair shone like a brand of pale fire in the sun, being orange that slowly faded to red then pink, before falling away to black near the ends. She was lean, seemingly thin but she seemed strong despite her appearance- with a slightly small bust and long legs, wearing a pair of black leather shorts with a leather shirt with numerous buckles across her stomach, sprouting a peculiar design imprinted into the leather. In each ear were three small gauges, one red, one black, and the other icy blue. Black combat boots reached up to her knees, and a belt hung loosely about her waste with several different pouches attached to it. A scar ran along her upper right shoulder all the way down her arm to end at her wrist.
She crossed her arms over her chest, gazing toward the Mages with a frown upon her face, she had expected more enthusiasm from them this morning. Considering, they were well on their way to travel out to where Tenrou Island used to sit.... And where she guessed it still remained. Where she felt it remained alive and well... With those Mages lost to the world seven years ago in the cold, dark embrace of Apocalyptic fire. She shuddered slightly at the thought of great black wings dancing on the edge of her mind.
The hopeful and excited group she had expected to be boarding the ship toward the Island- was silent, tense, and somber... Even from her perch she could tell that they were not at all hopeful nor excited for their voyage.... She growled a little under her breath.
She had believed when she sent the information to Hibiki just a week ago or so- that there were spikes of Ethernano and Magic dancing about that part of the sea Tenrou sat in, and when he in turn along with his fellows passed it along to Fairy Tail, that they would be happier than this. Hell, they should be thrilled, nearly even ecstatic.... She supposed they had right to doubt, perhaps they had a hard time believing there could be such good fortune- this sort of miracle after the hardships she knew they must have faced these last seven years.... But holding on to hope, she had expected them to do that at least.
She had hope, she was sure that they lived... They were alive, and she held on to that more dearly than Fairy Tail itself did. Perhaps that was because she knew the stakes of losing those four Dragon Slayers forever.
"If you don't hope for a good report," she sighed softly, her dark blue eyes never leaving the ship. "How can you expect the world to let you have one?" She stayed watching the group in silence for a few moments longer, before, with a shake of her head she turned away from the expanse of water. Her attention turned toward the north, and she blinked, eyes narrowed.
"... I wonder if they noticed I left?" She said softly, nearly wispily, as she began to walk across the roof away from the ship she had previously been watching. A small cold sense of dread started seeping into her heart at the thought,
I did what I needed.
She halted, eyes growing wider as her attention focused not on her thoughts- but on the world around her instead. The slight breeze suddenly died over Hargeon, the birds chatter ceased, and even the buzz of the town fell away. The air was still, and she closed her eyes- feeling as if time itself seemed to fall into nothing.... And she sensed something new instead, felt eyes on her back where they shouldn't have been. The stranger's eyes flashed, the blue giving way to something different- but so quickly it couldn't be told what.
"Who are you?" A small, calm voice asked from behind her and she turned slowly, eyes fixing upon the figure of a girl, shimmering slightly gold with long pale blonde hair, and green eyes. She was young, outwardly- though in the back of her mind she could feel the age the girl held.... The power, perhaps even the wisdom. And she knew immediately this was no regular girl standing behind her, she felt it on instinct.
The girl faltered slightly as the other's eyes landed on her, looking rather shocked and taken aback as if she hadn't been expecting to be heard at all-
"How is it that you can see me?" The girl asked her second question slowly, her tone cautious and wary. The other simply gazed back at her calmly, shifting slightly to face her, and turn her back on the north again. "I have noticed you before, watching my Guild.... Waiting........... Helping.." She paused. "Who are you, a stranger? To help a group of people who you owe nothing to?"
The other blinked, running a hand through her hair as she gazed at the smaller girl steadily, in her eyes a swath of emotion that couldn't begin to be placed suddenly flickered in the deep blue depths.
"Its not your guild personally I've been trying to benefit." She answered softly, "Its a more broad target I've been doing this for..... A greater good if you will." She murmured and the Girl narrowed her eyes, looking skeptical. "On the note as to why I can see you, I'm not necessarily an ordinary human.... My senses are rather.... Sensitive, I suppose."
"... But who are you? What greater purpose would you have to do this?" The girl went on, her green gaze never wavering. "To sacrifice time to help to find those lost? To push those remaining in the right direction? Surely it isn't selflessness? No one has cared nor given thought to my Guild in seven long years... No one has done anything to try and ease their pain and sadness, no one at all. And yet... You're doing just that."
"Hmm... Its complicated I suppose." The other replied easily. "Personally, I think the world needs those Wizards back. Because I think something big is coming.... And personally..." She trailed off slightly, her blue eyes falling closed.
".... Pain and suffering, grief... Those are things that should only be endured for so long. I wouldn't wish what those remaining in your Guild have gone through on anyone. The heartbreak and the humiliation and the dwindling faith alone...." Her jaw clenched slightly, before she smiled just a little, shrugging her shoulders. "... I guess I'm just a big softie, but I can't help it." Her blue gaze settled on the other, who looked back at her with a look of slight surprise and near.... Wonder.
"Now.... I would prefer to leave this small discussion at that, if its all the same to you. I've done what I meant to... Now I have my own troubles to deal with." She murmured, waving a hand as she turned and began to walk away. "Don't you have a Guild to 'resurrect'?" She called over her shoulder lightly, smirking just a little.
"... Wait!" The girl called quickly, just as the other was about to step from the edge of the roof. She glanced back, blinking. "You never told me who you are." She pointed out, and the other smiled, looking away again.
"... Just a concerned bystander."
Without another word, she stepped off the edge of the roof without a second glance back, as the breeze blew again, and all noise returned to the world. The blonde girl remained where she was for a long while, her green eyes wide and slightly taken aback.
A stranger.... Who had been working to find out if those on Tenrou were still alive or not. A stranger concerned with the well being of those who had been lost for years.... And so invested, she worked to bring those remaining in Fairy Tail news and proof they were still there. That Tenrou was still there.... But for what?
... Kindness? Of a stranger, working in secret to provide a helping hand...?
"...how odd." Mavis murmured quietly, before she smiled softly to herself. "Whoever you really are.... Thank you for doing what you can to give the Guild hope again." She silently hoped they would cross paths again someday.
"Hora!" (Or-ah) The deep blue gaze of the young woman opened as she slowed to a halt, head tilted slightly and expression neutral. She turned around at the easily recognizable voice, in her heart she slowly felt dread creeping in.... Foreboding that grew stronger and stronger the closer she came to 'home'.
From further up the street, two men came running toward her, both looking serious- as she guessed they should be, if she had any clue what was coming next. Citizens split apart to let them through, casting anxious, hateful, and even scared glances at them as they passed- much like they did when she herself walked through the streets. She always felt the cold glares and silent stares of the townspeople, she couldnt get away from it.... It was reputation.
It isn't the sort of reputation anyone should have... Ever.... Damn this Guid. Damn that man.
Of the two men coming toward her, one was a poker-faced man with black hair and red eyes, while his companion had pale blonde hair and blue eyes, bearing a white mark upon his shoulder in the shape of a large cats head. A similar mark emblazoned in icy blue that she had on her right shoulder blade, though it wasn't visible at the moment.
Neither of them looked particularly happy, though she had expected that upon returning. She expected a lot more than unhappiness..... Again, damn that man. Her teeth gritted at the thought, the sense of forebodings inside of her suddenly deepening.
I did what was needed...
Behind the two men, flew two cats. One was red, while the other green and sporting a pink frog suit. The two cats flew behind the men closely, they were hardly ever seen without the company of their Partners.... Not only Partners, but best friends.
She sighed silently, waiting patiently as they neared her and the street cleared of people rather fast- the townspeople were wary of what three Wizards of the Guild in town could get up to alone, and they weren't willing to risk anything. Even in their hometown, they were feared.... And she couldn't say she liked such a thing. She hated it... People just.... They didn't know.
"Where the hell have you been?" The blonde one of the two huffed, looking serious. "The Master is furious, he's been demanding for you all morning, Hora." He said seriously, in his eyes she saw worry, and her stomach fell a little.
'Hora', or Horatia as her full name was, simply frowned and huffed a little. Despite the cold growing in her, she was still angry... And stubborn to the end.
I did what I needed to. Nothing would change her mind of that fact...
.... But it also wouldn't help her with what was coming either. She doubted anyone would understand her reasoning. She doubted they would.... Though they may try.
"And what the hell could our almighty 'Master' want from me?" She said, voice full of venom that surprised both men, they sweatdropped at the clear disgust on her face and frowned a little, eyes glinting uncertainly.
"Hora....." The blonde murmured. "You can't speak of the Master like that..." he warned and she only huffed. She could honestly care less.
"You're too smitten with the man." Horatia muttered coldly- her tone much too flinty for how she'd usually speak to them, her eyes glinting in clear irratation. "Or are you scared of him like the rest of the town and the Guild?" She hissed, this made the blonde back off, knowing full well he shouldn't try to argue with her, and a little taken a back how forward she was being with her anger. She was usually more reserved than this...
"What's put you in such a fine mood?" The black-haired one asked in a monotone voice, still trying to replace his poker face manner. He knew it was useless with Horatia, though. She could always see right through him, and she often wondered why he bothered.... But she knew the reason.
Emotion was weakness, as according to the Master. He kept the PokerFace and hid who he truly was because he had to- he had to live up the the standards of the Master like they all did, or there would be severe consequences. They all pretended, and acted differently than they were, or even wanted to.... Because they all were frightened.
We have right to be... But she was nearly done being afraid. At least... For herself.
Hora's blue eyes shifted toward him and she sighed, suddenly regretting the way she was acting. She could tell they were tense, and her attitude wasn't helping any... She hated seeing them worried. She cared for them too much, and she couldn't help herself..... She got them into this. She'd make sure they got out of it... Eventually.
"Nothing," she muttered, shaking her head a little and taking in a breath. "....Nothing that you would understand at any rate.... Sorry for snapping, I didn't mean to." Her eyes fell closed, running a hand down her face in clear exasperation.
They paused a moment, exchanging quick glances, still tense... Still worried.
"Is it..... Something important?" She heard one of them ask hesitantly, recognizing it immediately as Sting's voice.
"Or.... Is it something personal?" Rogue asked softly, nearly gently as of he was afraid he was crossing the line.
She sighed again, her blue gaze settling on them again as she shook her head, "No, its nothing personal." She replied softly. "And at this point... Its nothing important either."
"But where have you been?" The third voice, belonging to the red cat- Lector- asked.
"Fro wonders too." Frosch murmured, raising a paw.
"Hargeon." Hora answered lightly. They blinked at the response, wondering what she would be doing there....? She didn't give them time to ask, it didn't matter anymore... It was done.
"Now, what did Master want?" She asked, keeping the amount of venom in her voice low this time around, but still noticeable. She gestured at them, "You wouldn't be out here looking for me if he wasn't pissed. So what is it?"
They didn't answer for a moment, and she could feel the tension and slight inkling of fear crackling off of them as the sense of dread grew heavy inside her heart. The looks on their faces.. The fear in their eyes, she knew it was bad.
She had known these four for some time now and grown close with them. She knew them all rather well- the true them, not the visage the world saw through the haze of fear and hatred their Guild's reputation had created- and it was rather rare for them to be this silent, despite first appearances. They were a rowdy bunch... Though lately, they were just... Solemn.
"What?" She questioned again, and this time Rogue looked to her slowly. His red eyes gleamed in uncertainty and tenseness that made her heart clench- she saw worry, true worry and concern. Concern for her.
"Master... Is very angry..." The black-haired man said in a low tone and she blinked skeptically, seeing he was hesitating slightly in trying to explain. "He.... Well..."
"The Master believes you have betrayed the Guild."
Horatia whipped around, immediately recognizing the voice and spotting the from of 'SaberTooth's Lady' standing up the street from them. She smiled wickedly at the group, and her heart fell to her stomach. An icy chill fell over her, eyes narrowed and a bead of sweat dripping down her face.
"What...?" Horatia murmured, eyes narrowing even more at the ridiculous accusation.
Betrayed !?
Minerva waved a finger at them, "Tsk.. tsk..." She clicked her tongue, her eyes locked on to Sting and Rogue, "What would Master say if he found out you tried to warn the Traitor?" She asked, they visibly tensed, sweatdroping at the threat.
Horatia took a small step backward, sweatdropping. She recognized the look on Minerva's face, and she was suddenly very afraid- but not for herself. She could tell Minerva wanted nothing more than to hurt someone, and she was afraid she would take that urge out on Rogue and Sting..... Or even Lector and Frosch.
She placed herself between Minerva and the four behind her with a single step, eyes hardening and looking toward Minerva with the calmest expression she could muster at the moment- quite frankly very angry at the ridiculous accusation, and itching to lay into Minerva. She stopped herself though, fighting Minerva would be a death sentence... If the woman didn't kill her, Master most certainly would. And for him it would be all too easy...
"Traitor?" Horatia asked lowly, doing her best to keep her voice from raising in anger, "On what evidence may I ask, My Lady?" She sneered the last words despite her effort not to. She and Minerva had never gotten along, simply because she only saw that very thing she hated in their Master, in his daughter.
Damn that woman.
Minerva raised an eyebrow at the venom for the name, only smirking more because she was being egged on. "We've received warning that you have been helping another Guild." Minerva answered, and despite her effort not to, Horatia stiffened at the truth in the words- she hadn't thought she'd be found out that quickly.
Minerva noticed the subtle action, and smiled more. Behind her, Hora could feel Sting and Rogue's incredulous gazes on her. "As you know very well, SaberTooth helps no one but ourselves- that is law, as stated by our Master." Minerva lift a hand, "SaberTooth is not to bow to the levels of others, We are the strongest Guild!" Horatia tensed considerably, now feeling that she was in true danger- seeing blood lust rise in Minerva's expression. "SaberTooth has no need for Traitors!"
Minerva's Magic wrapped around her body instantly before she could even begin to think about retaliating, the woman's hold on her instantly sending her into a void of darkness for but a split second, and in that split second she felt invisible whips lash out at her back, tearing the skin and clothes, causing her to cry out in pain at the onslaught of burning agony. In a split second she was ripped from her place between Minerva and those four behind her, ripped from her world and into another.
And then she hit the floor of the Guild Hall, just at the feet of the looming figure of the SaberTooth Guild Master, his entire countenance spilling in anger and rage, and dark, malicious intent. All of it, aimed toward her.
Hora struggled to raise her head, her back searing in pain as she lay out, sprawled upon the ground, body trembling from the sheer pain she was in. Inwardly, she hated the low position, knowing it only added to the humility as was being awarded.
Traitor... Traitor..... She wasn't a Traitor, at least not in the normal sense. Yes, she had helped out another Guild, but this was only deemed traitorous because of the ungodly standards set by Master himself- standards Horatia did not agree with in the slightest.
SaberTooth... SaberTooth didn't even deserve to be called a Guild at all. There was nothing good about this damned place, it was awful, it was brutal... Violent. Master Jiemma was a nightmare, his daughter nearly the same... And so encompassed by sheer terror the Members were, terror of Master and Minerva alike... No one had the courage to stand up and stop the madness and sheer brutality in the Guild.
No one outside those in the Guild understood it.... No one knew what SaberTooth really was.
The reputation the Guild had was owed to it because of the things they were forced to do and act like- for fear they be punished by Jiemma or Minerva. The Master and the Lady wanted nothing but power and status, they wanted to rule a Guild that was feared and renowned- and they were prepared to do whatever it took to keep the Guild running in their vision of it. They used brutality and fear to force the Members of the Guild to submit to their laws, their rules, and their standards... They scared everyone into becoming what they weren't. What they didn't want to be.
The Members of SaberTooth, those aside from the Master and his daughter... They were not evil. They were not bad, they weren't ruthless, nor inherently violent or brutal. In all reality, they were good people.... But no one knew it. The world didn't see it, because the Master had made it so everyone believed SaberTooth to be brutal, ruthless, to be feared and to be the strongest. Weaklings couldn't be in his 'perfect' Guild, and those who didn't live to what he wanted.....
They'd end up where she was now.
A part of her had known this was coming. She knew she was bound to suffer consequences when the Master became aware of her helping another Guild... A Guild he thought weak, and maybe it was- though not for long, she knew. She smirked inwardly at the thought... Maybe Fairy Tail had been down in the dumps for years now... But now she knew their strongest Wizards were coming back, and silently hoped that Jiemma would see that in full force....
... she distinctly remembered telling herself to screw Master and his 'laws'. At the time it seemed the best idea, even now she was all for it- stubborn as she was, and so utterly fed up with his tyranny.
Only... she realized how stupid that righteousness and hatred was.... Because for however much she hated this Guild, it's Master, it's rules.... And most of all it's 'Lady', she had no choice but to deal with it. Sure, she may want to rebel, she really wanted to knock Jiemma around, and Minerva too. She wanted to fight, to stand up and finally say hell no. But she couldn't, someone else could... But they were all too scared. She wanted to stand up to that bastard of a man and his bitch daughter.... But she hadn't the power to.
SaberTooth owned her. Or more accurately, he owned her. She was nothing more than a slave to Master Jiemma, and he very well knew it- just as much as she was painfully aware of it.
I can't do a damn thing.
Chapter 2: I Wish...
Chapter Text
Chapter 2
I Wish....
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"Worthless rat!!!" Master boomed, grabbing Horatia from her hair and tossing her across the building to smash into a wall easily, as if she was nothing more than a doll.
Horatia yelled out in pain as she hit the wall, hitting the floor again with a loud thud. She looked toward the looming figure of Jiemma from her humiliating position on the floor, too stunned and beaten to fight back- not that fighting him would do her any good. She knew better, for her... It was best to accept the beating, instead of giving him reason and incentive to go ahead and kill her.
... Being as mad as he was, he may just do that...
Minerva smirked from where she sat casually upon the balcany overhead, watching the scene with sickening amusement. Everyone else in the building stood back from the two, all silent and tense, standing in uniform rows on orders from Master, watching with horror and fear- they wanted to look away, but knew doing so may anger the Master further. He did like making the other Members watch punishment, it kept them in line. Kept them afraid to stand up and fight back against his cruelty.
And what deserved her this? This torture? She helped another Guild, one down on their luck. She helped locate a number of lost people and eventually allow them to be returned ri the people they loved the most... And innreturn, she was being beaten so brutally, because Master thought it was weak to help anyone so weak and helpless in his eyes.
Kindness of a stranger... The need to return four Slayers to the world.... Because she believed Balance need be restored... That cost her this.
"How dare you submit like that?!" The man yelled, she hissed at the pain, eyes scrunched closed against it. "No SaberTooth Mage submits to helping weak pathetic Wizards!!" His massive foot came down on top of the young woman harshly, making the floor under her cave in. A sickening crack echoed from her already beaten body around the hall, causing the onlookers to sweatdrop and even flinch.
This time, Horatia kept her mouth shut, unwilling to show the pain, though it was clearly visible in her blue gaze. Master had always been brutal.... But this was extreme, and the Members of the Guild knew it. Master had always been harsh with Horatia of all people, though they were never sure why...
"We are the strongest Guild in all of Fiore! What you have done is an insult to this Guild!!!" His foot repeatedly came down upon her, each time harder, and each time getting harder for Horatia to keep herself quite.
Since she had been sent here by Minerva, Jiemma had continued to beat her bloody, in the most harsh way he could muster- and Horatia only endured it, knowing better than to fight back. To fight back was quite frankly suicide- everyone in the Guild knew that the Master would not take kindly to the resistance of anyone, and they feared the consequences. Horatia knew the severity of the consequences all too well, and wouldn't dare push her luck more than she already had.
She hated that she couldn't do anything...
"Even worse, to go behind my back and do as you please?!" In a blast of Magic, Horatia was launched into the air to smash into the ground, her body bouncing off the stone painfully. "Who do you think you are?!!!!!"
Master's anger boiled over as he began to hit Horatia with an insane amount of Magic- the likes of which shook the air, buffeting the watching members, the blasts hitting her relentlessly for what seemed like forever. In the beginning she didn't make a noise, but soon the power behind the attacks increased and her yells of pain ripped through the heart of everyone watching, many of them shut their eyes, their hearts dropping and bodies tensing.
The last attack echoed with a boom, and the form of the young woman lay motionless on the cracked stone floor, limp, beaten, bloody, and broken.
Everyone's eyes grew wide, never before had the cruelty of the Master reached this level before..... And it scared them. It terrified them, they may want to stop this... Many of them did, but sheer terror stopped them. They knew this was wrong, very, very wrong... Master was already angry, he was so powerful and violent.... They couldn't work themselves up to be put in the firing line of the man's sudden insane wrath.
Horatia didn't blame them for staying still. Even despite her agony, and her own hatred... She understood their fear, and didn't hold it against them. She couldn't.
"Oh... No......" Yukino breathed, hovering at the edge of the gathered onlookers, trembling at the sight.
"This is insane...."
"He's gonna kill her..."
"She might already be dead..."
Murmuring broke out among the watchers, all of them low, all of them terrified, and all of them to scared to do anything. Jiemma didn't hear the murmurings, all his attention was turned on the one who had made him angry- and he lift his foot again to strike down upon Horatia's motionless form.
"Hora!" Rogue and Sting stepped forward, eyes wide in horror at the scene. They had been trying to stay out of it for as long as they could manage, ever aware of Minerva's attention on them in case they tried to intervene. But Horatia had been their friend for many years- and to see her be beaten so brutally was too much, they couldn't stand back and let it go on anymore. They themselves were nearly past breaking point with Jiemma's brutality toward the Guild, and now seeing Hora enduring this.... They had no choice, they were going to st-
"Stay.... Out of... It.... Idiots....!"
The both of them came to a sudden halt, astounded to hear Horatia hiss the words with such conviction, just low enough that only they would have been able to hear it with their heightened hearing. They stopped, eyes wide and sweatdropping as one of her eyes opened to look their way, alight with the brightest fire they had ever seen in them. There was no mistaking the pain on her gaze, but brighter than that was something they hadn't been expecting- anger.
Unbridled anger she was only just managing to keep from spilling over... They faltered, seeing immediately she meant it when she told them to stay put. It was an order.
With yet another sickening crunch, Master's foot came down upon Horatia as hard as he could manage. The young woman's entire body tensed at the almost unbearable amount of pain that flared up inside her, she tensed her jaw, biting down on her tongue as she kept herself absolutely silent.
It was an unspoken rule really, the more noise anyone made while being hit or punished by the Master, only entailed the punishment more harsh. The Master hated anything that could be seen as weakness in the Guild, therefore... You had to stay as quiet as you possibly could. Horatia knew this rule, and yet trying to stick to it was harder than possibly imaginable... But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her yell, her anger was bubbling more and more.
"If I ever find you doing anything like this again, you are out of this Guild." Jiemma growled in a dangerously low voice.
Horatia scrunched her eyes closed, now wouldn't that be a blessing? If only he were actually willing to let her go... That was never going to happen. Ever.
Jiemma whipped around and stalked off toward a back hallway in the Building, toward his throne room. "Don't any of you dare try and help her, or you'll get the same treatment." He warned the onlookers; who all seemed to gulp- looking frantically between the daunting figure of their Master, and the bloody and broken figure of Horatia uncertainly.
"Minerva, I wish to speak with you." Master called and Minerva frowned slightly, putting on a small pout.
"Mm... But I wanted to play with her a bit more, Father." She called in a sickly-sweet voice.
"NOW!" Was the reply and Minerva sweatdropped, before following him quickly. In a few moments the two were out of sight,
The rest of them remained in strained silence for a moment or two, all of them motionless as their minds sluggishly tried to process what they had just seen...... It was... Terrifying... Awful.
The sharp gasp of pain that Horatia finally allowed to escape her throat brought a few back to the present, and Rogue and Sting rushed forward immediately. The air started to shake with painful, tearing coughs as Horatia coughed harshly, blood splattering onto the floor, wheezing as the scarlet liquid dripped from the edge of her mouth continually.
"Atia...!" Lector and Frosch half cried, half choked as they followed their Partners up to her, tears in their eyes and trembling. Never before had they seen Horatia wounded to this extent, and by their own Master no less....
"Easy, easy...!" Sting warned quietly, crouching down on his knees with Rogue beside the young woman, sweatdropping heavily at the sight of her bloody and broken body trembling and shaking violently as Horatia tried to sit up. She failed to do so, and only allowed herself to continue to wheeze while still lying on the floor, propped up on her elbows slightly, too broken and weak to move the way she wanted.
"Hora..." Rogue murmured, red gaze sweeping over her as he took in the damage. The look of sheer horror and utter worry that passed over his features was shared by Sting, who's eyes were wide and glinting, feeling his heart racing as he saw how badly hurt she was.
Hora's eyes flicked toward the Shadow Dragon Slayer, before they fell closed, seeming to begin to fall into unconsciousness, the only relief she would have from the pain of her beaten body. It was no surprise she would pass out, given her state- Sting and Rogue just felt themselves grow tense to think, being as beaten as she was....
"......... Hold on, we'll help..." Rogue murmured softly, barely finding his voice, then adding to Sting; "She needs Medical attention, quickly."
Sting nodded, but looked a little panicked. "Where the hell are we gonna get that?" He muttered lowly, "No doctor here in the city is going to help knowing Master did this..." His heart began to race, as Rogue's eyes fell. They both knew that was true... The townspeople were so afraid of SaberTooth, and especially the Master- if they knew it was that man who had done this, and ordered Hora not be helped, no one would be brave enough to help her at all. But she needed help, now. They didn't know the full extent of the wounds, no- but they knew she needed medical attention and quickly, otherwise....
They felt their hearts nearly stop, and their blood run cold at the thought- without help, and in this state... Hora might die.
"... You... Two... Shouldn't be.... Helping me....... Either......" Both their eyes fell at the sound of the voice, immediately knowing it was Horatia who was whispering them between her harsh, strained breaths. "... Master... Forbade that... Didn't he...?" She muttered, managing to force one eye open to look at them- glazed over now with pain and weakness, completely void of her earlier fire and true anger that had made them stop themselves from jumping in to intervene. "... I won't... Let you two... Dumbasses risk...... Helping me..... If you're gonna end up... The same way... Tch....." Horatia hissed through gritted teeth, each word hurt to simply say.
"Leave me... Be..."
"Hell no." Both men said at once, surprising her with the amount of conviction in their eyes. She faltered, looking rather shocked for a moment before pain overtook that feeling and she cringed, teeth grinding down on one another.
"...d....am....n... It......." She wheezed, her entire body ridgid and shaking under the gentle hands that Sting and Rogue had placed upon shoulders in an earlier plan to help her up, but they didn't dare for a few moments- thinking moving her may not be the best idea... Though there wasn't a choice.
Not for the first time they were reminded with what they had thought for a long time; that perhaps the cruelty of the Master was too much to endure- to much of a high price to pay for being here and remaining in the Guild. To see such an old friend as Horatia be broken and quite frankly tortured as this was almost too much- and it should have been to much.
The only thing standing in their way of leaving this Guild- was no small amount of fear and common sense.
".... You two are.... Gonna get killed.... If you.... Help....." Horatia made one last attempt to dissuade Rogue and Sting from what they had already determined they would do- it was useless, and was made more so when she had to break off in the middle of her sentence to cough up more blood onto the stone floor.
"We don't care." Sting hissed back, perhaps in a tone more harsh then he may have wanted.
"Let the Master do as he wants," Rogue growled,
"You're our friend, no threat the Master could make is gonna keep us from helping you." They said simultaneously and Horatia allowed her eyes to fall closed again, fully aware that there would be no changing their minds. A part of her loved them for that, and a part of her hated that they were so willing to let this- this brutality she had just endured, happen to themselves.
"Atia....." Lector and Frosch whispered with fearful and frightened eyes, inching closer so that they could both lay a paw on her arm gently. One eye opened half-way to see the two, and suddenly she hated that they were dealing with this. With her.
If there was anything she wanted more than all the riches of the world.... The thing she wished for most was the prospect of them being safe. Of Rogue, Sting, Lector, Frosch and everyone she cared for to be safe.... Away from harm and happy....
... She couldn't give them that, and she knew it deep inside.
She wasn't sure why, or when it happened... But after first meeting the four, she fell in love with them. She cared for them deeply and a sense of protectiveness so strong it had shocked her suddenly raged through her being. She wanted them happy, it made her the happiest person in the works to see them happy, to see them smile..... She knew in her heart she'd do anything for them.
That's why she told them to stop when she saw them about to rush in to her aid. She didn't want them getting hurt, not over anything... And if she had to endure agony in their place, to spare them harm- then so be it. That was her one true wish.... That she could keep them safe, and happy, and protected....
..... But I can't.
Suddenly, a great black wave crashed over her vision, and her throat and lungs flared up in fiery agony, as she was forced to let a great pool of blood rise from her mouth and on to the floor in front of her, before everything was silent and black.....
The last thing she heard was her name being called somewhere far off, lost to her in the distance between herself and it.
Two young men walked along a road together, accompanied by the small figures of two cats at their sides- their shadows cast out behind them from the light of the dying sun. The orange glow of the setting Celestial figure painted the surrounding land in warm gold and deep russet, the eastern horizon fading to deep violet.
"Where are we going, Sting-kun?" The red cat asked as he looked to the blonde man before him.
"Fro wonders too." The other cat said with a raised paw, looking weary from the walking they had been doing all day.
"We'll figure it out." Sting replied to the pale red Exceed, sounding unsure.
"I hope soon." Rogue murmured lowly, walking along at Sting's shoulder with closed eyes. They had been traveling aimlessly for a long while now, with no destination in mind and no place to call home... They were lost, and alone.
"Get down!" They stopped and turned toward the sudden voice, in the few fleeting moments they were spared, before a hand slammed into both Sting and Rogue's faces, promptly making them hit the ground with a smack.
They saw flashes of tan skin and orange hair, and then they were flat on their backs on the ground with someone crouched between them.
The whistle of some airborn projectile passing over their heads at an amazing speed reached their ears, though they couldn't see what it had been due to the hand on their faces.
Lector and Frosch came to a startled halt, eyes wide as they looked to who was holding down the two Dragon Slayers. Their back was to the two Exceeds, but it was definitely a woman.
She let her hands come off of the boy's faces as she got to her feet with a small grumble, facing the way in which she had jumped at them from, looking slightly miffed and not at all paying any attention to the two boys she had thrown into the ground without warning.
"What the hell?!" Rogue and Sting snapped, sitting up in second as they glared at the back of the woman, both their faces bearing the red hand-print of the girl. "Who they hell do you think you are?!"
"Give me a minute boys." The woman answered, sparing a small glance over her shoulder at them so her deep blue gaze met their eyes. She looked to them calmly a single moment, before looking ahead again. "Don't know if you noticed, but I am a little busy."
They blinked, wondering what on earth she could be busy with... And why would that have given her the right to knock them to the ground?!
She shifted slightly, and the ground suddenly turned red, being stained by the scarlet drops of blood dripping from her lower arm- their eyes grew wide.
"Are you alright?" They asked simultaneously, forgetting their annoyance. Lector and Frosch had moved off toward their Partners, looking to the woman with wide eyes.
The woman smiled a little, closing her eyes and shaking her head- looking a little amused with their sudden concern, and not at all bothered by the wound. "It's just a scratch. Nothing I can't handle, don't worry." She smirked at the both of them, and they simply blinked.
"Shit, you missed her dumbass!" Their eyes were torn from her toward a group of perhaps three dozen people in similar apparel all to eachother. Some of them held swords or other weapons, others were lit up with the light of each individual's Magic, basic ones ranging from what looked like shadow, water, light and fire Magic with a few odd ones like Regulus.
The two people ahead of the others were glaring at one another, apparently they had been ones to yell at each other moments before, and probably the ones who had almost hit Rogue and Sting from behind. They blinked in absolute shock, not sure how they hadn't managed to at least hear so many people approaching them from behind... They must really be tired.
The girl cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders a few times. "You can always just give up." She called to the group, those who the four behind her guessed were attacking her- based on her wound, and the heated scowls the party of men were giving her. "It would be a lot easier if you did." She murmured and the group seemed to falter a little.
Rogue and Sting stared, was she crazy?! She was seriously planning to take on all those people on her own?!
"Forget it sweetheart." One of the men who had previously been arguing, growled. "The Master put a bounty on you, we intend to collect." They all nodded and readied.
The girl smiled a little more and sighed, shrugging a little at the answer. "Ah well," she murmured. "I did try to give you a chance.."
Suddenly, she ran forward at such a speed that the two Dragon Slayers and Exceed's left behind them looked on with absolute shock, eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily. The hell?!
"You won't be collecting a bounty today!!"
Sting and Rogue jumped to their feet, thinking that this girl was insane after all. How was she supposed to take on all these people by herself? There were a lot more of them then there were her, and she had clearly already been injured while already fighting them.
"Wait a damn minute!!" Sting yelled,
"What the hell are you doing?!" Rogue yelled as well.
"Oh shut up boys!" She called back with an annoyed huff but glanced to them with a small smirk. "I've got this, don't you worry your pretty little heads!" They blinked, and she smirked some more. "I'll protect you!"
They both blushed furiously at the words. Their fists clenched in anger and they glared, starting forward in full force.
"Protect us?! Like hell!!!" They yelled in furious unison as their Magic's blazed about their person in sudden irritation. They surpassed her easily in their newfound anger, though she purposely let up a little- perhaps out of surprise or maybe even out of amusement, her blue eyes gleaming and smirk never fading.
"Get um!!" The group yelled at the oncoming duo, who bowled through the mass like they were nothing but leaves and twigs in their way. The woman stopped at the edge of the battle- however ready she had been to fight, that feeling was gone now as she stood, smirking in amusement at how well she had managed to anger them, and how fast they were to react. The two cats walked up to stand beside her, though she did nothing but glance their way once, before looking back to Rogue and Sting. The two of them needed only use their fists for this fight, it required little more than that and they didn't waste power and effort on doing anything too extravagant for such an easy fight.
For a moment, she watched in quiet surprise, rather caught off-guard by how easily these two men were blowing through her enemies. When she had pushed them to the ground, she had taken them for simple travelers- travelers who hadn't enough skill to hear her or her pursuers coming. But in fact, they were Mages. They could use Magic, she hadn't been expecting it, but she wasn't enitirely shocked.
But then all at once, two of the men pursuing the woman stood side by side and lift their hands together, aiming them toward the blonde and the dark-haired men who had jumped in. Those two had power radiating from them, clearly two of the stronger ones in the group, and they were both looking to hit Sting and Rogue at once- while they were busy tearing apart the rest of the men's comrades.
A stream of light shot from the open palm of one man, and a stream of dark shadow shot from the other. Sting and Rogue turned to face the Magic calmly, not seemingly bothered with the amount of power those two attacks would punch if they got hit.
The woman raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what in earth they must be thinking... She assumed they would dodge, but they made no move to do any such thing. Her head cocked a little, eyes narrowing and arms crossing over her chest- her full attention suddenly on them.
The both of those two opened their mouths and the Magic sent their way channeled in narrow waves into the pits of their stomachs as they devoured the Magic whole, and even smiled at the taste in their mouths.
They ate the Magic.....
The woman's eyes widened and she sweatdropped, looking quite amazed for a moment, and surprised at the same moment.
They were Slayers.... She hadn't believed there to be any left in the rest of the world.... At least, not any more she didn't already know about.
"Thanks for the snack." Sting smirked, he and Rogue stepped up beside eachother as they leaned back, their cheeks puffing up as they sucked in air in perfect unison. It was as if they were talking to one another Telepathically.... How good they seemed to guess the other's plan.
"White Dragon-"
"Shadow Dragon-"
"Roar!!"
Two spinning tornados of raw power tore across the landscape toward the two offending men and all those behind them. They were lost in the thick of the converged white and black Magic spinning in on eachother, and lost to sight as they were pushed back for hundreds of yards into the trees.
Lector and Frosch smiled at the easy victory of their Partners, there were no more men left standing after that landslide to keep fighting, and they were happy to see Sting and Rogue win so easily. Both glanced up to the woman, expecting to see her watching the spectacle in the utmost awe at how amazing their Partner's were-
She wasn't there!!
The woman had disappeared from their sides in an instant, and instead could be seen jumping over the heads of Sting and Rogue, her leg wrapped in the most peculiar golden... Flame?
And then they all noticed the dark figure that had slunk from the trees and lunged out toward Sting and Rogue without even the slightest sound, in fact they hadn't know the dark form was there at all.
The woman's leg swung down upon the figure with so much force that a wave of air was pushed out around them, and the figure was launched straight into the ground just before the feet of Rogue and Sting, where there was now a crater with a man wrapped in black robes was lying completely immobilized by the one kick.
The woman landed on the opposite side of the small crater from Sting and Rogue, the golden flame about her leg disappearing instantly as she stood with her back to them and her hands on her hips.
Their jaws dropped, eyes whited out and completely caught-off guard by the development.
First of all, when could she use Magic?!
"Not bad you two." She said to them suddenly, glancing over her shoulder with a smile. "You missed one though." She smirked, her eyes flicking to the man she had just downed. She turned to them and they finally got a full look at her,
She wore attire of black that consisted of a sleeveless shirt and long pants, both of which fit her figure nicely. They saw the beads in her oddly styled hair, the earrings in each ear, and the bands upon her fingers. Their eyes traced the scar that curled over her shoulder and ran down her arm to her wrist. But on the other arm, now already fading, looked to be some sort of odd black marking, but it was gone before they could make it out.
"Odd though, Slayers are pretty rare now-a-days." She mused, tapping a finger to her chin and titling her head. "Dragon Slayers too...."
"Wha...?" All of them mumbled, their minds running slowly at what they were hearing and what they had seen.
How strong is she...? Who is she....? What was going on...?
She blinked, then smiled at the four of them warmly, "Name's Horatia." She said suddenly, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can call me Hora or Atia if ya want to though." She tilted her head their way, "And you are...?" She murmured.
"Sting..." The blonde mumbled, still trying to understand what had just happened.
"Rogue..." The other said then gestured toward the cat in the costume ho had approached with the red one. "This is Frosch..."
"I'm Lector.." The red one mumbled, sweatdropping as the rest of them were. Horatia nodded and smiled,
"Nice to meet you all. And thanks for taking care of those guys, even though they were a bit easy for you." She smirked at Sting and Rogue, and they sweatdropped a little, looking slightly flustered at the comment.
She suddenly cleared the small crater separating them, landing lightly in front of the four, her eyes narrowing as she peered up at both Sting and Rogue, blue gaze glinting in the light of the dying sun behind them, her head tilted a little.
"1st or 2nd Generation?" She asked suddenly, catching both men suddenly off guard at the unexpected question. They blinked,
"What?" Sting asked slowly, she smiled slightly, leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest, hip cocking.
"You're Dragon Slayers. So are you 1st Generation, or 2nd?" She asked again,
".... 3rd." Rogue replied lowly, eyes narrowed at her and looking a little confused-wondering why she was asking at all. Horatia's eyes widened slightly, a look of understanding crossing over her face, before she nodded and smiled.
"Ah, alright then. Good to know." She smirked,
"You know what a 3rd Generation Dragon Slayer is?" Sting stammered out, hardly believing it. He exchanged an incredulous look with Rogue, they had always though they were the only ones...
Horatia nodded, "You two aren't the first 3rd Generation Dragon Slayers." She pointed out in a matter of fact tone. "There have been some before, it's just rare.... For obvious reasons." Her time dropped, as she noticed the both of them men's gazes suddenly drop, and the sweatdropped, looking slightly ashamed... Or maybe haunted. A small flash of sympathy flashed across her features for a moment, before Rogue settled his red gaze on her and it was gone.
"You seem to know a lot about Dragon Slayers." He pointed out, and she nodded slightly. "Are you...?"
She paused a moment, her blue gaze settled on him steadily for a moment or two, before her eyes closed and she let out a silent sigh. "That'd be cool, but no." She smiled slightly, and Rogue's eyes narrowed at the near.... Ruefulness of the smile itself. She opened her eyes again and smiled brightly, "What are you four doing out here anyway?" She asked, deliberately changing the subject- something both Sting and Rogue noticed easily.
"We're just traveling." Sting replied,
"Anywhere in particular?" She pressed, not nosey, just interested.
"Not really." Rogue sighed, earning a huff and a small heated stare from Sting a moment. "We're just... Walking." Horatia blinked,
"What about you?" Lector cut in, earning the girl's eyes.
"Yeah, why were you out here and with those guys anyway?" Sting asked, motioning toward the men that were lying about, unconscious or groaning. Horatia smiled slightly,
"I'm on a job." She replied, catching them completely off guard. She pushed past the four of them, her eyes falling closed as she shrugged slightly. "Which you just finished for me.... I suppose I oughta give you a good cut of the pay in that case."
They turned after her, eyes wide and sweatdropping a little, completely taken by surprise. A job? That would have to mean-
"You're a Wizard?!" Sting said quickly, as she moved over toward a nearby fallen tree stump, sending him an a odd look.
"Yes, though you already saw that, didn't you?" She replied lightly, her eyes flicking toward the man at the bottom of the crater she had thrown him into. He shook his head,
"That's not what I meant.." He replied quickly,
"You're a Member of a Wizards Guild?" Rogue asked for his blonde compatriot, the sheer surprise in their eyes was clear, though she wasn't sure why they were so surprised at all. Maybe it was first appearances? She had managed to shock them with her small little display of Magic earlier she recalled.
But her amusement suddenly deflated at Rogue's question, her eyes moving away from them and seemingly a little tense... And maybe even unhappy. Rogue noticed the change in attitude, and so did Sting- but they didn't question it.
She crossed a leg over the other and reached around into the tied sack bag on her back, pulling it into their lap as she rummaged inside of it, looking for some thing.
"... Yes." She replied after a moment to his question, her eyes fixed on the inside of the bag and not on them. "I am a Member of a Guild." She pulled out a roll of bandages, setting her bag down and teeth clamping down in the end- beginning to wrap the cut across her forearm.
Rogue blinked, nearly having forgotten she had been injured- he would have moved forward to give her a hand with wrapping the bandages so she didn't need to use her teeth, but stopped himself. He didn't really know her, and wasn't sure if she would appreciate his help at all.
Sting beside him was looking ecstatic, as he should- that had been his hope, to find a Wizards Guild and join up. But maybe not just any Wizards Guild, one that was strong and powerful, and had people like.. Well, Horatia. Strong Wizards, which she clearly was- considering the crater she managed with a single kick.
What sort of Magic was that anyway?
"Really?" He asked, smiling a little. "Which one? Is it a big one? Popular? Are there lots of other Mages?"
".... We've been thinking of joining a Wizards Guild." Rogue out in, Horatia stiffened slightly, sweatdropping when she felt she knew where this conversation was going, her heart dropped a little, despite herself.
.... She couldn't honestly say she wanted them to join her Guild, if that was their plan. It wasn't out of selfishness, or dislike for them....
"SaberTooth." She replied softly, mumbling around the bandages in her teeth as she pulled them tight, wincing a little at the pain as she tied them off. She still didn't look their way, her eyes falling to the ground.
"SaberTooth?!" Was the collective shocked gasp.
"That's one of the strongest Guilds out there!" Sting nearly beamed, looking excited. "Only the top Mages get into that Guild!"
"That's one way to put it." Horatia murmured, letting out a small sigh as she replaced the unused bandages in her bag.
"You're a member though. Which means you must be a serious Mage yourself." Rogue pointed out. She blinked, smiling just a little.
".... Well, I do have my talents." She murmured, "But clearly so do the both of you." Rogue and Sting blinked at the words.
"Does that mean you think we'd be let in if we decided to join?" Sting smirked, Horatia glanced toward him, sweatdropping slightly.
".... I'm not sure its a good idea." She replied slowly.
"Why not?"
"My Master is........ Strict." She mumbled,
"He can't be all that bad." Sting replied, his hands falling on his hips.
"There are rules." She murmured,
"Then we'll follow them." Sting replied again, his eyes firm and countenance.... Determined.
Why is he so determined?
She paused a moment, eyes narrowing as she sweatdropped. She didn't know how to explain it to them.... Nobody really understood what SaberTooth was, what its Master was.... Nobody knew, until it was too late.
Her fingers gripped her injured arm tightly as her eyes fell closed, she had the feeling.... She could warn them against it, but it wouldn't matter. The look on Sting's face told her he was set on the idea.... Which in itself made little sense.
Sure, they may have been looking to join a Guild... It made sense, if they had no place to go and nothing to do with their lives. Their little show was quaint, but it wasn't their full potential, she could feel power bubbling inside of them. She knew in her heart that they were powerful, as all Slayers were..... But it needn't be SaberTooth. They could probably get into any other Guild, so why did he seem so set on hers?
She couldn't in good conscience let them join SaberTooth. In good conscience, she couldn't let anyone suffer what she was forced to.... Especially not young, good people with their whole lives ahead of them.
"..... Listen. SaberTooth isn't all its cracked up to be, you don't understand how..... Strict and even ruthless my Master is. There are rules he forces members of the Guild to follow, consequences if you don't live up to what he wants from you and the Guild. He cares about the Guilds Image, about it staying.... The best and most powerful." She said lowly, her eyes glinting as she willed them to heed her warning. She couldn't explain to them really, words couldn't describe it at all......
They all blinked at her, eyes narrowing in confusion at the sudden apprehension they could see on her face. They weren't sure what she seemed so hesitant.... Because how could it be that bad? SaberTooth had a reputation, sure... But it was a Guild, and no Guild could be purely awful.
".... It can't be that bad." Sting said at length, giving her a reassuring smile. "We can handle ourselves."
"Besides, you're a Member. And certainly if someone as seemingly strong, and even friendly as you can make it inside of SaberTooth, it can't be awful there." Rogue put it. "If it was, wouldn't you leave?"
She stiffened, though they didn't see that.
Wouldn't you leave?
I..... I can't.
But she couldn't explain that either. She wasn't even hardly a person, she wasn't free, she was owned... A slave. She couldn't leave SaberTooth, the Master owned her... She was trapped.
She would leave, if she could. But she couldn't, she was stuck there and she would be for the rest of her days.... She just didn't want them stuck too.
But what was she supposed to do? She had the feeling they would go ahead and join anyway- and yes, Master would take them in a heartbeat. Any chance to add more powerful Wizards to his fold, he would leap at the chance.
If Sting and Rogue were to come to SaberTooth, Master would snatch them up... And never let them go. He doesn't let anyone leave on their own.
She smiled slightly, eyes glinting. It was a sad, uncertain smile.... Seeing the determination in their eyes. The longing even.... She got the feeling they had been wandering nearly aimlessly for a long while now. They hadn't a place to go and now suddenly... Unfortunately... She had given them a chance to fit in somewhere, without meaning to. To them, her appearance was a chance to involve themselves in something big, something great.... SaberTooth was renowned. It was powerful, famous even... Any Wizard out there aspired to be a part of such a legend, as the SaberTooth Guild.
Its up to me.... To make sure they don't get sucked in.
They were going to come with her no matter what she said.... So maybe, she had to make sure they just didn't.... Get hurt. Make sure that she did her best to make sure they were kept as safe as she could manage... If she couldn't keep them away, she could try to keep them from getting too hurt.
They thought this was their chance... And it might be. But it was also a mistake and she knew it.
".... Travel with me a few days then." She said at length, "Show me what you've got up your sleeves. We can get to know each other a little more, and test out your skills." She smirked slightly. "Make sure you've got what it takes to be SaberTooth Wizards, hmm?"
They smiled at the words, finding it as a sort of challenge, feeling excitement well inside of them. Immersed in a new sense of adventure and even an inkling sense of... Hope, they failed to notice the fearful look in her dark blue eyes, and the clear apprehension to the idea in her gaze. They didn't see the look of worry and fear on her face as the grinned at her, following along behind her as she lead the way forward toward the north, they didn't see the haunted look on her face as she looked ahead, the clear unhappiness.
They just.. Wanted somewhere to go, to call home, to belong... ...
........
..... I should have stopped them. Done anything I needed to make sure they never came to SaberTooth.... I should have kept them away.... Instead I let them join... I lead them into this... Nightmare.
It had happened so fast, one minute they were strangers, the next... In those few days heading back toward the Guild, something changed. They grew closer, they became friends... True friends.
She cared for them, wanted them safe...... She loved them, without knowing she could ever love anyone like she loved those four. They were her family, she never thought family would be a part of her life again.
Now... Now she wished they weren't with her. She wished they would leave SaberTooth, get away from the pain and the brutality..... Even if that meant leaving her. Even if it meant she'd suffer for their freedom.
She didn't want to lose them, but them being free and away from the Guild- even if that meant she was left alone- it was better than watching them get hurt, watching them suffer and be afraid.
I should have...... Made them stay away.....
I should.... Have kept them away.... From me... From the Guild... From Jiemma......... Now they won't ever be let go. They're never gonna be free.....
.... Its my fault. I'm trapped... And now they're trapped with me.... Damn it......
The room remained in deep shadow, the air stagnant and silent apart from shallow, ragged breaths and the occasional rattling, wet cough that shook the air and shattered the quiet.
Frosch let out a small, concerned mew as the small Exceed curled himself up next to Horatia's figure, her chest rising and falling rapidly in her pained, feverish breaths, body tensing at the pain and the torrent of the sickness coursing trough her body in reaction to the violent brutality she endured....
She was laid out in the bed, the sheets and comforter pulled up to her chest, fidgeting just a little, breathing frantically and shallowly. Her person was wrapped in bandages, skin bruised and cut where it was visible- broken and fractured bones, a damp cloth rest in her forehead, her hair falling about her face and shoulders in loose strands, her accessories stripped and placed on the table beside the low bed, beside a bowl of water and a few more cloths.
Rogue remained motionless from where he sat in the small raised platform of the floor to the bed, his head resting in his folded arms across the edge of the top of the bed, eyes closed and breathing deeply as he slept on.
The room was quaint, with a large empty space across the floor, another bed beside the one Hora was in, raised on a separate platform. The windows were shut by curtains, a small kitchenette set in the corner and a sofa and a coffee table set in the center of the room, surrounded by various pillows and the like around it- settled in a small dip in the floor.
On the other end of the room sat a pair of desks and dressers, with various items thrown about the room- it was messier in the corner surrounding the second bed, where around the room sat clothes and papers. It was neater near where the three were in the dim, a clear sign however the bed owned to, was a bit neater and more well kept than whoever owned the other empty one.
As made sense, Horatia had been given Rogue's bed to lay in, while Sting's lay untouched- this was the Twin Dragons apartment. Sting had never been the neatest person on the planet, while Rogue was considerably neat- the opposite of his blond compatriot.
Rogue's eyes fluttered open as the air shook with a serious of harsh, painful coughs from Horatia, his red eyes glinting in worry and exhaustion. He let out a weary sigh as he shuffled forward, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder as her body heaved with the coughing until she quieted down, gasping for air and wincing harshly. Rogue sweatdropped, feeling the insane heat radiating from her skin like a furnace, before his heart dropped feeling her skin grow suddenly icy cold to the touch... Deathly cold.
And then her skin burned fiery hot again, her fever was insanely high... And her temperature kept fluxing between insane heat, to deathly cold.... It was unnatural, it was impossible... And it scared the hell out of him.
What was he supposed to do.....?
They'd all known she had been hurt severely, beaten and broken beyond comprehension.... But the sudden sickness, they hadn't been prepared for that, and they, he.... He had no idea how to help her.
There remained a cold, hard lump in the pits of his stomach.... A sickening sense of worry inside of him that wasn't going to go away, and with each passing hour that Hora wasn't getting better, but seemed to be getting worse- that sickening worry in his heart only continued to grow worse.
He gently lift the damp rag off her forehead, replacing it with a different, much more cool one- hearing her let out small sigh at the feeling, before breaking off in a wince.
Frosch was curled up on her other side, head resting against her hand gently, the small Exceed's features pulled into a worried frown even in sleep- Frosch's paw settled lightly on her hand, tail twitching softly.
Rogue leaned against the bedside again, one arm resting atop the sheet and the other falling into his lap, red eyes seeming to glow in the darkness as he simply gazed at Hora for a long time. His eyes slowly moved toward the small slot between the curtains covering the window over the bed, seeing their hometown bathed in silvery moonlight as silence and sleep fell over everyone and everything in it..... It was nearly peaceful.
And then he felt that cold sickening sense of worry again and cringed a little, his eyes closing as his fingers gripped the bed sheets tightly, jaw clenching.
... What am I supposed to do...?
He had never seen Hora in such a state as this before. In all the years they had been friends, all the missions and the battles they fought in.... She'd never been this hurt before, and certainly never so sick. Hora was strong... Stronger than he and Sting in all honesty, and to see her like this... All at the hands of the Master... It put into perspective just how sheerly brutal Jiemma had been to her. Rogue knew very well that Horatia was strong... Strong enough to stand against both Master and Minerva at once, and yet she didn't ever do it. She always just took the punishments, she didn't stand up against it.... And he didn't understand why.
He had noticed it over the years, that Horatia seemed to be hiding some things.... She seemed to be hiding the real reason she didn't fight back. She wasn't afraid, he knew that..... It was something else.
But what?
He never could figure it out, and prompting her on the subject had never given him any answers.
He and Sting, they knew they needed to do something to stop the brutality and abuse of the Master. They knew that now more than ever... But what could they do against someone as Powerful as the Master? And then his daughter? They weren't strong enough....
..... It had to end. Things had gone too far, they needed to find a way to stop all of this from happening again. Enough was enough.
His mind had begun to give way to darkness, exhaustion and the strain of worrying so much catching up with him again, sleeplessness pulling at his senses and dragging him further down. His eyes fell closed against his will, the small sliver of moonlight seeping into the room lost to the dark void beginning to claim him.
... They'd do something about this.... But first... First they needed Hora to be alright. Neither he nor Sting, nor Frosch or Lector could imagine losing her.... They couldn't imagine being without her, without her smile and her encouragement, her silent guarding presence over them- the way she could keep them in line, and the way she brought out their true selves.... Where their true selves had begun to be lost to the act and the role they had to play for Master and his laws.
".....Please.... Just get better, ok...?" He sighed, his words too low for anyone to hear, if there was even anyone listening.
Black pulled at his mind and the room and Hora's strained, feverish breathing was lost on his ears.
"R...... Ro.... rogu...e...."
He shifted slightly, the waves of black still clinging desperately to his mind, trying to keep him still, keep him from moving toward his senses.
".... R... Rogue...."
His eyes scrunched closed harder, his face brushing against the sheets as he shook his head a little in attempt to brush off his exhaustion, trying very hard to place here the voice was coming from... It seemed.... Weak... Pained.....
.... Familiar.
His eyes snapped open, head lifting from the top of the bed as he scrambled, eyes wide and glinting in the dark around them, seeing the dim, feverish gleam of Horatia's dark blue gaze fixed on him.
Her breaths still came in harsh gasps, having a hard time getting in enough air, the pain and the exhaustion in her gaze was unmistakable, and he felt his heart clench, just as it began to race.
"Hora...!" He breathed, quickly moving forward and sitting up straighter, on his knees as his hand landed gently on her shoulder in what was supposed to be a reassuring gesture, he flinched at the sheer fire that seemed to radiate from her skin. Her eyelids dropped a little in sheer exhaustion, her blue gaze glinting slightly as she settled her sights on him. She must have seen the panic spread on his face, because she seemed to frown a little- before her eyes shut tight in pain and her jaw clenched, letting out a harsh wince- in the same instant he felt her skin lose all heat and turn deathly cold.
"..... Yo...u...... Where..... Is.... Sting... And Lector.....?" She managed to breath, the pain subsiding enough for her to make out the words. He blinked, his red eyes still gleaming in utmost worry and slight panic- but now in slight surprise at the sudden question. ".... You... Guys... You..." Her eyes opened halfway, locking to him almost uneasily.... She seemed.... Worried.
".... Master.... Minerva.... They didn't..... punish you..... For hel.... Helping me.... Did they....?"
Rogue's eyes widened, seeing the pure fear in her feverish gaze in that instant- the dread at that thought of himself, Frosch, Sting and Lector having been punished for helping her- as had been forbidden.
He felt a tug in his chest, a little shocked, and a little angry.... How could she be worried about that, of all things- when she was in this state? He would have told her she should worry more about her safety than anything, because he was unhappy she seemed to put them before herself on so many occasions, but he stopped himself.
That was sheer terror in her eyes at the thought, pure concern.... She was truly concerned about it, and right now, with as hurt and sick as she was.... He couldn't bring himself to scold her and her thoughts.
He let out a small sigh, his heart lurching uncomfortably when her skin burned fiery hot again- he slowly withdrew his hand, eyes falling a moment.
"No." He replied softly. "We weren't punished, Sting and Lector are out on a Mission with Rufus and Orga- under the guise I went with them, as not to draw attention, and keep it hidden we are helping you. I stayed to look after you, and Yukino helped to treat your wounds when we first brought you here." His eyes opened to see the sheer relief pass across her glassy gaze, her eyes closing again as she let out small sigh, only to end in a fit of ragged coughing.
"Easy, Atia.... Easy...." He sighed, eyes glittering in the dim, her coughing slowing to halt, leaving her gasping in short, harsh, irregular breaths.
"..... How..... L.... Long... Have.... I....?" She breathed, swallowing hard against the metallic tang of blood rising up her throat,
"Almost a week...." He replied slowly, his voice low enough not to arouse Frosch. Her eyes moved away from him toward the roof overhead, unfocused and nearly distant.
"... Damn.... It...." Her words were barely audible. Rogue opened his mouth to question why it was her temperature seemed to fluctuate so immensely, not that he was sure she would have a clue.. But she stopped him.
".... Rogue. You, Frosch.... Sting and Lector.... You have to leave.." She said suddenly, her voice mush stronger suddenly, eyes falling again.
Rogue stiffened, eyes widening and blinking a few times at the sudden words, at the suggestion.... Leave?
".... You guys..... You need to leave the Guild... Get far away, get away from the.... Master... From Minerva.... You have to leave SaberTooth, and this city... All behind...." Her blue gaze suddenly moved to him, the feverish haze seeming to fade for a small moment, her eyes clear and intense.
"Leave SaberTooth. Get far away, you can't stay here anymore... I should have never let you join. That was my fault, everything that happened from then on.... That is my fault. And now I need you to just leave...... Leave it all behind and escape Master and his brutality."
The firmness of her words and the way she said it caught him off guard, eyes wide and simply staring for a long while. It had never occurred to either him nor Sting to simply leave the Guild.... In all reality they felt they couldn't. And it certainly never occurred to either of them that Horatia would want them to run. She wasn't like that... She didn't run from anything.
And the fact she thought it was her fault.... That wasn't true.
".... Atia... None of this is your doing." He replied softly, and she shook her head a little.
"..... But it is..... I should have tried harder to keep you away from the Guild... I didn't."
"We wanted to join." He said firmly, "You couldn't have stopped us, we would have went ahead and joined even if you had told us not to- so don't think its your fault." He nearly growled the words, a little miffed he could think any such thing.
She didn't look convinced.
"... You have to go." She whispered, blue eyes glittering as the feverish film over her gaze returned again.
"We can't just leave the Guild, Atia..." He replied seriously. "What about everyone else? Yukino, Rufus, Orga?" They couldn't just run away and leave all their friends behind, especially not to suffer Master's brutality all alone. Her eyes seemed to grow a little sad, and deep in them he could see her fear returning. It was a rare thing to see her truly afraid.... That just went to show how serious things were, but they couldn't just run!
"What about you?" He said next, seeing a deeper sadness and utter regret and wash of pain appear in her gaze that made his heart skip a beat. It was such deep and true sadness that seemed to fill her entire being in that moment, a sudden chill fell over him.
"..... You have to leave me."
He hardly believed he heard those words come past her lips, he never thought he'd hear her say something in such a heartbreaking, defeated voice... All the fire he knew that burned inside of her was just..... gone. She was broken, shattered.... She had given up.
"Never!" He snapped lowly, his eyes burning in sudden anger and a sternness, his tone cold and scathing, Horatia flinched a little, her eyes falling closed. He felt anger rise inside of him, he couldn't believe she had suggested it at all! He couldn't believe... Believe she had given up!
"There is no way in hell we would ever even think about leaving you behind! Are you crazy?! Have you really given up after all this time?!" He had a hard time keeping his voice to a whisper. "You can't seriously believe we would ever do that! We can't just leave you!"
"You have to!" She growled, sounding pained, her eyes still closed. She wouldn't meet his furious red stare. "You four need to get out of SaberTooth, you have to leave it!"
"We can't run, and even if we did- we wouldn't leave you behind. If you want us to leave, you have to come with us." He replied, his tone steely. Her jaw clenched, whether it was in pain or frustration he couldn't tell, "If we go anywhere, you go with us- there is no way around it. You have to come with us."
"I can't!"
Her eyes snapped open to land on him, glittering and watering- filled with more profound sadness and regret than he had ever seen all in one person, and never in her. He stiffened, his heart dropping to his stomach and all anger suddenly destroyed to see the tears pricking at the corners of her blue eyes.... She.... She was on the verge of tears....
"A-Atia..." He stammered, heart dropping at the sight. He'd never once seen her cry, and certainly he'd never seen her even come close to doing so.... He didn't know how to react to it, in her there was so much pain and regret, and sadness and utter despair it made his heart ache... It made his heart ache in a sudden unbearable pain to see those tears in her eyes now, and he could only stare.
"I can't..... You have to leave.... Please...." Her eyes glittered in the most unbearable pain, he felt his heart breaking. "... I don't want... To see any of you get hurt... I can't bear to watch you guys suffer... Or be in pain... I want you happy..... And you can't be happy in this Guild.... You have to go.... And you have to leave me behind.... Please....." The tears spilled over, small glittering trails falling down her cut and bruised cheeks softly,
How... Had he never seen this much pain... And sadness... In her....?
"... What do you mean.... You can't...?" He manage to stammer, her eyes closed again.
"... I just... I can't..."
"Hora." He murmured softly, shaking off some of his shock and the sudden tearing he felt in his heart at seeing her like this, he pushed it all away a moment. "Please.... I want to understand..... Why do you believe that you can't leave?" She didn't reply, and he let out a small Tch, his eyes narrowing a little as he softly lay his hand on her arm. ".... You've been hiding something all these years, something deep and dark.. And clearly painful.... We're friends, we are Family.... Please just talk to me."
She shook her head a little, ".... Rogue.... I can't tell you... I'm sorry.... I just... Ca-" her words came in a tired whisper, shaky and faint- as she suddenly stiffened, her body lurching in a painful spasm. Her entire body went rigid in an unbearable wave of agony that swept through her being, making her cry out at the pain- only to be cut off as she rolled over slightly, body convulsing as she was forced to cough up a few small pools of sticky blood onto the bed beside her, the crimson liquid streaming from the edges of her lips continually. She clapped a hand over her mouth, breaking into a fit of coughing- her hand soon stained crimson and running with it, unable to take in air.
Rogue was on his feet in an instant, eyes wide and panic spread across his features, "Hora!" He gasped, his hands falling onto her back and shoulder as she rolled over, feeling her broken body shake with her coughing under his touch.
Frosch was jostled awake, springing up and eyes wide in terror and fear- seeing Horatia immediately and eyes pricking with tears at the blood dripping through her fingers.
Rogue went rigid, his heart racing and leaping as he felt her body shake violently under his touch with her coughing, no small amount of fear rushing through him at the amount of blood she was coughing up. Coughing up blood was never a good thing, and certainly not a lot of it.
Had there been some sort of serious internal damage inflicted on her they hadn't been aware of?! If there was, he didn't know what to do about it- he wasn't a healer, and as they had already known- no doctor in this city would help them. They were all too afraid of Master Jiemma.
Shit! What am I supposed to do?!
Her temperature was changing in seconds between hot and cold, too unnatural, and all of it scaring him more and more. He had no idea what was going on, or what had made her this sick in the first place. Certainly even the beating she had sustained shouldn't have gotten her this sick, so unnaturally sick... He was so out of his depth, and so helpless.
"A-Atia....!" Frosch stammered frantically, sprouting wings and floating above the bed, trembling from head to tail.
Her coughing slowed a little, finally allowing her to gasp in a few ragged breaths of air- but the flow of blood from her mouth didn't cease, and gave no indication of doing so. Her hands fell away from covering her mouth, the crimson liquid shinning from the sliver of moonlight filtering through the window, her body heaving and shaking, too weak to move and hardly able to breath, tense and rigid in pain and sickness.
Rogue leaned down a little, quickly using one of the wet rags to try and wipe away what blood he could, before pressing another cloth against her forehead- her temperature was off the charts now, and she was unresponsive... He wasn't even sure if she was conscious any more.
"This isn't right....!" He hissed frantically. "I don't understand, this sickness..... The fever... Its all so unnatural...." He bit his lip a little, "... What the hell is going on...? I.... Don't know what to... Do..." His voice dropped to near nothing,
At this rate.... Could she really...
.... Die....?
His gaze snapped sideways, suddenly hearing a small hissing sound- eyes widening as he saw the bowl full of water on the nightstand suddenly steaming, the water evaporating quickly as Horatia's temperature fell to a deathly cold.... And then burned like lava, heat radiating around her and into the room in powerful drafts.
She coughed again, her eyes fluttering open as his attention snapped toward her, seeing her gaze unfocused and groggy. "R.... Rogue..."
"Hora... What is going on...?" He questioned lowly, but quickly. Her eyes were falling fast,
"... Its..... Over-Drive...." She breathed, her eyes falling shut and voice fading away to nothing but a small airy breath,
Her breathing stopped all together.
Chapter 3: Help.... Least Expected
Chapter Text
Chapter 3
Help
...
Least
Expected
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
The figures of Sting, Rogue and Horatia walked into the Guild Hall, eyes narrowed and steely as they strode through the center of the hall toward the Job Board, followed closely by Frosch and Lector who looked slightly tense.
Horatia walked calmly, a little slowly- her person wrapped in bandages, but now in her usual mission attire- all sense of weakness and pain wiped from her face, her deep blue gaze steely and firm as she lead the two Dragon Slayers in.
The eyes of the Guild Members followed her as she cut straight toward her destination, all eyes wide and astounded- seeing her up and moving, and seemingly so undisturbed by her injuries... The horrific injuries they had seen her endure under the Master's wrath.
"Is that Horatia....?"
"Woah... She looks pretty good, considering...."
"They're headed toward the Request Board...."
"... She seriously gonna take a job, looking like that?"
"Think the Master's gonna let them go? Being this close to the GMG?"
"Masters been busy... He hasn't even been looking at the Requests taken...."
"But still... Sting and Rogue are on the team, right? And there's only a few months before the Games...."
Sting and Rogue sweatdropped slightly, hearing the murmurings go out around the hall- while Hora seemed hardly perturbed by it, her eyes fixed to the Board as they stopped in front of it.
Of course it was a shock to see Hora moving around only a week after having taken such a brutal punishment by the Master, and it was even more shocking to see her about to take a Job. Last they had seen her, she had been carried out by Rogue unconscious- and that was against Master's orders, though no one was surprised the two Dragon Slayers had gone against it.
Seeing her up and walking around, looking so strong and calm... It was a shock, and yet they were mostly relieved.
Now they focused on the other point- on Sting and Rogue, who, everyone in the Guild knew, were on the Team that participated in the Grand Magic Games, of which were only three months away now. They found it odd they would be going off on a Job so close to the Games... As they usually spent a large amount of time training with the other Members of the Team. To be going with Horatia, who wasn't on the team at all... They were surprised, and a little worried what the Master would think.
But, as it stood- the day Master inflicted his punishment in Hora, he had also sent Minerva out on a very important mission- which, as they heard it, was supposed to last months. With Saber's Lady out of the picture, and Master being so wrapped up in his own business... SaberTooth's Master hadn't been at all present the last few days. Yes of course he'd come out to send out some grand speech or other, other times to reprimand and correct as he saw fit... But he hadn't been paying as close attention to the Guild as he usually would. So maybe, Rogue, Sting and Horatia's action to take a Job would go without being scrutinized.
At least... That was certainly what they were hoping for.
The taking of Job Requests was usually overseen by the Master, most of the Guild's Members were assigned jobs by him personally- but those Mages of higher standing, to which Rogue and Sting belonged to, they were usually able to pick the jobs they'd like, and get approval by the Master. Sometimes they just went out without approval at all, and heard nothing from the Master in return to their actions. With the Master being as busy as he seemed at the moment, they were counting on their status in the Guild to perhaps allow them to slip under the Master's nose and approval, as well as manage a way to take a job with Hora- who at the moment was clearly not on the Master's good side. But they needed a break, a break away from the Guild and the city... And the Master.
And they were not afraid to try.
Sting picked a paper from the Board without a word, but glanced between himself and Rogue and Hora, before silently moving toward the table beside the Board and placing a stamp on the paper- jotting down in the Request book who would be taking the job itself. It was a simple job- the destruction of a small Dark Guild- but it was far away and would to a plenty of time to travel to, and them complete.
"We'll be back in a week or two," Sting announced confidently, smirking slightly. He raised his voice and looked to the balcony overhead, hoping Master would hear the words and counting on the fact the man wouldn't appear. "By then, we'll be ready to begin training for the Games." He waited a small moment, listening intently for any sign Master Jiemma would protest to the plan.
Sting's gaze flicked to Rogue, who's expression remained neutral- though his eyes were tired and slightly worried. Hora's eyes gleamed a moment in sudden tenseness as they waited a moment longer for anything, and then they all visibly relaxed- just a little.
Without a word the five of them moved back toward the doors, and out of sight- all them silent, rigid, and maybe even a little tense. The Guild watched them leave, most of them wide-eyed, some of them quiet and others talking amongst themselves.
Yukino watched the small congregation leave the hall, eyes glinting in concern and hands folded and held to her chest- a sinking feeling in her stomach that wouldn't go away.
It should have been Saber's Twin Dragon's and the ever powerful Horatia- a common team as they were- going on a job, like any normal day.
If it only it were that way...
Her breathing ceased altogether, her chest stilled and her harsh gasping and shallow breaths fell silent- no air swirling into her lungs any longer. She was still, deathly still.....
Rogue's heart stopped in that same instant, time slowing down yet swirling past at unbelievable speed- seeing and hearing her breathing fade to utter silence, hearing his own heart thumping in his ears in a wave of sheer and utter terror.
Frosch near him nearly dropped from air- eyes wide and streaming in tears, stammering in fragmented bits. "A-wait... No.. N.. No.... A-Atia.... A.. She...."
"Hora!!" Her name made it passed his lips in utter terror, sweatdropping heavily as his mind raced in inconceivable fragments.
She wasn't breathing, she's not breathing... She's dying... She... She's....!!!
Time caught up with him as his body began to move, forcing himself to try and stay as calm as he possibly could- though he was beginning to tremble slightly. He realized in a few short moments, that he couldn't hear her breathing- but he could hear a heartbeat, and it wasn't just the thundering of his own beating frantically in his chest.
"Frosch- go fill the bath!" He ordered quickly, meeting the terrified gaze of the Exceed for a moment, before Frosch nodded in slight determination and sped off toward the bathroom, the sound of water running came on a moment later.
Rogue quickly scooped Hora up in his arms bridal style, his heart sinking and a lump forming in his throat at how limp she was in his arms, she was simply dead weight... Her body still fiery hot to the touch, waves of unnatural heat rolling off of her.
The bowl beside the bed was empty, the water having evaporated already.
Her temperature seemed to have stopped fluxing from hot to cold... Now she was just burning up, her fever too high, way too high and very, very unnatural- even for her, she was too hot, she needed to cool down.
Without a moments hesitation, or a second thought- he pushed his way into the bathroom and toward the tub, where Frosch was settled on the floor near it, shaking and quaking in fear.
He stepped into the tub and the (unpleasantly) cold water, not particularly concerned with getting himself nor his clothes wet- all his attention was focused on Hora.
He settled down, laying Hora down into the water and wrapping his arms around her chest as she leaned back against him, letting them both sink into the water until it reached her chest, her head lying limply against his chest as the water drenched them instantly.
Frosch jumped up, a cup of water in paw as he floated over them- the water dropping over the edge of the cup at the Exceed's paws trembling so much, Rogue nodded, eyes glinting.
Frosch gently poured the water over her head, her multicolored strands of hair running with the moisture and dripping, the Exceed gently brushed her hair from her face, eyes glinting in fear.
Rogue gently ran his hand under her chin, holding her cheek in his hand- feeling her skin still fiery to the touch, despite the water, red eyes glinting in terror as he listened for signs of breath.
Silence
His heart dropped, "Hora... Come on!" He snapped lowly, voice shaking ever so slightly. His grip about her tightened slightly,
This isn't happening....
"You can't die damn it...!" He hissed under his breath,
The silence stretched into what seemed like forever, her body like a fire against his body despite the cold of the water engulfing them, there was a small dripping sound as spare droplets of blood continued to fall from her mouth and into the water- staining the liquid pink a moment before it faded.
She's always hot... That's what her Magic does... But this... Its like she just... Started burning out....
His eyes shot open when her body shook in his arms, as she let out a small, weak cough and her chest started heaving as she struggled for proper air, the air in front of her hazing in a cloud... Steam. The surface of the water was steaming a little too- her Magic was getting out of hand... It was staring to seep into the air and the water, making it slowly evaporate.
He felt himself relax a little, his body having been tight and rigid with the terror sweeping through him at the prospect of losing her. He gently rest his chin on top of her head, eyes closing a moment in weariness, a great wash of relief running through him at feeling her body move with her, albeit strained, breathing. Feeling life, movement....
...... Things were much worse than he realized... He had nearly lost her..... And she was still in danger.
He heard Frosch let out a sigh of relief too, his red eyes opening to see his Exceed Parter slumped on the bath side, small tears still pricking at the corner of the Exceed's eyes.
"Frosch, I need you to go find an Ice Lacrima, if you can. There should be one in the kitchen.... Hora's fever is too high, and with her Magic, it isn't making it any better. We need to keep her as cool as possible, ok?" Rogue murmured softly, earning his Partner's eyes. He understood how delicate Frosch was, and hated that the small creature was seeing Horatia like this... But he was alone and wasn't about to take her out of the water lest she give him another scare again.
Frosch nodded, standing up and lifting a paw. "Fro will be right back!" The Exceed replied, hopping from the side of the bath and leaving the bathroom. Rogue's eyes left the space in which his Partner was lost from sight, toward Hora- the faint wisps of steam slowly rising from the water's surface, already the water wasn't even cool anymore, it was growing warmer.
His eyes narrowed, letting himself relax a little by concentrating on the sound of her breathing. His mind flashed to what she said before her breathing stopped altogether, when he had asked what was going on.
"... Over-Drive...?" He mumbled, his eyes falling to her face and features as she lay against him in his arms, gasping and too weak to move, not even awake, her expression strained and one of slight pain and discomfort.
What on earth could that even be? He'd never heard it before, and she had never mentioned it..... For a moment he was faintly reminded of his own 'Shadow Drive' and Sting's 'White Drive', but he couldn't begin to piece together what Over-Drive was supposed to be. How could it be... What was making her this sick?
Frosch walked into the bathroom, paws gripped about a small, icy blue stone that gleamed with Magic. The Exceed hopped onto the side of the bath, slowly dropping the Magical item into the water at their feet.
Rogue shivered as the water suddenly dropped several dozen degrees, Horatia feeling like a heater against his body- but the steam rising from the water nearly faded entirely, and her feverish gasping eased slightly, the pained and discomforted expression on her face softening a little in relief. Rogue sighed,
"Thank you, Frosch." He murmured softly, his red eyes moving toward the Exceed. Frosch nodded, still looking worried but having calmed down as Rogue did.
"Will Atia will be ok?" Frosch asked quietly, eyes wide.
"I don't know, Frosch." Rogue replied honestly, his eyes glittering in worry. "She needs a doctor, or a healer.... She's really sick, and I don't know how to help her." He admitted, and damn it... He really did feel helpless.
"Fro doesn't think the Doctors here will help us..." Frosch mumbled,
"No... They won't...." He muttered, feeling a rise of sudden resentment in himself. There was a flash of anger- and it was toward the Master.
She stopped breathing... Hora could have died for what that man did to her. He hurt her so much, he attacked her so brutally, she had gotten this sick and now she was getting worse and worse. She was fading fast and needed serious help sooner rather than later. The issue was, where would they find help at all?
His red eyes narrowed, fixed to the water in front of him, his hold on Hora tightening slightly.
... We have to find someone... Anyone who could help her....
Frosch settled down on the edge of the bath, eyes drooping a little. Rogue was the same way, they were both exhausted from worrying and looking after her as long as they had... And that tiredness still pulled at them, though Rogue wouldn't dare fall asleep again. He couldn't, his nerves were still on high alert and his heart was still racing in his chest.
His eyes fell closed, his arms still wrapped around Hora, sitting in silence in the very cold water as he honed in on her breathing, finding it soothing him slightly. He never thought just hearing her breath could be so lightening..... It eased as the minutes passed into an hour, and he simply remained there with her in his arms. He wasn't going to even dare think about leaving the water unless he was sure her fever was going down, and that was proving to be a long road.
His eyes opened when he felt her move under him, the water rippling slightly as her arms moved up toward her, her hands grasping onto his arms softly, her face pulling into a somewhat pained expression as her fingers gripped his arm tightly for a few moments, shaking her head weakly, and then she relaxed again. She seemed to be having a sort of fever-driven dream, and he gave her a small squeeze, hoping it may calm her down a little.
The sound of the front door being slammed open caught their immediate attention, Rogue's head snapped sideways and Frosch jumped up from dozing, fur standing on end.
"Rogue..?!" Sting's voice broke the silence of the apartment instantly, the blonde sounding slightly alarmed.
"Frosch?" Lector's voice sounded next, sounding worried. They could hear the two shuffling in the larger room outside the door. They must have just gotten back from the Job they had taken as a cover... And Sting had come running when he scented the sickness and the blood on the air.
"Sting." Rogue called quietly, his voice low and tired. Sting's footsteps echoed over the floors, moving quickly until he appeared with Lector by his side in the doorway, eyes wide and filled with worry and shock at seeing them in the tub, and the unconscious form of Hora in the Shadow Dragon Slayer's arms.
Sting swept up toward the tub, blue eyes glittering in worry and slight fear- his attention immediately fixed on the small drops of blood still dripping from the edge of Horatia's mouth, and the strained way in which she was breathing.
"What happened?" He asked quickly, Lector dropping onto the tub side by Frosch. He reached forward, his hand gently pressing against Hora's cheek, his face pulling into a worried frown at just how hot as was under his touch. "She's burning up.... More than normal...." He mumbled,
"She's been getting worse." Rogue murmured, he had talked to Sting via a Lacrima a few days ago and told him what was going on, so he knew Hora had been sick. "..... Her fever's gotten worse, she's burning out.... And there's clearly been some sort of internal damage we weren't prepared for." Rogue mumbled, his eyes flicking to the blood. "She... She stopped breathing." He said softly, seeing Sting go rigid, his eyes widening and a bead of sweat falling down his face as he felt his heart drop into his stomach at the words.
"W-what...?" He stammered,
"... Its bad, Sting." Rogue murmured. "I don't know what's wrong, and I don't know how to help her. She needs a Doctor, or a healer... I don't think she's going to last very long if we don't get some help." Sting nodded slightly,
"But where are we going to find someone to help her, Sting-kun?" Lector asked quietly,
"The Master is going to wonder where we are if we don't go back to the Guild." Rogue put in, "Hora went somewhere without telling anyone... And he was very angry. If we leave, he'll know, and he'll be pissed."
Sting nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing as he remained with his hand resting to cradle her cheek a little, feeling the heat radiating from her skin and hearing her breathing coming in short gasps.
"... I know. I think I have an idea, but we're gonna have to move quickly." Sting sad quietly, eyes glittering in worry. "..... I hope they won't consider us enemies, this close to the Games.... For Hora's sake...."
"Thank you, Rufus." Rogue murmured, nodding to the man as he switched from the form of Horatia he had taken on.
The two stood at the bottom of the hill that lead up toward SaberTooth, Sting moving off quickly with Lector in tow. Rogue stopped beside the man, looking weary and tired as Rufus nodded in return.
"Certainly." The man replied softly, "Anything for a friend. This is Horatia's life on the line here, I'm happy to do what I can." He replied, tipping his hat to the Shadow Dragon Slayer.
As in accordance with Sting's idea, they asked Rufus to walk into the Guild alongside Rogue and the blonde- using Transformation Magic in order to assume Horatia's form. Doing so let the Guild believe she was fine and leaving with Sting and Rogue to go out of the city on a Job Request... When in reality, she wasn't even conscious.
They needed to get her out of the city and find help elsewhere, since they knew they wouldn't find help here. But they couldn't simply leave- Master would be angry if they did that, so they needed the cover of going on a Job away from the city to prevent suspicion. They planned to take her to another town, and hoped who they were going to ask for aid from were not going to refuse.... They couldn't, without help Hora was going to die.
Rogue nodded to him, "Will you four be alright?" Rufus asked, eyes glinting in faint worry. Rogue glanced away a moment, his red eyes dulling in exhaustion and fear.
"I hope so..." He replied. "I hope we can get help.... I really don't think Hora's going to last if we don't." Rufus sweatdropped a little, but nodded.
"Call when you can." Rufus murmured, "And good luck." Rogue nodded, Rufus turned away and made his way back toward the Guild. Frosch settled down on the Shadow Dragon Slayer's shoulder.
"Rogue..?" Frosch murmured, sliding tired.
"It's going to be alright, Frosch." Rogue replied, starting toward the direction Lector and Sting had moved away toward. "We'll find help. Hora's strong... She'll get through it."
If only he could make himself sound more sure.....
"Lets hurry, or we'll miss the Train." He murmured lowly, speeding up until he was jogging through the streets, eyes narrowed and tired. He grimaced slightly at the thought of the train, but knew they had no other choice. If riding a train meant bringing Horatia closer to someone who could help her- the discomfort was well worth it.
The duo met up outside the Train Station with Sting and Lector, the sun over their heads starting to wane as night started to settle in. They had waited for the water to bring Hora's temperature down as long as they could- so at least it was more manageable now. Though they were still concerned she may give them another scare and stop breathing as she had with Rogue. They had also called over Yukino, to help rewrap her wounds and change the bandages that had been soaked from the tub.
Hora rest in Sting's arms as he held her bridal style, Rogue's cloak draped over her body as she remained limp in the White Dragon Slayer's arms, her head resting lightly against his chest and breathing in short, quick breaths. Her features were marked by pain and discomfort, her fingers weakly gripping at the cloak over her body in her unconsciousness- as if she were enveloped in some dream... Or maybe a fever driven nightmare.
Sting's glittering gaze moved from being settled on Hora to Rogue and Frosch as they approached, oblivious or otherwise ignoring the questioning looks he was receiving from the people milling about the station. Sting nodded a little as they drew near, a small flicker of determination in his eyes, though it was mostly masked by worry and fear.
"Lets hurry." Sting murmured, Rogue nodded in return. They made their way on to the train quickly, setting down in one of the back carriages and picking the one with no one in it.
Sting gently lay Hora down on one of the empty benches, flinching slightly when her features scrunched in more pain and she winced. It must be painful to be moved at all, with how broken and battered she was from her injuries alone.... And that was discounting how sick she was.
The blonde Dragon Slayer settled down beside her, letting her head rest in his lap lightly and hand falling to gently rest on her shoulder- the other moving to brush away the loose strands of hair about her face, eyes glinting as he sweatdropped heavily.
Rogue took a seat opposite them, red eyes dulled with exhaustion and concern, his attention focused to Hora. Lector and Frosch settled on the bench beside the Shadow Dragon Slayer, eyes dulled in worry and fear.
Over and over in his mind, her last words to him before she had fallen into perpetual unconsciousness... They kept repeating.
"... Its..... Over-Drive...."
What the hell was that supposed to even mean...?!
He kept searching his memory, over and over he tried to recall some time, some place she may have mentioned something such as 'Over-Drive'- maybe even obscurely. And through his searching, he came up with nothing. He was entirely sure she had never mentioned it before now.
His eyes narrowed, even not being near, or in contact with her, he could still feel the waves of heat rolling off of her steadily. She was like a furnace.... Her Magic was out of hand and it could be physically felt now. It was acting on its own, presenting itself in transparent waves despite Hora still being very much unconscious and unaware.... He remembered how hot she was when he held on to her in the water, he could only imagine how hot she was now as she was pressed close to Sting.
This sickness that had taken hold of her... It wasn't natural. There was something else going on, and he was sure it was what Hora had said to him. It was 'Over-Drive', but he hadn't a clue what that actually was!
And with it he had no clue if it was going to kill her or not, what caused it, or how to fix it.
Before he realized it, the train had started moving and the minutes had passed into hours, the sun dying on the horizon and indigo painting the sky. So immersed in his thoughts and his confusion, he barely felt his Motion Sickness rising- he blinked, feeling the ever present pit of worry and fear in his stomach instead of the churning and the aversion to the movement of the train. He was too scared, too concerned and too exhausted to even be bothered to feel sick about the Train at all....
His red gaze moved up toward Sting, who's narrowed eyes were glinting in the growing dim, his free arm propped up and cheek resting against his closed fist. Even Sting didn't seem bothered by his usual Motion Sickness at all... He was the same as Rogue. Too worried, too fearful...
And them he remembered in full force what else Horatia had said to him. Of how she wanted them to leave the Guild... How she wanted them to leave her behind. That she couldn't leave.
He remembered very clearly her fear, her deep and true fear... And then his heart ached to remember how broken and utterly despairing she had seemed, to remember seeing the dull light of true and utter sadness in her eyes. A deeper sadness than he had ever seen in anyone, and more sadness and regret he had ever seen in Hora alone. She always seemed... Content. But he knew now there was some deep, dark, writhing mass of hidden emotion she had kept from them for so long.
"..... Sting." Rogue murmured softly, faintly aware that at some point Frosch and Lector had fallen asleep, and were curled up together on the seat next to him.
"Hmm..?" The White Dragon Slayer hummed softly, eyes closing a moment as a bead of sweat fell down his face.
"Before everything happened... Before she stopped breathing... Hora... She woke up." He said softly, slowly. The sudden words made Sting's eyes snap open in shock, resting on the Shadow Dragon Slayer in sudden alertness. Rogue hadn't mentioned this before, they had been too concerned with orchestrating what they needed to do to get out of Saber Town and find Hora help.
"..... Did she... Say anything...?" Sting asked softly, breathlessly almost. Rogue nodded a little, his red eyes falling to the floor.
"... She wants us to leave the Guild."
"Wha...?!" Sting stammered, completely caught off guard. "I... I know the Master's actions need to be stopped... But... Leaving the Guild... We can't do that..! All our friends are there... We can't leave them..!" Sting argued lowly, and Rogue nodded.
"I told her that. And still she told us to leave.... She blames herself for not stopping us from joining SaberTooth all those years ago... She feels she should have kept us away... She regrets everything that's happened to us from Minerva and the Master... And hates that it's because she let us join... That we've suffered....." His fists clenched slightly, still a little angry she could ever believe such a thing.
"That's nonesense!" Sting growled lowly,
.... But was it?
In his own mind, Rogue had begun to understand why she felt such a way.... Why she felt it was her fault....
.... He realized now she had tried to warn them. She had tried to persuade them from joining the Guild when they had first met. And realized now.. They failed to understand her warnings, see them.... And they had failed to see the worry in her eyes when they said they wanted to join.
And still, here they were....
"... I know it is." Rogue mumbled, eyes closing and head bowing slightly. ".... But.... I can understand where she's coming from with the idea.... I think she did try to stop us. She tried to convince us not to join the Guild, and we just didn't listen." He glanced up to see Sting stiffen slightly at the words, his blue eyes falling away as he sweatdropped.
"And now... We can see why she didn't want us to join. She couldn't have ever explained to us truly what SaberTooth and the Master were like." He went on. ".... And she hates it. She doesn't want us to be a part of it anymore, so she told us to run. She said to leave... Leave the Guild, leave our friends.... And she.." He took a deep breath,
"... She said to leave her behind."
Sting stared at him, eyes wide and jaw dropped slightly, completely silent and rigid at the words. He didn't seem to believe the words anymore than Rogue had, and he seemed slightly taken aback by them. Because the idea was just ludicrous, they couldn't ever just leave her behind, it wasn't an option! Under any circumstance!
".... But.... We wouldn't ever.... We'd never leave her behind." Sting stammered, his eyes growing hard. "How could she even suggest such a thing..?!"
"... She says she can't leave the Guild." Rogue murmured, Sting shook his head roughly, suddenly seeming to grow agitated.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Its not as if she's a pet or something! She's a free, living person, and has every right to do what she wants! How could she even think that?! What a stupid idea... Idiot...!" Sting hissed, his voice rising unintentionally as his eyes flashed in irritation. It didn't make any sense to him, how could she really think she couldn't leave the Guild? So much so she told them to leave her behind?
Master doesn't own her! SaberTooth doesn't own her! How could she think so little of herself?! Of course she can leave!!
"..... I don't understand it either, Sting." Rogue said quietly, his red eyes shinning as he locked gazes with the blonde. "... It doesn't make sense.... But..... She truly doesn't think she can leave... And she wouldn't tell me why... I just know... Its something serious..." He swallowed,
"... She was crying, when she told me she couldn't leave..."
That shut Sting up instantly, his eyes wide and mouth agape, shock sweeping through him. Crying?
".... She... She was... Crying...?" His gone dropped to a whisper, he was shocked, and instantly... He was worried. He knew Hora... And she'd never cried, she'd never come close to it... If she was crying.....
... What on earth... Could make her think... She really couldn't leave...?
".... I don't...." Sting's voice dropped to a whisper, face tilting down and a shadow casting over his eyes to keep them from view. ".... Hora.... Is she really... Hurting that much.....? And..... We never... Never realized it....?" Rogue stiffened, sweatdropping as a frown pulled at his face.
"..... Are we... That blind.....?"
He felt ashamed, they both did. They felt Guilty.... Because they were friends... They were Family, and somehow they had still seemed to fail to notice.... Hora hurting... They had failed to see how scared she was, how much pain she was in, how worried she was and how much she blamed herself for the suffering they had endured under Master and Minerva's actions.... They had never really known what she truly felt.... If they failed to see all of that.....
... How could they even call themselves her friends, then?
..... They were at fault. More so than she was....
".... Damn it..." Sting hissed, fangs grinding down on one another. ".... We're.... So stupid.....!" Rogue's eyes fell closed, head falling in shame, and regret.
"..... We can't let ourselves miss any of that... We can't fail to understand, or even see what Hora's feeling. Not anymore.. We're supposed to be her friends, and friends should always know when the other is hurting, or in pain, or sad or worried!" Sting hissed, "... We have to do better. We have to pay more attention to her, and her feelings..!"
".... Like she's always concerned with ours." Rogue said softly, nodding a little in agreement. "Hora.... She's always been there for us. She always knows what we're feeling, and is right there to help us when we need it. We may not have realized it.... But she's been keeping watch on us all this time, doing what she could to keep us as safe as she can... And happy." His fists clenched a little. "We have to repay her for that."
"Yeah.... And we will. That's a vow." Sting said firmly, eyes growing hard as he glanced toward Hora, his eyes growing slightly softer.
"We'll do better... Be better friends to her.." He murmured.
"... We'll be better family. We'll look after her as much as she looks after us." Rogue promised, his voice low as he nodded in agreement with Sting, strong determination settling inside of him.
They had to do better.
They would keep to their promises, because now they realized they had missed so much... And they hated themselves for being so blind to her pain and her sadness. They hated they had been so oblivious... And Hora deserved better than that. They couldn't ask for a better friend than her... And they hadn't been returning the favor.
All first appearances, and impressions of these two- they were radically different from how they truly were, especially around the people they cared for. When first meeting Sting- he came off as an arrogant prick who cared little for other people, and more for his own personal gain. Rogue seemed emotionless, as if he didn't care about the world- as was stony and cold to everyone, to all those people who didn't know him, or what he was truly like. In reality- the few people who realized that there was more to the Twin Dragon Slayers than first appeared, those would have been Orga, Yukino, Rufus... And of course Horatia.
They had put up a huge wall between their true selves and the outside world. They had created an act, a facade that they played and put on for the rest of the world- and fallen so deep into it, they couldn't be their true selves with anyone they didn't know. People didn't like them... Because they didn't know them. And maybe they never would, the way SaberTooth was going.
".... There was something else." Rogue murmured after a few moments of silence went by. Sting glanced toward him again, "... I mentioned her fever, and the sudden sickness... And when I asked her what was going on.... She told me it was 'Over-Drive'." Sting blinked in question, looking confused.
"Over-Drive...?" Sting murmured, shaking his head a little. "I've never heard of it..."
"Neither have I.... But she wouldn't have said it, if it wasn't important."
Maybe important enough.... That without knowing what it was....
.... Could she die... Because of this... Over-Drive..?
"B-big...... Big Brother?!?!"
She screamed. Screamed in terror and panic as her voice was lost to the roaring of hundreds of frightened and terrified people running around her, the noise of their shouts and their own screams pounding against her ears.
The whole village was in a complete state of panic, of destruction and disarray... Homes and buildings, all those structures she had come to know by heart- they lay in smoldering ruin around her, flames dancing and rubble thrown all about. Her home was now a mess of destruction, everything looked foreign, she couldn't begin to place where she was- and the mass of running and sprinting people around her on all sides wasn't helping any.
She looked around wildly, stumbling and tripping in the snow laden and soot covered streets- her toes numb from the icy water seeping into her shoes.
"Mom?! Dad?!" She yelled, though no one could possibly hear such a small voice, tears welled from her eyes and fell down her cheeks, chest heaving and fighting for air as sheer terror sunk in even deeper in her heart. "Brother?! Please!!! Where are you?!"
She was alone... She was lost..... Her family.....
There were bodies. People from the village, broken and bloody... Crushed under the fallen buildings. Torn apart by the rubble. Burned from the fires.... People were dying and lay all around her. Death hung in the air... It...
It was a massacre.
She was trembling in her fear, her young heart hardly able to take such violence and death.. She'd never see this before, and she never should have. Such a thing as this... It was awful, it was horrifying, and among the roars of the beast and the screaming of the people around her- she was alone and lost.
All she wanted... Was her family....
But.... There were so many people dead. Her heart stopped to think that maybe... Maybe..... Her family was dead too.
The emptiness growing inside of her deepened, cold and rotting... She had never felt more alone, and her tears started to stream faster, blurring her vision as she stumbled about.
"MOM?! DAD?!" She yelled, voice shaking and tripping, the large and daunting form of the creature blurred from the salty wetness clouding her eyes. She stumbled and fell, the snow and icy cobblestone underfoot rushing up to meet her small body with a painful thud.
"B-Brother!!!!" She gasped, she just wanted... Wanted someone....
Her eyes moved from the blackened ice and snow, upward as she felt a massive shadow loom over her. Her wide and terrified gaze moved up to see the Beast standing before her, so massive it was it blocked out the sky.
Its cold eyes glittering in animalistic rage and malice, her heart stopping and ice running through her veins as she simply remained motionless. She was too terrified to move, or even cry out as one of its clawed hands lift- sharp claws glinting in the fire light.
She was going to die.....
It swiped downward, she lift her arms as her eyes shut right in terror- the beasts hand catching her small body and tearing open her skin and muscle and bone with one of the wicked claws, her blood flying into the air and staining the snow- just as hundreds of different scarlet pools already were. The agony that swept through her was gut-wrenching, her vision went black and red at the pain of it tearing across her being, as she was sent flying- her scream of utter pain tearing at the air and her throat.
She fell abruptly silent as she slammed into the ground, bones cracking. She rolled, coming to a halt, unmoving, unbreathing... A large, deep pool of crimson surrounding her body, the wound deep, bone showing through the shredded skin.
She couldn't even hear the screaming anymore, she couldn't open her eyes... She couldn't even wince at her pain.... She was just... Falling..... Alone.......
My... Family......... My brother..... Dead.....
.... I should have.... Been dead....
"What in the... Hell...?"
Several pairs of eyes gazed toward the small group of Mages, all expressions puzzled and many of them wary, some of them just looking on in plain disbelief.
Rogue, Lector, Frosch and Sting- who held Horatia's form close to him, almost protectively- they stood in the grand stone doorway to the large, regally built building. Its roofs reached over their heads, stone structures supported by wood and metal beams, tables spread out on either side of the main walkway in the center, the form of a fountain featuring a beautiful woman with a serpentine tail set in the very center. The water shooting from the fountain was dazzled by the multicolor fragments of light falling through the stained glass oculus above it.
All around them they were faced by the bewildered and some of them hateful glances of the Wizards of the Guild- understandable, considering SaberTooth's reputation with the other Wizard's Guilds of Fiore. SaberTooth was not very well liked, and Sting and Rogue even less so for their exploits in the Grand Magic Games- to which they had battled against some of these Wizards standing before them, and beaten... Harshly.
"What the hell are you doing here?" One of the Wizards growled lowly, his dark gaze glinting in mistrust.
"You can't just how up here." Another one growled,
"We were on a Mission, and one of our Wizards was wounded, badly." Sting said, his tone low and face neutral. His facade, like a switch in his head was flipped when he was around other people- he wasn't him. "We had heard you had a Mage here who uses Healing Magic." He said in a matter of fact tone, there was no pleading in his face, no gentleness... No humility. Rogue beside him remained expressionless, his eyes dull and unreadable.
The rival Guild seemed to bristle at the words, looking slightly outraged at what he was saying to them.
"We want you to heal her." Sting said flatly, his tone borderline commanding- he couldn't stop himself. His true self was gone, under the role he had learned to play in front of other Guilds.
"Wha?!"
"Don't think you can just waltz in here, demanding we help you!!"
"Yeah, we don't owe you bastards anything!"
"Bastard, you can't even manage to show a little humility?! You are the one asking for our help here!"
Sting frowned a little, both he and Rogue sweatdropping slightly at the onslaught of angry comments and near refusal they were receiving already. It was clear they were not in good graces here, and it didn't seem likely they would be getting Hora help.
"Tch.... Aren't you supposed to be willing to help those in need or something?" Sting grumbled,
"And what the hell has SaberTooth ever done for us?!" Was the short reply. "You've humiliated and beaten us without mercy and acted without kindness toward us. You look down on all Guilds and treat other Wizards like crap, why the hell should we treat you any differently?!"
Rogue and Sting sweatdropped, Lector and Frosch exchanged slightly worried gazes between themselves.
"Besides- you're so convinced SaberTooth is so great, why do you need help from anyone else?" Another growled lowly, "Aren't you supposed to be the strongest Guild on all of Fiore? Why would you need help from the 'weaker' Guilds?"
Sting grimaced, hearing the same thing that he had said several times over in the Games suddenly reiterated to him. His anger and irritation suddenly rose, fangs baring slightly as he barely held himself back from snapping at them all. He could yell and demand they help, and for a moment he wanted to- but then his worry and fear for his friend grew stronger and he stopped himself.
"Get out! Nobody wants you here!"
"Enough!"
The large booming voice tore out over the angry murmurs, the figure of a large and daunting man made his way toward the front of the crowd, arms crossed over his chest and eyes steely. He looked over the coalition of SaberTooth Wizards silently, seemingly agitated though he kept his dislike for them at bay for now- much more refined and controlled than his other members.
Beside the large man approached a small girl with fiery pink hair and deep blue eyes, glinting not in hate... But in slight concern.
"Regardless of the past, and the things your Guild has done to us," The man said lowly, all attention suddenly on him in respectful silence. "It is unfitting for any Guild, or human being, to turn away someone in true need. We would be no better than the worst Dark Guilds if we were to send them away now." The Guild around him fell silent, sweatdropping slightly and seeming to falter, some of them looking ashamed.
The girl moved up toward Sting slowly, the White Dragon Slayer stiffened slightly as she looked to him a little warily. "What happened?" She asked gently, "How long has she... Been like this?" Her blue gaze flicked toward Horatia.
"... A powerful Wizard attacked her. She suffered a lot of damage... And she's been sick for nearly a week." Rogue answered in a low, monotone voice as Sting remained silent. The girl's eyes widened in shock,
"A week?" She echoed lowly,
"And you're only now looking for help?" The man with the white hair and dark eyes asked lowly.
"We weren't near any place with a Doctor." Rogue replied, the lie slipping past his lips nearly effortlessly. They had no choice but to lie... "We tried to wait it out, but her fever just got worse. We decided to head to the closest town- here." They received flinty, piercing stares in return to the story- which wasn't at all true. They just couldn't ever explain that it wasn't a Dark Mage who did this... That it was their own Master, and the Doctors in their own city would have been too afraid to help Hora, out of fear of Jiemma.
There was a strained silence over the building a moment, before the girl slowly made her way closer to Sting- who stiffened as she moved, eyes narrowed and watching her closely. She held up her hands in a gesture meant to calm him, as she slowly placed a hand on Hora's forehead, eyes widening in utter shock at how hot she was to the touch.
"She's burning up..." The girl murmured, eyes scanning the unconscious woman a moment, before glancing back to the large and daunting man behind her who had quieted the Guild around them. "She's really hurt." She affirmed, eyes glinting. The man blinked, before nodding slightly, his eyes falling closed as he seemed to go into thought.
"..... We will help your comrade." He decided, earning shocked gazes from the SaberTooth Mages at how easily they had given in to their request. "It would speak ill of us to refuse you, even with the past and your actions against us." Sting and Rogue sweatdropped, eyes hard.
".... I suppose it would make us look bad..."
"It'd be evil of us to refuse.... He's right... Damn it."
There were murmurs of hesitant and grudging agreement that swept over the hall, the fear in the hearts of the SaberTooth Mages lessened a little- despite the clear scorn.
"Come on." The girl said to Sting, flicking her head the opposite direction of him. "Bring her here, I'll get to work immediately." Sting paused a moment, before nodding stiffly.
Sting made his way through the crowd of rival Wizards slowly, following the girl closely, eyes hard and expression tense. Rogue made to move after them, but the larger man stepped in front of him, blocking the way. His red eyes glittered slightly at the action, but he didn't argue.
"SaberTooth bending to ask for assistance from us.... It seemed impossible." The man murmured, as Rogue frowned slightly. "We will do what we can for your comrade, but don't expect happiness that you're here."
Rogue looked past the man, his eyes following Sting and Hora move through a door at the back of the Guild and out of sight.
This was dangerous in itself.... Word that SaberTooth's Twin Dragons had come here and asked for help was sure to spread. The longer they were here, the more likely it was their actions would be heard of by the Master.... And then they would be in a large bit of trouble. With this, came something he didn't like... They were going to have to leave Hora here.
The idea was not one they stomached well in any way, they would never want to leave her here among strange Wizards who were not at all fond of SaberTooth... But they hadn't a choice. They knew enough to realize that Hora would be here for a few days at least to recover, and they couldn't stick around- it would draw too much attention. Saber's Twin Dragons saying in Margaret Town for any extended amount of time would cause a stir.... But a rather unknown Mage, who many had no idea was affiliated with SaberTooth staying here would hardly cause a ripple. And they needed to stay as low key as possible.... But they hated it none the less. They wouldn't leave her here with light hearts, they'd be worried and tense, and very opposed to the idea. They just... Didn't have a choice. The situation was too delicate.
Rogue's eyes closed, sweatdropping slightly as his shoulders seemed to hunch a little, his emotionless expression turning to one of... Discomfort for a moment.
Despite the act he and Sting played with other people, especially other Guilds- the arrogance that Sting put off wasn't all together an act at all. Sting was arrogant..... It just reached new heights around other people. Rogue was proud, stubborn even...... But even now, he couldn't stay prideful as the worry and the fear he felt for Hora suddenly began to melt, now that she was going to be helped, and maybe even saved. For the sake of his friend.....
".... Thank... You..." He grumbled, the words sounding pained as they made it past his lips in a soft tenor. It looked as if it was hard for him to say those two words at all, as he glanced away from the man, looking tense.
The larger man's eyes widened in utter shock, looking astounded and caught off guard, before he smirked, just slightly.
"So you do know humility." He murmured and Rogue sweatdropped more, ".... This girl must mean a lot to you two, if you were willing to ask for assistance, hmm?" He hummed lightly and Rogue still don't look up at him. The man only smiled a little more, perhaps seeing just a small, tiny glimpse... That maybe SaberTooth and its Mages were not as they appeared all together. Who'd have known..?
"... Perhaps SaberTooth is not entirely arrogant and ruthless after all..."
Chapter 4: In You..... In Me
Chapter Text
Chapter 4
In You.... In Me
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+: .
SaberTooth used to be weak.
As it would happen, it was those days that the Guild barely made a dent in the world, when it wasn't even known to exist by the rest of the World, where the Members weren't particularly strong, where they weren't famous, renowned... Those were the days she remembered most fondly. SaberTooth used to be happy, content... And it wasn't strong, no.
But it was better than what it is now. Ruled by a merciless man with no care for anything or anyone outside of gaining more and more power. A man who was willing to beat and humiliate the people he was supposed to protect as their Guild Master, a Guild in which she was a prisoner... She was trapped.
She remembered SaberTooth and its Master, its Members fondly... She loved that Guild, and then Jiemma came and she was just... angry and scared and alone.
Again...
Hora had joined that small, unknown little Guild known as SaberTooth when she was 11. It was a Guild filled with kind people who, for what they lacked in Magical Capability, they made up for it in caring and thoughtfulness. The Members were kind to her, the Master... He was a caring man, someone she looked up to, someone she had come to admire. For a year she was in the Guild- they took her in, made her feel welcome, loved... For a year, her sad, suffering existence was just... Bliss.
Life had been unbearably hard and painful for her... Since that Beast, since her home was destroyed and her family killed... Since she should have died, and yet never did.
What kept her living... What made sure she didn't die that day... It had been pure agony. The thing that kept her living was nothing less than torture, as she lived on cold, in agony, alone... Numb and empty inside. Over and over she had wished she'd died that day, because she wasn't existing for anything... She was just an empty shell of numbing non reality, and fiery hot rage and pain.
She should have been dead, like her Family, like her brother... What was the point of living, if your existence was just to be cursed to walk alone, and empty?
Being in the Guild... Feeling included, having people to turn to, share with, talk to... For the first time since that night that she should have died... She didn't feel alone anymore. She was... Happy. She'd never thought she could be happy again.
But a year was all it lasted. A year until the day that Jiemma appeared in SaberTooth. That man, he challenged her Master for control of SaberTooth. He wouldn't take no for an answer... She remembered it like it was just yesterday.
The curse of living alone, of walking on and on with no purpose... She couldn't ever forget. She'd never been able to forget all the awful, the haunting, the painful... She remembered it all.
She remembered very clearly the looks of horror on the faces of her fellow Members. She remembered how terrified she was... As Jiemma killed her Master with one, crushing, decisive blow.
'If the fool hadn't refused to hand over the Guild, he may have lived to walk away.'
Jiemma's voice was cold, emotionless. He showed no remorse, no hesitation, no emotion to the life he had so brutally ended with his own hands... An innocent, and good life. A kind man... Someone... She...
His cold, dark eyes landed on her. Immediately he had singled her out... And immediately he had made his mind, that she wouldn't be getting away from him. He made damn sure that she couldn't ever get away... And implanted an innate fear inside of her heart, so she would never question, never fight... She couldn't.
He rose to power, he ruled SaberTooth with a brutal, bloodied fist. He cared not who he hurt, who he threw out... He didn't care that he wasn't liked. He didn't care that people hated him- all he wanted was power, and knew best that fear would give him what he wanted. He wanted an unquestioning army... He wanted people who were too scared of him and his power, to ever go against his orders.
He got what he wanted... He always does. He got the Guild. He got his army... And he got me. He still has me...
Slave
He is a tyrant. He is evil, he's ruthless and brutal... And he doesn't deserve the people he commands. He doesn't deserve the right to be called 'Master'.
Guild Master's are supposed to be Guides. They're supposed to be people the Mages under them can look to for advice, leadership, kindness... He's just an evil man, a cold, ruthless bastard. Her hatred for him knew no bounds... For however empty and cold she was inside... Her hatred for Jiemma always burned like a raging wildfire. One that blazed inside of her, threatening to engulf her and the world around it... But she couldn't let the flames go free. If she did that... He's just kill her.
She wasn't afraid of dying... For the longest time she just wanted to be dead. She had made her peace with the idea that night the Beast should have killed her.
She wasn't afraid of death... She wasn't even afraid of Jiemma, or his witch of a daughter. There was only one thing that scared her... And that was the thought of what they might do to the people she had grown to care for.
... She was the only one left. Jiemma either threw out every single Mage that had been in the Guild before, or they left. None of them lived up to his standards of power and strength... She was the one last reminder of what SaberTooth had once been. Jiemma would never let her leave... Because she served to feed his hunger for power. He relished in how he could control her, how he owned her... Truly trapped.
She wished... Rogue, Sting... Lector... Frosch... Rufus... Orga... Yukino... All those people she had leaned to care for... She wished they could have come to be a part of the Guild she remembered... Not the oppressed, scared and helpless band of Mages ruled over by a tyrannical mad man.
She was still so empty... So angry... So numb.
She never let them know that... She never let them see the pain and the suffering mass of emotion that filled her hollowed out shell of a body. The body of a girl who died oh so many years ago...
What happiness she felt... It was all memory... And the rest... The rest was them.
Why was it that everything good... Ended up being clouded and crushed beneath everything bad, and evil...?
My happiness... Just ends up being destroyed, hurt, shattered...
... I've always wondered... Why do I keep trying...?
... I'm a huge softie.
I care... Too much...
And I'm stubborn... Hellishly stubborn... And still...
... I'm just so empty... And cold...
And so... So very angry...
... What even am I anymore...?
She was screaming. Writhing and squirming in sheer, fiery agony searing across her body and her mind. Her wrist, arm, and all the way to her shoulder... Her skin was blistering from the insane heat- it felt as if she had dipped it in molten lava.
Someone was gripping her arm tightly, holding on to her, the grip never slipping- even as she tried so desperately to pull away. Her vision flashed black, red... The smell of burning filled her nose and lungs. She just kept screaming... The pain was blinding...
... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go. She wanted to be let go.
And for what? What the hell was all this... All this pain and sheer agony, the suffering and the torture for anyway? Why was she being forced to endure it?
... The reason... It... It was impossible... She couldn't...
"STOP! PLEASE!"
"You must... Live! It is up to you... You have to defeat...!"
"NO!"
She lunged upward, chest heaving in frantic, terrified and pained breaths- her body covered in sweat and heart raging in her chest, ruled by the terror of the memory, the agony of it... The suffering...
That pain, the terrible fire running through her body- that didn't go away, though the intensity of it lessened considerably. Her mind was still racing, senses on high alert and panting in short gasps as her dark blue gaze swept across the room- its stone walls and beds laying about, the light filtering through the window... The several melted puddles of wax that had served as candles once upon a time. The wilted and dried plants in vases burned dry of any water they may have once held...
... Her Magic... She must have... Started to melt things... Burn them...
She sweatdropped, doing her best to calm her breathing down and settle her nerves- and doing her best to come to terms with what happened, where she was, and what was going on... Her mind was still in a slightly feverish blur. The memory was fading... But not nearly fast enough.
There in the sounds of the waking world began to invade her senses, of...Conversation... Laughter...
... She was immediately aware she wasn't in SaberTooth. In fact... She didn't recognize this place at all.
I'm... Alone...
She hated that feeling, but even more so- she hated the fact she had no clue where she was or what was going on. Her mind began to race in a new rise of panic, despite herself. She leapt from the bed, wincing harshly at the dull pain that spread across her body at the quick movement- feeling suddenly lightheaded though she hardly cared. She faintly took notice that parts of her person were covered in bandages, while by some miracle most of her injuries were just... Gone.
Her dark blue gaze snapped over toward a neatly folded set of clothes in the nearest table to her- she was very (and most uncomfortably) aware of her nearly naked person. She sweatdropped, finding they weren't her clothes- but hastily put them on anyway, assuming they were for her anyway.
She pulled at the collar of the dark red shirt, buttoning up the middle and rolling the sleeve cuffs up to her elbows. The shirt felt as if it was made for someone with a larger bust than she had... She sweatdropped, blushing faintly in embarrassment at the thought.
She sighed slightly, slipping into the mid length black skirt with a slit up the side, its edges trimmed with crimson, that had also been left on the table, she usually didn't like to wear skirts or dresses- they weren't usually very good attire for battling, but it was better than nothing she supposed.
Her eyes moved toward the table, falling into the length of dark blue ribbon still on top. Her attention moved from that, toward her earrings and rings- much to her relief. She replaced her accessories and turned away toward the door. She took a single step, before shaking her head a little and turning back- taking the ribbon up and quickly using it to tie her hair back a little loosely.
She stepped across the empty room lightly, eyes narrowing as she paused at the door. Her nerves had settled some, but she remained considerably wary- she still had no idea what was going on, or where she was. The fact that she couldn't see Sting or Rogue, or even Lector and Frosch- that put her on edge. She wasn't a fan of waking up in a strange place with no one familiar close by, and with her memory so hazy and missing such large chunks... She was tense.
She recalled Master and his punishment of course... And remembered waking up, speaking with Rogue... She sweatdropped, her hand coming up to her chest and bunching about the shirt tightly, eyes narrowed.
Ah, right... The reason her chest ached more than anything... The memory of feeling insanely hot, and then deathly cold... That hadn't been a long ago memory, that had been recently- namely, when she had told Rogue to leave SaberTooth.
She sweatdropped a little, eyes narrowing to slits.
"... Over-Drive... Damn it..." She was rather surprised she felt as good as she did now, considering she did remember feeling like absolute shit- and with good reason. And on that note- she shouldn't be able to move right now, and yet her pain was just a dull ache... She felt relatively fine.
Now how is that possible...?
She shook her head slightly, deciding it best to focus on one mystery at a time- the first she would solve; where the hell am I?!
She slowly cracked the door open, her dark blue eyes widening in utter shock to see the large coalition of people on the other side, inside a grand hall of stone. And not just people... Wizards.
Her eyes trailed from the metal and wood supports, to the stained glass oculus, down to the fountain in the center and the beautiful woman with the serpentine tail. She sweatdropped more, her eyes moving toward a large green banner set atop the front doors on the far side of the building from her, the symbol emblazoned on it making her heart race in absolute surprise and utter shock, a large bead of sweat dripping down her face, eyes wider than ever.
This... This is...!
"Lamia Scale?!"
They... Those... Those idiots!
Her heart was racing, eyes wide in shock as she stood in astonishment- she wasn't sure she could believe this... How could she?!
How... How could those dumbasses...
Leave me here?!
Of course she realized they must have had a very good reason, and she knew precisely why they left- for fear of the Master hearing of them asking another Guild for help- which would not be taken kindly by the Master in any way shape or form. She understood the reasoning nearly immediately, realized things had been serious and delicate... But in that moment her heart lurched in slight panic.
She wouldn't consider herself an overly cautious, nor easily scared person. In all aspects she was easy going and calm... But she hated it about herself- but she couldn't help but feel panic and even deep uneasiness at being all alone.. She hated being alone...!
And especially in a Guild full of Wizards she didn't know, and probably hated her for being in SaberTooth...?! She shouldn't have been angry at Sting and Rogue for their actions, but she suddenly was... She couldn't help it...!
Her racing and slightly frantic thoughts suddenly snapped toward the feeling of someone or something suddenly behind her- hearing someone's low breathing and the soft pat of their shoes on the stone floor. But more than anything she felt their body heat wash against her back, and her heart leapt.
She whipped about quickly, arm and hand raising- fingers clenching into a fist as her eyes narrowed. She may be acting a bit rashly for where it was she was... But at the moment she hardly thought on that.
The persons hand came up to grab onto her wrist with an iron like hold, her blue eyes meeting deep onyx ones. She stiffened, eyes narrowing more as she sweatdropped- all her movement coming to a stand still as the man looked to her with a neutral face, though slightly unamused she had been about to hit him. A shiver ran up her spine, at how cold his hand was to her unusually warm body.
He was only slightly taller than she was, and looked older. His hair was a silvery blue-white, wearing an attire of dark blue with gold trimmings. She didn't recognize him, not that she was too familiar with Lamia Scale and its Members at any rate.
"Tch..." She grumbled, he blinked, eyes narrowing in thought a moment, before he let her wrist go and she took a step back from him.
"You're very lively." He commented calmly, "Especially considering your condition.. That must mean you're feeling better." She stiffened slightly, as he blinked, looking a little thoughtful. "Though... You are still rather warm."
She sweatdropped, eyes narrowing a little more as she bit the inside of her cheek in sudden nervousness. She wasn't sure how to react to his sudden appearance, and wasn't exactly comfortable with him either- seeing as how they were strangers.
"... That's normal." She murmured, he blinked in surprise. "The nature of my Magic... I'm always warmer to the touch than normal... Though you yourself, you are rather cold." She explained and his head tilted slightly.
"... Alright." He relented.
"How long have you been standing there?" She mumbled, now realizing there was a second set of doors on the other side of the room from them. Her eyes narrowed in slight suspicion, still tense.
"Long enough." He replied calmly. Her eyes widened, a sudden blush dusting her cheeks as she scowled at him slightly.
"Y-you... You perv!" She stammered hotly, fists clenching at her sides as he blinked in shock. "You watched me get dressed?! Creep!"
"W-what?!" He stammered, starting to blush himself. He held his hands up in a gesture of innocence, eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily. "N-no! I... I didn't... I mean I did walk... But I... No... I just..." He stammered in nervous fragments, his eyes switching between her and every point other than herself frantically. She growled, jaw clenching and raising a fist threateningly. He let out a low sigh, head hanging a little.
His eyes slowly moved up to her, calm and still slightly flustered- but lacking the tenseness he had held before. "Alright... I think we got off on the wrong foot, lets start over?" He murmured, straightening up and clearing his throat a little- smiling slightly in what she guessed was supposed to be friendly manner. She just blinked, looking unsure and still blushing faintly in nervousness.
"I'm Lyon Vastia. Its good to make your acquaintance." He told her, extending a hand toward her. Hora stayed still a moment, sweatdropping as she glanced between him and his outstretched hand slowly. She wasn't sure how she felt about him... Or any of this for that matter.
She wouldn't consider herself a non-friendly person, despite her Guild's Reputation. If anything, she was probably the only person in SaberTooth who didn't keep an act on for the outside world... But she was still tense, finding herself here and alone- as well as missing a large span of recollection. She was also a little miffed, at being left there at all- and at this Lyon guy, quite sure he had been peeking when she got dressed.
She took in a small breath in attempt to calm herself down a little, nodding at him slightly as her eyes gleamed. She took his hand and shook it, once again feeling his skin unnaturally icy cold.
"Horatia." She replied, not offering a last name- he seemed to blink at that, but didn't question it either. Their hands separated and she crossed her arms over her chest, "... Sorry, for being so quick to act." She mumbled, he blinked in utter shock. SaberTooth Members never apologized for anything...
"... I'm usually more mellow. I'm just... A little on edge." She mumbled, he nodded slightly.
"With reason." He told her and as blinked, he shrugged slightly. "Anyone would be uneasy, waking up in a strange Guild." He told her and she nodded slightly, smiling a little that he seemed to catch on quickly. "Do you remember anything?" He asked, "You've been out for a long while, according to your Guild-Mates."
She sighed slightly, sweatdropping a little more as her eyes fell to the floor. Right... She remembered Rogue telling her she had been out for a week... And figured it was a few more days added on to that now.
Damn it... That bastard managed to do that much damage... Freaking hell... Of course, she couldn't very well go and say it had been her own Master that had put her in such a state, and since she wasn't sure what story Rogue and Sting had sold when they brought her here, she'd keep her mouth shut.
She shook her head a little, "Yeah... I don't really remember hardly anything... Just bits and pieces." She replied softly, he blinked. "The guys that brought me here, were Sting and Rogue right?" She asked and he nodded, "They didn't happen to leave a note or something? Or mention when they'd be back?"
"No. They left shortly after arriving, and simply said they would return eventually- after finishing the rest of the Job you three were on." Lyon grumbled, she frowned slightly, feeling a little irritated.
Those dumbasses...
"... They really aren't the most sensitive sort of people, are they?" Lyon murmured and she blinked.
"Not all the time." She replied softly, letting out another sigh. But what was she supposed to do, wait here for those two to come back? She didn't like the idea of hanging out in a Guild full of strangers, and she was sure her stay wasn't very welcomed- considering SaberTooth's reputation among other Guilds. And especially Lamia Scale- who for the last seven years had been the 2nd most Powerful Guild in Fiore, just under SaberTooth.
But she hadn't any way to contact them, what the hell am I gonna do...?!
"Come on." Her attention snapped back to Lyon, who smiled just faintly at her- in what she guessed was supposed to be a reassuring gesture. Was her discomfort for being here that noticeable?
"I'm sure you've no interest being cooped up in this room, come see the rest of the Guild. I'll apologize in advance for any less than friendly reactions." He told her, eyes glinting slightly as his smile grew a little wider. "However, you don't seem like most of your Guild-Mates. You're a bit easier to get along with I think, I doubt the rest of the Guild will warm up to you rather quickly." Hora blinked, slightly surprised by the words.
She hesitated a moment, still slightly nervous but he just smiled lightly and she slowly nodded. He had a point... She did not want to spend any more time in this room than she had to. However, she wasn't sure spending time in the heart of Lamia Scale sounded any better.
But maybe he had a point about her being able to get along with other people better than the rest of SaberTooth. She didn't put on the act that the rest of the Guild felt they had to, she wasn't afraid of Jiemma enough to begin acting like a proud, stuck up and brutal person around the outside world. For all purposes, she did do her best to stay true to who she was- and was as polite and kind as she could manage. Of course, that didn't mean she would be treated the same way by other Wizards. She may not have made herself a personal enemy of any of these people, but for her bearing of the SaberTooth Guild's mark, that made her an enemy no matter what- and brought on scorn and anger, even hate wherever she went.
She knew well she would be walking on thin ice around here in Lamia Scale, but what the hell was she gonna do anyway? It wouldn't be the best idea to run off without knowing when Sting and Rogue would be back... So she was stuck. And again she felt annoyance flare up inside of her toward the two.
"... Alright." She relented, "Lead the way then..." She mumbled, eyes narrowed slightly and still a little unsure. Lyon seemed nice enough, sure... She didn't get the feeling he was trying to get her in trouble, and she wouldn't give Lamia any reason to dislike her more than they already would. He smiled, nodding a little as he turned toward the door, Hora stepped after him softly.
"... I'm not convinced mingling with your Guild is the best idea." She murmured lowly from behind him, dark blue eyes fixed to his back. "But... I do promise I won't stir up trouble, as much as I can help it." She mumbled, he nodded slightly without glancing back.
"You really are quite strange for a Member of SaberTooth." He replied softly, stepping through the door. She sweatdropped slightly at the comment, "Don't worry, everything will be fine. You may get a few glares, but I think after we warm up to you a little, things will be alright." She blinked at him,
She had never been afforded much chance to interact with people in other Guilds, or get to know them. She'd never seen Lyon before, he hadn't ever participated in the GMG as far as she could remember, so she hadn't a clue as to what he was like, or what sort of Wizard. But just from first appearances, he seemed a little reserved at first glance- but deeper down he seemed rather kind, and laid back in a way.
She wondered why he had warmed up to her so quickly... She had tried to hit him, and snapped at him a little in their first few moments of meeting. That would put most people off, but he seemed to push past it quickly.
She blinked again, deciding he was just a little odd... And hard to understand fully. She doubted she would fully understand the true Lyon in the time she was allowed to be in his company,
Her attention snapped from Lyon to the very full hall around her as they made their way through it, sweatdropping a little more when she saw her presence was quickly being noticed by the Lamia Scale Wizards. She sped up a little, self consciously sticking closer to Lyon despite herself- her eyes flicking about the hall quickly before her gaze fell to the floor, arms hooking behind her back.
"Hey, its that Saber girl..."
"She's up, finally..."
"What's she doing with Lyon?"
She sweatdropped more, almost walking into Lyon as he suddenly came to a halt beside the bar across the room, faced by four people she hadn't seen approach them. She stepped up from behind the pale haired man a little, blinking a little at the wary glances she received from three of the four he had stopped in front of. Her dark blue gazed locked with a young girl's, her hair in pigtails and a fiery pink color.
"Lyon, there you are." The other girl among the group murmured, her hair the same color as the other but clearly older.
"We were wondering where you'd run off to." The man with the... Large... Eyebrows murmured, arms hooked behind his back as his eyes flicked toward her for a moment, looking skeptical. She recognized him, from his past participation in the Grand Magic Games- a Wave User by the name of Yuka. And the tall, dog-like man beside him she recognized too- as Tobi.
"I went to check on our guest." Lyon replied easily, a small smile gracing his lips. The young girl stepped up, smiling softly to Hora as she approached her, eyes glinting.
Hora stared, blinking a few times and stiffening slightly as she moved closer- though it wasn't noticeable. The girl smiled, head tilted in a questioning manner and hands resting on her hips, something seemed to go off in the back of her mind for a small moment. To Hora, something about this girl struck her as familiar.
"So you're up and awake then," she smiled, "I was a little worried for awhile there, your wounds were pretty bad. It took a lot of work to get your fever down and to start curing the illness that took a hold of you, and to start repairing the damage that had caused it in the first place. It wasn't like anything I had ever seen before. You look a lot better though, how are you feeling?" She murmured, smile never fading as Hora sweatdropped, looking slightly stunned a moment.
"This is Sherria," Lyon broke in, noticing the girl had failed to introduce herself. Hora blinked in slight surprise, her eyes casting across toward him quickly a moment. "She's the one who healed you. And these are Sherry, Yuka and Tobi." He introduced the other three easily, who nodded a little.
Hora's attention moved back toward Sherria's bright, smiling features. Inside her heart leapt a little, realizing immediately why this girl had seemed familiar- she knew who Sherria was, the Sky God Slayer. In possession of a Slayer Magic... And Healing Magic as well, which explained why she was in as good as shape as she was, and probably why Sting and Rogue had brought her here in the first place.
She'd never expected to meet any of the other Slayers outside those in SaberTooth itself, but suddenly she felt a little flustered.
The damage that caused the illness in the first place... In reality... She shouldn't have survived Over-Drive, being as bad as it was... She was alive because of this young girl, and she very well knew it.
In the back of her mind she hoped Sherria wouldn't mention what had caused the illness in the first place, it wasn't a subject she wanted to get into... At all...
Her eyes fell closed, hands folding together in front of her as she suddenly bowed, her loose strands of hair falling about her shoulders as she stood in the gesture before Sherria silently a moment.
"You have my deepest thanks, for everything you did to help heal me, Sherria." Hora murmured, "You did me a great service, and I owe you my life. I feel great, you did an amazing job. So thank you, truly."
Sherria blinked in slight shock at the sudden action and words, looking dumbfounded. Everyone around them seemed to have stopped breathing, everyone remained in shocked silence, their eyes riveted to the scene and such the humble, and even submissive, respective gesture made by Hora- a member of SaberTooth! SaberTooth Wizards never thanked anyone, ever, for anything! Let alone another Guild! They had never seen anything like it,
Hora straightened up, turning slightly to face the rest of the Lamia Scale Guild as she clapped her hands in front of her lightly, eyes still closed and head bowed slightly.
"Thank you as well, Lamia Scale, for allowing me to stay here while I rested. I thank you for your help, and hospitality."
The hall was deadly silent, as Hora stood still, eyes still closed and slightly tense. She meant what she said of course, she wasn't just thanking them out of courtesy- she did truly appreciate the help she had been given. She couldn't explain what really happened, or why it was she had been in such a way... Or even how very close to death she had come. They wouldn't understand it, and she wasn't going to explain it entirely either. It was all so complicated, but she was truly, sincerely thankful for their help. And she wasn't afraid to voice it,
Lyon smirked slightly, seeing the shocked expressions on his Guild Mates as they stared at Horatia in silence. Which he himself felt of course, but it was clear that she wasn't quite like the arrogant and proud Members of her Guild they were so used to seeing, in reality- he found it hard to believe she was a member of that Guild at all.
Around her, Lamia Scale seemed to relax a little as some of the members smirked slightly, others laughed a little and many of them smiled. They themselves weren't hardly able to believe this woman came from a Guild they had all come to hate, she wasn't anything like the other SaberTooth Members, she was likeable, sincere, and honest.
"You don't need to thank me, I was happy to help." Sherria smiled brightly, Hora's eyes opened to look her way, her hands falling slowly.
"And the Guild is happy to help too," Sherry murmured, "It was the right thing to do after all."
"Of course, we did grumble about it at first." Yuka relented with a small sigh,
"But only because those two guys were super rude about asking!" Tobi snapped, Hora sweatdropped slightly. Of course they were, they couldn't break away from the act...
"Calm down." Yuka told Tobi,
"Regardless, I really am thankful." Hora murmured, Lyon crossed his arms over his chest with a small laugh, earning her attention.
"I told you they'd warm up to you rather fast." He commented and she blinked, smiling just a little with a slight nod.
"Yeah..." She smiled softly, in an almost carefree and relaxed manner suddenly, earning a smile from him, before he seemed to blink, eyes narrowing a little in thought.
"A SaberTooth Wizard not afraid to show humility openly, such a surprise!" Hora stiffened, jumping slightly at the loud voice and the feel of someone standing behind her suddenly. "Of course, it is very good to see you recovering so nicely. I'm very glad." Hora slowly turned, eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily at the bulk of the large and very tall man that had stopped behind her, his hands folded in his sleeves and strong features lined with a long beard, as he smiled at her.
She stiffened, eyes wide and sweatdropping more as she looked up at him, feeling waves of sudden pressure ram into her body suddenly with his presence, mind racing and very caught off guard.
That... That's...!
"Oh, Jura-san. We didn't see you there." Sherria smiled, looking unperturbed by his sudden appearance- much in contrast with Hora, who could hardly believe her eyes.
Meeting a Slayer from another Guild is one thing, but a Wizard Saint?!
He just looked down at her, not bothered by her reaction at all, or even her speechless state.
"Now that I've had a better look at you, I do recognize you." He pointed out, she stiffened again. Lyon seemed to blink, eyes narrowed at the comment.
A Wizard Saint... Recognizes... Me...?!
"R-really..?" She managed to stammer, looking nervous. He nodded slightly,
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but did you not participate on behalf of SaberTooth the opening year of the Grand Magic Games?" He asked and she blinked, that had been so long ago, she hardly thought on that time, she hardly wanted to. But she was shocked, that Jura of the Wizard Saints had taken notice of her enough to recognize her now after so long... Especially after she hadn't done much in the Games at the time, and never entered them again.
"... Yes. I did." She replied, smiling nervously. "I'm surprised you noticed, or even remembered... I hardly participated in any of the events, and it was awhile back."
"Of course I remember, your battling against those Creatures in the Labyrinth Hunt was quite spectacular- you won that event as I remember it." Jura smirked, she blushed slightly out of embarrassment. "You're Magic as well, it was rather suited to the task- such potent power, that same power that melted all the Candles in the Infirmary, hmm?" He smiled, eyes glinting in amusement as her head fell, shoulders hunching slightly.
"I am very sorry about melting them all... And about the flowers too." She mumbled quietly, he simply let out a laugh, oblivious to the questioning looks he was receiving from those around them in regards to her participation in the Grand Magic Games the first year. The group of Lyon, Tobi, Sherry and Yuka hadn't been present at the Games the first year, and Sherria had yet to join the Guild at the time.
"Don't worry about that, its no real harm," Jura smirked, "Though I do still wonder, since seeing your Magic all those years ago- I am still quite unsure as to what it is specifically?" He went on, Hora blinked, looking a little nervous at the question, sweatdropping slightly, and looking away from him a moment.
"Well... Its actually kind of complicated..." She mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.
"You needn't tell us if you do not wish to." Jura smiled, catching her off guard by how easily he seemed to push passed the subject, and how he didn't pry. She sort of expected he would... Most people did. He smiled as her eyes landed on him, "That is entirely your business, we will not pry."
For a few moments all she could do was stare, thinking it odd how easily he seemed to sense she wouldn't wish to discuss it, at all. She didn't like talking about her Magic- because deep inside of her, she hated her Magic. And for good reason. She didn't talk about it, and certainly not to strangers... But she smiled at him, happy he seemed to let go easily. And happy he didn't ask anymore, he was a Wizard Saint... It wasn't a wonder he was so perceptive she supposed.
"Thanks." She smiled, earning a nod from him, and a wider smile as well- a SaberTooth wizard who seemed able to say thanks without difficulty or hesitation was a rare thing indeed, Lamia Scale found themselves quickly beginning to like this girl.
"So you've participated in the Grand Magic Games then?" Sherria asked brightly, catching Hora's attention. "Do you plan to participate this year?" She leaned in, looking genuinely interested. Hora smiled, shaking her head a little with a small chuckle.
"Ah, nah... I'm pretty sure it's gonna be the same five we send in every year." She replied, "They're a strong team, I don't think Master would change it unless something important came up."
"They are formidable opponents." Yuka murmured,
"But don't think we're gonna go easy on you this year! We're gonna come out on top!" Tobi broke in hotly, Hora sweatdropped slightly but smiled anyway.
"We're certainly going all in this year." Sherria smiled brightly, "Even Lyon's participating this year." She explained and Hora blinked,
"You're going to be in the Games, Lyon?" Hora murmured, glancing his way. He nodded slightly,
"Yes. Master wants her best Wizards participating this year- we hope to take the top from Saber." He explained and she nodded a little, but blinked in slight surprise.
"So you're one of the top Wizards in Lamia?" She asked; earning a blink from him, and a slightly surprised look. She paused, thinking maybe she had offended him with the question, sweatdropping slightly. "Uh... Sorry. I just don't know a lot about other Guilds or most of their Wizards is all... I've never actually even heard of you..." She nervously tapped her index fingers together in front of her, casting him a small smile in the hopes he wouldn't take it the wrong way.
"Not so much of a big shot as you think you are, huh Lyon?" Sherry smirked, nudging him with her elbow, eyes glinting in amusement. Sherria beside her chuckled slightly, Lyon frowned slightly, eyes closing and crossing his arms over his chest. Jura let out a hearty laugh, amused by Lyon's a little put down expression, Hora smiled flusterdly.
"Sorry..." She mumbled and Lyon shook his head, brushing her words off as best he could, taking in a breath.
"I am one of the top Mages in Lamia," he replied, "I'm... A little surprised you haven't heard mention of me, but no matter. I don't need all the attention anyway."
"Such a change, from how proud and arrogant he used to be." Yuka murmured lowly, casting the words toward Hora who blinked in slight question.
"Hey!" Lyon snapped, hearing the words and looking a little flusterd suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Hora asked before she could decide against it- she figured it wasn't her business but she couldn't help her curiosity.
"Lyon, Sherry, Toby and I were all working together before joining Lamia Scale. We've known him for a long time, and he's certainly changed over the years." Yuka replied easily,
"So you've been friends a long time." Hora murmured, smiling slightly. "It's great you've managed to stick together," she told them, tilting her slightly though. "What sort of work did you do before Lamia?"
This earned a pause from the group around her, she blinked at the sudden silence, sweatdropping slightly.
"We can get into that later." Lyon spoke up, voice firm and decisive. Hora blinked slowly, nodding a little. "For now, let's just relax."
"Alright..."
They settled down at the bar, Hora took a seat down on the side behind it with Lyon in her left, and Sherria on her right. Yuka, Sherry, and To y down opposite them, while Jura sat not far away from those three, arms in his sleeves and listening in content silence.
"... So what sort of Magic do you use, Lyon?" Hora asked after a moment, a little afraid she may cross into a subject they seemed unwilling to get into- as they had with her earlier question. Maybe it was a bit unfair, considering she hadn't been willing to talk about her own Magic, but she tried anyway.
It was a simple question though- and honestly, she was interested. Considering how cold he was to the touch, she had to guess-
"Ice-Make." He replied, earning a blink from her and a small smile.
"Ah, kinda figured." She chuckled, folding her arms on too of the counter. He blinked, eyebrow quirked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well- you are super freaking cold." She replied lightly, "And you kinda come off as a little frigid at first too.." She chuckled, earning a faint blush of embarrassment from him and laughs from everyone around them.
"Tch..." He grumbled, looking away and crossing his arms over his chest. Hora smiled a little,
"Who else are you sending in to participate in the GMG?" Hora asked, changing the subject as she glanced to everyone else.
"Tobi and I plan on joining." Yuka replied,
"I'm gonna be in it too!" Sherria grinned, Hora smiled back at her.
"I look forward to it. I've always been interested in seeing your Magic up close." Hora told the young girl lightly, earning a blink from her.
"You know what sort of Magic I use?" Sherria asked, Hora nodded a little.
"Yeah. I know a lot about it too, though mostly from Orga." She replied, which was not altogether true... She just knew quite a bit more about all Slayers than most people did- and for this reason she knew who all the Slayers were, and what their Elements were.
"Oh right, he's that man with the Lightning God Slayer Magic, right?" Sherria asked and Hora nodded,
"Yep."
"Jura-San is going to be joining too." Sherria told her, continuing on, Hora blinked in shock, her eyes widening as her attention snapped to said man.
"Wait, seriously?" She asked quickly, Jura nodded, smiling slightly. SaberTooth might actually be in trouble if Jura is joining in this year...
"I wouldn't miss it, not with the excitement Fairy Tail's return will bring." Jura replied, Hora stiffened slightly, interest peeking at mention of the Guild. "SaberTooth won't have only Lamia Scale to worry about his year, I think."
"... I had heard Fairy Tail's Members had come back, after being gone so long." Hora started cautiously- she couldn't let them know she had been involved in any of that. "How are they anyway?"
"They're all fine, we went to visit them shortly after they returned. No one was seriously inured, and they are all glad to be back home, though they are a little behind in the times." Lyon murmured, Hora nodded slightly. That was a bit of an understatement..
"Right, with seven years having gone by none of the members stuck on Tenrou grew any stronger than they were seven years ago." Yuka murmured,
"Which means they've been surpassed in power by nearly all the Mages in all the other Guilds." Sherry sighed,
"But you say it like Fairy Tail plans on joining the Games this year." Hora pointed out,
"They do." Jura smiled,
"Really?" Hora murmured, eyes wide and smiling a little- suddenly a little excited. Her dark blue eyes shone, glinting in excitement and sudden thrill.
She had hoped that the return of those Members lost on Tenrou would ease the pain in the hearts of the Fairy Tailers who had been left, and lived seven long years without their Guild-Mates. Eventually she had hoped that Fairy Tail would rise anew, back to the former glory she knew it had had... But she hadn't honestly expected them to rise up so quickly, nor to even consider doing the GMG.
But hearing that they were going to, that lift her spirits a little- and made her all the more excited to see what they would bring to the table when the time came.
"You seem pleased about Fairy Tail's planned participation." Lyon commented, Hora nodded.
"Why not? I heard Fairy Tail used to be really strong, if they really plan to join in the Games, that just means it'll be more interesting to watch." She grinned,
"Even if that means SaberTooth will have more competition?" Sherry murmured,
Hora smirked, "Nah, I'm counting on it." She beamed, "Fairy Tail used to be one of the number one Guilds, even if they hit a rough patch- their best Members are back now, right? Even having lost all that time, I'm still sure they'll end up surprising everyone." Her eyes shone slightly, everyone around her seemed to blink, a little caught off guard by how much esteem she seemed to put into Fairy Tail- who, as far as they knew, hardly anyone now a days knew anything of, or even paid attention to.
Hora knew very little about Fairy Tail in all reality- she of course had invested herself in helping locate the afore thought 'destroyed' island of Tenrou. She learned of Fairy Tail through that- but most of her focus had always remained on the Slayers. She knew nothing of the other prominent Members, nothing other than they were all very, very strong back in their day- and she hoped they would show how strong they were in the Games. If Fairy Tail were to participate, and shine- it would be a great thing to watch, and not only that- it may help to lighten the hearts of those in Fairy Tail who had been left alone for Seven Years.
Fairy Tail had grown weak and nearly despised over the years, and she knew well that it had suffered a lot... In her own heart she wished that suffering to end. And maybe the GMG would help to make Fairy Tail a shinning, strong Guild again.
Besides, with Fairy Tail intact again- and in the Games, she knew Rogue and Sting are certainly going to be much more invested. After all- when they had been younger they had looked up to two of Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayers as Idols, as she very well knew.
"Hmm... Then I suppose we agree with you." Jura smiled slightly, "We ourselves are rather excited in Fairy Tail's planned participation, and I'm sure this years GMG will be one to remember." Hora nodded, still smiling.
"Definitely."
"You seem to have relaxed."
Hora's eyes moved sideways toward Lyon, who had been sitting beside her in silence for some time now.
Sherry, Sherria, Yuka, Tobi and Jura had moved off- the whole of Lamia Scale becoming a mingling mess of people sharing drinks, laughing and talking to one another on all manner of things. For a very long time she had been talking pleasantly with the small group of all manner of things, though mostly she listened to their stories and what they had to say- quite content with doing just that.
Once they had moved away she had taken to simply watching the mingling among the Lamia Scale Wizards, her arms crossed on the bartop and eyes glinting slightly- nearly enthralled.
Lamia Scale was so warm and peaceful... No one was on edge or looking about around them warily, they are all so at ease... It was nothing like SaberTooth. It reminded her, with a small flash of pain in her heart, what Saber had been before Jiemma.
Damn that man...
Her attention and her eyes moved toward Lyon, having been faintly aware he was still sitting beside her, but thinking nothing of it as she was lost in her own thoughts. He gazed at her steadily, as she nodded a little.
"Yeah, I suppose I have." She smiled slightly, he blinked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"... You seem familiar somehow." He said suddenly, catching her slightly off guard. Her head tilted, blinking in question.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure... Its almost like I've seen you before. Just something about your face." He murmured and she sweatdropped slightly, shrugging a little.
"Hmm, well I wouldn't see why." She replied, "I think I would have remembered if we had met before."
"I suppose that's true." He relented, sighing slightly as he seemed to shake the thought off a moment. "... You asked what sort of work that Sherry, Tobi, Yuka and I did before joining Lamina Scale, earlier." He murmured, Hora blinked.
"... I was just wondering. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, that's your business." She told him softly, remembering the way in which he had cut the subject off earlier. He shook his head slightly, letting out a small sigh.
"No, its alright. I don't mind," he replied, "I just didn't want to talk about earlier, because I don't like making them remember things that are painful." His eyes rest on the smiling forms of Sherry, Yuka and Tobi across the hall a moment, suddenly glinting in several different emotions. Hora blinked, eyes slightly wide as she simply gazed at him a long time- recognizing the look, better than she'd like.
It was the look of regret.
"We did some things we regret, they followed me as a leader- though I didn't deserve their loyalty." Lyon murmured, hands folding and eyes falling closed a moment. "For years, they followed my lead in a foolish quest to seek vengeance on a creature that had taken people I loved from me.. A creature that had also destroyed their own lives and families, as it had mine. A quest that eventually lead to us facing people we would have never considered enemies, if I had not been blinded by my own hate and anger." Hora blinked, her ears ringing slightly, easily seeing a look of haunting paws across his face a moment.
Creature...?
"... We worked to free a Demon of Zeref from a Seal that had been placed over it, so that I may defeat and kill it to enact my vengeance. It was stupid and foolish, and we would have paid dearly if everything had gone according to plan... If that Demon hadn't been slowly drained of life from the person who sacrificed themselves to Trap it in the first place, if it hadn't been for them... My own Mentor, I would have lead them, myself, and so many others to their deaths." Hora stiffened slightly, sweatdropping a little and eyes shinning.
Lyon's folded hands tightened in a sudden grip, shoulders hunching slightly as his eyes remained fixed to the bar counter firmly.
"I was a different person back then... A worse person than I am now." He mumbled lowly, "Since joining Lamia... I've been working to be better. To try and make up for the mistakes I made, and to be a better friend to them." Hora's expression softened slightly, staying silent a moment- hearing his sincerity clearly.
... She suddenly realized that she and Lyon were rather alike in some ways.
Lyon had done things he regretted to his friends... He lead them into a situation that left them hurting and on the wrong path. He regretted his choices and his past mistakes, and was working hard to try and repay for them... He was haunted, he felt guilty...
... Damn it... He... He's just like me...
With Rogue, Sting... With Lector and Frosch. She had made the wrong choice, she had relented to letting them join SaberTooth when she should never have allowed it. She regretted that everyday, and since then had been doing her best to keep them safe- even if that meant she ended up hurting. She felt guilty, she always had...
Her hand gripped the shirt about her chest, eyes falling and sweatdropping a little.
Even more so... She suddenly felt he was more than just guilty, regretful... She had the feeling he was in more pain most of the time than he ever let show. He was sad, and haunted- but he never let anyone see it... Just like she was.
So cold, and empty, and sad and numb... But she never let it show.
Her eyes closed a minute, maybe... Maybe this is why I warmed up to Lyon quickly...
... We're so... Alike... I didn't think I'd get to understanding him hardly at all while I was here in Lamia... Guess I was wrong.
"... I understand, Lyon." She murmured, earning his gaze and surprised look. She smiled softly, "I understand how you feel... We just keep trying to be better, right? That's all we can do, and we do it. You're friends clearly care for you, so maybe you shouldn't worry too much." She smiled a little more, he stared, eyes a little wide and a little taken aback by her sudden understanding of what he said- and how easily she seemed to understand how he felt.
For a small moment he swore... He swore he saw pain and guilt in her eyes too, and haunting. A look he knew, from seeing it in himself.
He nodded, smiling slightly himself. He seemed to know... She did understand, almost too well.
"Right." He agreed, Hora nodded slightly.
"... You mentioned a creature." Hora murmured, suddenly realizing what he said. "A Demon of Zeref...? One that... That destroyed your home? And your... Family?"
Her words dropped suddenly, though Lyon hardly seemed to notice her sudden tenseness. In her mind those words stuck- it pushed past her realization of how similar she and Lyon seemed to be, and despite herself- her heart lurched.
'Mom?! Dad?! Brother?!'
She did her best to push the memory of her terrified screaming away, as Lyon nodded to her a little gravely.
"Yes, it's the same with Sherry, Tobi and Yuka as well." Lyon replied, "That Demon destroyed everything we had, we were left alone... I was fortunate enough to be taken in by the woman who taught me my Magic, others were less lucky." He sighed slightly, that haunted look coming back into his eyes a moment as memory seemed to flood his mind.
"... The Demon Deliora. It destroyed our lives, yes... But now it can no longer harm anyone, my Mentor- Ur, she defeated it."
Hora went rigid, her eyes widening and all sense of thought suddenly derailed as her heart began to race, and sudden true and utter panic and terror rushed through her body- as the fiery pain and ache of her long buried memory stormed up again.
The whole village was in a complete state of panic, of destruction and disarray... Homes and buildings, all those structures she had come to know by heart- they lay in smoldering ruin around her, flames dancing and rubble thrown all about.
It was a massacre.
Her family, her brother, her village...
... Her eyes moved from the blackened ice and snow, upward as she felt a massive shadow loom over her. Her wide and terrified gaze moved up to see the Beast standing before her, so massive it was it blocked out the sky. Its cold eyes glittering in animalistic rage and malice, her heart stopping and ice running through her veins as she simply remained motionless. She was too terrified to move, or even cry out as one of its clawed hands lift- sharp claws glinting in the fire light.
She was going to die...
It swiped downward, she lift her arms as her eyes shut right in terror- the beasts hand catching her small body and tearing open her skin and muscle and bone with one of the wicked claws, her blood flying into the air and staining the snow- just as hundreds of different scarlet pools already were. The agony that swept through her was gut-wrenching, her vision went black and red at the pain of it tearing across her being, as she was sent flying- her scream of utter pain tearing at the air and her throat.
She fell abruptly silent as she slammed into the ground, bones cracking. She rolled, coming to a halt, unmoving, unbreathing... A large, deep pool of crimson surrounding her body, the wound deep, bone showing through the shredded skin.
My... Family... My brother... Dead...
... She was screaming. Writhing and squirming in sheer, fiery agony searing across her body and her mind. Her wrist, arm, and all the way to her shoulder... Her skin was blistering from the insane heat- it felt as if she had dipped it in molten lava.
Someone was gripping her arm tightly, holding on to her, the grip never slipping- even as she tried so desperately to pull away. Her vision flashed black, red... The smell of burning filled her nose and lungs. She just kept screaming... The pain was blinding...
... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go. She wanted to be let go.
And for what? What the hell was all this... All this pain and sheer agony, the suffering and the torture for anyway? Why was she being forced to endure it?
... The reason... It... It was impossible... She couldn't...
"STOP! PLEASE!"
"You must... Live! It is up to you... You have to defeat...!"
"NO!"
To defeat...
She must have gone very pale, or at least something about her suddenly had Lyon looking stunned, and a little concerned.
Her heart was racing, she was breathing in slightly panicked breaths, her head and eyes falling away from him and locking to the floor, her hands gripping her arms tightly and a large bead of sweat falling down her face.
She hated this.. All this emotion, this fear and terror, all of it flooding back, nearly as fresh and as powerful as they originally were. She hated the memories, the things she wanted nothing more than to forget- and she hated she couldn't stop herself from reacting in this way.
... Get... Get a hold of... Of yourself... Idiot...!
Her eyes locked on to the long, jagged scar running up from her wrist, that curled up her arm and over her shoulder- feeling the memory of lava rushing through her, but finding it easier to calm herself down as she gripped her arm tightly, doing her best to force her emotions to still.
... I can't... I can't let that do that.. To me...
"Horatia," Lyon's voice broke through the waves of echoing and ghostly screams of terror falling on her ears. He had moved closer, his hand resting gently on her shoulder- she did her best not to stiffen at the contact, feeling a small wave of relief run through her at how cold his skin was, enough to dull the aching memory of fiery agony engulfing her being.
... Damn it... I'm such a freaking... Coward...
"... Are you alright?" Lyon asked, his voice serious as Hora took in a small breath, eyes closing as she lift her head a little, nodding once.
"... I'm ok..." She mumbled, one eye opening to cast a glance his way and the confused look he wore, as well as the sudden worry etched on to his face- which she had begun to realize, was mostly always nearly expressionless and neutral. "Sorry... I didn't... I guess I just wasn't expecting that to be your answer." She chuckled lowly, humorlessly and a little nervously.
"... Did... Are you...?" He started slowly, seeming to have a hard time piecing the words together as the look of utter shock took over his features, eyes glinting in sudden understanding and a faint look of recognition. He knew that haunted look that had passed over her face all too well... It was a look he saw in himself, in Sherry, Yuka, Tobi, and Gray.
"... Yeah." She mumbled lowly, smiling a little nervously with a small nod of her head. "... I was really, really young... When Deliora destroyed my village, and my family. I got out," her grip on her arm tightened a little, his eyes flicking toward the long and deep scar.
"... Barely."
Lyon's eyes glittered, sweatdropping a little as concern and a sudden softness took over his features a moment. He never imagined he'd ever run into anyone else whose life Deliora had managed to ravage, let alone someone who seemed... Young.
How old could she have even been? When Deliora...? She was younger than he was, by quite a number of years.
Hora's eyes remained fixed on the bar counter, sweatdropping heavily as they passed into a small strained silence a moment.
... So Lyon, his friends... All of them, hurt by that monster... Their homes and Families... Gone, just like mine...
"... I didn't know anybody else managed to survive in that Demon's quake..." She said quietly, eyes dulling a little. "... Especially... Not after knowing my entire village was killed... I thought I was the only one who managed to make it through..."
... But I never should have.
"... So, you said... Your Mentor, Ur- she defeated Deliora?" Hora asked softly, suddenly changing the subject slightly. Lyon blinked, simply gazing at her and her suddenly haunted and shaken form for a moment, a little unhappy he had brought back whatever awful memories she seemed to be bombarded with at mention of Deliora. He hadn't meant to make her remember such things, not that he had known...
Hora sweatdropped a little more, Lyon tried to beat Deliora... He spent years... She stiffened slightly,
But, I... I was supposed... That's why... Why I was kept... Alive...
"Yes." Lyon murmured softly, nearly gently. "She sacrificed herself, to save me, and one of my closest friends. She wore away at Deliora for years, and succeeded in killing it. Deliora is dead, and cannot harm anyone else ever again." He told her, his tone turning to one that seemed like it was meant to be reassuring- but Hora suddenly felt cold, and a little guilty.
... That purpose... That I was supposed to serve... I failed, and someone else died...
"... I'm glad." Hora murmured, smiling just slightly as she slowly began to recompose herself- outwardly anyway. She straightened up, glancing toward Lyon and giving him a slightly wider smile, attempting to make him get rid of that concerned look he had placed on her. She didn't want concern, or even pity... She didn't deserve it.
I completely failed... I ran away. Such a damned coward...
... The one thing I was alive for... And I never tried. Damn it...
"I'm alright, you just caught me off guard." She smiled, head tilting slightly. "But I am glad to hear Deliora is gone, really. I suppose I should thank your mentor for that."
"If you're sure you're alright..." He said slowly, looking a unconvinced. She nodded,
"I'm also glad I ran into you, Lyon. At least now I know about Deliora, and now I know someone else like me." She smiled softly, earning a small blink from him, and a slight nod- a small smile pulling at his lips.
"I'm glad to have met you as well." He replied, she smirked.
"Give it time Ice-Boy, we'll be great friends. Even if you're from Lamia Scale," she chuckled, her seemingly carefree demeanor returning slowly. He blinked at the name, before smirking slightly himself.
"Somehow I don't doubt it." He replied, eyes closing as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Hora's eyes softened slightly, though he didn't see. He really didn't know how quickly it was she warmed up to him, how alike they really were... Or even how much she liked him already, even trusted him.
I've known Lyon less than a day, and in all the years I've known Sting and Rogue... I have never told them about Deliora, about my family, my home. And I probably never will... But with Lyon, I didn't even hesitate to admit it.
There was a different sort of friendship sparking between herself and Lyon she hadn't been anticipating. It was a surprise... But maybe a pleasant one.
Unfortunately, she wouldn't be staying long. She couldn't... She needed to get back to SaberTooth, lest Master start to get angry again. And we saw where that got her last time.
"Lyon, do you happen to have a pen and paper?" She asked suddenly, earning a questioning blink from him. She smiled, "I figure I might as well try to get a hold of my Guild Mates, let them know I'm ok." She explained, though vaguely. He paused a moment, before shrugging a little and nodding.
"Give me a moment, I might know where to find some..." He murmured, climbing to his feet and turning away. Hora smiled, but turned away from him and clapped her hands lightly in front of her, bowing her head so her forehead brushed against her pressed together hands, eyes falling closed.
Thank you, Ur... I never knew you, but you have done what I never could... What I failed to do, was to afraid to try... What I ran away from. Rest in peace, you have most definitely earned it... You are truly strong, stronger than I can ever hope to be... Thank you.
Lyon glanced back, seeing Horatia clap her hands in front of her, blinking slightly at the small gesture a moment- but not questioning it.
He returned shortly, paper and pen in hand as he handed it to her- Hora's eyes opened as he approached, and she smiled at him.
"Thanks." She grinned, taking the materials as he settled down next to her again.
"What do you need them for?" He asked, just as she but the cap the pen and pulled it off, then settled the paper in front of her. "Surely you don't think a letter will reach your Guild-Mates.. Wherever it is they are."
"Nah, nof a letter." She murmured about the cap in her teeth. "Somefin a little differen."
He watched silently, almost in awe as she quickly set to work marking across the paper with delicate, precise strokes. Working away to create the form of a small, finely etched bird upon the paper, the lines smooth and entirely artful. He stared, slightly taken aback by her sudden artistic talent.
"Impressive, I had no idea you could draw." He murmured,
"You coulf probably do better, Maker Magic an' all." She smiled, but blushed slightly anyway. She replaced the cap back on the pen and held the paper in her hand, lightly placed between her index and middle fingers. "It'll do anyway,"
"Do for what?" He asked,
"Yeah, what are you up too, Horatia?" Their attentions turned to the appearance of Sherria; who they hadn't noticed approach them until that moment.
"... I guess you could call it a form of Picto Magic." Hora murmured,
"Should you really be using Magic?" Lyon asked,
"Yeah, I'm not sure using Magic is a good idea." Sherria murmured softly, Hora shook her head.
"No, its fine. Its a simple Spell, besides- I feel perfect." She replied, sending them a slightly reassuring smile. She didn't feel 'perfect', that was a lie... But she didn't feel awful either. And she needed Rogue and Sting to know she was up and awake,
Her thoughts faintly flashed to waking up, that night with Rogue beside her... And she remembered what she said.
They're gonna ask questions...
"Don't worry about it. I really will be fine," she murmured, seeing them looking a little unconvinced, but they didn't argue.
Her eyes fell closed, warmth pulsing into her hand as she concentrated on the paper, feeling a sudden flash of fiery hot press against her skin in her upper arm- to which she knew was suddenly sporting a strange black marking, of which Lyon and Sherria blinked at with wide, questioning eyes.
The paper in her hand was suddenly engulfed in light, nearly shimmering gold flame- she didn't flinch nor give any notice of the flames licking at her fingers and hand. The paper was eaten away by the fire, but the flames kept away from the lines of the bird she had drawn- eating everything but the illustrated animal- Sherria and Lyon watched in silence and curiosity.
There was bright yellow orange flash and suddenly Hora's hand fell away, the illustration puffing up into substance, the wings beating as she now suddenly alive bird flapped in air before Hora, its wings dancing with small flames and embers that refused to eat away its still paper body. Hora's dark blue gaze opening to rest on it with a small smile.
"Hello again, Drille." She said softly,
"Hello Miss!" The bird chirped back happily. "What may I do for you today?" Drille asked, Lyon and Sherria seemed slightly awestruck, unsure as to what it was or even what sort of Magic that had been.
"Please find Rogue and Sting, would you?" Hora murmured, leaning her elbows against the bar as the black marking on her arm faded entirely. "Let them know I'm alright, and tell them to hurry their asses the hell up." She smirked, earning a nod from the paper bird.
"Right away Miss!" Drille sped off from the hall and out of sight quickly, as Hora smiled slightly at its retreating form.
"Wow..!" Sherria grinned, eyes glinting. "That was really cool!" She beamed, earning a smile from Hora.
"Such an odd Magic..." Lyon murmured under his breath, too low for Hora too hear him. What was it though?
Hora smiled shyly at Sherria, who still beamed about the small display like a child would. "Ah, it wasn't that cool..." She murmured,
"It totally was! Nearly as cool as love~"
Lyon's eyes narrowed, seeing Hora smile at Sherria softly, calmly... Again he was hit by the sense; she somehow seemed familiar. But still, he wasn't sure why.
With a small shake of his head he pushed the thought away, Horatia would be on her way back to Saber Town soon he was sure. A part of him was a little unhappy with it- he did enjoy her company, and hoped he would see her again soon.
He smirked slightly, perhaps at the Grand Magic Games? To which Fairy Tail, SaberTooth, Lamia, Pegasus, and all the strongest Guilds would be going head to head... It was sure to be exciting.
His last lingering thought before he joined in the small conversation that had cropped up between Hora and Sherria, was that of those who survived Deliora... To which Horatia belonged.
I wonder... Are there any others we don't know about..?
Chapter 5: I'm Not
Chapter Text
Chapter 5
I'm Not
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+: .
"Thank you so much again, for everything." Hora murmured softly, dipping her head to the small group of Lyon, Sherria, Jura and Lamia's Master- Oobaba, standing before her just outside the front doors to the Guild Hall.
"Certainly." Jura smirked,
"Just don't think this means Lamia will be going easy on Saber during the GMG, or I'll spin you!" Oobaba murmured a little hotly, finger twirling in the air before her.
"Y.. You are spinning me..." Hora stammered, the world around her whirling as the Lamia Scale's Master put her Magic to work suddenly.
"Master, please stop that." Lyon and Sherria said at once, Hora took a small step sideways to steady herself as the spinning stopped, mind whirling and a little off balance.
Hora let out a small sigh, waiting for the world to quite spinning before looking back up toward the group, dipping her head slightly.
"Thanks," she murmured to Lyon and Sherry, smiling a little. "I suppose I'll be seeing you all at the GMG, hmm?" She smirked,
"We'll look forward to it!" Sherria grinned,
"It'll always be a pleasure to be in your company again." Jura smiled, earning a fint blush of embarrassment from Hora.
"Its was nice meeting you all, I had fun. I'd love to hang out again sometime too." She replied, honestly she would- being in Lamia... It hadn't been all that bad.
The sun had long set behind the roofs of the town as day drew to an end and night began to fall. Drille had returned a few hours ago with word that Sting and Rogue were on their way back, and should reach Margret town by nightfall. She'd been allowed the entire day with Lamia and it's members- and she had to admit it had been considerably enjoyable. (Barring the conversation about Deliora...)
She and Lyon, they were fast friends... The sort of fast friends she had become with Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch. You just sort of... Clicked.
Lyon took a step forward toward her, making Hora blink in slight confusion at his sudden movement. His dark eyes landed on her figure, a small, nearly unnoticeable smile pulling at his lips as he stepped up beside her.
"Allow me to escort you some of the way," he murmured, Hora blinked a few times, before smirking softly.
"If you wanted to walk with me that bad you could have just asked, Ice-boy." Hora chuckled softly, he sweatdropped, clearing his throat awkwardly and looking flustered at the teasing. Hora shook her head slightly and hooked her arm in his, a shiver running up her spine at how frosty he was to the touch, in contrast with her warm person.
"Come on," she murmured, Lyon nodded slightly, she cast a glance over her shoulder toward the small group standing before the doors, smiling softly. "Thank you again, I'll see you at the Grand Magic Games!"
"We look forward to it." Jura smiled,
"Have fun! Please do be careful, Hora! I don't want you getting hurt again, ok?!" Sherria called, grinning as she waved in a nearly child like manner.
"I will, Sherria." Hora called back, pulling slightly on Lyon as they began to head up the street.
Sherria let out a sigh, blue eyes glinting as her head tilted, her hand holding her cheek, a small smile pulling at her lips. "Ah, the power of love~"
Hora and Lyon moved away down the street, Hora smiling softly as she kept her arm hooked in Lyon's, very aware he seemed rather flustered with it- she found it amusing.
"Lyon," Hora murmured, her dark blue gaze trailing to the cobblestone and brick they traveled over. "... There was something I'd like to ask of you, if that's alright."
He blinked, glancing sideways to see her eyes fixed to the ground. "Hmm?"
Hora sweatdropped slightly, eyes closing a moment as she took in a small breath- how was she supposed to ask this? Get him to understand without letting him know too much?
"... SaberTooth... My Master... He cares about the Guild's reputation quite a lot. Should he hear that I, Rogue or Sting received help from you all in Lamia Scale... He would not take to it kindly." Hora started slowly, "... I really do appreciate all the help you guys gave me, but it'd be best if Master didn't find out about any of this." She tapped her index fingers together lightly, her dark blue gaze shifting up toward him nervously.
For a few moments he simply looked at her with that expressionless face he seemed prone to wearing, he seemed searching though... Like he was trying to understand why it was he could see a nervous light deeper than discomfort shining in her eyes. Why he could see something more deep, more painful and dark than just being concerned her Guild's reputation would take a blow.
He knew enough of the SaberTooth Guild Master to know he was a crude man, and believed very easily that he would care about Saber's reputation. He figured that yes- he would be angry, but enough to have Horatia looking at him with what he could only describe as deeply hidden.. Fear.
"... I was hoping that maybe... You could try and keep all of this quiet..?" She mumbled, nearly hopefully, her eyes glinting.
Why does she seem... Afraid..?
He slowly nodded, he had the feeling she wouldn't appreciate him pressing her for what she seemed to be hiding when she asked him to do this- to which she certainly wasn't telling the full truth. He wouldn't get it, nobody did- they never understood Jiemma and his cruelty. And she figured (and feared...) no one ever would know..
"If you're concerned about it, I will certainly do my best to keep our assisting SaberTooth out of the Limelight." He replied softly with a small nod to her, "Don't worry, I'll handle it."
Hora smiled softly, almost in relief- and again he was struck with the feeling of familiarity.
"Thank you, Lyon." She murmured softly, her voice wispy as she let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding.
You have no idea how much that means... And you never will.
"Do be careful, won't you?" He murmured and she blinked up at him, he had settled her with a steady look, a serious look so suddenly.
"... Hmm...?"
"We're a lot alike, you and I." He murmured, suddenly giving the same thing she had thought. "Enough that I can see you're keeping things buried, painful things." She sweatdropped, her eyes suddenly dropping away from him. "I don't ask you share, you don't need to. I just ask that you do try and keep yourself safe, alright? Whatever happened to put you in such a state as you were when you were brought here- that was serious. I'd ask you try to keep that from happening again, alright?" He murmured softly,
"... We've known eachother for a very short time, I know. It makes little sense me to be asking you this." Lyon sighed, "But still, be careful."
Hora sweatdropped, she hadn't been expecting that- at all.
Did he... Does he somehow know... We lied...?
She nodded slightly, deciding it best to not wonder over it- and smiled just for a small fraction of a second.
"I'll try." She mumbled, "... You aren't all frigid an emotionless after all, Ice Boy..." She smirked slightly, her time lightening as he sighed at the nickname she seemed to have decided on adopting for him.
... No promises.
"Atia!"
Their attentions snapped forward to the voices suddenly shouting from up ahead- sounding frantic and relieved all at the same time. They came to a stop, blinking in slight surprise to see the two blurs of red and pink rushing toward them- those of Lector and Frosch as they barreled straight into Horatia with enough force to knock her completely off balance. She stumbled back a few steps and managed to remain standing,
Her arms wrapped around them as they buried themselves in her chest, tears in their eyes and on the edge of sobbing in Frosch's case. Hora winced slightly at the stab of pain that shot through her chest at the tough contact, and had to swallow hard and concentrate not to start coughing.
"Lector, Frosch..." She mumbled, dark blue gaze glittering slightly. Beside her, Lyon stepped sideways to avoid being bumped into as she stumbled, blinking in slight shock at the sudden arrival of the two Exceeds, but smiling faintly when she saw the relief across their features.
"We've missed you so much!" Lector grumbled, pointing a paw at her with a somewhat frustrated expression, somewhat happy at the same time. "Sting and Rogue-kun have been itching to hear from you! And see if you were ok!"
"Fro wonders, is Atia alright?" Frosch mumbled uncertainly,
Hora nodded to the both of them, smiling just slightly herself and sweatdropping a little. "I'm ok, I'm sorry for worrying you guys." She murmured softly, rubbing the tops of their heads affectionately a moment.
"Hora!"
Her eyes moved up the street, seeing Sting and Rogue standing there, expressions neutral and presences beckoning. Hora blinked, eyes softening slightly- she knew they were probably itching to run to her, start asking questions and all manner of things, but they kept their cool when they saw Lyon beside her. The act...
"Lets get going!" Sting called, expression neutral and tone kinda gruff. Lyon glanced up the street, eyes narrowing slightly at the less than joyous reaction from the two men toward their Guild-mate, who had previously been grievously injured.
"Quite the welcoming party..." Lyon mumbled lowly, Hora sighed slightly.
"They really aren't as bad as you think," she told him softly, he blinked at her but didn't look entirely convinced. She smiled slightly anyway, letting Frosch and Lector go as they floated beside her a moment. She lightly tapped her fist against his shoulder in a friendly manner, grinning as her blue gaze glittered in sudden lightness. "Its been nice hanging out with you, Ice-Boy. Hopefully I'll see you again soon, huh?" She smiled as he smiled back, nodding to her.
"I hope we do." He replied, Hora lift her fist in front of her, smiling as he blinked- before shaking his head and lightly tapping his own fist against hers- all too aware of the piercing stares he received on his back from the Twin Dragons up the street at such a familiar gesture. "It'll be good to see you again, I look forward to it. Please do be careful, and get back safely, alright?" Hora nodded,
"You got it." She replied, stepping back from him and waving a hand.
"See ya, Lyon!" She called behind her as she headed up the street quickly toward Sting and Rogue, Lector and Frosch following closely.
Hora stepped up in between the awaiting figures of Sting and Rogue- her eyes not meeting theirs as she passed them by without a word, though she could feel their eyes on her. She kept on forward, rounding a corner in the road and leaving Lyon behind- a heavy silence falling on the group of Saber Wizards as they followed her lead through the darkening town,
For a long while none of them said anything at all, but she could feel the tension growing thicker and thicker by the minute- along with a growing sense of apprehension.
They were gonna want answers... Answers she may not be willing to give.
"Hora." Sting grumbled, she slowly came to a halt, her back turned to them and eyes closed. She could hear they halted behind her as well,
"Listen, you guys..." She mumbled, her voice low and tone suddenly weary. She slowly began to turn toward them, eyes still cast to the ground. "I know there's thing-" she was cut off suddenly, eyes growing wide as she stumbled backward a bit.
Rogue and Sting rushed forward, wrapping their arms about her a person as they each tucked their chins into either side of her neck and shoulders, holding to her tightly as she blinked in utter shock at the unexpected embrace.
"U..uh...?" She stammered slightly, unable to move as they held her tightly with no intention of letting go anytime soon.
"Horatia! Hey!"
She turned about toward the voice calling behind her, seeing the bright and smiling figure of Sting running to catch up toward her on the top most rise of the hill she stood upon- Lector's smirking form beside the White Dragon Slayer as they continued forward. Behind Sting she caught sight of Rogue, smiling softly as he ran slower- but not enough to get left behind, Frosch beside him.
She smiled brightly, hands on her hips and hip cocked slightly as she waited for them to catch up- her teeth flashing in the warm sunlight overhead, her orange, red, pink and black hair shinning in the sunlight bathing over them- the small breeze dancing across her skin.
"Hey you four." She grinned as they caught up to her, her heart dancing slightly to see the excitement dazzling their eyes. "Come to join me on my mission?"
"You bet!" Sting smirked, fists clenching in excitement before him.
"I bet Sting-kun will do better than anyone else!" Lector smirked,
"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch lift a paw with an innocent smile,
"If you'd have us, that is." Rogue murmured, Hora chuckled.
"Of course, dumbass." She smirked, laughing a little at the stricken look she received from Rogue- noticing that Sting laughed along with her. She hooked an arm around Rogue's shoulders, pulling him to her and smiling all the way- pulling an arm around Sting's shoulders too, holding them both close, her smile never fading as Frosch and Lector looked on with smiles of their own.
Hora smiled at the two of them, her dark blue gaze sparkling in happiness and delight- the sort of which she hadn't had since before they joined SaberTooth alongside her. They made her happy, more than she could have ever hoped for- and it was her happiness with them beside her she cherished more than they could ever possibly know.
"What sort of mission would it be without my four favorite people?" She smiled, earning a bright beaming grin from Sting, and a softer, but none the less happy smile from Rogue.
Do you feel that?
That warmth... Not fire, but warmth, slowly melting the numbness..?
Hora's eyes fell closed, the sudden emergence of that long ago memory slowly fading as she pushed it away- and the present came back to focus, the hold that Sting and Rogue kept on her never ceasing.
That warmth... I always feel it when I'm with them...
She sweatdropped slightly,
... I'd almost forgotten what that feels like...
... Sting...
... Lector... Frosch...
... Rogue... Please...
... Forgive me...
"None of it is your fault, Hora." She stiffened, her eyes snapping open be sweatdropping heavily at the sudden words, her eyes shifting sideways toward Rogue- who had breathed the words in her ears softly.
"Please don't ever blame yourself for any of the things Master has done, being in the Guild with you has been all we could ever ask for- we wouldn't ever give it up. Not over anything." Sting murmured softly, she felt his hold grow tighter on her a moment. "If you're hurting, tell us. You don't have to hide."
You... You damned idiots...
She shut her eyes tight, fighting down the sudden surge of emotion threatening to send her crashing down. They didn't get it, but she could hear how hurt they were in their voices, how worried and exhausted they were. It broke her heart hearing them like that, and it shattered into millions of pieces at their words though she tried very hard to keep that from happening.
They wouldn't understand it, because she couldn't explain any of it to them. She couldn't explain why she was a slave to Jiemma, she couldn't even explain what Over-Drive really was... Because for as long as they had known her, they never really knew her. And that hurt so much.
They would ask, they had right to ask- and yet it wouldn't make any difference, because she could never tell them everything. She couldn't explain everything... And part of the reason she couldn't was fear, fear and shame.
And she would always blame herself for what Jiemma had done, for the ways he had hurt them, caused them pain- because that was on her, and it always would be no matter what they said otherwise.
It is my fault.
She scrunched her eyes closed harder, biting her lip as she fought to keep her body from trembling, fought to keep the prick of incoming tears away. She couldn't break apart, she had to stay together as much as she could, she had to... I can't fall apart, if I do... I'm never gonna be able to put myself back together again.
So hide, don't fall apart... You can't.
Hora pulled backward, a little forcefully when she felt neither Sting nor Rogue were looking to let go.
She stepped back, putting some distance between herself and them- it felt like a million miles as she worked to keep the breaking pieces from falling away into nothing. She ran a hand through her hair, her head hanging and face tilted to the ground, taking in quick, deep breaths a moment.
"Hora..." Sting and Rogue said in unison, they're voices low.
"... Please, what happened?" Sting pressed softly, "Something changed, when Master went after you... Why did he? What did you do to make him so angry?"
"And what is it you haven't been telling us?" Rogue murmured, recalling her words when she had woken up and they had been alone. "... You told us to run, and that you couldn't leave."
"We need to know, we have to... We don't want to be kept on the dark, especially not if you're in pain. We're your best friends, you shouldn't have to hide anything from us." Sting murmured, Hora's fingers gripped at the shirt about her chest tightly, jaw clenching as she continued to look at the ground and not at them.
"Please, just talk to us, Hora."
Her teeth grit more, jaw tense and fingers clutching her shirt so firmly her hand started to tremble, a sudden flare of deep pain throbbing in her heart.
Fire again... An still so numb, like ice. Cold, seething ice and fire flowing, her emotions running toward a high as she struggled to keep herself together...,
"What am I supposed to say?!" She snapped, her head snapping up toward them and deep blue eyes blazing in sudden cold fury. The four of them flinched, eyes wide and sweatdropping at the sudden rage they hadn't been expecting, at all. Her hand swiped away from clutching her chest and out to the side in a heated manner, face pulled into a glare that was pure anger, but hidden underneath it was all the agony.
"How am I supposed to explain any of it to you?! How am I supposed to get you to understand how I've been feeling all these years?! All these years I've spent under Jiemma's hold, these years I've been afraid and in so much pain all I could do was smile and act like nothing was wrong?!" She stomped a foot down hard enough to crack the pavement, her voice rising ever higher as her anger spilled over in heights they had never witnessed before, all four of them staring and jaws dropped.
"Jiemma owns me! I can't leave because he'll never let me go, and why would he?! All he cares about is goddamned power, and I am all the power he ever wanted! Its been that way for years! I can't leave, and for it you idiots can! I have been the one thing standing between that bastard and you for years now! He's tried to own you, so many times over- but I've always worked to keep it from happening! And I can't tell you how or even why he owns me- because if I do I know you two are gonna do something stupid and get yourselves killed! And I couldn't take that!"
There was a sudden rush of heat that flowed over the space, Hora's hands clenching into fists at her sides as she shook her head furiously, she didn't care that her Magic was going to get out of hand. Lector and Frosch stared with wide, fearful eyes and Rogue and Sting looked simply dumbfounded, their eyes glittering.
"My life has been complete and utter shit all this time, and the only good things have been you! I can't lose you, and I can't break! If I let myself go, and let you see how much of a wreck I am, what a huge mess and twisted mass of wickedness that there is inside of me, you wouldn't ever look at me the same way again! I can't even tell you what I did that made Jiemma go after me, because I'm worried you're too far gone under his tyranny that you'd think I was an idiot, or hate me for doing what is the right thing! You two act like such jerks and bastards so often now around other people I'm afraid you've changed, and that you'd react the same way Jiemma did! Its because of how much he's changing you, how much he's hurting you- that's why I want you to leave! There's nothing I want more than you happy, and you and be that with me- because I can't leave SaberTooth!"
Her eyes flashed in pure, unbridled pain and anger, a sudden burst of flame rising around her, the hot air ramming into them as making them back up.
"Damn it, just leave! You can't be happy here, you and be happy with me! I'd rather live in agony and loneliness for the rest of my days than let you get hurt at that bastard Jiemma's hands again! Go! Leave me and don't come back!"
She was crying now, the tears spilling past her furious glare to roll down her cheeks, singing off as heat engulfed the area tenfold.
They looked horrified, they looked like she had ripped their hearts out- and she probably had done something like that...,
... But I can't.
Hora took in a small sigh, her thoughts returning to the present. Those are the things she wished she would say, she oh so wanted to, she could feel that anger and hurt swirling deep inside- but she pushed it away.
I wish I could tell you guys... For years I have wanted to... But I've never been able to.
"... Its not that simple." She murmured softly, earning blinks of confusion from them. "... I can't just find a way to tell you, to explain it to you... I never have been able and I really doubt I'll ever find a way to explain it. Its harder than you realize, its been hard.. Long before I ever met you guys."
She glanced up at them, blue eyes glittering and expression so nearly forlorn and exhausted they felt their hearts clench.
"You guys can tell me nothing's my fault, you can keep telling me you'll listen and you'll let me lean on you, but it's not that easy," she sighed, eyes closing as she shook her head slightly. "... I love all of you, I really do. I know I can lean on you, I know you'll listen and try to understand as best you can... And I appreciate you all so much more than you've ever realized."
... You four gave me a reason to keep going, and you never knew it.
"... But I knew when I met you, I should have kept you from SaberTooth- but I didn't. So that is on me, no matter what you say otherwise." They frowned slightly, looking ready to protest but she didn't give them time to speak up. "Things were complicated long before I met you, and they remain that way. So much so, that when I tell you I can't leave the Guild- please know it's the truth, and that I can't explain that to you two either."
... If I told you... I know you, and you'd do something brash, and then you'd both end up dead...
"But Hora..." Sting mumbled, "... You can't keep living in secrets, that's no way of living."
"You shouldn't have to feel like you can't explain it to us." Rogue said, his tone slightly firm. "... We want to help you."
"I know." She replied softly, "... If there's anything I can really say, its this." She clapped her hands in front of her softly, a small weary smile pulling at the edge of her lips as small glittering droplets of moisture pecked at the corners of her eyes. "I need you two to understand things aren't as easy as saying you don't have to hide and that it'll be ok, I need you to understand that even if you keep asking me to open up, it's not going to happen. At least not for a long while, and more than anything I just need you to accept it. And know this."
"If you really want to help me, don't let this change things. I need you all to just keep on like we've been, I need you not to treat me like some broken object that needs to be handled with care, I need you to just be you." They stared in shock, eyes wide and sweatdropping as her tears spilled over.
"What has really made things better, and made me feel so much more hopeful in the future- the only thing that has kept me together and made me feel good, has been knowing and sharing these years with you." Her voice hitched slightly at the end, still managing to smile though her tears flowed faster. "You all are what makes things better for me, just knowing you're happy, so please... Just don't change that, ok? I want you guys happy and safe more than anything, so please do that? For me?"
They'd never seen this... It was as if they could just see how much pain there was swirling around inside of her, so much that it nearly spilled over, all in that one moment, though she kept herself together- only just slightly. It was exactly the sort of pain they hadn't ever noticed before, the same failure to see that made them regret it all the more. How was it they had been so blind to this? To not realize Hora had been hiding all of this pain for so, so long?
She was barely keeping herself from falling apart, those cracks and chips that had failed to break were giving way, even as she fought so hard to keep the pieces together.
She'd always been so happy, so content. She'd always been kind and caring for them, always there to hear their troubles, she had stuck with them through all their own pain and sadness- and never gave any indication of her own, or how deep it ran. She'd always seemed fine...
This hurt, seeing her like this was painful. They could hardly bear it, and they hated themselves all the more for never being as good a friend to her as she had been for them.
How could the only thing that made her happy, have failed to comfort her like they should have?
They almost lost her, she nearly died- and she would have died without them ever knowing how she had always felt, without ever knowing how much pain she had been hiding. She could have died, as they would have remained as blind as they seemed to have always been.
And all that dread and fear and worry they had been feeling for the last few weeks since Jiemma had attacked her suddenly hit a high, it all amplified and became so much worse as they realized the full extent of how hurt she was. They nearly lost her, and they were still losing her.
Her shoulders hunched slightly, her smile growing more strained by the minute as her eyes closed.
"Please..?" She asked quietly, her voice starting to shake. She let out a strained chuckle that sounded choked. "Come on y-you guys... I'm barely keeping it together here, just a-answer the question already, this is already hard enough..." Her body was trembling too, her knees threatening to give out. She had felt so much better after waking up, thanks to Sherria's Magic. But now, now as she fought to stay together, she felt her strength waning again and a sharp pain flared in her chest at the sheer stress and strain she was being put through with saying all this.
Over-Drive still wasn't done with her, even despite Sherria's Healing Magic, if she didn't get a grip and calm down she was likely to cause a reaction to flare up, and she'd be in a world of hurt again. But she couldn't help it, she never thought she'd be here in this situation, she never thought the day would come when she would be talking about this with them, when she'd be so close to breaking they'd see how much of a shattered mess she was. She'd never wanted them to see this, and she hated it now but her emotion was running too wild and too violently. She couldn't hardly keep herself from falling apart, she was crumbling by the second. And the longer there remained silence between them, the harder it was to keep standing.
Her eyes shut, the tears spilling faster as her pressed together hands folded in on themselves, tight and gripping at her shirt as if she was holding on for dear life.
You told yourself... You weren't gonna... Fall apart... Damn it...
Silence stretched to a million miles between herself and them, and they didn't know what to do.
Hora took in a sudden breath, trying to calm down a little- only to have the air hitch in her throat painfully and cause her to start coughing. Her hand moved up to cover her mouth, her legs giving out as she fell to her knees and her body shook painfully. Sting and Rogue stiffened, eyes growing wide and sweatdropping heavily as she suddenly fell.
"Hora!"
They bent down beside her, Sting's hands resting on her shoulder and lower back as she tried to stifle her sudden coughing.
Over-Drive... God damn it!
"Easy, easy Hora.." Sting grumbled softly,
"Tch... You're still in bad shape, please just try and calm down..." Rogue told her softly, Hora gasped slightly, chest heaving a little as the coughing ceased and she swallowed at the faint metallic taste in her throat, her eyes closed and tears spilling onto the ground underneath her. Lector and Frosch moved up, climbing into her lap and pressing against her stomach, ears dropped against their heads and eyes wide and concerned.
"... I'm sorry..." She stammered softly, her hand moving to clutch the shirt about her chest as she winced slightly at the sudden stab of pain that ran through her. "... I didn't want... To fall apart like this... I shouldn't be... I know its not good for..." She cringed, teeth gritting and eyes scrunching closed in pain.
"Hora...?!" Rogue and Sting asked quickly, seeing the pain on her face and hearts leaping.
"Hey! What's the matter?" Sting asked quickly, Hora took in a small, slow sigh, wincing again and shaking her head slightly.
"... I mentioned it... I..." She mumbled breathlessly. Her thoughts flashed back to her waking up when Rogue was with her. They both stiffened, eyes glinting in sudden recognition.
"... Over-Drive...?" They stammered lowly,
"... Wha... Wait, I thought that Sherria kid healed you...?!" Sting stammered quickly, Hora smiled a little ruefully.
"... Its not... Its just cause... I'm freaking... Out..." She huffed breathlessly, still holding her chest.
Over-Drive wasn't something that could be just 'healed'. Sherria's Magic could wane its effects and its hold over her, but it was still there, it was always there, it just flared up at times- especially under times of great physical stress and pain, as well as emotional. And she was such a mess right now, and it being so soon after what Jiemma did, it was getting worse by the second.
"Tch... I... i..." She hissed, cringing more and nearly doubling over at the pain. She felt Frosch and Lector hold her tighter,
... Its getting cold, right there... At my center...
She stiffened, eyes snapping open and blurry from her tears as she felt Rogue and Sting wrap her in their arms for the second time that day. They held her close, pulling her into them and burying her among their interlocked arms, Frosch and Lector holding tighter to her stomach and trembling against her...
... And suddenly, everything was warm.
It wasn't the same heat that danced off her skin always, it wasn't the same fire that raged in her core all the time, it wasn't fever, it wasn't even pain... It was just warmth. It was... It felt so good, so very good against her heart, and her core enveloped on the deepest ice.
"You're gonna be fine," Sting told her softly, "Everything is gonna be fine, Hora."
"... Nothing's going to change. We love you, and we'll always be happy, together, with you." Rogue murmured softly, his tone growing slightly flinty at the assertion of 'you'. "... Nothing's going to change, Hora. We'll stick with you, through everything. Don't doubt it."
"Just know you don't have to hide anymore. We've not been the best friends to you that we should have been, so we're the sorry ones." Sting murmured.
"We'll do better, be better. So you don't have to keep hiding your pain, not anymore." Rogue murmured gently,
"We love you, we always will."
... Is it possible...?
... That... It hurts less...?
She couldn't sop crying, she felt herself keep crumbling in their arms, but somehow it didn't hurt that much anymore. The pain in her chest died a little, and she just buried her face in their bodies, body shaking, exhausted and frayed... But it felt better.
Those... They told me... What I wanted to hear.
She couldn't help it, her mind be seeing on pain and exhaustion as she gasped and cried, mumbling 'I'm sorry' over and over, and they never said anything. They just kept holding her, they didn't ask questions she thought they would, they just kept her warmer than she had ever felt- warmer than her Magic even seemed to keep her.
I... I know they said things won't change... But I know better than that. They can't see me like this and not change... But they want to do better... Idiots.
... They were always the best. Always.
At some point exhaustion hit her like a train, as her tears ceased and her body began to lose all strength, her mind teetering on the edge of darkness again.
... I wonder, brother...
Sting and Rogue pulled back a little, eyes glittering on the starlight overhead as they sat still in the empty street. Hora blinked, slowly rubbing her eyes and shaking her head to try and clear the drowsiness.
"Sorry..." She smiled weakly, "... I'm a mess, hmm?" She chuckled, their gazes glinted in sadness and worry.
"... I'm ok for now." She murmured, hand resting lightly on her chest. "... You two managed to calm me down, I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
"Hora..." Rogue murmured, "... Over-Drive...?"
"... Can we just... Go home? For now?" She asked softly, "I'll... Try to explain what it is... But for now, I'm just exhausted..." Rogue seemed to sigh internally, both he and Sting exchanging glances.
They nodded, half heartedly.
Hora smiled weakly, giving Lector and Frosch a squeeze when she glanced down to see their worried eyes.
... I hate to worry them like this.
"Alright, we can go home." Sting nodded.
"Thanks..." She smiled, Lector and Frosch climbed from her lap as she started to get up.
Her eyes snapped up, seeing Rogue and Sting standing with their hands out toward her, eyes shining in the starlight and faces neutral, calm.
Brother... This feeling I have...
She slowly took their hands, as they easily pulled her to her feet and she let her eyes close a moment. There still a small smile creasing her tired, frayed expression.
... I haven't felt it in a long time.
Her head tilted back, blue eyes opening to rest on the moon overhead, its silver rays glinting off her multicolored strands of hair, the stars reflected in her gaze.
... Its like the ice melted, just a little. And the fire became... More tame...
Her eyes narrowed slightly, seeing a sudden flash across the sky, a star falling from the heavens and leaving a dusty trail in its quake.
Brother... Could it be... That this is... The start...?
A chill breeze blew over the town, her hair whipped back by it's cool embrace,
... Or is the something... Like the end...?
She sighed, wincing at the stab of pain that reared in her chest again. She turned an exhausted smile on Sting, who sweatdropped slightly but seemed to get the point without asking.
He gently picked her up in his arms, something that on any other day, any regular day before all of this- it was something they would never do. Hora hooked her arms around his neck lightly, she very much knew she wouldn't be walking anywhere now, her strength all spent and mind fighting to stay awake. And she'd hate to pass out while walking and give them another scare... They were worried enough.
I didn't want them to see me like this, because I know they'll look at me differently from here on. I didn't want them to see how broken I was, but I guess there was no running from this... Damn it... I'm just not who you think I am, I've never really been the person you've known all these years. I'm not strong, I'm not brave, I'm weak, a coward... and I'm much less human than you even realize.
Her head rest against his chest and shoulder lightly, her mind teetering on the edge of sleep ever more, as for a moment her dark blue gaze locked with Rogue's red one. He was so tired, so strained and so bent up with worry and fear she could see it written all over his form. He looked awful, Sting did too, so did Lector and Frosch, and it was all because of her. For them... Her best friends in all the world, the four people she'd ever consider family...
I am so sorry.
Chapter 6: What Am I Gonna Do?
Chapter Text
Chapter 6
What Am I Gonna Do?
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+: .
It was a very long time ago that I could ever consider things to be simple... It was long before I had Magic, long before I became this person that walks the earth like a twisted shell of a human. An icy cold forlorn figure that somehow finds a way to burn like a raging inferno. I feel like I've been wondering between hell and purgatory for so long...
... Things were easier before I became this. Before that beast. Before everyone... Everyone died.
Things were simpler before this happened, before Jiemma went after me, before Over-Drive managed to snap its jaws on to me, and Rogue and Sting were around to see it. They had to deal with it, deal with me like that... Weak.
Things were simpler before all of this, because now everything has changed. They've seen how broken I am, they've seen how much pain I've been hiding, and they know I haven't told them everything. I asked them to tell me things wouldn't change, and they did... But I know better. Everything's changed.
I can't say I can explain it to them... I'm still afraid. I don't want to lose them, and I feel if I tell them... I will.
Damn it... I wish things were simple. Hundreds of thousands of times over I have wished, wished so badly that I could just go back, back to before that monster, before my life was snatched away, before everything I loved had been ripped to pieces on front of me.
... But... Would I be content..? If I had never met them...? Sting, Rogue... Lector, Frosch... Yukino, Orga... Rufus...?
... If things had stayed simple, I would never have known any of them... And that thought puts some sort of deep, aching hole in my heart.
I... I don't know anymore...
... Brother... What do I do...?
Hora winced slightly, her eyes fluttering open to see moonlight filtering through the train window to her right, barren, rocky land flowing past as the train moved swiftly through the dark night. She sighed slightly, her shoulder brushing against Sting's as she lift her head from his shoulder lightly, careful to keep from waking him up. She smiled sadly at the uncomfortable face he seemed to wear in his sleep, sure some of it was because of his motion sickness, and some of it was still worry she was sure.
Her blue gaze shift across from her toward Rogue, who sat with his back pressed up against the window and the wall, feet up on the seat and Frosch in his arms. Lector was curled up beside her, snoring softly. Hora smiled slightly, feeling a tug in her chest.
... I don't think... It would have been any better...
She lightly drew her fingers across the top of Lector's head, rubbing his ears gently and earning a sleepy purr from him, though he didn't wake up.
... If I had never known all of you.
She slowly drew her hands back up, pressing the sides of them together lightly in front of her chin, palms open to face up as she took in a small breath, her eyes falling closed. She exhaled softly, eyes opening as they glinted with the bright golden and red light of a flame that formed from her breath, the flame licking at the air gently before she sighed, and her Magic faded again.
... Damn it...
"... Is using Magic a good idea, Hora?"
She turned, her blue gaze meeting Sting's own. She blinked, faintly surprised he had woken up, before she cast him a small, reassuring smile and let her hands fall into her lap. "It's ok. It's better to know I can," She smiled slightly, "If I wasn't able to, that'd be worse, hmm?"
... And still, it wasn't what I was hoping for.
She shook her head slightly, seeing Sting still gazing at her quietly, blue eyes glittering in too many emotions to try and place.
"... You've been doing this for a very long time, haven't you?" He asked suddenly, she blinked at the question, heart skipping a beat suddenly.
"Hmm?"
"Hiding what you've been really feeling. Hiding your pain." He replied softly, nearly painfully himself. "You've been playing at being happy for years, never letting anyone see how you felt deep down." Hora's eyes fell a moment, "You've been hurting all this time... And you just kept hiding it."
"... I'm not always in pain, or sad you know." She murmured softly, eyes closed and hands folded in her lap as she turned away from him. "I have been happy, being with you guys." She glanced up to him, smiling brightly despite how tired she still looked, Sting blinked in slight shock. "Being with all of you has made me happier than you could ever know. I'm not always suffering, you guys make life better, and I enjoy it, being with you. I really do. You guys make everything so much fun, so much better and so much more enjoyable than I thought possible of anyone to do- but you guys do it on a regular basis, and I love you all the more for it." She glanced his way, eyes shining slightly in the dim as she continued to smile softly.
"So don't think you guys haven't meant anything to me, or that even being with you've I've never been happy. Because that's not true- you guys do make me happy. Really, really happy... And you make me feel like I'm not all on my own."
He didn't seem to know what to say, he only stared, his blue eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. He couldn't remember seeing Hora say something so heartfelt, and he had never seen her say something and mean it as much as she seemed to just then.
Of course he felt that way- that being friends with her, being with Hora and Rogue, Frosch and Lector- being with them all made him happy, made life enjoyable and kept him smiling... He supposed he hadn't thought that was the case for Hora, seeing how much pain she was in, the pain and he suffering he had failed to see all the time he had known her. It made sense she felt that way... But she had never said anything to let them know that. He guessed maybe she thought she didn't have to say it, that they just knew... But they didn't seem to know a damn thing about her. And he hated it, and at the same time his heart clenched painfully.
He cared for her deeply, and he wished she knew it enough to have told him how she was feeling all these years. He wished she had shared with him her pain, and she hadn't... She had kept it hidden, and he felt he had failed her immensely as a friend.
What sort of friend fails to see how much pain Hora seemed to have kept bottled up inside? To know nearly nothing about her, where he thought he had? What sort of friend was he to have her feel she needed to hide her feelings from him? Instead of sharing them?
The image of he and Rogue holding her in their arms on the street of Margret town as she sobbed, and fell apart suddenly came to mind. Hora had never been weak, she had always been strong and brave... She had always been fine.
And yet she never was.
"Hora..." He breathed, eyes falling and fists clenching in his lap tightly. Hora blinked at his now hunched and tense figure, blue eyes glittering. "... I am so sorry." He hissed, eyes scrunching closed and hair hiding his face from her view. "I can't believe... I've been such... Such a poor excuse for a friend... It's unforgivable..."
Hora's heart clenched painfully, her smile fading as her eyes locked to the sparse few glittering drops of liquid that suddenly fell into his lap.
Sting was strong, confident, and maybe a little cocky... He was also kind, and goofy, and perpetually cheerful, his happiness was nearly intoxicating. There were few times he ever got to the point of breaking down, or being so sad he started to cry... And he was crying because he felt he failed her. She bit her lip, feeling a flash of pain in her chest suddenly.
They care about me more than I cared to admit.
"... I don't deserve... To even be called your friend... Not after... After..." He hissed lowly, voice hitching painfully as Hora took in a small breath.
"... Sting." She murmured, hand reaching forward to land lightly on top of his head, her fingers threading through his blonde hair gently as she felt him shake under her. "... You are one of the most loyal people I have ever known, you know." She smiled slightly, eyes falling closed. "And I have known a lot of people, and yet no one has been more loyal than you. And I can't say anyone could be a better friend to anyone than you can." She took in a breath, "You're kind, and cheerful, and you light up whatever room you go into. You care for people more deeply than most ever can, and you're brave and protective- you'll do anything to protect the people you love. Anything at all. And that is one of the best things about you."
She felt him shake a little under her touch, but she heard his sudden harsh breathing ease just slightly.
"You haven't been given any real chance to prove how loyal and caring you are, not with how SaberTooth is now. But I've seen you around our friends. Yukino, Orga, Rufus... You're a much better friend than you realize. I'm the one who hasn't given you the chance to be as good a friend as you strive to be toward me. That's my fault, not yours."
She pulled him toward her, holding his head to her chest as she wrapped her arms around his back and shoulders.
"... Don't let Jiemma destroy the pure light and good I see in you. And don't let anyone keep you from being who you really are." She smiled gently, "You and Rogue, you two are the best of us. And you always have been."
"Come on you four, let's go home."
Hora stood in the aisle of the train car, leaning with an arm against one of the seats as she smiled gently toward her four sleepy-eyed Guildmates groggily coming too. The train's whistle blew to signal it would soon be moving off again, as the familiar figure of Saber Town stood outside the train windows in early afternoon light.
Sting glanced her way quickly, glancing away with a small frown and an expression she could see barely hid his flustered and on high emotions from the earlier night not but a few hours ago. She smiled slightly at him, he wasn't one to break often no... But she knew he felt at least a little better now. And she had meant everything she said to him, and she hoped he knew it.
... Maybe... It is better to share things, sometimes...
She shook the thought away.
"Hora...?" Rogue mumbled, yawning halfway between her name.
The four of them had been passed out for a few hours now, which didn't surprise her- she had the feeling they really hadn't slept since everything had happened with Jiemma. She on the other hand, she hadn't been able to fall asleep after Sting had last night- though she wished she had.
"We're back." She announced softly. "It's time to head off the train." All four nodded slightly, picking themselves up slowly as she stepped forward so they could file out behind her.
... They are going to ask. I managed to hold off their questions one more night... But now my time is up. I can't really stall anymore.
She swallowed hard, coughing slightly into her hand when a twinge of pain flared in her chest suddenly. From the corner of her eye she saw the four she was with stiffen at the sound, but she took a deep breath and quieted it.
... How do I tell them anything, without them looking at me differently? Or doing something... Something stupid..?
Brother... I don't know what to even say to them... I've been hiding all this for so long it's like it's impossible to put any of it into words... What am I going to do...?
She glanced up at the clear blue sky over their heads once they stepped of the train.
... I know helping Fairy Tail was the right thing to do... I know it.
... But will Sting and Rogue see it that way...?
She sighed silently, eyes closing a moment.
"Let's go home first... Then I'll try to explain things... Some things..." She murmured, glancing backward at the four who trailed from the train behind her. They looked back at her with tired, slightly worried faces still, but she thought maybe they had relaxed a little now. She surely hoped so.
All four of them nodded slightly, not saying anything, she smiled just faintly.
Please... I just want to fix things.
But all I ever do is destroy things.
She couldn't tell them why she couldn't leave SaberTooth. She knew she couldn't tell them why she was a slave to Jiemma- because she knew they cared about her, and the anger they would feel if she told them, would likely drive them to do something stupid. And then Jiemma might kill them.
So I won't tell them that.
... But then, what do I tell them?
'Hora!'
She stopped, eyes narrowed and a shiver running up her spine at the sudden voice. She knew it wasn't any of the four behind her that had said anything, and she stopped suddenly. It wasn't a voice she recognized... or at least, one she couldn't place.
Rogue and Sting nearly bumped into her when she stopped so suddenly, eyes narrowed and heads tilted at the action. "Hora..?" Rogue murmured, "Something wrong..?"
"Yeah, why'd you stop?" Sting asked, blue eyes glinting.
That meant they hadn't heard anything... but how had she?
Hora glanced sideways, her eyes scanning the streets and buildings around them, ever aware of the stares she was receiving from the townspeople around them as they steered clear and did their best not to walk too close to the SaberTooth Mages.
Why... why do I feel I know that voice...?
"Hora?" Sting said, a little louder this time when she failed to even acknowledge they had said anything. She could practically feel their worry rising again, and she internally cringed at it.
"... Sorry." She mumbled, shaking her head and casting them a small smile to reassure them. "I thought I heard someone yell my name is all, I guess I'm just hearing things."
"Ok..." They mumbled, looking skeptical but she chuckled lightly.
"Honestly, I'm fine. I didn't mean to worry you guys again." She turned again and started to move, "Come on."
I know I heard it.... But what was it...?
'You know I'm still here, don't you?'
She felt like an icy spear pierced her heart, snatching her breath from her though she didn't react outwardly. She kept walking, but her hand moved up to clench about the shirt over her chest, sweatdropping heavily as she bit the inside of her lip.
No... no way.... It's been... years....
'... You know things have changed, don't you?'
Hora pushed the door to her apartment open, hearing Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch move in behind her. They looked around the front portion of the room with glinting eyes, they hardly ever came to Hora's place, usually she came over to Rogue and Sting's apartment instead... it must have been at least a year since they had been here.
Hora moved forward across the hardwood floors, lightly pulling the curtains back from the window set directly across from them. The afternoon light washed out over the room, shinning lightly off the dark wood floors, and off the heavy coffee table set in front of a couch, and an armchair. Hora stepped up toward a desk besides an opening in the wall to the kitchen, and further to her bedroom- stopping at the desk she let her hair down and placed the ribbon on top, standing there for a minute with her back facing the four.
She took in a deep breath, shaking her head slightly and trying to cast some of her swirling thoughts away for now. She knew she was tense, and she willed herself to try and unwind a little, to relax- but it wasn't even the looming realization that she'd have to spill some of those secrets she had long kept buried... it wasn't just that anymore, and she suddenly wished it was.
'.. you're ignoring me now?'
Her eyes scrunched closed and she shook her head a little,
"You guys can sit down you know." She murmured softly, aware that she hadn't heard any of them move since coming in the door. She turned around and smiled slightly, seeing them look to her with nervous eyes and flustered expressions. She chuckled slightly, pulling the chair beside the desk out a little and straddling it, her arms hanging off the back.
"Sit guys, seriously. This.... This is gonna take awhile."
Slowly but surely they moved over toward the couch and the armchair, sinking down to a seat slowly as they looked back and forth toward Hora with quick, feverish glances. Hora watched them settle for but a moment, before her eyes closed and she took in a breath.
"... Hora...?"
".... You don't have to tell us, if you don't want to." Rogue murmured, "We know we said you needed to, but that choice... It is up to you."
".... Hmm, I know." Hora murmured, "I know... and I know you guys wanna know what's going on, what I've been keeping from you... and maybe you have a right to know. So... I will try to tell you some of it, at least... just a little."
She paused, resting her elbows on the back of the chair and lightly bringing her hands up, her fingertips on each hand lightly pressing together and palms remaining apart as she drew her hands in. Her touching index fingers lightly rest against her nose, while her thumbs rest against her chin, and her eyes closed.
The other four all blinked in slight shock, recognizing the somewhat unique gesture. It was something they had seen before now, a habit Hora had, one she showed when she was thinking deeply, intently.
"... It's just complicated, and really... hard."
Can I tell you... without losing you...?
"... I guess, I'll start with... with Over-Drive..." She mumbled lowly, voice wavering just slightly. ".... It's kind of... a drawback, to my Magic I guess you could say..... with all that power that my Magic lands me.... Sometimes it can get too wild, and it start's to send my body and my health into flux, and if it gets bad enough... it can kill me."
Which... she was sure they were aware of by now.
"It.... It gets set off when I go through a large amount of physical, or emotional strain all at once." She mumbled, "... which is why it flared up after what happened with Jiemma..."
'You know that's not entirely true. You're still lying.'
She grit her teeth a moment.
Sting and Rogue exchanged small, fleeting looks with one another.
If they were going to be entirely honest... in all the time they had known Horatia, all the times they had worked with her, and the times they had pressed about it... they were still not entirely certain what it was her Magic was at all. She never elaborated on it, and they certainly had never seen the likes of it before either. What most they knew about it, was that it was extremely powerful, and that made Hora all the more powerful for it- and they knew the base Element for it was certainly Fire. But apart from that, Hora's Magic had always been a mystery, and an enigma. She could use so many different Spells, it was impossible to pinpoint what base Magic it was that she used.
But, despite their lack of a clue as to what it was... they knew very well it closely resembled their own Magic, to a small extent. Though they were not sure why. But even then... Somehow her Magic seemed... Darker.
"But... you've been hurt plenty of times before now, Hora." Sting murmured lowly, they decided not to press her Magic- they had done so in the past and have had years to ponder it, and still they were no closer to knowing. "This has never happened before."
"Granted.... I don't think we've ever seen you take so much damage all at once..." Rogue put in softly, eyes falling as his fists clenched in his lap. Sting sweatdropped, his own eyes falling as he growled under his breath.
"... I can't believe Master... did that..." the blonde hissed, eyes closing tightly.
"But... Atia..." Lector raised a paw tentatively, catching Hora's attention as she sweatdropped. "Why... Why did Master call you a traitor? He said... you were helping another Guild."
"Fro wonders too.." Frosch mumbled lowly, ears flat.
Hora stiffened slightly, eyes narrowing and sweatdropping heavily.
"Hora!"
Her eyes moved up the street, seeing Sting and Rogue standing there, expressions neutral and presences beckoning. Hora blinked, eyes softening slightly- she knew they were probably itching to run to her, start asking questions and all manner of things, but they kept their cool when they saw Lyon beside her. The act...
The reputation the Guild had was owed to it because of the things they were forced to do and act like- for fear they be punished by Jiemma or Minerva. The Master and the Lady wanted nothing but power and status, they wanted to rule a Guild that was feared and renowned- and they were prepared to do whatever it took to keep the Guild running in their vision of it. They used brutality and fear to force the Members of the Guild to submit to their laws, their rules, and their standards... They scared everyone into becoming what they weren't. What they didn't want to be.
All first appearances, and impressions of these two- they were radically different from how they truly were, especially around the people they cared for. When first meeting Sting- he came off as an arrogant prick who cared little for other people, and more for his own personal gain. Rogue seemed emotionless, as if he didn't care about the world- as was stony and cold to everyone, to all those people who didn't know him, or what he was truly like. In reality- the few people who realized that there was more to the Twin Dragon Slayers than first appeared, those would have been Orga, Yukino, Rufus... And of course Horatia.
They had put up a huge wall between their true selves and the outside world. They had created an act, a facade that they played and put on for the rest of the world- and fallen so deep into it, they couldn't be their true selves with anyone they didn't know. People didn't like them... Because they didn't know them. And maybe they never would, the way SaberTooth was going.
The Members of SaberTooth, those aside from the Master and his daughter... They were not evil. They were not bad, they weren't ruthless, nor inherently violent or brutal. In all reality, they were good people... But no one knew it.
No one knows it... because Jiemma's brutality and violence has melded these people I have known for years... into people I'm afraid I don't really recognize anymore.
She had wondered about it several times lately, when she thought on how long Sting and Rogue had been under the influence of Jiemma and his tyranny over the Guild.... That maybe that man was starting to rub off on them, and the act they put on for the outside world was becoming less and less just an act. That what Jiemma was doing was actually starting to change them, and make them... not them.
That act, the façade they put up for everyone outside of herself and their friends in the Guild, the way they behaved around other people, and especially other Wizards was entirely convincing, almost to the point of unnerving. She worried and worried that they were changing, and eventually going to become people she hardly recognized at all... if anything that was one of her biggest fears.
She just wanted them to stay them.
She wanted to believe they would never change, that they would be the people she saw them to be. That they would be the good she saw in the both of them on a regular basis, and that nothing Jiemma or his daughter did would taint that goodness in them. Sting and Rogue... and everyone in the Guild, they were all good people, they just never got the opportunity to show it. She dearly hoped one day the rest of the world would see what she did.
But... she was still worried. How were they going to react when she told them it was because she had elected herself to help Fairy Tail that had landed her in the situation she had with Jiemma? That that was the reason that man had so brutally attacked her, and labeled her a Traitor? She nearly died for what he did, and she knew well that both Sting and Rogue were angry with the thought.
But would they be angry at her, for her reasoning? And that her decision to help Fairy Tail put her in harm's way? Almost killed her? Would they blame her for making a poor decision, and angry she had risked her life... for something they didn't find worthy enough to do so..?
"..... I..." She swallowed, why was this so hard to get out..?
"... I was... I was..... w.. working... to locate... Tenrou Island..." Her voice had dropped so low it may have been no one could hear her anymore, but she knew with Sting and Rogue's Dragon ears they could still hear her very well.
Sting and Rogue blinked in slight shock at the name, sweatdropping and eyes glinting.
"... Fairy Tail's Holy Land.... Where many of their members disappeared seven... seven years ago..."
There was a silence that fell over the lot of them in those next few moments that felt like a hundred tons of weight that had suddenly fallen down over her shoulders. She didn't look up at any of them, because she was terrified she'd see anger in their faces, anger toward her for doing something they didn't agree with, and thought was stupid.
She'd stand by her belief that helping Fairy Tail retrieve its members, and more specifically those four Dragon Slayers, was the best decision. She knew it was right, in her core she knew it was the right thing... but she wasn't sure either Sting or Rogue would see it that way, not after what had happened. Not after she had almost died for her action.
".. Fairy...?" Rogue mumbled, eyes wide and sweatdropping.
".. Tail...?" Sting breathed, nearly breathlessly, looking nearly as stricken as Rogue seemed to.
It was a name they both knew well, Hora was aware. The two people that those two boys had looked up to when they were younger were Members of that Guild, and she also knew they had been devastated in their own ways when they had learned of the Fire and Iron Dragon Slayer's apparent 'death' at the claws of the Apocalyptic Dragon.
Hora nodded slightly, eyes glinting.
"Yes... and I sent what I had found about the Island to the remnants of the Guild... so they could go and find it." Hora continued softly, sounding more and more unsure by the second. "... Jiemma and Minerva... Found out about it somehow... And then... Well... You know what happened after that..."
Yeah, you idiot... You almost died. That bastard Jiemma nearly killed me... And Rogue and Sting, Lector and Frosch...
Her hands shook slightly, still with her fingertips pressed together, as her jaw clenched and she growled inwardly.
... They watched Jiemma nearly beat me to death... They never should have seen anything like that. Ever.
'... Wavering now, on your decision?'
She bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood, but didn't let herself show the sudden pain outwardly.
Never.
".. But Hora..." Rogue mumbled,
".. Why... Why help Fairy Tail...?" Sting whispered, his eyes riveted to the floor and seemingly unable to wrap his head around the idea, or maybe he was just reeling a little because he was familiar with the Guild.
"... They aren't dead." She mumbled lowly, their heads snapped up toward her in surprise, only to see she had her eyes closed, still on the same odd position of her touching index fingers lightly rest against her nose, while her thumbs rest against her chin.
"Fairy Tail... The Members that were on the Island, they didn't die, because the Island was never destroyed. It was just... Hidden." Her voice dropped to a lower, more calm tenor as Rogue and Sting continued to stare at her. "Hidden by a powerful Spell that kept everyone on the Island alive. I had been looking into it for awhile, and realized there had been a Spell set up... I sent what information I gathered to Fairy Tail so they may go to the place where Tenrou Island once stood, and rescue the Members they had thought were dead."
"... No one deserves to continue suffering in pain and heartache for years on end, especially for the loss of people they love." Hora murmured softly, her tone suddenly gentle and wispy. "... If I could help to ease anyone's suffering, and bring happiness to their lives again... I had to try."
Not to mention, that internal balance of the world that I felt had been tipped by the loss of four Dragon Slayers. But that explanation of her theory on internal balance and the importance of Slayers was too large and too long a topic to even begin to explain it to them... She had taken years to understand what she did now, and still she knew so very little.
While she could say returning those four Dragon Slayers had been her ultimate goal for helping Fairy Tail, it wasn't entirely that either. There was truth in what she said, about helping to ease Fairy Tail's pain. That was true as well.
It was pain she felt she knew all too well.
"... I did what I felt was right. Even if they are a different or a rival Guild... They're still people." Her voice was softer now, "I had to help where I knew I could."
"...We know."
Hora's eyes snapped open in sudden surprise, blinking once or twice when she was the gentle expressions on Sting and Rogue's faces, even the smallest, faintest a hints of exasperated smiles on their lips.
W-wha..?!
"You always do things you think are right." Sting murmured, "You've always done everything you can to help everyone else, even if it meant putting them before yourself." His eyes glinted in sadness in pain at that, she stiffened slightly.
"That's who you are, you care about other people's pain and always look for ways to ease their suffering. You've done that on many occasion not only for us, but for other members of the Guild too." Rogue told her softly, "So we understand why you felt the need to help Fairy Tail."
"Not that we like it all the much though," Sting butted in with a firm look. "Since it almost got you killed- but that's more on Master than it is on you."
"Just please try to be more careful, alright Hora?" Rogue sighed, "Please take care of yourself a bit more, and focus less on other people."
She stared, sweatdropping slightly and a little taken aback. This was not the response she had been expecting, at all. They were much more accepting of her actions than she assumed they would be, and on top of that- they didn't seem at all surprised with her reasoning either.
"... Huh..." She breathed, they both blinked at her, heads tilting just a little.
"What?"
"... You... Well... You took that better than I thought you would." She admitted softly, they blinked at her.
"How did you expect us to take it?" Sting grumbled, eyebrow quirked slightly. "Did you think we'd snap at you, or something?"
"Honestly, yes." She replied truthfully, this time they looked surprised. "I had thought you would be really angry with me, and think my reasons were idiotic, and dumb..." Sting and Rogue exchanged glances between themselves, looking quizzical a moment, before they both sighed and shook their heads in exasperation.
"You're thinking too much into it." Sting told her, "You're over-exaggerating things in your head, Hora."
"You do that often, actually." Rogue told her, she narrowed her eyes, head tilting.
"What?"
"You over-think things, and blow situations out of proportion in your head on occasion. Like you always expect the worse." Rogue explained, Hora's jaw dropped slightly, her hands dropping too.
"You're very optimistic, but only outwardly." Sting put in, Lector smirked and nodded his head.
"This is how optimistic you appear to be," Lector said, holding his arms out wide, before sighing and smirking softly. "But this is how optimistic you actually are, Atia." He drew his paws in together to a small distance, Hora blinked, sweatdropping.
Hora had always thought herself an optimistic person at heart, and someone who was level headed and clearly thought things through. She had never once considered herself to 'over-think' things.
Sting waved a hand in front of his nose a few times, grinning slightly. "You outta try and think about things a bit more positively than you usually do." his fangs flashed in his smile slightly. "Of course we wouldn't get real mad at you for being who you are."
"We'll just scold you for not telling us sooner." Rogue smiled slightly. Frosch smiled and lift a paw.
"Fro thinks so too!"
... Do I really... Think the worst of things...?
She hadn't ever considered the idea, but apparently it was something she did often- at least, often enough that both Sting and Rogue had taken notice of it.
... So they're telling me... I'm a pessimist...?
'... It's a curse, and not of the regular kind.'
She glanced to the floor, biting the inside of her cheek again as she cursed at the voice.
... I wonder... Have I been thinking the worst of things this whole time...?
Could it even be possible that in her own mind she jumped to the worst conclusion, and that because of that she had inadvertently made it impossible for herself to see any bright side to things? Had she been holding herself back for fear of things she thought might happen- but those things were actually blown up to be worse than they could be in reality?
She wouldn't deny that she kept secrets for fear of awful, awful things that may happen... Things she had convinced herself would happen if she said some things... But what if what she assumed would happen, was so much worse than it actually was?
... What if the bad things she feared... We're mostly imaginary...? Had she been afraid, for no reason at all...?
She bit her lip a little, eyes closing as silence fell between the lot of them suddenly.
Maybe it was possible she blew things out of proportion, and what she was afraid of was unrealistic. Maybe she had been keeping secrets and hiding things for fear of something that may never actually happen...
... But maybe not. She was still afraid, and she would continue to be too. She knew how twisted and dark and screwed up she was inside, and she was still afraid of how they would react should they her learn how deep her darkness ran.
"... I never knew... I came off that way..." She managed to mumble after awhile. Maybe there was truth in what they said, yes, but at the same time she did think that way for a reason- and she had every right to jump to such awful conclusions. Life had given her plenty reason to doubt, and she had seen plenty of things, and lived through them enough to know the world could be an awful, ugly place full of terror and pain. She knew that better than most.
"... I guess... I'll have to try looking at things a bit more optimistically than I usually do." She murmured, flaming back up toward them. "... Maybe if I manage that... I can be a bit more open, and a little more honest." They smiled slightly, nodding once.
"Take your time, Hora." Sting murmured,
"Just please don't forget, we worry and care for you as much as you do us. We want to know when you're in pain, and we want to help. So next time you find yourself in a harmful place... Tell us, ok?" Rogue murmured, red eyes glinting as she slowly nodded.
"I'll give it my best..." She murmured, nodding a little. "... I don't plan to get into what I meant... When I said I couldn't leave the Guild, just so you know." She added in, "It's not... The easiest subject." They blinked,
"... Alright."
"But... This wasn't so bad, I suppose." She murmured, leaning back against the edge of the desk as her eyes fell closed and she crossed her arms over her chest. She had thought this would be much harder, telling them anything. And she still had told them very little, but truth be told she didn't know where to start if she tried to get into anything else... And they hadn't really asked very many specific questions. And something told her they still wondered, but they weren't going to press anything... She appreciated that. "... Thanks... For being patient with me." She murmured softly,
"You got it." They murmured softly,
"... Oh." She murmured, leaning up again and settling her deep blue gaze on them, she smirked slightly and they all blinked in confusion and shock at it. "Just as a heads up, you're gonna have better competition this year at the GMG. Don't think it's gonna be like all the past years, it's different this time around."
"What do you mean?" Sting murmured, head tilted slightly. For the moment they allowed the sudden change in subject, and didn't question it- though they figured she was avoiding trying to explain herself any more than she had already tried to.
"Well, for one- Jura of the Ten Wizard Saints is planning to participate. He told me when I was at Lamia." She smiled, for a small moment she swore she saw a flicker of nervousness shine in the two Dragon Slayers eyes a moment, maybe it was because they knew Jiemma wouldn't take kindly to them losing a match, let alone the Games. "And the God Slayer in their Guild is planning to join in too." She added.
"I suppose that means we'll have to put in some extra work when we go to train for the Games then." Rogue murmured, Sting nodded in agreement.
"Lamia must be going all out if they have a Wizard Saint joining in.." Sting grumbled,
"They are going all out, and for a reason." Hora smirked, earning their surprised eyes.
"Why would they be?" Lector mewed,
"Fro wonders as well." Frosch murmured,
"Fairy Tail is going to participate in the Grand Magic Games this year." Hora smiled, they all blinked in utter shock. "The Mages who returned from being gone for 7 years will probably be among the participants. Which means,"
Rogue and Sting visibly perked up, she could see it in their eyes, she could almost imagine they were waiting with bated breath for what she would be saying, it was what immediately popped into their heads no doubt.
"Gajeel and Natsu might be in the Games, and you two may have the chance to go against two people you looked up to."
They glanced between one another, smirking slightly and looking pleased.
"That would make for quite the battle," Rogue murmured.
"The games would certainly be more interesting, especially if we managed to face off against them." Sting smirked, his blue eyes glinting in clear glee.
Hora leaned back again, smiling softly as she saw their moods lighten so suddenly. It was a nice change from how somber and worried they had been since meeting up with them again- and they were like that because of her, she knew all too well. But she had seen them talk about the two people they had idolized when they were younger, and she had seen the admiration in their eyes when they had, and knew that though they may hide and deny it- they still looked up to those two Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, and it would probably mean the world to them to go against their idols in a real fight.
She hoped Gajeel and Natsu were in the Games, she wanted to see Sting and Rogue face the people they looked up to, and a small part of her hoped maybe doing so would break away that façade they had built up because of Jiemma.
I hope... I really hope.
Hora let out a small sigh, she looked forward to the Games.... But still she was a little nervous about them too. It was the GMG that gave SaberTooth its reputation, and Jiemma was always in a worse mood around and during the Games, and for it Minerva was extra wicked. There was a lot of pressure on the Team that participated in the Games, and a lot of fear too- they knew that failure was not an option, and if they slipped up in any way, the Guild would have hell to pay.
Hora's grip about her arms tightened slightly, a sudden flash of anger making its way through her at the thought, and worry too.
She knew how strong Sting and Rogue were firsthand, that went for Orga, Rufus, and Minerva as well- who all made up the regular team to participate in the GMG. But she was also slightly nervous, she was excited to see what would become of the GMG this year, and what the other Guilds would bring to the table.... But would the new power coming to the Games be too much for SaberTooth to handle? Could they lose?
... If they lose, the Guild's gonna be the front line for Jiemma's wrath... and if it's anything like what happened to me....
Her jaw clenched, sweatdropping slightly as her gaze fixed to the floor, eyes narrowed to slits and glinting slightly.
.... I won't be able to do a damn thing... If I tried to fight back and rebel, Jiemma will kill me.
Her eyes moved up toward Frosch, Lector, Rogue and Sting as they talked to themselves, smiling and looking excited.
... And I don't know what'll happen to them, if I were to be killed. I honestly don't want to find out.
... But I don't want the Guild hurt either.
Everything had changed, it had all changed so quickly, all in the course of week, and all of it- because of what happened, what Jiemma did, how hurt she had become... and how she had almost died.
They had seen her break down, they saw the walls crumble and they had a glimpse inside to see how twisted, and broken she was... they saw how weak and cold she was on the inside, and that was something they would never un-see. They would look at her differently now, despite their promise not to- they couldn't forget what happened, what they learned, what they had seen in her... her true self.
Everything about my life, it's complicated... and it just got more so. Damn it, I never asked for any of this.
Brother.... What am I gonna do...?
Chapter 7: Separated?!
Chapter Text
Chapter 7
Separated?!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+: .
Hora sighed slightly, her blue gaze shifting over the room around her slowly, landing on each figure of Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch where they were strewn about the room on the couch, and a cot that had been pulled from a closet and lain on the floor. They lay, sleeping deeply and completely dead to the world, she doubted she'd be able to wake them before they wanted to- all their tension, fear and worry seemed to have caught up with them tenfold, and hit them like a train. So much so, that they had passed out at her apartment rather than going back to their own... not that she necessarily minded.
She leaned against the doorframe leading in toward the kitchen, her arms crossed over her chest and eyes glinting in the light of the silvery moonlight filtering in through the open window to bathe the room. They had stayed long after she had finished talking, resorting to simply telling her what had been going on at the Guild while she had been out of it, and what measures they had been taking to keep the fact they had helped her against Jiemma's orders out of the limelight. She'd have to thank Yukino and Rufus when she got that chance... but she was a little confused still.
They said that Jiemma had been locked up in his office for the past week, with no reason at all- and that he hadn't been sending out orders or anything. And on top of that, Minerva had been gone on some assignment that her father sent her to, and she still wasn't back either, which meant whatever she was working on was considerably delicate, or difficult. Maybe even both, but what could either of those two be doing?
She had the distinct feeling she was sure to find out when they went to the Guild tomorrow, and she flinched slightly at the feeling of dread creeping into the pits of her being.
Sting, Rogue, Rufus and Orga would be leaving to go on their Training for the GMG soon, so she wouldn't be seeing them at all up until the GMG- Minerva never allowed any 'outside distractions', and it wasn't as if she and Hora saw eye to eye on any regular day anyway. But she would miss having the rest of them around, they would be gone for a number of months.
She coughed into her hand as a flash of pain ran through her chest suddenly, hissing slightly at the metallic taste that came with it, as she turned into the kitchen and away from the sleeping figures so she wouldn't wake them up.
'You feel something is amiss, do you not?'
Hora bit the inside of her cheek for perhaps the fiftieth time, hearing the sudden cold, wispy voice reverberate through her mind again- however much she attempted to ignore it.
Amiss?
Hora stopped beside the kitchen sink, her hands falling atop the edge of the basin and shoulders hunching. Her blue gaze swept out the window set atop the sink, seeing the distant figure of SaberTooth's grand Guild Hall atop the hill at the edge of town, overlooking the darkened and silent buildings of the town cowering in fear under its shadow... always.
She blinked, eyes narrowing and glinting suddenly in slight anger at the thought. She could feel something was off, yes. She felt something deep inside her gut, and it wasn't just that things had changed now that her friends knew how deep her pain was running... it was something else. Something deeper, something darker... it was a feeling that was festering at the edge of her senses, so faint and so far out of reach she couldn't begin to place what it meant- but it was still there. Something heavy, something that had her one edge constantly, and it was getting worse and worse.
There was some sort of dark cloud amassing on the far horizon, growing larger and larger in size. The storm it would unleash was growing in power, and it was slowly coming closer and closer, threatening to unleash it's fury on her head.
'A blizzard rising, is it?'
Her fingers gripped the edge of the sink tightly, eyes shutting tight. She let out a small hiss of agitation, she wouldn't answer that voice though, she wasn't going to allow herself to give into it... she wanted it gone.
It had been so very long since she had heard that icy, cold phantom hissing away inside her mind. Years... and she hadn't ever missed it, not really. And now that it was back, she felt that sense of dread rising higher and higher.
Something's coming... something dark.
Her eyes shift from the window toward the dark entryway into the living room, the sound of their soft breathing reached her ears.
.... What'll happen.. to them..?
"Hora..!"
Hora glanced ahead, her eyes opening as she was snapped from her thoughts. The sun shone over Saber Town as she, Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch made it to the top of the hill in which the Guild Hall stood. She smiled just faintly, seeing Yukino rushing from the front of the hall toward their small group, worry and sudden relief etched into her features, Orga and Rufus followed behind the bluenette more slowly.
Hora drew to a halt as Yukino stopped just in front of her, Yukino threw her arms around the older girl lightly, pulling Hora close and squeezing gently.
"I'm so glad to see you looking so much better, I was so worried!" Yukino said quickly, Hora stiffened slightly at the unexpected contact, but let it go. She took in a small breath as Yukino pulled away, her heart clenching to see the concern shining brightly in her eyes. "How are you feeling? Are you ok? What happened?"
"... take a breath, Yukino." Hora murmured softly, smiling slightly.
"Seeing you walking around is cause for relief at any rate." Rufus murmured lightly,
"You were gone so long though, Master's been getting fidgety." Orga mumbled, directing his attention toward Sting and Rogue. "He's been waiting on you two, to send us off on our Training for the Games." Sting and Rogue sweatdropped slightly,
"Is he in a worse mood than usual?" Sting mumbled,
"Only slightly." Rufus murmured. Hora bit the inside of her lip a moment, "He's been locked up in his office a lot, with several letters coming in from the Council."
"The Council..?" Hora murmured under her breath, eyes narrowing a moment. What on earth could the Council be discussing with Jiemma so frequently?
"Hora." Yukino called her attention again, Hora blinked. "What happened? Are you alright?"
Hora paused a small moment, feeling her heart jump a little as she sweatdropped. Even Orga and Rufus and Yukino all looked worried... worried about her. She hated this, she didn't want them scared or concerned about her, she hated the attention.
I hate all of this.
She smiled slightly, it was meant to be reassuring but she couldn't make it as bright as she wanted to, she just seemed tired- and she was, she hadn't slept since coming back.
"I'm fine, really." Hora replied softly, "Lamia's Sky God Slayer healed me up, so I really am ok. I'm just a little tired and frazzled from everything is all. You don't need to worry so much."
Damn it, she could feel Rogue, Lector, Frosch, and Sting's unbelieving stares on her back. They knew better than to know she was ok, even slightly.
They saw the broken pieces, and they'll never forget it either.
"Are you sure?" Yukino asked, Hora nodded,
"Yeah I'm sure, I'm just glad to be back." She smiled a little brighter this time around. "I suppose I ought to say thanks, too. For helping out you guys." She nodded to Yukino, Rufus and Orga alike. "I appreciate it."
"Of course." Rufus nodded,
"No prob." Orga smirked slightly, not that Hora was sure he really did anything, but he'd pout if she didn't say it. She smiled internally in slight amusement.
"You don't have to thank us, of course we'd help." Yukino murmured, though Hora knew helping had been forbade, and she was a little miffed they had- they could have been placed under Jiemma's wrath for all their help, regardless of good intentions. She hated to think what might have happened if Jiemma had found they were helping, she supposed it was good luck that Jiemma had been preoccupied. And a good thing Minerva had not been around either,
Hora took in a small breath, her eyes falling closed a small moment.
She felt the distinct urge to simply turn away from the Guild Hall and walk back down the hill, to leave the Guild behind and alone for another day... but she couldn't. She had to face that bastard of a man sometime, and she'd ought to do it sooner rather than later. Jiemma was never much of a fan of her being away for too long without knowing precisely what she was up to, that came with the territory of being his slave.
She growled inwardly, her eyes opening again as she rest her hands on her hips for a moment. "Well, better get this over with, hmm?" She murmured, she glanced backward at Rogue and Sting, who blinked, sweatdropping slightly. "You know Jiemma's gonna be pissed if you stay away any longer." They nodded slightly m though they looked less than happy about it.
A part of her figured they were worried that Master Jiemma would still be on the warpath, and they certainly would hate for Hora to be the center of his brutality again, especially after just getting back on her feet.
There was no avoiding Jiemma though, at least not for much longer- even for Hora. She was his property after all, and he liked to keep what was his very, very close.
Her fists clenched at the thought, cursing the man for maybe the millionth time in her life, and hating him all the more. Most days she wished Jiemma didn't exist, others she wished their paths had never crossed... and some days, awful as it was, she wished that man was dead.
Sting and Rogue's eyes glittered in the deepest sort of uncertainty and tension she had ever seen from the both of them, at least up until the last few days anyway.
She looked away, she couldn't look at their worried faces anymore, and she carefully avoided the gaze of everyone else around her as well. She stepped forward and approached those grand doors into the Guild Hall, sweatdropping slightly as they creaked on their hinges, and the entirety of the inside of the hall went deathly silent. All eyes turned toward the group coming inside, most eyes trained to her first, before seeing the collection of Sting, Rogue, Rufus and Orga together. The Guild was of course waiting for Jiemma to send the GMG team on their Training, and many of them wondered if he would, and when the last member of the team would be joining the rest. Minerva had been gone since the day Hora was given her punishment, the same day Master shut himself up in his office and had seldom been seen since.
Hora felt a shiver run down her spine, she could feel Jiemma's Magical Presence prickling at the air on the floor above, she could nearly feel his looming, and she swallowed, her heart dropping slightly.
He was waiting for us... shit.
"Master, we're back!" Sting called, his expression falling blank but Hora could tell he was tense.
"Do you intend to make your Master wait long for you to wander back?!"
Hora flinched, including everyone in the hall as Jiemma's booming voice shook the air. Instinctively there was a shuffling of feet as everyone lined up in rows, their attention turning toward the balcony of the second floor as they saw Jiemma's massive figure looming there, the air around him dark and heavy with his anger and bubbling rage. Sting and Rogue lines up on either side of Hora, eyes trained to the man and shoulders rigid, while everyone else lined up around them, shoulder to shoulder... like soldiers.
Hora bit the inside of her cheek as Jiemma's eyes landed on her, forcing herself to keep her expression neutral. "And you, you little rat. Have you learned your lesson or will you be needing a reminder?" Jiemma growled, his words dripping in malicious intent. Hora felt Rogue and Sting press closer to her, she grabbed the back of their shirts lightly and tugged them, making sure Jiemma didn't see, before she shot the both of them a warning glance.
"No, Master." Hora replied steadily, her teeth gritting slightly. "I've learned, I will not disobey you again." Jiemma growled slightly, his gaze piercing as Hora held it steadily.
The monstrous man suddenly turned and made his way to the ground floor, taking a seat in the large throne set at the center of the back wall just below the balcony.
"You four." Jiemma hissed, his eyes landing on Sting, Rogue, Rufus and Orga collectively. They stepped forward slightly, nodding a little. "You'll be leaving immediately to train for the GMG. You had best make sure you will not lose, SaberTooth is the strongest Guild, don't you dare disgrace this Guild, or you will be punished." Jiemma growled, Hora bit her cheek again, her eyes narrowing to slits as she felt anger boil inside of her. The four standing ahead of her all nodded solemnly, looking tense but they hit it well enough- they heard the same words every year of course.
There was a great deal of stress and danger that came with being a part of the GMG team, especially in this Guild. Each and every person knew that if any of that team were to lose a match in the GMG, or even slightly slip up enough to anger Jiemma, they would be met with the harshest of punishments, and the full wrath of Jiemma's rage. Jiemma cared for the Guild's reputation above all, and he certainly wouldn't stand for the GMG team to fall short of his expectations. If they did, the backlash would be... cruel.
A part of her worried most around this time of year with the GMG. Sting, Rogue, Rufus and Orga were all very strong, and they usually had no trouble in the Games, but she still worried. Jiemma wasn't a forgiving man, and it would take little to set him off.
"Will the Lady be joining us before we leave, Master?" Rufus murmured,
"Minerva is busy on an important assignment from the Magic Council." Jiemma growled, Hora blinked, along with most everyone else in the building. "Until her assignment is complete, Yukino will take her place in the Grand Magic Games."
Hora felt her heart drop to her stomach, and icy chill washing over her as her eyes instinctively snapped left toward where Yukino was standing.
Yukino went rigid, a haunted and terrified look flitting across her face as Jiemma's piercing stare suddenly settled on her. Hora sweatdropped heavily, mimicked by most everyone in the room as their hearts seemed to stop.
He's sending Yukino into the Games?! She's never participated before, she's not in practice either!
Hora knew Yukino's limits, and she knew well that she was not the sort of fighter suited for the challenges the Games offered. She wasn't practiced for the combat required in the Games, especially not if Fairy Tail was going to join, and even Lamia's best Wizards. The likelihood that Yukino could lose a match she was forced into wasn't an unbelievable notion, and if she did lose, Hora hated to think what Jiemma would do to her.
A flash of pain ran through her core, she had to try hard not to cough as her heart started beating faster, seeing the terror grow in Yukino's face as she was sure the same sort of thoughts Hora had were suddenly going through Yukino's own mind.
Without even thinking about it, Hora stepped forward ahead of Sting, Rogue, Rufus and Orga, her deep blue gaze locking to Jiemma unflinchingly.
"Master, I would gladly take the Lady's place in the Grand Magic Games instead. Surely you'd prefer someone with prior experience in the Games?" Hora said quickly, she couldn't let Yukino participate, it was too great a risk to take, she couldn't!
Rogue and Sting stiffened, sweatdropping and jaws clenching as Hora suddenly stepped forward- they hated how quickly Hora stepped in, especially when they knew the Master wouldn't take to it kindly.
Hora you idiot!
"Hold your tongue, rat!" Jiemma boomed, standing up from his seat and causing Hora to step back slightly, though her gaze remained firm. "How dare you question my orders?!" He snapped, Hora forced herself to lower her head a little, her eyes falling to the floor.
".. I meant no offense, Master. I simply had the Guild's interests in mind." She murmured softly, submissively.
... I am so done giving in.... damn it..!
"Speak out of line like that again, and you'll be met with a punishment worse than what you received the week prior!" Jiemma boomed, his anger bubbling more and more now, the whole Guild fell deathly silent. "You are being sent away on another matter entirely, and you will have no part to play in the Grand Magic Games, or any part in observing it either!"
Hora's head snapped up in shock, eyes wide and heart jumping slightly at the sudden affirmation. Everyone else in the hall exchanged glances, not sure where the sudden change in subject had come from, or even what the Master was referring to at all. Hora was at a loss for words, she hadn't been expecting for Jiemma to plan something else for her to do, she'd always been around to watch the Games.
She tensed, and her heart dropped a little.
Jiemma only ever 'sent her away' when it was something important, high paying... and dangerous.
"I am sending you on an assignment sent from the Chairman of the Magic Council. You are to complete it in full, and you will do so in a way that represents the power and the reputation of this Guild- and you will do so without fail, and without complaint." Jiemma growled, stalking right up to her as Hora remained rooted to her spot, her mind racing suddenly at just what in the hell this 'assignment' was. From the Chairman?
She stiffened, her deep blue gaze fixed to Jiemma as he glowered down at her, the air around him dark and laced with menace and no small amount of rage and hatred. And danger, warning-
"Fail this assignment, and you will wish you had died doing it." He hissed lowly, his voice dropping so low she was the only one who could possibly hear him.
"And the rest of these worthless rats will pay for your mistakes."
Hora's jaw clenched, fear racing through her heart suddenly. He knew, Jiemma knew what the utmost punishment for her was. Not beating her, not killing her- but hurting everyone else.
Hora's gaze dropped, her head lowering in submission she had no choice but to show. In her heart was that burning hatred for the man, the fire that screamed at her to disobey, to stand up to him, to say no.
But she didn't have a choice, he knew how to beat her, she was his Slave... and she had no choice. She gave in, but she hated herself for it.
Rogue and Sting stared with wide eyes, sweatdropping heavily and suddenly seeing that indignation growing in Hora so suddenly die out, as her head fell in complete submission, utterly defeated.
"Yukino will take Minerva's spot on the team." Jiemma growled, his voice ringing around the hall. Everyone stood in terrified silence, Hora couldn't bring herself to look back, she couldn't take it, she couldn't handle seeing that terror and heart-wrenching fear in Yuikino's eyes. "Failure is not an option."
'A slave, and a coward.'
Hora's eyes shut tight against the hissing in her head.
..... weak.
Hora grit her teeth, her eyes shut tight as she stood alone in the center of the dark train station, she had only been there yesterday, and already it felt like a million years. Her hand gripped her shirt about her chest, sweatdropping and the other hand gripping firmly the few papers of instructions and details that Jiemma had shoved her.
This assignment... It might kill me.
Her eyes opened, glittering as she stared at the floor. Of course it might, that's why Jiemma gave it to her. He wouldn't dare give it to his 'beloved' daughter, and he certainly wouldn't put something so important to the Council in just anyone's hands. He chose her because he knew he could, and he knew she had to do everything she could to get it done. She couldn't fail, because the price for losing was too high for her to bear.
Getting killed wasn't the worst punishment this job offered, it was the cruelty Jiemma would subject everyone in the Guild to if she failed this. She couldn't let that happen, she had to finish this job, she had to do it right, and she had to do it on her own.
I have to do it... for them. For their safety.
Jiemma was manipulating her, he always was. He pulled the strings tied to her feet and hands, and he could make her do what he wanted, whatever it was, she didn't have a choice.
And of course, he could cut her strings whenever he wanted to. Her life was his to do with what he wanted.
She wanted it to end...,
She stepped onboard the waiting train, the papers crumpling in her fists as she turned her back on SaberTown without a word and without a glance back. Her eyes fixed to the floorboards of the train as it moved off, the silloute of he Guild atop the hill remaining like a dark shadow as she left it all, moving farther and farther forward toward what would probably kill her, and what she couldn't let be the death of her.
She left it all behind, not likely to see the Guild, nor Sting, Rogue, Frosch, Lector... anyone ever again. Or for at least a very, very long time. She wouldn't be there to keep an eye on them all, to subtly help to keep them out of trouble, to cheer them on at the Games, or to pick them back up when they were down.
She left without a word, and left them remembering simply what had happened that past week. When they were finally able to see she how broken and shattered she was inside, the last image they had of her, was how twisted she was, how defeated.
I'm sorry...,
Her head snapped around when she heard footsteps in the station behind her, her thoughts snapping back to the present, seeing Rogue and Sting approaching with Rufus, Orga and Yukino trailing behind. Hora's eyes flitted over Yukino for a split second, before she glanced away before their eyes could meet.
"Hora..!" Sting huffed, panting slightly as if he had been running. Frosch and Lector floated beside the two Dragon Slayers, looking worried.
"We thought we missed you," Rogue huffed out, "You left the Guild without saying anything."
She had, Jiemma gave her the assignment and made it clear what was at stake if she failed. He told her what she was supposed to do, and relayed just how dangerous and difficult it was going to be. She realized how likely she was to die on this, so she hadn't the heart to face everyone when Jiemma was done, she just left.
A part of her had been hoping to leave before they caught up with her, but a part of her wouldn't let herself. She was torn... torn in too many ways, and too many times really.
I wonder... is this what I was feeling? That darkness..?
"...That assignment Master gave you, from the Magic Council." Sting murmured, his blue gaze glittering as Hora lowered hers, both her hands clenching around the papers she held. Rogue and Sting blinked in shock at the reaction,
"... Is it that dangerous...?" Sting breathed, Hora just nodded. Frosch and Lector sniffed slightly, tears of fear pricking at their eyes.
"Hora, you can't..! You only just got back on your feet!" Rogue said quickly,
"We aren't gonna let you go off by yourself! Not if you could get hurt again!" Sting snapped,
"I don't have a damned choice!" Hora snapped, her head snapping upward and blue gaze glittering in agitation and something deeper they couldn't place it. They flinched slightly at the sudden outburst, especially seeing as she had been so quiet up until that point. "Listen, things aren't as simple as you want them to be! This isn't something I want, I don't want to go on this mission, I want to be there when the Games happen, I want to be with you guys, I want things to be easy and simple but they aren't!" She swept her hand out to the side in an agitated fashion, "If I don't do this mission, Jiemma will take out his anger on the rest of the Guild, and I will not let that happen." Her eyes flashed in determination so bright they all blinked,
"This isn't all that different from usual, I don't see you guys these three months you're off training, so that'll be the same. If I'm gone for the Games, you'll just have to live with it! You have to keep your heads about you, you can't screw up and you can't get distracted- not because of me, and not for anything. You have to do your best, and I promise I will do mine. But you have to trust me, trust that I'll be fine on my own, regardless of how hard this mission will be." Hora went on, sounding ever more agitated, but her uncertainty seemed to vanish suddenly, and for a moment they saw the Hora they had been missing as of the last week or so. "I promise, I will do my very best, and if I can I will finish this before the Games over, you have my word. But until then, you have to do you're best. Keep your heads in the game, you can't slack off, not when every other Guild is going all out in the Games this year. And especially not right now." Hora's voice dropped suddenly, "Yukino's on your team now guys. She's not used to the sort of combat the Games play with, so you have to keep an eye on her! Do your best to keep her safe alright? Especially since I won't be able to." She took in a small breath, her agitation simmering down as she gazed at them steadily.
"Promise me? That you'll guys will do your best to be safe and ok while I'm gone?"
Rogue and Sting exchanged small glances, looking unsure and hesitant. They didn't like this, not one bit. They didn't want to be separated from Hora, especially not when she would be walking off into danger by herself.
But they were walking into danger too in a way, and they knew she made sense with what she was saying, though they certainly didn't like it, at all.
"Alright." Rogue murmured, both he and Sting nodded to her.
"But you gotta promise something too, Hora." Sting murmured, Hora blinked. Both Sting and Rogue's eyes softened, glittering in sadness and pain and worry that was so strong she felt a small flash of pain strike her core again.
"Don't die, please." They murmured in unison, their voices catching slightly as if they struggled to say those three words. Hora went rigid, eyes widening slightly in shock, before she sweatdropped and her expression softened slightly.
I hate those looks, how sad, how much pain they're in...
This mission would be the hardest she had ever had, the one with the most risks, the most difficult and the most dangerous. And she would be alone. Hora was strong, but clearly she had her limits, and with Over-Drive still working it's way with her, she still wasn't in the best of standing.
This mission would be difficult for a whole Guild of Wizards, let alone one all alone. Hora, all on her own... with nothing but her burning drive to keep her friends safe pushing her forward.
This mission, it's insane...
She nodded slightly, her eyes steady as she looked to the both of them. This was the last time she would see them for a long while, she just wished they were smiling. She liked that better.
"I promise." She murmured softly, she meant it. She would do her very best.
.... The Chairman, he asked Jiemma to send a group of Wizards on this assignment. But Jiemma is only sending me...
"Identify, Locate, and Destroy the Demon of Zeref; Neveleous, currently under the control of the Leader of the Dark Guild North Wind, Eider Borealis. Disband the Dark Guild North Wind, Destroy the Demon of Zeref, and return Eider's Magic artifact to the Magic Council, from which it was stolen."
'Finally going to be facing a Demon, are we? You failed it last time.'
Hora's fists clenched at her sides, she felt a burning, fiery cold flame ignite in her very core.
Not this time. Not again.
Chapter 8: Beginning to Burn
Chapter Text
Chapter 8
Beginning To Burn
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+: .
... God... Damn... This...
Hora hissed, her body shaking as she pushed her shoulder underneath the heavy beam she was attempting to lift up, the scent of smoke hung on the air as the grey haze engulfed the area, everything hot as an inferno around her as she strained, lifting the beam high enough to allow the man beside her to manage and pull a kid out from underneath it. She hardly cared nor was bothered by the flames licking at her shoulders and clothes from the flames engulfing the beam slowly, her eyes shut tight as she struggled to keep the beam lifted.
The child whimpered in fear and pain as it was dragged out from wreckage, the man pulling her to his chest. Hora let the beam drop once the kid was out, her blue eyes flashing as she faced the man, swiping her hand to the side as she hissed.
"Go! Get out here before the rest of the building goes down!" She growled, he hesitated, looking unsure.
"What about you?!" He snapped, Hora smirked wryly, though she seemed mildly disgusted for a moment.
"Fire isn't gonna do a damn thing to me, I'll see if there's anybody else trapped." She replied, "GO!"
The man hesitated a small moment longer, before he took off, exiting the building with the little girl in his arms, and leaving Hora alone as she stood amongst the blazing inferno around her, not even seeming to be breaking a sweat at the intensity of the heat around her.
She moved quickly through the broken slabs of building and beams, eyes narrowed as she held her hand out, trailing it through the fire around her as it slowly began to die out in her quake, the mass of flames accumulating in her palm. A small coalition of black markings spiraled around her fingers, shining ebony in the firelight. She narrowed her eyes, ears alert and senses on high for any sign of other people in the building with her. She pulled her hand forward, her palm filled with a blazing flame higher than her head, before she closed her fists and they all went out in an instant.
What pathetic fire... It's hardly even hot.
Her jaw clenched, eyes narrowed in barely muffled fury as she continued to look around,
This is disgusting.
This was how the entirety of the town was. Most of it anyway, what wasn't set on fire was pulled to the ground, bodies and blood littered the streets in the quake of the slaughter that had fallen upon this town. She would have been disappointed in the lack of involvement of the Magic Council to try and protect these people, but she wasn't surprised. This was the outskirts of the outskirts of their country, too far to be worth protecting, and easy targets for the likes of North Wind.
The bastard who set this town on fire was a coward, he ran off the moment he set things burning. And his Guild-mates set off enough explosions to kill dozens, and they all fled too. Hora was too busy trying to help out everyone caught in the aftermath to even think about following them back to where their Guild was hiding. To which she had been trying to do the last few weeks since arriving in this edge of the country.
It would seem North Wind's headquarters didn't stay in one place, some magical enchantment most likely placed by its leader kept it teleporting between different locations. Unless one knew precisely where it would teleport to next, or had a way to get themselves inside without knowing- North Wind was nearly impossible to pin down. That made her job all the harder.
The members had some way into their HQ, but she hadn't been able to figure out how- she hadn't yet been able to catch one and get them to tell her. The members themselves seemed just as able to jump around as their Guild Hall did.
Perhaps it was a lucky thing that every action North Wind had taken since she began this mission nearly three weeks ago had been simple raids. They'd arrive in a town, torch it our pillage it, and then they'd be gone to the wind again.
Not yet had she seen Neveleous- the Demon of Zeref in control of North Wind's Master. She hadn't yet to face the beast, and a small part of her was thankful for it, but her nerves were rising and her agitation too every time she failed to get any closer to getting this mission done and over with.
When I find those North Wind bastards, I'm gonna kill them all.
Hora stopped, her eyes widening as she sweatdropped,
... Did I really just think that?
She sweatdropped more, raising her hand in front of her as she stared at the black markings encircling her fingers, biting her lip.
... My emotions were on such a high when I left... It's happening faster than it should... Shit.
She shook her head furiously and continued forward again. Her hand drew trough the flames as she collected them, the fire lessening around the building until it was only smoldering left, and the bright ball of the collected flame rest in her palm. There didn't seem to be anyone left in the building...
Hora's eyes shift sideways, seeing the adjacent building still up in flames. She sweatdropped, her eyes shifting toward her hand to see those black markings about her fingers slowly spread and grown until they wrapped about her entire hand.
She'd have a lot of work to do to put out all these fires... And a lot of Magic...
"Thank you, thank you so much..!"
Hora blinked, her eyes shifting from the smoldering buildings in front of her. She turned, her hands self-consciously hooking behind her back.
The town lay in blackened, ash covered ruins. She had done her best to stop the fire before it burned everything to the ground, and she had managed it, only a portion of the village was unusable now, but it had taken her a long time, and already she felt herself straining.
Her attention fell on an out of breath man, the same one whom she had ordered out of the brining building with the kid earlier. Behind him a few more people were crowding, where others were still moving about quickly trying to help where they could.
"Without you all of our homes would be nothing but ash!" He said, smiling at her and looking utterly relieved.
Hora nodded slightly. "You're welcome." She murmured,
"How are we to repay you?" A woman asked, coming up beside the man, in her arms the little girl from before was looking her way with wide eyes. Hora stiffened slightly, before shaking her head.
"There's no need. I couldn't just sit back and watch this, you don't owe me anything." Hora murmured quickly,
Besides, she was getting paid by the Council once she finished, and it was no small sum... Rightly so considering the difficulty and danger of this assignment.
"You're a Wizard right?" The man asked, Hora nodded.
"SaberTooth." Hora murmured quietly, everyone in ear shot's eyes went wide. Of course, SaberTooth was renowned, even in this small section of the kingdom. "I've been sent by the Magic Council to deal with North Wind, and the Demon Neveleous."
People seemed to shudder at the names, but she saw relief flash in their faces too- finally they had been sent help, even if it was only her. Anyone from any Guild would have been welcomed, but the townspeople were even more enthused that someone from the most powerful Guild in Fiore had been sent to help them.
A Guild run by a tyrannical madman... What I wouldn't give to tear him apart. Rip the skin from his bone-
Hora stiffened, biting the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood.
Stop that! Quit thinking like that! Damn it!
"On that note..." Hora murmured slowly, her blue eyes glinting as she banished the thoughts from her head, ignoring them as best she could. "If there's anything you can tell me about North Wind, I would appreciate it." The man and the woman shared a small glance, seeming to go into thought a moment.
"Well..." They mumbled, looking unsure.
The little girl scrambled from the woman's arms, teetering up toward Hora who went rigid at the unexpected movement. The little girl walked straight up to Hora, who sweatdropped slightly as her dark blue gaze met the chocolate brown of the little girl.
"Adie, what are you doing?" The woman sighed slightly, the little girl ignored her though.
Adie tilted her head, before tentatively reaching up and grabbing into Hora's arm, slowly making Hora move her hands from behind her back as her chocolate brown eyes traced over the black markings still staining Hora's hands and fingers. Hora stiffened, sweatdropping more but forcing herself not to react- though she wanted to rip her arm away from the little girl's grasp.
Adie smiled brightly, hugging Hora's arm to her chest, "Thank you for helping save me miss!" The little girl beamed, Hora blinked in shock.
... Those marks... They're evil. Even children know evil when they're near it... So why...?
Hora just simply stared, unable to wrap her head around the sudden show of affection. She didn't move her arm away, she didn't say anything... She just looked at that bright smiling face.
... Something stirred, somewhere deep in her core. Almost... Like the flames settled.
She smiled slightly, nodding her head and rubbing the top of the girl's head lightly, bending on one knee to be level with her.
"You're welcome.." Hora smiled slightly. Adie beamed,
"She's usually not so keen on strangers, guess that means you're special, huh?" The man chuckled, Hora's eyes glinted slightly.
"As for helping you out with North Wind, we'll do anything to get back at these bastards." The man went on, approaching Hora and Adie.
"There's a tavern in a small city a few dozen miles from here, we've heard rumors that some of North Wind's wizards go there to collect recruits." The woman murmured, earning Hora's eyes.
"Recruits?" She murmured,
"Yeah, the cities called Golio. It's full of criminals and the like, it's a bad place to go." The man murmured, "But I guess that's why North Wind might wanna look there for new members."
"If there's anything to find out about getting to their Guild Hall, you might find out something there." The woman finished. Hora nodded slightly, it was as good a lead as any she supposed.
"You won't let those bad people get away, right miss?"
Hora's eyes cast back down to Adie, who looked up at her curiously.
... So innocent...
'You seem uncomfortable. It is so rare that a child should take to you so kindly?'
Hora hissed inwardly,
You know the goddamn answer already.
She banished the voice from her head and smiled at Adie,
"... No. I'll get them, don't worry."
I just hope... I don't lose it in the process...
Hora blinked, her eyes shifting around her as she made her way through the town. She tightened the buckle around her neck of her form fit leather jacket, pulling her sleeves down slightly and she's narrowed ahead, ever aware of the stares she was receiving from figures lining the streets.
Golio seemed to have a cloud of darkness and discontent hanging over it. The streets were dirty, cached in mud, trash, and in some places broken glass. Many if the buildings were run down, boated up windows and closed shutters. The people that dared to move about the streets all seemed solemn, silent. Many of them were wrapped in cloaks against the cold wind that blew intermittently through the streets. Hora glanced upward, the sky a hazy grey and the clouds dark and massing, threatening a storm.
She stuck her hands in the pockets of her coat, but not before turning up her collar against the wind, but more so for the purpose of hiding her skin from anyone else.
It took little to realize this place would not take kindly to outsiders, and if anyone here were to see her SaberTooth emblem, things would probably turn sour.
Besides, wrapping herself up made her stick out less amongst the several other cloaked and hidden figures milling about.
Her eyes shifted ahead of her as her nose wrinkled, smelling booze on the air and seeing the outline of a dark building rise up ahead of her, the roof jagged and windows burning with dim candle light. The sign that had once hung outside the door was tilted and hanging from a thin chain, whatever was written on it had faded to nothing and the wood so cracked it was barely in one piece anymore.
Hora grimaced slightly, stepping right up to the door and ignoring the man hunched near the entrance, his dark eyes trained to her and a scowl on his face.
These people...
She reached forward, her hand resting on the rough wood of the door.
"Who in the hell-?" The man hissed beside her,
Hora's gaze snapped sideways, settling the man with a dark stare that immediately killed the words on his tongue. He seemed to stiffen, his body growing rigid as it seemed the darkness around her suddenly thickened. He flinched away slightly, sweatdropping.
Something about her expression so suddenly, it just seemed... Murderous.
I really do not have the patience for this.
The man averted his eyes and Hora growled lowly, opening the sort without a word and stepping inside.
It was warm inside, the air felt close and thick. Hora grimaced a little, eyes closing as she brought a hand up to rest just under her nose lightly. The stink in this place made its dirty interior just about ten times filthier. What didn't reek of booze and liqueur was the distinguishable scent of blood and rot.
Her entrance into the building brought eyes to her, she ignored the dark gazes and dead eyes as she moved straight across the floor, sitting down at the bar and catching the hazy gaze of the bartender.
I'd love to set this place on fire...
A mug of ale was slid down the bar face toward her, Hora stopped its movement abruptly with a hand, her eyes closing and her fingers curling around the mug tightly. She heard whispered mutters around the building, hushed tones and tense figures. This place was crowded, people sat in every dark corner, all of them hunched and grim. There was even the sense of murder on the air, and the tingle of Magic in the air. She had no trouble imagining she was sitting among some of the people responsible for such mayhem and massacre as she had seen the last few weeks.
... Up in flames with everyone here inside of it.
Her grip about the mug tightened.
Damn it, stop.
'Those are some dark thoughts.'
No shit.
Hora growled under we breath, taking a long drink of the mug, paying imperceptibly to give it a small sniff before going ahead to drink it at all. Her eyes shift sideways in her drink, sweeping about the building quickly, across the dark figures and the glinting eyes. Nothing about any if these people gave away any indication of them being in North Wind, they were all so covered up any Guild emblem was impossible to see, not that she was she they'd be flashing it around anyway. On top of that she didn't recognize any of them either, not from those few she had lost when they came to torch a village.
Her eyes closed again as she simply resigned herself to sinking and listening, perhaps she'd be able to hear someone saying something of interest in the room.
... Or simply take the easy way out and start pummeling people for answers. But it was probably better to be subtle about her actions till she had some substantial evidence of North Wind activity here.
... I wonder where Sting and Rogue are. And how they're all doing... Yukino especially.
Hora felt her heart clench again, damn it she hated that.
Yukino shouldn't be doing the games, not this year... This year the GMG is going to be different.
Her nails dug into the cup, and she finished the last of the half-empty mug in one agitated swig. She grimaced, sliding the mug down the counter toward the bartender, who caught it with deft hands and slid her another one.
The quiet in the room was nearly deafening... Anyone talking was doing so lowly.
Hora sweatdropped slightly,
... This is gonna be a long night. Maybe I should have just started a fight.
She took another drink, setting the mug down in the bar again with her hands folded around it. We drew her hands and the cup in toward her person, seeing the dim lamplight of the lamps hanging from the ceiling flashing dimly across the jagged black markings still staining the skin around her hands. She focused instead of on that, and to the murmuring if voices on the air, simply sitting in silence as the night dragged on and people filtered in and out. Hora kept drinking, not at all perturbed by the alcohol and ever silent as she focused in everything.
The bartender didn't seem to care about her prolonged stay, he simply kept passing her another mug when she finished one, and not a word was spoken between herself and the man as the hour dragged into many, and the lamplight slowly burned brighter as the sky outside went black, and the scent of water on the air thickened. A cold breeze blew over the room every time someone came in, which became more frequent as night settled and the dull mumbling of the room steadily grew louder and louder.
People who had previously been whale prong between one another were now talking loudly amongst themselves as others can though the door and at down among them. Mugs and plates of food floated about at the behest of the bartender, drinks sloshed and people laughed and argued back and forth. Where people had been muttering about individuals with whom they knew pissing them off, or getting paid for whatever job of other, there was a sudden flurry of arguing and bustling between one another.
'Lively now isn't it?'
"You bastard! You tell Gregor I don't owe him nothin'!"
"Ah shut yer trap Fransh! Ain't nobody wants to hear you complainin'!"
"Oi! You seen Danse anywhere?"
"Not for a few months, starting to think he's dead."
... All those names and useless conversations... And nothing about North Wind, Neveleous, or Eider.
Hora finished what was probably her twentieth drink of the night, letting out a slightly aggravated sigh.
... I haven't ever wanted booze to work more than I want it to right now.
She slid the mug down the counter briskly, and it was replaced with another.
"You've been sittin' here a while gorgeous."
Hora's fingers dug into the mug far enough to make the wood it was made of splinter slightly.
Ale sloshed onto the counter as someone dropped a mug on top of it sloppily, before stumbling to a seat in the empty stool next to her. Hora's gaze shift sideways to see man who was perhaps a few years older than her suddenly sit beside her. He was gangly with messy dirty blonde hair and glazed green eyes, his breath stunk of liqueur and he wore a lopsided smile as he leaned in toward her a little, his sleeves of his black shirt rolled up and heavy boots banging against the side of the bar as he lost his balance momentarily.
You have got to be...
Hora growled, her eyes shifting away from the man as she took another swig of her ale.
"Aw, come on darlin', don't gotta be so cold." He slurred, a vein ticked on Hora's forehead.
Cold? Try burning hot.
"Buzz off." Hora hissed lowly, refusing to glance his way. She heard the stool legs tick against the floor as he wobbled.
"Come ooooon, have a drink with me beautiful~" he slurred, leaning in as his elbow rest against the bar counter, Hora grimaced when she felt his hot, across breath wash up against her face.
"You've had too many. Now bug off." Hora growled.
"Oh don't be like that beautiful, I'm just tryin' to have a little fun~!" He slurred. His heavy arm fell down over Hora's shoulders as she hunched, growing rigid and grip about her mug growing all the tighter. The wood about her hand turned black, charring as smoke began to rise from her grip.
... It's getting hotter. I feel it. It's swirling in me...
"I'm telling you right now. Walk away. Before you get hurt." Hora hissed lowly,
"Eh? What's this Fergo? Who's this pretty lady with ya?" Another wobbly man rammed against the counter, spilling his drink across the bar top. His arm fell over the other man's still on top of Hora's shoulders.
"She's a beauty ain't she?" Fergo slurred, Hora rocked a little as they both wobbled, both of them still with their arms wrapped over her shoulders, oblivious to the shadow that had fallen over her face and the fact that her cup had begun to glow orange and black as it slowly charred from the inside out like an ember, the ale inside of it hissing as it hit the heat.
"Aw, she's so gorgeous! Come on girl, won't ya hang with us awhile?"
"Yeah! We could have a good time! Promise beautiful!"
"Last time dumbasses." Hora hissed,
Both men stiffened slightly, sweatdropping as they finally took notice of the smoke rising up from her clenched hand, their eyes slowly, groggily moving up toward the swirling black trails, down toward the cup that was now almost nothing but charcoal in her hand, the ale having entirely burned away. Fergo jumped, biting his lip as Hora's gaze shift his way, narrowed and burning with such an intense dark blue fire in them he felt his heart jump.
"Back off, now."
Both Fergo and the other man jumped, yelping as their arms suddenly singed at the intense heat coming up from Hora's shoulders. They jumped backward drunkenly, holding their singed arms and their mugs falling to the floor.
"W-Wait-?!"
"You're a Wizard?!"
The bar went silent at the sudden commotion, conversations dying on lips and dark glinting eyes turning toward the three at the bar.
'So much for subtlety, hmm?'
Hora stood up from her seat, turning a dark glare on the two men who by now had moved into a defensive stance.
"I told you to back off, idiots." Hora hissed,
"Woah, wait a minute....!" Fergo stammered, eyes widening.
"H-hey..... she looks familiar....!" The other man slurred, shaking now in slight fear as it seemed the area around Hora darkened, heat flowing out around her. She rolled her sleeves up slowly, her fingers working to undo the buckle around her neck.
"I'm tired of sitting around anyway, so whatever." Hora growled, fists clenching at her sides. The black markings about her hands slowly crept up her arms, eyes glinting under the shadow of her bangs.
"... she's from SaberTooth!" A man from the back of the tavern blurted out, there was a sudden wave of chairs being pushed backward and skidding over the floor, mugs dropped on tables and people stood up from their seats, all eyes on her, all narrowed and expressions wary and hateful. Hora blinked, expression neutral at the sudden show of distrust and the oncoming threat of violence.
"Listen up, I'd hate to spend any more time in this dump than I need to." Hora growled, "I'm looking for North Wind. Any of you who know where it is, tell me know- before I make you tell me." They stiffened, shooting her glares and snarls.
"Like hell woman."
"Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Hora grimaced, her eyes darkening as the marking's reached halfway up her arms and her head tilted.
"You're gonna tell me," She growled lowly, the mass of strange people and Wizards among them began to close in.
"Or what little girl?" Fergo hissed, suddenly composing himself again.
"Or I'll burn you all alive from the inside out."
The building erupted in shouting and noise as Magic was thrown around all at once. Many different types clashed, swords appearing from air, Light Magic shooting from staffs and hands, lightning flashing as the dim building lit up in different hues of light. Tables and chairs splintered and shattered as furniture was thrown about every direction, a whole coalition of bodies rushing forward toward Hora who stared, eyes narrowing to slits and hardly moving a muscle as the Magic and the enemies closed in on her.
'What's this? It hardly seems like you.... More like,'
Hora's eyes narrowed, glinting in a sudden dark anger and cold that it seemed unnatural, as if something about her was suddenly.... Twisted.
'.... Ardendous.'
People of the town Golio jumped in surprise, heads turning quickly toward the center of town as an explosion blew the roof of the tavern clean off and the ground itself shook from the sheer force. Glass and sections of the walls flew outward, pelting the surrounding buildings and destroying more as a raging fire suddenly spilled from the inside, melting the framework of the building in an instants time and even going so far as to melt the cobblestone of the streets surrounding. People were blown backward through the walls of the building, landing in a sizzling heap on the street and moaning, their clothes and skin burned in several places.
Those who were nearby before the sudden explosion had been aware there was some sort of commotion going on inside, Magic had been flying through walls and breaking windows long before the explosion went off, and even then some people had been thrown from the building itself. It seemed all hell had broken lose as a fight ensued in the confines of the building, before finally spilling outside of it.
Many people stumbled from the crumbling and melted frame of the building, yelling in anger, fear and pain as they quickly ran away from the scene, a haunted and unbelieving look in their eyes.
"This is insane!"
"What in the hell is she?! Nobody's that strong!"
"D-Demon woman!"
The figure of a cloaked man jumped backward from the flaming inferno swallowing up the building, his eyes narrowed and body tense, but seeming to be in better wear than those people who were running away, or otherwise lying around in pain. He pulled his cloak from his shoulders, casting the smoking cloth aside and facing the flames, his yellow gaze narrowed and sweatdropping slightly.
"You're the only one putting up much of a fight."
A voice moved from out of the flames as the figure of Hora moved through them, unperturbed by the wisps licking at her body and dark blue gaze locked to the man, who grimaced slightly.
"I suppose that means you're the one I need to be questioning, hmm?" She hummed, her voice cold and devoid of all emotion, even anger so suddenly, she was frigid.
"Heh... you're something else, I'll give you that." He mumbled, "SaberTooth's quite the popular Guild, but I've never heard of you...." He paused, eyes glinting slightly. ".. Wonder why, you could easily be stronger than that team of stars they have running around for the Grand Magic Games." Hora blinked, looking disinterested.
"North Wind." She muttered lowly. "You know where I can find it?"
"Don't think I'm gonna tell you that easy, even if you are powerful." The man grumbled lowly. Hora seemed to shake her head slightly, looking bored still, but suddenly she looked faintly agitated a moment.
"If I have to force you to tell me, then fine. Whatever." She sighed, lifting a hand toward him, the black markings on her skin flashing with the light of the fire burning through the building behind her. The man stiffened, eyes narrowing and moving into a defensive stance,
Though I would prefer to use my Magic as little as I can...
She growled inwardly,
This is getting out of hand... I wasn't trying to blow the building up. But I can't seem to... to get a hold of myself.
Damn it..!
Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing to slits as the man suddenly moved, he jumped to his right at lightning quick speed, his hand swinging out as the feeling of his Magical power began to rise. His arms swept out in her direction, face pulled into a frown.
"Storm shred!"
Hora blinked,
.. Wind Magic...?
She watched as the wind melded and formed into razor sharp edges before the man, spinning compactly and fast enough to shred through walls and stone with ease.
Hora's eyes closed as she suddenly moved from her spot, easily dodging his Magic. The man blinked in utter shock, eyes wide and sweatdropping as Hora appeared right in front of him in the course of a few seconds, with her fist brought back and the markings on her arms having completely painted the skin of her hand a deep, jet black. Her eyes locked to him, cold and glinting in the light of the sudden brilliant bright red and orange flame encasing her fist,
"Storm Mail!"
The man brought his arms in toward him, the air spinning suddenly as incredibly fast waves of wind began to spiral around his body, warding off Hora's fist as it connected with the wall of wind suddenly encasing him, keeping him from getting hit as Hora grimaced slightly, feeling her feet slid back slightly at the waves of wind blowing outward from him.
"Wind Magic trumps fire, you ought to know that." The man hissed at her, "Your flames won't be getting through this wind, it's strong enough to ward off steel."
"This isn't any ordinary fire." Hora growled, the flames about her hand suddenly blazing higher and hotter than they even had been from inside the building. The orange and red clashed with the wind, bouncing back against it with explosive force and disrupting the flow of his Magic entirely, causing it to implode as he stared in near horror, jaw dropped.
"Wh... I-Impossible..!"
Hora's fist swung forward in the blink of an eye, the moment his wind was destroyed and caught him across the jaw, sending him flying. He crashed into a nearby building with enough force to make the wall cave in, hissing as he held a hand to the singed skin on his cheek, eyes glittering in pain and rage.
"Don't think I'm done yet, bitch." He growled, Hora glared at the name, looking suddenly miffed. Her hands raised as fire swirled around her person, lighting up the night around her like a glowing red and orange beacon, the waves of heat rolling over the town for hundreds of feet, and some of the windows near to her cracking.
"Would you like to say that to my face?!" Hora snapped, her eyes burning just as brightly as the fire around her. The man picked himself up, jaw clenched and looking nearly as angry as she did.
"Bitch." He growled the words, Hora's teeth ground down on each other as her jaw tightened, the black on her arms moving farther still.
"I'm gonna turn you to ash, jack-ass!" She hissed lowly, her tone suddenly dangerous, a strange gleam coming into her eyes as her expression contorted into rage and something darker, malevolent even.
"Gonna have to get me first." He sneered, his arms lifting as wind circled around his body, his fingers crossing over one another in an x shape. Hora stiffened slightly, eyes narrowed at the formation as she clenched her fists at her sides, knees bending and body growing rigid.
That Spell...
"Emera Baram!"
The city shook to its roots as a tornado suddenly shot out from the man's hands, shredding apart the ground and uprooting entire slabs of earth and sections of buildings in its quake. The fire that had been spinning and circling around Hora was suddenly engulfed in the spinning column, all sight of the Saber woman lost to the dark wind and the mixed in sections of flying debris that went with it. Two blocks worth of houses, buildings and road was suddenly torn up from the spell, hundreds of yards of the town wrecked in an instant. The man smirked, eyes glinting slightly. He moved his fingers apart, arm swiping sideways as the Spell continued forward, a Magic Circle appearing in front of him as a maniac grin spread across his face.
"Strom Bringer!"
A series of tornadoes suddenly appeared out across the town, all of them converging in on the original spell and adding to the destruction as the earth under the streets was suddenly uncovered, the sky overhead swirling and dark as the clouds were shifted and moved from the intensity of the wind itself.
"Let's see you get through all that wind, bitch." He growled, eyes glinting as he smirked crookedly.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
The man's head snapped upward, eyes widening at the sudden voice over his head and the harsh glow of flame as a young man with pink hair fell through the air toward him, his arms held out and covered in flame as he frowned.
"Who in the hell-?!" He snapped, whipping around and swiping his arms toward the new arrival.
"Aerial Bane!" He snapped, a column of dark wind spiraling toward the pinkette and sending him backward.
"Sand Buster!"
His eyes snapped sideways, seeing a column made of spinning sand streaming toward him before he could manage to dodge it or deflect it with any Magic. He was thrown backward, his back hitting the ground as his clothes and skin were suddenly cut up by the sharp little bits of sand rushing into him at alarming speed.
"Good hit, Scorpio!"
"Yeah~!"
The man hissed, flipping over onto his feet as his attention snapped to the two voices, catching sight of a blonde standing nearby with a large man with a tail, and a blue cat near to her. He grimaced, noting faintly the keys hanging from her belt.
"Mages.." He growled, his eyes snapping sideways to see the pinkette from earlier land on his feet. "... what the hell? These new guys ain't from Saber...." His eyes narrowed, honing in to the red mark on the pinkette's shoulder, and a similar one on the blonde's hand. "Tch... what the hell is a half-assed Guild like Fairy Tail doing butting in?" He growled.
"Oi! Who the hell do you think you are calling Fairy Tail that?!" The pinkette snapped hotly, his fist blazing with flame as he clenched them.
"Heh, you clearly ain't been paying attention. Fairy Tail's the weakest of the weak, I'm surprised you're stupid enough to jump in to this." The man grumbled, the four standing in front of him glared.
"Say that to my face!" The pinkette snapped,
All their attentions snapped sideways, the air shaking as the tornado he had erected was suddenly dispersed in a powerful explosion at its center.
"How about you pay attention to the one who picked the fight!"
The man's head snapped upward, eyes wide as he caught sight of Hora falling the air toward him, her fist brought back and blazing with dark red fire, her eyes dark and face pulled into a disgusted frown. But her clothes weren't even torn or frayed, it was like the wind hadn't even touched her!
"H-how did you get out of that wind without even a scratch?!" he stammered,
"I told you, I'm not using no ordinary fire!" She snapped, "You're telling me how to get to North Wind, even if I have to burn it out of you!" She lift her hands over her head, a bright white hot ball of fire appearing between her hands,
"Infernium!"
The ground uplifted as the area around Hora and the man was engulfed in dark fire, the air shaking as bits of earth and rubble were sent flying.
The new arrivals jumped slightly, eyes wide and sweatdropping as the pinkette placed himself in front of the blonde, arms crossing in front of him as he blocked any rubble from hitting her. He hissed, the blonde being nudged back by her Spirit, the blue cat clinging to her in shock.
"This heat..." She mumbled, sweatdropping slightly. "It's almost hotter than Natsu's Magic..."
The flames subsided to reveal a crater in the place the man had been standing, Hora's fist clenched around the man's shirt as she bent down and lifted him up and he struggled to stand, his skin burned and clothes fragmented. He hissed, the section of clothe clenched in Hora's hand smoking as she glared at him,
"North Wind." She hissed, eyes dark and burning in barely muffled fury. Her hand clenched harder, lifting him up as he hissed, struggling against the grip. "Where is it?"
"... tch..... screw you." He growled, "I tell you that... Borealis will kill me... or worse, sick that demon on me." The man hissed, his eyes glinting. "Of course... I'm dealing with something like a demon right now, aren't I?"
Hora stiffened, her face darkening as her jaw clenched. The man's arm lifted, his hand clamping down on her own wrist, his skin burning against the black markings running up her skin.
"I've been around little girl, I've seen this Magic before." He chuckled lowly, lips curling up in a half snarl as Hora's grip about his shirt tightened. "A long time ago... I thought it was long gone until now... but this is definitely it. The same Magic as that demon of a man," Hora face darkened, flames encircling around her other fist as bubbling fiery rage began to rise up inside of her uncontrollably.
"Gelidus Inferniom, the arctic hellfire of the north, isn't that right?"
Hora's face clouded by a deep shadow, her eyes glinting in the most dangerous light as her face contorted into that of unbridled rage, oil dumped to send the fire burning in her soul to burn ever brighter, and suddenly a look of murder on her face, such deepset hatred and rage the man's expression turned to something of horror for a moment. The fire around her encased fist grew hotter, burning an even deeper red it was nearly crimson,
'You're going to kill him, with all that rage...?'
"Oi!"
Hora blinked, her eyes widening at the sudden voice as it seemed a small bell suddenly went off in her head at it, like a rush of cool water feel over her head and for a moment, all that burning fire suddenly quelled, her head was clear again.
Wait.... what...?
Her eyes slowly moved up and away from the man, blinking in surprise and wonder as her attention settled on the person who had suddenly caught her utmost attention, her eyes meeting onyx ones as she saw a pinkette standing at the edge of the crater, beside him a blonde and a blue cat. She blinked, sweatdropping slightly as she looked up at him, seeing him frowning at her a little, and looking confused himself. She hadn't even known they were there, and she honestly couldn't remember them showing up before now.
"What the hell is going on? Why are you fighting with this guy anyway, huh?" He asked, seemingly undisturbed by how dark her actions had suddenly been plunging. Hora stared, fixed on him.
.... His... his voice, it snapped me back....
She sweatdropped more, feeling a sudden flood of panic wash over her.
... shit, I was... I was gonna kill this guy. Am I really losing it so fast...?!
The pinkette tilted his head, the blonde beside him looking a little wary, all the while her eyes never left him, and suddenly the fire around her fist went out, her body relaxing as her thoughts clicked together again, breaking free from the sudden burning haze that had been clouding her senses.
.... This guy... why was it his voice even caught my attention like that? I was so far gone.... Only Sting and Rogue have been able to do that...
"Oi, what's with your Magic too? That fire of yours is super weird, it tastes kinda funny too." He went on, the blonde beside him sighed a little.
"I guess it was good of you to put the fire burning the city out." She mumbled, "But you didn't have to eat, you know." The pinkette huffed slightly, pointedly looking away from his blonde companion, the both of them seemingly at ease with the violence and the destruction. Hora blinked, head tilting at the comments.
... eat.... He... he ate my fire.....?
"So?" the pinkette continued to prod, his arms crossing over his chest as he looked to Hora, eyebrow quirked. "Come on, ya just gonna stand there all day with that guy?" He smirked slightly,
Hora's eyes went wide, a bead of sweat rolling down her face and completely disregarding the man she was still holding in her clenched fist. She recoiled slightly, her body growing rigid as her thoughts clicked together in rapidity, her jaw dropping slightly as she struggled for the words.
T-That's...?!
Her eyes snapped between the man and the girl beside him, taking special note of the Guild emblems on their skin in rapid glances.
Fairy... Fairy Tail..?!
No way, how did she run into these people all the way out here?! Her eyes snapped back to the pinkette, who was grinning at her slightly as he waited for an answer, oblivious to the look of utter shock on her face.
"Natsu... Dragneel...?!"
Chapter 9: Can Fire Put Out Fire?
Chapter Text
Chapter 9
Can Fire Put Out Fire?
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, Magic I create, and my own original Ideas
.:+: .
... Seriously... Even out in the middle of nowhere I run into Fairy Tail...?! How unlikely is that..?!
Hora stiffened slightly, her heart jumping a little as she took a step back, panic rising as she averted her eyes from the pinkette, who looked thoroughly surprised after she said his name out of nowhere. Her fist opened to let go of the North Wind Mage, as he hit the floor with a thump and a pained groan, Hora pulled her sleeves down and pointedly placed her foot down on the man's arm so he wouldn't be going anywhere. She felt her heart racing as uneasiness fell over her slightly,
I was about to murder someone... I almost murdered someone and these three would have seen it if I hadn't been snapped back to reality like that.
"Woah, wait- you know who I am?!" Natsu exclaimed, looking excited as he jumped down into the crater with her, Hora faced him, her expression a little tense as she held on to her arms in front of her, begging the flames to quell more and more, though his voice had done that already, like a sudden wave of water in her very being.
... H... How did his voice do that...?
"Ah..." Hora stammered, lost for words for a moment as her uncertainty and discomfort rose at how quickly he closed the distance between the both of them. Seriously, how could he not even look bothered by what she had been about to do? He blinked, head tilted in question at her as she stared.
"What's up?" He asked easily, she sweatdropped a little more.
Damn it get a handle on yourself, idiot!
"N-nothing..." She stammered, hooking her arms behind her back as she worked to pull her sleeves down more, almost fussing. "And ah, yes. I have heard of you... From before some of Fairy Tail went missing." She answered quickly.
"Really?" He grinned, "I thought nobody remembered us."
It'd be hard not to... Since so many Slayers were lost... She banished the thought, and simply nodded slightly
"... You were pretty popular... Salamander..." She mumbled,
"Hehe, I guess we did used to get up to a lot of trouble, huh?" He chuckled,
"And for it the Magic Council wasn't a fan, and we always ended up forfeiting our job money just to pay damages... " Hora's eyes snapped sideways when she heard the blonde sigh the words, looking exasperated at the memory.
"Natsu's the one who always went about destroying whole towns." The Exceed chuckled, "You usually overdo it, Natsu. Though I guess maybe you just can't control yourself, such a shame!"
"Hey!" Natsu snapped, looking a little offended.
"Yeah, but this time the whole place was on fire and it wasn't Natsu's fault for once." The cat went on, Hora stiffened, her eyes falling.
"Ow!" The cat yelped, following the swift smack the blonde landed on his head. "What was that for, Lucy?!"
"Seriously, could you be any more rude?!" She replied in an angry whisper.
The whole town... I hadn't even noticed it, all my attention was on fighting. I didn't care how out of control I was...
'... That much rage is a dangerous thing, especially in you.'
Hora growled inwardly at the voice, her eyes shifting back up toward the pinkette still smirking at her, expectantly.
"Yeah, your fire's pretty weird stuff, I've never tasted anything like it before." He smiled, patting his stomach with a toothy grin. "I mean, it still tastes pretty good, it's just a little different than normal, and a bit more spicy than other fire I've eaten. You're flames are pretty hot, hotter than normal Mages."
Hora swallowed slightly, sweatdropping a bit still as she blinked at him.
... Does he just blindly eat whatever flames he happens across... ?
She supposed maybe it was just a small relief he'd noticed her Magic only tasted 'different', though he still seemed to enjoy it. He could have very easily noticed something else, and she was afraid of what he would have assumed... She growled under her breath, her eyes closing a moment as she willed herself to try and calm down, but the sudden meeting had her reeling...and the realization of what she had been about to do.
...shit... That could have all been so bad... if his voice hadn't managed...
"... Well it's not... Ah... Normal Fire Based Magic." She mumbled under her breath, shaking her head slightly and banishing the thought, but not before she realized she had mumbled something unconsciously. She cursed herself in her head, knowing full well with the hearing of a Dragon Slayer her words had been heard.
Hora's eyes opened again, glancing toward Natsu as she saw his head tilt slightly in question.
"... Thanks, for putting the fires out." She mumbled, looking away in flustered embarrassment, and quickly trying to draw away from her comment. "... I got a little carried away."
"No worries." He grinned, "Thanks for the meal." He chuckled, Hora nodded slightly, "So what are you doing out here anyway? You on a job?" He asked, his eyes flicking toward the man still under Hora's foot.
"That's what we're here for, at any rate." The blonde added in, leaning over the edge of the crater with the cat still at her shoulder. She smiled slightly, waving a hand Hora's way. "I'm Lucy, by the way." Hora blinked, her thoughts finally clicking together on the name being spoken a second time.
... The Celestial Mage...
She blinked, shaking herself from her thoughts.
"Ah, yeah." She murmured quickly, "I'm on a Job. My name's Horatia." She paused, "...you can call me Hora, though."
"I'm Happy!" The Exceed announced.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Hora murmured softly, forcing a small smile. "I'd heard Fairy Tail had returned some of its Members recently."
"Hehe, yeah that's us." Natsu smirked, "You a part of a Guild then?" Hora sweatdropped slightly at the question without meaning to,
"... Tch... Cocky bastards..."
Hora and Natsu's attention snapped downward, hearing the man she was pinning suddenly hiss the words. His eyes glinted up at her in anger and pain, Hora's face fell slightly.
"Tch... Chatting away like that.." He hissed, his eyes flashed in annoyance. "... I hope you do find Borealis, so when you do he kills you..." He growled, his lips pulled in a dangerous, dark smirk for a moment.
"... But I hope you see the burning of a hundred more villages before that happens."
Hora glared, her blue eyes glinting furiously. She drew her foot away, ready to snatch him up in her fists again and demand he tell her where North Wind was- or better yet, burn that stupid grin off his-
She came up short, her eyes wide and sweatdropping in utter shock as Natsu suddenly grabbed the man from the ground himself. The pinkette's eyes glinted in sudden anger and disgust as he held to the collar of his jacket with both hands, his face inches from the man's and fangs bared slightly.
"So you're with the bastards who've been attacking the towns around here?!" The Fire Dragon Slayer hissed lowly, dangerously. The man winced in pain, his eyes glinting in shock at the unexpected action from the Fairy Tail Dragon Slayer.
Hora stood still, slightly stunned at the sudden ferocity that appeared in the Pinkette so suddenly. Maybe it made sense... But something about the sheer anger and slight hatred in him so suddenly hit her like a train. She supposed maybe she hadn't thought of the Fire Dragon Slayer- the Natsu Dragneel- that she had heard of so much as being kind and strong... From all the admiration and the way Sting's eyes gleamed when he told her about him. Natsu had been Sting's role model when he was a kid, and anyone good enough for Sting's admiration had to be... Well, good. It was silly but for some reason Natsu Dragneel had seemed so pure... But it was clear now that... He was good maybe, but maybe even the good people could be... Hateful.
... That rage... And all because of the things North Wind has been doing... For the suffering...
She bit the inside of her cheek, that was how her anger started... But that's not why she'd lost it just then. Not because of injustice. No... Just pure rage, malice.
"... Tch... Bug off little Fairy." The man hissed, his tone sneering the word in hateful spite. "That ain't none of your business." Natsu's eyes flashed with a dark fire a moment, his grip on the man's shirt tightened as his fangs ground down on each other.
"You made it my business, bastard!" Natsu snapped hotly, "You and your Guild have been tearin' up peoples lives out here, I'm sure as hell not about to let you get away with it!" Natsu's fist around the man's shirt started to smoke and singe, "You've murdered people, destroyed families and torn down homes, you're gonna pay for all of that! Tenfold!" Hora stood in slight awe, watching as his anger and rage flared all the more and she stood there.
... Rage... But this is different.
'... This boy...' The voice hissed, cold and low... Almost perplexed in a way.
"... Heh... Why bother..?" The man growled, "I know you ain't gonna kill me, that's not what Fairy Tail does." The man's eyes flicked sideways, Hora stiffened slightly as his attention landed on her. Her eyes flashed, frowning slightly.
For a moment she swore he was about to say something, and something about her. Her eyes narrowed, a warning glare passing over her face a moment. For a minute he seemed to smirk, but there was a flash of fear in his eyes... Just a small flicker.
"... Hehe... Besides, you're all about to be run in anyway." He hissed, his eyes flicking past Hora toward the smoldering ruin of Golio around them.
The small group of Fairy Tailers and Hora stiffened, hearing a sudden wailing on the air of some sort of horn- a sound all too familiar to those of Fairy Tail. Hora blinked, looking slightly confused a moment.
What the hell is that sound...?
"... The Knights have been holed up here for weeks, just waiting for the perfect time to swoop in and take the place." The man growled, "You just rang the bell." Natsu growled, looking agitated but also slightly nervous.
"..knights...?" Hora mumbled, eyebrow quirked.
"Oh boy..." Lucy mumbled under her breath.
"... Not again..." Happy sighed,
"... Hehe... You're gonna be so caught up in all the bureaucratic nonsense you won't be able to do a damn thing to stop us." The man growled, "While the Knights sit pretty and hold you here more towns will burn, and more people will d-" the man cut off, Natsu's head snapping forward to bang into his own with a painful thud. Hora jumped, sweatdropping as the man's eyes whited out as all sense was knocked from him in an instant.
"... What in the hell...?!" Hora grumbled under her breath, watching in confusion as the wailing grew louder and so did the sound of people yelling and shouting. Her eyes locked to Natsu, her jaw dropped slightly and reeling as he simply let the man fall from his hands, not at all perturbed by his action, or in pain at bashing his head against someone else's hard enough to knock them senseless.
Her head snapped sideways, seeing people running past the crater,
"Stop! By the order of the Magic Council, we order you to stop!"
Hora's eyes went wide, seeing a large battalion of Robe-clad Magic Council Rune Knights marching up the street quickly in their direction. They shouted out orders, tackling people where they could and pursuing the many that were running.
Th-this is a raid...?! Since when was the Magic Council around?! And why the hell haven't they been helping?!
For a moment her anger flared again, and she wanted nothing more than to march right up to those Knights and demand a reason as to why they had just sat back and watched so many people suffer. She would have done so too, she took a step forward, but suddenly someone's hand- warm and hot to the touch against her own warm skin- suddenly grabbed about her wrist, and her anger disappeared again as if someone had thrown a bucket of water over the fire in her soul.
"Time to go!"
She stumbled back, the hand pulling her firmly and with no sign of letting go. She whirled around, eyes wide and stumbling in her sudden running as Natsu pulled her behind him.
He smiled her way, a bright, toothy grin as he dragged her away from the town and away from the shouting of the Rune Knights for them to stop. Lucy and Happy ran alongside them, looking weary as they sweatdropped, not at all pleased they were in this all too familiar situation again.
"Why do we always ended up running from these guys?" Lucy sighed, looking tired of it.
"That's just how we are..." Happy mumbled,
"... What... Why are you dragging me...?!" Hora stammered, sweatdropping as her blue eyes glinted in the twilight overhead, Natsu just kept pulling her along, still grinning her way.
"You're with us now!" He smirked, she blinked in clear surprise and confusion. "You're going after those North Wind guys, right?"
"... Well... Uh... Yes, but..." She mumbled slowly,
"Well we're going after them now too!" Natsu beamed, "So we're gonna work together, Kay?"
Hora stared, eyes glinting as she simply stared at him, continuing to follow his lead as they left Golio and the shouting Rune Knights behind them. He seemed so happy and carefree despite it, and yet... In a way determined.
There was something, some feeling in her chest she wasn't quite familiar with... Something she'd felt seldom before, but she had felt it... and she hadn't expected it now. It felt almost impossible to feel this now.
... Is this...?
Slowly, she nodded slightly. Sweatdropping still, and hardly anything to say, but... She nodded to him, her eyes glinting.
"..y-yeah..."
Hora let out a sigh as they finally slowed to a halt in their running, and fast. It amazed her briefly how full of energy Natsu seemed to be, because even now after an hour or so and being hundreds of miles away in a different city entirely- he didn't look the slightest bit fazed by any of it.
Hora's eyes moved sideways, seeing both Happy and Lucy slumped on the road behind her, muttering to themselves.
"Ah, well! It's late guys, so we better get to it in the morning!" Natsu smirked, leaning back and popping his back, his hands on his hips. Hora blinked, her eyes moving upward toward the deep night sky overhead, her head tilted as she heard Natsu pat his stomach, though she didn't look his way.
"We should grab some grub too!"
"Aye sir..!" Happy agreed breathlessly, perking up slightly.
"... And where do you suggest we get this food?" Lucy grumbled, "Or where we're going to spend the night? Do you even have any idea where we are?" The Blonde grumbled hotly, her hands on her hips as she stood up and faced the pinkette. The few stragglers passing them by on the illuminated street glanced their way in confusion and interest, eyes narrowed and eyebrows quirked at the rather loud group. Hora sweatdropped slightly, catching a few eyes herself as she slowly looked back toward the Fairy Tailers.
Natsu smiled at Lucy, still unbothered by seemingly everything.
"No clue!" He smirked, Lucy let out an exasperated sigh.
"You're the one who dragged us all the way here, idiot." She grumbled under her breath,
"Come on Luce! Would you have rather have been caught by those Council Guys?" Natsu replied quickly,
"... Ah..." Hora mumbled, a little wary of interjecting in what she was sure was going to become a full-fledged argument, especially as she saw Lucy frown slightly. She stepped up a little, drawing attention to herself though she hated that feeling suddenly. "... T-this is Hellei, in the Kingdom of Veronica, actually... it's a small city about 50 miles from the border..." Hora explained quickly, "... it's close enough to the border that the business owners around here should still accept Jewel..." Natsu, Happy and Lucy all looked toward her in apparent surprise,
'You seem nervous addressing them..' The cold voice mumbled, almost in amusement... and damn it, it was right. She did feel extremely out of place among these three, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't still reeling from running into them so suddenly, or having been whisked away as she had been. And even more, she was still deeply troubled by how fast she had lost it, and what she would have done if they had not shown up.
".. T-the Kingdom of Veronica..?!" Lucy stammered,
"We ran all the way to a new country?!" Happy gasped,
"Wooahh! How do you know so much, huh?" Natsu beamed, looking impressed and leaning in toward her, Hora leaned back a little to try and keep a good amount of distance between them. Hora swallowed slightly, sweatdropping still as willed her nervousness to settle, if only slightly.
She felt at ease around her Guild and her friends, but when it came to strangers she was still rather nervous and awkward around them, as seen when she first found she was in Lamia Scale. It made it worse she was all on her own, and without the comfort of Sting or Rogue, or even Lector and Frosch around to keep her nerves all the more settled... though perhaps considering the act the rest of the Guild put on for the outside world, maybe it was better they were not around right now. But she hated being all on her own, being that way made her more tense and on edge all on its own, and being around Fairy Tail- and especially a person she had heard about, and put effort into finding herself for her Balance Theory, she was overwhelmed.
Especially considering how friendly and carefree Natsu Dragneel really was, she hadn't been prepared for his somewhat overly enthusiastic look on things, or how easily he seemed to get used to having her here. (He also seemed a bit oblivious, a part of her had to wonder if he could tell she was nervous, or not..)
"... I studied maps and things of the area on my way out here." Hora explained, blinking once or twice. "... and I've been looking for places North Wind's hideout could be, though I've had no luck thus far..."
"That's what you were trying to get out of that man earlier, right?" Happy murmured, floating forward toward her. Hora nodded slightly,
"So you're trying to find North Wind then?" Lucy murmured, Hora glanced her way, "We're out here to find and return a necklace that was stolen from our client in one of their raids. It was a low paying job, so I hadn't thought any other Guilds had sent anyone out here at all."
"Oh yeah!" Natsu butted in, "You said you were part of a Guild right?"
"... Yes." Hora murmured, before pausing slightly
She hated that she paused, but she felt uneasiness suddenly stir inside of her at the prospect of telling which Guild she came from. How would they react? Surely they'd been told about SaberTooth since coming back...
She wrung her hands together behind her back, her blue gaze casting downward a moment.
"... Before we get too invested in talking," She murmured softly, her blue gaze slowly moving toward them again, offering a small smile. "Maybe we had better get off the street first?"
For a minute she saw the look of question appear on Lucy's face, she had the feeling the blonde could tell she was avoiding the subject- though Natsu and Happy grinned without a care.
"And some grub too!" They smiled, Hora nodded.
"... Well alright, it would probably be more comfortable to talk if we get a room." Lucy conceded after a moment, clearly deciding it best to pass over the sudden way which Hora dodged the question. "I suppose we ought to try and find a hotel then... And hope there's rooms available this late." Hora nodded slightly, slowly stepping back as she began her way up the street, her eyes moving away from them as she turned her back, and let out a small sigh.
'Avoiding is so like you.. It's tiring.' the voice grumbled in her head,
Honestly she felt a bit tired of it sometimes too.
The sound of the Fairy Tailers feet over the pavement sounded on the mostly silent streets as Hora lead the way through the town. Her blue gaze moved from one end of the street to the other, passing few other people by as she kept on the lookout for a place to stay the night.
For a small moment she wondered how Sting would feel if he knew she had met his childhood hero.. She shook the thought off.
Hora slowed a little, her eyes shifting to the right as an Inn suddenly reared up on the street, warm light filtering from the inside and the small tavern that seemed to run out of the front of it. She glanced backward, watching as Natsu and Happy pressed up against the window, their noses twitching at the promise of food being served inside.
".... I'll go see if there are any rooms available." She murmured, Natsu and Happy didn't seem to hear her at all, but Lucy nodded a bit.
"I'll keep an eye on these two." The blonde smiled slightly, Hora nodded in return and turned away, she stepped inside and passed the tavern by, straight to the front desk.
"Ah, hi." Hora murmured, calling attention from the man standing behind the desk itself. He smiled at her, "Do you happen to have any rooms available still?"
"Mmmm.... Yes. Two rooms, double beds. One floor up and below from eachother." He replied after pausing a moment to think on it. Hora blinked, glancing over her shoulder as she spotted Lucy holding Natsu at bay from trying to jump in and eat what food he could find on tables around the tavern. She turned back to the man with a small smile,
"Great, I'll take them both."
'... do you plan to room with the Celestial Mage?' the voice murmured lowly, 'That should be interesting...' Hora sweatdropped slightly, telling the voice to promptly shut it.
"You got it." The man smiled, Hora handed over the money for the rooms with a small smile and slowly turned back toward where the Fairy Tailers were waiting.
She sweatdropped a little more, feeling her heart flutter slightly.
... that damned voice was right though, she knew the girls rooming and the boys rooming was logical.... But even that thought made her nervous. She was friendly enough with most everyone, but she hated being alone, and being by herself now, especially losing it like she was.... She was more guarded and flustered than she usually would be, and it did not help that the people she had run into were members of the Guild she had helped- and risked her life to help, when Jiemma found out about it.
She took in a small breath, hoping it would calm her down a little.
... Lucy seemed nice, though they hadn't really talked... and Hora knew well the blonde had taken notice of her rather dark behavior earlier, though she had said nothing about it. She didn't seem the sort of person that would pass over something like that, at least not in the way the Exceed or Salamander had.
She had also passed over the questions that they had been trying to ask, especially about her Guild.... A small lump fell in her stomach at the thought, she really hadn't a clue how they would react, and a part of her was a little afraid of what bad they may have already heard.
She shook the thoughts off as she smiled, stopping in front of the small band of Fairy Tail Wizards, to which only Lucy looked up as the boy's attention remained fixed to the food.
"I've got two rooms." Hora murmured, smiling just slightly. "I hope you don't mind if we room together?" She asked the blonde, who blinked, before she smiled and nodded.
"Oh that's fine." Lucy replied lightly, "All the better, Natsu and Happy both snore." She added with a chuckle, Hora blinked in slight surprise, before she chuckled a little too.
".... If you'd like, we can order food up to a room, or stay down here." Hora murmured, finally catching Salamander's gleaming eyes. She swallowed a bit, her eyes falling away from him as she sweatdropped. ".... It might be easier to talk if we ate in the room though, it's a bit loud down here." She added as an afterthought, though her hesitation for settling in the tavern was less about the noise, and more about what they would be talking about... it really wasn't going to be the sort of conversation she wanted to be overheard, even in Veronica.
She covered up her sudden flash of nervousness with a small smile, glancing back up toward them as she hooked her arms behind her back self-consciously.
It was a bad habit, and she knew it.
"Sounds good to me!" Natsu grinned, hardly pausing a minute at the suggestion and clearly not noticing any hesitation in Hora at all. Happy smiled to, followed by a softer, gentler smile from Lucy who both nodded.
"That's fine." Lucy smiled,
"Aye sir!" The Exceed grinned, Hora blinked, a little surprised they had agreed so easily... before she let out a silent breath, her smile softening a bit, less forced.
"Great, you guys order whatever you want, my treat." She told them, earning wide, excited eyes from both boys as they smiled at her, grinning brightly.
"Cool! Thanks!" They rushed off to place their order with the front desk, looking maybe a little too excited about the offer, Lucy gave her a nervous smile.
"You're probably going to regret that." The blonde sighed, Hora shrugged slightly. "How much do we owe you for the rooms?"
"Don't worry about that either." Hora replied quickly, shaking her head as Lucy looked surprised, her chocolate brown eyes glinting. Lucy sweatdropped slightly, looking unsure- Hora wasn't though.
She knew Fairy Tail was pressed for money, they hadn't been getting any decent jobs for years, so she figured the trio probably didn't have much on them at the moment any way. Besides, it wasn't like she had anything better to spend it on.... And the pay she was getting for this Job wasn't small, even the bonus she had gotten beforehand was hefty.
"Are... you sure?" Lucy mumbled slowly, Hora nodded.
"I'm sure, it's not a problem, really." She replied easily, Lucy blinked, looking a little wary of such kindness, before she smiled a little, dipping her head to the other girl.
"Thank you, we really appreciate it." The blonde said softly, Hora felt her face heat up, she glanced away in sudden embarrassment.
"... were you going to order anything?" Hora stammered quickly, changing the subject as she flicked her head in the direction of Natsu and Happy. Lucy chuckled, shaking her head.
"I think those two idiots will probably order everything on the menu." The blonde admitted, earning a slightly shocked look from Hora. "I'll just have some of whatever they get."
The.... The whole menu....?
She glanced backward over her shoulder, seeing Happy and Natsu leaning against the counter and talking with the foreman, who smiled slightly but looked completely flustered too. She blinked, something about the dopey, excited grin on Salamander's face when he thought about food, and even the way Happy seemed to drool over it..
She felt a flash of sadness pierce her heart in the next instant, but smiled anyway, sadly.
They reminded her a lot of Lector and Sting
Hora laughed nervously under her breath, sitting crosslegged on the floor at the table, a bead of sweat dripping down her face as she faced the overloaded table- it was covered in so many plates of food that were stacked so high she could barely see the Fairy Tailers over it.
She had lead them up to the second of the two rooms, the other was below them on a lower floor, it was simple and good sized, the floors polished wood and two beds against the wall in the center, with a table near the door. There was a bathroom not far to her right, and straight across from the door was a French door that lead to a balcony, it was slightly ajar so the curtains over it were shifting and she could feel the cool night air wash against her skin.
Natsu and Happy sat on the opposite side of the table from her, with Lucy sitting on the end. The boys were digging in, the numerous plates brought up shortly after they arrived, and Lucy was right- it looked like they had gotten everything off the menu. The blonde was smiling nervously, looking flustered and somewhat agitated as she shot the boys a disgruntled look a moment, they hardly noticed it though, and Lucy turned her attention to a plate she picked out for herself.
Hora sat still, sweadropping as she held a bowl of spicy ramen in her lap, the chopsticks loosely held in one hand as she watched them for a few moments.
They actually... they even ate like Lector and Sting did, it was almost as if they were the same people.
... or maybe it was just an Exceed and Dragon Slayer thing.
"Thi' isf goodf!" Natsu exclaimed around a full mouth, looking absolutely blissful. Happy looked nearly as content, though his mouth was so stuffed he could hardly chew, but his tail flicked behind him happily as an indicator.
"You two are unbelievable." Lucy murmured in between bites of her own food, Hora smiled to herself, slowly shaking off her attention on them and turning to the bowl in her lap, she started to eat slowly.
A part of her had wanted to maybe just eat some ice cream, maybe to try and quell the fire inside some more.... but that wouldn't last her long, and as insane as it was.... That fire was hardly a smolder. It didn't seem possible, and yet it was.
They sat in content silence for awhile just enjoying their own meals, until she was a little over halfway done with her own food, and Natsu finally looked up, taking a brief pause in stuffing food into his mouth.
"Ah, Hora!" He called across the table, earning her eyes instantly as she felt her heart jump a little. Her dark blue gaze snapped up to land on him, "You said you were part of Guild right? Which one?"
That was one of the questions she didn't want to answer, and she felt her stomach clench in a knot as it was asked again.
"Yeah, you said you were working a job too!" Happy butted in, "What's it about? You're tracking North Wind for a reason, right?"
In seconds there were not only one, but two questions she felt herself hesitate to answer, her stomach wove itself into a tighter knot as she did her best not show any outward discomfort- she could feel Lucy's eyes on her, and already it was clear the blonde was quite a bit more perceptive than her two other Guild-mates.
She slowly set the chopsticks together across the top of the bowl, her eyes falling away from them as she slowly set it on top of the table, buying herself a few precious seconds as she swallowed, hard.
These three had been a part of those missing for the last seven years, so they hadn't come to know (or more accurately) hate SaberTooth as the rest of Fairy Tail had. It was no secret SaberTooth and Fairy Tail were on bad terms, they had been that way for near seven years, and SaberTooth's act didn't help lessen tensions. For Jiemma's sake, the Guild had acted harshly and ruthlessly toward those in Fairy Tail and all the other Guilds, they were never kind, and she knew well the members of Fairy Tail who had been left behind were no fans. She hadn't a hard time imaging the stories that the returning Members had been told since arriving back, especially if they had discussed the Grand Magic Games already. They were sure to know.... If not from their own Guild, they would have certainly heard something from the public, and SaberTooth's infamous reputation.
And to add on top of that, she has reservations about telling them why she was out here and why she was hunting North Wind. To get into it, she'd have to tell them she was sent to hunt down and destroy not just the Guild, but the Demon of Zeref under the Master's command. And to explain why she of all people in Fiore had been sent to contend with such a beast? That would open a whole other set of questions she wasn't comfortable at the prospect of answering.
She bit the inside of her cheek, but she couldn't in good conscience lie to them about it all. She hid things, sure... she'd had secrets her whole life, but she didn't choose to outright lie to anyone, she was a sincere sort of person... and something told her they might actually just notice if she did lie to them straight out.
I'll just... have to try and be careful about what I say.... And hope they don't react badly.
Hora nodded slightly, her eyes slowly trailing back up toward Salamander as she smiled, just a little, maybe to try and reassure herself.
"Yeah, I'm actually a member of SaberTooth..." She answered slowly, sweatdropping as she saw all three of the Fairy Tailers eyes widen in sheer shock.
"S-SaberTooth..?" Lucy stammered,
"Wha?! Seriously?!" Natsu explained, leaning forward in near animation as his jaw dropped a bit, Hora nodded in confirmation, her smile a bit strained now.
"Yeah," She smiled,
"... everyone at the Guild told us about SaberTooth." Lucy murmured, sweatdropping slightly. "They... they weren't really big fans..."
"They said you guys were a bunch of jerks." Natsu said plainly, though he didn't look perturbed by the sudden news, only interested. Lucy flinched at his word, her hand smacking against his shoulder roughly as he flinched back from her. "Oi, what was that for Luce?!"
"You are such an idiot!" Lucy snapped haughtily,
"I-It's alright, Lucy." Hora intervened quickly, holding her hands up and shaking her head. "It's not a big deal, I already know SaberTooth has a pretty bad reputation. Especially with Fairy Tail." Lucy blinked, sweatdropping still as she seemed to bite the inside of her cheek. "I get why you're Guild Mates don't like us all that much... they have reason to, so I'm not offended or anything."
"You don't seem like a big old meanie though, Hora." Happy piped up,
"Yeah, you're nice!" Natsu smirked, "You bought us all this food, a jerk wouldn't do that." She smiled slightly,
"... thanks, I'm glad you don't think I'm a jerk." She chuckled slightly,
"I'm sorry, I know it's wrong to jump to conclusions about a whole group of people we've never met." Lucy murmured,
"It's alright." Hora murmured, sweatdropping slightly. "... I mean.... We kinda are jerks." She sighed, ".... We're competitive, but most of us are good people at heart... we just have a hard time showing it."
Again, how was she supposed to explain it?
I can't
Lucy smiled slightly, her chocolate gaze glinting as she nodded a little. "So, you said you were out here on a job?" She asked softly, "I didn't think there were many jobs coming in for what's been going on out here, at least, not to a bigger Guild like SaberTooth."
"You said you were chasing those North Wind guys, but what for?" Natsu asked, "They steal something else?"
".... It's not that sort of Job." Hora murmured slowly,
She didn't think it a good idea to mention the actual assignment- to kill the Demon of Zeref. Even mentioning that she was out here to disband the Guild, especially all on her own... that would leave her walking a fine line.
'So lie, you're good at it.'
She swallowed against the voice.... She didn't like it, but maybe it was true.
"I'm on a Job for the Magic Council, actually." She started, earning looks of shock and surprise. "I was sent to find a way into North Wind's base, and I've been moving from town to town trying to find more information on their Guild Hall."
Not a complete lie then.... I am here for the Council. I am looking for North Wind, and I have been looking for a way into the Guild Hall.... and that's all they need to know.
And maybe it wasn't entirely because she was afraid the questions they would ask.... A part of her was also wary of what they would do if she told them she was here to destroy the Guild. Would they offer to help? She couldn't have that.... Not just because of her own secrets, or what Jiemma would think if they did.... It was safer if they didn't, and besides;
This is my Job.... This is what I'm supposed to do, I can't fail again.
"It's been enchanted to transport itself between several hidden locations, so getting inside and finding it is almost impossible." She explained, pushing away her reservations and her inner thoughts. "The actual Members of North Wind have some way of getting to and from their Guild Hall, but I haven't figured out how just yet. I'm still looking."
"That's..... how does someone transport an entire Building?" Lucy mumbled allowed, her eyes lighting up in wonder at the very idea. Hora shrugged slightly,
"No idea how it works, but that's how they're doing it."
"That's kinda cool." Natsu commented, "So that guy you caught earlier, you thought he had a way in?"
"If he did, I'll never know.." Hora mumbled, "He's in the Council's custody right now, and I doubt he'll talk."
"Sorry we interrupted you, then." Lucy smiled nervously. Hora blinked.
No.... I'm glad you interrupted me. If you hadn't...
"No worries." She replied evenly, "You guys said you were looking for a stolen necklace, right?"
"Yep!" Natsu grinned, "We've been chasing a few of those guys around, but we haven't found it yet." Hora nodded slightly, her eyes narrowed as she tapped a finger to her chin.
'Are you considering..?'
"..... hmm, well... since we're both looking, we can track down some of the North Wind Mages together." She said lightly, "Hopefully we can manage to find this necklace, and in the meantime I can keep collecting more information." She paused though, realizing she had started speaking her thoughts aloud without consciously meaning to. She blinked, her hand falling from her face as she smiled nervously,
"O-oh, that's if.. you don't mind working together.."
She wasn't even sure why the thought had appealed to her so suddenly, nervous as she was around the three.... She secretly didn't want to leave them. Not when just being around the Salamander snapped her back to reality, where hardly anyone had managed it before. She was losing herself, more quickly than she should have- and it was certainly because of what an awful emotional high she had been on when she left. She couldn't keep her head from falling to those damned dark thoughts, and she had been quickly losing self-control, until them.
She still didn't know how Natsu's voice had settled what dark, burning rage had clouded her head. She didn't know how it was possible the flames had settled... and yet they had. She was thinking more clearly than she had in weeks, and as insane as it was- it was because of him. Just being near him seemed to put her back in the right headspace... and she didn't want to lose herself again like she almost had.
The Fairy Tailers looked surprised at the sudden suggestion, their eyes glinting and completely silent for a few, scarce seconds that instantly made her regret she had said it all aloud at all.
She stiffened, her eyes widening as they all smiled at her, Natsu's lips pulling into a toothy grin that sent a small pulse of... warmth, pleasant warmth, through her core.
"That sounds good to me!" He smiled,
"We can pay you back for the rooms and food by helping you out." Lucy smiled brightly, "And you're help finding the necklace would be nice, too."
She wasn't sure what to feel, or even think.... She wasn't sure it was possible anyone would have agreed to work with a rival Guild so easily. Let alone SaberTooth.
Let alone work with her. Especially after what she had been about to do... and she knew Lucy had seen that darkness. How could she not? So why did the blonde, the pinkette and the Exceed look so happy and carefree at the idea of working with her? It wasn't.... it didn't feel like politeness, or formality. As insane as it was.... It felt genuine... but why?
'... That Ice Mage was not wary of you either.' The voice intoned, less gruffly and less sternly than it had been the entire time. It was soft, gentle almost.... She hadn't heard it sound like that in very, very long, and it set her heart aflutter despite herself.
"You're thinking too much into it." Sting told her, "You're over-exaggerating things in your head, Hora."
"You do that often, actually." Rogue told her, she narrowed her eyes, head tilting.
"What?"
"You over-think things, and blow situations out of proportion in your head on occasion. Like you always expect the worse." Rogue explained, Hora's jaw dropped slightly, her hands dropping too.
"You're very optimistic, but only outwardly." Sting put in, Lector smirked and nodded his head.
"This is how optimistic you appear to be," Lector said, holding his arms out wide, before sighing and smirking softly. "But this is how optimistic you actually are, Atia." He drew his paws in together to a small distance, Hora blinked, sweatdropping.
Are.... Are you telling me I overthink things too? That I jump to the worst conclusion... think the worst things... without need...?
For once, as ever prepared to cast around it's opinion- it didn't reply, even as she addressed it.
She blinked, her eyes still locked to the Fairy Tailers and their bright, content smiles.
She wished.... She wished she could feel happier about it, their willingness to work with her... but in that instant, she saw Rogue, Lector, Frosch and Sting smiling at her, and her heart broke into a few more pieces.
Am I ever going to see them again... I wonder....?
She forced a smile, though it wasn't so forced maybe, nodding to the Fairy Tailers as her deep blue gaze shone.
"Great. I look forward to working with you three."
Hora leaned back against the bedframe, her eyes falling closed as she crossed her arms behind her head, the sound of the shower turning on in the bathroom flooding her senses a moment. Lucy had gone inside after telling Hora she planned to take a shower, she had simply smiled and nodded as the blonde disappeared behind the closed door.
There was a silence that settled in the room, the night outside a deeper dark as midnight neared, Natsu and Happy had gone to their own room and from the lack of noise below, she assumed they had already fallen asleep- probably to sleep off what immense amount of food they had stuffed in their faces.
She smiled slightly at the thought, though a bit sadly still.
The silence was... pleasant. Usually quiet was unnerving, not being able to hear the people she was with... since not hearing that meant she was alone, but the hum of the water and the faint, imperceptible whistle of the breeze outside was soothing in it's own way, and the sudden silence in her head from the voice wasn't unpleasant either. She found herself feeling more relaxed than she had since... well, well before everything that had happened with Jiemma and Over-Drive.
The minutes ticked away as she remained leaning against the frame, her eyes still closed as the coolness of the outside air danced over her face from the open doors.
She jumped, her head snapping up and her heartrate picking up at the sudden jingling and buzzing that erupted in the blissful quiet of the room. She sat up with a start, her blue eyes glinting as she looked around the room quickly, trying to find the source of the noise as her attention landed on the glow coming from a... a card that Lucy had set on the nightstand next to the bed she planned to use.
Hora leaned over, her head tilted as she saw the face lit up and dancing with the word's 'Cana Calling!'
Her eyes snapped around, unaware the sound of the shower had ceased and seeing Lucy appear in the doorway, her hair still damp and dressed in her pajamas. Lucy hummed slightly, noticing the noise and the glow of the card as she walked out.
"Uh... that just... went off..." Hora murmured, Lucy sighed a little.
"Cana... she's probably drunk." Lucy grumbled, though not with any true anger or annoyance in her voice. She stepped across the room and sat down on the bed, picking the card up from the nightstand, her finger tapping lightly to the center as the ringing stopped and Hora spotted flashes of a brunette smirking on the cards surface suddenly.
"Hey Luce!" The other woman smiled, her cheeks dusted pink as Lucy smiled slightly.
"Hello Cana." Lucy sighed, Hora watched, her eyes riveted to the card and blinking.
"Where did you and Natsu run off to, huh? Romantic getaway?" 'Cana' smirked mischievously, Lucy blinked in surprise at the question, blushing slightly herself as she frowned a little.
"As if!" Lucy snapped back,
"Cana, you know they went on a job near the border." Another voice broke in, small glimpses of a girl with long white hair shone behind the brunette, who blinked, smirking.
"Course I know that, doesn't mean they aren't up to something steamy!" Cana chuckled,
"Cana!" Lucy snapped, looking more flustered by the minute.
"Ah, don't get all bent up in a twist!" Cana smiled, "I was just checkin' in, don't gotta get all angry!" Lucy frowned a little, but Cana hardly seemed to care. "So? How are things? Finish the job yet?"
"No, we're still working on it." Lucy replied, "We've stopped for the night, we'll pick back up in the morning." She paused, "How is training going?" The blonde asked,
"Ah, great!" Cana smiled, "Mira really kicked Elfman's ass today~"
"Hey!" A voice snapped from the background, Lucy and Cana both chuckled at it.
"You training hard?" Cana asked, Lucy sighed.
"We'll start training after we finish this job... I think we're gonna meet up with the rest of our team and Levy's team for it." Lucy replied, Hora blinked, for the first time looking up from her wonder in the card toward the surprise at the mention of training.
"Don't waste too much time, we've only got a few months to catch up." Cana smiled,
"Tell me about it..." Lucy sighed, sweatdropping slightly. Cana chuckled,
"Well, I'm gonna get back to drinkin'! See ya, Luce!"
"See ya, Cana." Lucy smiled, the card falling dark as whatever Magic had been transmitting the image suddenly ceased. Hora found herself looking at the card again though, and didn't even notice when Lucy glanced her way.
".... What... what is that?" Hora asked quietly, Lucy blinked,
"You mean the card?" The blonde mumbled, Hora nodded. "Oh, it's a Calling Card. Cana uses Card Magic, she enchanted this one to be able to connect with one of the ones she has, so we can stay in touch." Lucy smiled, Hora blinked, a look of awe appearing across her face that Lucy tilted her head at.
"... That's.... really freakin' cool..." Hora murmured under her breath, Lucy smiled a little at the comment. She held the card out toward the Saber girl, Hora glanced up at her in slight surprise.
"You can see it, if you want." Lucy smiled, Hora blinked, before smiling back and taking the card up in her hands, delicately almost. She flipped it over in her hands, her fingers gracing along the edge of it as she focused on what faint Magic she could feel coming from the card, her blue eyes shining in awe and wonder as Lucy watched her with a small smile, finding it amusing and somewhat adorable she seemed to transfixed on something so simple.
"She uses Card Magic?" Hora asked, still tracing the card with her eyes.
"Yep."
"I've never heard of that... or seen something like this... it's like a portable Communication Lacrima." Hora murmured, "And without all the heavy crystal's balls and stuff... this is really, really cool."
Lucy laughed, earning Hora's eyes as the Saber girl blinked,
".. sorry, I'm just surprised you're so interested by it." Lucy smiled, shrugging a little. "I guess I'm just used to it though, but I thought it was cool the first time she showed me one too."
"Hehe... I guess I'm amazed by the small things." Hora smiled, her eyes falling to the card again.
It had never occurred to her that you could enchant paper to act like a Communication Lacrima, let alone a card that connected to another card..... which as odd, considering Drille and her own special version of Picto Magic in a sense.
Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
.... Huh.... Could I maybe...?
She smiled, handing the card back to Lucy with a small thanks. The blonde took it, replacing it on the table as she lift her arms above her in a stretch, yawning.
"Oh man.... All that running tired me out." The blonde mumbled through the yawn,
"We did run a long ways." Hora sighed,
"Yeah, to an entirely different country." Lucy sighed, Hora smiled slightly as she leaned back, her eyes falling closed. "... Hey, Hora?"
"...Yeah?"
"... I was just wondering, why does everybody think SaberTooth is this big, bad Guild?" She murmured, "Everyone at Fairy Tail said you guys were.... Well, harsh." Hora blinked her eyes open, ".. But you're nothing like that, so I don't quite get it. I haven't met anyone else in your Guild I suppose... but they made it sound like everyone in SaberTooth was mean."
Again with that question....
Hora leaned forward again, her legs crossed atop the bed as she rest her hands in her lap, biting the inside of her cheek a little.
There wasn't a good way to explain it, not without talking about Jiemma and his brutality... and she doubted anyone coming from a Guild like Fairy Tail could fathom a Master as cruel as that bastard was, let alone fathom why everyone in the Guild was a different person out in the world than they truly were themselves.
She felt that knot in her stomach again, and swallowed against it.
"... Fairy Tail's planning to participate in the GMG, right?" Hora asked quietly, Lucy blinked, before nodding slightly.
"Yeah."
"... have you ever noticed, that sometimes you don't really know what a person's like... unless you become close to them?" Hora asked, "... SaberTooth is kinda like that. They all come off as mean and cold and cocky... but that's not how they actually are. But the only way anyone can see that is if they get close to us... and not many people do." She sweatdropped a little more, ".... You probably won't like anyone else in SaberTooth when you meet them, and I can't just... make you see what kind people they are deep down. I can just tell you, that who you see on the outside is nothing like who they are on the inside." She smiled a bit wearily, her eyes not moving up to meet Lucy's.
".. as for me... I'm just a bit more open is all. I guess..." She sighed, "When the GMG rolls around, try not to take how my Guild acts to heart. With the exception of... two of them.... all the rest of them aren't bad people at heart. Though how they act will probably make you think differently." Hora smiled nervously, her eyes glinting as she rubbed the back of her neck, smiling apologetically for a moment. "Sorry I can't explain it better than that... it's just complicated."
Lucy looked at her for a few long moments, seemingly mulling over what she had been told and trying to piece it all together. She wasn't sure why, but she swore she saw sadness appear across Hora's face for but a split second, but why would it be there?
"... Alright." Lucy said after a bit, deciding to drop the subject- to which Hora was thankful for. ".... Well, anyway... I'm tired, so I think I'm gonna go to sleep." Lucy murmured, Hora nodded.
"Alrighty," She smiled, "I'm gonna stay up a bit longer, but I'll be extra quiet, promise." Lucy blinked, before nodding a little.
"Hehe, thanks."
Hora was leaned over the stone railing of the balcony, the wind shifting her hair slightly as she drew the pen across the paper with purpose, outlining the face of the cards she was making, decorating (unneeded of course, but she was the sort of person who didn't do things only half-way) the edges of the face with swirling, intricate patterns. The stroke of the pen across the paper was relaxing in it's own way, and she had erected more design and detail across the stiff paper without even thinking about it. She set the pen down, her finger tracing along the outline of the card as her skin stained dark a moment, golden flame dancing onto the page and separating the cards from the unneeded strips of paper at the end, and curling inward across the paper but not consuming it, adding a splash of color to the originally black and white patterns as sections of it stained blues and reds and greens and gold all at once, the surface shining as if the paper had been polished and glossed.
The door was closed to the room behind her, dark and silent, she could only faintly hear Lucy's soft breathing as the blonde slept on.
She smiled slightly, setting to two identical and now fully finished cards to the side as she took up the pen again, her strokes working across the paper to create that same illustration of bird she had made so many times before now. She moved to another piece of paper when she was done, jotting down a few words and folding the paper, before placing it in an envelope along with one of the cards from before, then closing the top and setting the pen aside for good.
She picked up the paper with the bird, her face illuminated in the dim by the flash of golden flame. The paper was eaten away by the fire, but the flames kept away from the lines of the bird she had drawn- eating everything but the illustrated animal- there was bright yellow orange flash and suddenly Hora's hand fell away, the illustration puffing up into substance, the wings beating as she now suddenly alive bird flapped in air before Hora, its wings dancing with small flames and embers that refused to eat away its still paper body.
"Hello, Drille." She said softly, quietly.
"Hello Miss." The bird chirped back happily, it's tone low and quiet mimicking her own immediately. "Would you like me to deliver another message for you?"
"Yes, please." Hora murmured, picking up the envelope. "Give this to Sting and Rogue would you?" Drille plucked the envelope from her fingers easily, "If Minerva's around, don't bother delivering it. And if she's not, and they aren't awake when you get there, just stick it in Rogue's bag and don't bother waking them up, kay?"
"Of course." Drille chirped, "Would you like me to hurry, Miss?" Hora blinked at the question, before smiling softly.
"If you could." She smiled softly,
"Yes Miss!" Drille snapped around, flapping away in a rush of speed he hadn't had before when in Lamia. Hora smiled slightly, the paper flame bird out of sight in seconds and she rest her elbows on the railing, leaning her chin into her hand as her eyes fell closed.
She never sent them letters or anything while they were away training for the Games, that was because Minerva's strict rules kept the entire team in isolation, and nay attempt Hora made at contact would have been deemed misconduct and punished. But maybe with Minerva gone on that same mission that forced Yukino into the games, she might just manage to contact them... and her heart sorely hoped she could.
Especially so, with how much she feared this Job would keep her away from them... maybe forever.
"Hey, you still up?"
Hora jumped slightly, her head snapping downward toward the sudden voice, seeing Natsu's eyes gleaming up at her as he looked up from the balcony below. She blinked a few times, her mind having a hard time processing the fact he was there,
".. Hmm?" She hummed, he blinked, before lightly jumping up onto the railing of the balcony he was on, and then easily jumping to the one she was on. He took a seat on the railing next to her, as she turned slightly in his direction, her eyes glinting in the dim.
"You smell kinda familiar, you know." He said, kind of out of nowhere. Hora blinked,
"What do you mean?"
"Mmm... I don't know. I can't place it, you smell like fire and ash, but there's something under that... something sweeter, cooler maybe." She sweatdropped slightly, before quirking an eyebrow.
"... does it bother you? My scent?" She asked, he blinked at the somewhat odd question. "Rogue and Sting have never complained."
".... You know those guys?" He asked, his eyes lighting up in familiarity at the names. She didn't doubt his Guild had told him about not just SaberTooth, but it's star team as well.
"We're in the same Guild, Salamander." She replied softly,
"That's not what I meant." He mumbled, she sighed slightly.
"... yes, we're friends." She answered softly. He nodded a little, his eyes narrowing as he glanced away.
"... I think you smell nice." He said, Hora blinked, blushing slightly despite herself, not expecting an answer to her earlier question, and surely not that answer.
"Ah..." She stammered, he didn't seem to notice.
"... you were gonna kill that guy, weren't you?" He asked quietly, his eyes moving toward her and expression unreadable as she went entirely rigid. "The North Wind guy, right before we got there."
Hora's eyes narrowed, sweatdropping heavily as she bit the inside of her cheek. She had known Lucy had noticed how dark her behavior had become, but she hadn't thought Natsu noticed it, at all... and being questioned about it so suddenly sent her heart speeding up.
So does he... just act oblivious on purpose...?
"..... I....." She trailed off before any real sentence could be formed, swallowing slightly, and damn it- ashamed. "........ well.... I thought about it... but I..." Her eyes fell away from him, leaning against the balcony with her elbows again as her head bowed slightly.
".... I'm sorry." She mumbled quietly, her eyes fixed to her hands and missing the blink of surprise from the pinkette at the words. ".....I wish I could... say no... but I just.... Lost it, even for a few seconds.... If you hadn't showed up I would have... and I hate that." Her voice broke slightly, she could feel the sheer, deep, razor sharp cold settling in her core... this was that feeling, hate. And it was hate for herself.
"..... I know it isn't right. I don't want to be that person.... But I can't really help it..... it's just..... my Magic... it makes.... Me...." Her voice fell away entirely,
She didn't even know why she just admitted it, she didn't know why she was trying to convince him either.... she couldn't, because she knew it was wrong and he knew it too. She supposed a part of her was just trying to console herself, but it did little good.
"Your fire felt dark, it tasted like that too. Almost... not natural, twisted." He murmured, Hora's hands clenched together, her eyes shutting tight against the words she knew were all too true. She didn't even notice nor register the fact that his voice had not raised, nor did he sound angry, she just felt her own hatred for herself and what a monster her Magic could make her rise all the higher.
Why did she care so much though? That he knew? That he felt it? She was usually ashamed and angry with herself for her Magic.... But she had never been ashamed because of what someone else knew about it.... Grant you, Natsu was the only one who had eaten her Magic, and was probably the only one that felt how dark an evil it was, so deeply ingrained, and not just as a faint feeling on the air.
"... but you've been so nice and kind since then." He murmured softly, she stiffened slightly, her eyes snapping open in surprise. "You do smell good.... And I don't feel tense around you either. You're Magic felt weird, but I don't think you're as dark a person as your Magic feels. It was like you weren't you or a split second... but you've been you since. Nice. Gentle." Her eyes moved toward him, wide and frozen as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little pensive but not at all angry or even uneasy. "You're actually a really nice person, so I guess I'm just surprised you're Magic feels so different from how you really are..... is that why it's hard for you? Cause you're Magic's really freakin' strong, I mean- I haven't felt anyone's Fire as hot as yours before. If you're Magic is dark and you're not, do you have a hard time staying who you are because it's so powerful?" He sighed slightly, "Geez.... I haven't thought this hard about anybody's Magic in a long while, my head kinda hurts doin' it." He chuckled slightly, finally glancing Hora's way as he stiffened, his eyes widening slightly as his jaw went a little slack.
Hora couldn't look away from him, her gaze riveted as she held her arms lightly, her heart fluttering and uncaring of what stream of tears fell from her eyes, glittering in the faint moonlight and what little light glittered from the town below them. Her core felt warm, gently warm, not a raging fire, it was pleasant warm, that same warm she felt when she was with Sting and Rogue and Frosch and Lector..... but this warmth was brighter, lighter.
Sting and Rogue had always made her feel like she was human, that she was more than the monster her Magic made her. They made her body ache less, her heart hurt less.... But she had always hated herself and hated to think what they would do if they found out what her Magic really was, what she really was.
But she had never felt this.... Like maybe she wasn't a monster. That it was just her Magic... and not her. She'd never had anyone tell her that, that she was kind and gentle and that she wasn't dark. That she was separate entirely from her Magic and her Magic hadn't tainted her, destroyed her and broken her down into something evil.
Nor had anyone ever thought to separate her from her Magic, or understood what it did to her like Natsu seemed to in that instant. No one had seen past the dark and twisted, to just see her, believe there was someone under all of it.... Or at least, no one had ever made that distinction so apparent.
She couldn't place this feeling.... It was like relief and shock and sadness and.. happiness, all at once.
"H-huh..?" He stammered, looking entirely unsure on what to do when he saw the tears falling from her eyes. His eyes flashed, his hands moving up slightly as he stumbled for something to say or do. "W-what? What did I say? I wasn't tryin' to-!"
He went rigid, Hora head falling as her arm moved out toward him, her fist lightly pressing against his chest as she stood in stillness, he blinked rapidly, unsure what the gesture was or what it even meant.
She lightly tapped her fist against his chest, ever so softly as she shook her head, her eyes moving back up toward him as she smiled, her tears having already come to a halt.
"... you didn't say anything wrong, Salamander." She said softly, her eyes glinting. He blinked, sweatdropping. ".... It's just... no one's ever separated who I was from what my Magic is.... I've never..... but in your own weird way.... You said everything right." She smiled a little more, he stared, seeing the gentleness appear in her features, the relief. She chuckled a little, her tears coming to a complete halt as she grinned at him slightly. "I thought you were a little clueless before Salamander.... But you're actually pretty great." She laughed, just once, her hand falling away from his chest as she wiped at her eyes softly, before crossing her arms over her chest and taking in a low, slow breath.
Natsu blinked, his mind having a hard time catching up with the sudden development and entirely unsure why his words seemed to have such an impact on her.
"... you... ok..?" He mumbled, not able to come up with anything better in response. She nodded to him, still smiling and more relaxed than he had seen her yet. He blinked again, his jaw closing from having dropped.
He didn't get why what he said seemed to make her happy, and yet so sad all at once.... But he did see how relaxed she was now, less tense, and there was happiness there, and relief.... And honestly he was a little happy she seemed to have perked up a little, especially since in hindsight something he said had made her actually cry. He felt a bit bad about that, but it dissipated when she continued to smile at him... a genuine smile.
For a minute he swore he had seen her somewhere before, but like her scent, he couldn't place what was familiar.
"... well, whatever I said.... I guess... I'm glad you liked it..?" He stammered, smiling nervously himself.
"We're gonna get along just great, Salamander." Hora murmured softly, catching him by slight surprise at the sudden confirmation. "It'll almost be sad to have to cheer against you at the Games." He smiled slightly at that,
"Oi, don't go thinking we're gonna lose to SaberTooth." He countered easily,
"Hehe... I'm excited to see you give it your all." She murmured,
I want to be there..... the Games, not just because of Yukino, or Sting or Rogue.... I actually do want to be there, I have a feeling this year's Games are going to be something spectacular.
The fire in her soul burned brighter, stronger. Resolve, and it was quickly coupled by that rising sense of icy cold.
So.... That's decided then. There's gonna be no losing, no losing to North Wind and no losing myself either.... I'm gonna win, and I'm gonna do it in time for the Games.
'Hmph, you've finally found your flame to follow?'
Chapter 10: Jeihel
Chapter Text
Chapter
10
Jeihel
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, Magic I create, and my own original Ideas
.:+: .
She couldn't see the color of her skin under the pitch, jagged black that covered every inch of it. The black stretched up her hands, her arms, she could feel it's heat as it crawled up her neck, curling over her jaw and just under her eye, too hot, burning like an inferno- and yet it didn't hurt, she couldn't feel it... she couldn't feel anything, she was numb, emotionless.
Cold
She was scratching at the walls, jerking at the chains that kept her pinned under what insane fire was clouding her senses, she saw the blood, red bursting brightly against the black.... so much of the crimson liquid, it was everywhere, and it wasn't hers.
She was screaming, begging and pleading- she had to get herself under control, what part of herself that hadn't been swallowed up by that darkness was bound and helpless in some small, deep, faraway section of her soul- too far away to stop herself... to stop herself from what murder and slaughter she was committing.
Kill, maim, burn... burn it all to the ground, every last soul, every last fiber of what was living, breathing. She was numb to it, even relished in it- the screams, the terror, the pain-
Stop it!
She couldn't make it past the burning dark, she couldn't settle those murderous flames, she was losing herself... she had already lost.
She had finally... turned into it.... a monster
Demon
Hora stifled the panicked gasp she nearly let loose, her eyes snapping open to see the night sky overhead, the sound of the wind whistled through the grass and the sparse few trees, the call of some nocturnal creature sounded from far off.... it was quiet.
She sat up quickly, her hands moving in front of her as she stared down at them, her eyes shinning and no small shred of relief falling over her heart when she saw the tan color of her skin, and not the stained, tar-black and blood.
Her hand's clenched, pressing them against her chest as her head bowed, her teeth gritting and eyes shut tight. She felt a small twinge of pain run through her core, and sorely hoped she wouldn't end up coughing because of it.
... damn it..... those dreams again... I haven't had them in so long..... fuck....
'Calm down.' The voice murmured lowly, she felt a flash of sheer rage run through her in that next instant though.
Shut the hell up, you're no goddamn help, you don't get to tell me to calm down!
'.... the night air is cool, there is no fire.' It pressed, regardless of her snapping at it. Hora sweatdropped, her eyes narrowed to slits as her eyes landed on the grass, shining silver in the moonlight overhead.
'... You understand why the dreams have come again, don't you?' It asked slowly, calmly. Hora stiffened, her jaw clenching.
'You can feel it... smell it... it's getting closer.'
She shook her head furiously, ignoring it now completely and not giving the satisfaction if it were to say anything again. She didn't have the patience... not right now.
Her eyes moved sideways, smiling softly when she spotted Lucy, Natsu, and Happy laying out on the grass together- Lucy tucked away in her sleeping bag while Natsu and Happy invaded her space in their sleep, but the blonde didn't wake up... In fact Hora saw small wisps of a smile on her face instead. She let out a low breath, her panic falling as she looked toward them, before turning away and getting to her feet quietly.
She had no real want to go back to sleep, not if it would land her in that dream again... So she'd walk a bit.
She and the Fairy Tailers had set out that morning, crossing back over into their own Country from Veronica as they headed back toward the area in which North Wind had been running rampant. They wouldn't be near anywhere where they could sniff out another North Wind Mage until a bit after they started off again, so after having been walking the entire day they had stopped for the night.
The Fairy Tailers were pleasant, and kind. She would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy their company, and though she was still a bit nervous at times- even she had warmed up to them rather quickly. Lucy was the more level-headed and mature of the three, though she seemed to have a short temper at times (mostly at the teasing from the boys, or their foolish tendencies), she was kind though, and friendly... And snap as much as she did, Hora could still see that Lucy cared for Natsu and Happy deeply.
Happy was a goofball and a bit oblivious maybe, but he was cheerful and had an innocence that reminded her of Frosch... But also a mischievous side that was oh so much like Lector.
And Natsu, he was energetic and maybe a bit oblivious too- but friendly and funny. It still caught her off guard at how at ease he seemed with her, there was hardly a time he wasn't without that toothy grin of his.... But given what he said last night, she liked him, a lot, and she smiled back. Genuinely.
Despite herself she quickly started treating him a bit more roughly, poking fun at him and teasing where usually she would have kept more manners and politeness with other people. She had even had to catch herself earlier, before she knocked her fist against his shoulder- a friendly gesture, coming from her... And maybe she'd allow herself, later. She felt just about as comfortable with the Salamander as she had with Lyon, it was a nice feeling.... She liked him even more because of what he had said, about her and her Magic.
He gave her some sort of... Maybe hope was the word, that she wasn't that monster that her dreams told her she was. That her Magic didn't define who she was... But she supposed time would tell if he was right.
Brother.... I do hope he is right.... I want him to be right about me... I really do.
She shook her head at herself slightly.
... Natsu was like Sting, she noticed that too. Which maybe wasn't a surprise given he had been Sting's role model when the White Dragon Slayer was a kid, they were both bright and friendly and deep down they were loyal and caring. They were both also somewhat foolish and idiots at times, Natsu seemed to have that habit of speaking before he thought about it at times- Sting struggled with that too. They didn't mean offense maybe, but sometimes they just stepped into a mess... It's how they were.
Hora sighed slightly, her eyes trailing up toward the moon overhead as she trudged down the grassy slope, far enough away from the Fairy Tailers she didn't worry about being heard, but still close enough- just in case something happened, though she doubted it would.
She hooked her arms behind her back, her eyes falling closed as the breeze whistled through the grass, ruffling her hair and making the braided piece at the front brush against her cheek.
She blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly when she felt a pulse of warmth flash through her fingers- it was a familiar feeling, a small, faint indicator that Drille had finished his delivery and the flame that gave him life had consumed him entirely. She wasn't altogether surprised it had taken the small creature an entire day to deliver the letter... She was of course on the edge of the country, and from where Sting and Rogue usually trained for the Games- they were on the other end almost. Total, opposite directions with thousands and thousands of miles between her and them... And it felt like worlds.
She sighed though, if Drille had been burned up just now, it was late and they were probably asleep. She smiled sadly at that small flicker of disappointment that settled in her heart... But she could wait another day.
That was if Drille delivered the letter at all, she had no clue if Minerva was around or not.
There was a surge of anger at the sheer thought of the woman, she bit the inside of her cheek to try and settle it.
She sat down cross-legged in the grass, her fingers picking absentmindedly at blades here and there, plucking them up from the ground and twirling them in her fingers.
Her eyes narrowed, a pulse of Magic moving from her fingers to the grass, the green set alight in a small, concise flicker of flame that turned it to nothing but ash in seconds.
There was that other feeling of disappointment in her heart... And one she was all too familiar with.
.... Hmph.... So why do I have to deal with that bloody bastards voice in my head then....?
She stopped herself, still not wanting to talk to it, and less so give it reason to bud in.
Bling..!
Her heart jumped, a sudden chime of a low, soft bell ringing on the air around her. She abandoned what ash had settled in her hand, reaching around as she pulled the faintly glowing card from her back pocket- one of those same two cards she had been working on last night. The surface of it shone in the dim, the words 'Idiots Calling' blinking across the face with four small depictions of them dancing along the edges.
Her eyes shone, her breath catching in her throat as her heart sped up a bit faster.
Holy hell..... Is this thing actually working?! And on my first try to make something, anything like it?!
This sort of Magic was new to her of course, she could use Picto Magic that was born of her own Magic, but something used to communicate directly was a first for her. She had made the cards, experimenting with the Magic and trying to use her own to Mimic what Magic she had felt from the Calling Card Lucy had. She hoped they would work- but hadn't been sure they would (as she had mentioned in the letter she had sent with it, that the Cards were a new thing for her and a prototype. Hora was fairly good at most basic sorts of Magic and in instances her base Magic was quite flexible, but even she had limits.. ), a part of her had been a little concerned with how new this Magic was that she wouldn't get it quite right. But the sudden life in the Card had her hopes jumping a bit higher,
She lightly tapped the card face, the words blinking away as the image appeared across it's surface, four faces she knew oh so well peering closely (maybe a bit too closely) up at her as they all crowded around it.
Her lips pulled at the edges, her heart fluttering.
"... It worked..." She breathed, her voice wispy in disbelief.
"Hora!!" Sting and Lector snapped,
"Atia!" Frosch piped in,
"Hey! What's with the sudden letter?!" Sting questioned immediately,
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?!" Rogue asked, his voice feverish as he looked up from the screen, struggling for space as Sting pushed his face farther into view.
"Did something happen?!"
"It worked!!" She exclaimed happily, too caught up in her own excitement to notice or even really register the questions they were asking in what seemed like an interrogation. Her hands shot up, holding the card between them as she beamed up at the screen, before she hugged it to her chest, grinning like an idiot maybe, but this- this was exciting for her.
She'd attempted an entirely new form of Magic and a new way of using her own, and got it on the first try!
She'd told Lucy before that she took pleasure in the small things- and this was one of those things.
Thank you Lucy, for showing me that Card! And thank you Cana for creating something so freaking cool!!
She pulled the card back in front of her, still smiling in triumph and pleasure as she finally focused on them entirely, jabbing her thumb to her chest as she shot them a smirk through the screen.
"Am I good or what? I got these cards to work on the first try boys, you should be impressed!" She smirked still, chuckling. "I'd never even heard of Magic Items like this! Isn't it cool? They're like Communication Lacrima, only smaller and easier to carry around- it's a completely new kind of Magic for me, and an even newer type of Enchantment Picto Magic. And I did it on my first attempt- hehe, that is freakin' cool!" She smiled, her eyes glinting as she looked down at them and the utterly deadpan stares she was receiving. Her excitement and rambling slowed, she blinked a few times, her head tilting at them. "... What?"
"WE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, HORA!!!"
They snapped all at once, looking frustrated as she blinked, sweatdropping.
"..eh? Why?" She asked quickly,
"You never send any letters while we're Training!" Rogue snapped,
"And Drille said it was important! And then disappeared right away!!" Sting had pressed his face closer to the card, looking absolutely agitated and rather annoyed.
"We get an important letter out of nowhere, knowing you're out on some dangerous mission! What the hell were we supposed to think!?" They snapped in unison, Hora blinked once as she simply looked at them, they were all a little red in the face out of frustration- and it finally hit her how panicked they had looked when she answered the card.
Despite herself, she smiled at them, a small, soft smile as she chuckled under her breath.
"Hehe... I'm sorry I freaked you out, but nothing's wrong." She replied softly, her blue gaze glinting. "I just wanted to see you guys, that's all, and I'll have a talk with Drille about defining 'important' between emergency and casual. I'm sorry you were worried for no reason." They seemed to collectively bite the inside of their cheeks, sweatdropping as they tried to simmer down at the apology. She rest her cheek in her hand, her elbow falling on her knee.
Internally, her heart clenched a little, they wouldn't have been panicking if they hadn't already been worried about her even before the letter arrived. Which meant they had been concerned since she left, and she hated that thought.
"..... Are you really ok?" Sting asked at length, his voice lowering on the other end. She could see the worry glittering in his eyes,
"... You're not hurt or anything? And Over-Drive isn't...?" Rogue mumbled,
"I promise, I am fine." Hora smiled softly, "Over-Drive hasn't been giving me any trouble, either. I've just been dodging between towns looking for information, there haven't been any really major fights either."
Outside of the one she had met the Fairy Tailers in... But for someone with her skill that battle hadn't been major.
"..... You sure?" They nearly deadpanned the question, Hora smirked slightly.
"Would you like me to strip and prove it to you?" She quipped back easily, earning the desired effect when both Sting and Rogue turned bright red, steam coming from their heads and averting their eyes, as they fell out of view of the card face. She laughed, seeing Lector and Frosch shaking their heads in exasperation.
"..... You're awful." She heard Sting's voice in the background.
"..... That's not funny, Hora." Rogue grumbled, she couldn't help but laugh again.
"Oh I think it is." She replied lightly, smiling toothily at Lector who seemed to be the one holding the card aloft now. "Hey Lector, how have you been? Sting and Rogue been acting like idiots without me there to keep an eye on them?" She smiled, Lector smiled a little in return.
"Pretty good!" he smirked, his eyes glinting as he gestured a paw behind him toward the still out of sight forms of Sting and Rogue. "The Lady is still on her job so Training has been fun, everyone has been helping Yukino out. Without the Lady around they've been more outgoing, but they haven't done anything dumb, yet." Lector replied, "Yukino is already really good! You should have seen her beat Sting-kun at hand to hand combat yesterday! He didn't hardly stand a chance." Lector shrugged, smiling in slight exasperation, Hora smiled,
"Oi!" Sting grumbled hotly
"Oh I don't doubt he lost." Hora chuckled, "I've brawled with Yukino a few times, she's one strong lady."
"Sting-kun is still the strongest though!" Lector announced, defending his Partner as he usually did.
"Rogue-kun is great too!" Frosch added,
"How is Yukino doing?" Hora murmured,
"She's workin' real hard, she doesn't seem all that nervous but I think she is." Lector replied, Hora sweatdropped slightly, she didn't doubt that.
"Well, as you long as you four keep looking out for her I won't have to worry too much." Hora murmured,
"We are." Sting popped back into view,
"We promised we would, Hora." Rogue murmured softly, he seemed to have collected himself as well.
"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch mewed,
"You bet." Lector smirked, Hora smiled a little more at the replies.
"And your promise, Hora?" Rogue murmured lowly, she smiled slightly, that familiar feeling of sadness run through her core, she could see it in their eyes... And fear too.
"Yeah, don't think we're gonna let you get away with breaking it." Sting murmured,
"I know you won't." She murmured softly. "Like I said, I'm gonna do my best. You know how strong I am, right boys? It'll be OK, there's no way I'm gonna lose."
Not when losing means you're put in danger.... Not when losing means I'll never see you again either.
She smirked slightly, "Don't go doubting me now! I'm gonna be back before you even know it."
Natsu blinked, his eyes resting on the night sky above him with his arms hooked behind his head. He'd been pulled from sleep at the sound of some bell ringing, and noticed that Hora wasn't near. Her scent still hanging on the air told him she was still close and from the sound of her voice he could tell she had gone down the hill some, even without having to get up and look- a Dragon Slayer's hearing didn't have a hard time picking her out in the quiet of the night.
It didn't take much effort to hear the happiness in her voice, he found himself smiling slightly at the tone- though he found himself listening intently to the four new voices that had popped up (presumably from the Card she mentioned in the midst of her celebration it had 'worked'). He didn't recognize the voices, but the names Sting and Rogue jumped out.
Why wouldn't they? The Twin Dragons of SaberTooth had caught his attention the moment he had been told about them, and more so for what cocky, brash and violent behavior that Guild had described them in. (Not to mention how strong they were supposed to be- and being Dragon Slayers was always an interest).
In that instant though... He didn't get what the Guild thought these guys were jerks. They didn't sound like that, not with how they were talking with Hora. What worry had made its way into their voices straight off had him reeling slightly, it was genuine worry, they sounded like they really cared about her and her safety.
End then- even the way Hora's voice lowered when she answered them, like she was sad she had worried them over anything at all.. and then the teasing? The entire sound of the conversation was content, easy- the sort of conversation only people who had known each other a long time and grown close could have had. He recalled Hora calling them her friends, and he could tell how true it was- just by listening.
He did frown slightly, sweatdropping once the unknown mention of 'Over-Drive' came into the conversation- it clearly meant something to them, but he hadn't a clue what it was.
He didn't dwell on it, not even when it sounded like Hora had made some promise to come back (which faintly made him wonder why she thought she wouldn't). Their voices lightened, adopting a soft, easy tenor as their conversation steered toward catching up with one another... It reminded him of his own conversations with Lucy.
Natsu smiled softly, his eyes falling closed as he allowed himself to lull off into sleep with the sound of their soft voices and laughter.
"Salamander."
Natsu paused at the sound of Hora's voice behind him, his attention having been cast ahead toward the ever approaching city-line of Jeihel. Lucy and Happy came to a pause too, though they had stopped sooner, already being in view of the Saber girl where Natsu had had his back to her.
He stopped, glancing backward to see her eyes weren't on him, instead her head was tilted to the side, searching the hills out to their right. To which they had been crossing the grassy planes since earlier that morning, moving ever closer to that next town they would be searching through- and mostly in content, light chatter with one another. Hora had been listening to Happy and Lucy argue back and forth for a little while, before her attention caught something else.
"What?" He murmured, his own head tilting at her.
"..... Do you hear that?" She asked at length, her blue eyes narrowed as she listened intently to that faint whisper, and buzzing noise that had caught her attention, even among the louder noises of the Fairy Tailers and the wind.
Lucy and Happy both blinked in question, Natsu paused, before glancing away in the direction Hora was, his own ears straining to pick out what she seemed to have noticed.
Natsu blinked, an eyebrow quirking as his head tilted a bit, a look of concentration working its way into his face as he strained- he heard... Something. Something faint, so faint he had a hard time picking it out- and he slightly wondered just how Hora managed to.
.... It almost sounded like electricity, but it was muffled and muddied.... And even then electricity didn't seem right to describe it.
"... ah... I mean yeah, I guess I do..." Natsu mumbled, his hand running along the back of his neck as he sweatdropped. ".... it's real quiet though, and I don't really know where it's comin' from, or what it is." He glanced toward Hora, who was still glancing away from the lot of them, her deep blue gaze narrowed to slits and sweatdropping slightly. "Why? You think it's somethin' important?" He asked,
There was a long few moments of silence between them, Hora bit the inside of her cheek, taking in a small breath.
The wind picked up over the grass and the hills, destroying what little she had managed to catch onto that sound- something like buzzing, subdued though, and almost naturally in a way.
... that was odd... for a minute I swore it sounded like.... well, voices.
'... I heard it as well, though it seems to have vanished now.' The voice butted in quietly, it did nothing to settle what tenseness that suddenly crept into the pit of her stomach.
Hora looked away slowly, shaking her head as her eyes moved to catch Natsu's.
".. no... I guess not." She murmured, shrugging slightly. "I was just... wondering, I guess. Making sure I haven't lost my mind."
'... now that is debatable.'
"This place is completely empty." Lucy murmured, blinking in slight shock as she glanced around on either side of them, the city a dim, grim collection of empty buildings and silence. Hora sweatdropped slightly, glancing around too as their small band made their way through the empty streets- senses on high alert for any sign of... well, anything. There didn't seem to have been a living person in Jeihel in years.
"It's like an actual ghostown." Happy murmured, floating near Natsu's shoulder and looking around with wide curious eyes.
Natsu's nose twitched, a frown pulling at his face and hands on his hips. "I don't smell anythin' either, it's like nobody's lived here in a long while."
"But how does an entire city full of people just... disappear?" Lucy murmured, "When we asked around everyone said that Jeihel may be a place where some of the North Wind Mages have been hiding out, but there is no around. Wouldn't someone have mentioned no one lives here before when we were asking about it?"
"Hmm..." Hora hummed lowly, her arms crossing over her chest and eyes narrowed as she came to a slow halt, their group coming upon a small open square, the cobble street underfoot dirty and the fountain in the center long since stopped running- the basin that was meant for water had been flooded with dirt and debris and left untouched. The Fairy Tailers around her came to a slow halt too, still glancing around at the dark buildings and dirty windows.
"OI!" Natsu's voice broke the silence rather abrasively as his voice raised, echoing slightly. "Anyone here?! Where is everybody?!"
"Would you quit that?!" Lucy snapped lowly,
"Eh? Why?"
Hora sweatdropped slightly at his loudness, shaking her head slightly as she let out a breath- she heard the unmistakable sound of Lucy's hand smacking against the pinkette's shoulder though her eyes had moved from them and toward the distant green shine of the hills they had left behind outside the confines of the empty city.
It was odd though, because Jeihel had been one of those places Hora herself had been told to be a possible location of more North Wind Mages hiding out. But the lack of life and the deathly silence settled over everything was rather eerie, and she felt a shiver run up her spine a moment.
... I do not like this, at all.
"... maybe you ought to tone it down a little, Salamander." Hora murmured quietly, her voice halting what argument had sprouted between the blonde and the pinkette so suddenly. Her hand moved up, her index finger extended as a sudden burst of deep crimson flame began to dance from her finger, another flash of pitch black erupted, the marking running along the skin of said finger- Hora moved her hand before her in air, a dozen or so small, compact bursts of the flame manifesting before her like fluttering little animals, before taking off in opposite directions over the city. She remained still for a few moments, her eyes turned to they sky as those same bursts of flame flashed overhead- each one of them in the shape of an 'X'.
".... so there really isn't a single person here." Hora murmured, the black that had appeared across her skin fading. "At least... on the surface, there might be something we can't see underground."
"I can check that easy!" Lucy popped in, smiling as Hora glanced around to her- the blonde's hand already holding lightly to a gold key that glinted in the sunlight overhead.
"Open! Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!"
In a flash of gold and the sound of something like a bell ringing, a young woman with bright pink hair and blue eyes wearing a Maid outfit appeared before Lucy, her hands clasped in front of her and bowing a moment.
"Good day, Princess." The Spirit said evenly. "Time for punishment?"
Hora blinked, stiffening slightly at the rather odd and unnerving question, her eyes flicked toward Lucy in question only to see the blonde blushing slightly in embarrassment.
"N-no!" Lucy said quickly, shaking her head and looking a little mortified when she noticed Hora had glanced her way. "Virgo, can you please make a few tunnels and check there isn't anything hidden under the town?"
"At once, Princess." Virgo bowed again, before promptly disappearing down a large hole that appeared below her feet.
".... Eh... 'Punishment'..?" Hora murmured, smiling slightly as Lucy seemed to draw in on herself in embarrassment.
"... I swear I'm not that weird." Lucy mumbled, "... Virgo's just like that... I'm not a pervert or anything.... I promise.."
Hora chuckled slightly, Lucy blushed slightly at the sudden amusement from the Saber girl, biting the inside of her cheek and letting out a sigh. She shot Natsu and Happy a small glare when she saw them both smirking at her.
".... I'm sure you're nothing like that, Lucy." Hora smiled pleasantly, "I get it, Yukino's Spirits have their own little quirks too." Lucy blinked, looking interested,
She didn't have any time to inquire about the comment though, not before their eyes turned toward Virgo as she popped back up from the ground with little a care and ever a neutral expression.
"There is nothing suspect under the town, Princess." Virgo informed, Lucy nodded though she looked a bit disappointed at the news.
"Alright, thank you for checking, Virgo." Lucy smiled, Virgo smiled, dipping her head to the blonde.
"Of course, Princess."
Virgo disappeared in a dim ray of gold, leaving the four of them in the silent town.
"... So, we back to square one?" Natsu mumbled, hooking his hands behind his head and entirely unconcerned. Lucy sighed a little,
"...... I suppose." She mumbled, "... But something about this still... Doesn't feel right....." Natsu blinked at her,
".... I guess so." He replied lowly, "... It is weird, I'll give ya that Luce. It's real quiet.... But if there's nothin' here there's no point sticking around."
"Where are we gonna look next though?" Happy intoned, his head tilting. Natsu shrugged slightly,
"We could try another of the towns we heard mentioned." Lucy replied, "Traveling there will take a bit longer, though."
"What do you think, Hora?" Natsu asked easily, his attention turning from his Guild-mates to the Saber woman- who thinking on it then, had been a little quiet for a bit.
Hora was glancing over their heads, her eyes narrowed on the clear, empty blue sky overhead and her attention casting to everything but the Fairy Tailers and whatever it was they were talking about.
.... Jeihel shouldn't be empty...... a whole town doesn't just disappear... even if the people here did leave because of North Wind and what they've been doing, there should have been news about it.. and even then there would probably be at least one person left.... this town is way too big for everyone to just vanish.
Her eyes narrowed to slits, as she bit down on the inside of her cheek and let out a low, wary breath.
... this place..... it's odd, but it almost feels like it's out of some weird dream... like none of it's authentic, real.
'.... very odd indeed.' The voice grumbled lowly, '... though it is not an illusion, you would have seen through it by now.'
Not an illusion, no. The Buildings were real enough, they just seemed.... fake, sort of. If they had been made out of Magic she would have picked up on it after having walked through the town just a little bit, she was perceptive that way. Where maybe most people would be fooled by an image conjured by Magic, and remained fooled- she could see it, but the illusion was seen through fairly quickly, especially so when she was actively focusing on her surroundings- as she had been doing since walking into the confines of the town.
Her feet were bringing her forward toward one of the many empty, silent buildings before she had any time to think about what she was doing. She stopped outside the door and tapped her fist against the frame, blinking in slight surprise at the thin, light sound that came with it... the walls were thinner than they really should have been to serve as proper buildings, now that she was thinking about it.
..... this feels really wrong.
"Hmm?"
Hora's attention snapped back to reality when she noticed for the first time that Lucy had drawn up beside her, the blonde's chocolate gaze moving along the building Hora faced and looking skeptical for a moment, her arms hooked behind her back as she seemed to muse over what she was seeing.
"..... Find something?" Lucy asked without glancing Hora's way,
"... maybe... I don't know." Hora mumbled, "... it's just... the buildings seem a bit too barren. And the way they're made, I'm having a hard time picturing anyone living in them. They aren't built like normal." Lucy blinked at the words, her hand moving forward to tap her own knuckles against the wall, her eyes narrowing in thought.
"... you're right." Lucy murmured quietly, tilting sideways to take a glance inside the window. ".... there hasn't been a lot of furniture or anything, and the building materials seem really cheap. It's been that way with all the buildings we've seen too." Hora nodded slightly in agreement, sweatdropping slightly as she felt a shiver run down her spine for a moment- though she didn't know why.
"So the buildings are made of cheap stuff?" Happy asked, floating forward toward Lucy's shoulder. "That seems like poor planning for a whole town, wouldn't their roofs and stuff break all the time if it weren't made right?"
"Yeah, not just roofs and things. Their walls would probably leak and crack if the weather got a little rough." Lucy replied,
"Maybe that's why everybody left?" Happy suggested, Lucy grimaced slightly at the idea, not looking convinced in the slightest.
Hora wasn't convinced either, but her eyes had moved sideways along the street, surveying the other buildings slowly.
"... so like, the whole city is a big dump?" Natsu mumbled, stopping on the other side of Hora from where Lucy had drawn up.
"More like.... it's sort of...... inauthentic." Lucy replied, pausing slightly to come up with the word. A word to which both Happy and Natsu seemed to blink at,
".... you sayin' it's a big fake, Luce?" Natsu mumbled, though there was a seriousness that crept into his voice as he said the words- a seriousness matched in Lucy's expression in nearly the same instant.
"It's a trap." Hora grumbled lowly, eyes narrowed to slits and shoulders tight as she immediately tensed up- that same odd feeling intensifying and changing into foreboding all in an instant.
The reason it felt so fake? Is because it was. Her thoughts clicked together in the next instant- and the only explanation that made sense was this city, the whole of it- was a ruse.
And we walked right into it, damn it!
"A trap?!" Happy echoed quickly, but hardly any of the other three heard him say anything at all.
All of their eye snapped down to the sudden glow of gold and red that began to shine brightly under their feet, the streets and the spaces between the cobbles glittering as a massive Magic Circle stretched out under their feet in an instant- and the feel of Magic Energy rising rammed into them all. Hora let out a low growl, her fists clenched at her sides and heart jumping in shock, beside her Natsu had immediately moved to grab hold of Lucy, whilst Happy rammed into the blonde's neck, holding on for dear life and looking scared out of his fur.
"What the hell?!" Natsu growled,
"A Magic Circle?!" Lucy exclaimed in shock,
"What's going on?!" Happy asked quickly,
"Shit!" Hora hissed under her breath, taking a step sideways and mind racing for some reaction- she felt Magic not just under their feet, but something else too- something heavy that suddenly had her feeling as if Gravity had tripled, and she could hardly keep her eyes open as drowsiness settled in.
... this feels.... like a sleeping.. Spell....
A quick glance sideways saw that the Fairy Tailers were looking off balance and dizzy too, Hora swallowed.
Her hand swept out in a line before her, her skin along her arm turning jet black as a deep crimson flame flared around them, forming a circle around their group just as the light of the Magic Circle gleamed brighter than ever, and they couldn't see anything outside of it's glow.
It felt like the ground had disappeared from under their feet altogether, and Hora's mind teetered on the edge of forced unconsciousness as they were all sent into a sudden free-fall.
H...how the hell... did we walk... right into.. a... a god damned... trap...?! Why didn't I... see it... coming...?!
Chapter 11: Caged
Chapter Text
Chapter 11
Caged
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, Magic I create, and my own original Ideas
.:+: .
'You almost lost it just then... You let your anger get the better of you. That's very dangerous, and reckless.... especially around these people.'
Damn it know, quit patronizing me, asshole.
'.... Watch yourself. Anger at me will do nothing but make it worse.'
I'm more pissed off at these assholes.... First a trap and now they try this bullshit?
'... Channel that anger. Focus. It will take some time, but you can unbind yourself.'
...Tch... Yeah, from these people.... But even then I'm not free.
'.... Its a waiting game. Be patient.'
I hate waiting games.
'I am so painfully aware... '
Natsu grumbled slightly, his eyes fluttering open to dim, blue-grey light and a stone roof overhead. The floor was cold underneath him and the scent of must and stone and moisture hit his nose immediately- along with something sharper, something like..... Sour blood. And death.
He jumped up in an instant, his heart racing and mind whirling as he tried to come to terms with where they were- remembering instantly they had been caught in some Magic Trap before he fell asleep against his will.
"Lucy?! Happy?!" He snapped, his eyes darting about the space and landing instantly on Lucy's blonde hair from where she was laying, sprawled slightly across the stone floor and fast asleep. Happy was laid out not far from her, mumbling in his sleep about food and fish as Natsu jumped up, eyes glinting in slight panic and on his feet in seconds.
He nearly tripped, the clink of metal sounding slightly, his eyes darting downward to see the thick, metal cuffs around his wrists, the surface etched in by runes of which he hadn't any clue how to read.
His eyes snapped forward again though, moving quickly up beside Lucy as his hand fell lightly on her shoulder.
"Oi! Lucy!" He snapped quickly, shaking her slightly as she let out a low grumble, her gaze blinking open drowsily as she glanced up at him slowly
"...huh.. ? Natsu....?" She mumbled,
"Hey, you OK?" He asked quickly, she seemed a bit unsure of the question for a few seconds, before nodding slightly.
"...yeah, I think so." She replied softly, Natsu nodded once before turning his head to look at Happy.
"Oi! Happy! Wake up!" The pinkette snapped, Happy grumbled, rolling over and looking dazed.
"...huh...? What's going on...?" Happy asked slowly, trying to focus on their surrounding's as best he could. "..... Didn't we... Get sucked into some... Kinda Magic...?"
"... That's right.." Lucy murmured, her focus and her thoughts clearing up from sleeping quickly. She sat up, looking around the stone walls and floors uncertainly, her eyes immediately landing on the metal bars ahead of them, keeping them locked in a cage. She sweatdropped, her eyes falling to those metal cuffs with the strange markings that were clamped tightly around her wrists- just as they were for Happy and Natsu alike.
"These look like Magic Nullification Chains." She muttered, looking all the more uneasy as her hand instinctively fell to her belt- only to find her Keys were missing. "My Spirits!" she breathed, a sinking feeling in her stomach and panic rising quickly.
Natsu looked her way in surprise, frowning when he realized her Keys had been taken away- before his eyes snapped around,
"Where the hell is Hora..?!" He hissed, his words causing both Lucy and Happy to stiffen, eyes wide and looking even more panicked. He saw no sign of the Saber woman in the cell they occupied, and her missing had his pulse racing a bit higher.
"Oh no!" Happy exclaimed,
"She's missing?!" Lucy stammered,
"I swear I'm gonna tear these bastards apart!" Natsu snapped, his fists snapping around the iron bars keeping them trapped, "OI!!! Show yourselves!!" His voice rose and bounced off the stone and metal harshly, the space outside their cell gave way to a long, dim and dark corridor that stretched away too far to see the end. "Where the hell are we?! Where's Hora?!"
"Salamander, shut up."
Natsu's angry yelling ceased in an instant, the heads of the Fairy Tail Wizards snapping around to their right at the sudden low, slightly flinty voice.
Their gazes focused on the faint flicker of light that bounced from Hora's deep blue gaze, the Saber woman leaning against the stone wall with her shoulder and her arms hooked around her knees slightly. She was in a separate cell entirely, the bars shared between her cell and theirs and Hora backed up against the farthest wall from them. She cast them a small, low look, the clink of metal sounding on the air again from where the same cuffs the Fairy Tailers wore could be seen on Hora's own wrists- but unlike the Fairy Tailers', those cuffs were attached by a short length of chain between them, and mirrored with cuffs on her ankles (to which her boots had been taken from her and left her in the fishnet stockings she wore underneath them), with a similarly short chain connecting the ankle cuffs to a welded bolt and ring in the stone floor. She was pinned by that chain, she couldn't shift more than a foot or two let alone even attempt to move around the cell- and she hated that.
There was a small flash of relief that passed over the Fairy Tailer's faces at the sight of her, happy she wasn't in any more harms way than they were and glad they hadn't been split apart. They had climbed to their feet in their panic and now all three of them quickly moved toward the bars that kept them at bay from Hora's cell, their relief replaced almost instantly by surprise and worry.
Hora had been wearing long sleeves the entire time she had been in the company of the Fairy Tailers- but now they could see that her right sleeve had been torn away, leaving the skin bare and the scar that stretched down the length of her arm in full view- well, near full view, if her skin all up that arm hadn't been stained and stretched across by those peculiar pitch dark markings that seemed to appear whenever her Magic came into play. And now markings that seemed persistent to stay even when it would have been impossible for Hora to be using Magic with the Magic Nullification Chains they all wore.
The Fairy Tailers found their eyes drawn to the scar and the markings in slight, rigid awe- before their eyes snapped away and they frowned, Natsu's jaw clenching slightly as the tang of blood hit his nose- fresh blood.
"...h...Hora!" Lucy stammered quickly, her eyes flashing. "You're bleeding!"
"You Ok?!" Natsu demanded in the same instant Lucy let the words make it past her lips. Both their eyes locked to the shimmer of blood trickling down Hora's skin and from two small slices running through she side of her leg, leaving a few small crimson droplets on the stone where she was sitting ever so still.
Hora shifted, her hands drawing up to her face as she pressed a finger to her lips in sign of silence, her expression serious as she let out a small hiss, shushing them quickly.
"Keep it down!" She snapped quietly, her ears ringing almost painfully at how abrasive their voices seemed in the dead silence all around them. "Seriously, try not to be so loud, last thing we need is for those bastards to come charging in right now." They blinked at the words, looking a little stunned and unsure of what she was talking about, and a little taken aback by the sudden order.
Hora's hands fell away from her face again, hooking around her knees once more as the black markings along her arm stretched down toward her hand a bit more, leaving less of her skin visible to the point her entire hand was nearly black.
"... Are you okay?" Both Lucy and Natsu asked the question simultaneously, their voices dropping to a more manageable level as Hora blinked.
"... Yeah, its just a few scratches, nothing bad." She assured lightly, tilting her head with a small shrug.
"What happened? Where are we?" Lucy asked quietly,
"And why are you locked up all the way over there?" Natsu murmured, his eyes flashing slightly.
"There was a Transportation Spell set up over that fake town, and when it activated we got sent to sleep and dropped here." Hora explained lightly, "From what I can tell there's a Group of North Wind Mages holed up here, they've set the town up as a trap to catch people unaware and keep them as Slaves to sell to one of the smaller countries outside of our own."
"Slaves?!" Happy and Lucy exclaimed, looking mortified while Natsu looked all the more agitated.
"How long have we been asleep?" Lucy asked after a moment,
"A few hours." Hora murmured, earning shocked looks and faces at the news. "I was only asleep for a few minutes after the Spell activated, though it was long enough they'd already managed to put these damn cuffs on me." Hora grimaced slightly, looking considerably agitated at the thought.
Her fists clenched into balls, her eyes flashing slightly in the dim.
Patience, Hora...
She let out a low, hot breath, shaking her head at herself.
"..... As for why I'm all the way over here," she grumbled, turning her attention toward Natsu's question. "... Apparently punching a few guys in the face didn't sit well. They chained me to the floor to keep me from being too much of a fuss."
Punching a few people was downplaying it slightly, to be honest she had gotten so worked up and so angry so fast she didn't even notice she'd been cut. The cuffs kept her from using Magic (lucky for them, otherwise this whole place would be on fire), but even without Magic her sudden rage had been substantial, and the ensuing conflict quite... Violent.
Her eyes flicked downward toward her hands, seeing the bruising along her knuckles already starting to form, and sweatdropping upon seeing the markings on her right hand consume her skin just a little bit more.
"You punched some guys?" Natsu smirked slightly, looking amused for half a second as Lucy let out a breath. "Hehe, good goin'!"
"Not so great when you get chained up, though." Hora replied quietly, smiling ruefully for a small moment.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Lucy asked quietly, Hora blinked, looking surprised a moment- like there seemed to be something.... Searching, behind that look Lucy gave her just then.
Hora shook the thought away, nodding slightly.
"Yeah, I'm alright." Hora replied quietly, "... A little miffed at these North Wind assholes... But fine."
'....'miffed' isn't quite the word I would use.'
Shut up
"... Alright, but what are we gonna do know?" Lucy questioned softly, her eyes trailing toward the hallway and around the area slowly. "... If we can't use Magic, it's going to be very hard to get out of these cells." The blonde grimaced a little, her eyes narrowing as she glanced up the corridor. "...... Did you... See them take my Keys, Hora?" Lucy asked, looking uneasy at the very idea as Hora seemed to grimace a little too.
"... Yeah, sorry." Hora replied softly, "... The guy who's in charge has them, they threw me in here before I could manage to get them back for you." Lucy blinked in slight surprise at the words, before nodding slightly.
"Thank you for trying." Lucy smiled faintly, Hora swallowed slightly.
A lot of good trying did... Damn it.
"..... Maybe Loke will check in." Lucy mumbled, almost half to herself. "..... Though knowing him, the minute he comes through his Gate we'll hear a huge fuss..... I almost hope he doesn't." Hora's head tilted slightly, eyebrow quirked at the words and quite lost- more so when Happy and Natsu nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I don't want him gettin' all the fun of fighting these guys before I do." Natsu smirked,
"Aye sir!" Happy smirked, Lucy shook her head in slight exasperation at both.
"..that's really not why I don't want him coming through his Gate right now..." Lucy sighed half to herself. But for now she seemed to leave it alone, all three of the Fairy Tailers, and too quickly for Hora to even question what they were talking about.
....o....OK.......
Hora shook her head slightly, smiling, just that little bit, her lips twitching at the corners despite that agitation and simmering rage.
.... These guys are weird.....
"Come on, these bars can't be that strong." Natsu mumbled, his hands tightening around the metal poles as he attempted to try and pull them, his face turning bright red with the effort of it.
"The spaces in between aren't big enough for me to squeeze through." Happy mumbled, gauging the space and sweatdropping.
"We can't stay here though. Or we'll end up as... Slaves.." Lucy mumbled, her eyes narrowed in thought and glancing about warily, quickly, trying to piece together some plan and some way out of the jam they were in. ".... If Jeihel was a trap, was there ever a real city?"
"... I think so." Hora murmured, earning Lucy's eyes after a moment. "..... But I think maybe, they put up some enchantment to lead us on the wrong path toward the fake version- bypassing the real city entirely."
That was at least the explanation she had put together from listening to the North Wind Mages chat and what she remembered when they had been crossing the meadows... When she thought she had heard voices and yet couldn't see where they came from.
It almost sounded like electricity, but it was muffled and muddied.... And even then electricity didn't seem right to describe it. It was like a buzzing, subdued and muted unnaturally- and yet she knew she had heard it, the distant sound of voices, that sounded trapped behind something heavy..... At a guess?
Somewhere in their travel on the road to Jeihel they had come across a section that had been diverted- a wall of Magic sprung up around the city with the intent of keeping the real Jeihel from all outside view, so that only the distant view of that fake city could be seen, and travelers would be drawn toward it. It must have been that wall of Magic that had muffled and distorted whatever noise was coming from the actual city, and accounted for the unnatural humm she had heard when passing it by.
Why she didn't notice a wall of Magic off in the distance was beyond her, she should have noticed it right away and hadn't. Even looking out across the meadow, she should have eventually seen something amiss, seen through whatever illusion... And yet she never had, though she had been looking, and that thought pissed her off.
"...that's a pretty elaborate plan." Lucy mumbled, "...I wonder how many people they've captured....?"
"They ain't gonna trap anybody else." Natsu grumbled, "Cause we're gonna break out and stop them."
"Aye sir!" Happy cheered brightly, looking determined.
"Shh!" Lucy and Hora shushed him simultaneously, their eyes glinting in the dim as Happy flinched, smiling nervously.
"...sorry..." He mumbled,
"Oi?! Shut up in there!!!"
The four of them stiffened, eyes flicking down the corridor toward the sudden shout that sounded from the dim, angry and agitated, and echoing off the stone walls oddly. Hora swallowed, her eyes narrowing to slits as her fists clenched together, her right hand now completely engulfed in the black markings that continued to grow.
"Eh? Those other Mages awake?" A second voice sounded after the first,
"Ooooh, let's have some fun with them, eh?"
"Hehe..."
Natsu's face pulled into a frown, his eyes flashing in the dim as he tensed up, his hands turning to fists at his side as Lucy drew her hands in toward her, just as tense as all eyes turned to the corridor and that shadow of figures moving toward then slowly.
Hora growled under her breath, her eyes following their movement closely, biting the inside of her cheek as she shifted slightly, the black markings crawling up her skin and stretching up her neck, the markings igniting a cold, raging sensation of burning where they were that slowly seeped into her blood and began to flow out to the rest of her body.
....damn....it.... Keep it under control.....
Her eyes snapped closed a moment, missing the fleeting glance that Natsu shot her way for but a split second.
Three lanky men and a grim looking woman stalked into view of their cells, all cold, glinting eyes and crooked smiles on two of the men. They sauntered on up toward the cell that held the Fairy Tailers, peering in like spectators at a museum and smiling wickedly at the glares they received from the Fairy Tailers in return.
"Looky, looky!" The man at the forefront smiled, leaning in toward the bars and hands in his pockets. "Finally awake eh? You three were out real good!"
"It's been a real long time since we snatched up Wizards too, most normal folk never wake up before we ship them out." A second man smiled, tapping his knuckle against one of the cell bars.
"You're gonna regret trapping us real soon, bastards." Natsu growled lowly, his onyx gaze flashing in anger.
"Hehe, what are ya gonna do?" The third Man smiled, "You ain't got no Magic to use, and no way out."
"I don't need Magic to pound your faces in." Natsu snapped back lowly,
"Ooooh, how ballsy!" The Second Man laughed.
"Real ballsy. Ain't ya from that shitty little Guild?" The First man smiled, "Fairy Tail right? You guys are the weakest of the weak, what are you gonna do? Heh?"
"Oi! Don't talk about the Guild like that!" Natsu snapped, his fists slamming against the bars as the North Wind Mages simply seemed all the more amused by that.
"Or what? You guys can't hardly keep your own doors open, what are a couple of half-rate Wizards gonna do to us?" The woman murmured coldly, her eyes flashing in the dark around them. "Fairy Tail's just a group of losers, you think you can stand against the likes of North Wind?"
"Shut the hell up!" Natsu snapped,
"Don't talk about Fairy Tail like that!" Happy hissed,
"The Guild isn't as weak as you're making it out to be!" Lucy snapped in clear agitation at the words. "The Guild's ten times as strong as you idiots!"
"Oh yeah, Blondie?" The third man smiled, "Why don't you go ahead and show me how 'great' Fairy Tail is?" Lucy stiffened, a shiver running up her spine at that sultry grin, swallowing as he drew his tongue across his lips. "Pretty little thing like you, I bet you do have some tricks, heh?"
"Y-you... disgusting..!" Lucy stammered, looking very uneasy and unnerved. The man simply laughed, his fingers snapping in front of him as his Magic flared, a set of Chains appearing in mid-air and springing through the air toward Lucy,
Natsu had placed himself in between the attack and Lucy before the blonde had any time to react, the Chains making contact with him and snaking around every inch of his body, snapping tight and restricting any and all movement, sending Natsu crashing to the floor with a grunt.
"Natsu!" Lucy and Happy exclaimed in surprise, their eyes snapping toward him instantly and diverting their attention just long enough to leave them unable to react as the man snapped his fingers again, more lengths of chain appearing and striking through the air toward both of them.
Some chains wrapped around Happy, snapping tightly around his body and throwing him against the back wall, earning a small yelp from the Exceed.
The rest of the chains produced from the man's Magic snapped around Lucy, pressing tightly against her body and her arms, some of the links connecting themselves to the Nullification Cuffs and attaching themselves to the stone roof overhead, holding her tightly in place and dangling uncomfortably off the floor by barely an inch.
The North Wind woman waved a hand nonchalantly, looking bored as the cell bars before them suddenly vanished, letting the North Wind Mages step through and inside the cell easily now that the Fairy Tailers had been rendered immobile.
"Don't touch her!" Natsu snapped from the floor, his feet and arms bound tightly to his body and entirely unable to move let alone stand up.
"Your fault, dumbass!" The first man growled, hands still in his pockets as he stepped up toward Natsu. "You're in here talking shit and can't back it up, how stupid can you be?!"
Happy and Lucy alike flinched as that man's foot swung back, rushing forward to connect with Natsu's body with a sickeningly loud THUMP, the breath driven from him as a yell of pain made it passed his lips, the force enough to make him slide back into the back wall and crack the stone- the kick amplified tenfold by a powerful burst of Magic at the last minute.
"Natsu!"
"Four puny, weak little Wizards from Fairy Tail have the gall to talk to us like that?" The First Man hissed,
"We're North Wind, we own this part of the Country. You think Fairy Tail can hold a candle to us?" The Second Man shrilled lowly, "Not a chance! You gotta know right? We have a Demon of Zeref under our beck and call, how can you even think you can contend with us?" The words earned shocked and slightly uneasy looks from the Fairy Tailers, the words news to their ears and frozen for a minute.
"D-demon...?" Lucy stammered,
"That's right Blondie~!" The Third Man smiled, he had drawn up in front of her with ever a hungry smile and now reached his hand up to curl his finger around a tendril of her hair, Lucy shuddered, squirming slightly to try and pull away even though she couldn't move. "You think Fairy Tail Wizards have a chance against us and a Demon of Zeref, huh?"
Lucy shivered, her eyes wide and looking mortified as his hand fell and moved toward her stomach, and toward the edge of her shirt.
"QUIT IT!" Natsu's voice was absolutely seething, only to get cut off as the man to kick him before brought his boot down on his back, hard. The ground cracked underneath the Fire Dragon Slayer,
"I told you to shut it!"
"Natsu!" Happy stammered, eyes wide and glittering.
"Hehe, see?" The Second Man smirked, "Fairy Tail rejects don't stand a chance against us."
"And this Fairy's too scared to even say anything, hmm?" The woman murmured, her expression bored as ever as she spared a glance toward the adjacent cell, her arms crossed over her chest and hip cocked. "Where did all that anger from before go, huh-?"
Her jaw dropped slightly, sweatdropping as her hands unhooked from about her chest, the words shaking in her throat, frozen as the cold and chill of the room was suddenly destroyed in a wave of sheer, choking heat that bounced off the stone.
The dim was split apart in a brilliant, violent wave of deep crimson fire that suddenly swept out across the stone floor and from their right, the brilliance sweeping forward in front of Lucy, directly between her and the Man, who's trailing hand was suddenly snatched away.
Lucy blinked, her jaw falling and her heart leaping in her chest, her eyes riveted and reeling just like everyone else in the room at the sudden unexpected development. Lucy was so transfixed she hardly even felt that wash of heat roll against her body, or flinched at the flames licking so close to her own body, but never touching her.
Hora's hand snapped down onto the Third Man's wrist with an iron grip, her hand and her arm stained black, the markings trailing up her neck and creeping across her right cheek, pricking just under her eye, her body dancing with fire and her hand burning the man's wrist immediately upon grabbing hold of him- he yelped, trying to pull free though Hora didn't let go.
The bars that had previously separated the Cells were a heap of melted metal, the chains that had been holding her down a mess where she had been but seconds before, trails of liquid gray seeping into the stone and even melting the rock itself.
The other North Wind Mage's eyes snapped around in utter shock, anger and hints of fear making it's way into their features at seeing Hora suddenly free and completely caught off guard by her sheer power.
"H-How did she get free...?!"
"S-Shit!!"
"Hora..!" Lucy breathed, Hora didn't seem to hear anything though, she moved, swiftly, deftly, her eyes cold and face twisted in hardly contained fury....,
Fire erupted around the man, swallowing him whole as the scent of burning skin and hair filled the air, coupled closely with his screams of sheer, unbridled agony and terror, his voice echoing off the stone and the walls as Hora remained motionless, her gaze cold and steely and uncaring of the torture an the pain she was inflicting. Those pitch black markings moved, shifting over her eye and consuming half her face in seconds, the man falling away and turning to ash of blackened bone as Hora dropped her hand, motionless and rigid and unaware of what terror and shock had spread across the face of the Fairy Tailers and the other North Wind Mages around her.
"Horatia!!" Natsu snapped loudly, his voice lost to the the drone and the rage of the fire rushing through her blood and her body....,
Hora's grip on the offending man's wrist tightened, her body snapping around as she twisted, throwing him and his unwanted attention on Lucy, clear through the opening that had appeared in the bars, flame dancing off her person and off the floor around her as he yelled, smashing into the ground down the corridor in front of them. The North Wind Mages recoiled, faces paling slightly and stunned, unable to move in their shock as their eyes landed on Hora, shaking as their gazes snapped from the black covering her skin and toward that icy blue Guild Symbol that remained clear under the pitch black consuming her person, visible with her sleeve having been destroyed enough with the sudden rise in power to let her shoulder-blade remain bare.
"W-wait?!"
"She's SaberTooth?!?!"
"S-SHIT!!"
Hora hadn't paused for hardly a second, her seething dark blue gaze snapping immediately toward that man that stood beside the still downed Natsu, his hands swiping upward in reaction as he readied himself to throw his Magic toward her.
Hora's Magic swept out over the ground in two directions, a wall of crimson, angry fire tearing up the floor and headed straight toward that man, and the other two North Wind Mages left standing behind her now, her arms swinging up around her body as she spun halfway.
The look on her face was icy rage, dark... murderous.
The black markings spread further up her cheek, crossing over her eye as the heat rolling from her Magic seemed to triple.
"Crimson Flame."
Her voice sent a shiver down Lucy and Happy's spines, their hearts skipping a beat in tune with Natsu's, a trickle of blood falling from his temple and his face tense as he watched Hora in rigid silence.
The shouts of pain from the North Wind mages rung on the air with the hissing and the booming of Hora's Magic as it made contact with them, sending them flying and knocking them senseless instantly, even as their own Magic flared to try and defend against that fast moving wall of fire- they were absolutely no match for her, and the sheer extent her Magic had reached in such a small amount of seconds had them all reeling and breathless.
"H-holy cow...!" Happy stammered breathlessly, Natsu sweatdropped, his eyes snapping from Hora for the first time toward the four North Wind Mages she had just disposed of so easily, his ears straining and still, blinking a few times.
".... she knocked them all out..." The pinkette mumbled under his breath, his eyes trailing back toward Hora, who had halted for a moment, the flame dancing around her dying, slowly, her eyes closed and stiff.
"That was amazing, Hora!" Happy grinned,
"... thank you for the save...!" Lucy sighed, looking breathless and utterly relieved at the turn in events. "... I'm so glad you stopped that guy... such a creep!" She shuddered at the thought, blinking for a moment when she realized Hora hadn't said anything, or moved for a few moments, her Magic faded now, though the air still felt hot despite it being gone.
Hora swallowed, hard, the Fairy Tailer's voices lost on her ears almost entirely as she forced herself into a complete standstill, fighting with herself to quell what rage and fury had risen up and what violent a way her Magic had manifested because of. Though she didn't show it outwardly, it had taken every inch of concentration she had to just... not, let herself get so out of hand and her Magic with it. Had she not been actively focusing on keeping herself under control, she might not have been able to wrestle her Magic in enough to keep from accidentally burning Lucy with how close the blonde had been, and more so....
... every inch of her wanted, screamed at her- to kill those North Wind Mages. Every inch of her person screamed at her to burn that asshole who had put his unwanted, filthy hands on Lucy- to burn him alive, turn him to ash. Her Magic festered at it, rose up, threatened to take control and send her mind spiraling into that numb, unaware haze of fury that would have let her do that... she couldn't, she had to not... and damn it, it was so hard. Her skin was on fire to the point it was cold, an that sensation encased her arm, crawled up her neck, stretched over her face and fought to try and spread more even as she willed it to recede.
Calm down, calm down... control yourself... you... have to.....
That fire was wild and so utterly cold, and pushing against it made a sharp, jolting flash of pain run through her core where she had been spared that feeling for weeks now, and she outwardly cringed at it. Her hand snapping up to press her fist against her chin, willing herself not to hiss and not to end up-
Natsu, Happy and Lucy recoiled, eyes flashing in surprise and concern as Hora's body suddenly started to shake, her breathing hitching as she started coughing out of near nowhere, her eyes still closed and shoulders tight as she fought to still the rather harsh coughing for a few moments that seemed much too long, lumps falling into the Fairy Tailers stomachs at the sound and entirely unsure why she was coughing or why she seemed to be in pain so suddenly because of it.
"W-woah, Hora..?!" Lucy stammered,
"Oi, you okay?!" Natsu demanded, his eyes flashing as he shifted, though the chains trapping him had not disappeared, nor had the ones wrapped around Lucy and Happy.
Hora swallowed, huffing slightly as the coughing drew to a shaky halt, grimacing as her hand closed into a fist from having been covering her mouth, the back of it drawing along the edge of her chin quickly, wiping away what thin trail of crimson she was sure was there from the metallic taste having hit her tongue, and the flecks of it in her hand.
... damn it..... using my Magic like that.... after hours... breaking those Nullification Chains..... Over-Drive... is.... and.... with my anger.... t..too.....
She sighed, smiling faintly as she heard the worry in the Fairy Tailer's voices then- focusing on them as best she could, nodding at them as her eyes glinted in the dim, quickly hiding her pain and her agitation though she wasn't sure her expression was all that convincing.
"... yeah, I'm alright, sorry." She murmured quietly, earning those glittering and worried glances that were rather surprising to her. "... it's nothing, promise."
Lucy looked none too convinced, and neither did Natsu really- but neither they nor Happy questioned it, they still looked tense though.
"... ah, you're welcome." Hora murmured, her head tilting toward Lucy with a soft smile. Her hand fell on the back of her neck, looking uneasy for a moment, the marking stretching over her eye receded back down her cheek, and Lucy blinked at it. "... I couldn't just let that asshole touch you."
"..... but... how did you manage to break the Nullification Chains?" Lucy asked, Hora blinked.
".... ah.... it's.... complicated." Hora smiled nervously, sweatdropping as she took a few steps toward Natsu, bending down on one knee by the pinkette though she still glanced toward the blonde. "... in simplicity... My Magic has a natural way of unraveling Charms and Illusions the longer I focus on something, and since Nullification Magic is a sort of Charm, I've just been willing my Magic to work through it and break down the Charm since we got here." Lucy blinked in surprise and awe, "... I just finally broke the Charm down enough to render it null and melt the chains."
"... that.... that's amazing..!" Lucy breathed, though honestly she looked like she wanted to ask a hundred different questions- thankfully she refrained. Hora nodded slightly, sighing a little as she spared a glance toward Natsu, stiffening slightly to see his eyes locked to her so intensely.
She sweatdropped slightly, the look he had on her when their eyes met was... piercing. And to be honest, it unnerved her.
".... I'm gonna let you free first, Salamander." Hora murmured, her hand moving up as flame danced off her fingertip, she swallowed a little. "..... do me a favor and let free Happy and Lucy once I do, alright?" She added quietly, her voice dropping low enough only he could have heard her. Natsu stared, his eyes narrowed and frowning slightly, searching for a moment as his mind worked to come up with a reason for the request.
She needed him to though, with how hard it was to control herself enough not to burn Lucy, she was a little wary of using her Magic to remove the chains on either her or Happy. With Natsu she wasn't too worried if she slipped up though, because even her Fire wouldn't burn him- he was the Fire Dragon Slayer after all.
Whether he pieced together why she asked, or not- she hadn't a clue, but he nodded at her in agreement.
Hora tapped a finger lightly to those chains, a spark of red and gold rushing from her hands and over them as they suddenly turned to ash, falling off of him softly and allowing him to be able to move. The heat from the wisps of grey was just nearly as hot as the actual flames, though Natsu didn't seem to notice- as he shouldn't. And the Chains were easy enough to break apart on someone else, as the Charm was meant to only Nullify the Magic of the person being bound.
Hora's eyes fell closed a moment as her hand retracted, her fist clenching as she stood up again, taking in a small breath as her other hand hand extended to offer to help him up. Their hands met, Hora stepping backward as she pulled him up, her eyes opening for a moment as her gaze met that dribble of blood running down his jaw, swallowing slightly.
"..... you ok, Salamander?" She asked quietly, he blinked, his face unusually serious and unreadable.
"Yeah, I'm good." He mumbled, she blinked, biting the inside of her cheek as their hands fell apart and he stepped away toward Happy, dispatching the chains around the Exceed before releasing Lucy as well,
"You guys ok?" Natsu asked lowly, earning a nod from both his compatriots as Hora hooked her hands behind her back.
"Yes." Lucy murmured, rubbing her wrists a little as Happy nodded too.
"Aye sir!" Happy murmured lowly,
"Alright, now lets show these assholes what's comin' to them." Natsu grumbled, slamming a fist into his palm in near agitation. "Let's get the necklace and your Keys back too, Luce."
"Where are we gonna start?" Lucy murmured,
"Anywhere there's people to beat up." Natsu replied flatly, Lucy sighed.
"You like conflict too much sometimes." Lucy grumbled, Happy grinned.
"But this is Natsu! No one's better at destroying things than him!" Happy chuckled, Hora blinked slowly, sweatdropping slightly at the words.
"Well... that much noise is bound to have gained some attention from the other Mages here." Hora murmured, earning their eyes. "We should probably hurry... and be careful about it. From the sound of it, this place is pretty big." That earned a few blinks of question, though she failed to elaborate on the subject.
"Yeah, you got it." Natsu murmured, nodding toward her along with Happy and Lucy.
"You're right, the faster we start looking, the faster we can get out of here." Lucy nodded,
"And the faster we can stop these guys from all the bad stuff they've been doing!" Happy grinned, Hora nodded slightly,
.... and maybe along the way we'll find out where their Guild Hall is.... so I can finally....
She stiffened, her eyes casting downward for a moment.
.... that North Wind Idiot mentioned Neveleous..... they aren't about to let that go either, not now they've heard about it.... damn it.
She took in a small, silent breath to attempt to still what uneasiness rose up in the pit of her stomach- the more worked up she got, the more her Magic would get out of hand.... and the more Over-Drive was gonna act up again.
"Alright, let's go!" Natsu smirked, his smile appearing now after having disappeared for awhile. Lucy and Happy smiled too, just slightly with small, determined nods of their own.
"You ready to go, Hora?" Lucy asked brightly, her eyes glinting and looking so damned determined and calm Hora blinked, her mind tumbling to a halt as she saw that same determination and so bright steadiness in Natsu and Happy alike.
She stiffened slightly, blinking once or twice as she felt the heat and cold burn racing up her neck suddenly fade back a little, her hand moving up instinctively to press against the back of her neck, the other trailing toward her arm to see the black recede just a bit further.
.... how.... do they....?
Hora swallowed, sighing silently as she smiled, her eyes glinting as she nodded toward them and her hand fell away from her neck,
There was a sudden commotion of shouts and words that rumbled from down the hallway and all around from above and below, shaking the stone slightly as they all blinked at it.
Hora nodded their way, catching Natsu's small smile from the corner of her eye as she nodded to Lucy.
"Yeah, let's go."
There was blood everywhere.
That crimson was splashed about carelessly, like a child had taken a full brush and waved it all around. It splattered across walls, the floor, the stone... Everything was a wreck. Everything was torn up, cracked and crushed and crumbling in the dim and the close confines of the area. It was cold, unnervingly cold, a chill unlike any other seeping into everything, biting and sharp.
Tables and chairs lay in ruin, strewn about in every which direction. The stone floor was blackened and crushed, caved in where her body had been thrown into the stone hard enough to break more than rock.
He was frozen, the tears pricking at his eyes and stinging as he remained rooted to the spot, the breath in his throat having ceased entirely and his heart felt as if it had stopped beating altogether. He was fixed, unable to move, unable to breath and completely still. He couldn't take his eyes away, he was too terrified to try, even with the looming, dark a murderous figure of that man and his cold, dead eyes fixed to him- burning with so much wrath and hatred a look could kill...k...kill....
"n....no...." He stammered, his voice hardly above a whisper.
She.... she wasn't moving... wasn't breathing.....
".... please... you can't... be..."
Her body was broken and bloody, sprawled out among the rubble and the pools of blood at his feet,
... he.... he k...killed her......
"....H...Ho...."
"HORA!!!"
Rogue lunged upward, his breath coming in sharp gasps and heart racing like a drum in his chest, beating against his rib cage painfully.
His red eyes darted about every which way, mind whirling and terror still running on all time high as he tried to make sense of where he was and what was going on. The Nightmare still fresh and vivid, despite the relative calm of the surroundings.
His eyes snapped down, landing on Frosch who was curled up asleep not far from where he had previously been laying in the grass, completely unaware of his sudden awakening as Sting and Lector were- the former two fast asleep not far to his left.
Rogue ran a hand through his hair, pulling his bangs from his face as he tried his best to settle his breathing and heart rate again.
That.... That nightmare....
He let out a slightly shuddering breath, his eyes narrowing you slits.
...... Master.... He....
Rogue shivered slightly as the image flashed in his mind's eye.
He got to his feet slowly, moving away from the small shelter and out over the grass- the sky overhead dark and the stars glittering dimly.
He doubted he'd be getting back to sleep tonight.
Not after... That.
Rogue picked his way across the clearing they'd been using for hand to hand training, crossing it toward a small hill not far off before tapering to a sudden, steep drop farther off. The edge of the hill overlooked the expanse of the forest on all sides of them, too far out in the wilderness to see anything but hills and trees, too far to glimpse even the smallest of towns or cities. It was quiet, very... Quiet.
He bit the inside of his cheek, sinking down into the grass to sit cross legged, his hands falling open in his lap as he glanced down at them.
There had been a lump in his stomach that had refused to go away for a long while now. It had formed that day that Hora had been.... When Master did that, to her. That knot worked its way tighter and more complicated as he sat with her, watching her get sicker and worse, to the point she'd almost-
His hands pulled into fists as he swallowed against the memory, his chest aching at the thought of it.
... He'd been worried, this whole time. He had to work at it to not let his thoughts wander to where she was and what trouble she was getting into, and just what that job was she'd been sent on. He couldn't get it out of his head how sad she'd looked, how afraid even, and guilty- like she thought she wasn't coming back.
She was all alone and it had been so little time after Master had hurt her so, so badly. She was still hurt, still healing... She was still hurting, hurting and broken like she had been for so long and hidden it from him and everyone else.
What if... What if something did go wrong? What if, out there all alone and on her own, with no one in the world to help her, or even know where she was- something happened? Something bad?
What if she got hurt, and needed help?
He hissed under his breath.
He should have never just let her go off on her own, damn what Master or the Lady would have said about it.
"... Are you alright?"
Rogue jumped in slight surprise, his head snapping around and red eyes flashing in the dim at the sudden voice. His gaze landed on that of Rufus, who had approached without Rogue hearing him, and now stood just slightly behind him, his arms hooked behind his back. Rufus tilted his head slightly in question, Rogue blinking a few times in shock at the sudden arrival.
Rogue's eyes fell away after a moment, sweatdropping as he bit the inside of his cheek.
"... Yeah." He replied quietly,
"You seem troubled." Rufus replied lightly, Rogue stiffened a little. ".... Were you having trouble sleeping?"
".... I just had a nightmare, is all." Rogue replied slowly, "It's fine." his eyes were turned away so he missed the look of surprise and question that passed over Rufus's features.
"..... Would this nightmare happen to be stemmed from your worry over Horatia?" Rufus asked easily, Rogue's eyes widened a little at the question and how on the mark it was.
He was frozen, helpless... All he could do was watch.
That monster of a man was beating her, breaking her, throwing her around... He kept on. Constant. Never ceasing... Not until...
... He killed her. She was gone, and he...
... he'd just watched it happen.
He must have visibly tensed up, because Rufus's hand fell lightly stop his shoulder in a small sign of calm and broke the memory of the nightmare apart with the simple gesture.
"I understand your concern." Rufus murmured quietly. "We are all worried, it isn't simply you."
".... we shouldn't have let her go on her own." Rogue grumbled,
"... Perhaps not. Especially given she was still on the mend." Rufus agreed softly, letting out a small sigh. "... It isn't what any of us wanted. None of like the situation as it is, but there is nothing to be done... Hora knew that well enough."
"That doesn't mean it was right." Rogue growled, "... None of it is. What Master did was wrong... And it was wrong of him to order Hora out on a dangerous mission all by herself."
Nothing was right... It was all so twisted and wrong, and honestly?
It all started with one person.
".... He went too far." Rogue growled lowly, Rufus blinked.
".... Indeed." Rufus murmured. There were a few, long minutes of silence that fell then, before he Rufus went on.
"..... However.... These things... Have a way of sorting themselves out, I have found." Rogue blinked, head tilting as Rufus glanced away toward the sky overhead.
".... In time.... I do think things with Master, and with Hora... All of it. They will turn around and improve..... And hopefully sometime soon."
"What the hell?!"
"How did they get out?!"
"Fire Dragon Wing Slash!!"
Flame lit up along the walls as Natsu jumped forward, arms outstretched on either side of him and moving along the corridor at a speed too fast for the North Wind Mages to keep up with, their bodies smacking against the stone walls and the floor with painful thumps.
"Lucy Kick!!"
Lucy's leg swung around swiftly, catching a man in the stomach and sending him flying backward to smash into the wall behind him with surprising strength. Hora blinked, a little taken aback by the sudden ferocity in the blonde, her own movements down the hallway after the Fairy Tail Wizards halting in her surprise.
... Damn, she's stronger than she looks....
"Still no sign of the creep who took Lucy's Keys, Hora?" Natsu called from further up, Hora's blue gaze snapping from Lucy to the pinkette instantly at the sound of his voice. Hora shook her head,
"No, haven't seen him yet." She called back easily, her eyes snapped from him toward the North Wind Mage rushing her way, in his hand a nasty looking hammer. Hora's eyes narrowed, spinning lightly out of the way of the swing, her hand swiping out to catch the back of his shirt tightly, before spinning around and sending him crashing face first into the wall not two feet from where Hora stood. The stone cracked on impact, knocking him senseless instantly, his weapon clamoring on the ground as she let him hit the floor, turning back Natsu's way to see him nod at her.
She was constantly looking for said creep though, and not just for Lucy's Keys Sake, but she wanted her stolen boots back, since she had been left to run around barefoot now.
"I'll let you know the minute I do see him." Hora called evenly, earning nods from Happy, Lucy and Natsu alike.
"Sounds good!" Lucy replied,
"Let's keep pushing through these bastards in the meantime!" Natsu grinned, his fangs flashing as his fist made contact with another Mage.
"Aye Sir!"
They continued forward quickly, blowing through droves and crowds of North Wind Mages that seemed to pop out of the walls- there was no end to them. But even for the Fairy Tailers and their Seven Year absence, the North Wind Mages were proving no real challenge- even by Hora's standards everyone she had seen (now with her Magic not being blocked off by chains as it had been before), these North Wind guys were very sub par.
But maybe that was not so surprising, as this wasn't their main headquarters and simply a splinter operation. But for a Guild with a Master who had control over a Demon of Zeref?
These guys were really... Almost disappointing.
Of course thinking that now would likely give the universe reason and cause to say 'screw you'- and likely throw something ridiculously dangerous their way soon enough.
'That is indeed how things tend to usually go.'
Their brawling through narrow halls and close corridors came to an abrupt halt as they burst through a set of heavy metal doors, the walls widening into a large, round room filled with utterly nothing, the roof overhead dotted by candles and lanterns all around.
Hora sweatdropped slightly, feeling her skin crawling and senses on high alert out of sheer instinct- in the droves upon droves of North Wind Mages that had risen to combat them, this new room was unnervingly empty. She could see her uneasiness matched instantly in Lucy and Natsu alike.
"What the hell is this?" Natsu growled, taking a few more paces inside, his nose tilted up and twitching as he breathed in the scent of the room. He grimaced,
"It's super empty." Happy intoned, Hora's eyes trailed up the smooth walls until her eyes found a line of... Balconies (?) about a hundred feet up, and spanning the space they stood in below on all sides. Her eyes cast down to the floor, her gaze tracing along the tears and cuts dug into the stone, where some of the rock was stained.... Dark, faded, grimy red.
"..... It almost.... It looks like some sort of arena." Lucy stammered, Hora agreed instantly- though silently.
"Arena?" Happy gasped,
"I can smell a bunch of blood here." Natsu growled, "Tch... These bastards must force some of the people they trap to fight each other."
"Seems that way." Hora grumbled lowly, "The only way out of here is back the way we came, or through those balconies." she flicked her head up toward said area,
"There were a few hallways that lead in different directions back the way we came through." Lucy murmured quickly, "But this place is so big, it's like a maze. It'll take forever to figure out way out."
"I don't hear anything comin' from up there." Natsu murmured, gesturing toward the balconies. "They might not lead anywhere that'll help us, we should probably turn around." He nodded toward Lucy a moment, "And don't worry Luce, well figure a way out of here." He assured calmly, Lucy nodded a little.
"... Yeah... I just hope we find my Keys soon." She mumbled, "..... I hate losing them, I should have kept a better eye on them and not let them get stolen away in the first place..." Hora blinked, her eyes flashing as she saw the worry and fear work its way into the blonde's person.
It was a look she'd seen before... In Yukino....
..... It seems.... Lucy cares about her Spirits just as much as Yukino does.....
Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her chest flashing in pain suddenly, swallowing against the urge to cough. Her eyes snapped shut for a few seconds, her breath catching in her throat and refusing to breathe for fear it would send her into a fit.
Natsu blinked, sweatdropping slightly and eyes narrowed, seeing Hora's shoulders tighten up from the corner of his eye and her eyes snap closed. He stiffened, eyes flashing to see Hora's hand move to clench about her shirt over her chest almost instinctively.
"It's ok Lucy, your Spirits will be alright!" Happy assured, floating in front of Lucy and smiling reassuringly. "They're super tough." Lucy smiled faintly in appreciation for the attempt to ease her worry, nodding brightly.
"I guess I should have more faith in them." She smiled slightly. "Besides, well get them back soon, yeah?"
"Aye!" Happy smiled,
Hora took in a small, silent breath as the sudden throbbing in her chest and lungs died down again, her eyes glinting as she glanced to the floor a few moments.
Fucking... Over-Drive.... Can't it just..... Quit already....?
Of course not.
She took in a few more breaths to test it had passed, before her hand fell away from her chest and she took a small, little step toward the pair of Happy and Lucy.
".... Let's get going then, we'll find them faster if we keep going." Hora murmured, earning their eyes and their immediate nods of approval. They turned back toward the door, only to halt.
The doors slammed shut with an abrasive metal clang that echoed found the arena, everyone jumping and growing stiff in uneasiness, Lucy and Happy took a few steps back in shock.
"We got locked in?!" Happy yelped,
"Not good!" Lucy stammered,
"Shit.." Hora hissed under her breath, her hands clenched into fists at her sides as her eyes snapped from the door to scan the balconies overhead for anything new.
"So you're the ones tearing up my Prison." The sudden voice echoed oddly off the stone walls around them. The owner of the voice however, remained entirely unseen though Hora was looking around quickly for some sign of them.
'And this is where the world says "Screw You", yes?'
Natsu's jaw dropped slightly, his heart jumping in his chest and panic racing through him in an instant- a flash of some sort of glint of light catching the corner of his eye, his head snapping round to find the source and dread settling in. He knew something had been thrown out, Magic or no Magic, he could tell there was danger in an instant, his instincts and reflexes flaring too life as his eyes found one person.
"Hora!!!!"
Horatia's head turned in complete shock at the sound of Natsu's voice yelling her name, and the sheer panic in it- the warning. She saw the worry and the seriousness in his face, the way he seemed to be trying to move toward her.
S... Salamander....?
She didn't notice it, not what he had. She hadn't felt anything, not the slightest sense of anything racing toward her nor the immediate danger. For all her perception and her rather incredible reflexes and instincts- she didn't see it coming. Where she had been on par with Natsu when it came to sensing danger seconds before, this time she didn't sense it.
But he did, and not fast enough.
Pain flared through her body like flame, her eyes snapping away from him and toward that glitter of scarlet that suddenly painted the air in front of her.
The scent of blood hit her nose, and it was hers.
"Hora!!!!!"
Chapter 12: Golden Azure
Chapter Text
Chapter
12
Golden Azure
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, Magic I create, and my own original Ideas
.:+:.
She didn't notice it, not what he had. She hadn't felt anything, not the slightest sense of anything racing toward her nor the immediate danger. For all her perception and her rather incredible reflexes and instincts- she didn't see it coming. Where she had been on par with Natsu when it came to sensing danger seconds before, this time she didn't sense it.
But he did, and not fast enough.
Pain flared through her body like flame, her eyes snapping away from him and toward that glitter of scarlet that suddenly painted the air in front of her.
The scent of blood hit her nose, and it was hers.
"Hora!!!!!"
She took a few short steps to catch herself, suddenly off balance and the breath catching in her throat as her gaze followed those drops of crimson through the air behind her, watching them splatter against the stone at her feet.
Natsu's onyx gaze flashed, face pulled into a slightly panicked frown from where he was- Hora bumping into his chest after having had him pull her roughly forward toward him. One of his hands held tightly around her wrist while the other instinctively moved to hold her hip as she ran into him, stiffening when he heard Hora hiss under her breath.
That glint of light that had caught his attention belonged to a long, sharp blade that had been thrown her way out of near nowhere. That wicked edge caught her shoulder-blade and the top of her back as Natsu pulled her toward him, sparing her getting stabbed, but a deep, angry red line cut across her shoulder blade, back, and over her spine- tearing a line through her shirt, skin and muscle with ease.
Hora growled, her eyes flashing in pain as her head turned around slightly, seeing a few more drops hit the ground at her feet and feeling the slick warmth of her own blood begin to trail down her back nearly instantly.
"H-Hora?!" Lucy and Happy gasped, eyes wide and glittering. Their gaze snapped quickly between Hora and that blade that had struck into the stone not a few feet from where she and Natsu were. Hora's eyes weren't on them though, nor was she looking toward that Fire Dragon Slayer who had grabbed hold of her. Her head turned to try and glace over her shoulder toward that wound, sweatdropping heavily as the sensation of fire over her skin flared brighter, and the black markings encasing her arm leapt forward at an accelerated rate, spreading up her shoulder and across her back to encase where the wound was now, leaving the pain and an icy burning sensation that was less pleasant than normal. Steam rose up from the wound a few moments, though it didn't close despite the markings attempting to do so, Hora swallowed.
".... Shit...." She hissed lowly, wincing slightly in between.
"Tch...." Natsu hissed, "You alright?" Hora nodded slightly, her eyes skipping over him as she glanced toward the blade. His eyes flicked from her face to glance over her shoulder slightly, swallowing as his eyes traced the wound and the considerable amount of blood beginning to fall from it,
Hora's eyes snapped toward him while he wasn't looking, and she halted- the breath catching in her throat and eyes flashing as her heart jumped in her chest.
W-what.... what the hell is with... N..Natsu....?
She paled slightly, her mind crumbling and failing to come up with any answer to what she saw as she looked at him- really looked at him, for the first time, and only for a split second did it remain.
... the.. h....hell.....? I swear... for a second there.... he didn't look.....
But it was gone so fast she had a hard time convincing herself she hadn't imagined it. So she shoved the thought and the sudden shock away,
".... move." Hora mumbled, catching Natsu's attention as he blinked, a little taken aback.
He felt a shiver run up his spine though, his eyes breaking away from the wound to finally meet hers, expecting to find those deep blue eyes that had become familiar the last few days- and not seeing them at all.
That dark blue had suddenly turned a startling, fiery gold, with a ring of crimson red circling through the gold at the center. Natsu felt the breath catch in his throat as his mind shuddered to a halt.
"W-what the...?" He stammered, those suddenly gold and red eyes snapped away from him and back toward where the blade had landed, her expression pulling in seriousness and slight panic.
"Move!" Hora said again, louder this time and the panic making it's way into her voice, faintly- but enough that Natsu realized immediately something was wrong.
But this time around Hora moved faster than he did, her hands snapping forward as she took hold of his shirt, roughly pulling him backward with her as she rushed to move. They both stumbled, Hora tripping over her feet in her haste and Natsu stunned enough he lost his balance, but there was a metallic shing of the air being cut- something silver rushing through the empty space that Natsu had previously been standing in just a second before, and nearly too late to avoid as the blade managed to cut off a few pieces of his pink hair before striking hard into the wall. Natsu's eyes widened, sweatdropping heavily as his eyes found the blade, before he was forced to look away- he and Hora locked together as they hit the ground with a painful thud. Natsu fell on top of Hora who's back hit the floor- sending agony racing through her body in an instant from the new wound, and enough she yelped- her hold on his shirt releasing with the pain and her eyes snapping shut against it. The back of her head banged against the stone floor with a painful jolt too, her jaw gritting and hissing as all track of the present was lost to the sudden throbbing, one hand moving to hold the back of her now painfully aching head.
"Natsu! Hora!" Lucy and Happy snapped in panic,
"Where the hell did those knives come from?!" Happy asked quickly,
Natsu hissed, his mind whirling as he quickly pushing himself off the Saber woman he had landed atop so roughly, his hands on either side of her and straddling her torso slightly as he saw the pain work it's way into her face ever deeper, he could see her cringing and see the blood welling on the floor underneath her where her back had hit it.
"Shit!" He snapped, agitation and worry rising with panic at how quickly things had turned and how quickly she had gotten hit- but where the hell had those blades come from?! And how did she see the second one coming when he didn't?!
"You ok?!" He snapped again, her suddenly golden gaze opened and landed on him, wincing under her breath as he kept his eyes on her, not budging an inch even from still being on top of her,
"... tch..... yeah, Salamander..." Hora grumbled lowly, wincing again and she looked up at him, her face neutral but he saw the pain flashing in her eyes still. "... but maybe do get off me, alright?" She grumbled, he blinked, nodding stiffly as he quickly climbed off, taking a knee beside her as Hora sat up, hissing in pain but ignoring it as she drew up to bend on one knee, her hands on either side of her and eyes glittering. The stone floor behind her was smeared red, but she hardly cared nor noticed- her eyes were on everything else.
"How did you know about the second one?" Natsu grumbled, looking serious now. ".... and what's with your eyes?" He asked, his voice dropping slightly as Hora shook her head a little as if too clear it of some haze.
".... This place is a huge trap." Hora grumbled lowly, Natsu blinked, though she didn't elaborate further than that- and didn't have time to question it as Lucy and Happy ran up beside them, looking slightly frantic.
"Are you guys ok?" Happy asked quickly,
"Hora, that wound looks serious!" Lucy breathed, her eyes glinting as she took in the blood and the injury.
"..... It's fine." Hora murmured lowly, her eyes catching Lucy and Happy's for a split second- both of them growing rigid and eyes widening to see the blue had altered to that eerie golden-red hue. Hora got to her feet stiffly, one eye shutting tight at the pain that came from moving even the slightest bit, she could feel her skin and muscle pulling uncomfortably under the markings trying to hold it all together and keep from letting the wound tear more. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from wincing,
".... y-your eyes..?"
Hora's gaze narrowed, trailing from the blades and across the room, moving upward along the wall and toward the balconies overhead.
"Well well, you avoided those better than I thought you could."
The eyes of the Fairy Tailers snapped up toward the voice again, their panic and worry dissipating as they remembered having heard it before, and that they had been trapped in with no way out.
There where Hora's eyes had found moments before, on the center balcony high over their heads, stood the owner of that voice- and the owner of those blades that had caused so much harm in so little time too.
It was a man, tall and lanky with dull, sickly yellow eyes and disheveled gray hair. His jaw was adorned by a beard just as messy, and streaked through by bits of white too. He stood on the edge of the railing with little a care, his fingers on his hands twitching incessantly at his sides, his fingernails painted in alternating black and green. He regarded them with a face full of neutrality that almost seemed bored, his eyes flicking across each of them in turn and landing finally on Natsu and Hora.
"Most people aren't quick enough, few can anticipate the danger- even Mages." He mumbled, his voice echoing strangely off the walls, his index finger on his left hand twitched, trailing lightly along the ring of keys hanging loosely from his belt.
".. my Keys..!" Lucy hissed under her breath, agitation and anger working it's way into her face.
"... that means he's the leader around here, right?" Happy mumbled lowly, his eyes moving tentatively from the strange man toward Hora, just in time to see her nod slightly, though her attention was fixed to the very thing that the Fairy Tailers could not see.
The room was a mess. Nearly every inch of available space was threaded across by hundreds, millions even- thin, pale white lines that resembled wire. They crossed one another, weaved through the walls and stuck fast to the ground in too many ways and too complicated patterns to even begin to see where they started, nor where they ended. It looked like something out of a story, of an old crypt that had been painted across by the webs of spiders for centuries upon counting, weaving so thickly and so numerous in all the delicate, yet strong threads that sections of the floor, walls and air were swallowed by nothing but dim, glowing white.
All around their feet, hanging in front of their noses, passing so close their skin they should have felt it- there wasn't a single place they could stand nor step were they weren't in contact with one of the threads, yet neither she nor the Fairy Tailers felt a thing- as was surely the point.
As it was she shouldn't have been able to see it, because while they looked like web and wire and string, they were most definitely nothing of the sort- the glow was telling, the ethereal way they seemed to bend and even move, like rippling waves to the point it was almost nauseating. Not wire, but lines of Magic running everywhere, in every way, every place... and though following the lines to the source was impossible, she knew where they lead.
The lines moved, bouncing lightly and swimming as the man's fingers moved incessantly from where he was, the vibrations moving out over the mass, directing them, almost like... puppet strings.
This place was a trap, and they were smack dab in the center of it, surrounded on all sides. And she was the only one of any of them who could see it at all.
Hora swallowed, her vision swimming a moment as image of the lines flickered before her, fading slightly from view as she felt pain flash across her back, and the icy burn grew stronger- she could feel the markings move up her neck again, threatening to swallow her whole. And then there came with it an agonizing jolt of pain through her core and her chest that had her lungs failing to take in air for a few long moments, lest she start coughing up blood again. She was losing enough of it already down her back.
'You've grown sloppy, you should have been able to see this without resorting to using the full extent of your Magic.'
Shut. The. Fuck. Up.
But that damned voice was right. She just hated it, and hated herself for not realizing what they had walked into sooner. Hating she had to use her Magic to pick apart the air and make the lines visible, hating she had to let her Magic flare high enough for it- she shouldn't have to, it should have been easy, immediate even... and yet it hadn't. She had to force it, bring the depths of her Magic to the surface and threaten to send her control spiraling away from her with it.
This on top of missing the Spell that had kept the real Jeihel from being seen? It was more than sloppiness.... it was like she'd lost her touch entirely.
Damn me
But why?
'You know why.'
The fire in her core raged brighter than ever at that. One name came to mind, one asshole, one person- she would love, ever so fucking love to tear to shreds, rip his body apart and melt the skin from-
"Oi! You Bastard!" Natsu snapped, breaking Hora's concentration and thoughts with his voice- the fire in her heart died down, again.
.... How does he keep doing that? When my mind goes so damn.. dark....? It's like.... he snaps reality back into place just by talking.
"Yer gonna pay for all of the shit you've pulled! And you had damn well better give Lucy her Keys back right now!!" Natsu yelled, his voice bouncing from the walls and fists clenched at his sides, looking quite ready to jump up toward the other man and start laying into him.
"How abrasively loud you are." The man grumbled, Hora's eyes narrowed to slits, her body tensing as she saw one of the Magic Strings near to Natsu shift, vibrating as if someone had plucked at it with a finger and let go- and the movement rippled out to hundreds of other Strings all around their little group. She could almost hear the vibrations on the air, though only in her head.
And who the hell knows what those things could do, she pieced together that somehow the Strings had sent the blades in motion- but with the millions there actually were?
And what the hell kind of Magic is this anyway?!
She hadn't a clue, and the voice in her head failed to speak up with any sort of answer- so it didn't matter really. All that mattered was that man was about to do something- whatever it was, and certainly nothing good- and she was the only one out of any of them that could see him preparing.
Think Hora, think!
Her body moved out of sheer instinct, her Magic flaring as the Markings took chance to spring forward without her wishing them too.
But there was no anger then, not true anger, not the burning hot rage and murderous intent she had had to contend with her entire life. The Markings didn't burn like they usually did- they were hot, enough to be icy across her skin, but it wasn't the same force that sent her mind spinning away into a chasm she couldn't pull free from. She didn't intend to harm that man because of how fun it would be, nor how good it would feel. She wasn't attacking him outright, she was-
- Protecting them. No matter what.
And the anger didn't turn to rage, she was just... resolute. Her Magic was resolute, her Magic was steady and calm and controlled like she had seldom felt it be, in so very, very long a time.
She was moving, her Magic was rising to the surface without her thinking about it, she'd moved herself in front of all three and she did it without hesitating a single moment. Her hands raised on either side of her, flames flickering as they circled her arms like serpents would, her hair moving as the wind and pressure picked up around her. The Markings stretched down both arms, stopping just shy of her jaw and crossing over her chest and shoulders where they were visible, the black shining warmly in the growing light of the fire.
Hora let out a low, slow breath- the air engulfed in a hazy cloud before her, all of their eyes reflecting the metallic sheen that bounced from the hundreds of blades and weapons that had seemed to materialize out of the stone walls around them. The Fairy Tailers looked between the blades and Hora in utter shock, eyes widening and jaws dropping at how quickly she had moved and where she placed herself.
Those golden-red eyes landed on the North Wind Lieutenant steadily, her expression resolute and unflinching, her attention never leaving him and never flicking for even a second toward the hundreds of incoming weapons and blades of all sizes and shapes- and all deadly in their own right.
Her hands swung forward, the flames dancing from her arms and springing through the air in a wave, whirling and spinning as if they were beasts and creatures in themselves.
The flames burned an incredible golden-azure color unlike anything any of them had ever seen, striking out across the ground and through the air in mere moments, Hora's voice clear and cold as the words bounced off the stone.
"Fire Devil's-" Hora growled lowly, too low for anyone to possibly hear normally, a waft of air rushing into the Fairy Tailers behind her, causing them to bring their hands up and cover their eyes, their faces washed against by a thick cloud of heat. A flickering visage of a Magic Circle flashed in front of Hora for a split second, before it imploded and air shook with it.
"Guardian Circle!!"
Just once... Only once before
They were hurt, badly. Worse than she had ever seen them be, and seeing the crimson drip from their bodies, their mouths, their noses- it was enough to break her heart, enough to hurt- even more than her own wounds.
They hadn't a clue what they walked into then, just like now. They'd started headfirst into that job, aware of the difficulty that was supposed to come with it- but unaware of just how dangerous it would be. And they very nearly paid dearly for it.
... no, she screwed up then, and she had screwed up now too.
It was the only thing she could do to try and fix it, save them.. guard them.
Rogue and Sting were shaking, struggling to stand up and face the large, bulky man that had them all pinned against a wall and with nowhere to go. A monster of a man, with much more Power and Magic more stifling than they, or Hora had ever come across- even from Jiemma.
They'd seldom come across someone too powerful to contend against individually, and rarely when they were working all together like this. But this man.... He was unbelievable.
Even for her
She knew they didn't remember it, not what she did, not how she'd jumped in front of them and let her Magic run wild where she never dared to before. They didn't remember the golden-blue hue her Fire had taken on that day, because by the time she'd used her Magic in such a way they had long since passed out from pain and wounds too many.
The Exceeds saw it though. Lector and Frosch saw it as they stood by their downed Partners, eyes wide and ears pressed against their heads as they watched Hora plant herself between an attack meant to kill them, and how she guarded against it. Their eyes reflecting the brilliant blue and gold glow, their fur washed back by the heat that had grown so intense it had felt nearly icy cold.
There had been such a loud boom of her Magic clashing with the other man's that they barely heard her say the words, and failed to hear anything but the last two.
"Guardian Circle."
And the sheer rise in power that had taken hold of her in the next minutes was something they had never seen before, and nothing that either Lector or Frosch had seen again.
They couldn't move, they just watched, rigid in awe and shock as Hora lay into that man and beat him. All on her own.
And they never seen her look so pissed either. And she had been angry, very much so- but like now it hadn't been that murderous rage she was so afraid of falling victim to.
She was just mad that they'd gotten so hurt and she's done so little to keep it from happening.
So even when Rogue and Sting finally came to, all their wounds already wrapped and treated by her, with the help of Lector and Frosch- she smiled brightly, hiding how awful she had felt and guilty that they'd gotten wounded like that.
They'd been stunned, to say the least- to go from passing out to waking up and the job was already done and over without them?
And they sure as hell couldn't wrap their heads around how she'd done it all by herself. And the explanation they received from Hora, Lector and Frosch alike were nowhere near helpful, or satisfying.
"What the hell do you mean gold and blue fire ?"
"Is that even allowed?!"
It hasn't been this color since then.
'You haven't been so determined and willing to act in order to protect humans in that long a time.'
Guard them, you mean.
'.... That is a part of what your Magic is meant to do, after all.'
.... Maybe.... I started to forget that part though.
'That's because you've deemed your Magic evil.'
It is.
'.... Hmm... But that does not determine what you do with it to be evil. You decide your own action.'
.... That's... Kinda like.. What Natsu said...
"You do smell good.... And I don't feel tense around you either. You're Magic felt weird, but I don't think you're as dark a person as your Magic feels. It was like you weren't you or a split second... but you've been you since. Nice. Gentle. You're actually a really nice person, so I guess I'm just surprised you're Magic feels so different from how you really are..... is that why it's hard for you? Cause you're Magic's really freakin' strong, I mean- I haven't felt anyone's Fire as hot as yours before. If you're Magic is dark and you're not, do you have a hard time staying who you are because it's so powerful?"
I'm not as dark as my Magic.... I choose what I do with it. I'm.... Maybe I'm not a monster.
.... Maybe I can use it to do more than harm.
'You would be incapable of this Spell, if you did not have the will to do good, to protect.'
..... When the hell... Did you get so nice and helpful, hmm?
'Be quiet.'
She almost smirked, if not for her focus on the man and the sudden burning energy rushing through her body.
The glow of gold and blue lit up the room and bounced from the stone, heat wafting around through the air in wild waves as the weapons crashed against the sheer, near solid wall of flame that erupted around them in a circle, a line between Hora and the Fairy Tailers and the objects that would do them harm.
Below their feet a Magic Circle had appeared, the edges rung around by the wall of flame.
Hora's eyes flashed, the weapons melting immediately on contact with the fire and seeing the lines of Magic melting away inside the confines of her Spell just as quickly. What Lines tried to reattach themselves and break through the fire failed entirely, the North Wind Lieutenant scowled down at her, his fingers twitching away madly trying to break through- he wouldn't have any chance, she'd carved a circle to which nothing could step inside of if she didn't want it to.
"Y-you..." He growled, his hands raising in front of him, "... little... bitch....!"
Hora smirked, her lips twitching at the corner for a split second, before it faded into a softer smile.
She glanced over her shoulder toward the Fairy Tailers, her hands falling to her hips and the flames simmering down to an ember around the edge of the circle, glowing faintly. Even without the flames, the Magic Lines were still failing to cross over the line- as was sure to be pissing the North Wind Lieutenant off even more.
Lucy, Happy and Natsu all caught her eyes, attention snapping away from gazing at her Magic, looking stunned and completely in awe, their jaws dropped and sweatdropping. They blinked at the sudden soft smile she shot their way, her golden-red gaze glinting.
"... wh... what kind of Spell is this...?" Lucy asked hesitantly,
"Yeah... and what's with your eyes, Hora..?" Happy mumbled,
".... did you say.... Fire Devil...?" Natsu's voice had dropped so low neither Lucy nor Happy heard him say anything, but a part of him knew nearly instantly that Hora had- because she smiled nervously as her gaze flicked toward him in particular for a small moment.
"Ah, simple version, yeah?" Hora hummed, turning only slightly their way and completely ignorant of the seething North Wind Lieutenant still standing on that balcony above their heads. They blinked, quite unsure what had brought on such a lighthearted tone and smile so suddenly- how could she look that relaxed right now?
"To start, whatever Magic this guy's using involves hundreds of Strings made up a Magic that span every inch of this room." Hora waved her hand lightly in a gesture toward the walls, "Can't tell you the specifics, but he's connected to all the strings and is making the weapons appear and move with them." They blinked, looking taken aback and glancing around feverishly to try and see the 'Strings' for themselves.
"... b... but I don't see any 'Magic Strings', Hora." Lucy mumbled, Hora shook her head slightly,
"You won't." Hora replied lightly, "That's where the part about my eyes comes in." She tapped a hand lightly under her eye, smiling reassuringly. "Remember I said my Magic has a way of picking apart illusions, charms and stuff?" Lucy nodded slightly, "Well, I can also use it to see things that otherwise can't be seen- or are considered 'hidden'. Whatever Magic this guy uses is hiding the Magic Strings from regular view, so normally they are invisible- but if I use my Magic to focus enough, I can see them anyway. So even though you guys can't see them, trust me, they are definitely there."
"That's how you saw the second blade coming before me. And all those other weapons too." Natsu mumbled, Hora nodded.
"... That..... that is amazing." Lucy breathed, "You're Magic is really impressive, Hora!"
"But if you said the Strings are everywhere, wouldn't that mean we're in the middle of them right now?" Happy asked, Hora smiled again with a shake of her head.
"No, not anymore." She smiled lightly, tilting her head in the direction of the floor and the Magic Circle that still glowed faintly. "This Spell keeps everything unwanted out of the confines of the circle, so don't worry about any of the Strings getting through, or any other types of attacks for that matter. They won't make it passed the border as long as I keep the Spell going." All of their eyes widened at that, "So, in essence- this Circle is the only safe spot in the whole room." Hora explained lightly,
".... how long are you gonna be able to keep it going?" Natsu mumbled, his face still plastered in that seriousness that was much too unlike him- but it was called for at the present situation. Hora blinked at that, her smile fading for a moment, before it returned, though she looked rather nervous.
She was forcing herself not to show it outwardly- but somehow that Flame-Brain seemed to see it anyway. Apart from the throb and sting of the wound on her back, there was something sharper flaring in her chest, and getting worse the longer she kept the Spell going subconsciously.
Over-Drive was getting worse the longer they were here, and the longer she kept her Magic up too. 'Guardian Circle' was a ridiculously complicated Spell, and took up a lot of Magic Energy to cast in the first place, and even more to keep it going and working after that. She could already feel her Magic Energy Supply depleting, and quickly- if she didn't watch it she'd exhaust and strain herself too much- and that was just the perfect scenario to have her start coughing up blood again.
She just wondered how Natsu seemed to simply know she was putting herself in a heap of trouble.
".... ah.. not very long." She admitted quietly, "... this Spell is.... ah.... kinda hell, to keep up." Natsu nodded stiffly, Lucy and Happy seemed to swallow.
"Then we gotta finish this fast." He growled, cracking his knuckles in the palm of his hand.
"You can't see the Strings moving, Salamander." Hora mumbled, "Even at your fastest, there's no telling what else this guy can throw at you- or even if you can dodge it." Natsu grimaced slightly at that, his eyes flicking away from her.
"Yeah, but you can't take him out all on your own." He grumbled, "And hell if I'm sitting here doin' nothing." His eyes moved back toward Hora, only to halt, his serious expression falling slightly as he blinked.
Hora's face had fallen utterly neutral, her eyes settled on him with a deadpan stare. Natsu's head tilted slightly,
"What?" He mumbled, Lucy and Happy sighed silently to themselves, their faces falling and looking rather exasperated.
"I feel like I should be offended." Hora muttered levelly, Natsu stiffened slightly, blinking a few more times as the utterly stony response. He huffed slightly, his jaw clenching in agitation as he growled,
"Tch, come on I didn't mean it that way!" He said quickly,
"I think you did." Hora replied, her tone never wavering from neutrality, nor her expression with it. Natsu flinched at that, looking a little flustered.
"I meant you can't keep this Spell going at the same time as trying to find a way to beat this guy! You already said it's hard to keep up!" He huffed,
"And what do you plan to do?" Hora deadpanned again, looking no more amused nor appeased.
"We can't just sit here!" He snapped, "And there ain't nobody doing anything all by themselves! We're all here and we're gonna work together to get this job done, like we agreed to!" Hora blinked, swallowing slightly at the words.
"He's right, we need to do this together." Lucy piped up, "We can figure out how to get around his Magic, if we all pitch in." She smiled, nodding firmly as Hora's gaze moved toward the blonde slowly.
"Aye!" Happy smirked, "All four of us are sure to come up with something!"
Hora's eyes fell closed, her shoulders sagging slightly as she let out a long, low breath. She had a feeling they could keep arguing back and forth a long while if she was stubborn enough to try it, and honestly she wasn't looking forward to wasting that much time. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from wincing outwardly as a stab of pain ignited in her chest, snatching her breath away for a few moments.
She was a little offended though, that Pinky had even suggested she couldn't take this guy out on her own.
But they all seemed rather intent on doing this together, so she figured it was best to just... roll with it.
"....... it might be easier to focus on getting your Keys back first, then." Hora sighed, her eyes opening to settle on Lucy, who nodded slightly. "Maybe one of your Spirits can help us out with the Strings and whatever, but you're gonna need 'um back first for that."
"Yeah, sounds good to me." Lucy replied,
"Let's get 'um back then." Natsu murmured,
"..... how dare you prattle on like that?!"
All four of them blinked, jumping slightly at the shout of sheer fury that sounded out of near nowhere,
".... oh right." Happy said quietly,
"... I kinda forgot that guy was still waitin' up there." Natsu mumbled, Hora sweatdropped slightly, looking just as exasperated as Lucy did in the next instant.
"Forgot?!" The North Wind Lieutenant snapped, his eyes alight in anger and rage. "You insolent little brats!!"
"Oi, you don't gotta keep yellin' like that, we're still gonna kick your ass." Natsu replied flatly, "Now! Give Lucy's Keys back, they don't belong to you!"
"I have plenty of things that don't technically belong to me, brat!" The man snapped, "You've got a lot of big words, but how do you intend to get them back sitting in that nice little safe-spot of yours? The minute you set foot outside that circle I'm going to tear you to pieces!"
".... Salamander." Hora mumbled quietly, seeing the agitation and annoyance spark anew in the Fire Dragon Slayer. "Don't do something dumb."
"Then back me up." He shot back instantly, Hora blinked.
"... what do you want me to do? Tell you where to dodge?" She mumbled, only to earn a smirk in return.
"Hell yeah, I'm quick enough to avoid getting hit, if you're quick enough to tell me." He smiled, "And in the meantime we can both lay into this guy and keep him too busy to get any good hits in, yeah?"
Hora blinked, sweatdropping slightly at the words and what was quite frankly.... kinda a dumb plan. But he looked so sure of himself and so confident she couldn't bring herself to disagree with it, even though she probably should have.
She sighed,
".. fine. Let's work fast, then." She mumbled, he smiled wider at that, Hora paused long enough to glance Lucy and Happy's way. "...seems I'm gonna have my hands full keeping an eye on Natsu, so for the meantime it's probably better for you two to stay here, so you don't get hurt. Alright?"
They nodded stiffly, "Yeah, we'll hang back a bit. Maybe in the meantime, with the more I see of his Magic, I can figure out how to stop him." Lucy murmured steadily, Hora nodded back a little.
"Alright, let's go Salamander." Hora murmured, turning back toward Natsu who smiled, looking nearly ecstatic.
"Hell yeah!"
Lucy and Happy recoiled slightly, eyes wide and jaws dropping at what sheer speed both Hora and Natsu took off with in the next second, a wave of air rushing up to hit their faces and attention struggling to find their blurred forms high over their heads now- and heading straight for the North Wind Lieutenant, who by now looked even more miffed. But his lips curled, smiling wickedly as his hands shot forward, fingers twitching madly.
"Try your best, brats!" He snapped, his voice ringing painfully off the stone.
Hora growled under her breath, the Strings vibrating and shifting madly around them, hundreds all at once and burning an eerie pale glow that was painful to look at.
"Above you!" She snapped curtly, Natsu reacting immediately to the sound of her voice and jumping sideways to avoid the hail of daggers that rained down from where he had been but seconds before. Her eyes snapped away to avoid what next attack she saw preparing from the corner of her eye, her feet pushing off the stone hard enough to send her high into the air, twisting to avoid the long, thirty foot lances that tried to impale her- and instead lodged into the walls and floor. She winced lowly, her back stinging at the movement- but she didn't dare slow down, her golden-red hue continually flicked between her own surroundings, and toward Natsu- calling out warnings without end while simultaneously dodging the ones coming toward her, all on top of keeping the Circle going.
They were moving nearly too quickly for Happy and Lucy to keep track of their movements, both of them shocked at how well Natsu and Hora seemed to be doing- how well Hora instructed him where the next attack was coming from, and how well he listened to keep himself out of danger entirely. It was like they found it ridiculously easy to work with one another, and the North Wind Lieutenant wasn't even close to hitting them with any of the attacks he sent their way- and he was looking even angrier by the second.
"He's clearly never come across someone who could see his Strings..." Lucy mumbled under her breath, her chocolate brown gaze narrowed and incredibly keen as she watched the three moving around.
She and Lucy jumped slightly, their eyes wide and glittering as their eyes snapped from Hora and Natsu toward the sudden torrent of cannons that appeared in air around them on all sides, the sound of the weapons clicking came for only a split second before a torrent of cannonballs let loose toward them.
Happy instinctively latched to Lucy, who recoiled, almost ready to move- before the edges of the Circle burned bright and a wall of flame leapt forward from Hora's Spell to melt every single cannonball before it ever even got close. Lucy shuddered slightly, Happy looking around in awe,
"..... this Spell is seriously strong!" Happy breathed,
".... it didn't even falter under all that power being thrown at it. Or even with Hora busy like she is.." Lucy murmured, ".... it's amazing how well she's keeping it going, all on top of fighting and keeping an eye on Natsu." She stiffened, stepping back a few paces as a long line of razor sharp halberds appeared next, thrusting forward toward them and halting as the wall of Flame burned bright again, rendering them to piles of melted goo with ease.
".... I remember how much damage she did to that guy when we first met her, her Magic Energy was stifling. And she's got to be on par with Natsu," Lucy mumbled nearly to herself, "..... Hora is really a very powerful Mage."
"Aye,"
Time stretched into near fifteen minutes with Hora and Natsu working in tandem, dodging attacks and throwing their own toward the North Wind Mage- who avoided several of them, but not all. Little by little Hora and Natsu were wearing him down, making him move around and keep on his toes to avoid getting hit- and all the while with Hora making sure Natsu was warned with enough time to move, and then they were back to the offensive again. Their Fire springing up around the air and burning walls, melting weapons here and there and singing and bruising the North Wind man on and on.
They were actually a damn good team.
Hora's feet pressed against the wall for but a split second as she moved out of the way of more swords, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the room- for a split second the Strings went lax, a small window between being avoided and readying again. She clenched her fists at her sides, crimson flame erupting around her person. She spared a glance Natsu's way, catching his gaze for a split second, before he nodded slightly, his Magic flaring around him in tangent with hers.
"Fire Dragon's-"
"Fire Devil's-"
The floor and wall cracked under their feet as they launched themselves upward instantaneously, the room dancing in shadows sent up by the harsh glow of red and orange as both Hora and Natsu appeared above the balcony in which the North Wind Lieutenant stood- after having jumped back up toward it in hopes of respite from their unrelenting movement toward him. Their eyes locked to him and their arms raised above their heads, an orb of glittering red and orange appeared over Natsu's head while a white-hot orb appeared between Hora's hands,
"-Brilliant Flame!"
"-Infernium!"
The spheres clashed together and combined as Hora and Natsu swung their arms down, the glare burning brightly enough that Happy and Lucy had to shield their eyes from it. The waves of heat and pressure that washed against their faces sent shivers running down their spines, the room shaking with the incredible boom that echoed out soon after, all sight of the North Wind Lieutenant, Hora and Natsu lost to the cloud that sprung up from the explosion so suddenly.
"Did they get him?!" Happy hissed under his breath, Lucy shook her head slightly.
They jumped, hearts skipping a beat as something heavy crashed to the floor not far from them, sweatdropping heavily to see Natsu slowly picking himself up from the sudden rubble that was the floor- only to hit the floor again, jaw gritting and growling in pain as his eyes found what was pulling him back again.
A thin trail of blood seeped down the length of razor sharp wire that had wrapped itself so tightly around his forearms that the skin was cut through with ease. Flames circled around him, burning the wire away as he drew his hand across his chin to rid it of the blood dripping from his nose.
"Natsu!" Happy gasped, "What happened?! Didn't you guys hit him?!"
"Tch.... yeah, but he got us too." Natsu hissed, his eyes flashing angrily.
"Hora....?" Lucy breathed, her eyes snapping away from the pinkette toward where they had last seen the Saber Woman. She stiffened, her breath catching in her throat-
Hora hissed, her airway cut off and unable to take in any air- her fingers fumbling slightly at the silvery metallic sheen of the wire that had wrapped itself around her throat, preventing breathing- and would have probably cut her throat open, if not for the onyx Markings that had covered her skin a long while before. More wire pressed painfully against her ripcage, wrapped around her torso and chest and keeping her suspended just slightly off the floor of the nearly completely destroyed balcony,
The bastard must have taken their turn to throw a complicated attack his way to his advantage, and hit them when neither he nor Hora was looking for it- or expecting it. He'd set it up so they'd get caught by the wire when they least expected him to try it- and right when Hora's attention had turned away from watching what the Magic String's were doing.
S...shit..... this.... asshole.... is really..... annoying me... n... now....
She cringed, her heart beating frantically in her chest and suddenly a jolt of agony swept through her, her throat burning as she coughed up what little air she had left, a dribble of scarlet peeking it's way past her lips and falling down her chin. The golden-red hue of her eyes flashed, breaking back to her usual deep blue for a few seconds as she felt her Magic falter along with Over-Drive starting to kick up a few more notches- she could feel the Markings shrink back up her hands, the skin of her fingertips and palms tearing open as she tried to pull the wire off and lacking the protection they provided now.
Crap..... this is going... so well....
"Horatia!" She faintly heard them call her name from somewhere down below her, but her eyes locked forward, meeting those sickly yellow of the North Wind Lieutenant, bleeding now and skin burned and singed in several places, balancing lightly atop what was left of the balcony and his hands raised toward her, scowling profusely.
Her eyes flicked away from his face toward the glint of light that bounced off the ring of Keys hanging from his belt,
"Caught ya, little brat!" The man sneered, his fingers pulling inward toward his palm as the wire tightened, Hora's eyes snapped shut against it. "What the hell? Why isn't it cutting you?!"
"Let her go!"
The North Wind Lieutenant's head snapped sideways, Natsu appearing to his left and fire licking off his fist as he swung out toward his face, missing by barely a few inches as the man sidestepped in Hora's direction to avoid the hit. Natsu whirled around to face him, only to have the breath knocked out of him as a large, heavy log in the shape of a battering ram made contact with his stomach, pushing him off the balcony and winding him.
The man yelped, his body wrenched backward as Hora moved, her legs wrapping around his neck and shoulders tightly, trapping him in place as he struggled to gain his bearings-
Hora coughed, gasping and sputtering as the same battering ram turned on it's head and rammed into her hard enough to snap the wire from the roof, sending her spilling amongst the rubble and vision dotted in black- the wire around her throat never loosening and her lungs begging for air.
... h...how.... many times...... is this.... bastard... gonna hit me.....
But her Magic was faltering so badly now with Over-Drive kicking into sudden full gear, even the fire she managed around herself didn't get hot enough to melt the wire off.
'You've used too much of your Magic all at once, too soon after being injured by your 'Master'.'
She knew she hadn't been at full capacity starting this Mission, but she hadn't a choice. She had been doing fine, the entire time, one couldn't tell she was still hurting from time to time or even that anything wasn't quite right.... but just now she really regretted not taking time to heal all the way before starting in to North Wind.
.... c....crap.... I really can't breathe......
Gold light flooded the floor below as the sound of a bell ringing filled the air.
"Open! Gate of the Giant Crab!"
"Eh...?!" The North Wind Lieutenant snapped his head around, eyes wide and heart jumping as his hand instinctively fell to his belt- only to find the ring of Keys missing. "When the hell did you-?!!" His eyes snapped to where Hora was laying on her shoulder, her blue gaze flashing slightly as she shot him a strained smirk.
-The man yelped, his body wrenched backward as Hora moved, her legs wrapping around his neck and shoulders tightly, trapping him in place as he struggled to gain his bearings.
Hora's hand shot downward, letting go of the wire as her fingers curled around the keyring tightly, wrenching it free from the belt in seconds- tossing it quickly over the edge of the balcony long before he'd composed himself enough to knock her off of him, and completely with him none the wiser to what he'd done.
Happy had jumped forward the instant he saw Hora toss the keys in their direction. Aera flaring as he zoomed up through the air and caught the keys in his paws easily- passing them off to Lucy who pulled a single key from the loop without any hesitation, her gaze locked toward where she could see Hora struggling to pull the wire away.
The man blanched slightly, his face twisting in a scowl as he shot Hora a furious glare, "Y-you!!!!"
"Cancer!"
The man recoiled, he had started to spin toward Lucy's voice only to be halted as something sharp passed by him so quickly, and so closely, he felt the skin on his cheek split as a cut suddenly ran across it from near nowhere. His eyes never found Lucy though, because Natsu had moved to be right in front of him faster than he could notice, nor take note of how the Magic Strings bent and shook as Natsu passed through them with little a care- he'd been too distracted to notice, and he wasn't fast enough to react in time.
As was what Lucy had noticed, the more distractions there were and the more that man focused on one person- out of anger or whatever, the less he payed attention to anything else, least of all his Magic Strings. That's why even when he had ample opportunity to attack Happy once he left Hora's circle, or Natsu when he was focused on Hora- he didn't. He couldn't put his attention on all that much simultaneously, and his reaction time was actually really, really slow.
So she'd told Natsu to keep the man's attention for a little while- long enough to open Cancer's Gate and long enough to get to Hora.
"Too slow!" Natsu snapped, his leg swinging forward with little time and burning bright in the light of his fire, his leg making contact with the side of the man's jaw and sending him flying through air to crash into the wall hard enough to cave it in.
Hora coughed, the wires around her throat loosening as they were cut apart in instants, her lungs heaving as she sucked in air, spluttering slightly as she struggled to take control of her breathing- and ended up coughing roughly, flecks of blood spattering against the stone and she held her aching ribs. She groaned slightly, her chest aching painfully as she rolled over, swallowing hard against the metallic tang in her mouth and eyes halfway closed- her gaze meeting that of of a tall man with green-tinted sunglasses and..... crab legs, sticking out of his back. And snipping at the air with a pair of scissors in each hand.
... Cancer, huh....?
"You alright, ebi~?" He asked calmly, she blinked,
".... y... yeah..." She breathed lowly, wincing as she pushed herself up with her hands behind her, sighing slightly and swallowing the sensation to start coughing again. She grumbled, wiping her chin with the back of her hand and grimacing to herself.
.... this is pathetic.... I must have been in worse shape than I wanted to admit if I'm getting strung up like that.... and hit.... and cut... and.... grahhh....
'...... your 'Master' very nearly killed you not three weeks ago, do not forget. Few would be able to move now after what he did, less would be alive. It's a miracle you haven't fallen apart before now, and managed to keep on as you have.'
... don't call him that.
'Would you prefer 'owner'?'
..... just..... be quiet.
"... thank you." She mumbled quietly, casting a glance toward the Spirit and stilling her thoughts.
"You got it, ebi~" He replied, the sound of the scissors snipping a few times only caught her attention faintly as something silver glinted from the corner of her eye, down the small hallway that connected with the balcony.
"Hora!!" Her head turned away from the hallway to the hushed, frantic voices that came next.
Lucy jumped down onto the balcony as Happy let her go from having carried her up there, both of them looking panicked and eyes glittering in worry. Lucy ran straight up to Hora, bending down on her knees and her hands pressed against the ground as she leaned forward toward the Saber girl, Happy stumbling to a halt next to the blonde and looking breathless.
"Hora, are you ok?!" Lucy asked quickly, her brown gaze sweeping over every inch of Hora's person looking for injuries and missing the blink of surprise Hora let slip, her now normally blue gaze flashing a moment.
"Ahh! Are you bleeding?!" Happy asked quickly, finding the tears in Hora's hands and fingers from trying to pull the wire off.
"Is your neck ok? Did you break anything when he hit you?" Lucy asked breathlessly, her chocolate brown gaze glistening and sweatdropping heavily as her her hands curled into fists on the floor in front of her, lingering on the smear of crimson from her back on the floor behind her and the specks that had littered the floor when she was in the middle of coughing. Lucy seemed to stiffen at that,
..... she looks....
Lucy's gaze snapped up to land on Hora, who felt the breath catch in her throat, her face falling and her heart skipping a beat.
"Are you ok?" Lucy asked again, this time rather shakily, small flecks of moisture pecking at the corners of her eyes- the very sight that had Hora completely rigid.
.... she's..... she's nearly in tears...?
.... is..... is she that worried.....?
..... about....
............... me..........?
Hora found herself lost for words, or even proper thought. She had a hard time wrapping her head around the idea, they had only known each other a few days, they were from completely different Guilds.... and yet the Fairy Tailers had been treating her like she'd been a Fairy all her life.
But the concern? Genuine concern... she wasn't sure how to contend with that, or even what to feel either.
Was she supposed to be happy.... grateful....?
To be honest she just felt ridiculously flustered at it, her heart fluttered slightly in her chest in a sudden wash of sheer embarrassment, and nervousness.
Hora swallowed, sweatdropping slightly as she fumbled for a response for a few moments.
"...mmm... you're tiring.'
"... I... ah, I... I'm fine..." She managed to stammer oh so gracefully. "... really... I'm fine. My neck didn't get cut or anything, and the rest are super small." She forced a shaky, strained smile.
Though inwardly she had to wonder if maybe a few ribs had cracked from getting hit with that damned battering ram.
"Are you sure?" Happy asked tentatively,
"Yeah, I'm sure." Hora replied, her smile a little less strained as her embarrassment calmed down a bit. "You don't need to look so worried, promise." Lucy's shoulders sagged slightly, "After all, you guys saved me just in time." She added in lowly, tilting her head toward Lucy and Cancer alike.
"Of course." Lucy mumbled, "... it's the least we could do. You kept that Guardian Circle Spell going even when you couldn't breathe." Hora blinked,
"... oh, ah... I didn't even register I was doing that still." She admitted lightly, "Guess I was just doing it out of instinct, hehe..." Lucy smiled softly,
"...MMmmmmph.... a little help here...?!"
Lucy, Happy and Hora alike glanced up toward the sound of Natsu's voice, their eyes moving to find him struggling and bouncing in a web of wire that had him nearly completely immobilized, the North Wind Lieutenant below him looking worn and bloody, but no less angry.
"... ah..." Hora hummed, grimacing slightly as she shifted,
"Cancer, can you please?" Lucy asked quickly, the Spirit nodded solemnly.
"Of course, ebi~"
Hora pulled herself to her feet, stifling the wince that rose up her throat as Lucy stood up beside her, Cancer moving slightly, scissors snipping away in a flash as the wire holding Natsu captive was cut through with ease. The pinkette flipped in air to land on his feet, huffing slightly.
"Thanks Cancer!"
"I suppose we ought to finally finish this guy off." Hora grumbled, her eyes narrowing to slits as the deep blue flashed gold for a split second, before it faltered again and she let out a slightly strained breath. "...... I can't hardly see the Strings anymore though, so we'll have to be careful."
"Strings?" Cancer murmured,
"He controls objects through a series of Magic Strings that span the entire room." Hora replied, "... He also makes objects appear via the strings too.... I'm really not sure what sort of Magic this is, honestly."
Cancer blinked, his attention moving away from Hora as he lift a hand in the air in front of him, his index finger tapping against nothing- until a flash of white illuminated itself in the air before him, revealing a small section of... the Magic Strings?!
"... how in the hell....?" Hora mumbled,
"You can see the Strings, Cancer?!" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes shining as Cancer nodded.
"I would not have thought to look for them had you not mentioned it." The Spirit replied, "The Strings seem to exist in a reality that borders quite close to that of the Spirit Realm. It would be hidden from Mortal eyes that way, but if I concentrate enough I can certainly see them~" He smirked slightly, his scissors snipping. "I can cut them too, if you so wish it, ebi~"
Lucy's eyes shone, her expression brightening as she nodded happily.
"Please! Then we can beat this guy without worrying about getting caught or hit!" Lucy grinned, "You're the best, Cancer!"
"Of course, ebi~"
Hora blinked, her head tilting slightly as she glanced between Lucy, and how the blonde smiled up at her Spirit with such excitement and pride, even.
.... I've seen that expression in Yukino too...
She felt her lips twitch slightly at the corner,
... she's kinda cute, looking so excited like that.
Her smile faded again, her attention fixing to Cancer as the Spirit moved quickly, jumping down onto the main floor as Hora heard the air cut- the North Wind Lieutenant halting, and stumbling backward to see Cancer appear right in front of him, light bouncing from his scissors as he made a swift cut at the air in front of the man's hands. Light erupted in the form of Strings for a split second, before they crumbled away and out of sight- the North Wind Lieutenant's face growing dark in anger and near horror.
"M-My Puppeteer Strings...?!"
"Hehe, alright!" Natsu smiled, the swords that had been suspended in air around him clattered to the ground, no long being held aloft by the Man's Magic. "Way to go Luce! Cancer!" Natsu smirked, his fist slamming into his palm and looking quite thrilled. "Looks like your fancy Magic's all cut up!"
".... you... little shits....!" The man snapped, stepping back, before he sprinted to the side and snatched up one of the blades that had fallen to the ground, rounding on Natsu as he smiled, the blade suddenly lightning up with flickering blue and gold electricity. "You think that's the only Magic I know?! Try me!!"
"..... lightning too, hmm...?" Hora mumbled under her breath. She felt the icy hot around her neck and her arms lessen, the markings receding back to just barely cover her right shoulder, she could feel her heart beat unevenly as a sudden wash of lightheadedness rammed into her- though she didn't let it show outwardly.
She stepped forward, her foot trailing over the edge of the balcony, before halting- Lucy's voice calling her back.
"W-wait! You're hurt, Hora. You should probably just let Natsu and Cancer handle the rest." Lucy said quickly, Hora blinked, glancing back toward the blonde.
'You ought to listen, you're very near your limit.' The voice added in flatly, Hora sweatdropped slightly.
"..... hmmph.... don't tell me you don't think I can handle him too." Hora sighed slightly, earning a nervous look from Lucy as Natsu's earlier comment of Hora not being able to 'take him out all on her own'. Lucy shook her head slightly,
"No, it's not like that." She replied quickly, "But with his Magic destroyed, Natsu and Cancer can easily handle it. You don't need to work so hard anymore, you've been doing that the whole time." Hora quirked an eyebrow, "... apart from keeping Natsu safe, and using that Spell to keep Happy and I safe too, you even got my Keys back. And before that you saved us in the Cells too, and kept that creep from touching me. You've done a lot, and you got hurt in the process..." Lucy shook her head at herself, her gaze flashing in sudden steely determination. "I know you're a really powerful Mage Hora. And I don't doubt you could have beat this guy all on your own either! But you've done enough, and I don't want to risk you getting hurt again if you don't have to!" She took a step in Hora's direction, her hand moving forward to grab Hora's wrist lightly, Hora felt her heart jump and her nerves rise at the sudden unexpected contact. She would have pulled her arm back out of sheer instinct, but her gaze met Lucy's and she halted without really meaning to.
"Please." Lucy mumbled, "..... you've been doing so much. Let me have a turn and do something for you, alright?" Her eyes flashed and Hora felt her heart skip a beat, again. "... you're hurt, and you've used up so much energy already, you have got to be tired. Let me look at your wounds and help you, alright?" Hora swallowed slightly,
'.... it seems you've made quite the impression on her, haven't you?' The voice murmured, it sounded... amused.
'... I think you've made quite an impression on all three of them. They seem to genuinely care about you, even only having met you two days ago.' It was amused, it fucking laughed. '... how odd, to think you'd manage to go around making friends and stealing hearts so easily. Hehe.'
Hora went rigid, her eyes widening slightly and feeling her face heat up and burn almost as hot as the Markings did. Her face must have turned bright red, because Lucy's serious expression altered to a look of confusion, but Hora hardly cared nor noticed, her heart fluttered incessantly as no small amount of sheer embarrassment hit her in the next instant.
S-Stealing hearts....?!
She had half a mind to snap a few choice curses out loud, her nerves rising and flusterdness hitting an all time high at the comment and how ridiculous it was-
She never got to that part though,
What had she said before? About Over-Drive?
"It.... It gets set off when I go through a large amount of physical, or emotional strain all at once."
Emotional Strain, emotional influx... and on top of it, Magical Strain too
Her heart had started fluttering so much at the comment, the next breath she took in ended up being agony- her chest tightened up and she felt like someone had run a blade through it, Over-Drive kicking in on... over-drive, just at that one little comment, one little comment that was enough to send her spilling over the edge where she had been pushed toward it, teetering dangerously.
She cringed, her eyes snapping shut as she ended up letting out a strangled gasp, sputtering slightly as her free hand moved up to clench about her shirt over her chest, her knees shaking and shoulders hunching as she ended up coughing, every single one felt like fire and ice all at once, tearing her apart from the inside out. Her breathing stretched and pulled painfully at the tear across her back, and ached badly against those ribs she had been a little afraid had cracked not long before. Her hand moved to cover her mouth, her head spinning anew as her legs buckled underneath her.
You bastard... you did that on... purpose....
'I did say you were at your limit, foolish girl.'
"H-Hora..!!" Lucy gasped, her voice shaking as she moved forward, her hands falling on Hora's shoulders frantically, eyes wide and face pulled tight in concern and worry, especially so at how painful those coughs were to hear- let alone how painful they seemed to be for the Saber girl. "H-hey! What's wrong?! Why is this happening again...?!"
Hora's head bowed, her hands falling in front of her and pressing against the floor to hold herself up as the coughing came to a slow halt, her shoulders and back hunched as she panted, her eyes closed and feeling even exhausted all at once. She hardly heard Lucy say anything, or even the noise of Natsu and Cancer below them, all she could hear was how harsh her breathing was on her own ears. Lucy was settled on her heels in front of the heaving Saber girl, her hands resting lightly on Hora's upper arms and grimacing, her eyes flashing as she saw Hora's arms begin to tremble faintly,
".... Hora..." Lucy mumbled softly, "..... please, this isn't right. You've been doing so fine since.... It happened before, but you said....."
"... yeah, I'm alright, sorry." She murmured quietly, "... it's nothing, promise."
".... you're not alright." Lucy mumbled, ".... are you sick or something? Can ... can I help...?"
.... she's so worried...
Hora swallowed, her breathing settling again as she forced it to.
... I hate it when people sound like that.... I've always hated.... being worried over....
...shit...
"...s...sorry..." Hora mumbled, Lucy blinked. ".... I'm.... good now. Really.... I wasn't trying......" she sighed, her head lifting slightly to meet Lucy's gaze tentatively, straightening up enough she wasn't holding her weight on her hands anymore.
"..... um.... sort of." She mumbled, Lucy blinked. "... sick.... I mean.... I've been that way for a few weeks... but I thought I'd gotten it over it by now." She smiled slightly, nervously almost. She shrugged a little, "... guess I'm not quite over it."
".... if you've been sick why are you out here working..?" Lucy mumbled,
"... cause I'm on a job. Feelin' a little bad ain't about to stop me." She replied softly,
"... is it really bad? You're looking a little pale, Hora...." Lucy murmured, Hora shook her head slightly,
"Nah, I'll be ok, promise." Hora replied lightly, "Nothin' a little sleep can't fix anyway, don't look so worried." Lucy frowned slightly,
".... you work too hard." Lucy mumbled softly, shaking her head slightly. "... you should have said something, we could have waited a few more days until you were feeling better, you know." Hora smiled slightly,
A few days would have probably helped, a few weeks more too... but she wouldn't dare admit to it.
"... hmmm... well we're almost finished, yeah?" Hora hummed, "We can take a break after we get out of here and find that necklace you guys came for." She smiled nervously, "... I'm... sorry," Hora mumbled, her voice dropping as Lucy blinked in slight surprise at the words. ".... really... I didn't want to worry you guys if I didn't have to... guess I mucked up on that anyway... so really... I'm sorry to worry you like this..." Her hand moved to rub the back of her neck a little self-consciously. ".... to be honest.... I didn't know you would be as worried as you are...."
"Of course I am!" Lucy snapped, catching Hora entirely off guard, and making her flinch backward at the sudden harshness in the blonde. "You're my friend! Of course I'm worried if you're feeling sick or getting hurt!"
"... friend...?" Hora breathed, the word appearing not on part of that damned voice, but in the blonde.
"Friends tell eachother when something's wrong, got it?!" Lucy hissed, looking agitated now. "Friend's keep an eye on eachother and always work to make sure the other is alright. Friends talk to eachother when something's bothering them, or isn't right, and friends always stick together- no matter what! And they don't keep secrets from eachother when those secrets can end up hurting you or someone else!" Lucy's brown gaze flashed, her expression pulling into something so steady and so serious. "Even if you're afraid of worrying someone else! Friends are supposed to worry about eachother, that keeps them alive! And if you let other people know how you're feeling that gives them a chance to help you! Friends are supposed to help eachother, no matter what, Hora!"
Hora blinked, her face falling slack in shock as she simply held that burning brown gaze from the blonde, how... well, passionate she was about what had become something of a lecture. Or even scolding, and it caught her completely off guard. Because in reality it came out of near nowhere.
What the.....?
"Do you understand?" Lucy grumbled lowly, her eyes narrowed at Hora who let out a small, silent breath.
"She's right ya know."
Lucy and Hora both jumped, their heads snapping around toward the voice and eyes wide as they landed on the figure of Natsu, who had appeared beside them along with Cancer with absolutely no warning at all. Below them the North Wind Lieutenant was knocked out cold, Hora could see some from leaning over the edge of the balcony a little- but she'd been so focused on Lucy she'd missed Pinky and Cancer finishing it.
When the hell...?!
Natsu stood with his hands on his hips, his expression neutral as he glanced down toward Hora steadily. "Friends gotta stick together and trust eachother."
...... they keep saying that word... like it's natural.... like It should be.... obvious...
"....heh...?" She huffed, words seemed apt to just fail.
He smirked slightly, "Ah, come on don't give me that face. We're all friends, yeah?" Her breathing caught in her throat this time around, her eyes gleaming as she saw Lucy smiled slightly her way.
...... friends.....
".... even if I'm Saber....?" Hora mumbled, it being the only response she managed. Honestly, hearing them say it so easily... they'd only known eachother a few days, and certainly not long enough..... well....
"Of course!" Lucy said quickly,
"We got plenty of friends in other Guilds ya know, don't matter to us if your SaberTooth or not." Natsu smirked, "A Guild don't define what kind of person you are."
"That's right. We like you as a friend for who you are, not what Guild you're a part of." Lucy assured easily.
Hora glanced slowly between the both of them, her hands pressed lightly against the ground between her legs and her shoulders sagging slightly.
....... Brother.....
They just kept smiling, so content and so serious about it all.
....... Brother.... I remember the last time..... It felt like this......
She swallowed slightly, her eyes falling slightly.
..... it..... It happened just as quickly then as it did now..... I knew how I felt.... But that word never popped up so fast.....
".... Travel with me a few days then." She said at length, "Show me what you've got up your sleeves. We can get to know each other a little more, and test out your skills." She smirked slightly. "Make sure you've got what it takes to be SaberTooth Wizards, hmm?"
Rogue and Sting smiled at the words, finding it as a sort of challenge, feeling excitement well inside of them. Immersed in a new sense of adventure and even an inkling sense of... Hope, they failed to notice the fearful look in her dark blue eyes, and the clear apprehension to the idea in her gaze. They didn't see the look of worry and fear on her face as the grinned at her, following along behind her as she lead the way forward toward the north, they didn't see the haunted look on her face as she looked ahead, the clear unhappiness.
They just.. Wanted somewhere to go, to call home, to belong... ...
It had happened so fast, one minute they were strangers, the next... In those few days heading back toward the Guild, something changed. They grew closer, they became friends ... True friends.
She cared for them, wanted them safe...... She loved them, without knowing she could ever love anyone like she loved those four. They were her family, she never thought family would be a part of her life again.
.... But she'd never dared call them friends out loud, not until weeks had passed, not until she was sure they had to have felt the same way. Because who would consider a total stranger 'friend' after no more than three days?
...... I thought..... I mean.... I think of them that way... I guess...... But I thought.... I always thought it took longer... Than that.... To count .....
And what Lucy said? And Natsu too...?
...... Brother..... Have I been.... Looking at it wrong the whole time....?
She bit the inside of her cheek, doubt swirling inside her stomach and her heart now where she hadn't expected it to.
...... Have I been thinking about it all wrong....?
But..... Even in doubt and worry now.... It felt better. It felt nice.
She smiled softly, nodding her head a little as she glanced to Natsu and Lucy both- familiar faces from here on out to be sure..... Friendly faces.
She never thought anyone could feel like friends in so little time, and it be real.
But this feeling in her chest was assuredly real.
.... They almost make me wish I'd ended up in Fairy Tail instead.
But just almost.
Her friends in Sabertooth were too important to her to wish she'd never been in Saber, they were too important even with how shitty things had gotten and how she'd become a slave to a tyrannical mad-man. Knowing them made it worth it.
"Yeah, friends." Hora smiled softly, her head tilting as Lucy, Cancer and Natsu alike smiled in return. "... And I will do my best, to listen to what you said, Lucy. Promise."
"Good to hear." Lucy smiled, Hora chuckled under her breath slightly.
Lucy blinked, her smile fading slightly for a split second at the calm and cheerful expression from the Saber Girl. She didn't know what caught her attention in that instant, but she faltered slightly trying to figure out what about that look stood out to her.
She shook her head slightly, banishing the thought and turning her head, smiling up at Cancer. "Thank you for all your help, Cancer. You did splendidly."
"Anytime, ebi~" the Spirit smiled, before he faded from sight and back into the Spirit World.
Hora's eyes cast to the right, her smile dropping as she blinked a few times.
"....ah.... Where's Happy?"
"Happy?" Natsu echoed, his hands falling from his hips.
Lucy blinked, her eyes following Hora's to see the space where Happy had previously been standing was empty and lacking the blue Exceed.
"... Where did he go...?!" Lucy stammered,
"Happy! Buddy where are ya?!" Natsu called quickly,
"Guys!! Come look at this!!"
Happy's voice echoed down the hallway that lead off the balcony they were on. He sounded fine though.
"...... Guess we oughta go see what's up." Hora mumbled, shrugging slightly only to wince as the wound on her back was pulled painfully. Lucy and Natsu alike stiffened at the sudden show of pain,
"We need to treat that wound, Hora." Lucy reminded, Hora nodded slightly.
"Yeah, I know. But let's worry about it once we figure a way out of here, okay?" Hora murmured, "I'm good for now. Really." Lucy looked skeptical, but she seemed to realize Hora was right- it would do better to get out of this place first before letting their guards down entirely.
"... alright, but please take it easy, ok?" Lucy sighed, Hora nodded.
"You got it." She smirked, her blue gaze casting Natsu's way as he held his hand out toward her. She blinked, before smiling softly and taking it, he pulled her to her feet with ease, nodding slightly at her, before helping Lucy up to.
Hora hooked her arms behind her back, waiting for Natsu and Lucy to start forward down the hallway, before trailing after them quietly.
The hallway ended in a large round room that was lit up by Lacrima hung from the walls, the band of the three of them coming to a halt in the doorway and eyes widening slightly at what sheer collection of objects had been piled away inside. They ranged from furniture to books, to odd little trinkets and jewelry and clothes- to weapons and money
"Woah, there's so much stuff in here!" Natsu breathed, hands on his hips and eyes sweeping the room to land on the small blue blob that was Happy- who was sifting through a chest on the opposite wall with the curiosity of- well, a cat.
"I think that guy mentioned he had a lot of things that weren't 'technically his'." Lucy mumbled,
".. yeah, but this guy's like a hoarder." Hora mumbled softly, her arms unhooking from behind her back as she looked around, oblivious of Natsu moving farther in when her eyes found her shoes tosses away at the wall to her left. She stepped in that direction, letting out a sigh of relief as she bent down to pick them up, and found not just the boots, but the Calling Card she had made among them.
... I'm glad that didn't get lost....
She sweatdropped slightly,
".... I really hope they didn't try and call when I didn't have it on me.... man... they're gonna kill me...." she mumbled under her breath, grimacing to herself as she held the card to her chest, before placing it in her back pocket, and settling in to slipping her shoes back on.
"I bet ya that necklace we're looking for is in here somewhere!" Natsu smirked, leaning down to start pawing through another crate of items.
"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed, "I bet ya there's a juicy fish to eat in here too~!"
"My stomach's rumbling now." Natsu smiled, though his digging into the box never ceased as Hora and Lucy began to move around and look through things too. After awhile of searching Natsu's voice broke the silence,
"Luce! You have that picture of the necklace with you still?" Natsu called, Lucy nodded slightly, producing a small, faded and folded photo from the small leather pouch attached to her key ring. The blonde moved toward Natsu to hand the photo over,
He glanced at it, before he pulled up a long, thin silver chain to which a a small locket inlaid with emerald and crimson stones along the edges hung.
"Look right to you?" He asked, Lucy glanced to the picture in his hand and smiled, nodding happily.
"I can't believe we found it so easily!" She sighed,
"I dunno, it looks like this guy collects a lot of stuff. He's probably got somethin' from every town North Wind's been hitting in here." Natsu replied, tucking the necklace away inside his shirt and he stood up again. "You said you were lookin' for a way to their Guild Hall, right Hora?"
"Yeah, Salamander." Hora replied, calling over her shoulder as she sifted through a box full of papers.
"I grabbed this off that guy down there. He was trying to stick it in the lock of the door." Hora blinked, her head tilting up as she turned Natsu's direction.
His hand stuffed itself inside his pocket as he tossed something her way, Hora's hand easily moving up to catch the long, thin black key he'd thrown her way. She tilted her head at it, eyes widening slightly, feeling the minute her hand made contact with the key that some small burst of Magic shocked her, not enough to hurt, but enough to let her know that there was some sort of Spell connected with it.
"I dunno why he was trying to unlock the door for if he's the one that shut it in the first place, but he seemed pretty freaked out. Like he was plannin' on running away." Natsu shrugged, "I ain't sure that key's got anything to do with finding their Guild Hall, but I figured you'd wanna check it out anyway."
"..... it's Magical." She mumbled, Lucy and Natsu blinked at the words. "...... you said he was trying to stick it in the door downstairs?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm...." Hora hummed under her breath, her eyes moving from observing the key to the papers she had previously been sifting through. They looked like a bunch of orders and inventory letters- lists of names of the people who had fallen into the trap as they had. But there were a few other things too, including something that looked like an evidence list swiped from the Rune Knights of one of the North Wind Mages that seemed to have been caught.
'-3 Magic Rings, of various caliber.
-Boots with a Speed Charm placed upon them
-467 Jewel
-Fragments of a metal key; purpose unknown *
-Silver daggers'
Hora's eyes narrowed to slits, her eyes trailing to the very end of the page toward what footnote had been placed there;
' *** As the suspect was apprehended, they took the time to destroy the key to which the fragments have been enclosed, rendering it useless. Questioning and interrogation of the subject has yielded no answers to it's use, or why it was sure to have been destroyed before being detained. '
Her eyes moved toward the key in hand, biting the inside of her cheek in thought.
..... why destroy a simple key before getting arrested? What is it supposed to open? Surely it couldn't have been the door downstairs, why would anyone want in here?
She blinked,
Wait.... what if it doesn't go to specific door? But to a specific place instead?
Her heart sped up, excitement and musings beginning to swirl through her head incessantly, all the small little rumors and details she'd been hearing, her own ideas- what it meant that the North Wind Lieutenant had been trying to use this key on a door he had locked without using any key the first time around.
It was a theory of course, and she would need to test it- but there was only one answer that sprung up in her mind that made any sort of sense, and she felt her heart speed up more- excitement, maybe.
Is this it? Is this how I get into North Wind's Main Building?
Her suddenly racing heart slammed to a halt though, something cold and heavy dropping into her stomach.
..... to face the Guild Master, and not just him.... but the Demon too.
Her grip on the key and the paper in front of her tightened a little. Her eyes fell closed, forcing herself to calm and relax though suddenly it was quite hard to do so.
..... I can't turn back. I'm out here and I have to... I have to face it. I have to win. I promised...
She sighed, the breath low and slow as she set the paper down, tucking the key away inside of her pocket and shooting Natsu a small nod.
"Thanks for giving this to me, Salamander. I'll have to mess with it a little to find out where it goes, but I'm sure it'll help out." Hora told him lightly, he nodded. "Seems you guys have finished your Job, hmm?"
"Nope!" Natsu smirked, she blinked, sweatdropping slightly at the suddenly.... evil smile that passed over his face. "We ain't done till this place is ashes, hehe~!"
"Preferably only after we've managed to get out, Natsu." Lucy reminded quietly, looking exasperated.
"Well yeah, duh." Natsu deadpanned, Lucy shrugged.
"Sometimes with you it's hard to guess." The blonde sighed, Natsu frowned slightly.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"You're kind a wildcard, Natsu." Happy smiled, "Sorry to break it to ya, buddy. But it's true."
"Shut up!"
Hora chuckled, she could feel the sudden lump in her core lightening and her nerves settling to at what lightness the sudden arguing seemed to bring with it. They seemed to have a knack for lightening the mood, even if they weren't purposely trying to at times.
"Alternatively, Salamander." Hora broke in easily, stilling the argument quickly before it became too heated. "We can just call the Council to come in and arrest these guys. They might even be able to track down the people that got caught here, and maybe return other's property too." She explained with a light wave of her hand around the room, "We already derailed their operation, there's not much point in destroying evidence that could prove useful." Natsu blinked, his expression falling in slight wonder and surprise as he nodded slightly.
"That's right, you're working for the Council, huh?" He hummed, she nodded. He smiled, "Well, that sounds like a good plan to me!" He paused, "... how are you gonna get a hold of them though?" He mumbled in question,
"We gotta get out first. But any Communication Lacrima will do- I'm sure there's one around here somewhere I can take with us." Hora replied lightly, "Better get looking for the exit, yeah?"
They nodded, smiling her way and agreeing easily as they started back down the hallway.
"We'll let you do the talking with those Council guys, Horatia." Natsu called over his shoulder toward her, "They'll probably try to arrest us if we try to bud in, hehe~"
"That's because you're always destroying things wherever you go." Lucy piped in, Natsu sweatdropped, chuckling nervously but he didn't argue. Hora simply nodded in agreement to the idea, though inwardly she wasn't all that excited at the prospect of talking with anyone from the Council.
Hora let out a low breath, her eyes falling to the floor as she trailed along behind them silently. The Fairy Tailer's had found what they came for and that meant they were likely to be leaving soon, as expected, they likely had other things to get to. She'd known that, and she hadn't wanted them involved anymore than they already were.
Every step down that hallway felt heavier though, every step out of this place was another step closer to when she'd be on her own again. Alone and facing North Wind and that Demon all on her own..... and she couldn't tell them that. She'd have to smile and wave them off, assuring them she was only researching and she wasn't going to be anywhere near any of the big fighting... when in reality, she was going to be smack dab in the biggest, most dangerous fight of all- and likely very, very soon.
And she was walking into it willingly..... but not out of resignation, not anymore.
She'd left home feeling like she'd never be back there again, and she'd just accepted she might never come back, because she didn't see any other outcome. But now something had changed. She was scared as hell about it, terrified even, but she felt.... determined.
....I promised I would come back. And I swear, I will. I will win and I will see you four again.
I promise.
Chapter 13: Alone Again?
Chapter Text
Chapter 13
Alone Again?
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
Hora bit down on her tongue to keep herself from wincing aloud- she didn't want Lucy to know how painful having the blonde wrap the bandages around her shoulders and torso was, not when she was trying so hard to help. She winced under her breath, her eyes falling closed and teeth grinding down on one another as she kept her hands on her knees, her fingers digging into them slightly and sitting cross legged on the floor.
Natsu and Happy had turned around, their backs to the two girls as Hora's shirt remained folded lightly on the ground next to her- having taken it off so Lucy could get a better look at the wound and treat it.
"... this wound is really deep, Hora." Lucy mumbled, "... It could probably use some stitches..."
"Nah, it'll be ok, promise." Hora replied lightly, smiling gently over her shoulder toward the blonde. "Wrapping it will do just fine, I heal pretty well so it's not a problem. Thank you for helping treat them though, I appreciate it."
"Are you sure?"
"Mhmm, my Magic helps me heal a bit faster than most people, so it's really not so bad." Hora replied, "Trust me, I'm being one hundred percent, completely honest. I'm gonna be fine."
".... alright." Lucy relented, her voice low. Hora could almost imagine the blonde frowning, but didn't turn her head enough to see.
"Speaking of Magic, Hora." Natsu piped in, Hora stiffened slightly. "You said somethin' earlier, one of those Spells." She sweatdropped slightly, her eyes falling on her hands in her lap as she bit the inside of her cheek.
"Fire Devil's-" Hora growled lowly, too low for anyone to possibly hear normally, a waft of air rushing into the Fairy Tailers behind her, causing them to bring their hands up and cover their eyes, their faces washed against by a thick cloud of heat. A flickering visage of a Magic Circle flashed in front of Hora for a split second, before it imploded and air shook with it.
"Guardian Circle!!"
.... she usually didn't say her Spells out loud, she could cast them in her head and so well enough. She'd actually been refraining from casting Spells aloud via vocal cue for a long while now, but sometimes she forgot to keep quiet and just went ahead and said them out loud without really thinking about it- as she had today. She regretted it, though, since her Magic was something of a sore topic and she really wasn't looking to get into it with him... or anyone, really.
"... it almost sounded like one of mine. With the way you cast it." He started, slowly almost as if he was waiting for some sort of reaction. He couldn't see her face, as his back was still turned toward them- and he had to stop himself before he did end up turning around in her direction.
Hora's fingers grazed along the small, carefully polished Communication Lacrima in her lap. It was something she had swiped from the inner most depths of the North Wind encampment, and she found herself drawing her fingers over the smooth glass surface for a few moments in hesitation.
It had taken them another hour or two, to navigate through the underground and find a way out. Now they had halted in front of a large, gaping hole cut into the mountain side that lead deep down into the facility itself- guessing from the sparse forest around them and what she remembered of the geography, they were a few miles from the fake Jiehel. There hadn't been much more fighting on the way back to the surface, there only seemed a few stragglers left- and Hora was fairly certain that some of the North Wind Mages had managed an escape. Not that it mattered much, not with her intent on moving forward to dismantle North Wind entirely. Those that got away today would end up caught in the end.
Of course, she'd be alone when the time came....
She sighed slightly, biting the inside of her cheek a little.
She had contacted the Council, and told them where to go and what they would likely be finding in this place. She had suggested to the Fairy Tailers that they get going before the Council showed up, but Lucy had insisted on wrapping her wounds beforehand- so there they were, resting for a moment as the blonde worked away until they eventually started off again. Probably to the real Jeihel, though honestly she was tired- and wouldn't care if they slept outside instead.
The Key that Natsu had found for her was safely tucked away in her pocket along with the Calling Card she'd made. She'd have to have a look at tinkering with that key a little later, for now she felt so drained she hadn't the mental capacity to really do anything with it.
"..... it would be a little familiar... I suppose." Hora murmured softly, surprising herself as she found the words and the willingness to garner Natsu a response. ".... it's not so different from your Magic, Salamander... since I use a type of Slayer Magic too."
"Slayer Magic?" Lucy and Happy echoed in surprise,
"Like that Zancrow guy I met on Tenrou. He was a Fire God Slayer." Natsu mused, Hora's interest peaking only slightly at the familiar name. "Are you one of them? A 'God Slayer'?"
"... no, it's a different type. Not God Slaying Magic, or Dragon Slaying Magic. Mine's rarer than both of those..... to be entirely honest I don't know anyone else with my type of Slayer Magic." She swallowed slightly,
".... it's called Devil Slaying Magic. And the base Element I use is Fire, like you."
"Devil Slayer..?" Everyone echoed softly, the words foreign on their tongues and the concept all the more unfamiliar. Because Dragon Slayer made sense, Dragons were tangible for them,at least mostly... but Devil Slayer? How does one even learn such a Magic?
"... I... I have never heard of it before..." Lucy mumbled, Hora sighed slightly.
"... you wouldn't have...." Hora replied softly, Lucy pulled back slightly.
"... I'm all done." The blonde murmured, Hora nodded her way as she pulled her shirt into her hands and over her head. Wincing under her breath, she pulled it down and let out a small sigh, her fingers fuddling with the buckle around her neck slightly.
"Thank you." Lucy nodded in return as she got to her feet, her hands on her knees as she waited for Hora to adjust her shirt back the way she liked, before offering a hand to pull her back up. Hora's hands fell on her hips as she turned toward everyone, Lucy stepping up beside her
".... did you learn your Magic from..... a 'devil', or somethin'? Like how I learned mine from a Dragon?" Natsu murmured, Hora blinked.
".... Ah... No. That's not how it works. I learned it from someone else, someone human." Hora murmured quietly, though 'learned' wasn't quite right... More forced. Natsu nodded slightly, looking ready to ask another question- but he stopped himself. Maybe he could tell how much she'd rather not discuss her Magic... Maybe.
".... It's.... Just complicated, honestly." Hora mumbled quietly, Natsu blinked. ".... I wouldn't even... Know where to start... Explaining it...."
And that really was the truth of it
"Alright, so how about we head into town and grab some grub, huh?" Natsu smirked, his fangs flashing in a tooth grin as he easily changed the subject. Hora smiled slightly, nodding toward him, letting out a small sigh under her breath.
So he does know when to quit asking...
"I'm starving!" Happy mewed, Natsu nodded in agreement.
"I could go for something to eat." Hora nodded, "Closest place is Jeihel, the real Jeihel." She chuckled under her breath a little, "... We probably ought to see about tearing down the Illusion that's hiding the road to it, while we're on our way."
"Are you gonna be OK traveling all that way, Hora?" Lucy asked, earning blinks from everyone else. "Are you feeling ok enough? You still look a little pale... I don't want you to push yourself if you're feeling unwell."
"Are you sick or something Hora?" Happy asked, his head tilting slightly as Lucy asked the question.
"Yeah, you OK?" Natsu mumbled, "... I mean I heard you two talking about it earlier but..."
Hora sighed slightly, shaking her head slightly as she smiled, her arm lifting as she wrapped her arm around Lucy's neck, pulling the blonde closer as her other arm wrapped around her shoulder. Lucy blushed, blinking several times in shock as she went rigid, pulled into Hora so easily and so quickly she hadn't any time to react as Hora rest her cheek against the top of Lucy's head, the blonde's face getting pushed slightly into Hora's heart.
"... Geez... You're freaking adorable..... Hehe..." Hora murmured softly, Lucy blushing a bit harder though Hora didn't see it. ".... You're really such a kind person, and so honest too.... And you're cute when look all worried, Lucy."
"H-Hora..." Lucy stammered, nearly bright red now and her heart pounding in her ears at the compliments and the incredibly kind and even charming set of words.
".... I am fine, though... I promise. I can make it all the way to Jeihel for some food, but if I start feeling worse I will tell you, alright?" Hora murmured softly, "I've just been a little under the weather lately is all, you don't need to get all worked up." She added, her eyes landing on Natsu and Happy alike with a small, soft smile.
"You've been sick the whole time?" Happy pressed, "But you've been acting fine..." Natsu blinked, his eyes narrow slightly as he cast a glance Happy's way- somehow he didn't look like he agreed, but Hora wasn't sure that was it.
"... And for the most part I am fine." Hora replied, "Seriously, trust me yeah? Let's get going, I'm really hungry." she chuckled, earning small smiles of amusement from the two boys.
"Yeah!"
"Aye sir!"
Hora let Lucy go gently, smiling toward the blonde who still looked a bit flushed, her hands holding her cheeks as she grimaced, hoping the heat in her face would go away. Lucy wasn't quite sure why Hora had done that, or what had brought on the rather unusual words from the Saber girl- and to be honest, she couldn't help but feel flustered at them.
"Good to go, Lucy?"
Lucy blinked, her eyes finding Hora who was still grinning at her, her head tilted in the direction of the road as Happy and Natsu waited patiently a few steps ahead of them. She nodded a little, her eyes glinting slightly.
"Yeah."
This town is... Super sketchy.
Hora glanced to the side, feeling a little wary as the felt several eyes latch on and follow their movement in the orange glow of the setting sun overhead. Jeihel had been a place they'd hoped to find leads on North Wind, so it was no wonder it would be a bit less reputable than your average town- but it was just more... tense, than anything. Like everyone was afraid of talking to eachother or too loudly, there were people hunched and dodging down side streets- and others walking along as they were, but staring at nothing but the ground underfoot, like they were afraid to make eye contact with anyone.
It seemed a bit less dark and grimy than that of Golio a few days before hand, maybe a little more like any regular old city.. but Hora felt her nerves on edge the minute they stepped foot inside the confines of the town. And she was so worn out and weary from Over-Drive and fighting and just walking here, her nerves being on such a high had her feeling a little dizzy, and she hated it. She almost wished they'd just camped out in the meadowland surrounding, where there would be less eyes scanning them from places unseen- but ever burning on her back.
... or maybe that feeling was just the wound across her shoulder and spine.
They'd backtracked to the fork in the road that had lead them toward the trap of the fake Jeihel, this time with Hora actually managing to see the air vibrating and shimmering, the Illusion that hid the real road and lead others down the wrong one. Though looking at it made her head hurt, she noticed it- this time around. Lucy had been quick to jump in and take charge of taking it down once Hora confirmed it was there, producing a Lightpen from her pouch and setting into rewriting the Runes that allowed the Illusion life- and the blonde was actually really good about it. Hora would have normally just dispelled it using her own Magic, but altering the Runes did the trick too- though she faintly wondered where Lucy had learned to write and alter them so quickly and easily as she had.
Entering Jeihel now, they were following along behind Happy and Nastsu- both of which unperturbed by the shifty figures and the tense silence, and all energy poured into their stomachs. Natsu's nose twitched incessantly as he followed it, assuredly locked to the scent of good food and nearly drooling already as he moved at a brisk pace, though only just. Hora smelled it too, something cooking, something that made her stomach rumble and her mouth water though her pace didn't pick up- she remained walking at Lucy's shoulder after the two boys, her arms crossing behind her back and sorely wishing she had taken time to change her shirt- seeing as how the back of the one she had on now and the right sleeve were all the way gone. The only consolation came from the fact that the bandages Lucy had woven around her shoulders hid her Saber Guild mark, that would have surly been visible otherwise.
She sweatdropped slightly, biting the inside of her cheek as shivers ran up her spine a moment, her eyes trailing across Natsu's back.
'...... I thought I saw it too.' The Voice murmured lowly, though the assertion did nothing to ease her nerves, or answer anything. '... just a split second.... that boy did not look human.'
She swallowed, shaking her head slightly and asking it to shut up- quickly.
He's human, he can't be anything else... now drop it.
"Mmmmm, that smells great!" Natsu sighed, patting his stomach with a toothy grin as they rounded the corner and the road opened up into a square, shops and restaurants becoming frequent on all sides as the density of people got a bit thicker too- and the noise.
"Aye!"
"Let's eat up, hehe~!" Natsu grinned, he and Happy hardly able to contain themselves as they went inside the building that smelled the best to their noses, leaving Lucy and Hora behind slightly as they approached the door.
"We passed a few inn's on the way here, we can head out to look for a room and rest after we finish eating." Lucy murmured, casting a glance toward Hora who nodded slightly. "..... I could really use a bath.." Lucy sighed, grimacing. "I feel so dirty, after all that running around underground."
"I could go for one too." Hora mumbled, smiling lightly. Though sleep sounded better than anything, she didn't say so.
Natsu and Happy had already taken their seats and fired off orders to a waiter that looked nervous at all the instructions, Lucy and Hora chuckling under their breath at a familiar sight from a few nights ago- the dim, faintly lit inside of the restaurant felt a little close on all sides, but the smell of the food cooking and the murmur of voices all around lowered Hora's nerves a little. Though her shoulders seemed apt to stay tense, and she wasn't sure why... were they being watched? Was it having had her Magic brought up not long ago? The way Over-Drive had kicked in?
.... maybe it as because she knew that likely tomorrow, she would be parting ways with the Fairy Tailers, and North Wind, Neveleous, The Demon... they were just that little bit closer.
But even then there was something else, something sharper, deeper that settled into her core, and she couldn't shake the uneasiness.
Enjoy this while it lasts Hora, you'll be on your own and facing something much worse very soon..... enjoy it, please.
So she did her best, despite the feeling, despite how strained and frayed she felt and how quickly her exhaustion seemed to be settling in once they set into eating. She laughed and talked away as they did and ignored the ache in her chest and the pain that flared from time to time, ignored the quick looks they received from people at other tables and grinned at the painfully familiar way Happy and Natsu stuffed their faces. Laughed, even though doing so pulled at the tear running across her back in a fiery flash of sheer pain- winced at it, though only just, she found herself too content and too happy to be spending time with them to really care about pain, or tiredness, Over-Drive, the incoming dread... none of it.
They left when their stomachs lay full and the spirits raised a little at it, moving off to find an inn and a place to stay for the night, Happy and Natsu grinning happily and in the most genuine way possible as they thanked Hora for the food (to which she happily paid for, again), Lucy nodding in agreement and giving her thanks a bit more softly- but no less earnestly. Though once they found a place to stay, the air laced with the scent of bubbling water and wet stone, Lucy paid- refusing to let Hora say anything of it, and she just let it go, knowing the blonde wouldn't have it any other way.
They all shared a room, a large room with a small table and mattresses laid out on the floor and a rice-paper wall that could be sled to separate it into two. The dropped their bags, still chatting away- though only briefly, before Natsu and Happy raced off to jump into the springs that accompanied the room and the back of the inn itself, looking like children at how quickly they raced off- but it made her laugh anyway. Hora trailed out after Lucy in the same direction, her eyes lingering on the bed that got left behind, the two of them making their way toward the back of the building in content silence, before slipping into the large, hardly steaming pool of water, the lanterns overhead glittering on the water's hazy surface, and the moon too as night set in deeper.
Lucy sighed as she sank into the water, her eyes falling closed as she settled into the water until it reached her chest, leaning back against the stone siding. Hora blushed slightly, biting down on the inside of her cheek as she stepped into the pool after, the space empty apart from them- the sound of Happy and Natsu laughing away filtered from the other side of the large wall that separated the baths. Hora winced slightly, the warm water stinging slightly against the wound on her back, but she ignored it as she sank into the water until it reached just under her nose, her eyes falling closed. Strands of her multicolored hair danced along the water's surface, turning a darker shade of red, pink and orange as it got wet.
"... mm.... this is nice, though I was kinda hoping the water would be warmer..." Lucy sighed, Hora blinked, her eyes only open halfway as she smiled slightly.
Lucy's eyes opened wide in surprise as she felt the temperature of the water rise several degrees, the air around then filling with steam and settling in at an utterly pleasant temperature that rivaled that of her own bath at home in Magnolia. Her brown gaze moved toward Hora, catching the Saber woman's smile and blue eyes.
"Easy enough fix." Hora murmured lightly, Lucy smiled.
"Thank you."
"You got it."
"....... Are you going to join the Grand Magic Games, Hora..?" Lucy asked after a long while of simple silence between them, Hora blinked. "SaberTooth is going to be there, right? Will you be in the events?"
".... Ah.. No." Hora smiled slightly, ".. The Team's already been picked. I don't really know how long investigating North Wind is gonna take, or if I'll be back in time to even watch so....ah... Besides, I'm not usually on the GMG team anyway." She replied, Lucy tilted her head slightly.
"But you're such a strong Wizard, I'd have thought for sure you'd be one of the regulars."
"No, the same five participate every year. It wouldn't matter if I was stronger than any of them, Master is set in his choices most of the time." Hora replied softly, "... But speaking of the GMG, Fairy Tail's planning to play, so are you hoping to be on the team...?"
She hoped her worry and uncertainty toward the idea didn't show through as she asked the question. Because despite herself- she did worry, she really did not like the idea of Lucy participating in the Games. A little offensive maybe, Lucy was strong in her own right and intelligent, she could very well handle herself- but she really didn't want her getting hurt at the hands of SaberTooth... It was a small mercy that Minerva wasn't going to be on the Team, as she was the most ruthless.
But that just reminded her that Yukino was part of the GMG, and her worry flared brighter.
And if Lucy did fight in the Games? And went up against the likes of SaberTooth? Hora knew her friends well and she knew they were good people at heart- but she also knew they would be ruthless, harsh- they had to be under that glare from Master. They couldn't risk being anything less than ruthless and mean, they had to win to save themselves from Jiemma's wrath.
A part of her wanted her friends and her Guild safe, yet another part wanted Fairy Tail (and most notably Lucy and Natsu) safe too... but she really couldn't have both.
"Mhmm, we're going to be training after we return the necklace." Lucy murmured, "Since coming back, everyone's so behind on everything... we need to shape up and get stronger to even be contenders in the Grand Magic Games. So we're hoping three months is enough." She smiled nervously though, sweatdropping slightly. "Though honestly, with all the other super strong people, and S-Class Mages in the Guild, I really doubt I'll be picked to join the Team. Master and the Guild are putting a lot of hope on that Prize Money, hehe...." Hora nodded slightly,
"... I see." She murmured, her eyes dropping to the surface of the water, hating the part of her that was happy Lucy said she probably wouldn't be in the Games. "...... so I figure you guys are gonna head out in the morning to return the necklace?" Lucy nodded,
"Yeah, we need to get going soon. We're supposed to be meeting up with the rest of our Team to start training." Lucy explained, Hora nodded slightly, remembering it being mentioned when Lucy's Calling Card had gone off. Lucy smiled slightly, her head tilting. ".. you know, Hora, you're welcome to come with us if you want. We wouldn't mind having you tag along."
Hora blinked, a little taken back by the offer and how it had come out of nowhere. For a minute she worried her disappointment in having them leaving so soon had shone on her expression, or maybe the fear of what was coming. Though nothing about Lucy's face gave any indication of either, she simply smiled kindly.
Hora shook her head slightly, her dark blue gaze glittering.
"... I'd love to... but I still have my own Job to work on." Hora's voice came out a bit softer than she intended it to, but she let it be. "... I have to pin down the exact location of North Wind's Guild Hall for the Council... and how to get there. I'll need a few days or a week to tinker with that Key that Natsu picked up... and even after that, I doubt I'll be done for some time." Lucy smiled slightly, looking a little disappointed at the answer herself, but nodding in understanding none the less.
"Thank you, for the offer though." Hora added softly,
"Of course, you're a lot of fun to be with, Hora." Lucy replied, Hora let out a small breath, blushing slightly though honestly it could have just been the bathwater- Lucy wasn't sure either which way.
"... hmm... there you go again, being all adorable." Hora murmured lightly, Lucy blushing furiously herself as she huffed, looking flustered.
"... why do you do that..?" Lucy sighed, Hora smirked.
"It's supposed to be a compliment." Hora replied easily, "... grant you, it is a little amusing- you react just like Sting and Rogue do when I say things like that...." Hora's voice faded a little as her eyes fell closed, Lucy biting the inside of her cheek as she waited for the heat in her face to go away.
Something about the warmth and the water had her body relaxing all the way for the first time in.... she couldn't remember honestly. Even the dull ache in her chest and across her back faded, the throbbing and sting of ribs that were bruised and probably cracked faded into nothing as her mind threatened to go with it.
"Oooooh, I think Hora has a crush on you Lucy~!"
Hora and Lucy's eyes snapped open in shock at the sing-song voice, their heads snapping around and hearts racing as they spotted Happy's blue head peering over the wall from the other bath. The Exceed smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye and tail wagging as he looked down at them- Natsu's head poking over the wall next to him and looking interested.
"W-What?!" Lucy stammered,
"What the hell are you two doing...?!" Hora hissed, her heart racing as she felt the calm that settled in her core suddenly shattered by the interruption- and her face heated up, they weren't supposed to stick their heads over the wall!
"So, do you like girl's, Hora?" Natsu asked bluntly, Hora's face turning a deeper shade of red and Lucy's with it. Hora sank under the water a little more, her Magic flaring so more steam rose up from the bath to block the boy's sight a little more, her blue gaze flashing.
"Natsu!" Lucy snapped,
"O-of course not!" Hora snapped back, "What the hell kind of question is that?!"
"-Cause it's fine if ya do, I don't care either way. I'm just wondering." Natsu murmured, unperturbed by her reaction and her response.
"No! I do not like girls, not like that!" Hora snapped,
"Ooooh, so you do like boys!" Happy smirked, "Do you have a crush on some boy then, Hora? Who is he?"
"No one!" Hora snapped back, hating how much hotter her face felt in the next instant. What the hell kind of questions were these?! "Even if I did- it's none of your damn business, cat!"
"Oh you definitely have a crush on someone." Happy smirked,
"Both of you idiots, go away!!!" Lucy snapped, face flushed in frustration and embarrassment alike as she picked up a loose rock from the edge of the bath and hurled it their way. It hit Happy square in the face and he toppled out of sight, Natsu looking stunned for a minute before he fell back at the second stone that Lucy threw at him. There was a a loud splash from the other side of the wall as both boys fell into it, silence settling again as Lucy huffed hotly,
Hora growled, her eyes shutting tight as she let herself sink low enough that her head went under the water completely, her hand moving up to place itself lightly over her chest as a pain flashed through it,
Kill me now.... Why am I so flustered at that question...?
She bit both sides of her cheeks, the heat of the water hardly felt like anything against her face and her skin.
....... And why did my thoughts flash to one person in particular....?
'This subject, is one that I am not touching.' The Voice grumbled,
..... god damn it..... I've never even thought about anything like that.... But when.....
She cringed, another sharp jolt of pain igniting in her core and chest so brightly she almost coughed- a bad combination with her head still under the water.
...... Just... Just stop it, Hora.... Stop thinking about that......
She stayed under the water a few long moments, long enough she felt her nerves settle again- at least a little. She took in a low, deep breath once she broke the surface, grumbling a few choice curses under her breath.
Romance and 'crushes' had never been a part of her life, she hadn't ever actively looked for someone she would consider that way and a relationship wasn't something she was looking for either. She'd been too focused on dealing with Jiemma and Minerva and keeping an eye on the Guild and her friends to let herself fall into something so personal. And she certainly had never been asked outright either, and having been so- why the hell did she feel so nervous about it?!
"... Sorry about them, Hora..." Lucy mumbled softly, earning Horatia's eyes. "Those two are idiots."
"It's fine.." Hora smiled slightly, "... I think they learned their lesson well enough, hehe..." Lucy chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of her neck a little in embarrassment.
They stayed a little while longer, chatting on all things inconsequential and mundane until they left the bath altogether, heading back to the room with Lucy now in her pajama's and Hora having pulled on a pair of dark crimson shorts and a black long sleeve shirt that fell off her shoulders. Her hair dripped slightly from the water as they walked back through the hallway, finding Happy and Natsu in the room before them and entirely unbothered by having been hit by Lucy beforehand. They didn't bring up the Crush subject either, thankfully- they just talked, laughed, sitting around one another on the floor and so completely content.
It was a good night, comfortable, fun.... even as Hora fell into silence after awhile, simply letting the Fairy Tailer's voices invade her mind.
"-what about you, Hora?" Happy grinned, his head turning toward the Saber woman only to cut himself off, eyes widening slightly to find she wasn't listening anymore.
Hora's eyes had fallen closed, her head in her arms as she lay on her stomach on one of the mattresses near them- where she had been staying ever so quietly and listening to them talk on and on. But her breathing had eased to something slower, lower- asleep, and completely unaware of Happy having asked anything.
Natsu and Lucy blinked, a little surprised because they hadn't even registered the fact that Hora hadn't said anything in awhile, let alone fallen asleep. Happy placed a paw over his mouth, smiling nervously.
"Oh, she fell asleep." He whispered, his voice dropping away so he wouldn't disturb her- though it hardly mattered, they had been talking away the entire time and Hora still hadn't woken up, she was just too tired.
"She's probably been feelin' pretty beat since we got out of that North Wind place." Natsu murmured, Lucy nodded slightly.
".. she kept saying she was fine, but I think she was tired too." Lucy agreed, her eyes shining as she let out a sigh. "She used up so much energy, on top of being sick, it's a wonder she kept on all day."
".....aye.."
"I think she was having fun, even if she was super tired." Natsu murmured, his lips twitching slightly in a small smile for a split second. He raised his hands above him in a stretch though, giving no time for comment on what he said. "... It's late, we should probably hit the hay too." Natsu smiled slightly, earning nods of agreement from everyone else.
The room was quiet, apart from the soft breathing as everyone fell asleep. Natsu glanced sideways, his eyes falling across Happy, to Lucy, and then finally toward Hora, who hadn't moved an inch, her breathing low and quiet even on his ears. She must have been exhausted, he'd figured she was since the fighting ended, but she'd kept up anyway.... almost like she had to. Like she was trying to cram in all she could in today, before it was all over. And he meant it- she had seemed genuinely happy, like she really was enjoying herself. She'd relaxed around them, almost all the way.
There was one thing though, one smidgen of that darker part of her he'd seen when they first met. That dark side of her that shown through when the feeling of her Magic got so strong, so potent- it had hit him, he felt it today and it stuck even now as he lay there in silence.
The dim was split apart in a brilliant, violent wave of deep crimson fire that suddenly swept out across the stone floor and from their right, the brilliance sweeping forward in front of Lucy, directly between her and the Man, who's trailing hand was suddenly snatched away.
Lucy blinked, her jaw falling and her heart leaping in her chest, her eyes riveted and reeling just like everyone else in the room at the sudden unexpected development. Lucy was so transfixed she hardly even felt that wash of heat roll against her body, or flinched at the flames licking so close to her own body, but never touching her.
Hora's hand snapped down onto the Third Man's wrist with an iron grip, her hand and her arm stained black, the markings trailing up her neck and creeping across her right cheek, pricking just under her eye, her body dancing with fire and her hand burning the man's wrist immediately upon grabbing hold of him- he yelped, trying to pull free though Hora didn't let go.
The bars that had previously separated the Cells were a heap of melted metal, the chains that had been holding her down a mess where she had been but seconds before, trails of liquid gray seeping into the stone and even melting the rock itself.
The other North Wind Mage's eyes snapped around in utter shock, anger and hints of fear making it's way into their features at seeing Hora suddenly free and completely caught off guard by her sheer power.
"H-How did she get free...?!"
"S-Shit!!"
"Hora..!" Lucy breathed, Hora didn't seem to hear anything though, she moved, swiftly, deftly, her eyes cold and face twisted in hardly contained fury....,
Hora's grip on the offending man's wrist tightened, her body snapping around as she twisted, throwing him and his unwanted attention on Lucy, clear through the opening that had appeared in the bars, flame dancing off her person and off the floor around her as he yelled, smashing into the ground down the corridor in front of them. The North Wind Mages recoiled, faces paling slightly and stunned, unable to move in their shock as their eyes landed on Hora, shaking as their gazes snapped from the black covering her skin and toward that icy blue Guild Symbol that remained clear under the pitch black consuming her person, visible with her sleeve having been destroyed enough with the sudden rise in power to let her shoulder-blade remain bare.
"W-wait?!"
"She's SaberTooth?!?!"
"S-SHIT!!"
Hora hadn't paused for hardly a second, her seething dark blue gaze snapping immediately toward that man that stood beside the still downed Natsu, his hands swiping upward in reaction as he readied himself to throw his Magic toward her.
Hora's Magic swept out over the ground in two directions, a wall of crimson, angry fire tearing up the floor and headed straight toward that man, and the other two North Wind Mages left standing behind her now, her arms swinging up around her body as she spun halfway.
The look on her face was icy rage, dark... murderous.
The black markings spread further up her cheek, crossing over her eye as the heat rolling from her Magic seemed to triple.
"Crimson Flame."
Her voice sent a shiver down Lucy and Happy's spines, their hearts skipping a beat in tune with Natsu's, a trickle of blood falling from his temple and his face tense as he watched Hora in rigid silence.
The shouts of pain from the North Wind mages rung on the air with the hissing and the booming of Hora's Magic as it made contact with them, sending them flying and knocking them senseless instantly, even as their own Magic flared to try and defend against that fast moving wall of fire- they were absolutely no match for her, and the sheer extent her Magic had reached in such a small amount of seconds had them all reeling and breathless.
"H-holy cow...!" Happy stammered breathlessly, Natsu sweatdropped, his eyes snapping from Hora for the first time toward the four North Wind Mages she had just disposed of so easily, his ears straining and still, blinking a few times.
".... she knocked them all out..." The pinkette mumbled under his breath, his eyes trailing back toward Hora, who had halted for a moment, the flame dancing around her dying, slowly, her eyes closed and stiff.
Just for a little bit there, and only for the briefest of seconds- he'd been afraid, truly afraid of her and what malice had erupted inside of her- evil, even. The look on her face told him that she could and even might just burn those North Wind people to ash- but she didn't... and it seemed so hard for her to keep herself back from it. He could almost see the struggle in her, how hard she was trying to keep herself controlled, how painful even, that it was when she was trying to just stay... good, her.
He wasn't a jumpy person by nature, Magic hardly made him tense unless it was aimed at him and likely to hurt- but Hora's Magic set him on edge. There was some part of him, somewhere deep in his core that recoiled at the feel of it. Instinct and feeling that usually came when he was in the presence of true, utter evil.
But that feeling hadn't been back since that one moment. Not once, not when she was fighting alongside him, not when she was using her Magic... something about it, about her- it changed.
It was like it had been a completely different Magic entirely. And he hadn't a clue why.
Devil Slayer.... huh..... ?
'It's coming, getting closer.... You can feel it.... Scratching at the walls, looming.'
Her skin was on fire, her veins lava... Her heart cold, icy cold.
'Your body knows, your Magic knows.... It wants it, needs it... Needs to feel the filth, hear the screaming, watch as the life drains from a creature so wicked.... It's pulling you in, trapping you... You can't avoid it.'
Her Magic was clawing at her skin from the inside, itching it's way through every bone, every tendon, every muscle.... trying to get out. Burn.
Her Magic wanted one thing, just one.
'Slay the Demon.... Devil Slayer.'
"You have to do what I couldn't.... kill the beast.... Kill it before it kills you...!"
"Let me go!!!"
"You have to!!"
"NOOOOOOOO....!!!!!!! STOP..... STOP IT..... PLEASE...!"
Hora jolted out of the dream, nightmare.... Vision, whatever the hell you wanted to call it. Her shoulders shook, her heart racing in her chest as the memory of searing flesh and agony ran along her arm and struck straight through her heart. Her head snapped up from resting in her arms to find a dark and silent room, her eyes flashing in the black as she left out a shaky breath- glad she'd snapped from it and only jumped.
She bit the inside of her cheek, burying her face in her arms and growling under her breath- her stomach doing somersaults and hating the way her body trembled in the terror that came with the dream... The memory of any of it.
The memory of him, that bastard who dragged her from the snow, took tight hold of her arm and poured his Magic into her. Forced that fire and flame from him into her body, forced it to burn the wound that should have killed her closed, forced it to take root in every inch of her, melded and bonded with her very soul and forced such darkness into her regardless of how much she screamed, how much it hurt, how she pleaded-
Her nails dug into her arms slightly,
...... He tore a bloody hole in his chest.... Shoved his hand into me.... Forced this Magic on top of me... Forced that responsibility.... To kill a Demon....
.... I was a fucking kid...!
She let out a shaky sigh, pushing herself up slowly to sit on her heels as her eyes fell into her lap.
.... I wished I had just died..... I was supposed to die....
She shook her head a little, cursing herself, cursing him- possibly the only person in the world she hated more than Jiemma. Whose name and whose memory had the Magic he forced into her burning brighter, wilder... Darker.
"Gelidus Inferniom, the arctic hellfire of the north, isn't that right?"
'.... Ardendous....... Arden Douze..... An unpleasant man.' The Voice murmured softly, wispily. Hora stiffened, her eyes flashing as she bit down on her cheek. '...... Imperfect..... a bully.... Criminal.... and a fool..... but even he tried. He tried, and failed... But tried none the less... To save those people.... Your people.'
"...... Shut up, Lixue..." She grumbled under her breath, her voice shaking ever so slightly but there was anger there too, annoyance. Pain.
It made little sense to say the words out loud, seeing as how her thoughts were shared with his. But at the moment she hardly cared.
Hora got to her feet, her eyes closes and her hands balled at her sides. She stepped lightly around the bed that held Lucy, and Happy and Natsu alike, slipping from the room with little a sound.
'.... So you do remember my name.' The voice murmured softly, hissing almost in every corner of her mind and soul and she didn't have the patience for it.... She usually didn't, but less so now he brought up Arden.
'You haven't dared to say it in years, Horatia. Though I do know you have issue with names.'
".... Be quiet, now." Hora hissed, her feet taking her along the hallway before turning straight toward the door and the cool air outside. She walked along the stone pathway along the side of the inn, her hand trailing along the low stone wall. "... For once... Just be quiet.... Go back to silence..... You've been that way for years... Screw you for popping up again."
'You cannot be that angry.' The Voice- no, Lixue - murmured, '..... My silence came with a price, finding my voice now in your thoughts ought to comfort you, at least a little.'
"... How is having a know-it-all who never shuts up talking in my head all the damn time supposed to be 'comforting'?" Hora snapped crossly, careful her voice never rose louder than a whisper. "The only reason you're back is because of what Jiemma did, because of how badly he hurt me and how badly Over-Drive acted up."
Her footsteps halted, her movement halting as she glared at her feet, her shadow faint in what little moonlight shone overhead.
"..... You're still just as useless... Just as caged." Hora growled, "...... We're still trapped, and bound.... That hasn't gone away."
'.... You are right, we are still bound.' Lixue murmured, the voice that had been melding into her thoughts and through her head as easily as ever...
'..... infuriating as that is, demeaning even.... But do not write me off as useless. Those Fairy Tailers are not the only ones keeping you sane, keeping you from falling.' Hora stiffened at that, 'As long as you can hear me, you are not lost. Do not forget that.'
"..... Eight years, Lixue..... It's been eight damn years.... And I haven't needed you." Hora hissed, "... I've been fine with you sleeping, I've never fallen that far, not in eight damn years."
'You had those four, the ones you call friends- for those eight years.' Lixue reminded, '... In all that time, they have done what the Fairy Tailers are doing... They've kept you human. Kept you from being consumed by the darkness. You have never been away from them long enough to stop feeling their influence... But you are going to be alone now. And for a very long while, and in the midst of using your Magic for what it was meant to do.'
Horatia swallowed slightly, her eyes flashing as she let her elbows lean against the wall, her hands falling behind her head as she bowed it.
'The longer you are out here hunting this thing alone, the more you will begin to lose it, the more quickly you will lose yourself- as you already had happen.'
Hora's shoulders hunched,
"... You were gonna kill that guy, weren't you?"
'Like it or not, you need me.... You need someone. You are strong-willed and stubborn, you can control yourself- but never alone. I am here for a reason, I am what keeps your Magic from destroying you..... You will need me to win- to win, and do so not losing yourself along the way.'
You're alone again Hora.... But that's always been a lie, hasn't it? You just wanted to forget him.... Forget that you can never get rid of him.
'..... With me, working together... You can win. You can be good, you can save yourself.' Her eyes narrowed a little at that, '..... Do not ignore me, Horatia.... I need you just as much as you need me. I have not forgotten that.'
Her heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening at the soft, nearly gentle words.
".... Excuse me?" She said breathlessly, ".... You what now...?"
'..... You very well heard me.'
"..... Yeah, but you've never said that before... Ever..." Hora murmured, "... What the hell has gotten into you? You've never been so freaking..... Pushy, about any of this... Or so..... Oh I don't know.... Helpful? Or at least trying to be? What the hell changed, Lixue?"
'..... you.' Was the soft reply, Hora blinked in surprise at the answer. '..... golden-blue fire.... Arden could do blue... but never gold. There have been few of you with this power over the centuries.... and not one has managed golden fire, not one... but the very first. That first human who created this Magic, not for power or fame or glory- but to protect others from Demons and Devils alike.'
Hora felt her heart skip a beat, her eyes widening a little.
No way..... how long ago would that even have been..? Centuries? Thousands of years, and she was only the second person..?
'..... there have been so many with this Magic who only wanted power. It takes a truly good soul to even produce such golden flame, a soul that wants to protect, defend and guard against evil. There have been so many that have ignored me, shut me out and relished in it when they fell, when the darkness and the evil consumed them entirely. This Magic was meant to do good, it was meant to test the will and the soul of those who wielded it, and prove that they were worthy of it. So many have used it for bad, turned it against the humans it was meant to protect.... but you, you stubborn, annoying girl. You did not ask for this Magic, you didn't want power.... you were forced into this life and you have only ever sought to use it for good. You've been tested day in and day out and though you come close to breaking point, you have never fallen. Gripe and yell at me all you do, you still listen- you have not shut me out. Not like Arden, not like those before him.... you listen. You work with me, though you may not like to.... you with the golden fire and the will to guard human lives, I have to help you, however I can- because this Magic, our Magic... it was meant for someone like you. This Magic is good with it in you- stronger in you, than it has ever been since the very start.'
How.... how was she supposed to... feel.... about all of that....?
There was something cool and pleasant in her heart, something soothing, and it grew stronger then, thrummed with life where it had been so, so still for so very long. Her hands fell from being locked behind her head, one of them falling lightly over her heart as her eyes flashed, glassy and she swallowed back the lump in her throat.
"... that..." She breathed, her voice cracking painfully as her eyes shut tight. How long had she been doubting herself? Hating herself and her magic and so afraid that she was gonna lose it all the way? How long had she thought of herself as evil? A god damn Monster? All because of her Magic and what it did to her?
How long had she been under the impression the only thing this Magic was good for was hurting? Destroying?
Killing?
How long had she been fighting against herself and her Magic because she thought that's it's inherent nature was only to do harm? To anyone and everything? How long had she been fighting to change it into something better, even though she always thought she couldn't make something so evil anything good? How fucking long had she just thought it was hopeless...?! That in the end it didn't matter what she did or who she was, she was evil, tainted- and try as she might she would always end up bad?!
She'd been fighting a hopeless battle all these years and she had known it... there was no better way! There couldn't have been! But-
She hissed, her eyes scrunching tight a little harder as the tears slipped through and splashed against the stone wall underneath her.
"... damn it... I could have used that.... all of that..... fucking... years ago... you ass...." She hissed, "..... I thought..... I never had a chance to be good..... what the hell do you... f...fucking mean....?! 'This Magic isn't meant for bad'....?! How couldn't it be.....?! It makes me... it makes me want to hurt people.... it makes it so hard... to just think....! It's awful... it's evil and it's twisted.... i..it's twisted me... broken me.... t....t-tried so hard to make me.... k-kill....!" Her fists clenched, pressing against the wall.
"... h-how the hell..... c-could it be m-meant for a..anything good, Lixue...?! Why the hell.... Why did you never fucking tell me....?! I've known since I was six, you bastard...!! I've thought I had nothing but evil in me for years..!!"
'.... you never given in to what corruption it's pushed you into. I wasn't sure of who you were or if you would end up as they all have.... As Arden did. I wasn't sure until you managed that golden fire, I didn't know..... And when you did it the first time, I was still bound too tightly, I could not tell you- and for that there is only one person to blame.'
Hora stiffened, her tears stalling as she bit the inside of her cheek in agitation.
That first time her fire turned gold? That was years ago, years!
Years she could have known?! Years ago that he could have told her all of this?! Things she probably needed to hear?!
"Tch....... Fucking... Jiemma..." She hissed,
'... Indeed. He has been an issue for far too long.' Lixue murmured, a little grudgingly. Though he hardly focused on it for long,
'.... You know now, Horatia. I promise, this Magic is not meant for evil... It does not need to be evil in you. You have the will and the soul to make it good again, use it for what it was meant to be used for.'
Hora took in a deep breath, wiping at her eyes with her sleeves and straightening up. She huffed, her hands moving toward her face as she clapped her palms against her cheeks a bit roughly, her cheeks stinging slightly at the action but it got rid of the churning turmoil, the hurt and the sadness and the agitation too.
"...... You are still an ass, Lixue." Hora grumbled hotly, "..... I was a little kid, I was scared and I was afraid of everything. You could have told me something, anything to make me feel like less of.... An abomination. You know how bad it got, how hard it was.... You know how close I came to just-" she cut herself off, her anger and annoyance rising a little higher.
"..... Grraaaahhhh, you are awful." She hissed, ".... But damn it.... Fine..... 'Use my Magic for what its meant for'.... I'll do it. Only for that damn Demon, never on people.... I will only slay Demons. And I will slay this one... I am going to win."
"I have got to win... I will win."
I have to, to keep them safe, to see them again... prove myself, even.
'Hmm, this confidence is new..... will you live up to it?'
Hell yeah, and I'm not dying... I promised that. And I'm gonna keep that promise.
There was a burning, some strong, powerful flame- confidence maybe, but it didn't sound quite right. It was more determination, hope even... she had to stick to her promise, had to prove she was better- strong enough. Especially so, seeing as how Deliora was meant to have been-
"Hora? Who the heck are you talking to?"
Her thoughts, her determination, her motivation and her sudden steely nerves crashed to an utter halt. She whipped around, her breath catching in her throat and heart skidding to a halt at the voice out of near nowhere in the silence and dim of the town around her.
S-Shit...!?
Her eyes locked with Natsu's, his head tilted and arms crossed over his chest. Hora grimaced, her hands clapping over her mouth and sweatdropping as she flushed,
Crap, crap!!
I was talking out loud... about ALL of it! Shiiiiittttt!
"Oh, ah... S... Salamander..." Hora stammered, her heart pounding in her ears as he simply quirked an eyebrow at her and her reaction.
'....you had probably best not talk to me out loud, Horatia.'
"..... ah... umm....." She smiled nervously, her thoughts whirling and trying very hard to come up with some excuse, some reason that would make sense and not sound... insane.
But her mind came up blank, and she deflated a little.
"..... how.... much of that.... did you hear...?" She asked slowly, her arms falling as she hooked her hands together nervously.
"... everything from 'You're still an ass'..." Natsu murmured slowly, Hora felt her heart drop to her feet. "I saw you were gone, and thought maybe ya had another nightmare, but you've been talking like you're having a full conversation..... by yourself."
... Another nightmare? When the hell did he know I even had a first one?
"..... Ah...."
"Hora, what's going on?" He asked softly, ".... You're not just out here to find that Guild Hall for the Council, are you?"
Hora took a step back, her eyes falling as she leaned against the wall behind her. She sighed slightly,
".... No.... That's not all of it." She mumbled softly. Natsu blinked, though she didn't see it. "....... It's more complicated than that."
"... Those North Wind Guys said their Guild Master's controlling a Demon of Zeref." he mumbled, "..... You're a Devil Slayer.... So is that what you're out here for? To slay it?"
Hora stiffened slightly,
"By yourself?" He asked, his tone growing a little harsher. "Hora, those things are dangerous. Even if your Magic's made for it, how could you possibly even think about doing it alone?"
"....... It's complicated." She mumbled,
"Don't give me that!" Natsu huffed, "Come on, you're smarter than that. Going after a whole Guild of Dark Wizards and a Demon of Zeref all alone is seriously stupid. Why would you even have-"
"Salamander." Hora's voice was low, and soft- though she cut him off with ease. Her blue gaze left from staring at her feet to rest on him steadily, her face betrayed nothing but exasperation. ".... Look, I know. I get it, I know its stupid, I know it's dangerous- but it doesn't matter. I'm here on order from my Guild Master, I was sent here to get a job done and I am going to do it. No matter what."
"Why the hell would your Master send you on something so dangerous all by yourself?" He growled, Hora blinked at that. "Master's ain't supposed to put their Guild Members in dangerous situations."
She sighed at that, ".... Because he's an ass." She mumbled, Natsu broke off, his anger and agitation faltering when he saw the resignation in her, and the anger that seemed to bubble somewhere underneath it. "As far as Master's go, Salamander..... He sucks." She shook her head slightly, "..... but it doesn't matter either way. I am going to finish this job, I can't afford to lose."
"Even if it kills you?" He hissed, she smiled sadly.
".... I don't plan on dying, Salamander." She murmured gently, ".... Dying is just as bad as losing... Trust me. I'm not going to lose, and I am not going to die."
"You can't promise that." He huffed hotly, "What if you get hurt? You won't have anyone to help you, or back you up. Why is this job so important you'll risk something like that?"
".... That bit is complicated too." She could see his annoyance rise at the response.
"Why can't you just explain it?" He hissed, "Didn't you hear Lucy about talking to your friends when something is wrong?" She sweatdropped, her eyes falling slightly.
Yes...and that was another thing. What Lucy had said, it was sticking... and honestly? The more she thought about it the more she felt... bad. Guilty too.
"..... is not that I can't, Natsu." Hora murmured, ".... I remember what Lucy said, and I understand what it's meant to mean... and I want to live up to it too. But I can't with you... not with you, right now. I have to do better," She smiled slightly, "I've been friends with the same four people for near a decade, Salamander- and in all that time I have never once told them I'm a Devil Slayer. Not once." Natsu blinked in clear surprise,
"I have known you for three days and I fessed up in seconds." Hora told him, shaking her head a little as she sighed. "... there is a problem with that. Because it's not like I don't trust them, I trust them with my life. And yet in eight years I have literally told them nothing about me. Not my Magic, not what it does to me, not how I truly feel... none of it. I always thought I was their best friend, I care for them, I love them...... I let them lean on me and I helped them through everything, but I never let them help me... I never let them know me. The real me.... I've been too afraid of losing them and how they might react to ever open up. I've kept them at arms length for so freaking long.... and they deserve better than that from me."
Natsu's expression softened slightly, his anger and annoyance nearly fading into nothing as Hora tilted her head back, smiling a little ruefully up at the stars and the indigo-black.
"This whole time I thought I was being such a great friend.... but what Lucy, and what you said, it looks like I've been mucking up the 'friend' bit the entire time. It just took meeting you guys to really start to see it....." Hora mumbled softly, her eyes flashing.
Well, maybe that wasn't all true. She'd started seeing it before hand, with how they'd reacted when Jiemma hurt her- how badly they wanted to understand and to help her. How much it hurt them knowing that she was so torn up inside and never let them know... it just really started hitting home now. Now that she was out here and facing a situation where she was likely never to see them again- how shitty was it that it too being sent on a suicide mission to realize how bad she was at being their friend? That Lucy had had to snap her head off for keeping secrets? Fairy Tailers, rivals from another Guild she had known for only a few days had made her realize all the mistakes she had been making in so little time.... honestly, she really had messed everything up, for so very long.
Hora's hands folded together and landed on top of her head lightly, "..... see? I'm talking to you, about a whole load of things I would never have dared say out loud, or to anyone for so long..... why can't I do this with the four people who have made my life so fun? The four people I trust more than anything? I know they'd listen, I know they'd do everything they can to help me, and to understand, and I know they'd never just ditch me... I know all of that, somewhere deep in my heart and yet I've never mustered up the courage or the confidence to talk to them, to tell them."
So many things, hundreds upon hundreds of things that had been left unsaid. Things she had buried and truths she had kept hidden.... Secrets that had been piling up.
"....... They told me I blow things out of proportion, not too long ago. That I'm always jumping to the worst conclusion and skipping straight over the brighter side of things..... there's a part of me that rejects the notion... and a part that figures it's true." She laughed, just once, a small, dry laugh. ".... I hate that it's taken me so long to realize how wrong I've been doing the whole 'friend' thing, I hate how little I've let them in... I want to let them in, I'm afraid to... but I need to, and I see it now. I wanna be better- be a better friend for them, and give them the chance to be the friends they want to be for me. I have to make it back, win- and make it back to them so I can try and do better- let them worry, let them know, understand.... let them in, for the first time."
Hora took in a small breath, her eyes falling from the sky and toward the silent figure of that Fire Dragon Slayer who was watching her so keenly, calmly.
"Hmm... now you have me rambling, Salamander." Hora smiled lightly, "... but hopefully I managed to explain it, at least a little. I can't tell you anything, before I manage to work myself up to telling them. They deserve better than what I've been giving them, and I need to make up for it." He blinked, sweatdropping slightly. "So even if I can't tell you the details, you gotta realize that there isn't a chance in hell I'm gonna die on this Mission. Not when I have so much to make up for... so much to do. So much to change."
Hora's head tilted slightly, her smile growing a little wider, and a little softer as her eyes glimmered slightly in the dim around them. Natsu stiffened ever so slightly, his eyes widening just a little as he felt something like familiarity hit him straight in the chest for half a second- some pang of recognition in him when she smiled like that, the way her eyes seemed to shine ever so dimly from the faint glow of the moon and stars overhead. But never why- why would she look familiar? There wasn't a strikingly familiar thing about her, and yet it didn't make the thought go away.
"Can you convince yourself to trust me, Salamander? Trust me when I say I'm coming back, and I'll definitely be seeing you at the Grand Magic Games?" She asked lightly, "And maybe some day, after I've managed to make it up with Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch- that I'll give a shot at explaining everything to you too?"
How could he ever even think about letting this go? Her go?
Every inch of his being told him not to let her out of his sight- to screw training for the Games and stay with her, help her. Help her to bring down North Wind and to help her against whatever Demon she seemed to intent on facing alone. There was no rational reasoning that could be said to make him even consider letting her run off on her own- the thought of it scared him, worried him to no end and he hated to imagine what might happen to her if she went along with her plan. Because she could very well die, and she would assuredly get hurt- and hell if he was the sort of person to let that happen when he could avoid it. It just wasn't in him to let anyone run off to what could get them hurt-
- She was so genuine, and honest and calm about every inch of it. He could hear in her voice how strongly she felt about doing better, becoming a better friend- he could see how much she wanted it in her eyes and her face. She wanted to open up, to talk to those four, and he could tell just how much they meant to her. How couldn't he? He'd heard them talking the night prior, heard the love and the care in her voices and theirs as they chatted away. Those four people, they were Hora's Family just as much as Lucy and Happy were family to him. And he could see the hurt in her too, the guilt, when she realized how much she had been keeping from them for so long. And he knew she was right, she wasn't mistaking any of it- she knew what she had messed up and she knew what she needed to do in order to make things better.
But there was softness in her smile then, and utter calm- but behind it; there was a fire. Some bright, burning spark of determination, a caliber of the like he wasn't sure he had seen in anyone.. maybe ever. She wasn't going to back down, she wasn't going to give in- she was so determined that he faltered...
.... because maybe, with that much passion and need and want to change and be better- she could win, and she would survive. It was like nothing could have stopped her now she had made up her mind and made her decision to change, and be a better friend... and maybe even a better person on top of that.
Is this what it was? What he had noticed in her before and how she had seemed to change? Why her Magic hadn't felt dark for even the briefest second after she'd set herself to protecting them and keeping them safe? Somehow he was convinced that it was more than what he said, and what Lucy had said.... it had to be more to have shown him this whole new side of Hora. She had to have wanted something to change, for her to have become this out of near nowhere.
And with that smile, that gentleness and the fire and that familiarity as she looked at him- damn it
He couldn't even bring himself to stop her- she needed this, as stupid as it sounded and as uneasy as it made him feel, how wrong it felt in his core. He couldn't stop her.... and he wouldn't try to.
He hissed under his breath, hating himself as he settled her with a steely glare.
"You promise, you're gonna come back to watch the Games?" He asked lowly, Hora smiled a bit more, she stepped away from leaning against the wall and raised a hand toward him. He blinked, before lifting his own and she grabbed his hand in hers steadily.
He hated himself, but there was nothing she appreciated more in that instant than his relent.
"Promise. I'm coming back, and I expect you to make the Games something to remember, Salamander."
Chapter 14: An Icy Wind
Chapter Text
Chapter 1 4
An Icy Wind
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"..... Oi, Salamander."
"Hmm?"
".... Before you guys leave, I think I need to.... Warn, you." Hora mumbled, her voice low and tense as he turned round all the way to face her. Lucy and Happy were grumbling to one another as they packed up their things in the center of the room, Hora having taken up a post near the door that lead outside as Natsu stood a little ways in front of her.
Morning came faster than had seemed possible since Natsu had confronted her last night- and since he'd agreed to let her go, though she could tell he really, really did not want to. But as per her request, he'd dropped asking questions and simply kept her company until morning had come. Now with the Fairy Tailers getting ready to split ways with her, Hora found herself a little more tense- and she had to say something... One thing, at least.
"About what?" He asked, his head tilting as she bit the inside of her cheek.
"..... My Guild Master has strict rules about keeping the reputation if the Guild up, and he's forbidden that we converse or help or doing anything with rival Guilds." She mumbled, "... I've been working with you guys because he's not around to say anything about it, but if he were to find out I had been hanging around you three.... I'm gonna be in a bit of trouble." Natsu narrowed his eyes at that, "... So it'd be better if you guys didn't go around spreading stories of working with me.... Please."
He nodded slightly, though he looked a little confused at the request. Why would it matter? And why would she be getting in trouble for it?
"... Alright." He murmured,
"... Thank you.... And on that note, I'm not gonna be able to hang out with you, or even really talk to you, when we meet up in Crocus for the GMG." He blinked at that too, sweatdropping. "... I'm warning you in advance. I can't be familiar with you in public, or even really at all when the time comes."
"... That seems a little extreme. Why is talking to other Guilds such a big deal?" Natsu mumbled, "I mean I know were supposed to be rivals in the Games, but that doesn't mean were actually enemies." Hora sighed,
"Like I said... My Master is an ass." Hora grumbled, he sweatdropped slightly.
Somehow he felt that maybe 'ass' wasn't quite the word she wanted to use there.
"..... Alright... I don't get it, but I hear ya." he grumbled, "... You are gonna at least let me know you're back, when the Games come around, right?" She blinked,
"Yeah, I'll let you know, Salamander. Don't worry." He nodded, his stare a bit pointed for half a secind, before his attention trailed over his shoulder towards his Guild-Mates.
".... One last thing." Natsu blinked, his head turning back toward her to see she was looking at him.... Worriedly.
"...... It... Won't seem like it, when the time comes.... But I know every person in SaberTooth. They are all good people at heart, despite how they act." She broke off, almost like she was choosing her words carefully, it even if she dared say them.
"...... Everyone outside of my Master, and his daughter..... They are good people.... They just.... Its hard for them to show it." Hora shook her head slightly, sweatdropping. ".... Please just remember that, when the Games come around.... There are only two truly awful people in the Guild, no matter what happens... Near everyone in SaberTooth are good people. I promise." Her hands locked together in front of her nervously, her eyes falling from him as Natsu watched quietly.
".... Master and Minerva.... Are just....." she mumbled half to herself, before sighing heavily. Her blue gaze moved back up toward him as she settled him with a serious, steady gaze.
".... Just be careful, alright?" She asked softly, her eyes flashing.
Natsu got the distinct feeling that there was more she wanted to say on the matter, but stopped herself.... and he wondered if it had something to do with the 'complicated bits' she had mentioned before and assured him she wouldn't get into with him.
".... you got it." He murmured with a small, firm nod. "You be careful too, alright?"
Hora smiled, her fist raising in front of her and toward him as he blinked at it, before smirking slightly and tapping his own fist against hers lightly.
"Promise, I'll be careful."
"All done packing." Lucy smiled cheerfully as she and Happy approached both Fire Wizards, Hora's and Natsu's hands falling away from one another as they settled their attentions on the two of them.
"We're ready to head out now." Happy purred, Hora nodded.
"Then I guess I oughtta say bye." Hora murmured, "It was great working with you three, I had a lot of fun." She smiled genuinely, Lucy and Happy nodded in agreement to the words.
"We had a lot of fun to, it was so good to meet you." Lucy murmured brightly, "I hope we see more of eachother soon, I can't wait until the GMG!"
"Aye!"
"Hmm, me too." Hora smiled kindly, the smile breaking off as Lucy suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her neck in a firm, entirely unexpected embrace.
"You'll be careful out here by yourself, won't you?" Lucy asked softly, her breath washing against the inside of Hora's neck as the Saber girl slowly returned the embrace. Her eyes found Natsu for half a second, his expression unreadable but she could imagine how much he was fighting with himself not to leave. And Lucy hadn't any clue what she would be facing either... and Natsu knew it, Hora knew it.
"..... yeah... I'll be careful. I promise, we'll meet up again at the GMG, don't you doubt it."
Damn it..... it broke her heart, watching them leave her behind. It hurt more than she expected as she waved at them, watching them head away up the street and out of Jeihel in the very opposite direction she was to take- their figures getting thinner in the distance, every stretch of mile between them leaving her tenser, colder.
This key.... it's so exact, whoever made it is a serious master with enchantments.... it's almost ingenious.
'You sound impressed. Is that admiration I hear?'
... yeah, yeah.... whatever... you can't tell me that this plan for getting to and from their Guild Hall isn't clever, Lixue.
Hora ran a hand through her hair, her other hand resting on her knee as she sat crosslegged atop a relatively smooth topped boulder- the key in question placed on the stone surface in front of her, along with a small notebook and a pen beside it.
The land around her was filled with trees, their bark smooth and stripped and the leaves overhead a collection of dark pine and silver willowa. It was small, tightknit forest in a land that was otherwise ruled by steep, barren stone that was quickly growing chill and icy the further north she kept going- even despite it being July. Not that the cold bothered her in the slightest... It was the silence, more than anything. The further she went out the less animals there were, less people- it was like some heavy, icy blanket had fallen on everything out there and there was little left living.
It had been a week and half since she'd left the Fairy Tailers and Jeihel behind, and it was a week where she had started to wonder aimlessly out into the countryside, stopping for sections at a time to fiddle with and expirement on the key that Natsu had found for her. She'd been experimenting with it, doing her best to unravel what Spell and enchantments had been placed on it and what they were meant to do- to anyone who wasn't a Wizard, it was simply a key, and even to those with Magic it seemed just that, unless your Magic make your senses as heightened as hers did.
And the more she studied it the more convinced she was of her first theory- that it was meant to be placed in a door (probably any door with a lock- though she had a few doubts in how big the door was allowed to be), and in doing so, the Magic of the key envelopes the entryway of that very door in a Portal of women kind, allowing easy, quick access to where it lead.
North Wind, and it's very mobile, impossible to pin down by normal means, Guild Hall.
Right where she needed to get.
Hora let out a small breath, her eyes falling closed as she rest her cheek in her hand.
As to what the Guild Hall would look like? If it was anything like the trap they had fallen into a week and a half prior, it could turn out to be an elaborate maze filled with too many sections and rooms to count... And she didn't like the idea of navigating something that large and complex whilst also fighting what hundreds of Dark Mages were sure to be holed up there. It was an even less appealing thought should the inside be tight-knit and close, as to bar easy movement at all.
But even then it had to be large, and able to hold a Demon of Zeref in its confines. The reports on the Demon were..... Useless, in all reality. The only thing that persisted between what few places had been unloading enough to be hit by it was the destruction. The way the air seemed to chill and then the wind cut through everything, a mass of icy blue eyes from a wash of wind- but that was it. There was no description, no useful information. This Demon could be as large as a Vulcan or as small as a regular dog... Or even larger than Deliora.
She had nothing to go on, no information on it, or on the Guild Master- or the inner working of the Guild Hall. No one had ever been there, and no one had ever gotten a good look at the Demon either. And information on 'Master Eider' was just as sparse.
This Mission sucked... She was gonna be walking in totally blind. How the hell was she meant to come up with a plan or even prepare if she knew nothing of where she was going and who she would be facing?
.... If I unlock a door with the key and send in Drille, will he find anything worth bringing back? Or will I sound off alarms the minute I try?
'... It is likely not the best course of action to let North Wind know you have a way into their Hall in any way, before you actually manage to have some semblance of a plan.' Lixue intoned lightly. '... You are unaware what safeguards come with entering the Hall, it wouldn't be worth risking discovery, before you fully commit to action.'
Damn it.... You're probably right...
Hora groaned, her hands falling behind her as she supported herself leaning back, her head falling back too, to tilt her face up toward the dreary sky. The movement earned a prickle of discomfort from the wound across her back but little else, her blue eyes flashing slightly as she grumbled under her breath.
She hated the idea, but she would likely need to ask the Council to step in when she started- if only to round up the Mages she put out of commission before pushing ahead so she wouldn't need to worry about it.
She really really did not look forward to any of this.
..... At any rate, however... She didn't plan to launch a full scale attack until Over-Drive was done and over with completely. And that was proving to be taking a bit of time... Damn it.
The coughing had managed to cease but the ache in her chest had failed to go away, it was a throbbing sometimes... and sometimes it felt like a sharp, jolting pang, and she hated it- becuase that always ended up happeninf when her thoughts wandered toward what it was Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue were doing.
She shifted, leaning forward a bit to pull the Calling Card from her back pocket, twisting it lightly in her fingers as she bit the inside of her cheek.
.... They hadn't called, not for a week, so she figured that maybe Minerva had come back already, keeping them from talking to her at all. It was that thought that kept her from calling them first, she'd hate to get them in trouble.... But she wanted to talk to them, she needed to.
At least once, before she went to face North Wind head on.
The braid at the front of her hair shifted slightly in the cool wind that started to pick up, brushinf against her cheek as she let out a sigh- and put the Calling Card back on her pocket without calling, for maybe the hundreth time the last week.
She hadn't been sleeping all that well either, which failed to help with Over-Drive... The nightmares were just getting worse. And she knew it was because of how close it was getting to the confrontation.
She took a deep breath, her eyes falling closed as the chill air danced over her senses, bringing with it the scene of moisture and stone.... And ice.
Her eyes opened, narrowed to slits as her deep blue gaze flashed gold for half a second.
.... It feels like a blizzard's coming....
".... Sting-Kun, are you alright?" Lector asked nervously, smiling a bit as he let his paws rest on his hips. Frosch beside him smiled too, both Exceeds floating lightly at the edge of the water as they watched Rogue and Sting stumble up into the shallows, sopping wet and looking exhausted. Both Dragon Slayers collapsed in the inch deep water, dazed and panting, looking ridiculously unamused.
Behind them and to the right on the hill that overlooked the forest and the lake Yukino was standing with her Spirits close at hand, Rufus and Orga nodding toward her and giving praise- though neither Sting nor Rogue cared.
"....ugh.... I can't.... Believe.... Yukino beat us.... That... Badly...." Sting groaned in between his panting,
".... I seriously.... Misjudged.... How strong.... Pisces is...." Rogue grumbled, ".... But did they have to... Throw us in the lake....?"
"... You two have been training rather hard, maybe it's not surprising you got beat." Lector shrugged, "You've hardly taken a break in the last week."
"Fro agrees!" Frosch murmured, "Fro wonders why Sting and Rogue-kun have been working so hard all of a sudden?"
Sting blinked, sweatdropping slightly as he glanced sideways toward Rogue, who had pulled himself up to sit in the shallows with his legs crossed. The Shadow Dragon Slayer only bothered to look down at his lap,
Frosch and Lector glanced between one another, blinking in slight confusion at the silence.
The truth was it had been a week and both Dragon Slayers had been going full throttle on the training and had hardly stopped a minute of it. They'd been brawling and working on their Magic every minute they could afford out of sleeping and eating only occasionally. When Orga, Rufus and Yukino were too tired to keep at it they went at it with one another- almost until they were too tired to go on... And yet they picked up again all the same in the morning before everyone else.
"...... Is something the matter?" Lector asked slowly, his head tilting slightly.
"..... We're....." Rogue mumbled,
".... Just.... Trying to stay busy...." Sting finished stiffly, the Exceeds blinked.
".... Since...... Hora's.... Out and.... Busy...." Rogue hissed under his breath,
".... We.... Don't wanna call.... and distract her.... so...." Sting mumbled, the Exceeds' eyes softened slightly. They had indeed wondered why neither of their Partners has bothered to call Hora, though they had on several occasions seen one or both of them staring at the Calling Card with the utmost lounging- but never giving into it. But now it became clear that Sting and Rogue had thrown themselves into training to try and distract themselves from worrying about Horatia, and their hearts clenched at the thought.
They didn't want to 'distract her' because they knew the mission she was on was dangerous, very much so.... And knowing that made them want to call even more, but they stopped themselves.
Truth be told the Exceeds were worried to, and they understood the hesitation too.... But,
".... you should call her." Lector murmured lightly, "...... Hora would like it, I'm sure she probably wants us to call." Both Dragon Slayers stiffened slightly, sweatdropping and looking uneasy.
"Fro agrees." Frosch murmured softly, "Fro misses Atia too." Lector nodded,
"So do I, you guys aren't the only ones worried." Lector intoned softly, before he smirked. "If you guys are too chicken and won't, we'll call her first~!"
Rogue and Sting bristled slightly, looking annoyed and flustered at once. "H-hey! We're not chicken!" Rogue snapped,
"Y-yeah! We'll call her, alright?!" Sting snapped at the same time, the Exceeds smiled in amusement.
"Good." Lector and Frosch said in union, both Dragon Slayers grunted under their breath, casting their Exceed Partners small glares.
"... But.... We'll do it later." Rogue added in quietly, ".... Just in case she is busy.... We'll call when its later and she's probably stopped for the night."
Lector sighed, sweatdropping slightly as she simply shrugged in slight exasperation.
"Whatever you say...."
"Hey! You four!"
Their conversation was broken apart by the sound of Yukino's voice calling out to them from up the hill. The Celestial Spirit Mage waved to them, "Are you OK?"
"Yeah, did Yukino kick your asses too hard for ya to handle?" Orga called, his tone full of challenge and his lips pulled into a smirk- easy enough to see even with the water of the lake between them. Sting and Rogue growled, veins ticking on their foreheads as they jumped to their feet, whirling in Orga's direction with sudden fiery tempers.
"As if!"
"Hehe~"
"No matter, come along you four." Rufus interjected calmly before an argument could break loose. "It is time for a break and for something to eat."
"Food sounds great!" Orga smirked, "Better hurry up guys, or I'm gonna eat it all~" he shot toward Sting and Rogue, both of which scowled, and raced through the shallows in his direction.
"Don't you dare, ORGA!!!!"
"Move your asses if you wanna stop me~"
Lector and Frosch purred in amusement as they floated after their now rushing Partners.
Lector faltered slightly in his flapping though, eyes widening when a small splash of water dropped down on top of his head. He blinked, Frosch beside him looking surprised as well as the red Exceed glanced upward toward the sky, his face being hit again by another drop of moisture, and then another.
"... where did those clouds come from?" Lector wondered aloud, for the first time noticing the darkness that had engulfed the sky, and now with the rain setting in with no warning what so ever.
"Fro wonders too..." Frosch mumbled,
"Eh? Where did the rain come from?" Yukino mumbled as they drew nearer,
"Very odd.... I hadn't noticed the clouds coming in." Rufus said lightly, his hat tilting back as he glanced up toward the sky. Orga had run off already with the Twin Dragon Slayers chasing him, none of the three seemed to notice the rain at all, not even as it started to fall harder.
Yukino, Rufus, Lector and Frosch jumped slightly, their eyes lighting up as a flash of eerie white-gold tore across the sky overhead, lightning flashing just once as the thunder boomed heavily on their ears, quickly becoming soaked as the rain set in more. Frosch jumped, smashing into Yukino's arms in fright as Lector bristled, his fur fluffing up as he covered his ears with his paws.
"The weather's turned really nasty all of a sudden..!" Yukino grumbled, holding tightly to Frosch as she shook her head, "Come on you guys, let's find shelter quickly!" She headed off, Lector following closely and unaware that Rufus had failed to move, his eyes narrowed up at the sky and rain dripping off the rim of his hat as he stood in complete stillness.
"..... incredibly odd..." He breathed softly,
".... I can't remember weather so foul coming on so quickly...."
Scarlet red dripped into the dismal white snow and ice underfoot, his hands shaking and body heaving as he stumbled through that ruin- his blood mixing among the crimson spilt from countless more and ash black soot and smoke. Their bodies lay in heaps of mangled skin and bone and debris on all sides, fires burning low in what little remained of the buildings, everything toppled.
It was swimming in front of him, the world blurring and undistinguished on the edges and getting worse as he gasped and sputtered, his steps faltering as he drudged through the sticky, icy grey and white. His hands were shaking so badly he barely kept hold over the gaping hole in his torso, skin slick with his blood and feeling like he was barely holding his insides from spilling out.
'You're dying, you fool...!'
His lips twitched in a twisted, agonized smile. He laughed, but only ended up coughing and gasping, his eyes shutting tight at the pain that raced through every inch of him, his steps stumbling even more- until he tripped, and was sent sprawling into the bloodied snow.
He groaned, his breaths tasted of blood and his mouth filled with it as he curled in on himself, his blood spilling from his wounds faster.... and he didn't try to curb it, he couldn't care anymore.
"....h...he... he..hehe......" He wheezed, "...w....we..ll......well.......b....been.... awh....ile......" He coughed, blood spattering across the ice as his yellow eyes flashed blue.
"... eh.... L...Lixue....?"
'... you utter fool..... how dare you.....?! You knew you couldn't destroy that demon... not like this..... y.... you.... IDIOT....!!!'
The man smiled wryly, pushing himself over stiffly, shaking violently as he did his best to push himself up onto his knees. His clothes were tattered and stained, his hair a mess and his skin torn and shredded in places too many to count. Blood dripped without end from every wound, from his mouth and from his nose and ears, smears of it running through his russet and copper hair.
Deliora was long gone.... he was the only thing left... the only thing alive in a city full of death.. and he was quickly going to join the masses. Pity the Beast hadn't finished him off, allowed him death without having to hear that damn voice again.... pity
He hissed, dragging himself forward, his arms nearly buckling underneath him as he forced himself toward a mound of snow and rumble up ahead, his breaths shaky and wet as he laughed a bit more, his yellow eyes glinting wildly.
'For your stupidity.... we are BOTH dying.... Arden you damned..... FOOL....!!!!!!!' Lixue's voice was painful, a searing, sharp icy sound through his head that made him wince. '.... raaaghh.....! How.... dare you....?! Parading about.... calling yourself..... Gelidus Inferniom..... you bastard....! You've killed not only yourself, but you have killed me too.....!!'
Arden growled, pushing himself up the mound as he left a smear of red and bits of gore behind him. His body was screaming, every inch of him threatening to snap and send him falling apart, his bone and skin and muscle all barely holding together and breaking fast.
"...tch... Shut... shut up.... ya damned...... prick...." Arden wheezed,
He stopped, his arms giving out on him as he dragged himself up the lip of the mound, his body collapsing into the snow as it gave way underneath him and he was sent skidding and tumbling down the other side. He screamed, his body slamming into something hard at the bottom and his face burying itself in a sticky, clumped pool of dirt and blood, his breaths raged gasps and Lixue screaming with him at the sheer pain.
Arden came to a halt, his eyes blurred and quickly losing what little light and life was in them. He groaned as he struggled to lift his head from the blood soaked ice,
"...t...there's....a..r....rea...son...... I shut.... yo...u..... out......." Arden wheezed, his voice barely above a whisper and his fingers numb as he fought for breath.
'..... centuries....... and I have...... only managed....... idiots.....' Lixue's voice was breaking, '.... perhaps.... it is a blessing...... the damage... all of you..... have managed.... end... here.... with one.... last..... stupid mistake..... you....'
Arden coughed again, his chin splattered in scarlet and his breath hardly a cloud in the icy wasteland around him. His eyes were dull, the yellow fading fast to some ugly, brown color-
He stiffened, his eyes widening weakly, looking across the blood soaked snow he lay in as his attention found what his body had smacked into so painfully. A child..... her hair black as a raven's feathers and her skin pale, her body broken and bent as she lay there, and he lay with her in a pool of her blood. Her arm was mangled, the skin torn open and the bone poking though the gnarled bits of flesh and muscle, a thin trail of the sticky liquid falling past her thin lips.
... so many dead.....
Arden coughed again, his chest felt like it was being torn open.
His fingers twitched, brushing against her thin little fingers, turning black and blue from the cold, her blood smothering against his skin from the wound that had broken her, someone so small-
Those dull eyes flashed, the yellow burning brighter as his felt her blood.... warm.
Arden's head lifted ever so slightly off the snow as his heart jumped, a fire burning in his eyes as he tried and failed to get back up, struggling with a vengeance to push himself closer.
.... she's....
Something wild lit up in his face, something twisted and frantic as Arden forced his falling apart body to move, forced himself just that little bit closer- close enough his hand clamped down tightly on her arm, uncaring of the way his fingers dug into the flesh and grazed across the fractured bone.
A wicked, tilted grin spread it's way across his face, his eyes flashing again as a wash of gold started up from his arm and toward her- what little life and energy left in him suddenly spurring to action, and the grin twisted more.
.... the last... one.....
'.... what are you.... Arden....?!' Lixue snapped, his voice faded and blurry in the man's head.
The skin around his hand and her arm started to singe, the chill air filling with the scent of bringing flesh and blood as her arm began to blister, and the wash of gold spreading from his arm blazed brighter, bolder, turning an angry red and orange.
"...he..hehe..... guess....... y...you.... gonna.... b...be... wrong.... heh......Lixue.....!" Arden laughed, his blood dripping from his mouth and strangling the words though he never stopped. Not even as that small, mangled little girl flinched, not when she was drawn back from the icy cold claws of death and forced back to the world engulfed in agony and burning fire in her veins. His hand was turning ebony as his skin burned, smoke rising from her skin as a fire began to leap inside of her, searing the wound closed slowly and burning flesh back together in a wash of blazing white.
The girl whimpered, her blue eyes fluttering open and dazed, her limbs twitching and spasming as she struggled to pull away from what sheer tortuous agony was climbing up her arm and into the rest of her body. Ripped back into the world and with no clue what was happening, she didn't understand-
"..... y... ya got...one more.... bloody mistake.... Lixue....!" Arden smiled, his eyes wild and his expression twisted in something no less than excitement that bordered on insanity and rage. The glow of red and orange got worse, Magic pulsing from him and pouring into her, the wound was melting together and she was struggling against him- no longer weak, her skin a sickly pallor and her eyes glazed in pain and terror. The glow of orange raced over her skin, charring along the inside of her body, singing bones, organs, engulfing everything and it was torture- that little child's voice broke as sobs and screams of pain rung on the air that had been so deathly silent just before.
She was screaming. Writhing and squirming in sheer, fiery agony searing across her body and her mind. Her wrist, arm, and all the way to her shoulder... Her skin was blistering from the insane heat- it felt as if she had dipped it in molten lava.
Someone was gripping her arm tightly, holding on to her, the grip never slipping- even as she tried so desperately to pull away. Her vision flashed black, red... The smell of burning filled her nose and lungs. She just kept screaming... The pain was blinding...
Arden never let up, he was laughing even as his life drained away and he forced that wild, insane Magic into her- forced it to burn the wound closed, forced it to mark across every inch of her body and her soul and claim her, the pain was enough to kill anyone, the Magic was too strong, too jagged and much too uncontrolled- it was burning her alive from the inside out. His copper and russet colored hair was fading into a dull, lifeless grey, his hand burned black and quickly moving up his arm as she thrashed and kicked up blood-colored snow, screamed and kicked and pleaded and cried, her voice breaking, shrieking even long after her throat filled with blood and the taste of something burning sour.
... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go. She wanted to be let go.
"STOP! PLEASE!" The girl's voice would have broken the heart of anyone, it was dripping in terror and fear and pain- but Arden couldn't care, he would never let go- he looked at her with the face of want, sheer lust and uncontrollable need. He watched in pleasure and delight as she started to burn, the black running up her body and strangling her- that dirty, blood matted raven hair turning orange and red and all colors it should never have been.
"S-STOOOOOPPPPP!!!"
"Not... not a chance!" Arden shrilled, his body shaking violently as he dragged her closer to him, pulling her through the snow as the rest of her body started to blister and break under the fire consuming her, eating her.... killing her, and still she tried to pull away. Her mouth filled with blood and ash and fire and she felt her lungs burning away inside her chest,
Lixue was screaming, roaring and cursing and Arden still never stopped- he never listened.
The man had pulled himself up, his free hand curling in toward himself as his yellow eyes flashed, sickly and wicked- and yet... hopeful. Hopeful eve as he watched that child cough up bits and pieces of her own charred insides right in front of him, black and scarlet pooling from her mouth.
"You must... Live! It is up to you... You have to defeat...!" Arden hissed, his grin splitting over his face.
"...he... hehehe....! Kill what killed me..... kill what failed to kill you...!!!!!"
"NO!"
Arden's free hand plunged straight into the center of his own chest, breaking past the damaged skin and shattering what ribs were in his way, a new stream of blood pouring free from the wound and his mouth- the grin never faded.
He ripped his hand free again, bloody and black as his fist remained clenched about a smooth, icy blue stone that seemed to glitter and spark with some unnatural light. The little girl was twitching, her body falling apart and melting from the inside out and all will to fight outwardly lost- if only her mind and her heart had failed so quickly, she still felt it... felt every single second of it.
His hand shot forward, the stone still gripped tightly as he plunged his hand through the center of her chest, ribs breaking and what charred mess of her lungs was left- they were forced apart as he stuck his entire fist inside her body, moving organs and bone and leaving a giant, nestled hole for that stone to set. Her skin, and her body, covered head to foot in pitch, jet black- a pulse of blue raced from where his hand remained lodged inside her chest, and she felt like her heart had been ripped in two.
Her body felt like it had been drowned in lava suddenly felt like it had been ripped in half, melted back together, then cut into hundreds of pieces... and then melted again, over and over it when from blinding burning pain to mind shattering cold, it lasted years, it lasted too long and she felt her mind breaking under it all just as her body shattered with it.
Arden ripped his hand back out from her body again, leaving the stone as his breaths shuddered to a close. His yellow eyes dulling to grey and all light gone as his hand fell limp from having been holding to her so tightly, his face falling as a ghost of smile remained etched into his face forever more.
She was writhing around in that blood soaked snow and ice, screaming and fidgeting for hours, her body destroying itself, burning itself, and then slapping itself back together- the flames raged and then died, and then raged again and it was a fate worse than death... she wanted to die, she screamed and pleaded and wished she would- begged. And the pain still kept on,
Her head was throbbing, she felt like someone had struck her skull through by a blade as a a voice so loud and so icy screamed all throughout her mind,
'ARDEN!!!'
Hora screamed, her body jolting up and the pain and terror persistent as she jolted upward, her heart beating feverishly in her chest and her mind racing. Her breathing came in jagged, panicked gasps, her hair sticking to her face and her body covered in icy cold sweat, though her skin burned hot. She couldn't think, couldn't process where she was or what was going on- adrenaline and terror were holding her captive at the nightmare and the memory so vivid it was like it had happened all over again- and yet this time her mind had melded and mixed with Arden's in a most sickening, unnatural way.
She couldn't calm down, she couldn't even think about trying to- she couldn't breathe. Her lungs were hitching so much her panic was getting worse at the sensation of suffocating and choking.
Her body was heaving and still she wasn't getting enough air, she was shaking violently and she looked white as a ghost- it was dark, it was silent- she was alone, unbearably, terrifying alone and she was panicking too much to handle it on her own.
Her stomach flipped, her body spasming as she struggled to lean over, one arm hugging her body and the other holding her up only barely as she retched, the sick burning in her throat and tears streaming from her eyes as her stomach summersaulted a dozen times and she continued to retch and gag even when there was nothing left for her stomach to give up.
She was shaking like a leaf and gasping even more by the time she managed to stop, pushing herself sideways and stumbled when her legs refused to work right- the rest of her body and limbs failed to listen much better as she turned her back on the puddle of lost food and the like. Her hand moved to steady herself against the small smooth faced boulder she had been sitting on earlier in the day, her for head pressing against the chilly surface of the stone and still fighting for proper air as her heart pound painfully in her ribcage and her pulse flitted unevenly. Her head was spinning and she felt ready to pass out- but fear didn't dare let her.
She stiffened, her head snapping backwards when she heard the stone crack- her she's darting this day and that as she noticed for the first time that the air was wavering... And everything outside of a circle of about twenty feet from where she was covered in snow..... But where she was was utterly lacking. The air was hot around her, only wisps of a chill wind breaking into the confines of the circle, the stone was cracked and discarded tilts of pine needles had been reduced to smoldering piles of ash. Above her head what show was falling in a blizzard was melting before it had chance to get near her,
Her Magic was so far our a hand she was warding off a fucking blizzard, and she hadn't the will nor the ability to stop... She couldn't, she wasn't using Magic consciously she was panicking so much she couldn't control herself... And the more she tried to get herself under control the more ragged her breathing got and the more her body started to shake, and then the more dizzy she got.
S...shit... S...stop....
She stumbled, her hands pushing against and clinging to the rock as she struggled to stand up- her knees shaking badly and threatened to give out the minute she started. She leaned against the rock near all the way, her head spinning and her senses suddenly plunging toward a sense and state of vertigo that made her gag again, but there was nothing left to throw up.
.. p...please..... S...stop..... I...
She staggered away from the rock, tripping and legs shaking terribly. The dizziness persisted, the world a wash of blurred indistinction and the ground underfoot bobbing up and down, tilting and twisting and throwing her stomach into knots and turns, and the panic got worse and worse. She stumbled into the blizzard, her jagged, jolting steps out into the storm wearing a line through the snow as it melted the second she stepped through it, her head and thoughts a whirl, emotions wild-
The tears had never stopped, she was sobbing, her body hurt, her heart, her soul all hurt- and she couldn't stop crying.
She hardly saw the world around her, she was fighting too hard not to fall, or pass out... She staggered through that storm without a single drop of snow managing to hit her skin. She stumbled down a hill and foward the scent of water, she had to stop.. She had to calm down... Stop melting... Burning....
.... I..... I have.....
She stumbled into the shallow, freezing water of a river, collapsing in the shallows and her body plunged into the chill that would have surely sent anyone's teeth chattering, and in minutes- had them numb, frostbitten, freezing to death...
Her body bounced painfully against the stones as she collapsed, her legs giving out and soaked in seconds, her breath hitching in a gasp as the water wrapped around her on all sides. She felt weak, and faint and she world was so blurry- she couldn't keep her eyes open. She trembled, her body halfway submerged in the water and her head falling back against the stones, the world fading grey and fast, her consciousness waning, she couldn't feel the water, not the cold... Everything hurt too much.
'.... Horatia..'
She winced, her eyes scrunching closed as she fought to shake off the dizziness, and the weakness... She felt faint,
She felt something cold fall against her face, and then another..... Soft things.
Her eyes fluttered open again, Dazed a dull as she watched small specks of snow fall from the sky gently, bits of them dotting against her face and cheeks- what blizzard she had been melting was nothing more than gentle snowfall....
.... She couldn't figure out how long she had passed out for, she felt she'd only closed her eyes for half a second, and yet there she was. Her breathing killed to something slow and just shy of nothing at all, and her pulse lowered, her heart no longer beating frantically and her Magic no longer warding off the show and melting it before it could touch her. The sky was a darker shade of grey now too, her muscles stiff,
'..... Are you alright...?' Lixue's voice was low, gentle... Gentler than it had ever been.
... Is that even a question...?
Hora winced, her head pounding and her body aching all over as she shaking pushed herself up from the near stagnant water, her breath billowing in front of her in a cloud and dripping from head to foot. Her body shook in protest as she forced herself up, she only managed to stand for half a second before her legs gave out and she hissed,
'... Easy now, Horatia.. Take it slow.' Lixue intoned softly, she really wished he'd quit it.
Her body didn't want to function right, her legs didn't want to hold her, and her head spun with every small movement. It took a long while for her to push herself up, and to stagger from the aater and back onto the bank before she collapsed again into a drift of snow- and this time she stayed down, her back pressed against the mound and taking in shallow, feverish breaths, this time she felt the cold, though it didn't bother her... She felt too terrible to care, even if it had. She just felt sick.... Terribly sick.
'..... That was too much stress on you...' Lixue murmured, '.... Apologies..... Had I been able... I'd have stopped you from living Arden's memories, along with your own... I am sorry. You did not deserve to relive that again... I lost control... Just as you.....'
Hora's mind and senses were in such a feverish daze she hardly registered what he said or how genuine the apology was, her mind felt shattered and her emotions felt that too... He was right, it was too much...
Her shaking arms moved to hug her own body, her eyes falling halfway as she looked upward to the sky but barely saw it.
She hadn't removed the entirety of it in so long... Years, and it had never been that real. For the first time since she was six years old, that nightmare hit her hard enough to break her... And just like the first time, she was alone again....
...... She'd been so broken, when she woke up.... Found him, Arden... Dead and smiling still.. She was alone then, confused and trapped in a body now ruined by some evil, foul Magic she had known nothing of. She'd been confused, alone, hurt, and so afraid.... She'd dreamed of it, over and over again for two years since before the nightmares became bearable again. It had been so long since a memory had hit her hard enough to have her feeling like such utter shit.
Her mind was so spinning so much, she couldn't think straight- even when she heard a bell ring and she pulled the Calking Card up weakly, she was so dazed she didn't hear Lixue warning her not to, or even think about what a terrible state she probably looked.
In all reality she was trying so hard to keep steady hold of that card little else mattered, and her vision was blurring in and out so much she couldn't quite make out their faces on that small, dimly lit screen in all the darkness and the continually falling snow around her.
But she heard them, their voices so clearly and so easily.
"Hora!"
It was a small mercy that it was so hard around her, it kept them from seeing how soaked she was, or the dark lines that ran under her eyes, or even how bloodshot and glazed her eyes were. Though, Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch's faces fell slightly the minute the card picked up- because even in the low lighting they saw how terrible she looked, how exhausted, and their hearts dropped.
"H-hora..?"
".. Shit, Hora...?! Are you OK?!"
"You look seriously pale! What's wrong?!"
"Are you hurt?! What's going on?!"
Hora's lips twitched up at the corners, a small, strained and exhausted smile breaking across her face as she felt herself sink back into the snow a little more, flecks of white falling about her face and sticking in her hair continually as she heard the worry in their voices,
"... nothing's wrong..." She mumbled softly, her throat felt sore and hurt from screaming... she faintly wondered if the dream had had her screaming in her sleep... she was thankful she was alone now, so no one had seen it. Her assurance did nothing for them, as she knew it wouldn't... and honestly, she didn't mean it to. "... sorry, I must really look like a mess.... It's just been a rough night..... I didn't sleep very well..." She replied softly, she could see the concern and sympathy pass over each and every one of their faces.
".... did you have a nightmare, Atia..?" Lector and Frosch asked gently, Hora nodded.
"... yeah.."
".... do you wanna talk about it, Hora...?" Sting asked softly, Hora shook her head.
"No.... not really....." She breathed, her eyes falling closed a moment. The four on the other end of the card exchanged glances between one another, their eyes glittering as they saw Hora pale a little more- if it was possible, and she sounded so so.....
"..... you look really tired, Hora." Rogue murmured softly, "..... are you sure you're ok...?" He paused, his red eyes flashing as he sweatdropped. "... we can leave you alone, if you want... so you can go back to sleep."
"No," Hora answered quickly, catching them off guard at the immediate answer. Her eyes flashed as she blinked them open, shaking her head slightly as she sighed, her breath a cloud in front of her face that they blinked at. She smiled, just a little, "... no.... you guys are fine.... just chat with me a little yeah? What have you been up to, I haven't heard from you in a week." She smiled a bit more, her head tilting slightly as her eyes glittered.
It was rather clear in that instant she was looking for a distraction, not surprisingly- the four on the other side of the card face could see easily that something was wrong, something was bothering her and she looked stretched out in every which direction... it had been a very long time since they had seen Hora looking so worn out and... sick. It almost reminded Rogue of how pale and sickly she had looked after what Jiemma had done to her, and his heart clenched painfully at it.
".... ah... yeah." Sting mumbled, the lot of them pausing only a few moments before giving in to what it was she wanted. "... sorry.... but we know you're busy on a dangerous mission, Hora... we didn't want to distract you." Rogue nodded stiffly in agreement, Hora blinked.
"We told them you wouldn't mind if we called though." Lector purred softly, Frosch raising a paw beside the red tom-cat in agreement. Hora chuckled lightly,
".... of course... I love talking to you four, you're not a distraction.... hehe, you should listen to Lector and Frosch, boys." Hora hummed gently, ".... I was a little worried Minerva had come back early and that's why you hadn't called, actually..." They stiffened a little, shaking their heads quickly.
"Oh, ah, no!" Sting murmured, "We've heard nothing from her, sorry Hora.... I guess we should have thought of that..." Hora smiled in reassurance,
"It's alright, I'm glad it was nothing like that..... have you been training hard?" Hora sighed,
"They've been going at it very hard." Frosch purred, Lector nodded. "Yukino too~!"
"They got their butts handed to them today by her and Pisces." Lector informed, Hora tilted her head in question.
"Oh?"
"Mhmm!"
"...she didn't beat us that bad." Sting mumbled in slight embarrassment, Rogue shook his head slightly, sweatdropping.
".... yes... she did..." The Shadow Dragon Slayer admitted lowly, Sting sighed. Hora laughed, just once, and nearly regretted it when her stomach ached at it.
"... it's good to hear Yukino's doing so well." Hora smiled, "... good of you to admit she beat you too, heh..."
".... Yeah, well... We kicked Orga's ass today." Sting grumbled, though he smirked at the thought. "Idiot tried to eat all the food."
"Sounds like him.." Hora sighed,
"It got super stormy today too." Frosch piped in, "It was thundering everywhere!" Hora blinked,
"The rain lasted forever too." Lector mumbled, looking exasperated at the thought.
Their voices were so nice on her ears, they started talking about their day, their week- all the training, all the fights, what Yukino, Orga and Rufus were up to... Everything. What tenseness that crept into them faded as they settled into conversation- and what panic and fear and ache in Hora faded the longer she listened, it took very little time at all for her small comments to fade into nothing. She settled back into the snow drift more, her hold on the card waning as the sound of their bright, cheerful voices began to pull her bossy into something nice and calm... It was near bliss.
Somehow, it seemed as of they had called right when she needed them till... It was like they knew she needed to see them, hear them... And oh, she missed them. She was so happy and tired all at once she forgot what she had intended to say the best time she talked with them- her head was in a haze and she hadn't the strength to tell them how she wanted to do better, to come back to them, to win and work hard to open up, be a better friend.
Just listening to them talk.... It was like heaven on earth and before long her body gave into exhaustion and sleep, and the nightmare didn't come back.
Lector, Frosch, Sting and Rogue ysd seen the card slipping from her fingers, seen her roll over and hokding the card a little tilted as she did her best to keep her attention on them and it. They say her eyes falling and sleep biting at her heels soon enough, and they knew instantly that she had dozed off- and that was fine. They smiled sadly among themselves, seeing her eyes drop closed and hearing her breathing deepen even through the card. She'd wanted a distraction, even if she was dead tired, and they had given into it... Until she'd fallen asleep, and she looked like she needed it. And this time it seemed peaceful, as opposed to what nightmare she had said she'd had before.
Sting and Rogue's eyes glittered,
... They were glad that Frosch and Lector had convinced them to call her, more so than they realized.... Even with her so tired and looking so pale, just seeing her, hearing her... That meant more than they could ever have guessed.
"Goodnight, Hora... Sleep well."
Chapter 15: Devil Slayer
Chapter Text
Chapter 1 5
Devil Slayer
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
The bell chimed nearly painfully loud in the silence that seemed to engulf that icy, blood-ridden site of destruction, its tenor ringing off stone and snow and ice and water alike,
The words 'Idiots Calling' were slowly disappearing under the sticky crimson dripping down over and staining the cards face, the Call left untouched as it continued to ring, the puddle of scarlet liquid grew until the card was becoming submerged in it.
No one heard Lixue's voice calling one word, one name.
One Month Prior-
"Achoo!"
Hora winced, her eyes shut tight and hand held under her nose as she groaned, sniffing slightly as her eyes watered.
She stifled another sneeze only barely, her eyes narrowed to slits as she sniffed again.
".. What the hell....?" She grumbled,
'.... Do you have a cold, Horatia?' Lixue asked flatly,
"... I don't get colds." She muttered hotly,
'.... Who knows? You certainly spent the night in a freezing river, and a snow mound while soaking wet... And it was still snowing.' He replied flatly,
"... I haven't had a 'cold' since I was six." She grumbled, her movement through the snow and over the landscaping unhindered even as she held a hand to her mouth and nose. "..... My Magic doesn't leave room for colds, you know..."
But somehow she didn't sound convinced of herself, becuase though she physically didn't feel cold or anything... Maybe enough of it affected her like it would anyone else.... Besides, she'd been pretty emotionally and physically strained when she fell asleep. She still didn't feel 100% even now, she felt groggy and dizziness lingered even as she trudged her way through that icy white wilderness and further, not quite sure where she was going or why... She was just walking, it felt good to just move.
But the sneezing started up and she hated it already.
She honestly hadn't had anything remotely like a cold before Arden forced this Magic on top of her, thinking back...
...... The last time I got a cold, it was bad.... I had a fever and everything..... And Brother was worried, more so than I had ever seen him.
Her heart clenched painfully at the thought of it, the memory of him shuffling nervously in her room, unsure what to do and unsure if he should leave her alone or stay. He looked frustrated, like he wanted to do something to her rid of how awful she felt and yet he couldn't, and that just frustrated him more, and worried him too. It didn't make him feel better when their parents had said they could only wait it out. She remembered little of it, a lot of it was lost in a feverish haze... But she did remember waking up, with him asleep next to the bed, his head in his arms on top of it and fingers lightly wrapped about hers.
Hora's eyes narrowed, biting back at the ache in her heart and blinking furiously at the sting of tears coming up.
..... I miss you... All of you...
She took in a deep breath, shaking her head at herself in near agitation and pushing forward a bit faster. She was damp, and covered in flecks of snow ice and other things... She needed a village, town, some place. She needed to change, clean up, she felt dirty and gross and a night out in the snow hadn't helped.
She looked out across the snow ridden expanse of sheer nothing and sweatdropped,
..... Question is, is there even any place habitable out here...?
She sighed, before breaking off to sneeze again, loudly.
Hora groaned, huffing in agitation as she sniffed, she could feel her nose running a little.
".... Damn me...."
She'd been walking for most of the day, sneezing every five minutes and becoming increasingly infuriated with it. It was well into the evening and what little sun broke through the clouds overhead told her the sun was setting and she was exhausted again from walking all day... And still not a single town or village came into sight.
She supposed she wasn't all that surprised.....
Hora halted, her steps coming to a close as her head tilted slightly to the right, taking in a breath on instinct- only to grumble when she couldn't smell anything with how stuffed her nose was. She cursed herself and her apparent cold under her breath, before turning her attention not on her nose- but her ears.
She could hear water, some small tricking sound and splashing gently on what she would guess was fairly stagnant water. Her feet turned in the direction of the sound as she made her way into a small copse of willows and pines that started up toward a small mountain,
She smirked slightly, pushing through past the trunks of the trees as a clearing opened up to reveal a few, still pools of slightly steaming water tricking down the stony hillside and the mountain.
"Ah... Perfect." She hummed, stepping forward toward them and tilting her head this way and that for any new sounds that could spell danger or whatever... But it was all silent out here, still.
"This'll do just as well as a town." She murmured to herself,
'Outside of food, you mean.'
".... Don't remind me, Lixue." She grumbled, though honestly her stomach was still in knots, food wasn't a pleasant thought.
She made her way up to the edge of the pool and pulled her bag off, dropping the key and the Calling Card inside of it before pulling out what spare clothes she had- and then slowly pulling the still damp and mud covered ones off.
The Markings appeared across her shoulder and stretched down her upper arm a bit as she stepped into the water- a soft hiss sounding on the air as steam began to filter from the surface in a thick cloud, warming the temperature a few dozen degrees more as she waded in. She settled down on a smooth boulder sunken under the surface, twisting around slightly to do her best to get a look at the wound running across her back from the North Wind Lieutenant. She couldn't see it outside of the hazy reflection bouncing back from the water's surface, but what she could make out from that was a thin, slightly red line that seemed mostly closed now... It hurt less, anyway.
Hora let out a weary sigh and let herself sink into the water until it reached just under her nose. She didn't feel as tired as she should have, given the interruption of the nightmare last night.... But sleeping out in the snow despite the cold, had been restful.... And she knew it was because she had fallen asleep listening to Lector, Frosch, Sting and Rogue talking. Just hearing them made her feel better, seeing them too.
"Achoo!"
She sneezed again, growling in agitation as she dunked her head under the steaming water.
Fuck this! I hate it!
She pulled up to the surface after a few moments, hoping the sneezing would shut up now that she was in the water itself and warmer.... Well, her surroundings were warmer, it made little difference to her.
Hora ran her fingers absentmindedly along the scar running up her wrist and toward her shoulder, her eyes closed and sitting in silence for a long, long while. She could still feel the flesh burning back together, and she shuddered slightly at it.
Lixue hadn't been helpful, when she suddenly woke up with this Magic in a city and town filled with nothing but death. He'd been.... Pissed, for lack of a better word, and she'd never really understood why.
Until now, anyway... That nightmare was a slapped together compilation of her own memory of the day, and Lixue's... Or more accurately, Lixue when he was within Arden.
And from what she was hearing... Lixue was pissed, he hated Arden for going after Deliora, and he hated him for forcing him into her. He'd been seething from the minute she and he had been bonded together, seething and full of rage toward Arden and all the shit he'd done.
And he didn't trust her, he didn't like her because he was afraid she'd end up just like Arden and turn evil like he did. And like so many others before him had.
Lixue had told her what her Magic was, why he was there and why she couldn't live without him. He told her what she could do, explained to her the basics, but he had never been anything but cold and distant. And for a long while she had really hated him, she still wasn't sure she particularly liked him- but now she understood better why he had acted as he always had.
Lixue had been so damned angry when Arden had transferred this Magic onto her, and Hora couldn't remember any time she had felt him angry- he was always so neutral, annoyed at times perhaps, but never angry... Never enraged. That wild nightmare and frenzied clashing of memory had shown her a Lixue that haf been damn near murderous in his emotion and thought, how he'd screamed and roared- demanding Arden just stop.
It didn't make up for the fact he'd let her think she was destined to destroy and kill... It didn't make up for the fact he'd only told her, and promised her that this Magic could and was mean for good- just recently. She'd been so afraid and hated herself for so long the assurances now did little... They helped, maybe, but it didn't make all the years of fear and guilt and worry just go away. It didn't reverse what happened, and it sure as hell didn't change the fact that she had been so young and scared and all alone for so long.
But she did appreciate being told, and she knew she had to do better- be better than Arden, do what he couldn't... Make this Magic and her life mean something good and not something bad.
Protect humans, and Slay the Demons and Devils that pray upon them.
...... And this Magic?
Hora bit the inside of her cheek, sweatdropping slightly.
It was so hard to control, it corrupted, put things in her head, made her want to kill..... It was a fate worse than death to have had this Magic thrust upon her. No one deserved to struggle under it, nor go through what she had when it transferred over to her.
.... This Magic had to end with her, she had to take it to her grave... Even of that meant taking Lixue with her.
She wondered if he knew of her plan, as it was- she had never been entirely sure just how much of her thoughts he was privy to, and the idea of how he would react had her a little nervous. But seeing how he had reacted to Arden passing the Magic on to her, she thought maybe he wouldn't be opposed to the plan..... Maybe.
She sneezed again, her eyes watering at how it stung and she groaned in exasperation.
".... Damn it.... A cold....? Are you fucking kidding me......? Agh....."
'You're finally admitting you have one?' Lixue asked lightly,
"Shut up." She grumbled back hotly,
She was in the water for a long while longer, heating it up again as it cooled off and simply enjoying the stillness of it, and how peaceful it seemed around here. Her body relaxed more and more as she simply sat there, her eyes falling closed and her mind fading into silence as she stopped herself from thinking about anything in particular- she needed a little bit of just white sheer nothing in her head.
It was already dark by the time she moved out of the water and pulled clothes on- abandoning the ones she had been wearing previously for a tight-fit, dark long sleeve shirt that attached to her hands around her thumb and middle finger, with a collar, and long pants and her boots. She took a seat down on a boulder and pulled her bag into her lap as she started to comb her fingers through her hair, undoing the braid near the front of pulling the beads that held it together out. Once she's combed through it she braided it again, neater now and less messy- before curling that strand back into a small, choppy ponytail at the back of her head instead of letting her hair and it lay loose like normal.
Bling..
Her heart jumped, her eyes flashing in the dim as she immediately went to pull the Calling Card from her bag- 'Idiots Calling' inscribed upon the surface that shone dimly in the night around her.
She hesitated.
I have to tell them.... I have to. Everything.
Her hand moved to tap the card face and answer it, but she drew up short again, her eyes narrowing as it continued to ring softly.
But when it came to it? She hesitated damn it, she felt fear and uneasiness swirl in her core so brightly and she had to swallow against how sick it made her feel...,
She put the card back in her bag, sitting stiffly as she waited for the chiming to end and leave the call unanswered. Leaving it, telling herself one more day... One more day and she'd call them and she'd tell them.
Promise...,
Hora bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood, her finger tapping the card face almost aggressively as she cursed herself in her head.
Tell them, you have to, Hora you bloody coward..!
"Hora!" Their small smiles and cheerful voices on the other end made her stop biting down on her cheek, her eyes glittering as she offered a small smile back.
"Hey you guys." She murmured lightly, ".... how are you?"
"Fine!" The Exceeds grinned,
"We are alright," Rogue murmured with a small nod in her direction.
"Yeah, can't complain. Yukino made food today, and it was so good..!" Sting smiled, looking lost in the memory of it for half a second before he smiled gently Hora's way. "... How about you Hora? Did you sleep OK?"
She could see them watching her, their eyes passing over what little of her they could see through the screen and intent on seeing how awful she might have looked, how worn and how pale- as she had the night prior. But they didn't find it, she looked better, much better- she almost looked completely fine, if not for the subtle tenseness and even somberness they could see in her expression even as she smiled.
"Are you feeling better?" Rogue asked softly, Hora nodded.
"Yeah, I'm feeling alright... Sleep did me good, and a bath too, hehe.." She replied, they seemed a little relieved at the answer.
"Good." They mumbled in union, Hora sweatdropped.
..... Come on...
".... I actually.... I meant to talk to you guys about some things.... But with how tired I was last night, I didn't get the chance....." Hora started slowly, her free hand not holding the card curled uneasily around her stomach, hating how it knotted, even before she said anything really weighty. She took in a small, low breath, her eyes closing against it and missing the looks of concern and surprise that passed over their faces in the next second.
'..... Take it slow.' Lixue murmured softly, almost tenderly.... Damn it, even he knew how quickly she was getting worked up.
"..... It's important.... I just..... I don't really know where to start..."
You talked to Natsu so easily.... You can talk to them... You know you can....
Her motivational words in her own head were less motivational than she liked, or needed.
"...... I've.... I've figured a few things out lately.... And thought about them too, with what happened... With how I've been treating you guys all these years... And what friends are supposed to be to one another...... Things I knew, but I never really realized I was doing wrong..... And didn't understand why it was wrong until now...."
Until Fairy Tail... Natsu and Lucy... Strangers and yet...
"..... I've been an awful friend, the whole time.."
"Hora...!" Frosch mewed,
"That's not true!" Rogue told her quickly,
"You're the best friend any of us have ever had!" Lector and Sting said in unison.
She smiled slightly, shaking her head at them. "... Thank you... But it's true... I've been doing the whole 'friend' thing really, really wrong ever since I met you four." she settled then with a form stare that kept them from arguing it further, she could tell they were about to and they grimaced slightly. "... Let me explain, alright?"
They glanced between each other warily, before nodding at her softly. Hora took another low, deep breath to try and settle her slightly elevated heart rate.
".... I've been keeping so many things from all of you for so long, a lot of things I should have told you a long time ago.... Things you probably deserve to know about me, with how long we have known eachother." Hora said softly, her eyes flashing.
".... I've been hiding things because I was afraid of how you would look at me when you knew, or how you'd worry, or how things would change... I was afraid that if you saw how messed up and wrong I am that I would lose you. You four are the best things about my life, and I couldn't imagine not having you..... I never wanted to hurt you, or scare you off and I sure as hell didn't want you to fuss or worry about me."
They blinked and she bit the inside of her cheek, they stayed quiet though, like she asked.
She smiled nervously, "... I'm... sorry," Hora mumbled, her voice dropping as Lucy blinked in slight surprise at the words. ".... really... I didn't want to worry you guys if I didn't have to... guess I mucked up on that anyway... so really... I'm sorry to worry you like this..." Her hand moved to rub the back of her neck a little self-consciously. ".... to be honest.... I didn't know you would be as worried as you are...."
"Of course I am!" Lucy snapped, catching Hora entirely off guard, and making her flinch backward at the sudden harshness in the blonde. "You're my friend! Of course I'm worried if you're feeling sick or getting hurt!"
"... friend...?" Hora breathed, the word appearing not on part of that damned voice, but in the blonde.
"Friends tell eachother when something's wrong, got it?!" Lucy hissed, looking agitated now. "Friend's keep an eye on eachother and always work to make sure the other is alright. Friends talk to eachother when something's bothering them, or isn't right, and friends always stick together- no matter what! And they don't keep secrets from eachother when those secrets can end up hurting you or someone else!" Lucy's brown gaze flashed, her expression pulling into something so steady and so serious. "Even if you're afraid of worrying someone else! Friends are supposed to worry about eachother, that keeps them alive! And if you let other people know how you're feeling that gives them a chance to help you! Friends are supposed to help eachother, no matter what, Hora!"
"... I..... I thought being your friend meant making sure I never worried you, or made you deal with me... I've kept it all to myself for so long, its gotten near impossible to admit anything at all....." Her hand curled tighter around her stomach when it knotted painfully, "..... I don't know how to let people in, or lean on them and I thought it was better than way.... And for it I've never given you guys the chance to be there for me like you want to... I'm sorry. You deserve better than that.... And I realize it now."
"..... is not that I can't, Natsu." Hora murmured, ".... I remember what Lucy said, and I understand what it's meant to mean... and I want to live up to it too. But I can't with you... not with you, right now. I have to do better," She smiled slightly, "I've been friends with the same four people for near a decade, Salamander- and in all that time I have never once told them I'm a Devil Slayer. Not once." Natsu blinked in clear surprise,
"I have known you for three days and I fessed up in seconds." Hora told him, shaking her head a little as she sighed. "... there is a problem with that. Because it's not like I don't trust them, I trust them with my life. And yet in eight years I have literally told them nothing about me. Not my Magic, not what it does to me, not how I truly feel... none of it. I always thought I was their best friend, I care for them, I love them...... I let them lean on me and I helped them through everything, but I never let them help me... I never let them know me. The real me.... I've been too afraid of losing them and how they might react to ever open up. I've kept them at arms length for so freaking long.... and they deserve better than that from me."
Natsu's expression softened slightly, his anger and annoyance nearly fading into nothing as Hora tilted her head back, smiling a little ruefully up at the stars and the indigo-black.
"This whole time I thought I was being such a great friend.... but what Lucy, and what you said, it looks like I've been mucking up the 'friend' bit the entire time. It just took meeting you guys to really start to see it....." Hora mumbled softly, her eyes flashing.
Hora let out a slightly shuddering breath as she cursed herself in her head for the way her chest tightened, the way her heart pound and her words felt like they started to shake.
But she felt the fire burning brighter in her heart and she took in a breath, her blue eyes glittering and steel-like as she settled them with a steady, unwavering stare.
She had to keep talking, if she stopped now she wasn't sure she could pick back up- she had to just push forward. And for it her voice rose a little, and a little steadier too.
"Now listen up and listen well!" She said firmly, earning slightly stunned looks at the change tone and sudden.... Conviction.
"I am going to do better. I'm gonna be better, be a better friend and I am going to stop hiding things from you. I am going to do my best to open up, and explain everything. It's going to take some time to get used to it all the way, but I will be better." Hora said firmly, her voice clear and strong. She was so wrapped up in her words and just getting them out she did not notice how her stomach had knotted tighter.
"And I will see you again at Grand Magic Games. I will be there to watch you go head to head with Fairy Tail and Lamia and I will be there to cheer you all on. I'm going to be there, to see you, laugh with you, brawl and work with you- I am going to let you in, let you know who I really am and help you understand what I have been hiding for so long and why. I'm gonna come back, I'm going to win out here against North Wind and everything it has to throw at me- I am coming back."
She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move.... Everything was falling away into a chasm with no bottom. She couldn't even feel the stickiness of her own blood on her skin.
She was suffocating
One Month Prior-
Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue just watched, utterly still and all their eyes fixed on Hora and that fire burning in her eyes on the other end of the Calling Card. The steadiness in her voice and in her soul so suddenly, the sheer drive.
It was.... It was new. Something in Hora had changed, in her was some burning passion they hadn't ever seen before and they were awed.
She had looked so pale and frail the night before and now they saw absolutely none of it. No amount of weakness and no amount of pain or fear- not a single shred. That girl that had boarded the train on a suicide mission, left them behind days after being nearly killed, so broken and afraid and so closed off- that Hora they had parted with and hardly recognized was gone.
They had never seen her so steadfast, nor more willing- genuine
"I will come back. I am going to win, Jiemma might have sent me out here on my own on a dangerous mission- but he sent me." Hora's eyes flashed as her free hand clenched into a fist, a small, nearly deadly smirk appearing on her face.
"The Council wants North Wind gone and their Demon of Zeref slain." Hora growled, she saw the fear and shock appear on their faces at the news- it was the first they had heard of any demon.
"And they've sent Fiore's only Devil Slayer to do it- Neveleous doesn't stand a chance against me."
Their eyes went wide, sweatdropping all four of them as they stared.
D... Devil Slayer...?!
'....h..... Hor.....atia.....!'
She couldn't hear Lixue anymore, not his voice... Not how terrified he sounded.
One Month Prior-
"...h-Hor...a...?!"
"Did you.... You said Devil Slayer....?!"
"... Y...you use Slayer Magic....?!"
"Since when...?! How the hell didn't we know...?!"
"Devil Slaying Magic is a real thing....?! Like Dragon Slaying....?!"
"That's the first thing I'm fessing up on.... I've never told you what my Magic is exactly, because I hate it..... But there you go."
"H...ha...?"
"... Y... You're not... Kidding....?"
"I'm the Fire Devil Slayer. And I'm out here to slay a Demon."
They couldn't say anything, they just stared- eyes wide and reeling. Hora let out a small breath- only to end up sneezing, loudly.
"Achoo!"
She sniffed, her expression pulling into a scowl.
"Damn this cold!" She snapped,
"...HEH?!"
"SINCE WHEN DO YOU GET COLDS, HORA?!"
Her body wouldn't move anymore. She willed her hand to move toward the Card, but it didn't work.
Everything was just numb..... Empty.
One week prior-
"... Hora.... I...... Well...." Rogue mumbled uncertainly from the other end of the card. She could see the same uncertainty and stunned looks on their faces- very similar to the ones they had worn when she had told them what her Magic really was.
They'd been stunned, and confused and a little miffed- that she had never said anything. But most of all... They didn't even know. It was just a shock, really- Slayer Magic was rare in its own and close to their hearts seeing as they were Slayers themselves, but Devil Slaying?
That was something unheard of to them, they couldn't imagine Devil Slayers at all- and yet it turned out they had known and worked with one for near a decade without realizing it.
And today she had explained more of what she found- about North Wind and the Key and what she planned. She told them about Eider and she told them about The Demon of Zeref- and though every word made them more worried, she didn't lie. She was done with that, they deserved to know what was going on- and now they did. Her explanation came packed with assurance and promise she would be fine and she would be winning, mind you- but she could see how scared and concerned they were regardless.
It was a small mercy they were on the other end of the continent, otherwise she was fairly sure they'd have said screw it to training and come all the way out here instead. And she couldn't have that- this was her job and she had to do it, alone.
They'd been calling more often the last few weeks, though it was wearing down on the end of their last month of training and they needed to dive into it- they still called as often as they could. Feverishly almost, always checking her the minute her image came up on the card face, always looking to see if there were wounds or signs of something going on- and then they would ask.
Hora had been updating them on where she was and what she was doing or had been doing for the day. Which consisted of battle planning now, preparations for when she would launch her assault on North Wind and face the thing that had her nightmares growing worse by the day. It was two months and a week now, from when she left Saber on this job, and she felt the pressure on- her body was growing tense, her Magic flaring in reaction to the anticipation- her Magic knew it was close, close to the day she would find herself before that Beast, and be fighting to slay it once and for all. It lusted for it, relentlessly- and she had to hold it back.
"..... I still hate this." Rogue admitted quietly, "... Your plan sounds fine... And I know you're strong, and a Devil Slayer facing what your Magic is meant for...... but an entire Guild and a Demon of Zeref on your own is too much."
"... We're worried, Atia." Frosch and Lector mewed softly,
"You don't even know what you're walking into. You have no idea what the layout of the North Wind Guild is, or even what the Demon can do." Sting grumbled, ".... There's so much you're gonna be walking into blind..."
".... I can't believe Master would send you all alone..." Rogue growled, though the edge in his voice made Hora blink. "Devil Slayer or not, you shouldn't be on this mission alone.. It's insane."
".... I know you're all concerned." Hora replied softly, "... And I get that assuring you I'm going to be alright means very little. None of this is ideal, and you're right... Its a little insane."
They sweatdropped at that.
".... But I've never had this much control over my Magoc before. For the first time I'm not afraid of using it, and that just makes me stronger." Hora murmured, "I can use my Devil Slayer Magic at full capacity for the first time, and it will be more than enough to handle one Demon of Zeref, regardless of everything else."
She had to refrain from saying all of her Magic was at full capacity, that would be a lie... She heard Lixue growl at the thought.
"I promised you I was going to come back." She added softly, "And I intend to keep it, you know."
They stiffened, their eyes glittering slightly.
Their worry was she might never come back- and if she did, in what shape? In their minds flashed the image of her being beaten half to death and bloody and broken after Jiemma had thrown her around the Guild like a toy, and their hearts dropped to their feet.
And what if the only thing of her that came back, came in the hands of the Magic Council? In nothing but a box with a lid?
Rogue's eyes snapped shut as he imagined it, his fangs grinding down on one another as he hissed under his breath.
He was so agitated and worked up that having Hora assure them over and over was wearing on his nerves more and more. From the way Sting's shoulders had gone rigid beside him he imagined that the White Dragon Slayer probably felt the same way,
".... You're coming back in one piece, right?" Sting growled, his tone flinty and harsher than was needed. Hora stiffened slightly, her eyes flashing in surprise at the harsh question.
"You're not gonna come back worse than before? You're not coming back seriously injured?" Rogue asked next, Hora let out a breath as he moved her attention between their stony gazes for a few moments.
"You're gonna do what you can to stay as safe as possible, yeah?" They asked lowly,
"... Yeah, I'm coming back in one piece. Kinda have to be, to properly cheer you on at the Games."
The card-face went black, the chiming of the bell cutting off to sheer silence, drowning now in the sticky scarlet pool of blood.
Nothing stirred, no noise, no sound... Everything was deathly still.
Can a Devil Slayer be slain by a Demon twice....?
I.... I was supposed... To go back.....
Chapter 16: North Wind
Chapter Text
Chapter 1 6
North Wind
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
The bell chimed nearly painfully loud in the silence that seemed to engulf that icy, blood-ridden site of destruction, its tenor ringing off stone and snow and ice and water alike,
The words 'Idiots Calling' were slowly disappearing under the sticky crimson dripping down over and staining the cards face, the Call left untouched as it continued to ring, the puddle of scarlet liquid grew until the card was becoming submerged in it.
No one heard Lixue's voice calling one word, one name.
She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move... Everything was falling away into a chasm with no bottom. She couldn't even feel the stickiness of her own blood on her skin.
She was suffocating
'...h... Hor...atia...!'
She couldn't hear Lixue anymore, not his voice... Not how terrified he sounded.
Her body wouldn't move anymore. She willed her hand to move toward the Card, but it didn't work.
Everything was just numb... Empty.
The card-face went black, the chiming of the bell cutting off to sheer silence, drowning now in the sticky scarlet pool of blood.
Nothing stirred, no noise, no sound... Everything was deathly still.
Can a Devil Slayer be slain by a Demon twice...?
I... I was supposed... To go back...
Four Hours Prior-
Hora's blue eyes glittered as she stood still, her hands on her hips and her gaze locked silently to the large, cracked stone door in front of her. Moss and vines snaked their way up the cracks and fissures in the aged stone, the hinges iron and rusted though they held- the cliff-face carved and molded into what lay as ruin of some ancient, abandoned temple... or fortress maybe, she hadn't any real clue.
It was a door, a big door and located in the middle of nowhere- so anything that came through wouldn't harm any towns or innocent people. Large and surrounded now by trucks and Magic-mobiles, tents and barricades filled and manned with dozens if not a few hundred Magic Council Knights and soldiers. She could hear them, boots stomping across the stony ground and robes fluttering- weapons and halberds hitting the ground and orders being barked out every which way.
This was going to be it, the place where she'd open the door and let loose North Wind- launch an assault on the Guild with the backing of the Magic Council.... or at least, with them cleaning up behind her, making sure no one escaped this way, arrested the ones she dealt with as she pushed further in. She was more focused on the Guild Master and the Demon to really worry about getting every single person inside, that's what the Knights were for. She was going to have her hands full enough...
Her eyes fell closed a moment, taking in a long, low breath. The fire in her core was raging, her Magic prickling just under her skin and screaming- it wanted her to move, to start forward, rush in and start burning everything in her path to a nice, ebony-hued crisp. That ebony had already spread across both arms and her back, she could feel the heat coupled icy- she could feel it growing further across her body, slowly as she tried to hold it back.
Today was the day.
"Ah... Miss?"
Hora blinked, her eyes trailing sideways as she turned slightly- her attention landing on a young man in soldiers' clothing, fidgeting slightly from what she guessed was nervousness. His green eyes darted from her to the door to the ground and around again without end, his hands hooked behind his back.
"What?" Hora murmured, her eyebrow quirking as his eyes flicked away from her nervously for the tenth time in ten seconds.
".... Knight-Captain Lahar would like to speak with you." He murmured softly, his hand gesturing back toward the throngs of tents and barricades. ".... Ah, if you would please... Follow me..." he added quietly, Hora let out a low sigh.
"... Fine." she mumbled, she blinked when he failed to start moving.
This dude.... He's like a kid, how is he a soldier? He can't be older than me....
"Go on, lead the way." She told him lightly, he jumped slightly before starting to shuffle away. Hora followed him closely, weaving in between the other people and around the tents as the younger boy lead her through the makeshift maze. She could feel the eyes of the other Council-Members watching her warily as she passed them by, all of them curious and keen- after all, she was Saber and she was the only one who had been sent. If that said anything about her Power, she wasn't sure what else would.... As it was they would never understand how much a bastard Jiemma was, so they could only assume she was sent alone because she had the power to handle this on her own.
She faintly wondered how she appeared to them... She couldn't imagine she looked like much at first glance. A young woman with choppy hair and who was no taller than the younger boy leading her now? She didn't have a daunting presence and she knew it... Or at least, not unless she was really, really pissed.
"Ah... Here, we are...." The young soldier stammered, drawing to a halt outside a tent and drawing the curtain back. His eyes never met her as he waved her in, and she slipped past him inside to come face to face with a large table filled with documents and books, to which two men in Knights Robes stood on the other side.
"The Sabertooth Wizard is here, Captain...." The young soldier called inside the tent, calling attention in his and Hora's direction as both men glanced up, their previous conversation halting. The one with the glasses cleared his throat, pushing his glasses up his nose and nodding.
"Thank you, Ira. You can return to your post now." He said with a nod to the young soldier- Ira, apparently.
Ira nodded and the flap of the tent fell as he moved away, leaving quickly as Hora glanced from the place he had disappeared, back toward the other two men.
"Ah, thank you for coming to see me. I wanted to discuss a few plans, if we could, Miss...?" The man murmured,
"Horatia is fine." Hora replied lightly, he blinked, but nodded none the less.
"Alright, and I am Lahar." He replied, dipping his head to her before gesturing toward his companion. "And this is Doranbolt." The second man nodded her way but said nothing.
"..... I suppose you were looking to talk about my plan?" Hora asked slowly, deciding it better to skip straight to the point than to dawdle on pleasantries. She was getting agitated, her Magic surging just under her skin was making her feel a bit short- she wanted, needed, to get moving and she wasn't looking forward to chatting back and forth with anyone.
"Yes." Lahar replied lowly, "... I know you've requested the Council's backing to arrest North Wind Wizards as they are incapacitated, but I was wondering what you intend to have us do in facing the North Wind Members once we open the door." Hora blinked as Lahar sighed slightly, "... From reading over the request you sent into the Council, it almost seems as if you only asked us here to pick up after your actions... and not have us engage the enemy at all, unless absolutely necessary."
"That's exactly the plan." Hora murmured flatly, both men stiffened, eyes flashing as their jaws fell in shock.
"You can't be serious." 'DoranBolt' said quickly, taking a step forward as Hora settled him with a level stare.
"I'm very serious." She replied flatly, "The Magic Council has been aware of North Wind for months, and yet there's been little any of you have done about them. In the past few weeks I have been chasing them- they had burned and destroyed dozens of towns, and turned who the hell knows how many people into slaves, or simply killed them." Her eyes flashed as her tone dropped a little, "North Wind has kept the Council scared, give me whatever excuse you want about 'national unrest' that would be sparked if you were to take military action so close the the borders of the other countries, I don't care. With how little the Council has done thus far, I don't expect much- so, the best way to deal with this is to follow me and do what I say. I'm the only one you have who's taken any serious action against these bastards thus far, so I'll lead the way and take out everyone I can. You will follow behind me, arrest the ones I deal with and detain the ones I miss or don't have time to get to- but you will stay behind me, and do as I say."
They looked unhappy at that, DoranBolt especially- but Hora did not pause, she felt her anger and agitation bubbling fast- and ignored Lixue as he told her to stay level-headed.
"Once I open that gate there is no telling what alarms might go off, and there's no telling how many might manage an escape. I plan to send out a few Firebirds to try and cut off any other means of escape that I can, and focus my attention in burning through whatever droves of them there surely are inside." She sighed slightly, "My Magic can take out hundreds of people at once, and cover a large area- but while I am doing so, I have to keep focused enough to not seriously injure anyone. That's already hard enough, without having Rune Knights and Soldiers all mixed in among the North Wind Members- so you have to stay out of my way, no matter what. Lest I end up burning some of you as well as the North Wind Mages I am aiming for."
They stiffened a little, their eyes narrowing and looking as if they were trying to determine if she said the words as a threat or not.
"I need all of you to stay out of my way. I was assigned this Mission on behalf of the Magic Council, so like it or not- I am calling the shots. I'm the one that's in charge of dealing with North Wind." Hora growled, they both sweatdropped a little.
"... how the hell do you expect us to hang back and leave it all to you?" Doranbolt growled, "SaberTooth or not, you're only one Wizard. There is an entire Guild in there!"
"Not only a Guild of skilled Wizards, but also a Demon of Zeref." Lahar pointed out lowly, "You cannot expect us to trust you can lead the charge against such odds all on your own."
"That is exactly what you're going to have to trust." Hora muttered firmly, "I can handle North Wind's lackey's just fine. It's the Guild Master that'll prove a challenge, but I'll handle him too. You can focus on the small-time idiots I don't get to, when I'm taking care of him. My plan is to push forward and tear a line through their forces. There will be people I miss, once I leave them behind they are your problem."
"Eider has control of a Demon of Zeref." Lahar repeated, Hora's eyes flashed. "I really doubt rushing ahead with sheer force will be enough to contend with that. What are you planning on that end? We are certainly not equipped to handle anything of the Magnitude- if we could not contend with it, what do you hope to do?"
Hora huffed, her eyes falling shut as she took a moment to keep herself from snapping back some quick reply- she took a small, low breath.
"..... the Guild Master of SaberTooth did not send me on this mission on a whim." She growled, "He could have picked a team, or anyone else... but he sent me, and he sent me for a reason." They blinked at that,
"..... do as I ask, it will work out better this way. Minimize wounds and injuries, keep me from accidentally injuring any of you. The less I have to worry about where you and your soldiers are, the more I can focus on fighting- and staying alive." They stiffened a little. "I realize my plan sounds insane, but there really isn't any better way to go about doing this. We don't have a layout of the Guild Hall's interior, or any idea how many people will be there. There's no way to plan for this other than to be ready for a fight. I want to risk as little people as I can, which includes you and your soldiers."
They blinked, looking a little taken aback at what... was that softness, that entered her voice just then?
"It isn't my intention to lose, or die, today." She murmured, "I'm going to give this battle everything I have, and it'll help me to know you are backing me up- even if it doesn't feel like you are doing much. You rounding up Mages and arresting them saves me the trouble, and I'll likely need you around to keep the lower level Mages occupied while I contend with Eider and the Demon." She sighed slightly,
"... as for the Demon, I don't have plan, but I don't need to have one either." She mumbled, "... Once I see it- look at it- I should be alright.... it'll probably be hard as hell, but I can take it down."
".... what makes you so sure of that?" Doranbolt asked lowly, Hora blinked.
"Because I'm the only Devil Slayer in Fiore. It's my job to slay Demons, and I'm here to slay this one." She answered flatly, their eyes widened, jaws dropping a little as they struggled to process the words.
"SaberTooth sent it's Devil Slayer to finish this mission, and that is exactly what I'm going to do."
Three Hours Prior-
"You have to keep some of your people here," Hora muttered lowly, her eyes casting sideways toward Lahar as they stood before the massive door- the Council Soldiers and Knights bustling and lining up behind them. Light bounced from the man's glasses as he looked her way,
"This door has to stay open." She explained, "The key makes it a portal into their Guild Hall- and it's already been established that the building teleports itself constantly. It would be really bad if the door gets shut with us in there, and we get teleported off to who the hell knows where." He blinked, before nodding.
"Understood." He murmured, before he turned his head to shout off orders to do just as she said.
"What happens if you lose?"
Hora blinked, her eyes moving from Lahar to the stern faced Doranbolt on her other side, his eyes narrowed and arms crossed over his chest. But he gazed at her steadily, she got the distinct feeling he was not at all pleased with any of this, or her orders.
"...... optimistic one, aren't you." She grumbled,
"Your plan is insane. I've read the reports about this Demon- I've seen the damage it can do. It's decimated entire cities." He replied lowly, " 'Devil Slayer' or not, you're planning to fight by yourself. So what happens if you lose?"
Hora stiffened slightly, her mind flooded suddenly with image and thought of Jiemma and his wrath if she failed....
Her fists clenched at her sides, her eyes narrowing to slits as she looked back up toward the door in front of them.
"........ you get everyone out." She muttered, he blinked. "All of your people, you get out of that Guild Hall and you slam the door shut."
".... even if that means leaving me behind."
Doranbolt went rigid, his eyes widening as he turned her way in shock,
"... if I lose, you can't be stupid and try taking on a Demon of Zeref by yourselves." Hora went on before he could say anything, "... there's no point getting yourselves killed." She huffed,
"...... but like I said, I'm not planning on losing...." She grumbled hotly, ".... there's too much at stake if I do... I'm not risking it..." She added in lowly,
Doranbolt stared, lost for words as she remained still- she never looked his way again, and he found he couldn't look away from her. He was dazed- and why not?
SaberTooth had a reputation for being ruthless and... hardasses. No one in that Guild had seemed all that compassionate, and as it was- she had thus far been rather harsh and agitated. So the sudden show of concern for them and their safety was a shock.
Hora sighed again, shaking her head as she uncrossed her arms from about her chest and instead lifted them over her head, her shoulders cracking as she linked her hands together and cracked her knuckles too. She let her hands drop back down before she started to unbuckle the straps that wove around her torso and her stomach, unzipping the jacket she was wearing and shrugging it off- leaving her arms bare in the sleeveless leather shirt she usually wore.
Hora's eyes fell closed as she let her hands fall on her hips, feeling the icy hot burn move from where the sensation had been throbbing against the right side of her neck. The wicked, jet black markings spread quickly down her shoulders, both arms and up her neck to stop just under her jaw- bits and pieces of her skin still visible as they remained a jagged design rather than engulfing her skin entirely.
Doranbolt found himself staring, his eyes glittering as he watched those strange markings appear across her skin- and his own skin crawling as he felt her Magical Pressure increase in the back of his mind.
Was this... what a Devil Slayer looked like...?
"Ah.... Miss?"
Hora's eyes opened in surprise at a voice she recognized, her head turning along with Doranbolt's as they lay eyes on that young, fidgeting little soldier-boy that had escorted her to meet Lahar and Doranbolt an hour before.
... Ira, was it?
Lahar had walked up with Ira at his side, his glasses bouncing the pale light of the sun as they stopped. And once again, Ira was glancing quickly between all things and yet never her-
"... yeah?" She asked lowly, eyebrow quirking slightly as she shot Ira and Lahar both a look of question. Her eyes found Ira's hand when she noticed he was holding something that looked like..... a ribbon?
"You mentioned before we were unaware of what the layout of North Wind's Guild hall is." Lahar murmured, "If you really intend to rush ahead, we will likely become separated from you." Hora's head tilted slightly,
"In that event, it would be a good idea to be able to find you- should complications arise, either on your end or ours." Lahar explained, "Young Ira has a knack for Magic that deals in finding things and people. I would appreciate if you were to allow him to prepare a Spell that would allow us to find you, if need be."
Hora sweatdropped slightly, her eyes glinting a little. She couldn't say it didn't make sense... but that sounded an awful lot like being tracked, and that put her on edge a little.
"....... and... what sort of Spell, are you thinking of using..?" She asked slowly,
".... ah... it's... easier to find things, when I have an object I've made, and can lock onto." Ira murmured quietly, those green eyes of his daring to flit up toward her for the briefest of seconds- before snapping away again. His hands lifted as he showed her the length of ribbon she had noticed earlier, "... I've put a Tracking Spell on this, so as long as you have it with you- I should be able to find you, wherever you might end up..."
Hora bit the inside of her cheek,
"....... do you want me to tie it around my wrist or something?" She asked lowly, "........ My Magic get's pretty hot, I'd probably just melt it."
Ira blinked, stiffening slightly as he shook his head quickly.
"I, ah, I've put a Preservation Spell on it, it won't get damaged." He explained quickly, blinking as he paused.
".... I can also, ah... enchant it, so you won't lose it while you're fighting or anything." He added nervously, Hora looked from him toward Lahar- only to have him give her a pointed look. She got the feeling she didn't have a choice on the matter,
.... tch.... fine.
Hora stepped forward, her hand extending in exasperation as she halted right in front of Ira- who flinched back in surprise at her sudden approach, green eyes wide and looking stunned.
"Fine, hand it over." She mumbled, he stared. There was a few moments where he simply looked at her, the ribbon in his hands and completely motionless.
Hora sweatdropped,
'...... this boy is very easily stunned.' Lixue mumbled,
Tell me about it... geez.
"..... Are you going to give it to me?" She asked flatly, he jumped, his hands fumbling as he nodded- before quickly handing it over. She saw Lahar let out a sigh of exasperation from the corner of her eye,
She might have usually been amused by him and his nervous demeanor... but she was so tense and worked up right now, she couldn't find the will to be amused. It just annoyed her, a little,
..... Stupid as it was, Ira reminded her faintly, just faintly, of her older brother when he tried to talk to the other children in their town... Especially the girls, he was always so damned flustered- she had thought it funny, once upon a time....... But her heart ached painfully at that memory, and she hated herself for letting her thoughts go there.
"S-sorry..." Ira stammered quickly, Hora shook her head a little- taking the ribbon up in her hands as she pulled her hair back into a small tuft of a ponytail, using the ribbon to tie the short, choppy strands together- whilst leaving the braided piece near her bangs free. Ira watched her do so in silence, his green eyes glittering as she let her hands fall again.
".... you said you would enchant it?" She added quietly, he nodded, his fingers snapping as light shimmered around the ribbon- turning the white color it had been to a deep red. "... alright, thank you... I suppose." Ira nodded,
"O-of course..."
"You can head back now, Ira." Lahar murmured, his hand falling lightly on the young man's shoulder.
"Yes, Captain." Ira murmured, before heading away quickly.
".... how old is that kid?" Hora asked flatly, earning a small smile from Lahar.
"He is younger than most, but his skill in Magic makes up for it." Lahar assured easily, Hora blinked. But he seemed content to leave it at that, his smile fading as seriousness replaced it.
"All my men are in position, we're now waiting on you to open the door, and begin." Lahar told her quietly, Hora nodded stiffly.
She felt the fire burn hotter in her core.
She pulled a few dozen pieces of paper out of one of her pockets, ink stretched across every one in some depiction of a feathered animal. Gold pulsed from her fingertips and into the stack of papers, setting them alight in flame instantly before she tossed them up above her head.
Ash and bits of gold and fire fell like snow around her as the flame flashed, the paper eaten away and taking on life as about two dozen birds of paper and fire came to life around her- their wings flaming yet never burning away. They were bigger than Drille, with long tails and wide wings- as they cooed softly her way, fluttering in place and waiting. She scarcely noticed the looks of wonder and awe that spread among the faces of Lahar, Doranbolt and the rest of the soldiers, and only barely cast a glance up toward the Firebirds.
She turned back to the door, her hand moving to pull the key from her other pocket- her fingers brushed against the Calling Card tucked in her pocket too, making her pause.
This is it..... Open this door, and all hell breaks loose.
She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes narrowing to slits.
'Open this door, and you will fight not only the Guild, nor the Beast... but you will fight yourself.' Lixue murmured lowly, '... your Magic will grow stronger here, threaten to consume you.'
I will not let it.
Her hand moved, the key in her fingers as she stepped up. She could practically feel every single one of the soldiers lined up behind her suddenly hold their breath, their shoulders tense, their weapons held tightly in their hands.
Everything went deadly silent, not even the wind seemed to have noise.
She thought, just for a split second-
I should have called Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch this morning...
But it was too late now, she put the key in the old, cracked opening of the keyhole- and turned it with a soft click, Magic and light appearing for a second.
Those massive, great stone doors creaked loudly as they swung open, a wash of icy cold wind rushing through the opening to wash over them all.
With the wind came a roar of something terrible... something huge.
Rogue stopped dead in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat and shivers running up and down his spine on loop- some icy, heavy, cold chill falling down over him and his heart skipping a beat in... in fear.
He couldn't breathe, his muscles locked up, his blood ran suddenly cold- it was terror that hit him, and it came out of nowhere- with no rhyme nor reason. His ears were ringing, almost painfully so- like the air was shaking, the wind carrying with it some hissing, rumbling noise that had him struggling to breathe.
W-what....t...the...
Some... something was wrong. Really wrong. He couldn't remember ever feeling such..... danger, evil even.
.... w...why....
"Are you alright, Sting-Kun?"
Lector's voice caused Rogue to look over toward the red Exceed, his eyes finding Sting- who looked uneasy, his shoulders tight as he shivered,
"..... yeah.... I'm ok.... I just got the chills for some reason..." Sting mumbled nervously,
"Hmm? You don't have cold, do you?" Lector asked, Sting sweatdropped slightly.
"... no.... it was just..... like I got a bad feeling, all of a sudden." Sting murmured, the blonde bit the inside of his cheek as he glanced from Lector and back behind him- to Rogue.
His blue eyes lit up in slight panic when he saw how pale and uneasy the Shadow Dragon Slayer looked,
"....... you felt it too...?" Sting asked quickly, Rogue nodded stiffly- Lector and Frosch exchanged confused looks. Sting and Rogue's eyes flashed, faint traces of panic and worry working it's way into their faces their hearts started to pound a little faster.
"....s...shit...!"
Natsu's jaw clenched, his fangs grinding down on each other as his heart skipped a beat- he stopped and turned back in the direction that had come from, eyes glinting as he searched the horizon quickly- his heart pounding in his ears and stiff as a board. He was so intent on searching the horizon, his ears straining and his fists clenched at his sides that he missed whatever question everyone else in his Team shot his way upon noticing that he had stopped walking.
He'd been slightly on edge since leaving- but this, this was fear, and it hit him like a train out of nowhere.
Something wasn't right, he knew that immediately- and though he didn't know what specifically, he knew in his core that it was because of that SaberTooth Wizard he had left behind, and had had to fight himself every step of the way not to turn right around and go back to.
He wanted to trust her, wanted to believe in her so badly and though he hated himself for leaving- he forced himself to, because that was what she wanted- but this feeling had him ready to start running, because this feeling was bad.
His fists balled at his sides, his jaw clenching harder as he tried his best to understand why. Worry, fear? Danger maybe?
Or just... evil?
Hora.... he didn't know how he knew, but he knew.... but this feeling had something to do with her, and that scared him.
He shouldn't have left.... damn it!
But he didn't move, he couldn't move... he hated that he couldn't.
Tch...... shit.....
Two Hours Prior-
There were hundreds of them, and they just kept coming.
The corridors were wide open, the roof reaching far over their heads and low burning torches and lights being snuffed out and paling in comparison with the shine and burn of Hora's Magic tearing through that Building.
Fire washed through the halls and the throngs of Dark Wizards like some great flood- burning, bold, boiling orange and yellow that tore up the floors, blackened them, singed everything, melted more. The air was radiating and uncomfortable, what chill North Wind's base seem to hold so tightly too was faltering under the heat- the wind that had been cold and cutting since opening the door was being pushed back against by the waves of hot air Hora kept stirring up.
There wasn't a single person in there that hadn't been shocked, there must have been some sort of alarm or warning- because hardly a few moments passed between opening the door and her Firebirds being set loose, that there was a drove of people looking to oppose her and the Council soldiers.
Hora had hesitated only a split second, her heart pounding and blood racing- that noise that shook the air as she opened the door, that rumbling and hissing that came on the wind- her Magic had leapt at it, stirred violently- she knew what the noise was, and where it came from.
And her Magic yearned for facing it.
She dove into the fight, Magic ablaze and temper too. She jumped through people and weapons and Magic alike, blowing them apart, sending them crashing through walls- letting her Magic blaze through the corridor to engulf hundreds of them all at once, and leave them dazed and hardly able to move in the pure force and explosive power that came with it. She was moving further in at a steady pace, and much quicker than maybe even she anticipated- she had lost track of the Magic Council a while ago, but she didn't really care.
She couldn't ever remember a time where she had felt such a rush- when she was using her Magic and using it on full force like this. She had held back all her life, afraid of herself and afraid of losing total control- and while that fear lingered..... She hadn't ever felt so in control than as she did right then. Even using it against people, she was afraid of hurting them beyond repair- but she let her Magic swallow these people whole and she knew she wouldn't kill them.
There was such a wash of fire and heat running through her core that had her heart pounding, her limbs burning, energy unlike anything she had ever felt running through her on end- numbing everything. She hardly noticed nor cared that she had long since left the Council Knights and Soldiers behind, or even those several scratches and cuts and bruises she was slowly earning from the fighting- the few and far between times anyone actually managed a hit.
She just kept going, heading deeper and deeper into the building- moving closer to where that chill wind seemed to be born from, where she could hear a deep, rumbling roar from time to time- her Magic flared more violently every time she heard it. It shook her to the core and a part of her loved it.
Come on.... Show yourself..... You too, Eider.... Both of you.
'Stay focused.' Lixue intoned, 'You can't get too carried away, Hora.'
"I'm not." Hora replied lowly, her eyes flashing a little as she heard Lixue sigh.
'.... Forgive me if I cannot help but be worried...'
Hora let out a huff, her hand swiping forward as a line of dazzling red-orange flame sparked through the air, tearing a line through the droves of people that had come to face her in the next hallway.
Hora could not find fault in the 'worry'. Not knowing what Arden did, what so many of them did, failed-
My Magic is Not Me
The air shook as brilliant red and orange suddenly flashed across by a flurry of incredible gold flame.
And I am not Arden, I am not them... I am better.
She'd never felt more sure nor confident of anything in her life as she was of those thoughts. It was something of an odd feeling... And something good, too.
There was a standstill in the rush of fighting, her eyes narrowed to slits as her eyes faded from their usual dark blue into that same brilliant gold to match the fire- North Wind Mages of every caliber had backed off, circling her, wary, angry... afraid.
The air shook, some deep, deafening roar that would have curdled the blood of anyone around to hear it. She felt it, the sound rumbled through her core, shook her to the bones- ignited that burning fire in her soul all the higher, made her Power surge faster, wilder, stronger.
Her eyes moved over the heads of those surrounding her, down a deep hallway, toward a place consumed in shadow- somewhere dark, and cold, and chilly- and she knew in an instant that was the way she needed to go.
There you are
Hora let out a small breath, her eyes flashing as several people moved toward her- intent on lashing out, fighting back- but they didn't stand a chance, and she couldn't really care any less about them or what they were doing.
She could smell it on the air, taste it- foul, black blood... wind and cold and evil.
Devil
"Get her!"
"Show this bitch who she's messing with!"
"Die, damn it!"
Hora was gone from where she had been in a second, the people around her all faltering and wide eyed as they tried to make sense of how she could have disappeared so quickly-
"Fire Devil's;"
Their heads snapped up, jaws dropping, eyes watering and sweating as a wave of heat washed down over them from above- from her, where she had jumped into the air and over their heads toward that hallway too quickly to follow her movements.
"Burning Sea!"
The corridor below her was engulfed in a wash of golden- blue fire that swept over the people and flooded every direction of the room and the branching hallways like a great, sudden flood of some violent, tumultuous ocean. People yelled in pain, rage, surprise- whatever- their hair and clothes singing as the ocean of blue-gold set off hundreds of strong, small little explosions all around- buffeting them and throwing them about, knocking most senseless, others too winded to get back up- all alive, none of them seriously hurt, either.
She must have taken out near a hundred and a half people in the course of a few seconds- the noise dying around her and the intensity of the people as she landed lightly back on her feet, passed the line of people previously boxing her in- and stepping down that hallway still spilling chill air despite the ocean of fire she had just let loose.
Her feet carried her forward down that hallway, her nose filled with the cold air, almost tasting the evil on her tongue- there was another roar that shook the walls, the floor- everything.
'..... you are gaining better control...' Lixue mumbled,
Damn right
Hora blinked, her feet skidding a little as she whipped around a bend in the corridor- she could see her breath starting to form a cloud in front of her.
Oddly enough, though... she couldn't remember any time in her life she had felt like this. Almost... confident.
'.... try not to get too overconfident, however.'
Her heart was pounding madly, her skin crawling, her senses on high alert- everything poised, ready, expectant- driven. She felt herself getting worked up, her body growing tense, she felt her Magic rumbling under her skin, burning so hot it was icy in those markings on her skin- she was close, she could feel it, every part about her could feel it. Her blood felt like it was on fire, rushing through her like lightning,
This was happening.... hell it hadn't hit her until she took another, quick corner- and her breath billowed out in front of her, snatched away instantly by the wash of chill wind that hit her full on.
The room that rose in front of her was less a room than some huge, giant cavern. Spires of rock rose up from the floor and hung from the ceiling like jagged, sheer stone daggers. The roof was so far over her head it was likely taller than the Guild Hall, times two- and wider than that times about four or five.
The stone glittered, though. Everything was encased in ice, frost- there were icicles poking down from the roof, shimmering, hardly frozen pools littered in divets around the floor. Sections of the floor were encased in sheer, clear ice that seemed near transparent. Wind wove around the rocks and spires of stone sticking up from the floor like columns, hissing across the ice and whistling through small holes in the rocks all around.
It would have almost looked beautiful, if not for the clear scent of death and rot- and the bones scattered here and there, bodies and corpses locked away in an icy prison, some half... eaten.
Hora's eyes scanned that icy expanse for only half a second, her eyes moving through the columns of stone and toward that massive shadow, that roar that shook everything in the room- sent pieces of stone and ice alike falling from the roof around her, boomed in her ears and echoed from the ice and rock strangely.
Hora's blue eyes flashed, the blue dying under the glow of gold they suddenly became- and stayed.
"A little Tiger, come to die, hmm?"
That voice bounced off the cavern walls near just as much as the beast's low, rumbling growls did. Hora didn't let her eyes come off of that monster though, she looked it up and down, took every inch of it in- her golden stare keen and piercing, mind racing.
One look at any Demon, Devil- whatever, and her eyes could pick it apart. Find weaknesses in seconds, vulnerable spots- see the makeup of it's body, it's bones, its Magic. It was something akin to all Devil Slayers, a sense of their prey- it was like they could see through it, deep into it's core and know exactly what it was, get an idea what it could do.
It certainly made coming up with a plan to kill it easier, though the execution of that plan was something else entirely.
That Demon of Zeref, Neveleous.... was fucking huge.
Well... shit
Neveleous had a body covered in spikes and scales(?) of what looked like sharp, jagged poles of ice erupting from skin a dismal, dreary grey color. There were milky white eyes that seemed to see nothing and yet saw everything all at once, it's claws (five on each leg) scraped against the stone and wore lines into it wherever it as, a wash of fog or mist or frothing wind hung like a cloud around it's feet. Upon it's back were four wings of sheer, deep grey- no feathers, but leathery and beating up enough wind to make the air shake- but Hora could hardly imagine hey were used for actual flying. There were sharp claws poking up from the end of the top of the wings, deadly and longer than her body alone, and coupled with two tails on which ended in a band of those same spikes that stuck up from everywhere.
The beast roared the second it saw her, the wind picking up in speed by a couple dozen miles all at once and sending frost and bits of ice up to meet her. Hora took a small step back to brace herself, her arms moving up to shield her eyes as she grimaced.
That Demon was easily as big as Deliora, and probably bigger still.
Her eyes flashed, narrowed to slits as she kept her eyes trained on Neveleous- but her ears trained elsewhere instead.
... there... the legs, the center of the wings.... there's no spikes nor scales under the jaw either... weak spots.
Hora sweatdropped a little, a small lump forming in her stomach.
I can see.... the base Magic is Wind Magic...... the ice is only because it's getting so cold.... but it's main power is Wind... and on a scale of such magnitude.....
A brand of Magic blazed suddenly across the Demon's forehead as it tried to take a step forward toward her, it roared- pain, anger- something like that as Hora swallowed.
.... now that's not meant to be there....
"Tch..... quit hiding, Eider. There's no point." Hora snapped coldly, her eyes daring to break away from Neveleous to scan the area quickly. She shook herself a little, willing that lump in her stomach to be burned away by the rush of Energy and the stirring turmoil her Magic lurched into upon entering the room, smelling the death and decay on the tumultuous wind.
"I take it you're the little Tiger that's been meddling in my Guild's affairs."
Hora growled under her breath, her eyes locking ahead toward the figure that appeared between herself and the Demon, his coat swept up from a gust of wind and the roar that Neveleous let loose. Those dark, chocolate eyes looked cold and cutting as the man looked across toward her, lanky arms crossed about his chest and silver hair slicked back enough it hardly moved in all the wind.
Eider...
"Hmm...... you're alone." Eider hummed, his eyes intense. ".... Reports said you dismantled my Slave Market with three Fairies, yet here you are, all on your own, and even without any of the Magic Council right behind you." His head tilted slightly, his finger fidgeting as he twisted a ting around his thumb almost absentmindedly. "One little Tiger, all on your own... facing me and a Demon of Zeref. I'd say you were stupid, but considering how easily you've blown through all my men, it's clear you aren't anything that ordinary."
"That Magic of yours... and those Markings." Eider's eyes flashed with something colder, more dangerous. Hora felt a shiver run up her spine, her jaw clenching a little- she recognized that look, familiarity, knowing.
"Tch..." She hissed,
".... hmmm, so you're his successor, are you?" Eider grumbled, "Ardendous, the arctic hellfire of the north. Killer of men, woman, children... burning a line through the northern continents and leaving despair and blood in his quake. A monster of a man who thought he could burn the country to a crisp, then leave it cold and dead behind him." Eider hummed, Hora let out a low, near animalistic growl though the man hardly seemed to care. "Gelidus Inferniom, a name that brought fear into the hearts of the Northern Continent for near a decade... and a name that faded into nothing a very, very long time ago. Hmm... I had heard he was fool enough to try and take on the Demon Deliora, and failed... I had thought his Magic died with him. But apparently I was wrong."
He smiled wryly, his eyes glinting coldly. "But you? A little girl? What was that idiot thinking, handing such Power over to someone like you?" He laughed, Hora's eyes flashing as she bristled, her anger rising more and more by the second. "Look at you! You couldn't have been more than a little welp when he gave it to you! What the hell went through his head?!"
'...Horatia...' Lixue murmured cautiously, she barely heard him at all.
Eider stiffened a little, his eyes widening when flame suddenly sprung around Hora's clenched fists.
I was six
"Shut your filthy mouth, asshole." Hora snapped coldly,
"Oh, do you have his temper as well as his Magic?" Eider hummed, "Gelidus had quite the reputation, heh... some might even saw he's more a monster than me. Does his successor have the same evil streak as he did?"
You slaughter entire villages
"I said shut the hell up!" Hora snapped, her eyes flashing. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"Oh, don't I?" Eider hummed, "With the way you charged in here no hesitation, I have to assume you at least have that same wild side, right? You've been taking my people down in droves."
"And I've not killed a single one." Hora snapped back, "I'm not here to kill you either, Eider... though there's nothing I want to do more, now that you've brought up that bastard."
He killed me, over and over...
Eider quirked a brow, his head tilting as the amusement disappeared from his face and he looked at her carefully.
".... so you're not entirely like him, are you?" He asked flatly, "... you haven't killed a single person.... if you had been anything like Gelidus, everyone you came across would be lying dead behind you. And yet they are not, as you say..... what a pity." He sighed,
"I was hoping you were here to try and kill me, it would make killing you more fun... but oh well. That Magic seems wasted on someone like you, all that power, all that darkness- and you still cling to 'goodness'? Pathetic." He laughed, just once.
"But I see you do have your predecessors temper, if nothing else. Will talking more of Gelidus and all his awful, awful deeds, fire you up enough to make you at least an amusement, before you die?" Eider asked lowly, his eyes glinting maliciously as Hora hissed.
"Even with the Magic of the Arctic Hellfire, do you really think you have any chance of winning?" Eider called, "Especially when you are unwilling to kill anyone, in order to win? The only way you'd ever have even the slightest chance against us, is only if you're willing to kill, little Tiger."
"Just fucking watch me." Hora growled, the Magic around her hands burning brighter as Neveleous behind Eider roared, the Wind buffeting against her harder- though she didn't budge. "I may not be here to kill you, but that Demon you have wrapped around your thumb is going to die today- and neither of you will harm another single person again!" Eider hissed a little, his incessant spinning of the ring on his thumb coming to a halt as he sweatdropped slightly.
"Tch..... do your best, bitch." Eider hissed, his arms unhooking from about his chest as he swung one hand forward- a Magic Circle blazing before him as light bounced from that same ring he had been fuddling with the entire time. Hora's shoulders tensed, her fists clenching harder at her sides as her Fire grew more violent, raging regardless of the unending surplus of wind that would have killed any other sort of flame long, long before.
Neveleous roared behind Eider, that Branding she had seen before suddenly blazing brightly across it's forehead- making it roar, fidget, pound it's feet into the ground- anger and pain.
Slave
"Kill her, Beast!" Eider snapped, Hora moved, lightning fast in the same second that Neveleous let open it's jaws- and she felt the temperature in the room drop a few degrees as a massive Magic Circle appeared before it's teeth,
'Do you intend to deal with Eider first?' Lixue intoned in an instant.
He's controlling that thing, Lixue
'Yes, but if it's released? There's no telling what it might do, having that man thralling over the Demon may be holding it's true power back.' Lixue pointed out, 'You can already see it's been bound, there's chains wrapped around it's very soul.... it's in pain, releasing it may just give it reason to rampage.'
So you want me to kill Neveleous before dealing with Eider? There's no telling what he might throw my way while I'm busy with that thing!
'But if the Demon is left to fight of it's own volition?' Lixue replied, calm as ever yet persistent.
'Eider will have it under control enough as not to bring down this Guild Hall over our heads, but if the Bonds are broken- Neveleous could very well destroy everything, uncaring of who is buried or killed in the crossfire.' Hora sweatdropped slightly, 'It could bury not only you, but everyone here. Including those of the Council you seem so intent on keeping alive, if you can.'
Shit.... she fucking hated it when Lixue was right.
Stone and ice alike was ripped apart as a torrent of wind like thousands of sharp, cutting swords swept out over the cavern. Slabs of rock were cut clean through as rubble and bones were sent flying everywhere, the entrance to which Hora had arrived it was destroyed- piles of debris falling to shut it off, and lock her inside.
Eider cursed under his breath, his attention snapping from where Hora had been standing not two seconds before- to over his head, the dismal grey and blue color of the room clashed with ferociously from the wild, violent surge of flame over his head that surrounded Hora entirely.
He blinked, grimacing when he realized she wasn't even looking at him- her eyes had locked forward toward Neveleous, her Magic blazing as she lift her arms above her head, a bright, white-hot ball of flame between her palms and her eyes glittering gold and red.
"Fire Devil's: Infernium!" Hora snapped, throwing her arms down toward the Demon as she drew near, the ball of flame between her hands growing in size in seconds- until it was as large as a car, and it swung down on top of Neveleous.
The cavern shook as an massive explosion sparked off of Hora's Magic making contact with the Demon's head, pounding against it's jaw and it's eyes- in effort to daze it, distract it- so she could go for one of those weak spots her Magic and her eyes picked out in seconds. The Demon roared in pain and rage, it's head and wings swinging this way and that in confusion and flailing as Hora landed on her feet again- just near it and close enough that the wind buffeting her from all the movement was enough to make her body ache, the mist and fog hanging around it's legs felt chill against the heat of her skin.
Legs
Hora's hands snapped out, her arms extending all the way on either side of her as she curled her fingers over her palms, flame of a blinding white and yellow color springing up to spiral around her arms toward her hand, before converging in her palms.
"Fire Devil's: Hellfire Blades!"
Hora's arms swung forward, her hands clapping together as the balls of fire between them leapt out from between her fingers- and moved forward, hundreds of thin, incredibly fast streams of fire that cut through the air and the wind with ease, letting out a high-pitched, whistling sound that hurt her ears- but she hardly cared. Those streams of flame erupted around her, moving toward Neveleous and striking hard and fast into it's legs like hundreds of deadly sharp, burning blades.
Neveleous roared, two of it's legs buckling and bleeding in seconds as Hora stood her ground with her palms still pressed together, her jaw clenched and eyes narrowed to slits as she watched her Magic work-
"Don't think you can ignore me!"
Hora felt the hair on the back of her neck stick up, her heart leaping in her chest and eyes widening as her head snapped left- her fire glinted off the shine of something wickedly sharp, something that was being thrust toward her as Eider appeared beside her, looking grim and furious all at once.
Her hands broke apart, her Spell shattering before it's work was done, as she jumped backward to avoid the hit, her arm moving up as a wash of flame flew out between her and Eider- and slammed into him and the blade he had brought with him, it's metal shinning blue-silver and almost.... glistening, as if it was encased in water.
He brought the blade up in front of him to guard himself from her Magic, her flames hissing and sending up smoke as they made contact with the edge- it was covered in water, water infused with Magic.
That's unfortunate... Wind and Water both? And to add it's so cold Ice forms? Shit, my Element really isn't the best for this....
She jumped right, stiffening when she saw (or rather, felt the earth shake) as Neveleous moved, wind and bits of ice and frost alike washing up as it roared, it's head lurching down toward her and one bloodied leg lifting to strike it's claws out at her while she was distracted.
"Where is that fire, little Tiger?!"
Eider was next to her, again.
How fucking fast is this guy?!
Hora stumbled, lurching forward as one of Neveleous' legs slammed into her from behind, sending her skidding forward and off balance as she struggled to regain her footing once more. Light flashed off Eider's blade from the very, very corner of her eye- her head turning in his direction as he swung that strange sword of his toward her,
'Hora!'
Her foot slipped on the ice and water underfoot, all momentum she had had to get her out of the way of the blade's path was lost, and she stumbled back in time to avoid the blade cutting straight through her body- only for icy, burning pain to sear across both cheeks and the bridge of her nose, warm, sticky scarlet springing up in the blade's quake and getting into her eyes as Hora yelped.
Fire leapt up between herself and Eider all on instinct, hissing and hardly able to see as her vision dotted and her eyes filled with red, winded and blinding in pain as she struggled to put distance between herself and the man.
She barely managed to see Eider sweep his hand before him in a waving motion,
"Not so fast!"
A wall of water sprung up, moving into it's liquid state after having previously been ice on the floor- Hora's back slammed into it as she was moving to get out of the way of the Demon's giant claws swinging out toward her. The flames she had let rise up around her hissed and shrunk away from the water she had slammed into hard enough it felt more like rock than water, her right hand instinctively rushing backward to slap against the wall of liquid- only to have her heart drop into the pits of her stomach when she realized nothing happened.
"S-Shit...!" She stammered, her eyes flicking forward toward those claws getting closer she was struggling to see around the blood that had splashed into her eyes.
'You forgot...?!' Lixue snapped, slightly exasperated but he sounded more panicked. She felt just as panicked, her Magic blazing brighter, the water hissing and spitting as steam started to encase everything around her. Hora swept her arms up in front of her, her eyes snapping closed on instinct,
"Crimson Flame!"
Deep scarlet fire sprung up as a wall between herself and the Demon's claws headed straight for her- the contact of them both sending up a wave of explosive force as her Magic imploded against the pure power behind the hit. Hora gasped, the wave of force knocking into her and sending her falling back through the wall of water hard enough she hit the ground and bounced a good hundred feet before stopping, gasping for air and cuts littering various places of her body from skidding so far.
Better than being impaled though, but that cut that had been sliced across her cheek, over her nose, and down the other cheek just below her eyes, was bleeding and throbbing in pain now, deep and stinging.
I can't believe... I thought I could... fuck!
Hora pushed herself up onto her feet, her eyes narrowed as she heard Eider call out some sort of command, the wind picking up again as Magic Circle's appeared on all sides around her, closing her in as she hissed.
'You have the worst habit of cursing, are you aware?' Lixue muttered dryly,
"Shut up, Lixue!" Hora snapped hotly, her eyes closing as she clapped her hands in front of her.
"Fire Devil's-" Hora growled lowly, a waft of air rushing up to meet the currents of icy cold all around, washed against them with a thick cloud of heat. A flickering visage of a Magic Circle flashed in front of Hora for a split second, before it imploded and air shook with it.
"Guardian Circle!!"
The glow of gold and blue lit up the room and bounced from the stone, heat wafting around through the air in wild waves as wind carrying bits of ice like daggers rammed into the sheer, near solid wall of flame that erupted her in a circle, a line between Hora and the attack that had surrounded her on all sides. Hora let her hands fall apart as one of them moved up to cover the wound across her nose, blinking several times to get rid of the blood that had gotten into her eyes- and wiping away the blood that had dripped down her nose, and chin. She hissed when she grazed against the wound, her eyes flashing.
"You still think going after the Demon before Eider is a good idea, Lixue?!" Hora snapped, agitated as all hell and pissed- both at him and herself, and Eider- and the fact he had gotten in that hit that hurt like hell. Her voice was nearly lost among all the noise of her fire and the wind trying to get at her, what bits of ice among the currents hissing as they melted in seconds upon touching the wall of flame.
'You're the one who forgot-' Lixue grumbled,
"I know! I know I forgot, but- gahhhhhhhh, fucking damn it!" Hora snapped, cutting him and his voice in her head off. Hora let out a huff, her arms crossing over one another in an 'X' formation before her as she let her eyes fall shut- she was wasting Magic Energy the longer she stayed in that Circle, and she felt strain setting in fast against what massive amount of force she blocking against.
They were both pissed, Hora was just getting angrier- and it was rare for Lixue to be angry. At least they were (mostly) angry about the same thing, as in Hora's mind flashed the image of one Jiemma Orlando.
And she wanted nothing more than to burn him alive- but right now his face melded into that of Eider as her eyes snapped open, and the golden-blue glow of her fire blazed brighter, sparkling off the ice and the moisture.
Jiemma wasn't there for her to let her anger out on, but Eider and Neveleous were- and that fuel for the fire burning inside her had to be enough.
"Fire Devil's;" Hora growled under her breath, the black markings across her arms spinning in their place, never covering her skin entirely, but moving and twisting- almost like flame themselves.
"Phoenix Flame!"
Three huge birds of fire sprung up above Hora as she swept her arms out on either side of her, the sound of the wind being cut apart by the birds shrill calls, their wings beating as fire and leaving embers in their quake as they shot up into the air, spinning around another before converging together in a flash of eerie gold- turning into one, single, giant bird that rivaled the size of the Guild Hall.
The bird of flame shrieked, it's wings beating furiously and sending flame flying everywhere as it struck through the wind and soared straight toward the Demon. Neveleous roared, rearing up on it's legs as it's leathery wings beat, hard- sending great wafts of wind up to try and cut straight through the bird, but it did little good.
Eider sweatdropped, his eyes wide and a little transfixed as he looked up, staring at that massive creature of gold and blue fire, the immensity of it, the heat it gave off, the flame-
His head snapped away from the bird that now had Neveleous full attention, eyes widening as he went rigid- Hora had moved, and she moved fast. Enough she was not a few dozen feet from him and completely out of the way of what fight was erupting between the Demon of Zeref and the Bird of Fire.
Hora sucked in air, tasting the blood on her tongue that had dripped down from the cut across her nose- and not caring. Her golden-red eyes locked straight onto Eider as she dug her feet into the ground underfoot,
"Fire Devil's:"
Eider hissed, his body whipping around in her direction as he brought his sword around with him.
"Rage!"
The air split, a column of flame spiraling out toward Eider and reaching a height near as tall as the Firebird was. Violently spinning flame tearing up the ground, melting the stone and the ice and evaporating the water in it's intensity as it tore through the air toward Eider, the glow reflected in his deep brown eyes as his face paled slightly at she sheer force behind the attack.
The entire area where Eider stood was plunged into a deep cloud of steam and mist, the sound of hissing and spitting water filling the air between the roars coming from Neveleous as Hora's FireBird dove headfirst in toward it, it's fire sparking against the Demon and burning as it dodged in out of hits.
Hora stiffened, her eyes snapping away from the fog when she heard the Firebird let out a screech- Neveleous' claws digging deep into the creature's body and wrenching it apart like paper, her Magic imploding in on itself in a sudden brilliant display of explosions that knocked Neveleous back a few paces with a pain-filled roar. Hora hissed under her breath, eyes flashing, the cold wind picking up again with the heat of the Fire no longer there to combat it so fiercely.
Shit... that lasted a lot less longer than I'd hoped...
Her eyes snapped forward when she saw a wash of water rise up from the cloud of steam, flowing fast over the cavern toward her as she jumped up into the air, her hand catching tight of one of the stalagmites to stop herself as the water washed past below her at insane speed.
"Is this all I have to expect?!"
Hora growled, her eyes narrowing as Eider appeared from the steam- that was washed away as Neveleous flapped it's wings angrily- leaving Eider standing there, clothes torn and only slightly singed.
"What a pathetic excuse for a successor you are! Gelidus must have truly lost his mind, to have been willing to waste his Magic on you!" Eider snapped,
He forced it on me, I never wanted it!
"Shut the hell up! You don't know a damn thing!" Hora snapped, before breaking off when Eider swung his sword out in her direction- water springing upward from the blade and heading straight toward where she was hanging,
Hora pulled herself up enough to push her feet off the rock, fire erupting around her body as she flipped over in midair, crossing her arms before her as a ball of golden-blue fire wrapped around her person. The fire managed to keep the water at bay, to which stray streams of said Water Magic had cut clean through the stone she'd been near as if it were nothing but paper- but the blow and force against her Magic sent her backward with enough power to knock the wind from her.
She hit the ground, hard- skidding back a few seconds before managing to dig her feet into the floor, though she didn't stop sliding back over the threshold until a few more seconds had passed.
"Really?! You're wasting the potential this Magic has! All that power, all that energy that comes from rage and anger and bloodlust!" Eider called back, his eyes locking with Hora's and she struggled to gain her balance again in the wind that kept battering her body nonstop. "You could burn me to a crisp, melt my flesh from my bone, blow me to a thousand- trillion pieces! And yet you are holding back!"
Hora jumped sideways, barely missing the sections of sharp, needle-like sections of ice that streaked toward her in another gust of wind and a roar from Neveleous- directed as Eider swept his hand and that ring her direction.
"You could try and kill me! It would be much easier than holding back enough to keep from murdering me!" Eider was still raving, Hora couldn't see him though- she didn't dare look his way. She was too invested on not getting killed herself, Neveleous was moving toward her, Magic and pure destructive force filling that cavern as the wind tore over everything, the stone shook and rumbled as the Demon roared and it's Magic came for her with a newfound vengeance- mostly assuredly stemmed from Eider, his control, and his anger now.
Kill him.
She yelped, her skin cutting in places where those markings had not covered her skin, protecting her. She stumbled, blown back and slamming against the floor as she struggled to her feet again- avoiding another attack from Neveleous as the floor and the wall she had previously been standing near was turned to nothing but rubble.
It would be easier, just let go... let your Magic take control.
Her fire sprung around her, fighting back against the Wind Magic with a fury- only to die and smolder when Eider sent his Water Magic her way, knocking her further back, slamming her into floor and rock and boulder as her air cut off a second under the waves.
"You're weakness will get you killed, girl! You're flippancy is going to be the death of you!"
Hora's arms swept out around her, the water hissing and steaming as her fire rose up around like a dome, warding the water and the wind off as she panted, her body aching, bleeding from several scratches and from that long one across her nose- which still hurt like a bitch, and dripped blood into her mouth. Everything hurt, throbbed- she was getting tossed around, pounded back, thrown about- she was dodging constantly, keeping herself alive (for now) and she wasn't catching a single second to even just breathe.
She was using so much Magic Energy and strength her head was starting to spin the longer she kept the fight up. She wasn't sure how long she'd been going head to head with the both of Eider and Neveleous, but she knew it had to have already hit the hour mark. An hour of struggling, avoiding the hits that hurt- but didn't kill. An hour of dodging about and throwing Magic every which way, flame and fire that battled against Wind and Water Magic- the two Magics that Fire Magic wasn't really meant to contend with, not even Fire Devil Slayer Magic. Not against Wind and Water Magic on this magnitude... not even if the Wind came from a Demon.
Her eyes flashed, she could still see them- every time she spared a glance at Neveleous. The weak spots, the places vulnerable to attack- legs, wings, under the jaw- and yet shit!
Every inch she made it closer to Neveleous, was another foot she lost when both the Demon and the man threw Magic her way. She was constantly losing ground, she was...
... I'm losing.
And every second of it? She felt her control slipping, felt her mind wandering to those dark thoughts- the urge, the need- to let loose. Let go completely, tear a hole through all of that Magic, wrap Eider and Neveleous both up in a world composed of nothing but Hellfire- and render both of them nothing but blackened, twisted bone. The Markings were getting hotter against her skin, creeping farther, engulfing every inch of her body, spreading up toward her eyes, across her cheeks, down her legs...
I'm losing myself, too.
Lixue had grown deadly silent, the voice of reason in her head meant to keep her above the dark- gone.
I can't win if I'm not willing...
Jiemma would know. The Council Knights and Soldiers she'd lead inside, they'd scramble out of here, report back to Era- confirm she had failed. Jiemma would know, and when he found out she had-
... he... he'll punish the Guild. Hurt them, beat them, maybe even....
So let go. Kill them, kill them both.
Hora stiffened, her eyes snapping shut, her body shaking as she kept the fire up- guarding herself, but trapped in place. She felt the marking's stretch up, covering her skin till it almost covered her entirely.
"Your fire felt dark, it tasted like that too. Almost... not natural, twisted."
The brilliant blue and gold was turning dark, crimson, scarlet.
And when you do? Go back to that Guild, and kill Jiemma too.
She'd wanted to do that, for so, so long.....
"Think of how much you could do! Think of all the destruction you could cause! You must know, what it feels like to beat someone to nothing? The temptation?!" Eider was yelling still, his voice barely muffled by the wind and the roar and flame and Demon alike.
"You know you want to! Use that Magic of yours to kill, slaughter- just like the Arctic Hellfire! You could surpass even his wrath, if you just let yourself Fall!! Fall just like he did!!"
Arden was a monster.... this Magic made him a monster. This same Magic in me... corrupting me, twisting me.... making me that same sort of evil that could willingly rip someone's entire life away from them. Who's hands can do nothing but harm, a soul torn and blackened, dirty, wrong. Make me hateful, violent, rage-filled, ruthless-
Her skin had turned black, the markings taking hold of her- all of her. Shinning ebony against the blood-red light, her fire spinning faster, wilder.
"... but you've been so nice and kind since then."
She stiffened slightly, her eyes snapping open in surprise as her heart leapt in her chest.
"You do smell good.... And I don't feel tense around you either. You're Magic felt weird, but I don't think you're as dark a person as your Magic feels. It was like you weren't you or a split second... but you've been you since. Nice. Gentle."
The burning lessened, the sound of wind and fire and her own harsh breathing becoming silent on her ears.
"You're actually a really nice person, so I guess I'm just surprised you're Magic feels so different from how you really are..... is that why it's hard for you? Cause you're Magic's really freakin' strong, I mean- I haven't felt anyone's Fire as hot as yours before. If you're Magic is dark and you're not, do you have a hard time staying who you are because it's so powerful?"
Dragon Slayers were all so perceptive. They knew things other people don't, felt it, sensed it...
The little girl scrambled from the woman's arms, teetering up toward Hora who went rigid at the unexpected movement. The little girl walked straight up to Hora, who sweatdropped slightly as her dark blue gaze met the chocolate brown of the little girl.
Adie tilted her head, before tentatively reaching up and grabbing into Hora's arm, slowly making Hora move her hands from behind her back as her chocolate brown eyes traced over the black markings still staining Hora's hands and fingers. Hora stiffened, sweatdropping more but forcing herself not to react- though she wanted to rip her arm away from the little girl's grasp. Adie smiled brightly, hugging Hora's arm to her chest, "Thank you for helping save me miss!" The little girl beamed, Hora blinked in shock.
... Those marks... They're evil. Even children know evil when they're near it... So why...?
- wouldn't people know? Wouldn't children, Dragon Slayers... anyone? People knew evil when they were near it- true evil set anyone on edge, set their instincts flaring, made them wary. True evil was always felt, no matter who, where. No matter if it was hidden, or out in the open, they would know, they had to- no one would ever care for anything that felt utterly, truly evil to them, right..?
"You're my friend! Of course I'm worried if you're feeling sick or getting hurt!"
"We got plenty of friends in other Guilds ya know, don't matter to us if your SaberTooth or not. A Guild don't define what kind of person you are."
"I'm glad to have met you as well."
"We need to know, we have to... We don't want to be kept on the dark, especially not if you're in pain. We're your best friends, you shouldn't have to hide anything from us."
"You're the best friend any of us have ever had!"
...... could anyone call someone truly evil... a friend?
Three Dragon Slayers, three Exceeds, two Celestial Mages, and maybe even an Ice Mage she knew more than a day?
And whole Guild full of powerful, kind, thoughtful people? People she had known for years, fought beside, laughed, argued with? A Guild full of people she had spent years worrying over, afraid of what might happen to them if Jiemma or Minerva did anything to them?
Why can't I just.... believe, for myself..?
'..... there have been so many with this Magic who only wanted power. It takes a truly good soul to even produce such golden flame, a soul that wants to protect, defend and guard against evil. There have been so many that have ignored me, shut me out and relished in it when they fell, when the darkness and the evil consumed them entirely. This Magic was meant to do good, it was meant to test the will and the soul of those who wielded it, and prove that they were worthy of it. So many have used it for bad, turned it against the humans it was meant to protect.... but you, you stubborn, annoying girl. You did not ask for this Magic, you didn't want power.... you were forced into this life and you have only ever sought to use it for good. You've been tested day in and day out and though you come close to breaking point, you have never fallen. Gripe and yell at me all you do, you still listen- you have not shut me out. Not like Arden, not like those before him.... you listen. You work with me, though you may not like to.... you with the golden fire and the will to guard human lives, I have to help you, however I can- because this Magic, our Magic... it was meant for someone like you. This Magic is good with it in you- stronger in you, than it has ever been since the very start.'
Hora blinked, her arms falling slightly- she saw specks of moisture hit the ground at her feet.
She... I want to believe.... that I'm...
'You can have that, what you want, Hora.'
"Lixue..." Hora mumbled, her heart jumping at the his voice appearing again- and relieved. She'd never felt so happy to hear him, ever.
'You haven't shut me out. You're looking for my voice, even when you think I'm gone.' Lixue murmured softly, 'And you know already, if you were truly evil- you would never have become so close with anyone, not those two Dragon Slayers, not those cats, not the Salamander. If you were really evil, they would never have come to care for you as 'friend' or anything else- and you certainly wouldn't care for any of them as much as you do.'
'You are willing to lay your life down for all them... would someone so evil ever even think about doing that?'
Hora stiffened, her eyes glinting, oblivious to the tears that had started to stream from her eyes, or even the world around her. She was invested, enraptured- listening so closely to those voices in her head, to Lixue, to the memory of every single person she knew and..
The fire in her veins cooled, her Magic settled, but the markings didn't shrink back. She didn't have to make them, not anymore- not because she wanted to, not out of fear that if she didn't she might lose herself again.
"No." Hora whispered, ".... I... I can't be evil, not when I know... how I feel about them, how they feel about me.... it's all genuine."
It's real
'And there, you have what you want... to believe.' Lixue murmured gently,
Hora's fists clenched at her sides, her eyes falling shut as she straightened up- taking in a long, slow breath.
'Believe that, and you will never be consumed like Arden.'
Hora huffed, nodding as her eyes snapped open- her entire countenance straightening, firm, resolute and- powerful. She let her hands clap together in front of her,
"Because I'm nothing like him, and I'm never going to be!"
Her fire that had turned the color of blood suddenly surged, spiraling up around her with a new energy unlike anything she had ever felt, the air and the earth booming as her Fire tore out at the air and the wind and water- everything.
Burning bright, blinding golden-azure.
Eider flinched, his eyes wide and his body pounded against by what waves of sheer power suddenly started to swim on the air- throbbing and pulsing from that same girl he had beaten down to rights not two seconds ago.
He flinched, recoiling with a yelp of shock and pain as fire streamed toward him faster than he could see it coming- his skin burning slightly as that fire wrapped around his hand, and he wrenched it away.
Hora was in front of him in the next second, a brand of burning blue gold as her fist swung out toward him, eyes wild and skin jet black- his sword swung out, but when the edge caught her arm the blade didn't pierce the skin hardly at all- his sword was melting in his hand and he froze.
"B-Beast!" He snapped, willing the Demon to turn around, snatch her up, bit down on her- anything to keep him from getting hit. His hand swept out toward Neveleous, burning and throbbing still-
Eider felt his heart skip a beat, realizing in a split second his ring was no longer on his finger at all, but when-?!
The light of Hora's Magic glinted off the metal of his ring, falling toward the floor in a wisp of fire- that same fire that had taken hold of his hand a few moments before.
"Fire Devil's:" Hora hissed, waves of heat washing into his face as Eider's eyes went wide in true and utter panic-
"Explosive Fist!"
Hora's hand made contact with Eider's cheek with a resounding THUD, a tooth knocked loose instantly as his skin bruised and burned a little- a Magic Circle appeared between her fist and his face as fear flashed through his eyes.
Eider was blown away with a deafening boom, a small, compact and yet incredibly powerful explosion being set off in a single instant. His body smashed into the wall fifty yards behind him, hard enough to cave it into a small crater, yelling out in pain.
Hora halted half a second, her eyes snapping down toward the ring that had clattered to the ground at her feet-
Her foot stomped down onto the ring, shattering the metal as if it were glass.
Neveleous screeched, rearing up as the branding that had glowed across it's forehead burned brighter- before the Magic shattered, and the wind and cold in the cavern increased tenfold. The binding that Eider had placed on the Demon and infused into the ring being shattered the minute Hora destroyed it.
"N-no!!" Eider coughed, shaking as he picked himself up. Hora hardly heard him over the core-chilling roar that Neveleous let loose, the entire earth and cavern all around them shaking violently, her balance lost a little as backed up a little, sweatdropping.
"What have you done?!!"
Hora went rigid, her heart falling into the pits of her stomach at the sheer rise in Magic Energy that erupted once the seal was broken- waves upon waves of invisible force that battered against her soul and her body nearly as harshly as the wind did. It was like that Demon was entirely different, unbound-
Lixue... I really hate it when you're right, sometimes...
Her arms swept up, covering her face as Neveleous beat it's wings all at once, hissing as she felt herself get pushed back, the air cutting out at the stone, the earth, her.
But damn it! She couldn't go head to head with the both of Eider and Neveleous at once, that hadn't been working at all. She was too busy keeping an eye on the both of them, she needed one of them out of the picture- and Eider was the one she could take care of more quickly than the other.
Everything was shaking, bits and spires of the stalagmite hanging from the roof being cut and crashing to the ground all around them, Hora's hands had moved from covering her face to covering her ears, eyes shut tight against the sheer noise. Noise enough it carried well passed that cavern, out into the Guild Hall of North Wind itself- past that, over land and mountain- like a great, monstrous wind in itself.
She stumbled, the earth shaking as Neveleous let it's legs slam into the ground again, it's head and body swinging around much too quickly than something of it's size should have been able to manage. She slipped slightly on the ice still littering the floor, before fire around her feet melted it again, and she felt the breath catch in her throat at where the Demon's attention landed next.
Her ears rung, the roar of the wind and the Demon's own cries shattered as a massive Magic Circle appeared before Neveleous' maw, a bright, blinding beam of wind and pure Magical Energy alike tearing out across the cavern, tearing everything up in it's path and splitting the earth in two- and headed straight toward Eider.
Hora hissed, her teeth gritting.
The room filled with white light, the earth splitting in the quake of the Spell- the air cut apart by a shrill, high-pitched whine that the Spell let loose, everything in the radius of that attack (which was roughly as wide as the Demon was tall) being obliterated and crumbled by the sheer force. The wall Eider has smashed into was completely gone behind where he had been standing, the cavern shaking violently and the North Wind Guild Hall with it as the attack ripped a huge, looming hole into the stone and out into another portion of the Guild Hall itself.
Council Knights and North Wind Mages alike struggled to move away from the sheer destruction that suddenly faced them in the midst of their own fighting, eyes wide and yelling as they stumbled, some of them thrown, others knocked away as debris and large chunks of stone were sent flying everywhere, the wind racing through the building and frost and ice forming everywhere in it's quake, freezing things over in seconds.
Something smashed into the mountain of piled up stone and destruction that remained at the end of the attack, catching the wide, terrified eyes of everyone near enough to see it.
"T-That...?!"
"N-no, i-it can't be... r-right....?!?!?"
"M-Master Eider...?!!"
Eider was laying amongst the rubble, motionless- blood dripping from his nose and his ears, his clothes shredded and body cut every which way- frost spread across his hair and parts of his skin, his eyes whited out and completely defeated in one massive, incredible blow.
"I.. is he alive?!"
"H-HOW DID THAT-?!"
"Did.. did N-Neveleous do that, to... to him...?!"
The people watching stiffened, recoiling a little when something else moved, not a few feet from where Eider lay- still breathing, mind you.
"Isn't that...?!"
The Magic Council Knights and Soldiers in the area stared, eyes wide and glittering when the wind lessened and the flying debris, dust and frost faded away enough to see that Eider was not the only person to have been thrown through that wall- their feet at the edge of the split in the earth and shaking, her body steaming and panting hard enough to make her struggle to stay standing.
"Is it her, Doranbolt?" Lahar called quickly, light bouncing from his glasses as he whipped around in the direction of the other man- who was further ahead of him. They were ragged, bruised a little and bleeding only slightly from their own fighting, before the battle came to a standstill just then- and all eyes turned to the destruction that had been wrought in seconds.
Doranbolt sweatdropped, his eyes riveted and frozen to that Saber Woman none of them had seen in near over an hour now, and now every inch of skin visible under her clothes was covered in those pitch black markings he had seen before.
But how was she still standing at all?! It looked like-
"Tch..." Hora hissed, her legs trembling terribly under her, but she didn't let herself fall, her arms crossed in front of her, shallow tears running across her skin and bleeding faintly, every inch of her covered in faint bruises and cuts, and ice that was quickly melting into a puddle underneath her. Her lungs were heaving, her breath a cloud in front of her as the water steamed still- she would have been frozen solid, if not for her Magic.
".... fucking... lucky bastard..." Hora hissed, her arms falling slowly as her eyes flashed in the dim of the Guild Hall around them. "... if that hadn't been a Curse, instead of a Spell...... he'd be frozen solid..... dead, if I hadn't gotten to his worthless ass in time..." Hora stiffened, wincing slightly as she growled.
"W-wait, did she-?!"
"She took the full brunt of that attack?!"
"To save Eider..?!?!"
'You would likely be dead too, if that were not a Curse, Horatia.' Lixue grumbled, 'Is there a reason you did something that stupid?'
"Tch... he's a bastard, but he's still human, right?" Hora grumbled lowly, "A human about to be killed by a Demon...isn't my job supposed to be to protect humans from Demons? "
'I think perhaps you took that a bit too seriously.' Lixue sighed, Hora stiffened. 'It's likely the world would be better off without a man like Eider in it..'
A vein ticked on Hora's forehead, her teeth gritting as a wash of annoyance and agitation rose up in her core.
"Seriously? First you're rambling at me about the importance of using my Magic to save people and now your getting on my ass about saving someone?! Give me a break!" Hora snapped hotly, her fists clenching into balls at her sides as she huffed. "Make up your damned mind, Lixue!"
"... who the hell is she yelling at..?"
"This chick's crazy..."
"... y-yeah..."
"Like is... is she talking to herself...?"
Hora stiffened, her attention catching to the murmuring going on around her by the Council's people and the North Wind Mages alike, her mouth snapping shut as she sweatdropped.
Aaaaaaand she was talking to Lixue out loud, again.
Damn it, I need to quit that... before people actually do start thinking I'm insane... I mean how the hell am I supposed to explain it anyway? "No I'm not crazy, I just happen to have this big old, annoying prat in my head named Lixue who's supposed to keep me from going Dark. Oh and by the way, Lixue's actually a d-"
Hora's thoughts came crashing to a halt as Neveleous screeched again, the noise shaking everyone to their cores as the wind picked up again, blowing through the new hole in the wall before her with a vengeance. Many of the North Wind Mages turned tail and started running, leaving the fighting and their 'comrades' behind in a wash of terror- the Magic Council people were nearly too stunned to even try and stop their sudden flight.
Hora tensed up, her eyes flashing as she swept her arm out in front of her, Magic blazing anew as a Magic Circle stretched out under her feet, and under the feet of everyone else behind her.
"Fire Devil's: Guardian Circle!"
The wall of golden-blue fire raged around the edges of the Magic Circle, the air and earth shaking as a storm of wind cut through the gaping hole and crashed into her Magic hard enough to make her flinch, feeling immediately her Magic draining- where it had already drained considerably just defending against the Curse a minute or so before.
The people that had been running skidded to a halt as the wall of flame encircled them, eyes wide and terrified as they looked for a way out of being- essentially- trapped between raging fire and a Demon of Zeref on the loose.
The wind let up for half a second, Neveleous moving forward toward the opening as Hora hissed.
"Get everyone out of here!" She snapped, rounding on the still and stunned figures of the Magic Council Soldiers and Knights littered around her. In particular her eyes landed on the one with the glasses- Lahar, who she had heard ask something earlier, and had subsequently been ignored by a Doranbolt. Her hand swept out toward the wall of fire on the opposite and farthest side from her, leading down a corridor and away from where Neveleous seemed ready to start raging through the whole of North Wind's Guild Hall. The fire there broke apart, leaving a gateway passed the flames and down the way she needed them to start running- fast.
Lahar flinched, his eyes growing wide as he caught her eyes and her sharp order. Hora hissed, hearing the sound of Neveleous getting closer, the shaking of the floor getting worse, the wind getting harsher even despite her Spell trying it's best to block most of it.
"Now!" She yelled, her tone harsher and more urgent by the second. Lahar and his men didn't budge, stunned and scared, and unsure as they looked between Hora, the Demon, and their Captain. Hora growled, her eyes flashing as she huffed- her hand flicking up in their direction as a wash of fire sprung through the air toward them, making them jump back, startled and taken by utter shock that she had thrown any sort of Magic their way.
"Run! I don't need you getting caught up in this, this place is about to be a warzone!" Hora snapped, her tone becoming one of utter fury, "Fucking listen to me and leave!!"
The North Wind Mages started running immediately,
"Let's go!!"
"Arrest us if you have to, just get us away from here!!"
"If we don't leave, t-that Demon will kill us!!"
Lahar's eyes snapped away from her toward the retreating North Wind Mages, grimacing as he quickly ordered his men to follow them.
"Full retreat! Quickly!"
"Take him with you!" Hora snapped curtly, her eyes flicking away from Lahar toward Doranbolt, who jumped slightly at her suddenly addressing him. Hora's head flicked in the direction of Eider, still knocked senseless in the pile of rubble. Doranbolt blinked, sweatdropping slightly as he hesitated, before hissing under his breath.
"You've gotta be freaking crazy..." Doranbolt grumbled under his breath, stooping to pull Eider's arm over his shoulder, before he disappeared in a sudden haze. Hora blinked, a little surprised at a show of Magic she hadn't realized the man could utilize at all.
Lahar and the rest of the people in the corridor were gone just as quickly, the sound of their feet fading down the hallway as Hora shook her head at herself.
Neveleous was still moving toward her, faster now, more angry- the earth shaking all around at the sheer weight of it's feet hitting the ground. She could feel it's Magic Pressure rising-
"You still want us to slam the door shut?"
Hora stiffened, her eyes widening as her head snapped left at the sudden voice.
Doranbolt appeared beside her again out of nowhere, his eyes narrowed and tense as she hissed under her breath.
"... Teleportation Magic, huh?" She grumbled, he grimaced slightly.
"That's not an answer." He grumbled,
"And I told you to leave, didn't I?" Hora replied shortly, before grumbling hotly under her breath. "Tch... I haven't lost yet, have I? Will it kill you to be a little optimistic?"
"It might kill you." He shot back, Hora sighed.
"I'm not going to die, I'm not going to lose.... I can't. It's not an option." Hora grumbled, "And you need to go, even with Teleportation Magic, I don't wanna have to worry if you're in the line of fire." He sweatdropped slightly, his eyes narrowing.
There it was again, that semblance of care in concern in her. A Wizard from SaberTooth, a Guild full of the ruthless, the harsh- and yet she seemed nothing like that, and it had him reeling.
"Besides, you should probably keep an eye on the rest of your people." Hora mumbled, her eyes flashing slightly. "Get everyone out, round up the rest of North Wind. Leave this to me, alright?"
"... tch.... you really are insane, aren't you?" Doranbolt growled, Hora laughed- just once. It was such an odd sound in all the bad and the massive, severely pissed off Demon of Zeref getting closer by the second.
"Maybe a little." Hora sighed, her head flicking toward the exit. "Now go."
He looked like he hated himself, just for a split second there, before he disappeared entirely.
Alone again
'Forgetting someone, Horatia?'
She hummed a little, smiling sadly.
"Of course not... but you know it's not the same. It's not like you're any help other than moral support, Lixue. Not when you're still locked up." Hora mumbled, ".....after this, things are changing... they have changed. And I think... I'm going to try and change that, too."
'Confidence again, hmm?' Lixue hummed, '..... you have changed, and in so little time.'
"Hell yeah, and it's time to win this." Hora growled, her fists clenching at her sides as her Magic flared up around her, wild, hot, blazing.
'Just remember to keep your head, this will not be an easy fight.'
"Right!"
"C-Come on...! Hora...please answer the card!" Rogue snapped, his voice shaking more than he wanted- but he couldn't stop it either. He could feel Sting, Lector and Frosch trembling beside him- all their eyes trained to the Magic Calling Card that kept ringing-
.. but it never picked up, it just kept ringing, and Hora never picked up the other end.
The fear settled in deeper, the feeling of terror that had lead them to hastily bring the Card out and call her was just getting worse- and they felt their hearts sinking by the second.
Something... something went wrong, they could feel it...
Yukino, Orga and Rufus stood behind them, stiff and silent. Their eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily as they watched the four in front of them crumbling faster by the second, their hearts ripped apart every second the other end of the Card never picked up.
"H-Hora!"
One Hour Prior-
"F-Fuck..!"
Hora yelped, her body slamming backward into the rocky wall hard enough to shatter it, her body shaking and lungs heaving as her trembling arms fell back to her sides, cut every which way, spattering blood against the stone as she winced harshly.
'Move!'
Hora stiffened, her head snapping up as the air shook with a high piercing sound so painful to hear she winced again. Lixue's voice was near downed out by the sound, but she moved anyway- her feet pushing her left as she hit the ground and rolled, the space she had previously been standing decimated by another Spell thrown her way by a rampaging Demon of Zeref.
Hora coughed, her hand moving to wipe the blood dripping down from her nose, her eyes flashing as she cast a quick glance toward Neveleous again.
She had been reduced to dodging around what remained in ruin of North Wind's Guild Hall, outrunning and maneuvering out of the way of Neveleous' attacks- leaving the rubble iced over and icy cold as they went.
Needless to say, it wasn't going as well as she liked... she was having a hard time just getting close, Neveleous was swinging this way and that, sending Magic every which way and decimating everything in a near blind rage.
And by placing herself between it and reaching outside of this Building, she was in the center of it's sights, and the longer she tried to fight, the angrier she made the Demon, and the harder it was trying to kill her.
She'd managed to get a few more hits in on the legs, enough that Neveleous wasn't moving as fast as it needed- it was limping and leaving huge smears of blood behind as it still stumbled to get hold of her, and tear her apart- or freeze her solid, slice her apart...
She stumbled to her feet, pushing herself forward as Neveleous' head whipped around and those pale, ghostly white eyes locked on to her, it's wings spanning out and sending a flurry of cold, cutting wind everywhere.
A massive Magic Circle appeared in front of Neveleous as it flapped it's wings, once, twice, and than more and more times and harder and harder. Winding up, getting ready-
'Strike hard and fast, before the Beast gets a chance to finish preparing that Spell!' Lixue snapped, Hora was already moving before he managed to finish the sentence.
"Fire Devil's: Crimson Flame!"
Hora jumped upward, launching herself up and over the top of the Magic Circle as she swung down- a wash of fire racing toward the top of Neveleous' head.
Neveleous screeched, its head lowering as the fire slammed into it hard enough to break free a few dozen spikes protruding from its body.
Hora's feet touched down on top of Neveleous' head for only a split second, before it lurched up underneath her and she pushed backward off of it. She flipped over, index finger's extended on either side of her as her Magic spiraled down her arms, the flames tight and close together almost as if they made a string of bright white.
"Four strings,
Four flames,
blaze bright,
brilliant white,
strike fast,
strike harsh,
rip through,
burn all."
The streams of condensed white flame split into two streams as they reached the tip of each of her index fingers, looking for a moment more like Sting's Magic than her own for a moment.
Four Magic Circles appeared in air around her and the Demon, the edges burning with white fire as the streams shot off her finger's and crashed into the center of the Magic Circle's with a boom. Hora swept her hands inward in front of her,
"White-Flame Shower!"
The Magic Circle's imploded, spinning twisters of white-hot fire erupting from where they were and spiraling down toward the Demon like jettisons of water. They struck down hard, ripping straight through and melting holes through the leathery center of the Demon's wings- shattering it's Spell and earning screams of pain and rage that shook everything all around.
Hora landed on her feet on the ground, her fists clenching behind her as she let her Magic run free, blazing up around her in a cone as her eyes narrowed to fiery, golden slits.
Now's my chance, while it's distracted!
"Fire Devil's!" She snapped, her Magic flaming faster, rising, as she moved, pushing straight upward off a pile of stone and debris.
Hora slammed her fists together in front of her, her eyes locking straight up ahead toward the undersized of Neveleous' jaw as it roared and stomped, it's wings bloody and burning at it's side. Her Magic Pressure was rising just as quickly as the Demon's rage was, and they were both stifling.
Hora's blood was on fire, her heart racing, senses sharp and all energy and strength pouring through her. Her eyes locked upward, on to that weak-spot, with all of her Power pouring into her next attack.
She could feel it, closer, her chance.... chance to end this.
I just need to make this Spell count!
Hora's fists pulled apart, before she swung them upward, her flames following her movement, wild and violent as they doubled, tripled in size- spinning into a massive, explosive tornado of blue and gold fire that seemed something out of an insane dream.
"Azure-Gold Storm!!!!!"
Her voice rung out, blurring and mixing with the roar of the tornado of fire that sent hot, prickling heat out all around in droves, the fire ramming straight up into the underside of Neveleous' jaw, burning and drilling a hole straight through it's body as it screamed...,
Hora landed on her feet again, panting as she watched that massive Beast tilt backward, crumbling to the ground as it's life drained away, and she stood at the edge of her work, bleeding and huffing- but alive.
I won
She was going back, she'd see them again. She'd be there for the Grand Magic Games, see Sting and Rogue face off against their peers- laugh with them again, talk, smile...
I'm... I'm going back....!
Like she'd promised...,
Hora went deathly still, her eyes widening in shock and utter pain as her fall back down toward the fall, and her watching of her Magic running through Neveleous' jaw screeched to a sudden, deadly halt.
She coughed, her lungs searing with fire as blood spurted past her lips and painted the air around her, her body lurching backward and all time suddenly crashing to a halt on a single moment,
Agony spread through her body, spiraling across every joint, every bone, muscle, tendon and nerve- she smelled her blood heavy on the air and felt the sticky warmth splash against her chest and neck, and immediately spill and fall down her legs and toward the floor still far, far below.
She heard her skin and muscle snap, felt it- her stomach searing so red hot it was cold, the iron taste of her own blood flooded her mouth as she coughed again, gasping as it dripped past her lips and down her chin. She was shaking, suspended in air as one of Neveleous' giant, razor sharp claws plunged itself deep into her stomach. Deep enough to do some serious damage, enough she was losing a lot of blood instantly- but it had just barely managed not to go deep enough to rip right through her body, and out her back.
Not that it made it any better-
The time that slowed down as the claw plunged into her torso suddenly sped up again, her body lurching backwards as she was thrown away and slammed into the ground, hard.
Hora yelped, her body sliding backwards across the ground. The stone caved in where she first hit it, her body skidding painfully across fractured earth and cement and stone and other debris- leaving a long, thick, deep red trail of blood behind in her path to smear over the floor.
She crashed into a halt when she slammed against a mountain of uplifted stone, destruction, and ice, her body curling in on itself as she lays on her side, her arms holding her torso and already drenched in sticky blood that gave no indication of stopping. The black markings that had filled in to cover her completely started to break apart, retreating back to her arms as she coughed again, blood spilling past her lips as she hissed.
'H-Horatia...!' Lixue sounded so very far away.
Neveleous' was still standing, though it faltered, stumbling as it groaned and screeched- its blood spilling fast from the wound she has torn up through its jaw and out the roof of its head and mouth.
Mortally wounded, the both of she and it... And yet that Beast was still standing.
S..shit.... I.... I.... W..was.... S..supposed.....
Her vision was dotted black and spinning, her head and mind with it as she felt her energy drain as quickly as her blood was. Spent.
I..... I...... W...was..... I.... I had...to....
She stiffened, biting back another cough as she held her stomach tighter, her eyes scrunched closed against the agony.
....w...win...
She felt the ground shake underneath her, heard a wall crumble and topple as Neveleous swung around in rage and pain, it's tail striking through stone with ease even in it's sudden weakened state. She shook violently, one arm moving to push herself upward, to try and get back to her feet- try again, but her arm collapsed underneath her and she slammed back into the ground with a painful jolt that made her yelp. She tried again, and ended the same, too weak, too dizzy. All the Energy spent fighting and every little and big wound suddenly catching up with her tenfold, and all at once.
She couldn't move, she hadn't the will to get back up, nor the strength. All her energy and magic poured into that last Spell... and it still hadn't been enough.
F..Fuck....
What would happen to them? Once they realized she was gone, and Jiemma knew she had failed?
He'd near killed her for simply 'helping' another Guild... there was so much riding on this Job. The Magic Council had asked for SaberTooth's assistance personally. Jiemma was going to be payed no small amount for this, and he's made it oh so very clear there would be dire consequences if she failed.... she didn't want to fail.
I don't.... I don't want to die, either... I wa.... want... to go b..back.....
But shit, she couldn't force herself up. And she tried, she willed her body to move, her muscles to listen to her- but they weren't working like she wanted. She was begging her body to move and yet she could hardly breathe properly, and she still lay there in a pool of blood that was slowly getting larger around her- Neveleous screeching and screaming somewhere she couldn't see, and hearing the wind and the Monster tear the Hall to pieces.
Her teeth gritted, her body tensing as she hissed.
... I.... i.. promised.... I w..would....
'...Get up!' Lixue snapped, his voice muffled and hard to make out in the haze that was slowly consuming her mind.
'You must! You cannot let it end here! Get up you bloody stubborn girl!' Lixue yelled, a little louder, a little more annoying. 'You are not done yet! The Beast still lives, and so do you!'
Hora growled, her hand shaking as it clenched into a fist against the floor, trembling, badly.
'Are you really willing to risk the lives and safety of those people you call friend?! Are you willing to lie here and just let yourself lose?!' He sounded panicked, though. She could hear the fear in his voice, 'You know what happens if you fail in this! It is not only your life you stand to lose, but their lives as well! Their suffering! Would you really lie here and accept to let that bastard of a man harm them?!'
Hora's eyes opened slightly, just small chips of dark blue as the floor swum in front of her eyes. She felt her heart lurch painfully, felt fear in herself just the same of Lixue felt fear at what had happened in so short a time.
'Are you willing to lie here and die, and give him reason to hurt them?! Possibly kill them?!?!'
Fire sparked off her body weakly, her teeth grinding down on one another as she growled lowly.
'Are you willing to break your promise to them so easily, Horatia?!?!'
Hora's fists slammed down against the floor, the stone shattering underneath the hit as the fire blazed brighter, her other hand moving as she struggled to push herself up again, onto her knees.
She coughed again, blood splattering against the stone as she hunched slightly, panting and trembling as her eyes moved upward toward where Neveleous was.
Her eyes flashed gold, the dark blue breaking away again as a sudden wash of sheer fire and anger ignited inside of her.
"t..tch......" She hissed under her breath,
...n....no.
She pushed herself up a bit more, onto her feet as she swayed, her legs shaking badly-
"No..... No I won't.... not that easy, asshole..!" Hora snapped hoarsely, fire sparking around her, stronger every second her anger set in longer.
Had she mentioned she hated it when Lixue was right?
Because he was, and she couldn't lose so easy. She had to go back, she had to win.... at least she had to rid the world of what evil Neveleous brought into it.
She bit down on her tongue to keep herself from yelling again, hissing as her hand fell away from holding what hole had been ripped through her stomach.
"...... shit......... I'm not sure I have another Spell in me.. to finish this..." Hora coughed slightly, growling again. "... tch.... but I have to try, right?"
Lixue didn't answer,
Hora lift her arms up on either side of her, ignoring the drip of her blood onto the floor and the ever worsening lightheadedness. Her eyes locked straight ahead, forcing her Magic to flare brighter, the Markings swirling down her arms and legs again.
Legs, Wings, Under the jaw........ none of those did the job, but right there might....
She could see it, her eyes picking part a new spot, a new weak point that she'd managed to create.
Where her Magic had burned a hole though the Demon's mouth, it had split the leathery skin on the Demon's forehead, leaving it weak. The one spot she might be able to land her last, final blow... a blow harsh enough to maybe finish this.
Hora stumbled slightly, her legs shaking so much she swayed, and catching herself in time to keep from hitting the floor again. Pain seared upward from her stomach, wrapping tight around her chest and making it harder to breathe-
..... enough to finish this, before she really couldn't move anymore.
Blood dripped off her fingers as she held her hands out on either side of her, fire spiraling up around her arms and up from the floor, the red-orange slowly turning into golden-blue.
She had to finish the Demon, at least..... win this, even if-
She forced her feet to move, forced herself forward at breakneck pace regardless of the sheer agony that raced though her body at the movement. The ice covering the floor hissed and liquefied as she passed,
Slay the Demon, even if I might not...
She slammed her feet down, pushing herself upward and onto a protruding boulder, before jumping up to something higher. Neveleous didn't see her coming, she was pretty sure it couldn't anymore-
- she saw their smiling faces, the way their faces lit up when they saw her. The tenderness in their eyes when they talked, the way her heart felt warmer when she was near them-
- she saw them lying on the floor, their skin bruised, bloody, cut. Saw the fear and pain in their eyes as Jiemma stood over top of them, his face dark in rage and fury-
Her Fire blazed brighter, her anger flaring, and her resolve with it.
She couldn't let him touch them!
"Fire Devil's-"
Not again! Not because of her!
I will not lose to a god damned Demon! Not when it would cost them!
"Hell's Blade!!"
Hora's hands clapped together in front of her, a giant sword composed of wild, blazing gold and blue flame, before she swung the sword back, pushing off the wall and launching herself toward Neveleous.
She swung the blade forward, her body on fire and alight in so much pain it was blinding- but she didn't care. She hated this Spell, it took so much Power and concentration to cast- but again, she didn't care. This Spell was deadly as deadly could get, regardless of the cost- and at this point, she had to do whatever it took.
Neveleous screamed as the blade plunged straight through the center of the Demon's forehead. The air shook violently in the sheer force of power that spiraled all around from the Spell, sending debris flying as Neveleous reared upward.
The sword fell away between her hands, the Flame dying as the world before her eyes blurred and darkened to the point she couldn't hardly see anything anymore. Every single shred of Magic she had left faded into nothing, every second of strength- gone.
She thought she heard Lixue yell something, but she couldn't hear him.
Neveleous roared, a strangled, gurgled cry- before it fell back, and the win seemed to push out like a small explosion. Everything froze over, the air chill on her already stinging lungs. What Magic had created that Beast was cut through by her Magic, imploding it and sending a wave of Magic out all around- gripping everything in a near deathly cold.
The Demon crumbled onto the ground, it's body losing color as it's life faded fast. It lay still and unmoving as the ice crept over it's body, trapping it in silence.
Hora tried to land on her feet, but she only slammed into the ground the second after trying. She slid a little over the ice, before coming to a halt as silence rained down over the Guild Hall that had been gripped in utter chaos for so long.
She coughed again, the world a wash of grey and darker grey, hardly able to keep her eyes open as she came to a halt.
Something fluttered down through the air in front of her among the soft snowfall that had encased the building, before hitting the ice a few paces in front of her, and too far to reach- not that she could move her arm to try and grab it anyway. Her body just... wasn't working any longer.
... heh... I..... I w-won....
She felt something warm fall down her cheek, salty liquid that splashed against the ice where she let her head lay.
..... t...tch... but..... I-i......
There was the dim glow of red that seemed to bleed into the grey and the pale... blue.
...... f..figures.... I... i.....i've.... lost t-too.... m...much.... blood......
Her eyes fell closed, the silence deafening on her ears as her consciousness started to slip away- pain and cold mixed with something rueful.
.....o...of cour..se........ I... i.......d...id......
She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move.... Everything was falling away into a chasm with no bottom. She couldn't even feel the stickiness of her own blood on her skin.
She was suffocating.....
The bell chimed nearly painfully loud in the silence that seemed to engulf that icy, blood-ridden site of destruction, its tenor ringing off stone and snow and ice and water alike,
The words 'Idiots Calling' were slowly disappearing under the sticky crimson dripping down over and staining the cards face, the Call left untouched as it continued to ring, the puddle of scarlet liquid grew until the card was becoming submerged in it.
Everything was utterly quiet, the only thing that rung from the ice was the chime of the Card....
No one heard Lixue's voice calling one word, one name.
'....h..... Hor.....atia.....!'
She couldn't hear Lixue anymore, not his voice... Not how terrified he sounded.
Her body wouldn't move anymore. She willed her hand to move toward the Card, but it didn't work.
It remained where it had fallen, her body limp, never catching hold of the one thing that would let her see the people she fought so hard for. Her bloody fingers just inches short,
Everything was just numb..... Empty.
The card-face went black, the chiming of the bell cutting off to sheer silence, drowning now in the sticky scarlet pool of blood.
Nothing stirred, no noise, no sound... Everything was deathly still.
Can a Devil Slayer be slain by a Demon twice....?
I.... I was supposed... To go back.....
.... i....... i'm..... s...o........s....orr....y
'...y..... ou're.......... bl........eeding........o...ut....!'
'...... w..... ake........ u...p....!'
'........ a....... y.....ou...... c...................an't.......... j............us...t..... die....!'
The numbness receded, just a little....
'..... y....ou..................ha..........ve....... to.......!'
'....... be.....fore....... you.....!'
There was a small little light, somewhere there in the deep, empty black.... something chilly blue. The silence breaking, just a little....
'...... you.... h....ave...... to...... try.....!'
She groaned, her head whirling, her body felt like it was bobbing up and down in the ocean. Back and forth, drowning...
'...... if... you.... l....ose...... anymore...... blood....!'
'..... you will... die!'
Her eyes fluttered open weakly, her breath a haze in front of her.
"....l.....Lix...ue..." She breathed,
'....... you can't lose anymore blood, Horatia..!' Lixue's voice was getting louder, harsher on her ears. '... those Magic Council men.... they must be looking for you...!'
The ice was red
'... you cannot bleed to death before they find you! You have to stay awake!'
Her eyes dropped again, her breath shuddering.
"... I.. I can't...." She stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper. She trailed off tough, her eyes opening just a little more.
"...... f...fuck..... o... of c...ourse....i...if. I......"
'Horatia-'
".....I... i h...ave...t-to......."
'.... y-you...!?'
Light bounced off the blood-soaked ice, the air filling with the scent of burn and blood and salt.
She screamed, her voice echoing off the ice and the stone, the shrill sound carrying through the deadly silent halls.
Chapter 17: Silence
Chapter Text
Chapter 1 7
Silence
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
She felt cold and hot all at once, her body shaking without her consent. Her head was in a haze and her eyelids felt heavier than she could ever remember them being. She shuddered involuntarily, her breath catching in her throat as she coughed faintly.
The room was dim around her, and stagnant. She could scarcely see the ceiling above her, if not for the small, faint sliver of light that managed to make it past the edge of the curtains. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she knew she had. She'd been moving in and out of wakefulness for hours, flitting between feverish reality and swirling, nonsensical dreams.
She felt something squeeze around her fingers gently, her eyes trailing sideways from the roof toward that young little boy at the bedside.
Brother....
He was fast asleep, his head resting in his crossed arms on the bedtop- one hand extended just slightly so he could keep holding her hand in his. His fingers twined between hers and limp in his sleeping, yet they still kept locked together.
She blinked, her eyes falling halfway as the haze lifted just enough- she remembered waking up earlier too, and remembered hearing his voice mixed with that of their parents.
"..b-but... I wanna help..."
".... Love, the only thing we can do is let her sleep."
"... Once she rests, the fever will pass and she will be alright.."
".... I...."
"..hmm, I know you want to help her feel better, love....." That was her mother's voice, she sounded sympathetic, and warm.
".... You know what? Sit with her, keep her company. I'm sure that will help her feel better." And that was her Father, a bit louder, but no less warm.
"..y-yeah!" Her brother sounded a little happier with that, he liked that idea- mostly because then, he would be doing something. "... I-i can tell her a story, if she wants...! Or just stick around, so she's not all alone when she's sleeping..!"
"Great idea." Mother and Father said all in unison.
Her mind was slipping back into the deep, dark depths again as she heard feet move down the hallway outside the door.
She must have fallen asleep before he made it inside, but he'd stayed anyway...
She squeezed his hand back faintly, sighing as her eyes fell closed again.
It felt nice, his hand in hers, after so, so long.....
She coughed again, her eyes snapping shut when a sudden wash of pain ignited in her core where it hadn't been seconds before.
Her hand held tight to his hand- only to find it wasn't there anymore. He wasn't, none of it was- not the bed, not the room, not the warmth nor the familiarity.
She was floating in a chilly sea, the water gripping and cold as she saw her blood stain the water darker around her- her stomach a gaping hole and agony racing though every inch of her being. The silence was crushing, even her own voice as she yelled at the pain was muffled and muted and silent on her own ears. She couldn't make a sound,
W-what the...hell....?!
What happened?! Why couldn't she remem... Wait,
North Wind, Neveleous...... She'd been lying there, bleeding to death among the ice, alone..
And I.... I had to....
She felt her heart sink,
..... Did.... Did I die....?
Is that was this is? Death?
B-but I....!
'You are not dead.'
Hora stiffened, the water and the sea suddenly gone as her feet hit solid ground. She shivered, her breathing slowing down as her eyes dropped to her torso- the hole in her stomach was gone, but the pain wasn't.
"Lixue?" She asked instantly, her voice suddenly back too. She glanced around the dreary grey world bereft of anything but herself.
'You came very close, of course... But somehow, even in your foolishness- you are still alive.' Lixue's voice was floating all around her in the emptiness, Hora sweatdropped. '..... What a rash little girl you are sometimes, you could very well of simply killed yourself from the shock, you know.'
"... But it worked, right?" Hora grumbled, "... According to you, I am still alive.... And I did win, right? Neveleous is dead.... I slayed the Demon."
'..... Hmmph, yes.' Lixue grumbled, '... You did what Arden failed to do... And you lived through it, without letting yourself be consumed by darkness.'
".... Would it kill you, to say 'good job' ?" She sighed, he sighed back.
'..... Fine. Good job.' He sighed, '...... But in the future, Horatia... Perhaps we could avoid near-death situations such as this.... We've run into much too many of them lately.'
"... Yeah..." Hora mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck slightly, before wincing when her stomach flared bright in pain again.
Her head snapped upward at the sound of a bell chiming, her eyes glinting as she paused..... Why does that sound familiar?
Her eyes went wide, her body growing rigid as a flash of panic hit her straight on.
Isn't... Isn't that my Calling Card?!
Hora's hands fell atop her head as she hissed,
..... Did.... Didn't they try and call me... Back in North Wind...?!
"S-shit!!"
She lurched upward in panic and confusion, her breathing jagged and uneven as she looked around wildly- mind racing and having such an utterly hard time coming to terms with what the hell was going on.
Hora yelped, her eyes snapping shut as she doubled over, her arms hooking around her body as pain surged upward from her stomach and through the rest of her like a fire. Her head spun from the sudden exertion, sweatdropping heavily as she stayed utterly still, hunched over and hardly daring to breathe as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself quiet.
O-owww.. owww........
"M-Miss....?!"
Her eyes opened to harsh sunlight, her head snapping upward at the shaky voice she didn't quite recognize, her eyes scanning the near empty room with it's white walls, tile floors, empty, clean beds and a shut door- all the way over toward a very stunned and jumpy looking young man in soldiers' clothing. His green eyes glinted feverishly as she stood at the bedside, looking entirely unsure of himself and seeming to have jumped upward from the chair he had previously been sitting in when she lurched upward.
"A-Are you alright?! You sh-shouldn't be moving, o-or sitting up like that..!" He stammered, Hora blinked.
This... this looks like a... hospital... and he's...
Her eyes dropped, seeing underneath the loose shirt she now had, her stomach was wrapped in bandages, similar lengths of them covering wounds on her arms and legs- she could feel and slightly see some bandages wrapped around her nose and cheeks.
Hora stiffened, rounding on the young man now as he jumped.
"How long have I been out?!" Hora snapped, her voice full of urgency as Ira recoiled, looking terrified and very out of his depth.
"E-Eh..?!"
"Ira, how long have I been asleep?!" She asked again, he stiffened.
"O-oh, ah.. about a week.. M-miss...." He stumbled to answer, Hora felt her heart drop.
A WEEK?!
"Crap! Crap, crap, crap!" She hissed, "Did you find my Card?!"
"C-Card...?" He stammered, eyes wide and glittering.
"Calling Card! I had it with me!" Ira blinked, sweatdropping a little more.
"O-oh.. ah, yes.... but..." He mumbled, turning slightly as he picked something up off the nightstand by the bed, and hesitantly held it out toward her. Hora halted, her eyes widening as she reached forward- taking the Calling Card from him and swallowing.
It was stiff, drenched in scarlet and the Card Face black and dead... she couldn't feel any Magic come from it as she touched it, it was broken and she hissed.
What if they were still trying to call her? Would the Call read as unable to connect to her Card, or would it just keep ringing? She honestly hadn't a clue- and either way it wasn't good. They tried to call her, she had heard it ringing- and she had never answered. It had been a weeeeeeeekkkk!!!!
She winced, her eyes snapping shut as one hand moved to hold her stomach when it flashed bright in pain again. Ira flinched slightly, his hands reaching toward her uncertainly.
"..... w-when we found you.... you'd lost so much blood..." He mumbled nervously, ".... y-you are seriously injured, even though you did your best... to... y-you know......." He trailed off, Hora sweatdropped.
'brash fool' as Lixue put it.... Hora remembered that part well enough.
"........ c-close the wound..... keep it from bleeding any more... by.... b-burning it.... closed..." Ira stammered softly, Hora bit the inside of her cheek.
Yes, she remembered the smell of her own flesh burning... maybe a bit of an extreme measure, but she had been bleeding to death.
She hissed, shaking her head, her eyes snapping up from the now useless Card and toward Ira again.
"I need a pen and some paper." She told him shortly, he blinked,
"B-but... Miss, you need to rest...." Ira replied shortly, Hora shook her head.
"This first." She cut him off with ease, he seemed to deflate a little. "Ira, please."
The young man cast an anxious glance at the closed door, before nodding slightly and twirling his finger in air. Into his palm fell a pen, and into the other fell a clipboard with paper attached to it. He held both toward her, looking exasperated as she took them from him shortly.
The pen scribbled across the paper feverishly, her eyes trained to the words and slow enough only to allow herself to be careful not to make the writing look as frantic as she was feeling in that instant. The words reached the end of the paper, before she folded it up and started on another- fast, yet precise strokes across the paper that formed the visage of the same bird she had drawn oh so many times.
Ira watched her in stiff silence, his eyes flicking from the pen to her on repeat.
Hora set the pen down and lift the paper with the bird up in hand, wincing again at another stab of pain that rammed into her through her stomach, before the burning feel of the Markings started as they began to creep down her arm. Her eyes fell closed, warmth pulsing into her hand as she concentrated on the paper, what little Magic she had left and regained was channeling into the Spell, the paper in her hand suddenly engulfed in light, nearly shimmering gold flame. She noticed Ira watching her, near transfixed as his green eyes reflected the glow of the fire.
The paper was eaten away by the fire, but the flames kept away from the lines of the bird she had drawn- eating everything but the illustrated animal. There was bright yellow-orange flash and suddenly Hora's hand fell away, the illustration puffing up into substance, the wings beating as she now suddenly alive bird flapped in air before Hora, its wings dancing with small flames and embers that refused to eat away its still paper body.
Drills flapped his wings before her, letting out a somewhat strangled, started squawk when he lay eyes on a very tense, bandaged Horatia.
"M-miss...?!" Drille squeaked, flapping his wings faster in nervousness. "Are you alright..?!"
"I'm fine." Hora replied shortly, holding the folded letter up toward the very disturbed little bird. "You need to get this letter to Sting and Rogue,"
Drille blinked, stunned for half a second as Hora's eyes flashed.
"Double time!"
Drille jumped, plucking the letter from her hand before speeding off out the window in the blink of an eye. Hora watched him go, her eyes following the small smudge in the sky until it was gone, holding her breath to try and keep herself from wincing- to which her entire torso (stomach in particular) was throbbing painfully. She was a little afraid to breathe at all, thinking what pain would follow if she did.
Her eyes snapped away from the window and closed, doubling over slightly as she groaned, taking in a short, shallow breath that she regretted nearly immediately.
..... Tch.... I really had a number done on me, huh...?
"M-miss Hora... Are you ok..?!" Ira asked quietly, yet his voice was clearly shaking in concern and nervousness still. Hora nodded stiffly, her eyes glittering as she opened them to glance up toward him again.
"... Yeah.... I'm fine.... Sorry, just give me a minute to get over..." she mumbled,
... Freaking out, I guess..
"..... Uh... Do you..... Need me to... Get the doctor....?" He asked hesitantly. Hora shook her head,
"... no. I'm alright.... I apologize, for jumping up like that... And snapping at you." Hora replied softly, "... But maybe..... Tell me what happened?" Ira blinked,
"....You mean... do you not remember...?" He asked,
"I remember Neveleous." she responded quickly, ".. I remember winning, too.... And what I did with.... My wound..... Just not the after bits. Like how I got here?"
"O-oh. Right, well... I tracked you down, using my Magic.... And that ribbon I gave you." Ira started slowly, gesturing toward said ribbon that was tied loosely around her wrist. Hora blinked, her eyes falling to see the ribbon- she hadn't noticed it was there until he pointed it out. "Knight-Captain Lahar, Mr. Doranbolt, and I found you near the Demon, where you... ah.... killed it.." He tapped his index fingers together nervously. "..... you were hurt pretty badly, so we rushed you to the nearest hospital we could find to get help... once the Doctor's patched you up as best they could, Knight-Captain Lahar ordered me to stay here, till you woke up... along with a few of the other Knights." Ira tilted his head toward the door, Hora's eyes flicking over toward that direction.
..... so... am I under lock and key...?
"....ah, am I in some sort of trouble..?" Hora asked slowly, Ira sweatdropped a little.
"Uhm.. well, when Knight-Captain Lahar sent the preliminary report of the battle at North Wind to Era, and the Magic Council.. they were.... ah, a little taken aback." He tapped his fingers together a few more times, his eyes flicking away from her all the way and toward the floor. "...... the number of Mages that were apprehended and arrested in one sitting has reached well over the 300 mark. There have been several dozen Magical Artifacts recovered that we had not anticipated to find, and to add atop that; both Eider and the Demon of Zeref were defeated in the span of only a few hours..... and by one Mage." Hora blinked as Ira trailed off a second,
"... Ah... And to add atop it all... There were no casualties on either side, and few injuries as well... The Magic Council is a little... Ah, stunned..." Ira mumbled, ".... They're having a hard time wrapping their heads around the idea that this Mission went so smoothly, and in so little time- and they're appalled at the idea that one Mage- ah, uhm.. That you- took on Eider and Neveleous on your own, won, and lived through it."
".... So the Chairman has ordered you be kept in custody.... so you can testify as to your actions, and your involvement. To explain what happened, and how you managed to win.... Given no one else was around to witness it." He smiled nervously, Hora stared.
"..... So I'm...." She mumbled. "...... under arrest then, for doing my job..?" She grumbled, Ira sweatdropped.
"Ah.... yes. More or less..." He stammered, ".... We had to mention in the Preliminary Report that you were a 'Devil Slayer', and the Magic Council has no record of that Magic. They want to know more about it, as well as questioning you about what went on in North Wind." He smiled slightly, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, but for now you're in the custody of the Magic Council... as soon as you're well enough for it, we'll head to Era and you'll meet with the Magic Council."
Hora sighed, her head falling in her hands as she grumbled under her breath a few minutes.
"..... so I take it no field trips in the meantime..?" She mumbled, her heart sinking as she bit the inside of her cheek.
"... ah.. n-no...? I mean... you're still hurt, M-Miss...... you should try resting, not... ah, running off..."
I've been asleep for a week.... oh my god.... how many times have they tried to get ahold of me since then? Do they think something's gone wrong? I can't believe I've been...
Hora's hands covered her face as she hissed, her shoulders hunching slightly.
.... please hurry Drille..... they need to know I'm not.... shit.
She let herself sink back down into the bed, hands still covering her face as her elbows remained up in the air.
I'm awful
".... how long is talking with the Council going to take?" Hora mumbled, Ira blinked. "..... if I've been asleep for a week... that means that the GMG starts pretty soon, right?"
"Uh, yeah... the first day of the Grand Magic Games is in five days." Ira replied softly, "As for how long talking with the Council will be... I'm not sure. This whole business with North Wind is taking longer than anticipated to wrap up." Hora cracked open one eye and glanced sideways toward the younger boy. ".... and you only just woke up, Miss. You should probably wait another day or two before even thinking about traveling to Era."
Hora glanced away, her arms falling on either side of her as she stared up at the roof.
I have to see them... I need to make it back to Crocus, I said I would be there for the Games....
Her eyes narrowed slightly,
......... though..... I don't know..... I almost feel weird.... that I am still alive.
She sighed,
.... I was determined to live... but I guess even I'm surprised that I didn't end up dead in the end...... huh...
"Uhm... are you alright, Miss?" Ira asked softly, after hearing Hora sigh for about the fifth time.
"Yeah, I'm ok." She replied softly, "..... I just hope the questioning part doesn't take too long.... I told my friends I would be back in time for the Games...." Hora sat up again, leaning against the headboard with another small sigh.
"..... Have you been here the whole time?" She asked, he blinked, blushing a little.
"Oh, uhm... yes, I have..." He mumbled nervously, ".... Knight-Captain Lahar gave me orders, after all.."
"... and where is he?" She asked,
"I think he's still overseeing excavation and search of the North Wind Guild Hall." Ira replied, "He should be back sometime later, I think, if you were looking to talk with him." Hora blinked, glancing downward toward the red ribbon tied around her wrist.
".... is this thing still set to track me?" Hora asked easily, lifting her hand and gesturing toward it. Ira blinked, looking a little taken aback by the question for a moment.
"... ah... yes..." He said slowly, "..... uhm... Lieutenant Doranbolt told me.... I should keep it with you.... " Hora blinked, eyebrow quirking at the comment.
Wow, that dude does not trust me all that much, does he?
She laughed, just once- and hissed when she did so, but kept laughing regardless. She held her stomach lightly, Ira sitting beside the bed and looking entirely taken aback at the sudden change in mood. "..... sneaky little.." Hora chuckled, shaking her head slightly as Ira stared. ".... heh, he's already got me pegged pretty good, huh?"
"Uh.... Miss..?" Ira asked softly, head tilting as Hora cast him a small, sly smirk.
"Well, since you're supposed to keep track of me, I guess that just means I'm gonna have to drag you along." Hora smirked, Ira sweatdropped a little, his head tilting.
"H-huh...?"
"We're gonna do a little jail-breaking, you and I."
"M-Miss Hora.. this is a really bad idea..."
"Tch... It's fine, Ira. You're supposed to keep tabs on me, yeah? You're doing that."
"B-but M-miss... You're still hurt!"
"Trust me, I'm tougher than I look. I'm fine... And quit with the 'Miss' thing. Just call me Hora, or Horatia.. Or even Atia if you want. Just no more 'Miss'."
"..a...ah.... Alright... But...."
"Try not to worry so much. I'm just fine."
Well, actually walking hurts- but not bad enough to make me stop.
"..... Knight-Captain Lahar is going to kill me..."
"Just tell him you couldn't stop me- I mean you are watching me still. Its not like I've run off and ditched you."
"......."
Hora smiled slightly, casting the look over her shoulder as Ira trailed behind her looking somewhere between scared and worried, and even a little exasperated.
"... Look, I know this isn't what they wanted but I have places to be- people to see." Hora told him, "I have to try and get things moving along as quickly as possible, I've already been asleep a week- I have literally lost any time I thought I had."
He grimaced slightly, looking cross as he looked away from her.
".... Injured in a hospital bed for a week... And now you're walking around not a hour after waking up... That all definitely screams 'fine' and warrants walking around a crime scene when you shouldn't be..." He grumbled hotly, Hora blinked, smirking slightly.
"Oh? You're actually being sarcastic now?" She chuckled, he huffed. "What a change from being so nervous all the time."
She heard him let out a low growl but said nothing otherwise as Hora looked ahead again. She tugged the bottom of her shirt away from her stomach a little, grimacing just slightly as she made her way through the tents and carts and Magic-Mobiles, and of course- Soldiers and Knights too. They looked up and around as Hora moved through them with Ira in tow, eyes wide and surprised as they murmured amongst themselves- gesturing toward them, staring.
Hora's hands moved to subconsciously tug her sleeves down- only to remember that she wasn't wearing a shirt with long sleeves at all. What little clothes she had packed, this shirt was one of the few not destroyed nor blood-soaked- so she'd been forced into wearing it where usually she probably would not have.
I'll have to take some time to find a store and buy something new... I doubt I'll have time to go home before heading to Crocus for the Games....
"She's alive then?"
"I had no idea she woke up..."
"... Why's she hanging around here, though?"
"She's supposed to be confined the the Hospital, right..?"
Ira pressed closer, moving from following her to staying at her shoulder as he grimaced slightly, looking less than thrilled as he heard the murmurs start to grow more frequent.
".... Doranbolt is gonna kill me too....." He mumbled, she nudged him with her shoulder a little, shaking her head.
"Don't worry, I'll let him hamper on me instead of you." Hora smirked, "After all, this was my idea- he can't expect you to be able to control me, yeah? I am a big, bad, scary Devil Slayer~"
Ira blinked, smiling slightly in amusement. "You are kinda scary." He mused, Hora chuckled.
"Ouch."
"You said it, not me." Ira shot back, Hora smirked.
"You've gotten suddenly cheeky!"
"Might as well, I'm not gonna be alive much longer once we find Lahar and Doranbolt."
"Ah, it can't be that bad-" Hora hummed, breaking herself off as they reached the huge, heavy stone doors, her eyes catching sight of said men standing together with Lahar looking at a few papers in his hands and Doranbolt looking over his shoulder. "- there they are." Ira deflated, sweatdropping heavily as his head hung a little.
"And so I go to die.."
Hora flicked him lightly across the nose, earning a small half-glare from him. "Oh lighten up!" She smirked, his lips twitched at the edges despite himself. She stepped forward, Ira slowing up a little to follow her as she moved up behind both of them.
"-Once I'm done reviewing the last of the artifacts recovered, we'll head to the Hospital. I'll still need to write up the rest of the report for today and send it to the Chairman." Hora caught Lahar's voice as she started forward, Doranbolt nodded slightly.
"You think she's awake yet?" Doranbolt mumbled,
"She lost a lot of blood, and the amount of Magic Energy she must have spent alone... I'm not surprised she's been unconscious so long, but I do think she should be awake soon. At least I hope so." Lahar answered, shaking his head slightly. "... I will admit I was a bit curious why Master Jiemma only sent one person to assist in this matter, I didn't think much of her before- but she certainly shattered any doubts I had."
"... she still ended up in bad shape though." Doranbolt grumbled, "... she has to be a little crazy to have charged in alone like that, regardless if she won or not. More so seeing she used her own Magic to sear that wound closed-" Hora frowned slightly, shaking her head as she halted right behind the both of them, hip cocking a little as she leaned in and lightly flicked her hand against his back.
"Well tell me how you really feel, why don't you?" She grumbled, her eyes flashing slightly as he stiffened under the gesture- his back rigid as both Doranbolt and Lahar jumped. They whipped around, sucking in air in shock and eyes wide as they jumped back a little, eyes whited-out and jaws dropping as they lay eyes on her.
"W-What?!" Lahar stammered,
"Y-You?!" Doranbolt snapped,
"You're here?!" They both said in unison, Hora nodded stiffly.
"Clearly." She mumbled, shaking her head at the both of them slightly. "Calm down, you didn't need to freak out about it."
"But how..?! Why..?!" Doranbolt snapped, his eyes moving from her toward Ira behind her- who smiled nervously.
"Ira!" Lahar and Doranbolt snapped, Hora stepped sideways to put herself a bit more in front of him.
"Don't yell at him, you told him to babysit me- be happy he came with." Hora grumbled, her hand raising as she waved her wrist and the length of red ribbon meant to track her still tied tightly. "Besides, its not like you can't just find me anyway if I did run off- you put a freakin' leash on me!" They grimaced slightly while Ira blinked in surprise at how quickly she placed herself between them and him.
"Of course we did!" Doranbolt snapped back, looking annoyed now. "You're up and walking around now when you shouldn't be! I knew you'd try and ditch us if you had the chance!"
"Shut up!" Hora snapped back, annoyed too as they suddenly butted heads- where usually she wouldn't have gotten so worked up and into an argument, but to be honest her nerves were on high at the very real fact that she had been passed out for a week. "Don't act like you now anything about me!"
"I know you're crazy! And you run around doing insane things!"
"You can't just go around calling people crazy!"
"You said you might be a little insane! Let's not forget the fact you talk to yourself!"
"I do not talk to myself!"
"Yes you do! Everyone heard you!"
They both scowled, their fists clenching and tempers on a sudden high- they almost looked like they were about ready to start fighting. Ira and Lahar jumped, looking frantic and taken aback as they stepped in between both Hora and Doranbolt- Lahar pushing his friend back and Ira struggling to hold Hora back as she growled,
"E-enough, both of you!" Lahar snapped,
"Horatia please!" Ira grumbled, he was shorter than her- and she was stronger, her blue eyes blazing as she glared daggers at Doranbolt and he glared right back.
"You little-!" Hora hissed, a vein ticking on her forehead- her nerves really were on a high if she was getting this annoyed this fast.
'Horatia...' Lixue mumbled, though he didn't have the conviction in his voice to really sound like he was telling her to cool it.
Ira puffed, struggling as he pushed back against Hora and Lahar did the same with Doranbolt. "What is your deal?!" She hissed,
"What's yours?!" He snapped back,
Ira let out an unhappy sigh, a vein ticking on his forehead as Hora pushed back against him hard enough he stumbled. "Why don't the two of you just get a damned room already?!" The younger boy snapped loudly,
Hora and Doranbolt went still, their eyes whited-out and jaws dropping at the words. There was a split second of silence before both Hora and Doranbolt rounded on Ira, blushing furiously and looking outraged- Ira simply sighed, looking quite done.
"Excuse me?!?!"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
Lahar deflated, shaking his head as he sighed heavily- why?
"You two are fighting like an old married couple!" Ira grumbled,
"Shut it!!"
"Enough!" Lahar ordered sharply, earning Ira, Doranbolt, and Hora's eyes as they stiffened- the latter two looking still rather disgruntled. They huffed, shooting eachother small glares as Lahar pushed himself between the both of them and split them apart. "This is ridiculous! You are both acting like children!"
"He started it." Hora grumbled, Doranbolt growled.
Lahar rounded on her and Hora blinked, "Regardless, you are not supposed to be out of bed! You are injured and you are supposed to be resting! Confining you to that room was not only to ensure you would not move out of our sights, it was also for your own good!" Hora sweatdropped slightly, her eyes narrowing as he halted- his face pulling into a scowl as his jaw clenched, a vein ticking on his forehead.
"You're bleeding!" He snapped, his hand gesturing toward her shirt as she jumped, her attention snapping down to see that shiny crimson was bleeding through her shirt on her stomach. Ira jumped, his eyes widening as all sternness and agitation that had flared inside of him shattered,
"O-oh no, H-Hora..!" He stammered, hands hovering as he started to panic, entirely unsure of what to do-
"...... this was my last clean shirt...!" Hora whined,
"You're worried about your shirt..?!" Doranbolt grumbled,
"I only packed so many! All the other ones are dirty or ruined!"
"I think there's a more pressing issue than your wardrobe!"
Lahar's head tilted back toward the sky, looking utterly defeated as his hands held his head- Ira dodging around like a frantic little rabbit and Hora and Doranbolt arguing (a bit less fervently now) as the four of them stood in front of those massive, gaping doors- and were easily the noisiest thing for miles.
"How has this become my job..?"
"It's nothing serious."
The curtains swished as the doctor pulled them aside, his hands falling into his pockets as his eyes found Ira, Lahar and Doranbolt- all of which has moved towards the wall and had been waiting silently. Hora was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, leaning back slightly with her hands propping her up behind her and looking a little displeased, her eyes watching the Doctor silently as she huffed a little.
"A few stitches pulled, and I've fixed them up with little issue. Overall her health is quite fine, considering the state she arrived in, in the first place." The man went on, nodding toward the Council-Members. He cast a glance back at Hora, who frowned a little. "I would recommend taking a little more time to rest up, however. You seem the resilient sort, but you did get hurt pretty badly regardless."
Hora grumbled under her breath, her eyes moving away from him as she frowned slightly.
I don't have time....
The doctor sighed slightly, shaking his head a little before smiling.
"Ah, well. I'm all done, I'll be getting on to the rest of my rounds." he said easily, Lahar nodded.
"Thank you."
"Of course." He left the room with a wave over his shoulder, leaving Hora with Ira, Lahar and Doranbolt as silence settled for a few seconds.
"..... I told you I was fine." Hora grumbled lowly,
"Regardless, you should not have left this room so soon." Lahar grumbled lowly,
"Why would you?" Doranbolt grumbled, Ira bit the inside of his cheek, looking nervous still.
"... I need this done and over with quickly." Hora replied, her voice dropping as Lahar and Doranbolt blinked in surprise. "I wasn't counting on being out for so long, I promised my Guild that I would be back in time for the GMG, and that's only in a few days. If the Chairman of the Magic Council intends to question me, I want to get it over with soon so I don't miss the Games. More so since it'll take a few days to get back to Era and Crocus from all the way out here."
I've been out for a week and my Calling Card broke... I can't imagine how out of their minds Sting, Rogue, Frosch and Lector have been going all this time....
Her hands tightened around the bed behind her, her eyes flashing. "..... I just don't have time to sit around. That's why I don't care about sitting in bed 'resting'- I'm fine, I already said that." Hora grumbled lowly,
".... what's the problem with being a little late?" Doranbolt deadpanned, Hora stiffened. "It's not the end of the world, you'll still make it in time to see the Games- just not all the way through."
"Because I've been gone for three months on some dangerous mission and I haven't called them in a week!" Hora snapped immediately, he flinched a little. "Last they knew, I was close to finding North Wind and Neveleous- can you even imagine what they've been thinking the last week? My Calling Card got wrecked and they have no idea what's going on with me!" She hissed slightly, her jaw clenching. "I sent them a letter the minute I woke up... but I have to see them, soon. I can't make them wait any longer, they've probably been worried out of their minds." The men seemed to pause, their eyes flashing.
"..... I understand why you feel the need to rush." Lahar murmured after a little while, "I can't promise you that your meeting with the Council will go any more swiftly than normal, but I can try and speed it along. For today, however- we are still rounding up the last of the artifacts, and won't be leaving for Era until the morning." Hora grimaced slightly, "You can rest for one more night, we will go in the morning, I promise."
She frowned a little more, "... it's going to take forever to get to Era from here."
"Tch... did you already forget?" Doranbolt grumbled lowly, Hora narrowed her eyes at him. "The Council has tools to transport things and people to and from places almost instantaneously. We're far enough out it will take a few trips of Transportation Magic to reach Era, but it won't take more than a day, at most." Hora paused, her eyes widening slightly.
Wait that's right... he uses Teleportation Magic, doesn't he?
"So sit still and go to sleep, we'll go in the morning." Doranbolt huffed, his arms crossing over his chest as an edge worked its way into his voice. "And don't forget, if you try and sneak off we will find you- easily." Hora bit the inside of her cheek,
Right, cause she was still leashed.
Hora's eyes flicked sideways toward the window, eyes narrowing as she halted for a minute Drille was still out there, somewhere- meaning the Letter hadn't been delivered yet....
.... one more night?
She wouldn't admit it out loud, but her stomach was throbbing pretty badly- the rest of her body wasn't a problem, but where the Demon's claws had plunged into her, and she'd burned it closed herself... it wasn't a pleasant feeling. She was pretty tired, but she was also still very worked up. Her eyes fell closed as she bit down on her cheek hard enough to taste blood,
I'm so sorry....
She glanced back at them, nodding stiffly. Her voice was low, and it seemed she had to froce herself to say it at all-
"Fine.."
They heard wings flapping furiously in the silence of the world around them, their thoughts snapped out of dark corners and chasms filled with so much worry and fear they felt sick-
Yukino, Rufus, Orga, Lector and Frosch glanced around the second they heard Sting and Rogue's footsteps halt in the grass behind him. They paused, eyes wide and glittering as they saw the shock dawn on the Dragon Slayer's faces- their shoulders rigid and disbelief showing on their faces- riveted.
A week had gone by and they had tried to call Hora's Calling Card every single day- several times a day. Each time there being no answer and each time fear setting in deeper, their hearts breaking more and more everytime. There had been so much silence between them for that long, none of them knowing what to do, most of them tearing themselves apart on the inside- they felt helpless, and seeing the terror settle in so deeply in the group of Dragon Slayer's and Exceeds alike- that was torture.
They were crumbling and there was nothing they could do to stop it. They didn't talk, they hardly looked at anyone else- they'd pulled in on themselves and they were losing what little will they had left to continue on and toward Crocus- they hadn't even the will to look forward to the Games, or participate in them... because how could they?
Something really bad happened, they felt that so deeply in their hearts- and they knew it had happened to Hora. Something had gone utterly, terribly wrong... and she had gone as silent as they had.
But suddenly, out of nowhere at all- the silence was broken. And their hearts leapt in their chests, nose's twitching and eyes shinning when the scent of fire and embers hit their nose.
Sting and Rogue whipped around back toward the way they had come, starting forward up the hill they had left behind and leaving everyone else behind in stunned surprise- before they followed as quickly as they possibly could.
It can't be-
They were stumbling up the hill, the grass torn up under their feet, hearts racing.
It has to be-
They were huffing by the time they reached the top, eyes wide and fixed to the sky, searching.
It-
"DRILLE!!" Sting and Rogue yelled, their eyes locking onto that small, burning brilliant creature in the indigo sky above them.
They'd jumped up at the same time, their hands reaching out as they both grabbed tight of the poor creature before it had time to understand what was going on- it let out a strangled squawk, it's wings flapping feverishly as it did it's best to stay afloat- to no avail.
Sting, Rogue and Drille smacked into the ground in a tangle of limps, wings and paper- the Dragon Slayers hissing as they bonked their heads against one another but caring little as they picked themselves up, on their hands and knees, leaning over and in toward the small Firebird- eyes wide and frantic.
"What happened?!"
"Is Hora ok?!"
"Why hasn't she been answering?!"
"Drille please!!"
Drille jumped up onto it's feet, looking frantic and rather angry, it's wings flapping and fire sparking off his feathers more brightly as it turned- throwing the letter it had been clutching tightly in it's beak straight at the both of them- smacking Rogue in the face hard enough the contact was audible.
"How dare you snatch me out of the air like that?!" The little bird snapped, Sting and Rogue didn't hear him at all- their hands were fumbling quickly to open up the letter.
Both boys pressed shoulder to shoulder, faces close to one another and one hand each on either side of the letter- their eyes flashing the instant they recognized Hora's handwriting and small whiffs of her scent floated up from the paper.
'I'm fine! I am so sorry, my Calling Card got wrecked- I had no idea idea if you guys were trying to call me or not- But I'm fine! I swear, to you I am, I am so so sorry! I'm sorry but I'm not going to write a lot- so I can send Drille out even sooner, you guys have been waiting long enough- please, I didn't mean to worry you for so long, I should have called you before- "
Whatever was supposed to be written there next had been scribbled out.
"-no, I'm not getting into it right now. I will tell you everything when I get back, I'm going to see you soon! I swear I will see you in a few days, I'll meet you in Crocus- I said I would comeback and I am! Please, please, forgive me for going so long without hearing from me! I'm sorry!"
Their hands on either side of the paper tightened, their jaw's clenching a little as their shoulders hunched.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry.... A week, I can't believe it's been a week! I can't imagine what you've been thinking happened- shit. I am really ok, I promise you I'm ok- crap I can't believe I've done this to you guys again..."
The penstroke trailed away before starting again lower on the paper.
"... I am so sorry, I can't say it enough. Please, forgive me... and don't worry about me, please. I'll be back safe and sound before you know it! I promise! I'll be there, I'm coming- please just don't freak out, or worry anymore, please... I'll see you soon. I swear to you, I will. "
They were shaking, their hands falling as they pressed them against the ground, hissing.
"- Hora"
The group of Rufus, Orga, Lector, Yukino and Frosch made it to the top of the hill, panting and frazzled- their eyes immediately landing on the hunched figures of Sting and Rogue on the ground; their heads hanging and the letter held tightly in their hands on the ground between them.
The group stiffened, eyes wide and glittering when they saw the tears falling to the ground, spilling fast passed the Dragon Slayer's eyes, their breaths shaky and their bodies trembling as they sobbed.
"..tch.... she.... she's..." Rogue hissed,
"... H-Hora...." Sting stammered,
Their fangs ground down on eachother, their hearts thrumming in their ears as they continued to cry- small, shaky little smiles growing on their lips. They'd never felt their hearts pounding like this, never felt their stomachs churning, their bodies warm-
Everyone else stiffened, their eyes glistening- those were the first smiles they had seen since....
Sting and Rogue sobbed, their voices shaky and their smiles too- eyes glittering and the tears never stopping.
"..... she's alive..... she's ok.....!"
Chapter 18: Fugitive?
Chapter Text
Chapter 1 8
Fugitive?
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
You know.... I never realized how much I hated political things.
This is ridiculous, why is it taking so long? How much paperwork could possibly have to go through for this? I feel like I've been answering the same questions in different forms over and over again....
She was getting fidgety- well, more fidgety. She hadn't exactly been calm nor still the whole time. The longer things with the Council dragged on the more restless she was getting- the closer to the start of the GMG it was getting.
And the more restless she got, she knew Doranbolt, Lahar and Ira were watching her even more closely- waiting for her to try and bolt, slip away.
... Oh I'm definitely planning on it if this goes on much longer.
It shouldn't have to be so hard to just explain what went on, they were almost making it so much harder than it needed to be. She could understand some confusion and disbelief at what she'd managed- because hell; she was surprised herself that she'd actually made it out alive. But even still, she was Sabertooth- and Sabertooth was was still the number one Guild last she checked...
She'd so far been recanting her individual investigation into North Wind the last few months, what she'd seen of their destruction and what she'd seen of their business selling people (all things she had been reporting in on anyway- so this seemed a ridiculous waste of time), and what she'd figured out about the key to their Guild Hall. (Again, hadn't she already reported on this...?!)
They like going around in circles, I'm convinced.
And then she recanted what she did upon entering North Wind- backing up what portions had been seen by the other Council Knights and then detailing what happened when she was alone. She'd tried her best to be as quick and to the point about it- but no. The Council wanted every little goddamn detail and mostly they wanted to know what her Magic was.
That was a topic she would have rather not touched, and here and there she found herself hating herself for ever having mentioned being a Devil Slayer in the first place. Maybe if she had kept it her little secret she wouldn't be stuck picking apart and explaining the details of the Magic she didn't ever like from the start- and liked telling other people about it even less.
That being said she kept a lot of things to herself still. She'd been skirting around just explaining the bare minimum, and it was working- though even as her retelling of the events dwindled she found more and more papers and documents shoved in her face.
If she wasn't very sure the Council had already contacted Jiemma about all of this, she might have already said screw it and told the Council to stuff it- Of course any misconduct on her part was sure to find it way to Jiemma's ear, and then she would surely have hell to pay. And she wasn't looking to deal with that. Less for her sake and more for how everyone else would react if she got in trouble with that bastard of a man again.
.... Speaking of everyone else.
She'd gotten a letter back, a letter written in hands that had clearly been shaking- the ink smudged in a few places by moisture she smelled salt from. Tears.
A letter telling her how happy they were to have gotten her letter- how relieved they were and how much they missed her- and looked forward to seeing her soon. And a letter at the very end, that simply said;
Thank you
After all that bolstering and promising she would be a better friend to them, she'd gone and left them sitting in silence and fear for a damned week.... And they said thank you.
.... Shit. I'm horrible.
She felt the pull to break loose and run off grow stronger, burning just like her Magic.
The GMG starts tomorrow.
".. Tch... Hey, cover for me, will you? Please?"
"....h-huh...?!"
Natsu let out a breath, his hands on his hips as he glanced upward at the night sky overhead- dark in contrast with the light and bustle of Crocus around him. His nose filled with the scent of people and food and flowers- of which littered the ground and lined the buildings in droves- a few rings of flowers hung around his neck as his attention turned from Lucy and Happy behind him.
A week and four days ago he'd felt it- that sensation that something had gone wrong, something with Horatia... A week and it still nagged him, and pissed him off too- hating himself for letting her go off in the first place. Worry that had dug a hole in his stomach and settled there with no intention of leaving- not even through training for the Games, or sitting through what agony he, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Juvia and Levy had had to, to try and unlock 'Second Origin'.
He still regretted leaving her- what attempt he made to get rid of the feeling on remembering her promise to come back was short-lived, and weak.
His jaw clenched slightly,
Something wasn't right, he knew that immediately- and though he didn't know what specifically, he knew in his core that it was because of that SaberTooth Wizard he had left behind, and had had to fight himself every step of the way not to turn right around and go back to.
He wanted to trust her, wanted to believe in her so badly and though he hated himself for leaving- he forced himself to, because that was what she wanted- but this feeling had him ready to start running, because this feeling was bad.
It had lessened so, since that day... But he still felt it.
He'd hoped maybe, with the Grand Magic Games officially starting tomorrow- he'd run into her, while walking around the city. But the whole day had gone by already and there wasn't any sign of Hora, or anyone in Sabertooth for that matter.
.... You promised you were coming to the Games, Hora. Don't break it.
He frowned slightly, letting out another breath- before pausing, his nose twitching as something sweet hit his nose, and he didn't think it was the flowers.
"-oh? There's a fight going on over there!"
Natsu's head tilted, his attention snapping to the words in an instant as he smirked.
"All right..!"
"Should they really be fighting?"
"Well, everyone's all wound up.."
Lucy looked up in surprise, her eyes darting toward Natsu when she saw him moving off in the direction of a large crowd rather quickly.
"Natsu, wait!" Lucy called, he didn't give any indication of having heard her- he was already doing his best to push through the crowd of people that had gathered farther up the street. "Idiot..."
Natsu blinked, his ears easily catching the unmistakable sound of someone smashing into the ground with a painful grunt- the crowd around him awash in murmuring and tense words as the people looked on. Natsu was crawling through legs just to get through-
"Hey, aren't they-?"
"No way, it is..!"
"That's Sting and Rogue, the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth!"
Natsu felt his heart jump a little, his ears ringing at the words as he neared the front- and halted, his eyes widening.
The crowd was circled around and left a large clearing in the center- to where two men were standing with two cats, surrounded by people slumped and knocked senseless all around them.
The blonde one of the two boys smirked, his eyes flashing in challenge- the dark haired one at his shoulder neutral-faced and still.
"Heh, anybody else wanna go?" The blonde growled, his arms held out in a gesture for someone to come at him- if anybody dared. Natsu stared, sweatdropping slightly.
Those two... Are they really...?
"... Sabertooth..?" He breathed, both boys stiffened, their ears easily catching onto the new voice as their attention moved toward Natsu in an instant- halting for half a second.
"You're.." The blonde mumbled,
".. Natsu Dragneel....?" The other said lowly, Natsu blinked.
"You know who I am?" He asked on instinct, the blonde moved forward a little, his eyes narrowing.
Happy squeezed through the crowd, stumbling before he halted too- his eyes widening when he took sight of the two Exceeds. "Cats?!" He stammered, Lucy sighed as she pushed through too- her eyes falling on Happy in exasperation.
"... They're clearly Exceeds, idiot." She mumbled,
"I'd heard you might be joining the Games, is that true?" The blonde mumbled, stopping in front of Natsu as his hands fell in his pockets. Natsu blinked, his eyes narrowing slightly at the way his voice lowered- but he did recognize it, he'd heard this guy's voice and the other guys too- when Hora called them.
Natsu sweatdropped, immediately noting that neither of the two sounded anything like they had when he had heard Hora talking to them- almost as if they were two different people after all.
The blonde didn't wait for Natsu to answer the question, he leaned down, a shadow passing over his face as his eyes glinted dangerously. "Acnologia... You're a Dragon Slayer who lost to a Dragon." He growled, Natsu stiffened, his jaw clenching slightly. "How can you call yourself a true Dragon Slayer then?"
"Tch...." Natsu hissed, his eyes flashing as he scowled. The blonde leaned back again, his tongues clicking.
"To think I used to look up to you as a Kid." He grumbled, his head tilting toward the other man behind him. "Like you used to look up to Gajeel, huh?"
"I appreciated him as a Dragon Slayer." Was the low reply, Natsu growled.
"Hmm, but I suppose we're true Dragon Slayers, unlike them." The blonde grumbled, "We'd have probably beaten Acnologia."
"That's easy to say when you've never met him." Lucy told them quickly, the blonde tilted his head in her direction, smirking.
"Yeah, that's true!" Happy grumbled hotly,
"Wow, you're clueless~" the red Exceed sighed,
"Fro thinks so too." The other murmured,
"It doesn't matter if we've met him or not." The black-haired one said lowly, his red eyes flashing.
"The fact of the matter is we're on a whole different league than other Dragon Slayers." The blonde smirked, shrugging his shoulders slightly.
"Let me tell ya something," The red Exceed smirked, shaking his head a little. "People who gain their Dragon Slayer Powers from Dragons- like Natsu here- are First Generation Dragon Slayers. People who are able to use Dragon Slayer Magic from Lacrima inside their bodies are known as Second Generation- like Cobra and Laxus-kun."
Lucy, Happy and Natsu blinked, sweatdropping slightly.
"As for Sting and Rogue though, they're hybrids who not only have Dragon Parents- but also Dragon Lacrima inside their bodies. They're known as Third Generation Dragon Slayers!"
"T-third Generation..?!" Happy and Lucy echoed, Natsu got to his feet.
"Oi! Did you lose contact with your Dragon's in the year X777 too?!" Natsu asked immediately, Sting and Rogue both blinked, looking a little lost for a minute, before Sting smirked slightly,
"Well, not exactly..." He hummed,
"Let me tell you the truth." Rogue murmured, ever straight-faced, but an edge worked it's way into his voice and Natsu blinked. A shadow passed across both Sting and Rogue's faces, their eyes glinting dangerously as they held Natsu in their icy stare.
"To become true Dragon Slayers, we killed the Dragons who taught us Dragon Slaying Magic."
"Y-you killed a Dragon...?!" Lucy stammered, horror dawning on her face.
Happy trembled, "Human beings... killed a Dragon...?" He mumbled,
Natsu's face twisted, rage burning bright in his core as his fangs ground down on one another at the words, "You... you killed your parents?!" He snapped lowly, his voice close to being a snarl as his fists clenched tight at his sides.
And the Bastards didn't even look like they cared, Sting just smirked a little more while Rogue huffed slightly.
"How could you kill the one who raised you?!" Natsu snapped, Sting let out a breath.
"Easy, to gain the Power to surpass all other Dragon Slayers." He replied easily, Natsu growled, taking a step forward. "Killing them was the only way to unlock our true power- something you'll never have. You aren't even powerful enough to kill Dragons- why else did Acnologia beat you?" He laughed, "I'll be sure to show you the power of a true Dragon Slayer if we see one another in the Games, Salamander."
Lucy swallowed, her hands pressing together against her chest- these two... they were like animals- the looks on their faces chilled her to the core and she froze.
This is what Sabertooth is like...? H... how can they be so different from Horatia...?
"Tch.." Natsu hissed, his fists shaking as Sting smirked at the sight.
"Let's go, Sting. I'm bored of talking with them." Rogue grumbled,
"Oh, but it looks like Salamander wants to pick a fight." Sting laughed, Rogue blinked, eyes narrowed.
"... tch... how can you be so smug...?!" Natsu snapped lowly,
"Natsu..!" Lucy and Happy called, looking nervous. Natsu just started stalking forward toward Sting and Rogue regardless, fangs bared.
To kill their parents, and act like it was nothing?! These assholes are asking for a fight! Why are they acting like this?!
"Whoa there, Salamander. I know these two have a knack for rubbing people the wrong way, but too much fighting before the Games the start, might actually get you disqualified right off the bat."
Natsu halted in an instant, the anger disappearing from his face- Sting and Rogue went stiff, their faces falling slack suddenly as they sucked in sharply. Lector and Frosch bristled, their tails standing straight up- Lucy and Happy jumped slightly too, eyes glittering.
All their heads snapped around, staring with glittering eyes and completely taken aback. They all stiffened, sweatdropping heavily as their eyes landed on her- their hearts dropping and leaping all at once.
No-
"And nobody wants that. Everyone's excited to see what Fairy Tail brings to the table this year, after all." She smirked slightly, her eyes glittering as she quirked an eyebrow at the lot of them. Her hand fell on her hip as she cocked it, her head tilting slightly too.
"Best leave the fighting for the actual Games, hmm?" She hummed lightly,
"Who's that?"
"Wait- you see her Guild Mark?"
The crowd that had been getting ready for a fight suddenly halted, their eyes landing on her just like everyone else's did. Her red-hued shirt hanging from her shoulders and sections of dark red, mesh poking up underneath it around her neck and chest, and her upper arms too- a length of red fabric looped around her torso and tied off at her hip, where a belt hung loosely too. Wearing black shorts and long fishnet stockings up to her thighs, and paired with dark combat boots- and all new outfit none of them had ever seen before.
The ones in the crowd directly behind her immediately found the icy blue Guild Mark left visible on her shoulder-blade. A shocked murmur passed among them,
"She's from SaberTooth too!"
Natsu frowned a little, his jaw snapping shut from having fallen open when he found shock and worry hit him square on- his eyes immediately finding what the other Wizards did- the line that cut across her cheeks and her nose, a scar that had not been there the last time any of them had seen her.
"Hora..."
Natsu's eyes snapped away from her when his ears caught onto both Sting and Rogue whispering her name- too low for the crowd to have heard it, but he heard it fine, and he froze.
They looked shocked, utterly shocked- and he saw both worry and happiness ignite inside their eyes in an instant when they saw her. What rude, crass and dangerous feeling they had been giving off was shattered in a single second- and they seemed to be trying very hard not to outwardly react at all, like they were holding themselves back- but Natsu could see it immediately.
They were overjoyed, and concerned too- because that new scar on her was something they hadn't seen either, and they hissed under their breaths, eyes glittering.
They suddenly looked like two different people, just for a split second.
Lucy and Happy smiled, looking ready to move toward her- before they caught themselves. Hora's eyes flicked over toward them both, her hand lifting as she tapped her finger to her lips just once, shaking her head so slightly that the crowd wouldn't have seen her do so- but everyone in the center did. She smiled sadly at the both of them for the smallest half-second, before letting her hand fall back and smirking.
Natsu, Lucy and Happy's eyes narrowed slightly- sweatdropping a little as they frowned.
Natsu had told them what Hora said about SaberTooth keeping up appearances, and how her Guild Master would get angry if it got out they she knew them, or had worked with them at all. They were just as confused about it as Natsu had been- they didn't understand why it would be such a big deal, but Natsu had been serious about it- because he knew Hora really needed them to keep it quiet that they were familiar. They didn't know why she needed that from them, but they'd listen regardless- not that they liked it in that moment though. It was a relief and a shock to see her again, and they had so many questions they wanted to ask- and still they stopped themselves, and stayed quiet.
Hora let out a silent sigh, her eyes flashing as she started forward toward them. She saw Sting, Lector, Frosh and Rogue stiffen again, their eyes glittering as they bit down on their tongues, fidgeting, just a little.
"It's pretty late, ya know." She murmured coolly- but loud enough the crowd could hear, brushing past Natsu as she moved closer toward the SaberTooth Dragon Slayers. She cast him a look, "Guilds are supposed to be back to their assigned Inns by midnight, or suffer the consequences." She smirked, "You might wanna get going, wouldn't wanna risk missing out on the Games, yeah?" She tilted her head in the direction of the street, his eyes narrowing at her slightly.
She looked away from him, turning her back on him as she nudged both Sting and Rogue forward ahead of her- they moved, stiffly, their eyes fixed on her and rigid. Frosch and Lector started forward, sprouting wings and ears folded against their heads as they followed after her quickly, the SaberTooth Mages leaving the Fairy Tail ones behind.
"I look forward to seeing SaberTooth go head to head with Fairy Tail." Hora called back, "We're certainly not gonna make it easy on you." She added in lowly, her voice dropping slightly in challenge- Natsu blinked.
Her hand lift, throwing a nonchalant wave over her shoulder as they moved through the parted crowd.
"See ya~"
Natsu sighed slightly, his eyes flashing when Hora's voice dropped low enough he was the only one who could have heard her out of the other Fairy Tailers, and the crowd.
"... I'll catch you later, Salamander."
"Mmm, alright- looks like we managed to leave everyone behind." Hora hummed, smiling as she turned on her heel toward the four following behind her- the city thinning out as she quickly lead them away from the heart of Crocus and toward the edge of the city, and the road that lead up toward the Inn SaberTooth had been assigned. It was out of the way, and there was no one around- as she had intended of course.
"Sorry to pull you away, but I'd figured you wouldn't mind-"
Hora broke off, her eyes widening as she flinched back a little- too late.
"Hora!!!"
They'd jumped at her all at once, beaming and worried at the same time- their bodies moving and arms thrown open as Hora felt her heart drop into the pits of her stomach.
Shit-
Lector and Frosch slammed into her, hugging close to her torso and tails wagging like crazy, burying their noses in her chest- she hissed, feeling them bump into her stomach rather hard and biting down on her tongue.
Rogue and Sting were no better, they threw themselves at her- their arms wrapping tightly around her shoulders and body, their momentum knocking the breath from her as she yelped a little- and they all fell back against the cobbled road with a painful thud in a mess of limbs and bodies. They bent over her, almost laying on top her and pressed close- their warmth against her, arms locked around her, faces pressed into either side of her neck, Hora's back pressed against the ground and only barely catching her head before she slammed it into the ground too.
She honestly couldn't tell where one person ended and one person began- they were twined together tightly and it really didn't feel like they were gonna let her go, maybe ever. They held tight to her as if she was going to slip away from them again, what personal space they usually adopted didn't matter for a damn thing- they were just happy to able to touch her, to hold her.
Hora's jaw clenched, her eyes scrunched closed and fighting the urge to wince- before she halted, her eyes snapping open and the breath catching in her throat.
All four of them, they were shaking- badly.
A shiver ran up her spine, a drop of something wet splashing against the inside of her neck and against her shoulder- followed quickly by another, and then more- she heard their breathing hitching and their bodies jumping as they cried.
"H.. Hora..."
".... Y... you're back..."
"..w..we... m-missed you... s-so much...!"
".... w-we've b-been.... s...so... worried...!"
"...we.... w-we thought.... you'd...."
"..... we thought.... you weren't... c...coming.... b-back.... w-when....."
"... b...but you..."
".... y-you're.... here..... a-alive....!"
".... y... you came back..."
Hora's eyes fell closed, shutting tight as she bit back the sting of tears pricking at the edge of her own eyes.
They are sobbing, holding on to me so tightly... like they're afraid if they let go again, I'll be-
She hissed, her teeth gritting.
Her arms pulled up from being trapped underneath them, moving as she hooked them around all of them as well as she could manage- pulling them into her tightly as her shoulders hunched a little- her nose burying itself in Rogue's hair.
All that talk about being a better friend- and I still worried them this much..
She held them tighter, her hands clenching around their clothes.
".... I'm so sorry.... I'm..."
She sucked in a shaky breath- Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch all felt her shudder underneath them. Hora's eyes shut harder, hissing as she felt the tears manage through, a single, thin trail falling down her cheeks and stinging slightly across the fresh scar over her nose. Her voice dropped away, shaking and hardly a whisper.
".... I'm so sorry..."
They didn't move for a few minutes, they just held one another as Hora sniffed, her tears drying up as she shook her head a little- her arms around the four of them loosening a bit.
For awhile she was content to just lay there, her eyes halfway open as she kept hold on them, waiting for them to calm down. They stopped shaking a few minutes in, and she swallowed.
"..... Hey.... Can you guys maybe.... get off me...?" Hora mumbled quietly, her jaw clenching slightly. Her stomach was throbbing pretty bad from getting knocked into and being held so tightly, ".. not to ruin the moment... or anything... but uh....." She felt them stiffen a little, her hands moving away from them as she sweatdropped.
"... you are kinda.. hurting me... tch..."
They recoiled, scurrying away and off of her and looking frantic, sitting on their heels and sweatdropping heavily.
"C-crap..!"
"Are you ok?!"
"You're hurt..?!"
"A-Atia...?!"
Hora sat up, her hand falling on her stomach as she shifted to sit cross-legged. She nodded, aware that they were leaning in toward her, eyes wide and searching frantically.
"... Yeah, I'm just pretty sore." she mumbled, smiling slightly. "Don't look so freaked out, it's really not that bad. You just took me by surprise, tackling me and all.." They grimaced,
"Sorry." They mumbled,
"But what happened? And what's with that scar on your face? Did you get it fighting North Wind?" Sting asked quickly,
"Did you get wounded badly? Is that why you didn't call us back for a week?" Rogue asked in the next instant, "Is your stomach hurting you a lot? Do you need a doctor?"
"Eh- no, no!" Hora smiled, "I already saw one. You don't need to worry about that, I'm healing up fine." They all grimaced slightly, looking concerned still. "And yeah, I did get this fighting North Wind- why does it look bad?" Hora smirked slightly, "I kinda thought it looked cool."
"... it's not... that's not the point, Hora." Sting mumbled,
"What happened?" Rogue grumbled lowly, his eyes flashing as Hora sighed slightly.
"..... I won." She murmured, they blinked in surprise. ".... in the process I got banged up pretty good, which... yes, that's why I didn't talk to you for a week. I was asleep the whole time, after having fought with North Wind and the Demon of Zeref." Their eyes went round,
"You were hurt that badly you were unconscious a whole week?!" All four asked instantly, she sweatdropped.
"... Yeah.."
"A-Atia..! Should you even be here, running around?!" Lector asked, bristling from head to foot. "You called us only four days ago.."
"Honestly I am ok. Most of my wounds are pretty much healed all the way, I was just exhausted after all of it..... I ended up using a lot of Magic." Hora replied softly, "I didn't mean to leave you guys in the dark for so long, I know you've been worried... I wasn't planning on my Calling Card getting destroyed in the fighting. I really should have called you before going in- the minute I woke up and realized how long I had been out, I sent you that letter." They grimaced slightly, Hora's eyes falling into her lap as she bit the inside of her cheek. "I did all that promising that I was gonna be a better friend to you, and I still ended up worrying you more than you should have... sorry about that."
"Hora, we don't care how much you worried us." Rogue grumbled, "The only thing we do care about is that you're back, that you're alive. All we want is for you to be ok."
"What he said." Sting murmured lowly, "Worry us all you like, as long as you come back and you're ok- nothing else matters."
"Yeah!" Lector purred,
"Fro thinks so too." Frosch mewed, Hora smiled slightly.
".... thanks." She murmured softly.
They all moved in a bit closer, leaning on their hands as their eyes glittered, looking straight at her and absolutely steady. She blinked,
"But you have to tell us everything- everything that happened while you were gone." They all said in unison, Hora's expression softened slightly. She could see tear stains on their cheeks, still.
She reached forward, one hand landing on Rogue's face and the other on Sting's as she gently wiped them away, smiling slightly as they stiffened under the action- a little stunned.
"You four look like a mess." She murmured, her hands pulling away again as she pulled Lector and Frosch closer to do the same with them. She nodded slightly, "I'll tell you, but before that... I'm gonna have to warn you." Hora mumbled, smiling sheepishly as their heads tilted at her. She lift her wrist, gesturing toward the red ribbon tied to it.
"I'm kind of a... heh... fugitive, from the Magic Council.... right now... hehe..."
"....what?!" they snapped, Hora tapped her fingers together nervously.
"... I'm in their custody, pending wrapping up the documentation and questioning about what happened with North Wind... I'm technically not supposed to be here, but... I slipped away, regardless." Hora explained, "I have someone covering for me, but I don't know how long he'll last before someone comes after me. And they'll definitely find me, cause this Ribbon is acting like a tracking device... and I can't get it off, trust me I've tried."
Ira was the one she'd managed to convince to cover for her, while she slipped away to Crocus. He'd been less than thrilled with the idea of course, and quite nervous about it- but he'd agreed regardless. She'd been tucked away in a sitting room up in Era filling in papers, so it wasn't like she was in the middle of a Hearing or anything- and it was easy enough to leave. She was entirely sure Doranbolt would come to check in on her pretty soon, and try as he might- she didn't have high hopes that Ira would keep her disappearance a secret for very long. And given how adamant Doranbolt had thus far been about keeping a close watch on her, she could believe he'd pop in and snatch her in seconds. And lecture her too... she didn't want to argue, they'd been doing that and to be entirely honest it wasn't for any good reason. Sometimes the both of them got along fine and other times they were at each others throats, and that just seemed how it was going to be between them.
She smiled apologetically, "So to be honest with you, I'm not going to be able to stay very long. The way things are going, I'm probably even going to miss the First Day of the GMG... sorry. But I think that's all I'll miss, the political side of the damn thing is annoying- but I can't just drop it and ignore it. And you really shouldn't mention having seen me tonight to Master, lest he get angry.."
They grimaced, looking unhappy- why not? They'd only just got her back and she was telling them she was going to leave- and probably soon. Plus, probably under arrest.
".... I'll tell you everything I can, before I end up having to leave again. And I do apologize for dropping and leaving too, but it won't be that much longer before I can stay for good." She added in brightly, "I promise, I'll be back soon." They nodded stiffly,
"Alright..."
".... is Master around, by the way?" Hora murmured, they shook their heads.
"He won't be in town until tomorrow, he's handling a few things having to do with the Lady's Job." Sting replied,
"... Minerva's not back either?"
"No." Rogue murmured, Hora nodded, letting out a small breath as a glint came into her eye. She smirked slightly,
"You guys hungry?"
"We brought food, anyone interested?" Hora called softly, her feet hitting the floor of the room as she stepped in through the doors of the balcony that Lector brought her up to with ease. Behind her Rogue was set down by Frosch, while Sting was left to climb up himself, and huffed as he hopped off the railing. She held two bags with food in her arms while Rogue held a few more,
The room was lined with five beds, one of which was occupied by Orga who had been humming to himself- Yukino and Rufus looked up from their card game around a table at the sound of her voice- all eyes in the room locking on to her and faces falling slack in utter shock.
"Hey." She smiled, stopping a little away from the doors as Rogue moved past her, handing the bags he held off to Frosch- who immediately moved to put them on the table, with Lector in tow as Hora handed him the bags she held.
"Hora!"
Rufus, Orga and Yukino were on their feet in seconds- Orga being the closest and the fastest as she recoiled, sweatdropping as the large man rushed straight up to her, arms wide open and beaming.
Rogue stiffened, immediately moving to place himself between Hora and Orga- to spare her pain if she got crashed into again- only to end up on the floor himself when Orga knocked him over as if it was nothing. Hora winced at the sound of Rogue hitting the floor, before hissing as Orga stooped and lift her up in his arms, her feet leaving the floor as he squeezed her tight.
"Long time no see!" He beamed, Hora stifled the next wince, smiling slightly at him as he held her with her arms pinned to her sides.
".. h-hey..." She stammered, "G-good to see you too... hehe.."
OOOWWWW....... twice in one day.....!
"Are you alright, Rogue-kun?" Frosch asked softly, leaning over the downed Shadow Dragon Slayer who looked somewhere between miffed, and dazed.
"Put her down, idiot!" Sting snapped, Orga blinked, quirking a brow.
"Huh? Why?" He deadpanned, Hora shook her head a little but Sting didn't see or didn't care.
"You're jostling her around when she's hurt!" Sting snapped, Orga stiffened a little, his eyes darting toward the slightly pain, slightly nervous smile on Hora's face, before he quickly, gently placed her back on the ground, his hand patting her head softly as he gave her an apologetic smile.
"Sorry." He murmured, Hora shook her head.
"It's fine, you didn't know... plus it's not that bad." Hora murmured, he smiled slightly- she heard Sting huff.
"You're wounded?" Yukino asked instantly, appearing on Orga's left as she reached out toward Hora, her hand brushing against Hora's cheek and jaw as her eyes found the new scar first.
"I see you've earned a new scar." Rufus murmured softly, he stopped on Orga's right, his eyes glittering slightly. "I hope you did not get injured too badly otherwise?" Hora shook her head a little,
"Honestly, none of it's bad." She murmured, sweatdropping slightly. "... at least not anymore. It wasn't so good to start, but I'm fine now."
"What happened?" Yukino asked,
"I was gonna start explaining it over food, actually." Hora smiled, her head tilting toward the table that Lector was setting up. "I figured you guys are pretty interested in what went on too, so I thought I'd explain it all at once." They nodded slightly, Hora clapped her hands softly in front of her. "Alright, then let's settle in."
Yukino stayed close as they all headed over toward the table, Rogue getting to his feet as Orga offered him a hand up with a small smirk- the Shadow Dragon Slayer growled but took the offer anyway. They settled in, sitting crosslegged on the floor as Hora let out a silent sigh, Yukino on her right while Rogue took up a seat on her left, and Sting on Yukino's right. Rufus, Orga, Lector and Frosch settled in too- food getting passed around as Hora started in,
"... First thing's first, I suppose- I should mention that I'm not staying the night, and probably won't be back until after tomorrow." Hora murmured, Yukino stiffened beside her. ".... I'm not technically supposed to be here, I kinda ditched the Magic Council- but they'll be back to bring me to Era sometime tonight."
"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Rufus asked,
"Not really, I'm just in their custody while they finish of the reports and documentation of what happened in North Wind." Hora replied, "It's just been taking a long time- I wanted to see you guys before the Games started up so I ditched them. But I will have to go back to finish up."
"... Master will be angry if he finds out you left the Council when you weren't supposed to." Yukino murmured softly,
"He won't find out, I doubt you guys are gonna go telling him." Hora smiled slightly, "... and I'm fairly sure that the Council itself won't realize I ever left."
She really doubted Doranbolt or Ira would tell the Chairman she ran off, and she somehow doubted Lahar would too. But as it was, she had been busy on her own time and not in the direct sight nor interest of the Council for most of the day- so she really wasn't all that worried about it.
"I hope you're right." Rufus murmured, Hora smiled slightly.
"So what went on with North Wind then?" Orga murmured, "I take it they've been dealt with?"
"Yep, the whole Guild, the Guild Master- and the Demon of Zeref, all accounted for and all taken care of." Hora replied, "I took care of the Guild Master, and the Demon of Zeref myself- which is mostly why they've been questioning me so much..."
"You defeated a Demon of Zeref all on your own..?!" Yukino gasped, eyes wide as as Hora nodded.
"Yeah..." She paused, seeing the shock and disbelief on everyone's faces- but mostly Yukino, Orga and Rufus. She glanced left toward Rogue, "..... you did mention to everyone else that I'm a Devil Slayer, right?" He stiffened slightly, his eyes glittering.
"A what?" Rufus, Yukino and Orga asked instantly.
"... tch..... we were so dazed at finding out ourselves... we forgot to mention it." Rogue mumbled lowly,
"Yeah..." Sting mumbled, Hora sighed.
"... alright... this is going to take longer than I thought..." She mumbled, shaking her head slightly.
So she started into recanting the whole of the ordeal, starting with her investigations into the Villages that had been getting burned, the raids. How little she had found and how hard she had been trying to find a way into the Guild Hall that transported itself from place to place. She told them about coming into contact with Lucy, Happy and Natsu- to which Sting and Rogue were very interested in, Yukino too at mention of Lucy. She told them how they had worked together, destroying the hub of North Wind that dealt in human trafficking- and finding the key that eventually lead to getting into North Wind's Guild Hall.
She explained what her Magic was, what it did- what it was meant for. Rufus was most interested here, he seemed intent on remembering everything she said- and mentioning several times how incredible it sounded, and foreign too. Which was something he was unaccustomed to, he knew plenty of Magic and yet Devil Slayer caught him off guard.
In between eating her own food and seeing that most everyone else hardly touched theirs as they listened (with the exception of Orga, no surprise there)- they all listened in tenseness, asking questions where they needed. Shock and surprise and concern plastering their faces and getting worse as she moved to tell them about North Wind, and they fight she faced there.
".... the Guild Master is who gave me this." Hora mumbled, her finger tapping lightly against her nose and the scar there. "... And apart from that, most of my other injuries weren't severe at all." She paused, one of her hands falling lightly on her stomach as her eyes fell closed.
".... The worst one is the one that the Demon gave me, and that's the only one bad enough to have been any real worry." She mumbled,
Hora went deathly still, her eyes widening in shock and utter pain as her fall back down toward the fall, and her watching of her Magic running through Neveleous' jaw screeched to a sudden, deadly halt.
She coughed, her lungs searing with fire as blood spurted past her lips and painted the air around her, her body lurching backward and all time suddenly crashing to a halt on a single moment,
Agony spread through her body, spiraling across every joint, every bone, muscle, tendon and nerve- she smelled her blood heavy on the air and felt the sticky warmth splash against her chest and neck, and immediately spill and fall down her legs and toward the floor still far, far below.
She heard her skin and muscle snap, felt it- her stomach searing so red hot it was cold, the iron taste of her own blood flooded her mouth as she coughed again, gasping as it dripped past her lips and down her chin. She was shaking, suspended in air as one of Neveleous' giant, razor sharp claws plunged itself deep into her stomach. Deep enough to do some serious damage, enough she was losing a lot of blood instantly- but it had just barely managed not to go deep enough to rip right through her body, and out her back.
Not that it made it any better-
The time that slowed down as the claw plunged into her torso suddenly sped up again, her body lurching backwards as she was thrown away and slammed into the ground, hard.
"..... It's because of this wound, and how much Magic I ended up using up- that were the reasons I didn't contact anyone for a week... because I was unconscious the whole time." Hora mumbled, her eyes flashing as she sweatdropped at the sudden memory of it, her eyes opened, narrowed and fixed on the table instead of everyone else.
She shook her head slightly, deciding it was best to omit the part of the story where she'd been bleeding to death and saved her own life by burning the wound closed.
".... and after that, I've been busy with Hearings and filling in documents and evidence about what happened in North Wind." Hora murmured, glancing up again with a small smile- her heart clenching at the glistening eyes and the rigid people all around the table as they looked at her in utter stillness and worry. She twined her hands together and set them in her lap. "That's it, that's the whole story of everything that's gone on since I left."
There was a heavy silence that settled in between them as Hora finished, her smile fading slightly when she felt the tenseness get a little worse, her eyes flicking among the people she knew so well and she saw disbelief and distress swirling inside of them as they kept her locked in their gazes- their ears ringing and minds racing at what had been told to them, and just all that had happened while she was gone and alone and so soon after what had happened with Jiemma.
They could scarcely wrap their minds around it, how could she have been through so much? Lived through so much and been back here, smiling and completely at ease despite the very real fact that she had gotten hurt enough to have been unconscious an entire week.
How could she had left looking so frail and so weak and lived through what ridiculous danger she just described, and come out so fine? They'd always considered Hora a strong Mage, one of the strongest in the Guild maybe- but even this seemed so far beyond the scope of her abilities to them, and they were reeling.
Odd idea as it was, for a small second they looked at her and how she talked to them- told them about her travels and her Magic and the people she met and she seemed different. More open, more giving, confident even... more kind. That same Hora that had been distant at times and reserved, and who glowered under Jiemma's actions but still allowed him to do what he wanted regardless-
.... Something had altered inside of her and they were seeing small snippets of it now, and they weren't sure how any of that could have changed her so much- because of course she didn't tell them what the Fairy Tailers had shown her about being a friend, she didn't tell them what Lixue had admitted to her- and she didn't tell them her sudden conviction to be a different person than her Magic wanted to make her.
"..... Hora...."
Horatia blinked, her attention casting to her right and toward Yukino's soft voice- only to stiffen, jumping slightly in surprise when Yukino moved, her arms hooking around her neck as the pale-haired Celestial Mage held to her tightly yet softly.
"I'm so glad you came back." Yukino mumbled softly, her voice shaking just slightly. Hora hands moved up uncertainly, returning the embrace lightly as her eyes flashed.
"I am very pleased to have you back as well, Horatia." Rufus murmured softly, nodding toward her as he smiled gently.
"It's been too boring without you around, it's good to have ya back with us." Orga told her too, smiling just a little. "Though you're gonna have to brawl with me sometime soon, gotta prove I'm still the strongest Wizard in Saber after all."
Hora chuckled slightly, squeezing Yukino a little with a nod of her head.
"You got it." She replied lightly, ".... and thanks, it's good to be back."
Yukino drew back, smiling softly as Hora felt Rogue's hand fall on her shoulder lightly, his eyes glinting as he smiled at her a little. She blinked at the look, before smirking.
"Now, you guys need to tell me how the Training went!" Hora smirked, her mood lifting slightly. She nudged Yukino playfully, "I've hear you've been wiping the floor with these guys, huh?" The Celestial Mage blushed slightly,
"I-I wouldn't say that..." Yukino stammered,
"Ah, don't be so modest! I've brawled with you before, I definitely believe you had them beat!" Hora chuckled,
"Oi!" Sting and Orga growled,
Rogue crossed his arms about his chest, smiling slightly still as Frosch settled in his lap with a smile too. He watched quietly as Sting leaned over the table, looking agitated at Hora- who only laughed at the reaction.
It was one of the best sounds he had ever heard.
Hora hummed slightly, smiling a bit as she shook her head- she heard footsteps land on the balcony and knew in an instant she had been made. And with only an hour left before the clock struck midnight,
She got to her feet, having been listening to their tales of their Training Days for the last hour and loving every single minute of it. The mood had lightened considerably, and she was so very glad she'd run from Era to come here. She cast them a small smile when they blinked at her suddenly getting up,
".... thanks for the stories, and sharing all the food. But it seems my time is quite up." She explained lightly, seeing Sting and Rogue glance toward the balcony too- they heard the footsteps, and smelled someone unfamiliar- though they were a little unsure why Hora was aware of it so quickly. "It was great hanging out with you guys, I had a lot of fun. I'll be gone tomorrow, and maybe a little bit longer- but I should be back pretty soon." They nodded slightly,
"See you soon, Hora."
"Good luck with the Games, you five." Hora added, "I know you'll do great, but be careful too, yeah?"
"You got it." They promised, she smiled.
"Good."
Rogue and Sting got to their feet, Lector and Frosch getting up too as the two Exceeds flew forward, wrapping their paws and tails around her in a hug.
"Good luck with the Council, Atia." Lector smiled, pulling back as Frosch nodded in agreement.
"We'll already be in first place by the time you come back." Sting smirked,
"I don't doubt it. But no slacking off, the other Guilds are gonna go hard this year." Hora smiled,
"We'll be ready." Rogue told her simply, she smiled.
"Then I'll see you soon." Hora murmured, her hands lifting as she rubbed them against the top of both Dragon Slayer's heads, ruffling their hair as they hissed in annoyance- she took a step back and turned on her heel, waving her hand over her shoulder as she headed toward the balcony.
"See ya~!"
She pulled the balcony doors closed behind her, out of the corner of her eyes immediately catching sight of a rather miffed looking Doranbolt, who scowled when she stepped outside.
"What do you think you're doing..!?" He snapped lowly, she sighed.
"Letting my friends know I'm alright?" She replied shortly, he huffed. "Of which- I'm not quite done." She added, he frowned.
"No, you are not running off anywhere else! Not a damn chance!" He snapped, Hora rolled her eyes.
"How long did it take you to force Ira to tell you where I was?" Hora asked,
"About ten minutes." He huffed hotly, "It's not like that boy is known for being the firmest of souls."
"You didn't handle him too harshly, did you?" Hora grumbled,
"Tch.... no." He grumbled, "But we need to go back, you're lucky the Council's been focused on the Games instead of you- Ira and I are the only ones who know you even left. We need to get back before anyone else or Lahar finds out."
"I told you, I'm not done yet." Hora grumbled, a vein ticked on his forehead.
"I don't care, if Lahar finds out about this-" He snapped, only to break off as Hora suddenly moved and jumped lightly over the edge of the balcony toward the ground two stories down.
"What Lahar doesn't know won't hurt him!" Hora called back easily, he whipped around, his hands on the railing as he leaned over it.
"You're crazy!" He snapped, she waved a hand behind her.
"Lahar's busy getting ready for the Games, right?" Hora called back up to him, "He's not gonna come and check on me today, I have time to kill." He scowled, disappearing from the balcony and appearing beside her in an instant. "... besides, I'm not gonna take that long. If it'll make you happy, I'll stay up all night filling in paperwork to catch up when we get back."
".... tch.... where are you planning on going?" Doranbolt grumbled lowly, Hora blinked in surprise at how quickly his agitation and steadfastness seemed to fade away.
"Whoa- wait, you're not arguing anymore? Just like that?" She asked instantly, he growled.
"Stupid as running off like this is- you're right. Lahar and the rest of the Council Members are busy, Lahar is actually here in Crocus setting things up with the GMG coordinator." Doranbolt grumbled hotly, "If you're so intent on running around this city, I have to keep an eye on you so you don't accidentally run into him- since I doubt you'll just let me grab you and go back to Era."
Hora smirked, "You're right, you try and grab me to Teleport me back to Era- I will burn you." She said simply, he sweatdropped slightly at the very nonchalant threat.
".... tch.... so where are you going?" He grumbled, deciding it best not to snap at the threat nor let the argument flare that surely would if he did.
"Honey Bone Lodge." Hora replied, he visibly stiffened at the name, and her eyes narrowed.
"... that's where Fairy Tail has been assigned, hasn't it?" He asked lowly, she nodded. ".... why on earth would you or anyone from SaberTooth want to go there?" He paused, "You're not planning on starting a fight are you?" He asked quickly,
"No." Hora murmured, "All I want to do is talk to someone. That's it." He gave her something of a deadpan stare,
'He doesn't look like he wants to believe you.' Lixue intoned for the first time in a very, very long while the last few days. She didn't disagree, but she swore she saw something other than suspicion in the man for a moment- something more like apprehension.
Weird, he got all tense when I mentioned Fairy Tail....
Doranbolt glanced away, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he grumbled under his breath for a moment.
"....mmm... fine. You can talk to whoever the hell you want to.. but after that we're headed straight back to Era." He grumbled lowly, Hora smiled slightly.
"Deal."
"Oi, Salamander."
Natsu blinked, his eyes snapping open from where he was laying on one of the bed's in the inn- his arms hooked behind his head and feet crossed- only barely aware of Erza, Gray, Lucy and Happy playing some card game over on the opposite side of the room, chatting. They were trying to pass the time till midnight came around, and he couldn't have been less interested in some stupid games, but now something did have his interest.
He blinked, sweatdropping slightly as he glanced around the room out of sheer instinct- though he knew the owner of that voice was nowhere in the room itself.
"Come up here a minute, yeah? I wanna talk to you before midnight rolls around." The voice went on, loud enough he could hear it though it was still rather faint- his nose twitched as he caught the scent of fire and ash mixed with something cooler- and a scent as familiar as the voice.
He'd hopped out of the bed and onto his feet before she'd finished the sentence, his eyes moving toward the balcony door. He cast one fleeting glance behind him, before easily slipping from the room and hopping up toward the roof.
He huffed a little, pulling himself over the edge of the roof as his eyes landed on Hora- who was leaned over slightly with her hands on her knees and smirking at him. Her head tilted a little, her blue eyes glittering in amusement,
"Sorry to disappear on you earlier," She told him brightly, "But thank you guys for playing it cool in front of that crowd, things would get really complicated if rumor started to spread Fairy Tail had a friend in SaberTooth." She offered him a hand to pull him all the way up, he blinked, before smirking and taking it.
"You came back!" He grinned, their hands held together for a moment as Hora sighed.
"I said I would, didn't I?" She replied easily, he hummed a little- their hands breaking apart as he lightly tapped her nose.
"Yeah, but ya came back with this, huh?" He replied,
"Does it look that bad? Everybody keeps pointing it out," Hora chuckled, he grinned.
"Nah, it looks pretty cool! I'm just surprised to see it, I haven't seen ya in awhile." He replied easily, "I'm gonna be honest- I had the feeling something bad happened to ya about a week ago. I was a little worried you wouldn't make it." Hora blinked at that,
"..... you had a feeling...?" She mumbled, he nodded, rubbing the back of his neck a little.
"Yeah, I don't know how to explain it... I just felt something was wrong." He replied, Hora nodded slightly. "You didn't get too banged up did you? You look pretty fine, but I do smell blood... at least a little."
"I'm fine, just got a little roughed up." Hora replied, patting her stomach just slightly as he blinked. "It's nothing to worry about, I'm pretty tough."
"So, you finish up with those North Wind guys?" He asked, she nodded. ".. and the Demon of Zeref..?" He asked slowly, his eyes flashing as Hora smirked.
"Oh yeah, you kidding? That Demon had nothing on Fiore's only Devil Slayer." She replied lightly, he quirked a brow, smiling just faintly.
"You seem a little different." He chuckled, she blinked- her turn to be caught off guard by the comment.
"Huh?"
He patted his stomach, flashing her a toothy grin. "You act like ya got a fire in your belly!" He smiled, "You're more confident- less worked up and worried. It's nice!" Hora smiled,
"Ah, I'm glad you approve, Flame-Brain." She chuckled, "I guess I get what you're saying... I've not been this at ease in a long while. I guess beating that Demon was the confidence boost I needed."
"That mean you're ready to tell me what's going on with you and you're Guild?" He asked, she blinked several times. "You know those guys earlier, they were acting like such assholes- until you showed up." His hands fell on his hips as he tilted his head to the side a bit. "It looked to me like they were trying really hard not to get all happy when they saw you. I thought they were a bunch of freaking jerks, and then they saw you and they weren't the same- at all." Hora sweatdropped slightly, "And you said SaberTooth can't interact with the other Guilds or you'll get in trouble with your Master too- enough so you warned Happy and Lucy not to say anything earlier."
"I remember what you said before, about the people in SaberTooth being good people- even if they don't seem like it." He mumbled, Hora sweatdropped slightly.
"...... It... Won't seem like it, when the time comes.... But I know every person in SaberTooth. They are all good people at heart, despite how they act." She broke off, almost like she was choosing her words carefully, it even if she dared say them.
"...... Everyone outside of my Master, and his daughter..... They are good people.... They just.... Its hard for them to show it." Hora shook her head slightly, sweatdropping. ".... Please just remember that, when the Games come around.... There are only two truly awful people in the Guild, no matter what happens... Near everyone in SaberTooth are good people. I promise." Her hands locked together in front of her nervously, her eyes falling from him as Natsu watched quietly.
".... Master and Minerva.... Are just....." she mumbled half to herself, before sighing heavily. Her blue gaze moved back up toward him as she settled him with a serious, steady gaze. ".... Just be careful, alright?" She asked softly, her eyes flashing.
"And I think I kinda get it, a little." He mumbled, "The way it looked like to me... they act differently in front of everyone, than they act when they're alone, right? That way everybody else seems them like their confident and above everyone else?"
".... yeah. That's about exactly it." Hora murmured, "... reputation means a lot to my Guild Master. The whole Guild has to follow his orders on how we portray ourselves to him, and the outside world." She stiffened, looking a little frantic she said that out loud. "B-but don't go spreading that around! Nobody's supposed to know that, everyone's supposed to think we're this big, proud, powerful Guild! A-and we are, but we're also seen as harsh, and ruthless... and oh I need to shut up.... please don't mention any of that to anyone else, please. Master'll be pissed if he hears anything about any of that..." He blinked, his eyes widening when he saw fear pass across her expression.
Fear
"..... what is with this Master of yours?" He grumbled, Hora stiffened slightly.
".... I told you... he's an ass..." Hora mumbled,
"Yeah, but every time you say that I can tell you wanna say something else, Hora." He muttered, her eyes dropped away from him.
He was right, of course. There were so many things she'd like to call Jiemma, many of them she already had on her own and in her head- and for good reason. The one very, very central reason she still didn't feel like disclosing to anyone, especially not Sting and Rogue for fear what they might do. And she certainly didn't want to tell Nastu- because he was like them, if he knew he'd get pissed- and she hated to think what would happen to him, and everyone else. She'd resigned herself to just dealing with it, and living with it for so very long... with no hope of ever changing it.
But that 'confidence boost' he seemed to sense in her? And Lixue too?
She wasn't sure she was simply ok with living with it anymore, she wanted to find a way to break free and stop being the Slave she was to that bastard of a man. She wanted a way out, and she wanted to find one.. but she had to do it on her terms. And right now that didn't include telling him or anyone else, at least not yet.
Weirdly enough she had given reason for helping to find Tenrou island as restoring balance, and even getting ready for something she felt was coming- deep down in her core. Something was going to happen, she didn't know what and she didn't know how she knew- but things were changing, and maybe this would be one change. And maybe there were going to be more, she hoped so, at least... and hoped they were good changes.
"....tch..... Salamander. Listen, I'm defending them, no matter what happens- no matter how the SaberTooth Team Acts, and no matter what they do- what any of them in SaberTooth do, I am going to defend them. Because I have to." Hora grumbled, "I'm the only one who doesn't put up face with other people. You'll see that instantly in the Games. But they are good people- regardless of everything. You just don't understand how complicated things are in my Guild, or what we live through everyday being in it." He blinked, Hora's eyes flashed.
"My Master is an ass." Hora hissed, "He's ruthless- he doesn't care about people, he cares about Power. But we do what he says, no matter what- we have to. Even if we don't want to- and we'll never say anything if we don't. That's just how it is." She hissed, "His damn Daughter isn't any better, I've never known her to be... but like I said, that's just how it is." He frowned, and she shook her head. "I know it means little to you, saying this. But I promise, I'm going to find a way to change things. Whatever happens, it isn't them. I should have tried to do something a long time ago, but that's on me." She sighed, "You can't get involved in it, even though I know you want to. This is something that has to start with me. You can go ahead and blame everything SaberTooth does on me, got it? I've been apart of this Guild longer than anybody else, and it's my fault it's ended up the way it has- period."
He blinked, his eyes flashing as he stared at her- he was completely lost. What the hell was she talking about? He didn't get it at all!
"I'm going to do my best to fix it, I should have done it a long, long time ago. But I'm going to do it- not you, and not right now." Her hand lift, her thumb pressing against her chest as she settled him with an utterly stony stare. "You said I had a fire in my belly? You're right, and I'm gonna use it as fuel to fix the mess Jiemma's made of my Guild- no matter how long it takes."
His breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening slightly- because he saw rage in her, burning deep down- but he saw fear too, again.
"If I ever do need help, I'll ask you. That's what friends do, right?" She mumbled, "But friends trust eachother too, and for now you need to trust me to find a way to handle this on my own." She smiled, looking a little nervous and sad all at once. "... unless you have some way of breaking Possession Links, you're not gonna be of much help to me in this situation as it is, sorry."
He stared, Possession what..?
Her hand moved, waving slightly as she seemed to push away the subject and the conversation all at once.
"Sorry, I know it pisses you off... secrets and things." She added softly, "But I didn't come here to talk about that, I was just trying to let you know everything went ok. And I look forward to watching the Games, even though I might miss the first two days... and definitely the first."
"... huh? Why..?" He mumbled, mind still reeling slightly- and pissed too, yeah.
"I'm dealing with all the political nonsense about North Wind, and it's taking a seriously long time." Hora murmured, "I'm gonna be stuck up in Era for awhile." He frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing a little.
".... you know I'm not letting this go that easy, right?" He growled,
"I know. You're a very stubborn Dragon Slayer, after all." Hora sighed, "I'm probably more so than you, though. Stubbornness is a specialty of mine." Her eyes moved to the sky above them,
"... it's almost midnight." She mumbled, he blinked, his attention turning away from her toward the room several floors below- where he heard Erza say the exact same words almost at the same instant as the Saber woman.
".. where the hell is Natsu?" Gray grumbled,
"What?! Now both he and Wendy aren't here..?!" Lucy snapped,
"He was here just a bit ago, he can't have gotten far. Maybe he went on a potty break~" Happy mumbled,
"But Wendy hasn't been back at all." Erza grumbled,
"She was with Carla, it's not like her to get lost." Happy mumbled,
"Do you think something's happened to them?" Gray asked lowly,
".... I hope not." Erza murmured, Natsu grimaced slightly- his nose twitching to try and catch trace of Wendy's scent in case she was close by- and finding nothing.
Hora blinked, seeing his suddenly frowning as his ear tilted below them. "Something wrong?" She asked easily, he sweatdropped.
".... Wendy and Carla aren't back yet." He mumbled, Hora's interest perked slightly.
Among what few Members she knew in Fairy Tail- her knowledge was center on the Dragon Slayer's amongst their midst. She knew near no one else- and only actually knew who the Guild Master was, Lucy and Happy of course- and Erza Scarlet (legend in her time, seven years ago..). The Dragon Slayer's she did know- but only their names, and respective Elements.
"... the Sky Dragon Slayer?" Hora mumbled, Wendy at least she knew was the youngest Dragon Slayer- thirteen or so, I think..?
"Yeah, and her Partner- but it's weird they ain't back yet. They're usually good about being on time and stuff. " He mumbled, his eyes narrowing as he turned to scan the city. ".... they've been out a long while too..."
Hora glanced up at the moon overhead, her eyes glinting slightly. If Wendy wasn't back by now she likely wouldn't make it before the curfew.... which Natsu and the rest of whoever in Fairy Tail was joining the Games wouldn't be able to leave now to look, either.
Hora cast a quick glance back behind her, wondering faintly where it was Doranbolt disappeared off to- before she shook her head and lift her hand, gold sparking from her palm as she traced a circle in air- and then reached into it- her hand disappearing on the inside as she dug around. Natsu looked back at her, blinking as she started using Magic-
Requip, Hora's own little pocket dimension she rarely used- and only for the purpose of storing extra clothes. Most Wizards worth anything could use this Magic for that one purpose- she had earlier taken the liberty of finding a store to buy some more clothes, replacing the ones she'd brought with her three months ago, and that subsequently got trashed.
Her hand curled around what she was looking for, moving her arm back out and carrying a long, dark brown leather coat with a hood and a high collar- that stopped just above her hips on the bottom as she pulled it on. Natsu blinked at her in question, her hands falling in the pockets as she looked back toward him again.
"I can look for them for awhile." Hora murmured, catching Natsu off guard at the sudden offer out of nowhere. "I can kill a little more time before being dragged off to Era again, so might as well- especially so if you think this isn't normal."
Natsu blinked, before nodding with a smile. "Thanks- Erza just asked Lisanna to look for them, but it'd be good for you to help out too."
"Yep." Hora hummed, "You'd better get back into your room, Salamander. It's nearly midnight now."
"Alright," He hummed, pausing at the edge of the roof, he shot her a small look. "I'm not dropping this so easy, Hora... I'm gonna keep pushing till you help me understand, you know."
"I know." Hora murmured, "Good luck in the Games, Natsu. You'll need it."
"Heh, says you." He smiled slightly, ".... see ya soon, Hora." He called, before jumping down from the roof.
"I'll tell Happy and Luce ya said hi!" He called, before he was gone entirely. Hora smiled slightly, shaking her head.
.... how stubborn you really are... Natsu..
Chapter 19: Similar Hearts
Chapter Text
Chapter 19
Similar Hearts
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"You cannot be cold."
Hora blinked, her head titling back at the sound of Doranbolt's voice as he appeared behind her, looking tense and eyes narrowed. He gestured toward the coat she had put on, her hands still in the pockets as she turned toward him slightly and away from the edge of the roof Natsu had just jumped off.
"What's with the jacket?" He asked lowly,
".... It's not gonna go over well if people see someone from SaberTooth out looking for two Fairy Tail Wizards." Hora replied lowly, his eyes narrowed slightly, looking tense still.
As is what the jacket was for- the hood would hide her face if she needed it, but she put it on more for the fact that it would cover the SaberTooth Guild Emblem on her shoulder- that was very much visible with the shirt she had on.
".... I take it you don't want anyone to know you have friends here in Fairy Tail?" He grumbled,
"Nope."
He grimaced, his eyes flitting away from her and toward the ground. "... you're insane... you're not like how I imagined anyone from SaberTooth to be." Hora sighed slightly,
"Yeah, well I'm not exactly you're normal SaberTooth member, either." She replied lowly, quirking an eyebrow. "... I am curious though, you're not snapping my head off for telling Salamander I was gonna go look for Wendy and Carla. I know you were listening in." He stiffened slightly, seeming to bite the inside of his cheek. "You keep getting tense, when Fairy Tail gets mentioned... so, I take it you know them? Or at least know Wendy and Carla?"
He went rigid, his eyes snapping up toward her and sweatdropping heavily. "W-What do you mean..?!" She blinked once,
"It's the way you're reacting." She murmured, "You stayed far enough away Natsu wouldn't smell you, but close enough to hear what was going on. And now you're hesitating about going back to Era, even though the deal was I only get to talk to Fairy Tail, nothing else after that." He hissed, his eyes narrowing at the floor as his shoulders hunched a little. ".... you're clearly tense about being near them, so what happened between you and them?"
".... tch.... it's..... bad." He grumbled, Hora's head titled. ".... Seven Years ago.... I infiltrated their Guild as a spy.... I was there on Tenrou, with Wendy..... and I left all of Fairy Tail on the island, when Acnologia.... and the Council......" Hora's eyes widened slightly,
".... ok, yeah. That's pretty bad." She said, he flinched at how blunt she was about it. "But you shouldn't be all fidgety about it, I kinda get the feeling they really won't hold it against you."
"... you don't know that." He mumbled, she sighed.
"Well, whatever- I'm going to look for Wendy and Carla, you coming?" She asked simply, he blinked. "You wanna find her, right? You must care at least a little, or you wouldn't still be standing there."
"... why do you want to find them?" He asked lowly, "Natsu didn't have to ask, you offered."
"Wendy's a kid, isn't she?" Hora murmured, her voice dropping slightly, a little softer. He blinked at it, eyes flashing in question. She let out a deep sigh, her eyes falling closed. "... plus, I'm too nice a person for my own good.... so you coming or what?" She mumbled, her eyes falling on the city.
".... how are you planning to find them?" He asked lowly,
"... I can probably guess what Wendy's scent is like, based on what Element she uses for her Magic." Hora murmured quietly, missing the confused look on his face. "... If I can pick up on it, finding her shouldn't be too hard... but it'll probably help to have someone around who actually knows what the both of them look like."
Her blue gaze flashed dimly in the night around them, a bell ringing out loudly over the whole of Crocus as the clock struck midnight- and Hora hardly seemed to care.
"So, let's go, yeah?"
"Attention all contestants participating in this year's Grand Magic Games! Goooood Morning! To narrow down the 113 Guilds in this years Games to a more manageable eight, let's begin the Preliminary Round!"
Preliminary Round? That's new.... not that I think SaberTooth's gonna have any problem getting through, though.
Hora sighed slightly, her eyes darting away from the Hologram of the Games 'mascot' hanging over the city, her eyes darting to Doranbolt, who nodded stiffly. Hora started forward, her eyes narrowed ahead and hardly caring of whatever else was going on- her nose twitching incessantly.
I should have asked Natsu if he had any clue where Wendy might have gone, this would be easier if I had....
"Although the number of Guilds increase and multiply each year; 'the Games have gotten boring now' is all I ever hear! Let's whittle them down I say to you, and give just eight a cheer! The rules for this Preliminary Round are simple;"
Hora skidded to a halt, her eyes widening slightly when she felt the ground tremble under her feet- Doranbolt nearly bumped into her as she stopped so suddenly,
"What?" He asked instantly, before both their eyes snapped upward toward the sight of the Honey Bone Inn suddenly rising up from the ground a few blocks away where they had left it- followed closely by what she guessed were the other Inns. Hora sweatdropped,
Who the hell had time to rig the inns to do that..?!
"Now you will be participating in a Race! The finish line is at the Domus Flau Colosseum! Only the first Eight Teams to reach it will move on to the Grand Magic Games!"
Hora's eyes narrowed,
Wait... did he say there were 113 Guilds here..?! When did that many Guilds even exist..!?
"You are free to use Magic as you please, there are no restrictions! Remember only the first eight teams pass- and all five Members have to cross the finish line for it to count!"
... that doesn't bode well for you, Fairy Tail.... not unless you have a Reserve Member sitting around....
"One more thing;" Hora paused, her eyes moving from the inns toward the Hologram. "We are not responsible for any loss of life inside the Labyrinth."
The wha-?!
"... what the hell is that..?!" Hora stammered, her eyes wide as both she and Doranbolt stared up at the massive ball of floating.. buildings?! up in the sky?!
Scratch that, who does all the effects and planning for this?! The Magic needed to create something like that has to be ridiculous!
"So! Without further ado, let the Grand Magic Games Preliminary Round; Skylabyrinth- begin!"
"..... this isn't normal..." Doranbolt grumbled, ".... they never do Preliminary Rounds... and they expect to narrow 113 to 8..?!" Hora found herself agreeing,
She shook her head, taking in a deep breath- she didn't find anything that struck her as being close to Wendy's scent- which would likely smell like fresh air, with something sweeter mixed in most Dragon Slayer's like Natsu, Rogue and Sting all had.
She sweatdropped slightly,
Grant you the city smelled like a great many things, and especially the overwhelming scent of flowers. And she was only guessing what Wendy's scent was like too-
'... and your nose isn't as sharp as it could be either, Horatia.' Lixue intoned, she growled.
"Hey." She snapped lowly, earning Doranbolt's eyes in an instant as he jumped. "Can you transport me to different sections all over the city? My nose should be good up to about a 2-3 mile radius, if we stay in those confines we can narrow down the city faster."
"S-seriously?!" He stammered, "Your Magic increased your senses that much?!"
"Tch... it's usually better, but this should do for now." Hora grumbled, "So, think you can do it? I don't smell anything that could be Wendy around here."
"Y-yeah."
"Is there still no sign of her?" Warren muttered, fingers to his temple and expression fixed on the door of the tavern, eyes narrowed and sweatdropping.
"We've looked everywhere, but there's no sign of either Wendy or Carla." Lisanna's voice filtered through the Telepathic Link,
"We haven't found anything either," Alzack spoke up too.
"I'm really starting to worry that something bad's happened to them." Max mumbled,
"We've looked over the entire city, the only place we haven't checked is the Palace- but they wouldn't let us in." Alzack added in,
"I heard Carla say she and Wendy were gonna go sightseeing earlier today." Happy said, his voice shaking slightly.
"Really? Then maybe they are there after all." Lisanna said immediately,
"But they wouldn't let us in, you think they're gonna let you, Lisanna?" Max mumbled,
"We can only try."
"Aye sir!"
"Alright, keep us updated guys." Warren murmured, his face pulling in worry as his hands fell from his head, he cast Master Makarov a glance from where he, Macao and Wakaba were seated at the bar, all of them looking tense.
The Sun Bar was where most of Fairy Tail was staying for the duration of the Games, and now where the ones in the city and not participating in the Skylabyrinth were- either out looking for their suddenly missing Members or sitting there, waiting.
Master Makarov looked his way, face serious. "They haven't found anything yet?" He asked, Warren shook his head.
"This isn't looking good." Wakaba mumbled,
"We're lucky Elfman was there to join in with Natsu's Team, or they'd already be out of the running for the Games." Macao mumbled, "But it isn't like Wendy or Carla to run off like that.... it does paint a grim picture, the chances they got into some kind of trouble seem pretty high right now."
Master's hands clenched into fists in his lap, his eyes narrowed at the floor as he frowned. "We must keep searching, until they are found." He said lowly, everyone in the room nodded.
"Do you think their disappearance may be a plot to undermine the Guild in the Games?"
Everyone in the room jumped, their heads snapping around and jaws dropping at the soft voice- and the sudden appearance of a blonde girl with green eyes on the bar-top just next to Master.
"M-Master Mavis?!" The Fairy Tailer's stammered,
"W-What are you doing here...?!" Master stammered, sweatdropping heavily as Mavis blinked.
"I came to cheer the Guild on, of course." She replied softly, "But it seems we've hit trouble from the start."
"... t.. that's not quite what I meant... I mean you're a ghost, right?" Master stammered,
"Tenrou Island gets dreadfully boring being alone all the time." Mavis mumbled, pouting slightly. "You shouldn't worry though, only those bearing the Fairy Tail Mark will be able to see me."
"That wasn't really a concern.." Several people mumbled uncertainly,
"None the less, Wendy and Carla are still missing?" Mavis asked, Master nodded stiffly.
"There has been no sign of them, we've had people searching all over the city." He replied, Mavis nodded a little.
"It seems too big a coincidence, one of our Members going missing the eve before the Games." She hummed, her eyes narrowing at the floor. ".... though it'd be a bit hard to guess who would specifically want to harm the Guild's standing, before we know who the other contestants are..." She shook her head, "Regardless, we must find them, and hope they have come to no true harm."
The Fairy Tailers nodded, all of them looking grim.
"Right."
"... you might want to hurry, we aren't technically allowed in here." Doranbolt mumbled, glancing around warily as he let go of Hora's arm- the both of them now standing in a courtyard in the Royal Gardens- after having spent the last hour popping in and out between different streets all around the city. He looked worn now, she could guess he probably wasn't used to using his Magic this much, and this quickly- but she still cast him a slightly disgruntled glare.
"You try hurrying to find the scent of someone you never met in a garden full of flowers." Hora grumbled hotly, he sweatdropped slightly.
"... tch... sorry. Take your time." He sighed, Hora rolled her eyes before letting them fall closed, taking in a deep breath and immediately being confronted with the overwhelming scent of flora and fauna of all kinds. It was enough to make her want to sneeze right off the bat, but she ignored the sensation as she tried her best to pick apart the different plant-scents and find what she had been looking for all over- with no luck.
Despite herself, her stomach was starting to churn uncomfortably- more and more she had the feeling something wasn't right, and she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the Labyrinth floating overhead (to which she had blocked out the sound of the mascot's voice a long while ago).
Hora paused, her head tilting up when she caught the distinct smell of fresh, cool air- not uncommon a smell, given it was night time and they were outside- but her heart jumped when she smelt something sweet and familiar mixed in with it. And beside that smell something like tea....
She sweatdropped, her eyes snapping open as she hissed under her breath. She could smell the bitter tang of sickness too, and her stomach tightened in an instant.
This doesn't feel right.
"I think I found it." She said quickly, earning a look of shock from him, before he frowned. "It's too hard to pinpoint where it's coming from exactly with all the plants, we should split up and search the garden. It'll go quicker that way." She took a step away from him, "I'll shoot off a flare for you if we need to regroup, ok?"
"Right." He called back, before he turned in the opposite direction and they headed separate ways into the garden. Hora kept her nose keen, and her ears sharp as she moved quickly yet cautiously through the grass, peering between the trees and skirting around hedges and fountains alike.
While they had been popping around the city she'd heard a few people asking around for Wendy and Carla- presumably some other Fairy Tail Members who had by now become aware they were missing. Doranbolt was quick to stay out of their sight, not that she cared about his flightiness-
.... damn it, but I do care about finding these two. I got worked up real fast about it.... she's just a kid.... and she might...
Hora forced herself a deep breath,
'For someone wary of children, you still instinctively care about keeping them safe.' Lixue murmured,
Yeah, and you know why... I was a kid when my life got turned to shit, Lixue. I don't like the idea of that happening to someone else.
'Then best find this child quickly.'
Hora huffed, her steps halting as she passed an adjoining path by- and something caught her eye.
There was a bag lying to the side of the small path, abandoned. Hora turned, moving straight up to it and stooping to pick it up. She brought it to her nose, sniffing at it lightly and smelling the very same thing she had thought to be Wendy's scent- but lacking the smell of sickness. She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes flashing as she glanced up the pathway-
... I really do not like this...
She pulled the strap over her head and stood up again, moving slowly down the path again and ears trained instead of her nose.
... it makes me feel better I don't smell blood.... but....
She hissed, her jaw clenching. She felt a shiver run up her spine, her eyes darting sideways toward the top of the hedge she was walking along.
... why do I get the feeling something is watching me....?
She growled, her eyes moving back ahead of her and closing- she could hear cheering from further in the city, the stuck below watching the Preliminary Race- the breeze, blades of grass moving, insects here and there... the faint sound of Doranbolt walking around, his footsteps too heavy to be anyone but him. There was nothing to indicate nor confirm that feeling of being watched, though the tenseness didn't go away regardless.
She sucked in a sharp breath of air, her eyes snapping open when she caught the sound of faint, shallow breathing- from two different people.
That's gotta be-
Her feet had started to move faster without thinking about it, leading her further into the hedges as she locked to the sound- and smelled the scent of sweet, fresh air and tea get stronger than even that of all the surrounding fauna. She whipped around the next corner, turning sharply as the hedge opened up into a small alcove filled with grass and other flowering bushes- she halted, her heart dropping into the pits of her stomach and her eyes growing wide.
There among the plants and almost too hidden to see from the path- was a small, white Exceed and a girl with blue hair- both of them lying among the grass, their breathing shallow and utterly unaware of the world at all, motionless.
".. c.. crap.." Hora breathed, moving forward quickly as she bent down beside the both of them- instantly seeing the blue Emblem of Fairy Tail on the girl's shoulder. That tang of sickness hit harder on her nose, her eyes glittering.
She didn't see any injuries, but the way their breathing stayed shallow and uneven, and even how pale the both of the girl and the Exceed looked didn't make her feel much better- worse so when she realized she couldn't feel any Magic Energy from them at all. Most Wizards had some sort of pressure that she could feel at the back of her mind- more so the stronger the Wizard. But though she actively tried to find that sensation, it wasn't there, and she swallowed.
.... is that what that sick smell is? If they got drained off all their Magic at once, they could have gotten Magic Deficiency Syndrome...
Hora shook her head slightly, her hands falling lightly on Wendy's shoulders as she did her best to nudge her awake.
"... hey, Wendy...? Can you hear me, sweetheart..?" Hora murmured softly, her eyes glittering as she heard Wendy's breathing pick up a little, her eyes fluttering open drowsily.
"...nn.... huh...?" She breathed, her face pulling in pain and fear as her arms rose a little, blocking her body and shaking badly. "..n...no.... please.... don't..... hu...rt... me...." Hora swallowed, her eyes flashing.
".... easy, I'm not gonna hurt you, sweetheart....." Hora said, her voice dropping to an incredibly gentle tenor, her hands moving up to gently catch the girl's wrists as she failed to hold them up any longer- her eyes falling too in weakness Hora could see easily. ".... easy, easy..... you're pretty weak right now, try not to strain yourself, alright...?"
Wendy's eyes fluttered again, desperately trying to keep them open and focus on the voice and who it was that was talking- her nose filled with the scent of fire and smoke and something familiar too.
"... N... natsu....san....?" She asked breathlessly, Hora blinked, sweatdropping slightly.
"..... no, sweetheart. Good guess, but I'm not Natsu." Hora replied, "..... my name's Horatia, I'm gonna help you out, you don't need to be scared.... alright...?"
".... C...carla...?" Wendy breathed, Hora blinked, shifting slightly as she moved to gently pick up the Exceed- who didn't come to at all as she was moved.
"... she's right here, don't worry." Hora murmured, "... I'm gonna get you back to your Guild, alright Wendy? Just stay awake for me for a little longer, sweetheart." Wendy nodded, just barely. "I'm gonna have you hold on to your friend here for a minute, can you do that for me..?"
".. y...yes..."
Hora bit the inside of her cheek, gently lowering Carla onto Wendy's chest as her arms moved, shaking as she wrapped them around the Exceed. Hora felt her stomach tie itself into a knot, her hand moving behind Wendy's head and shoulders and the other moving under her legs- slowly, gently lifting the bluenette up into her arms and climbing to her feet, she heard Wendy let out a shaky breath, her body trembling in her hold. Carla settled in against Hora's body and Wendy's stomach, the girl's arms slackening around the Exceed a little.
"..... good job, Wendy... you're doing great." Hora murmured,
This feeling in my heart..
"... sweetheart, can you tell me what happened to you..?" Hora asked softly, Wendy's head fell against her shoulder as Hora held her close.
"...i... I.....don't..... re..member...." Was the low, trembling answer, Hora stiffened a little.
.... the way my hearts picked up at.... the way she's shaking... confused... afraid.....
"... that's alright, sweetheart." Hora murmured, "... just take it easy, you're gonna be ok, you'll be back with your Guild soon, I promise...."
...... is this what you felt like, Brother....?
Hora took in a deep breath, feeling the burn of her Magic move down her arm in tandem with the Markings. Her deep blue eyes flashed gold a minute, her breath puffing out as a small, thin trail of fire leapt up into the air over their heads- gleaming against the blue backdrop of the night sky.
..... the way I want to hold her, keep her from harm.... keep her safe...?
Hora's eyes fell, the blue returning as she glanced down toward Wendy.
.... I hate this... caring so much without knowing people at all... strangers..
'You are human, however. And you have a good heart, don't forget that.'
"..... be quiet, Lixue..." Hora mumbled under her breath, her eyes flashing. Wendy's eyes fluttered open again, her mind trying to stave off the empty, swathing black as her gaze matched with the deep blue of the strange woman holding on to her.
.... I.... I feel like I've..... seen those eyes... before.... Her mind fell away into the black as her eyes fell closed too.
Doranbolt appeared in front of her moments after having caught sight of the fire, his eyes widening and his whole body growing stiff as he faced Hora- and saw her holding the unconscious forms of Wendy and Carla in her arms.
"... c.. crap...!" He hissed, his own concern flaring and equal to that he could see in Hora's face. "What happened..?!" He asked quickly, Hora shook her head slightly.
"She said she doesn't remember." Hora murmured quietly, "... but they're both really weak, and I don't sense any Magic Power from them at all.... plus I think I can smell sickness coming from Wendy, at least a little." He grimaced, "... I could be wrong... but she might have Magic Deficiency Syndrome..."
"... tch... that's bad..." He grumbled, his eyes softening slightly as he looked at Wendy.
".... we need to get her back to Fairy Tail, quickly." Hora told him, "Their Guild has their own Doctor right?" He nodded stiffly, "Good, they both need to be seen- and soon."
"..... They won't want to see me." He murmured, Hora frowned slightly. He stepped forward, his hand landing lightly on her shoulder. "... But I'll take us to the tavern the rest of Fairy Tail is staying at, you'll have to go in alone though..... I don't want to start trouble."
".... fine." Hora mumbled, she didn't feel like arguing in that moment at all.
Though, she probably would have preferred he go in on his own- seeing as how she'd be playing a dangerous game if they found out she was from SaberTooth. But her Guild Mark was covered, and she doubted she'd be out in the limelight anytime soon to be recognized as such later on... besides,
...... this is bad... I'm going to get attached at this rate.... damn me, getting sucked into helping this Guild.....
..... it's only ever landed me in trouble.....
There was a split second of weightlessness, the gardens of the Palace gone in an instant as she faced the front door of a Tavern, the sign reading 'Sun Bar'- the lights on inside and tucked away in a none-busy section of the city. It was almost quiet, if not for the distant rumble of voices of people all around Crocus watching the Skylabyrinth.
Doranbolt was gone already.
Hora's eyes flicked down when she heard Wendy let out a small hiss, her face tightening in pain. She frowned, her heart clenching.
".... easy, sweetheart... you're nearly there." Hora murmured softly, her feet moving forward toward the door. She shifted, her shoulder pressing against it to push it open- moving inside sideways, before stepping in a few more paces, the door closing shut behind her.
The eyes of three men, one woman, and an old man sitting at the bar found her instantly- their jaws dropping and their faces lighting up in fear and shock all in the instant they lay eyes on the two she held in her arms- a stranger.
"W-Wendy...?! Carla..?!"
"What happened..?!"
"Who the hell are you..?!"
Hora sweatdropped, moving across the floor toward them and ignoring the looks of suspicion she got.
This is a bad idea..
"They were both collapsed in the Palace Gardens," Hora told them quickly, stopping when the younger of the three men and the green-haired woman came straight up to her, their eyes wide and looking nearly tearful. ".... they've been drained of Magic Power, and they need to be seen by a Healer, immediately."
"... oh no.." The woman mumbled, gently picking up Carla from Wendy's arms as the man beside her gave Hora a glance, before easily taking Wendy from her arms and into his. He nodded at her slightly, turning to follow the woman that was holding Carla in her arms as they immediately headed off toward one of the back rooms- leaving Hora standing in front of the bar alone, and being held in the stony gaze of the two older men, and the oldest one on the bar countertop.
"I-I'll call Porlyusica right away, Master!" The man holding Wendy called behind him, "And I've told everyone out looking they've been found, too!" He was gone, earning nothing but a silent nod from the Old Man- who gazed at Hora silently, his eyes hard.
"Who the hell are you?" the man with the pipe in his mouth growled,
"And what happened to Wendy and Carla?" the other, his hair purple, asked next. Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"... Wendy told me she doesn't remember what happened to her, and I didn't see anything around when I found them." Hora replied lowly,
"How the hell did you find them? The guards wouldn't let anyone into the Gardens." The second man growled,
".... I snuck in." Hora replied slowly, "...... Look, I'm not trying to start trouble. I realize you have little reason to trust me, or what I say, but the only thing I was concerned about was getting them help." She paused, ".... I got them back, if you'll let me, I'm just going to go."
"Why?" She stiffened, her eyes snapping to the old man- 'Master' apparently, sweatdropping a little more when she met his stony gaze. "We've had our own people looking for well over an hour now, and found nothing. You said you snuck into the Garden and found them, but why were you there in the first place?" Hora grimaced slightly and he quirked an eyebrow, "Don't try and lie, girl. You are right, we have little reason to trust what you say- if you don't want to be treated as suspect then tell me, why were you in the Gardens in the first place?"
Hora's jaw clenched slightly, her shoulder's rigid as she held his stare- but hesitated.
Do I tell him Natsu asked me to go look? But then how do I explain how I know him? And can I trust the Flame-Brain not to blab about me being in SaberTooth the minute he's asked about it later? And even then, is this Old Man gonna let me go at all if I refuse to tell him who I am myself?
He raised an eyebrow at her silence, his face turning more stern as she felt him starting to loom slightly.
"Well?" He growled, Hora bit down on her cheek.
Can I run? But that'll just make me look guilty, right? And then they'll probably start a manhunt-
They all jumped, shivers running up Hora's spine as the front door suddenly slammed open behind her.
"Someone found them?! Are they hurt badly?!" That was a woman's voice, sounding out of breath.
"Warren said a lady with orange hair found Carla and Wendy!! Was it-?!"
Hora went rigid, her head snapping around in panic at the voice she recognized instantly, her heart dropping into the pits of her stomach-
C-CRAP!
Time slowed down for a split second as she turned in reaction, her eyes locking with the tearful and scared gaze of Happy, his fur sticking on end and panting as if he had raced to get there-
His eyes glinted, filling with tears as they spilled over and he rushed forward like a blue blur- Hora hissed as he slammed straight into her, wailing like a baby as she stumbled back, promptly falling on her ass as he sobbed into her chest.
"H-Hora!! I saw the f-fire in the G-Gardens, and when Warren said someone with orange hair had found W-Wendy and C-Carla unconscious there.. I-i knew it had to be you! N-Natsu told me y-you were going to help look for them! I-I knew it was y-you, you found them Hora!! Y-you found them, and you b-brought them back! Y-you're the best!!" Happy sobbed loudly, holding tight to her as Hora bit down on her tongue- trying her best not to yelp though it was hard with how fast he'd run into her. But immediately her heart felt like it stopped, mind racing and panic setting in on high-
shiiiiiitttttttt!!! I'm supposed to be keeping a low profile!!!
"You know her?!" the two men and the young woman that had come in with Happy said all at once, their jaws dropping and utterly confused at what had just happened.
"...tch.. H-Happy..!" Hora hissed, he sniffed, tears watery still.
"Y-yeah, she's my friend." Happy stammered, "N-Natsu and Lucy and I- we met her when we went on that job... Horatia, she's from-" Hora sucked in a breath, her hands immediately moving to cover his mouth- cutting him off as he blinked up at her in surprise.
".. Happy..! You... you can't." Hora hissed lowly, her eyes glittering like mad as he stared at her. She stiffened a little, her face falling as she shook her head at him. "... I'm sorry... but you need to keep that part a secret for me, ok? I'll get in trouble..."
His eyes flashed, immediately realizing what she meant and nodding- Hora pulled her hands away, looking incredibly nervous as his ears fell back against his head.
"... sorry, Hora... I forgot.." He mumbled, Hora bit the inside of her cheek, shaking her head slightly.
.... getting sucked into helping this Guild.......... it's only ever landed me in trouble..... please don't let it get me in trouble... not now...
".... It seems you were looking for them from the start, hmm?"
Hora stiffened, Happy blinking up at her when he felt her tense- his eyes widening slightly.
Hora.... Looks scared...?
Her eyes snapped right, immediately aware that the Old Man had gotten down from the bar and stood beside her, hands hooked behind his back and gaze level on her. She seemed to lean away from him slightly, her eyes glittering as her hold around Happy tightened slightly.
"......... yes." Hora replied quietly, he quirked a brow.
"You are a Mage from another Guild, aren't you?" He asked, Hora held Happy a little tighter without meaning to.
"... yes.." She mumbled softly, "... but I can't tell you which one. I'm not even supposed to be talking with other Guilds, let alone..." She growled slightly, her eyes flashing as she shook her head. ".... it's complicated. I'm sorry, but I can't." He held her in his stare for a few tense moments more, before his eyes fell closed with a small nod.
".. very well." He murmured, Hora blinked in surprise at how quickly he relented. Happy's paw patted her arm lightly, smiling a little as she let him go- picking him up and setting him on the floor gently.
"Thank you for helping find Wendy and Carla, Hora." Happy told her softly, she nodded stiffly. "How did you find them though? We looked all over,"
"..... I had some help." Hora replied softly, "... that, and my nose." She added, Happy blinked.
"Your nose..?" He hummed, looking a little confused- but Hora was already getting to her feet, stiff and looking quite uncomfortable. "Oh, I think I get it, you're Magic works like Natsu's." He hummed, she sweatdropped.
Sort of
".... I really do need to leave." Hora murmured, her eyes flicking toward the Old Man who blinked, looking calm as ever. She took a small step toward the door,
"...... Hora." Happy mumbled softly, she shot him an apologetic look.
"Sorry." She mumbled softly, shaking her head a little. ".... really.... I just can't Happy..." He frowned a little, looking sad and worried all at once as she turned- the eyes of the Fairy Tailer's following her as she headed straight toward the door.
Happy let out a small mew, his ears folding slightly, she looks really scared.... I haven't seen her like that, ever..... but why? Would she really get in trouble that bad..?
Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her hand reaching for the door and heart thrumming painfully in her chest- she hadn't felt this uneasy since...
Crap..... just like that, all that confidence is gone.. huh...?
Master Makarov glanced sideways, his eyes moving from 'Hora' toward the pale shimmer of gold that appeared beside him, as Fairy Tail's First Master appeared again, her green eyes fixed to the retreating woman and face utterly neutral. He blinked, before letting his eyes move back toward Hora as she reached the door.
"Thank you very much, for helping to locate our lost members, kind stranger."
Hora's hand halted, her body growing stiff at the voice as shivers ran up her spine- her blue eyes flashing gold for a single second as her breath caught in her throat. She halted, shivering slightly as her eyes narrowed,
Hora turned her head slightly, sweatdropping as her eyes found that same blonde little girl standing beside the Old Man, her green eyes serene and her lips pulling slightly at the edges as Hora met her gaze.
"It seems you've proven quite good at finding lost things, hmm?" She hummed softly, Hora swallowed. She nodded, just a little-
"..... you're welcome." She murmured softly, her eyes breaking away again and completely oblivious to the fact that everyone else in the room had gone very still, eyes wide and looking stricken- unbelieving.
She was gone in the next instant, the door closing behind her as Mavis smiled still, her hands hooking behind her back.
"F-First...?" Makarov stammered, sweatdropping heavily as everyone else was- because what?
"She.. she can see you..?" He asked quickly, Mavis nodded. "H-how..!? I thought you said only those with the Fairy Tail Emblem could..?!"
".... she is different." Mavis hummed, "... she has the same heart as this Guild."
And it seems your fate is to cross with Fairy Tail more than once..... Horatia
Hora held her head in her hands, her chin on top of the table and staring straight ahead at the stack of papers in front of her- and yet not seeing them.
What did I do..?
Ira and Doranbolt were staring at her, looking quite lost and unsure of what to say nor do- they weren't sure what happened. Since coming out of the Sun Bar she had been ridiculously on edge, almost to the point of being... scared. She'd said literally nothing since coming back to Era, and only told Doranbolt she was finished- before he took them both back here.
Hora's eyes flashed, her shoulders hunching slightly as her jaw clenched.
... what did I do....? That was... that was stupid....!
Her eyes snapped closed, her arms moving to bury her head inside of them.
They know my name, they know what I look like.. they know I'm from another Guild. Even if Happy won't tell them, or Lucy, or Natsu.... they're gonna be looking now, I can't get anywhere near that Guild for the rest of the Games... I can't run the risk they see me sitting there in the stands with the rest of SaberTooth..... shit..!
She shuddered, her shoulders and arms shaking as her muscles tightened.
What if they start asking about the Mage named Horatia..? If Master or Minerva hear anything about that, about Fairy Tail looking for me..... it's going to be worse than last time, and last time he almost.... shit! What was I thinking..?!
She hissed, she hadn't- the minute she heard Wendy was missing, a kid.... she stopped thinking. She didn't care, all she wanted... needed, was to find that little Dragon Slayer, regardless what risk doing so brought with it.
..... if they find out..... Jiemma might kill me.... he might... and Sting and Rogue.... Lector... Frosch... Yukino, Rufus.... Orga........
All that talk about changing the Guild, about finding a way out from Jiemma's hold... what good did any of that do if she ended up dead before getting a chance to try?!
I have to find some way.... before he even.... shit, shit! Why do I always feel the need to help people?! Even when it'll just end up screwing me over..?!
Her body relaxed slightly, but her stomach knotted tighter.
...... So many years, so much time spent looking... Is there even a way?
'There is always a way.... You may have yet to know what it is, or find it... But there is a way.' Lixue murmured,
But am I going to like what I have to do, to be set free? I can be free.... But there's a difference between dead and free, and alive and free.... Lixue....
He never replied, he hadn't an answer for her- stupid as that seemed. There was so much that asshole should know... But apparently not this, one of the few things she ever truly needed to know.
.... I've probably royally fucked up..... Damn it...
".... Hora...?" Ira murmured softly, his hand falling on her back gently as he moved up beside her. ".... Are you alright....? Are you in pain... Or...?"
".... No... I just...... I messed up...." She hissed, he blinked. "..... I wanted to fix things.... But I might have made doing that impossible...."
Doranbolt sweatdropped slightly, his eyes narrowing at the answer.
"But I promise, I'm going to find a way to change things. Whatever happens, it isn't them. I should have tried to do something a long time ago, but that's on me. You can't get involved in it, even though I know you want to. This is something that has to start with me. You can go ahead and blame everything SaberTooth does on me, got it? I've been apart of this Guild longer than anybody else, and it's my fault it's ended up the way it has- period. I'm going to do my best to fix it, I should have done it a long, long time ago. But I'm going to do it- not you, and not right now."
Her hand lift, her thumb pressing against her chest as she settled Natsu with an utterly stony stare.
"You said I had a fire in my belly? You're right, and I'm gonna use it as fuel to fix the mess Jiemma's made of my Guild- no matter how long it takes."
Doranbolt glanced away,
".... I take it you don't want anyone to know you have friends here in Fairy Tail?"
"Nope."
.... And why did she go to try and find Wendy and Carla? She hadn't hesitated.
"Wendy's a kid, isn't she?" Hora murmured, her voice dropping slightly, a little softer. He blinked at it, eyes flashing in question. She let out a deep sigh, her eyes falling closed. "... plus, I'm too nice a person for my own good...."
.... She's not supposed to be friendly with the other Guilds, rules or something.... But she still helped them, regardless.
She was focused on finding people who got lost, who had people worried about them, and did it regardless of what consequences it might land her. She seemed to remember what she'd done the minute it was over with, and the realization she had broken those rules-
The woman who went into North Wind with little chance of walking out again, and did so without a shred of fear.... The idea of breaking the rules her Guild Master set for all of SaberTooth had that same woman trying very hard not to look terrified- but he saw it in an instant.
Doranbolt swallowed slightly, shaking his head a little as he glanced out the window.
What the hell is going on with SaberTooth? If there was ever a reason to think something wasn't right-
"....... The Council has a library, yeah?" Doranbolt glanced back toward Hora as she asked the question, Ira nodded slightly in reply to the question. Hora gestured toward the pile of papers in front of her. "After I finish filling out these papers.... Can I take a look in it?"
"Hmm? Why?" Ira asked instantly, looking confused at the request. Hora grimaced slightly,
".... I doubt I'll find what I'm looking for.... But I need to do a bit of research on something specific." Hora replied, shrugging a little. "Might as well get something done if I'm gonna be stuck here, right?"
Ira paused, blinking several times at her, before nodding slightly.
".... Ill have to get permission for you, but yeah... We can do that."
"Thank you."
Chapter 20: Save Face
Chapter Text
Chapter 20
Save Face
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
Day One of the Grand Magic Games-
"Are they ok?!" Natsu snapped, the door slamming open as he pushed it in, moving without a care or moments pause inside the Infirmary room- Gray, Erza, Lucy, Lisanna and Elfman at his heels. He'd come running the minute he heard that Wendy and Carla had been found- and that they'd been knocked unconscious, and were now resting in the Colosseum Infirmary reserved to Fairy Tail.
Happy, and Porlyusica looked up and around when he came in, jumping slightly. "Natsu.." Happy mumbled,
"Where were they?" Gray grumbled, Happy raised a paw, his usual mirth and peppiness gone.
"Hora said she found them passed out in the Palace Gardens." Happy murmured softly, he blinked at the unfamiliar name along with Erza and Elfman.
"H-hora...?!" Lucy asked immediately,
"She told me she was gonna go look for them," Natsu murmured, "So she's the one who found them, huh?"
"Aye..." Happy mumbled,
"Wait- when did you talk with her?" Lucy asked Natsu instantly,
"Right before the Preliminary Round." He mumbled,
"Who is this 'Hora'?" Erza asked,
"Natsu, Lucy and I met her on that job we went to work before training for the Games." Happy told her, "... she's our friend, from another Guild....." Happy tapped his fingers together nervously, ".... and she told me we're not allowed to tell any of you guys which Guild she's from exactly." Natsu and Lucy grimaced slightly at that,
"She wouldn't tell Master Makarov either, when she came to the Tavern last night." Lisanna murmured, Gray, Elfman and Erza's eyes all narrowed slightly.
"Why would she not want us to know?" Gray grumbled lowly,
"... it's.... complicated, from what she said." Lucy mumbled softly, ".... I think she tried to explain it to me once.... it seems like her Master has some really strict rules about interacting with the Other Guilds... and she might get in trouble if he found out she'd been helping any of us." Erza and Gray blinked,
"That seems excessive." Elfman mumbled, Natsu stiffened slightly, his eyes landing on Wendy for a second, before he let them close.
"And I think I kinda get it, a little." He mumbled, "The way it looked like to me... they act differently in front of everyone, than they act when they're alone, right? That way everybody else seems them like their confident and above everyone else?"
".... yeah. That's about exactly it." Hora murmured, "... reputation means a lot to my Guild Master. The whole Guild has to follow his orders on how we portray ourselves to him, and the outside world." She stiffened, looking a little frantic she said that out loud. "B-but don't go spreading that around! Nobody's supposed to know that, everyone's supposed to think we're this big, proud, powerful Guild! A-and we are, but we're also seen as harsh, and ruthless... and oh I need to shut up.... please don't mention any of that to anyone else, please. Master'll be pissed if he hears anything about any of that..." He blinked, his eyes widening when he saw fear pass across her expression.
Fear
His fists clenched at his sides, sweatdropping.
"Regardless; if you consider her a friend, we should be thankful she found them, more so than worried about her secrecy," Erza murmured lowly, her attention moving to Porlyusica. "Are they alright?" she asked,
"They are both very weak. They seem to have been drained of all their Magic Power at once, and have developed Magic Deficiency Syndrome as a result." Porlyusica grumbled, Erza grimaced slightly at the news. "They should be alright after resting, I'll keep a close eye on them both."
"But how did all their Magic get drained?" Lucy asked,
Wendy's eyes fluttered open slightly, the world coming into focus slowly.. her nose twitched, fire and ash meeting her and something cooler too.... it smelled like that girl, Hora...?
".... H... Hora..?" Wendy breathed, Natsu blinked, his eyes widening when he heard her say the name. He leaned over slightly, sweatdropping a little with a shake of his head.
"Nah, Wendy. She smells like me, but it's Natsu." He replied softly, she nodded a little. "What happened to ya?"
"... i... I don't... remember..." Wendy mumbled, "... there's.... some black.... creature.... tch..!" Everyone in the room stiffened as the little Dragon Slayer's voice broke off, her face scrunching up in pain.
"Don't push her." Porlyusica snapped lowly,
".... i... I'm sorry.... everyone...... after all the training we did...." Wendy hissed, her eyes glistening as moisture pecked at the edges. "... I can't even help you... in the Games..." They stiffened, their hearts clenching.
"... Wendy.." Lucy breathed, her eyes flashing.
"... Elfman...." Wendy mumbled, he blinked when she said his name. "... will you please.... go in my place...?"
He nodded firmly, "I got this, don't you worry Wendy." She smiled slightly, her eyes glittering.
"Thank you."
"Alright, now all of you out!" Porlyusica snapped, moving as she suddenly shoved them all out in the blink of an eye. "She needs rest, and she can't get it with you here!"
The door slammed shut as they hit the floor out in the corridor. The rumble of the crowd in the stands over their heads grew louder, the time for the Grand Magic Games to officially start drawing near as they began to pick themselves back up from the floor slowly.
Natsu sat up, his fists clenching in his lap as he glared at the door, jaw clenching. "... tch... you think the guy who hurt Wendy is in the Games too?" He hissed,
"... there's no evidence of that, but it's possible." Lucy mumbled,
"So what? Are they trying to make us weaker before the Games even start?" Gray huffed,
"Who cares?!" Elfman snapped, "We're gonna show them they messed with the wrong Guild, right?" Gray, Erza and Lucy nodded.
"Right."
"Well, good luck you guys." Lisanna smiled, "... oh, before you head off- you should probably know that Master Mavis is here to watch the Games."
"Huh?!"
"The First?!"
"Ain't she dead...!?"
"Well, she's kind of a ghost." Lisanna murmured, "She said that only people with the Fairy Tail Guild Mark will be able to see her, too."
Happy hummed, sweatdropping as he cast a glance up at the Infirmary door from where he was standing beside Natsu- who still had yet to get to his feet.
".... yeah, she said that- but Hora could see her last night." Happy mewed, Natsu stiffened beside him.
"Huh? Really..?" He asked, Happy nodded.
"Master Mavis thanked her for bringing Wendy and Carla home, and she definitely heard her. She even turned around and looked right at her." Happy replied,
".... if she is not a Member of our Guild, how could she have seen the First?" Erza murmured, standing at Natsu's other side. Happy shook his head, shrugging a little.
"I dunno," Happy told her, Natsu's eyes narrowed at the floor.
"..... maybe it's because of her Magic..." He mumbled, earning a blink from Erza and Happy alike.
"Her Magic?" Erza echoed, Natsu didn't elaborate, his arms crossed over his chest, his chin burying itself in his scarf as his eyes closed.
"Well.... Master Mavis said something about her having.... 'the same heart' as the rest of us in the Guild." Happy intoned, Erza looked no more sure of that answer either.
".... Hey, Erza." Natsu mumbled, she quirked a brow at him.
"What?"
"I got a question," He grumbled, she sighed, her arms crossing about her chest.
"About?"
".... do you have any clue what a 'Possession Link' is?" Natsu grumbled slowly, Erza blinked in surprise.
".... that's an odd question, why are you asking?" She replied, his eyes narrowed at the floor.
"...mmm.... it's something Hora mentioned to me." Natsu mumbled lowly, ".... I don't have any clue what it is though, and it's bugging me." Erza paused, before humming slightly.
"... Possession Links are an extremely difficult type of Body-Link Magic." Erza sighed, he looked up at her. "Few Mages are able to use them, since they require a lot of Magic and Skill to cast. They are used to link oneself to a sort of object, or Magical Item- doing so allows them to summon that item to them no matter where the User may be. They also allow Magical Items to be rendered unusable by anyone the 'Possessor' doesn't want using them, and can even be used to destroy an item, if the Possessor sees fit." Natsu blinked, his head tilting slightly.
"....... can you break them?" He asked, she paused, looking a little intrigued- but deciding to answer anyway.
"The Links are unbreakable once cast on an object, as far as I am aware. The only way to get rid of a Link is if the person who created it in the first place wants to remove it." Erza replied evenly, he frowned a little. "..... Is there a particular reason Hora mentioned Possession Links?"
"..... tch... I have no clue...." Natsu grumbled, looking less than pleased.
".... will I get to meet this mysterious woman?" Erza asked next, both Happy and Natsu jumped. "It seems she's intent on keeping what Guild she belongs to a secret, but I would very much like to meet this person you consider a friend- and one kind enough to have spent her time looking for Wendy and Carla; despite the fact it could have gotten her in trouble." Natsu sweatdropped,
".... I don't really like the idea of keeping her so secret... but I'm not gonna point her out, she doesn't want that." Natsu murmured, Erza just blinked at him once. "..... she asked to keep this secret, so I'll do it...."
"... I don't intend to spread rumor." Erza pointed out, he shook his head.
"I didn't think ya would.... but I can't. For now I'm doing what Hora wants." Natsu grumbled, shaking his head slightly. ".... besides, she's not gonna be around today anyway. And probably not tomorrow either, from what she said." Erza sighed,
"Very well.." She mumbled, her head tilting toward the others who looked ready to head out. "Shall we?"
"Heh, hell yeah."
The Council has so many books on so many different Magics... it's ridiculous..!
Hora let out a hot breath, her hand reaching upward as she pushed herself up on her toes- teetering sideways on the very, very tall ladder she stood on top of.
.... I've gone through hundreds of books already, and I can't have made a dent...
She gave up straining for the thing she clearly wouldn't be reaching, letting out a long sigh as her forehead fell to rest against the shelf.
..... I've been in here all day... and I've still found absolutely nothing that'll help....
Her eyes shift sideways toward the long window at the end of the aisle, the sun setting outside- bearing down on the first day of the Grand Magic Games, and she had missed all of it like she thought she would. And the way it looked- she'd filled out hundreds of papers but now she had to wait for them to be reviewed and approved... and there was no telling how long that was gonna take tomorrow.
I wonder.... how everyone did, though....?
"Hmmmmm........." She hummed, her eyes falling from the window toward the tiny figure of Ira moving between stacks of books, another stack in his arms. "Ira!" She called, he jumped, struggling to keep the stack in hand balanced as he looked up at her high over his head.
"Hmm? Yeah?" He called back, before pausing, looking nervous. "P-please don't ask me to cover for you, so you can run off again, Hora..."
"It's not that, relax." Hora sighed, stepping off the later and into mid-air, Ira stiffened at the sight.
"W-wait...?!" He snapped, but Hora was already falling through the air toward him- and landing on her feet with ease. He hissed, staring at her as she straightened and put her hip on her hand with a quirked brow at him. "...... did you have to jump down? You couldn't just climb down the ladder again?" He sighed, she shrugged.
"Jumping's faster." She replied with ease, "Can I use some paper? I figure it's probably time to replace that Calling Card that got trashed." His eyes widened a little, before he nodded once.
"Uh, yeah." He mumbled, turning to set the books in hand down on the floor with a sigh. He snapped his fingers and a few pieces of paper and a pen dropped into his hands, before he handed them over to her. Hora smiled slightly with a nod of her head, taking them from him and turning to settle in on the top of a stack of books. Ira stood by, his eyes watching her in intrigue as she set to work tracing out the card face and drawing in the designs along the sides.
"...... you're really good at drawing." He murmured, she smiled slightly.
"I do alright." She hummed, her eyes never leaving her work.
"I meant to ask, that Messenger Bird you created back in the Hospital, is that something you can do because of your Devil Slayer Magic?" Ira asked curiously, Hora blinked.
"... not exactly." She hummed, ".... I mean the fire does have something to do with it, but it's more my own special version of Picto Magic." Ira nodded slightly,
"... cool..." He murmured, she smirked slightly, reminded for a moment of Sherria back in Lamia Scale.
She set the pen down, her finger tracing along the outline of the card as her skin stained dark a moment, golden flame dancing onto the page and separating the card from the unneeded strips of paper at the end, and curling inward across the paper but not consuming it, adding a splash of color to the originally black and white patterns as sections of it stained blues and reds and greens and gold all at once, the surface shining as if the paper had been polished and glossed.Ira was watching with shinning eyes, looking awed as Hora straightened up and held the card out to him with a small smile,
"Do me a favor, will you?" She murmured, he tilted his head. "Do you mind putting that Preservation Spell on this, the same one you used with this Ribbon?" She asked, her wrist lifting with said ribbon. He nodded,
"Yeah, no problem." He smiled, his hand lifting to take the card as he pressed it between both of his palms. A Magic Circle appeared on both of his palms, sandwiching the card between them as Ira's eyes fell closed in concentration. They glowed a faint white color, the light brightening into the shape of a sphere around his hands and the card both.
There was the sound of something like a stamp hitting paper, before the light faded and he let out a sigh- smiling still as he handed the card back.
"There you go." He smiled softly,
"Thank you~" Hora hummed, "What kinds of Magic do you use, anyway? I've heard of Preservation Spells, but I've never come across any that could hold up against my Magic. And apart from that, this whole Tracking Magic is completely new for me too." He stiffened a little, looking suddenly nervous as he looked away quickly.
"O-oh, well... I kinda use a bunch of different Magics.... they aren't all that special..." He stammered, "..... I mean I guess the Tracking Magic is a little rare, and I did kinda.... make a specialized version of it to work with objects connected to people...... but even then I can't track people themselves. Just things." He sweatdropped, ".... as for the Preservation Spell.... I don't know? I've been using it since I was really little so I guess I just got good at it...?" Hora tilted his head at him, blinking a few times.
"..... are you trying to be modest or..?" She mumbled, he shook his head quickly.
"N-no..?" He replied, she sighed, smiling slightly.
"... ah, well. Regardless, you are a pretty good Mage yourself, kiddo." She murmured, he blushed. "Especially so for having a job in the Council instead of a Guild."
"T-thank you..." He stammered, she smirked.
"Well, I'm gonna take a break from searching and give my Guild a call, kay?"
"Alright."
Hora waved a hand behind her as she started up the aisle again, heading deeper into the library that was incredibly empty for it's massive size. She slowed to a stop and sank down to sit cross-legged on the floor with her back pressed up against one of the shelves, tapping the card-face as it came to life and she connected the call to the other card in Crocus.
The faces of Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch appeared on the card-face, she smirked.
"Hey~!" She hummed brightly,
"Hora!"
"You fixed your Card?"
"Nah, I just made a new one is all." She smiled, "This one's got a heavy-duty Preservation Spell on it though, so it won't get damaged or broken again." They nodded,
"Sounds good to me!" Lector purred,
"So, how did the First Day of the GMG go?" Hora asked, they smirked.
"We're in first place of course!" Lector smiled,
"And this other Guild called Raven Tail is in second, with Lamia in third." Rogue murmured, Hora's head tilted.
"Raven Tail? I've never heard of it..."
"Hmm, nor have I." Rogue sighed,
"Rumor going around is they were supposed to be some sort of Dark Guild." Sting told her, "That- and their Guild Master is the son of Fairy Tail's Guild Master, and they've got some huge beef going between the two of them."
"... I take it Fairy Tail made it through the Preliminary Round, then?" Hora asked,
"... ah, yeah- about that." Sting huffed, "They've got two Teams playing for them in the Games, an A and a B Team." Hora blinked,
".... huh...?"
"We were surprised too." Rogue murmured,
"Fro thinks so to!"
"Apparently they let all the Guild's enter several Teams, since they were planning on knocking a bunch of 'um out during the Prelims." Lector explained, "The Game Organizers weren't planning on a Guild having more than one Team make it through, but Fairy Tail did... somehow."
"Two Guilds or not, they are sucking so far." Sting mumbled, "Both Fairy Tail Teams are in dead last." Hora smiled nervously,
".. ah..." She sighed, "..... are both Natsu and Gajeel playing, then?"
"Yeah." Sting and Rogue said in unison, Hora smiled a bit more.
"Well that's nice, maybe you two will get a chance to face off against them. I'm sure the crowds would love to watch those fights." Hora hummed brightly, they smiled slightly.
"We're gonna wipe the floor with them, ya know." Sting smirked, Hora chuckled.
"Hehe, I don't know, Natsu was pretty good when I worked with him~"
"Oi! Who's side are you on, Hora?!" Sting snapped, she smiled.
"Yours of course, just don't go underestimating him." She replied, he huffed, looking just slightly annoyed. "So? What was the first event like? And the individual matches?" She sweatdropped, just a little. "... did anybody in SaberTooth face off with someone?"
"The first event was called 'Hidden'!" Lector told her, "They created this huge city in the middle of the Arena and made tons of copies of everyone playing! You had to score points by tagging one of the real people from the other Guilds, and you lost points if you tagged a clone instead."
"Hmm, interesting... who went for us?"
"Rufus." Frosch mewed, "And he beat everyone, easy!" Hora smiled, her elbow resting on her knee as she sighed.
"Figures, that sounds like his sort of game..."
"Orga fought today too." Lector piped up, Hora quirked a brow.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, and it was over in about ten seconds." Sting sighed, Hora sweatdropped.
"Ah.... who'd he fight with?"
"Some guy from Quatro Cerberus." Sting mumbled, "The dude didn't stand a chance, it took Orga just one hit.... but the crowd liked it, heh."
"They even liked it when he started one of those songs of his." Lector shrugged, Hora saw Sting and Rogue grimace slightly at the memory, and she slightly agreed. Orga wasn't... well, he wasn't known for his singing talent.
"Are he and Rufus the only one's who participated today?" Hora asked, they all nodded.
"Sting plans to participate in the first event tomorrow." Rogue murmured, "... whatever it ends up being."
"Whatever it is, I'm gonna rock it." Sting smiled, Hora hummed under her breath. Rogue gave her a pointed look,
"... I take it you called to tell us you won't be here for the Games tomorrow, either?" The Shadow Dragon Slayer asked, she nodded.
"Yeah.. sorry. The paperwork got done and put through, but the Council needs to review and sign off on everything... and I literally have no idea how long it's going to take." She replied, "... I'm sorry I'm gonna miss so much, but I know you guys will do great without me."
"It's alright, Hora." Sting smiled slightly,
"We know you don't have a choice." Rogue told her softly,
"I'm surprised you've been handling all that political nonsense so well!" Hora blinked at the voice, she knew it belonged to Orga, though she couldn't see him in the picture. "You've never been the type to like all the administrative stuff, hehe~! You burn up any papers you didn't want to fill out?"
"O-of course not..." Hora sighed,
"Don't be absurd, Orga." Rufus' voice was low, but she heard him too.
"So you'll be back sometime tomorrow, Hora?" Yukino leaned in down between Rogue and Sting, Hora nodded.
"Yeah, sometime...." She sighed, "But regardless, good luck, all of you. And be careful too, yeah?"
"Of course." They all replied in tandem, she smiled.
"I'll see you soon."
Day Two of the Grand Magic Games-
"Staring is rude, Natsu."
Natsu blinked, jumping slightly at Erza's voice in his ear- his eyes snapping away from staring across the good three hundred feet or so between their Team Waiting Area, and that of SaberTooth's own box. It was far enough it was a little hard to make out who was there, but his eyes were sharp enough to know that the person he'd been looking for was not there- though it wasn't as if he'd seen anyone other than Team SaberTooth there yesterday... it was like the rest of their Guild didn't want to come visit... or maybe they weren't allowed(?).
He glanced up at Erza, sweatdropping slightly. "... right..." He mumbled, she shook her head at him.
"Ah... Natsu-san..?"
Natsu blinked, his eyes falling on his other side as Wendy tapped him on the shoulder. She'd changed into her clothes, since she was now stepping into her place on the Team (seeing as how Elfman got the crap beaten out of him winning to that Bacchus guy...). She smiled up at him a little nervously, still flustered it seemed from the 'Pose' battle that Mirajane had against Jenny... where everyone somehow getting roped into dressing up before it was finally over. He'd been watching the tail end of that battle in sheer silence until it was over, and then his eyes wandered where they had so many times that day without meaning them too. And the longer the Games waned and the closer they came to a close on the second day, there was no sign of that Fire Devil Slayer anywhere.
Wendy had been watching beside him for awhile now, along with everyone else- but her tug on his sleeve as everyone waited for the last match of the day to start caught his attention instantly.
He smiled, "What's up, Wendy?"
"Ah, well I've been meaning to ask you." She hummed, "But that woman who found Carla and I, Happy said you were friends with her?" He paused for a split second, his smile softening a little as he nodded.
"Yeah, Hora." He murmured,
"I was just wondering.... I really want to thank her, for helping us." Wendy told him, "Happy said she did it even though she'd probably get in trouble with her Guild. I wanna tell her how much I appreciate that she helped us, even if it might end up badly for her." Natsu's eyes flashed a little, ".... I know she made you guys promise not to tell anyone what Guild she's part of, and I won't ask you to. But if you see her, maybe you can tell her I said thank you?"
Natsu smiled slightly, his hand resting on head. "You got it. If I see her I'll let her know."
"Thank you." Wendy smiled back,
Gray blinked, his eyes falling on Wendy for a moment as he listened in to the small conversation. He glanced up at Natsu too, his eyes narrowing when he saw the unease work it's way into the Pinkette regardless of the smile he put on,
He'd very much like to meet his mysterious Hora person, it made no sense how secretive Happy, Natsu and Lucy were all being about her- enough they out right refused to tell the Guild what she didn't want them too. He also knew he wasn't the only one interested too, a lot of other people in the Guild were. Erza and Master being two of them,
"And now to announce our final battle for the day!"
His attention cast away from Natsu, who let his hand move from Wendy's head- all their eyes turning toward the arena.
"Our final match up will be Team Mermaid Heel's; Kagura Mikazushi- and Team SaberTooth's; Yukino Agria!"
Natsu stiffened, his eyes narrowing.
SaberTooth huh...?
He leaned against the railing, watching in silence as a woman with pale blue hair and another with dark hair walked out onto the field, both straight-faced.
"What's gonna happen, do you think?" Gray grumbled,
"Pay close attention." Erza ordered lowly, "SaberTooth is the Guild to beat this year, we need to learn all we can about their Team."
"Right."
"Kagura has made quite the name for herself! Not only is she considered the strongest in all of Mermaid Heel, but she's also been elected Number One Female Wizard by Sorcerer Weekly!" The Announcer's voice filtered through the whole of the Arena, "-On the other hand, not much is known about Yukino! However the simple fact that she has been chosen to represent SaberTooth in this year's Games tells us she will certainly be a force to be reckoned with!"
Sting and Rogue grimaced slightly, both of them stiff and rigid as their eyes locked down on the Arena. Lector and Frosch were still too, ears pressed against their heads and paws clenched at their sides.
"Yukino will be ok, right?" Frosch mumbled,
"Yukino is super strong! She can beat this Mermaid Lady no problem!" Lector grumbled,
Sting sweatdropped, his head tilting back a little overhead- somewhere up there in the stands Master Jiemma was surely watching, and he swallowed. After having dropped out of the Chariot Race that morning, he could imagine Master wasn't too pleased already... which didn't really bode all that well for Yukino, if-
He hissed, his jaw clenching as he shook his head at himself.
Yukino knows what she's doing, we trained hard as hell for three months.... she can do this.
Rogue cast Sting a sideways glance, his lips pulling in a faint, uneasy frown he saw mimicked in everyone in the booth around them. His red eyes shift behind them toward the door, sweatdropping slightly.
If Hora were around right now he could imagine how tense she would be. Yukino going head to head with anyone in the Games was something all of them on the Team had been wary of. Yukino had been in the Guild a year already but nowhere near as long as the rest of them, and for it- she didn't have the good graces of the Master or the Lady as much as the rest of them had.
His eyes fell closed a moment.
...... Do your best, Yukino....
The air rung as the gong to start the match was hit, the crowd cheering all around in anticipation and excitement.
"It is an honor to cross blades with you." Yukino murmured softly, her head dipping toward Kagura- who blinked in surprise at the words, before nodding back.
"For me as well."
Yukino's eyes cast up toward the stands for half a second, her shoulders tensing slightly. Her eyes fell back on Kagura, emotionless and stern- that face that she had by now learned to put on for the whole of the world, and especially so- knowing Master Jiemma was watching her closely. She had to be cold, and collected, and proud- SaberTooth Wizards did not get emotional, or angry- they won, no matter what, and they had to stay cool- but above all?
Show the world we are better than all of them.
"... so, shall we do as the others have been?" She murmured, "And make a wager?"
"Silly bets do not interest me." Kagura grumbled lowly,
"Is that because you're afraid of losing?" She asked instantly, Kagura didn't even react.
"You are mistaken if you believe that." Kagura replied easily, "I fear no such thing, but when I enter into an agreement- I guarantee it will be enacted without fail. Because of that, I never gamble for entertainment."
Yukino swallowed, barely catching herself from shuddering as shills suddenly ran up her spine- she could feel eyes on her back from somewhere unseen, piercing and cold.
Master
".... nor do I." She murmured slowly,
Show the world....
"So let us raise the stakes, shall we?"
... that SaberTooth Wizards do not back down from any challenge, no matter what.
Her heart dropped into the pits of her stomach, but that wouldn't stop her- she had to make it look like she was unafraid, that she was sure she would win.
Master is watching
"Let's wager our lives."
Sting, Rogue, Lector, Frosch, Orga and Rufus all stiffened, their eyes falling closed and their jaws clenching, fighting not to react outwardly to the words that made their hearts skip a beat. They felt it too, above their heads- eyes cold and malicious, the sort to see right through you.
Master is watching... keep up face.
Natsu felt everyone of his Team grow rigid around him in the same instant he did, their eyes widening at the wager.
W-what the...?!
Natsu's eyes narrowed, leaning in over the railing a little more. "Betting their lives..?! Seriously?!" He hissed,
"That's crazy, talk about raising the stakes.." Gray grumbled,
"... why would she do something so extreme..?" Lucy mumbled,
What the hell is she...?!
Natsu halted, his eyes widening in the instant he saw some sort of emotion flicker across Yukino's expression- regardless of how emotionless she had come off as being. His heart stopped, a bead of sweat falling down his face-
Fear, fear where she tried to bury it- the exact same look he's seen in Hora before.
His eyes snapped straight across toward SaberTooth's box on instinct, his breath catching in his throat- he swore he saw it there too, in the rest of the SaberTooth team watching.
... but... why are they....?
His jaw clenched, his eyes snapping back down toward Yukino.
Something's not right, there's something not right goin' on in SaberTooth... but what...?!
Kagura held Yukino in her narrowed gaze for a few long moments, Yukino looking back, rigid and calm.
Save Face... no matter what.
"... very well, I accept."
Hora shivered, her breath catching in her throat as she was jolted out of dozing by ice running up and down her back out of nowhere. She jumped up a little from leaning against the wall, her eyes snapping open and blurry for a few seconds- sweatdropping heavily as she felt tenseness settle deep in her core.
She hadn't even been aware she had dozed off at all, but there she was- tucked away in the library surrounded by tons of books (all of which held no answers of course...) and leaning against the wall, asleep.
And now suddenly awoken by the feeling of something being... wrong.
What the hell is that...?
'Foreboding, almost..... but from what?' Lixue grumbled, but as quickly as the feeling came, it faded to near none-existence. Hora bit the inside of her cheek,
.... that didn't feel right...
Her eyes trailed up toward the window, blinking in surprise to see the sun had gone down already. She hissed under her breath, rolling up onto the balls of her feet and standing up all the way. Her ears trained for the sound of someone else in the library with her, but it was silent.
Hmm.....
She turned and started toward the front of the room,
... the paperwork has to have been cleared by now, right?
She walked a little faster,
...... I feel..... like I needed to leave...
Hora hissed lowly, her eyes flashing.
"Ira! Doranbolt!"
She didn't get an answer, her hand fell into her back pocket as she pulled the Calling Card out, her finger tapping against the surface harder than was needed.
She felt her heart stop, the tense faces of Rogue, Lector and Frosch appearing on the Card Face- immediately seeing the fear and unease.
"What happened?!" She snapped shortly, they flinched a little. How would she even know..?
It was awful, they'd hated themselves- every second of it and they had stood there, fixed to the spot with their hearts twisting and their stomachs too- anger and rage burning inside of them and disgust too, but never more than that fear- that need to comply, obey.
But it was like last time, they could hardly keep themselves in line- their anger toward the man grew worse, their unease about the Guild being run by him the getting all the deeper.... but shit.
They still didn't do anything! They hated themselves, but they didn't.... they were scared.
Hora didn't blame them, but her rage was too potent to really care.
"What happened?!" She snapped again, breaking the three on the card face out of their thoughts and their own heads.
"Yukino was put in a one-on-one battle today... she..." Lector hissed,
"... she lost... Atia... and.. M-master..." Frosch stammered, Hora eyes went wide, glittering as her jaw snapped shut.
"I'm sorry, Hora." Rogue hissed, his eyes flashing as he failed to meet her gaze. "You told us to look after her... but we..... tch....... Master, he forced Yukino out of the Guild.... He made her remove her mark, he made her.... remove her clothes... too.....he... kicked her out.... and we......"
Hora's face darkened, horror and utter rage dawning on her face. Lector and Frosch visibly recoiled from the screen, their ears pressing flat against their heads, shaking.
"..... we tried to go after her... but Sting's under the Master's watch... since he forfeited the first Event....." Rogue hissed, "..... I'm sorry, Hora..... we couldn't find her.... Yukino.... she's..... no longer part of... SaberTooth......"
Rogue's eyes dared to move up and meet hers, and he recoiled too- his eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily.
Hora's eyes were blazing, her teeth grinding down on one another and her expression twisted with so much rage- she was terrifying, he'd never seen that look on her before and he didn't think he ever wanted to. He could see fire licking up around the edge of the screen, see it sparking off her shoulders, the markings already spreading across her neck and under her jaw.
"Tch.... that........ fucking bastard......" Hora hissed, her voice near an animalistic growl- the three on the other end of the card shivered at the sound.
I'm done, I'm sick of this.. this is the last fucking time....!
".... Jiemma... that bastard...... how fucking dare he?!" Hora snapped, fire surging around her and singing the books and shelves. "Tch...... he's dead."
They went deathly still, paling as they heard the words make it past her lips, icy and dripping in venom, wrath.
'Horatia...' Lixue warned, she didn't care.
"H-hora.. wait...!" Rogue stammered, panic hitting him full on.
There was murder in her eyes.
"I'm coming back, right now." Hora hissed, ignoring him entirely. "I'm finding Yukino, and when I do- Jiemma is gonna have hell to pay!"
She cut the call off before any of them could say anything, stuffing the card in her pocket- flames dancing off her body as rage- murderous rage coursed through every inch of her body, her eyes icy and blazing all at once.
"What the hell are you yelling for-?" Doranbolt appeared beside her, his voice breaking off as he recoiled in an instant- his eyes glittering and reflecting the light of the fire. Her eyes landed on him, his heart falling to his feet as he saw the dangerous look on her face,
"You are taking me back to Crocus," Hora hissed, the black spreading up her cheek and under her eye. He swallowed, hard,
"Right now!"
"Man... I'm stuffed!" Natsu sighed, patting his stomach as he walked along beside Lucy, Happy, Wendy and Carla- the night sky overhead and the air cool as they made their way toward the inn for the night.
"You're going to eat yourself sick someday." Carla sighed, shaking her head slightly.
"And I'll be right there with him." Happy grinned, Carla sighed.
"The Inn should be somewhere around here, right?" Wendy asked, her eyes moving up toward Lucy.
"Yep. It won't be long now." The blonde smiled lightly, Wendy smiled nervously.
"I probably shouldn't get my hopes up, but do we have separate rooms?" Wendy asked, Lucy smiled, sweatdropping slightly.
"No way.. we can barely afford one room." She mumbled, "Though to be honest, I'd give anything to get away from Natsu and Happy's crazy snoring.... not that Gray and Erza's is any better, mind you."
"Speaking of, do you know where they went?" Happy asked, Carla shrugged.
"I can't speak for Erza, but Gray is handling his own crazy right now." The she-cat sighed, recalling the confrontation he'd been left to deal with with both Juvia and Lyon... something about love, was it?
"Hmm? Where's Erza then?" Natsu mumbled,
"Don't look at me, I'm not her keeper." Lucy sighed, "... but I bet you she's getting in a workout before tomorrow."
Natsu hummed, his eyes falling ahead of them- pausing. He leaned in a little, eyebrow quirking. "... hey, that girl in front of the inn looks pretty familiar." He grumbled, Wendy blinked, looking ahead too.
"You're right, but where from?" The bluenette murmured, Lucy's eyes narrowed.
"How can you guys even see that far...?" Lucy mumbled allowed, her eyes narrowing as she did her best to get a good look- all the while their group getting closer.
Natsu stiffened, his eyes widening a little. "Hey, wait- ain't that..?!"
"It's that girl from SaberTooth..." Wendy mumbled, Lucy sweatdropped.
"Yukino..?!" She stammered, Yukino glanced up at her name, her eyes glinting in the dim as the group halted in front of her, her shoulder stiffening slightly in unease- a bag at her feet. Lucy grimaced slightly, taking a tentative step toward her. "But.... why are you here?" She asked softly, "... I thought you guys would get in trouble if..." She broke off, missing the looks on confusion that passed across Carla and Wendy's faces.
"Forgive me for bothering you so late." Yukino murmured, her eyes flashing at the comment the blonde stopped herself from finishing. "... there is something I need to discuss with you, Lucy... it couldn't wait." Lucy blinked,
"... uh.... ok..." She mumbled, "... should we... go inside, then...?" Yukino nodded,
".. yes, I think that would be best." She replied, Lucy stepped toward the door, casting a curious and wary glance over her shoulder as Yukino moved to follow her in- the rest of the group following behind, Natsu at the very back, his eyes narrowed and face neutral.
There it was again, that feeling... something's not right.
They made it up to the room, Lucy gesturing for Yukino to take a seat as the blonde took hers at the other side of the table. Silence passed between the lot of them for a few moments, Yukino's eyes fixed on her hands and tense still.
".... uhm... are you... ok..?" Lucy asked slowly, Yukino blinked, her shoulders hunching slightly.
"... the truth is... I realize this out of nowhere.. but..." She swallowed slightly, her hand trembling faintly as she brought it forward- setting down two Golden Celestial Keys on the table in between herself and Lucy. "... please take these..." Her voice dropped a little, barely managing to keep it from shaking as she drew her hand back- hating the emptiness she felt immediately.
"... the Key of the Two Fish, and the Key of the Scale..... I want you to have them. They should... belong to someone who can use them properly.." Yukino mumbled,
Someone.... a Wizard... in a.....
Lucy stiffened, sweatdropping heavily. "W..what...?" She stammered, Natsu's eyes narrowed again. "Wait... I couldn't... please think this through..." Lucy murmured, her eyes glittering.
"I already have." Yukino cut her off softly, her voice a little more stern, a little more... forced. "I made up my mind, after watching you fight.... I could see you care for your Spirits, and I know they'll be in good hands with you..... better than my own, I don't have reason to use them anymore." Yukino mumbled,
"What do you mean..?"
"... My place in the Grand Magic Games is over. It was over the minute I lost... Minerva is going to take my place in the Games." Yukino replied softly, Natsu stiffened, his eyes widening at the name.
"...... Everyone outside of my Master, and his daughter..... They are good people.... They just.... Its hard for them to show it." Hora shook her head slightly, sweatdropping. ".... Please just remember that, when the Games come around.... There are only two truly awful people in the Guild, no matter what happens... Near everyone in SaberTooth are good people. I promise." Her hands locked together in front of her nervously, her eyes falling from him as Natsu watched quietly.
".... Master and Minerva.... Are just....." she mumbled half to herself, before sighing heavily. Her blue gaze moved back up toward him as she settled him with a serious, steady gaze. ".... Just be careful, alright?" She asked softly, her eyes flashing.
He bit the inside of his cheek a little, his eyes flashing. Minerva.... that was one of the ones Hora seemed to be trying to tell him to watch out for.
"Tomorrow you will be facing SaberTooth's five strongest. Those Five Members who transformed the Guild into the Number One in all of Fiore." Yukino mumbled, her eyes fixed on the table.
"Wait, you mean..?" Happy mumbled,
"We thought you were one of the Five Strongest." Carla said quickly, Yukino shook her head.
"... no, I only joined the Team as a replacement for Minerva- while she was away on a Job." She explained quietly, her hands clenched in her lap.
"But I'm still confused, why do you want to give up your Keys?" Wendy murmured, "I thought Spirits were precious to their Contractors..?"
"They are, but that also means I want to do the best I can for them... and I can't, not anymore. They would be better off in Lucy's hands, she's clearly the superior Wizard to me." Yukino replied,
"T-thank you, for the compliment.. but my answer is still no." Lucy mumbled,
"... you've already managed to collect ten of the twelve Zodiac Keys. All you have to say is yes, with these in your possession you will have them all." Yukino pressed, her eyes flashing. "And once you do, the Door of World Change shall open."
Lucy stiffened, blinking several times. ".. th...the Door of World Change...?"
"What does that mean..?" Natsu asked, Yukino sighed slightly.
".. it's just an old legend... to tell you the truth, I don't know what it means either." Yukino murmured, "... but what I do know is you'll take good care of them, they'd be happy with you."
Lucy stared, her eyes glittering.
".... I'm sorry, but I can't." She replied again, smiling slightly. "Celestial Magic is about the bonds we form between our Spirits, it's not so easy to change ownership of them, and I wouldn't want to separate them from you." Yukino blinked, her eyes flashing, before they fell into her lap, her shoulders tensing.
"... I know.... believe me, this isn't easy..." She hissed, her voice shaking slightly. She caught her self, shaking her head as she suddenly stood up, smiling a little nervously. "F-forget about it, I figured that would be your answer... from what I've been told about you....." Lucy blinked, her interest perking slightly. "That's alright... for better or for worse, I'm sure the Twelve Zodiac Keys will be together, some day."
Lucy smiled, nodding slightly as Yukino returned it.
"I hope this is not the last I see of you, Lucy Heartfilia.." Yukino murmured, picking the keys back off the table and holding them to her chest, her smile softening.
"I hope so too."
"You passed up quite the chance, you know." Carla mumbled, shooting Lucy a sideways look.
"I have to agree with Carla on this," Wendy smiled slightly,
"... to be honest, a while ago I would have jumped at the chance to have all Twelve Keys." Lucy murmured, ".... but I haven't wanted that for awhile now." Her eyes flashed, her hands folding in her lap.
She looked.... so sad...
".... it's obvious Yukino cares for her Spirits as much as I do, it looked like it was killing her, thinking about giving them up." Lucy mumbled, ".... I wasn't going to let her break those bonds, she would have regretted it for the rest of her life..."
..... but that.... showing up here, out of nowhere..... Hora said no one in SaberTooth could be seen talking to the other Guilds...... something clearly wasn't right....
Her hands tightened around eachother.
..... it was like..... she was talking like she wasn't a Mage, anymore..... like she wasn't going to be a Celestial Spirit Wizard.....
"Hmm? Where have Natsu and Happy gone off to?" Carla grumbled,
"They ran off after Yukino." Wendy replied, Lucy glanced up toward the little Dragon Slayer. "They said they had something they forgot to ask her..." Lucy's eyes narrowed,
.... Natsu could see it too.... something's wrong....
"Hey! Yukino! Wait up!!"
Yukino halted, her breath catching in her throat at the voice calling out behind her- and who she recognized it belonging to. Natsu and Happy were coming up the street behind her, breathless.
".... what... could they want with me....?" Yukino mumbled to herself,
"... Hey..! Thanks for stopping..!" Natsu panted, skidding to halt in front of her as Happy did the same. "... I was a little afraid you wouldn't.... isn't being seen with other Guilds supposed to get you in trouble or something..?" He asked lowly, Yukino blinked, looking a little shocked- just for a small second.
"..... Oh, I see..... Hora asked you not to tell anyone you know each other." Yukino murmured, "That makes sense.... I suppose I didn't think about it at the time." Natsu and Happy both nodded,
"Hora told you we worked together?" Happy asked, Yukino nodded.
"I didn't want to bring it up, in case Wendy and Carla didn't know." Yukino murmured, ".... I'd hate to get her in trouble."
"But what about you? You're Saber and you came to see us." Natsu murmured, Yukino swallowed slightly.
"... I....." Yukino breathed, her eyes falling to the ground. "...... I'm..... not a member of SaberTooth, anymore..." both boys stiffened, eyes wide.
"Huh?" Happy breathed,
"Why not..?" Natsu asked immediately,
"..... I lost..... that means.... I don't meet SaberTooth's standards... anymore..." Yukino hissed, ".... So I... had to leave..."
"What? They kicked you out for losing one lousy battle..?!" Natsu hissed, she nodded, her eyes fixed on the ground. "What the hell...?! That's not fair! And nobody said anything..?!" Yukino flinched slightly,
"... it... it's not like that.... everyone else... just..." She mumbled, Natsu stared. "... it... it's not them..... It was the... the Master's doing... it was his decision..."
"But that's bullshit! Just because he says something doesn't mean you all have to do what he says!" Natsu argued instantly, "They're your Guild, ain't they?! They gotta know kicking you out over one fight isn't right! Why didn't they stick up for you?!" She swallowed, her eyes fixed on the floor. Natsu growled, taking a step toward her.
"What about Hora?! I can't believe she'd sit back and let you get kicked out over something so stupid!" Natsu snapped,
"... Hora isn't back yet, she wasn't there." Yukino replied lowly, shaking her head. Her hands balled tightly around themselves in front of her, ".... and to be perfectly honest... I'm glad she wasn't."
Natsu halted, his eyes widening, a bead of sweat falling down his face.
".... I know her.... I know she'd never... she wouldn't have been able to stand there, and watch..... not when Master made me..... take off my clothes... or take off my Guild Mark by myself..... she couldn't have forced herself to stay in line. She would have done something.... but..." Yukino hissed, "...... she's different, she's not.... she's not afraid of speaking her mind, she's gotten bolder.... she'd have stepped in against Master in an instant... and if she had... he'd have hated it.... and the last time...."
She shuddered, her eyes glittering as specks of moisture poked at the corners of her eyes. Those eyes that dared to break up from the ground and toward him for a small second, eyes filled with fear, and pain.
"... the last time Hora did something Master didn't like..... tch... he's always been harder on her, than anybody else in the Guild... and last time... he... he hurt so badly..." Yukino stammered, Natsu and Happy felt their hearts skip a beat, a single line of tears falling over Yukino's cheeks.
"... he hurt so much... we didn't think she was going to... make.. it...." Yukino hissed, her voice dropping away as she shut her eyes against the memory. "... we... we thought she was going.... t...to die...!"
Happy let out a terrified breath, his ears pressing flat against his head at the words. "Y... your own Guild Master... hurt Hora.... that badly....?"
Natsu's whole body went rigid, his eyes narrowed to slits and his fangs grinding down on eachother, a vein ticking on his forehead as his fists clenched.
".... if she.... if she'd been there, today.... I hate to think what he would have done to her...." Yukino shuddered,
"...tch..... why...." Natsu hissed, his face lowering as a shadow passed over his eyes, hiding them from view. Yukino looked up at him, halting. ".... why would she ever.... let him touch her....?!" Natsu snapped, Yukino swallowed. "Why would she let that bastard keep control of the Guild after something like that....?! Why..!?!?"
".... I don't... I don't know...." Yukino replied quietly, "... Hora's.... she's so strong, I think.... I think that she could beat the Master, if she tried.... but she's been in the Guild longer than anybody... and she's never done anything to stand against Master Jiemma..... not even after all the things he's done to the rest of us.... or what he's done to her..." Yukino trailed off slightly, "... she's always just taken it...... and I don't think she's as afraid of him as everyone else is.... I've never been able to understand why she.... she doesn't just leave... or fight back........"
"....tch....... what does he have on her...?" Natsu hissed lowly, Yukino blinked at the question.
"... unless you have some way of breaking Possession Links, you're not gonna be of much help to me in this situation as it is, sorry."
".... what does your Master have on Hora, that would force her into letting him get away with any of that...?!" Natsu hissed again, Yukino shook her head.
"I.. I don't know..." She stammered,
"..... tch..... and why does it have to be her?" Natsu growled, ".... why does she say she has to fix it...? Not anyone else....?" Yukino stared,
"..... what do...?"
"........ the rest of those guys in your Guild, how could they stand to see your own Master hurt any of you?" His fists clenched harder at his sides, "You're friends, right? Aren't all of you supposed to be Family?"
".. Natsu.." Happy mumbled,
"You're friends, aren't you?" Natsu snapped, Yukino's eyes fell.
"... y.. yes....! We.. we're all friends... we..... tch......" She hissed, "... we know... we know the way Master treats us... it's not right... we know we shouldn't just... let him get away with any of it... but.... we're terrified......" She shook her head at herself, "... damn it.... we're too scared, we're not strong enough... Hora's the only one who isn't scared of him.... but she's still..... she...."
"... grr..... damn it!" Natsu snapped, his head snapping up, his eyes blazing. "I knew something wasn't right! Why the hell couldn't she just tell me...!? Why the hell did she tell me to stay out of it...!?!?!"
Happy and Yukino both flinched away from him, shivering slightly at the sheer rage they could see bubbling up inside of him. Yukino stared, her eyes wide and glittering.
"............ tch... acting like it ain't my business... damn it!" He snapped, "... tch..... damn it Hora...... but I can't stay out of it... it's bad enough your Master made you erase your own Emblem... but any Master who's willing to try and kill one of you, ain't no Guild Master at all!" He slammed his fist into his palm, flame dancing off his skin. ".... this has to stop, I can't sit back and watch while that asshole keeps hurting any of you! I have to do something!"
Yukino's eyes flashed, taking in a sharp breath.
.... Natsu.... that look...... I've..... seen it... in Hora...
The building shook violently, the sound of wood splintering and glass shattering echoing all throughout the halls that had previously been silent. Sting and Rogue jumped, eyes wide and immediately on high alert- Lector and Frosch bristling as they jumped to their paws. They could hear people yelling and shouting outside the door, the sound carrying throughout the entirety of the inn,
"What the hell..?!" Sting snapped,
"Is there an intruder...?" Rogue hissed,
"Tch.... if there is, they're an idiot!" Sting growled, "The whole of SaberTooth is here, who in their right mind would attack us..!?" He went rigid, his eyes widening as he felt his heart drop,
"C-crap... you don't think it's..?!" Sting hissed, fear lighting up in his eyes in the same instant it did in Rogue's. Rogue started forward, Sting close behind as they moved into the hallway- the Exceeds following at their tail.
"She wouldn't start a full on battle, would she...!?!" Lector stammered,
"... she was pissed...." Rogue grumbled lowly, Sting sweatdropped. "... I've never seen her that angry before..."
"Shit..." Sting hissed, they whipped around a corner, people ahead of them flooding toward the lobby- the building shook again with another explosion.
The band of four skidded to a halt, their hearts dropping to their feet and eyes growing wide- panic racing through them as the front doors burst open in a wash of raging fire, the people nearest to it caught up in it and thrown around the room like rag dolls.
"... Hora...!" Sting and Rogue hissed, fear hitting them straight on at sight of the flames.
She... she wouldn't..!
"Where is your Master!?"
They stopped, their jaws dropping as they stared.
N-no way...
The air rushed past them in a wave of pure power, the next round of people to head toward the door knocked back with ease in a wash of brilliant orange.
"Where is he?! Bring him to me now!!!"
"That's..." Lector hissed, Rogue's poker face shattered.
"Natsu..?!" Sting stammered,
She was seething, every ounce of her body filled to the brim with burning, powerful, wild rage and anger- her Magic surging, relishing in the feeling, feeding off of it- fueling it more. The black markings had stretched further, covering her arms, inching up her face, down her back- she loved the way it burned, it pissed her off more.
HOW FUCKING DARE HE?!
She'd left Doranbolt behind, unaware and uncaring if she'd singed him in her rage- she'd sped off the instant her feet landed in Crocus, and she tore through the roads, her footsteps blackening the stone as she sprinted through. The sparse few people left to wander the roads in the night looked at her as she passed, and flinched away.
Years of pent up anger and hatred, things and emotions that swirled deep down in her core- all of it rising up, shattering the barrier of reasoning and self control she'd put up to keep herself from doing exactly this.
I AM DONE!
NO MORE OF THIS!
HE'S DEAD!!
Fire sparked up off her skin, her jaw clenched and teeth grinding down on eachother.
I'M NOT GONNA BE YOUR FUCKING SLAVE ANYMORE!
She whipped around a corner, her breathing hot and agitated- her nose trained on one scent only, the one thing that would divert her from rushing straight up that hill and laying fiery waste to that complete and utter asshole.
IF HE LAID A FINGER ON HER!
Her foot slammed down on the stone hard enough it shattered, her eyes blazing, and yet so icy it was cutting.
I'M GOING TO TURN HIM INTO ASH!
She tore around the next corner, her eyes flashing as she saw ahead the road widened into a square- the moonlight shimmering faintly off a head of pale blue hair she recognized instantly, standing near a fountain, her bag beside her.
"Yukino!" Hora snapped, her voice carrying easily across the air. Yukino jumped, her head snapping around to see Hora running up the street toward her-
She recoiled, her eyes growing wide to see the sheer rage plastered on the other woman's face, the markings shining an inky black under the moonlight, the road steaming black where she stepped.
"H-Hora...?!" Yukino stammered, Hora slowing up just slightly, her hands lifting as she grabbed hold of Yukino's shoulders, her eyes narrowed as glittering. Yukino felt a shiver run up her spine at how warm Hora's hands were on her skin, more so at the anger in her that had never been so.... terrifying.
"Are you ok?!" Hora asked quickly, "Did Jiemma hurt you?! I swear to god if he laid a damn finger on you-!!"
"N-no..! He didn't hurt me..!" Yukino stammered, her mind racing- she'd never seen Hora like this, ever.
"Tch... but he made you..... that bastard, he made you do that, in front of everyone!" Hora snapped, Yukino flinched- knowing immediately Hora was talking about how she'd been forced to strip, and remove her Guild Mark. She realized instantly that Sting and Rogue must have told her- but she couldn't have made it up to the inn yet.
"I am so done with him! I'm gonna tear him to pieces!" Hora hissed, Yukino felt her heart drop. The look in Hora's eyes just then- murder.
"H-Hora... what are you gonna..?!" Yukino asked quickly, Hora's face darkened and Yukino felt her heart drop.
She looked like she was ready to run off.... to kill him...!
"He's dead, I'm gonna turn him into ash." Hora growled, her tone low and so utterly icy. Yukino stiffened under her hold, her eyes widening and her breath snatched away, staring as she watched the black markings across Hora's skin move, stretching across half of her face.
This... this doesn't look like Hora, anymore... she looks..... this isn't right..... the way she's acting... it's like.... she's become someone else entirely....!
Her heart leapt when Hora's hands left her shoulders, her eyes moving up toward the direction to the Inn SaberTooth was staying- her lips pulling in a snarl that didn't look human.
"I'm gonna end this, right now."
Yukino's hand leapt forward, snatching onto Hora's wrist and wincing at the sheer heat- Hora's eyes snapped back to her, cold, cutting, angry-
Yukino scrunched her eyes closed, pulling Hora forward toward her roughly and locking her arms around the other girl- she felt the heat sting against her skin and winced.
Sorry Hora, but I-
She pushed them backward, holding tight to Hora regardless of everything- sending herself and the seething Saber tumbling backward over the edge of the fountain and into the water with a splash, their bodies bouncing against the shallow basin painfully.
- but I can't let you run off like this, this... this isn't you..!
The water hissed and steamed the second it touched her skin, the cold painful almost and hitting her like a brick wall, her breath snatching away and gasping as she got plunged under the water entirely, coughing as she sucked up water.
In an instant it was like she could... she could think again, and she felt her heart drop.
Wh... what the hell....?!
What was I.... I was..... I was gonna....?!
Oh my god...!
She coughed again, more water filling her lungs and her head whirling- panic and fear and anger and hatred swirling inside of her,
It happened again...!? I was losing my mind... in minutes...?! My Magic took control that fast...!?
Fast enough..... I was gonna run off and start a war... even though if I did.....
..... fuck! Fuck!!
Someone's arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders, pulling her up out of the water as Hora sucked in air- for half a second, before she doubled over, her body lurching and spasming as she coughed up the water she had sucked in, shuddering and heaving as Yukino placed a hand on her lower back, the other latched on to her arm as the bluenette sat beside her in the water, eyes shinning.
Yukino felt her heart drop into her stomach when Hora started shaking, panting and trembling like a leaf- the markings receding back down her skin toward her right shoulder, the water steaming off her for a few seconds before it stopped.
"Hora..." Yukino stammered,
Shit...... I lost it.... I was........ so angry.....
Hora's head snapped up, eyes wide and glittering as she turned toward Yukino. "Oh my god, I didn't hurt you did I..?!" Yukino stiffened, grimacing slightly as her hand instinctively moved away, balling into fists to keep her from seeing the faint burns along her palms. Hora noticed it instantly, her eyes flashing as she stiffened.
".. it's not bad." Yukino murmured quickly,
"....tch..... I'm sorry..." Hora hissed, her hands moving to hold Yukino's in hers softly, making her lower them back into the water. ".... I'm...... sorry...... I didn't..... I..." Hora swallowed, Yukino blinked. "..... I wasn't thinking.... I just.... got so worked up....." Her voice broke off in a hiss, Yukino shook her head.
".. Hora its ok.... I understand... you're.... angry..." Yukino murmured quietly,
"...tch... that's no excuse..! I can't just get so wound up that.... I lose my freakin' mind..!" Hora snapped lowly, her head bowed and eyes shut tight. "... I can't lose it so much... that I end up hurting everybody else...! I was going.... I was gonna rush in and-"
Yukino frowned, her eyes closing as she pulled her hands out of Hora's, leaning forward in seconds as she wrapped her arms around Hora's shoulders tightly, pulling the other woman close.
"Please! Please don't do that!" Yukino said quickly, Hora blinked in surprise at the sudden embrace. "I know you're upset, and I know you're angry! You have right to be but.. please, Hora..! Don't run to the Guild Hall and start a fight, please... I don't want you to get hurt again. Not like last time!" Hora's breath caught in her throat,
"Please.... please don't do it." Yukino murmured, her voice shaking. ".... I know you hate what happened to me.... I know it's not fair.... but you can't challenge Master... not unless you...." Hora blinked, Yukino pulled back, her hands on Hora's shoulders and eyes glittering. ".... Hora, something's been holding you back... right? Something that makes you afraid of challenging Jiemma outright...?" Hora stiffened, her eyes widening as she instinctively leaned back away from Yukino- who noticed the reaction instantly, her gaze steady as she held tight to her shoulders.
"I now you're strong enough to contend with the Master, Hora! You beat a Demon of Zeref all on your own, he can't hold a candle to you!" Yukino told her, "You've always been one of the strongest, you've been in SaberTooth longer than everyone else- so many years you've endured Jiemma's cruelty, forced yourself to hold back when he harmed anyone else! You've never once tried to stop him, and I know you aren't afraid of him! That means there has to be something else holding you back, right?" Hora sweatdropped, Yukino pressed on. "It has to be something big, if you've been holding back so long.. something bad....tch... I'm sorry." Hora blinked,
"W... what..?"
".... I'm sorry I never realized... something was wrong....." Yukino growled lowly, "..... I don't know what's holding you back, Hora, and I'm not asking you to tell me if you don't want to.... but I realize now it's serious.... and I'm sorry I never realized it before Natsu did." Hora blinked several times at the name, ".... he's barely known you more than a few weeks, and he realized right away that Master had something hanging over you.... I've known you far longer and I've never seen it."
".... he cares about you, you know? I could see it... the idea that Master would hurt you.... it was the same rage I see in you whenever someone in SaberTooth gets hurt." Yukino mumbled, ".... he knew something wasn't right...... it's like he could just see it..."
"W-Wait.... Natsu..?" Hora stammered, "..... you.... you talked with Natsu....? He said.... that Jiemma had something.... on me....?" Yukino nodded,
"He figured it out, I don't know how... but he did. He caught up to me, a little bit ago." Yukino mumbled, "... he said a lot of other things too, Hora... like you think everything's your fault...?"
"Wait, did you tell... you told him what Jiemma did..?" Hora asked quickly, Yukino nodded stiffly. "To you...? And... to me...?!"
"I'm sorry, but..... I got worked up, I was worried.... he was trying so hard to understand why the Guild is.... you know." Yukino replied softly, ".... he.... said you asked him to stay out of it...?" She paused, seeing the panic rising higher in Hora. ".... he said... he couldn't..." Yukino trailed off, Hora went rigid.
No... no he didn't...
Both girls jumped, their head snapping left when the air shook with a huge boom out of nowhere. Hora could hear it clearer than anyone, her heart leaping in her chest and her blood rushing in her ears- that was a sound she knew way too well.
Fire, explosive fire..!
"No... n-no he didn't....!" Hora hissed, climbing to her feet in seconds, Yukino sweatdropped- seeing the fear suddenly erupt in the other girl where she had never seen true fear before, not ever. Her fists clenched at her sides, "... damn it Natsu..!"
"W-wait, do you mean...?!" Yukino snapped, "That boom, it was him?!" She gasped, "No, you don't think he went to confront Jiemma do you..?!"
".... tch... shiiiit!!!" Hora snapped, she turned toward Yukino, leaning over as she held the other girl's shoulders. "Yukino! I swear I'm going to come back for you! I'm gonna find a way to take Master down, and I will fix what's happened with the Guild! You have my word!"
"Hora.."
"I'm not gonna run in and take him on... I know it was stupid, you calmed me down- but I have to go! I have to stop Natsu, before he gets himself killed!" Hora hissed, "He's impulsive, he's a hot head... but he has no idea what he's walking into! I have to go!"
Yukino's jaw dropped, riveted as she watched Hora's eyes glitter, moisture pecking at the corners of her eyes.
"I'm gonna come back for you! I promise! You're my friend and I will do everything I can to fix what's happened! But Natsu.... Natsu is my friend too! I have to help him too!" Hora hissed, her forehead pressing lightly against Yukino's as she stiffened. "I'm sorry... but I have to go...!"
Hora pulled away, the water splashing as she sped off- her feet landing on the stone edge of the basin and pushing off hard enough to send herself launching up into the air heading straight toward the hill and the Inn, easily hearing another blast sound from that direction. Hora's fists clenched at her sides, her feet slamming down on the roof of the building she'd jumped toward, her blood hot, heart pounding- but her core icy cold.
She cooled me down..... stopped me rushing in and getting myself killed.... but......
'You still harmed her, though only slightly.' Lixue intoned coolly, she hissed. 'And now that boy has run off to start a war.'
".... Natsu.... you idiot..!!!!"
Chapter 21: Possession...?!
Chapter Text
Chapter 21
Possession...?!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"He..."
"... he's come to challenge the Master...?!"
Sting shuddered slightly, his eyes wide and his breath shaking as he sucked it in.
That look...
Rogue hissed, his poker-face destroyed and tense.
.... he's full of rage.....
They stood shoulder to shoulder, their eyes locked on the man blazing with fire, his face dark, easily throwing away the people who came at him- his very presence making people halt, their bodies stiff, terrified.
.... he's on the warpath..!
But why...!?
"Where is he?! Where is the Bastard you call 'Master'?!" Natsu raged,
"You wanna take on the Master..?!"
"What are you, stupid..?!"
"Hold on...ain't he from Fairy Tail...?!"
"What does a little Fairy want with me?"
Sting and Rogue stiffened, their eyes snapping from Natsu toward Master Jiemma as he stalked through the crowd, eyes locked on the pinkette who bared his fangs at him.
"So you're the asshole who picks on his Guild, huh?" Natsu hissed, "What you did, hurting the people you're supposed to look after.... tch... how dare you call yourself a Guild Master?!"
"What is he....?" Rufus mumbled,
"... tch.... is he talking about Yukino...?" Orga grumbled lowly,
"You don't have any right to lead these people! You'll kick someone out for losing one stupid battle?! Hurt them if they do anything you don't like?!" Natsu snarled, "How dare you?!?!"
"Did you really come to challenge me?" Jiemma growled lowly, "What a stupid decision."
"I came here to teach you a lesson about what happens when you hurt the people you're supposed to care for! So you'd better listen the hell up!" Natsu snapped,
"I don't have a clue what you're talking about." Jiemma growled, "It seems to me you've come her trying to impose your own moral code, what right do you have to dictate how I run my Guild, or the people in it, hmm?"
"What right do you have to lay a hand on anyone here?!" Natsu hissed, "You've got all these people who follow you, but I can't see why- you're clearly just a rotten bastard who doesn't deserve an ounce of their loyalty or their time!!"
The Guild as a whole seemed to stiffen at the words, their eyes narrowing and looking incredibly uneasy- trying so very hard not to react, not to show that the words- they hit home, hard.
"Why would anyone follow a bastard who hurts them, or their friends?!"
"Enough of your prattling, fairy. Dobengal- take care of this insect." Jiemma barked lowly, the Guild swallowing as Dobengal stepped forward,
"Yes Master,"
"What are you, scared?!" Natsu snapped,
"Not at all, I'm the Master of this Guild and I'm not going to waste my time on a flea like you. You aren't worth my time, at all." Jiemma grumbled, Natsu jaw clenched harder.
Dobengal rushed forward, too fast for Natsu to keep track of him all the way- but not fast enough he wasn't able to easily dodge out of the way of the punches the Saber man started to thrown his way.
"My beef isn't with you, pal!!! Out of my way!!!!"
Natsu swung around, flames bursting up from the floor and spiraling through the air as he swung his elbow out, his weight thrown into Dobengal with a thundering boom- the man thrown away to smash into the wall hard enough it caved- his body barely missing Sting by a few inches, the air rushing up to slam into his face and snatch his breath away.
H... holy.... shit....
"H-he just took out one of the toughest guys in the Guild... like it was nothing....!" Lector stammered, fur on end and eyes wide.
"Tch.... you have spirit, pest." Jiemma growled, "Sting, Rogue- take care of this insolent little fool!"
Rogue and Sting both jumped slightly at the icy order, their eyes narrowing as they tensed.
"Right, Master!"
"Quit hiding behind your lackeys!!" Natsu roared, his eyes snapping from Jiemma as Rogue and Sting charged. "Tch... this guy doesn't give a damn about any of you!" Natsu snapped, jumping backward to avoid the throw Sting sent his way, "How can you stand listening to the asshole who did something like that to your friend?!"
"He's our Master, it's our job to listen and do as he orders." Sting growled,
"You have no sense of authority, Salamander." Rogue hissed, Natsu shook his head, fangs bared and seething.
"Don't give me that crap!!" He roared, fire washing out through the air toward them- both Sting and Rogue jumping to avoid it, bringing themselves behind Natsu- who spun around, eyes blazing. "She keeps defending you assholes! Why the hell is she willing to defend you, after all the shit that's gone on?!"
They blinked, sweatdropping- before splitting apart to avoid the flames that rushed toward them next,
"She said she'd defend you, no matter what happened! She's defending you still even through all that shit this bastard's put her through!!" Rogue swung out, his fists encased in Shadow as he struck out toward Natsu- only to get knocked away, skidding backward on his feet and hissing.
What the hell... is he...?!
"She's willing to defend you even when you've sat back and watched her get hurt, why?! Why is she willing to take the blame for all of you?! Why the hell does she keep saying it's her fault?!" Sting hissed, ducking under Natsu's flaming fist as the pinkette missed him by barely an inch- his heart skipping a beat when Natsu's eyes locked with his, seething, searching-
W..wait...
"Why does she think it's all on her, huh?! Why does she think she has to fix this?!" Natsu snarled, Sting felt a bead of sweat fall down his back.
He... he can't be.. right..?
"Why does she think it's up to her all on her own?!"
Rogue felt a shiver run up his spine, both his mind and Sting's racing- Lector and Frosch standing still, their fur all on end.
He's... he's not talking about Yukino.... is he...?!
Sting rolled backward, barely avoiding Natsu's leg as he swung it up- a wall of bright white springing between them as the flames clashed against it with a deafening boom.
No... he's gotta be....!
He's talking about Horatia!
"And what does this asshole have on her, huh?!" Natsu roared, "Are you all really too afraid of him?! What could possibly be keeping any of you from fighting back?! What's he hanging over her head that's so bad she won't tell you?!"
"W.. what the hell are you.. talking about...?!" Sting hissed, his jaw clenching.
"What has this asshole done to make her feel like she has to change things all on her own?!" Natsu snarled,
Something.... he's hanging over... Hora's head...?
Rogue hissed, his breath shaking as he sucked in air-
"We can't run, and even if we did- we wouldn't leave you behind. If you want us to leave, you have to come with us." He replied, his tone steely. Her jaw clenched, whether it was in pain or frustration he couldn't tell, "If we go anywhere, you go with us- there is no way around it. You have to come with us."
"I can't!"
Her eyes snapped open to land on him, glittering and watering- filled with more profound sadness and regret than he had ever seen all in one person, and never in her. He stiffened, his heart dropping to his stomach and all anger suddenly destroyed to see the tears pricking at the corners of her blue eyes.... She.... She was on the verge of tears....
"A-Atia..." He stammered, heart dropping at the sight. He'd never once seen her cry, and certainly he'd never seen her even come close to doing so.... He didn't know how to react to it, in her there was so much pain and regret, and sadness and utter despair it made his heart ache... It made his heart ache in a sudden unbearable pain to see those tears in her eyes now, and he could only stare.
"I can't..... You have to leave.... Please...." Her eyes glittered in the most unbearable pain, he felt his heart breaking. "... I don't want... To see any of you get hurt... I can't bear to watch you guys suffer... Or be in pain... I want you happy..... And you can't be happy in this Guild.... You have to go.... And you have to leave me behind.... Please....." The tears spilled over, small glittering trails falling down her cut and bruised cheeks softly,
How... Had he never seen this much pain... And sadness... In her....?
"... What do you mean.... You can't...?" He manage to stammer, her eyes closed again.
"... I just... I can't..."
"Hora." He murmured softly, shaking off some of his shock and the sudden tearing he felt in his heart at seeing her like this, he pushed it all away a moment. "Please.... I want to understand..... Why do you believe that you can't leave?" She didn't reply, and he let out a small Tch, his eyes narrowing a little as he softly lay his hand on her arm. ".... You've been hiding something all these years, something deep and dark.. And clearly painful.... We're friends, we are Family.... Please just talk to me." She shook her head a little,
".... Rogue.... I can't tell you... I'm sorry...."
Rogue's eyes flashed, a wash of understanding and panic hitting him straight on.
He's..... the reason Hora said she can't leave...?!
Sting stared, his heart skipping a beat as his thoughts suddenly clicked together too- his attention riveted on Natsu, his rage, his words-
Master Jiemma.... he's done something to make her feel like that...?! Like she's.... trapped?!
"... She says she can't leave the Guild." Rogue murmured, Sting shook his head roughly, suddenly seeming to grow agitated.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Its not as if she's a pet or something! She's a free, living person, and has every right to do what she wants! How could she even think that?! What a stupid idea... Idiot...!" Sting hissed, his voice rising unintentionally as his eyes flashed in irritation. It didn't make any sense to him, how could she really think she couldn't leave the Guild? So much so she told them to leave her behind?
All that pain, that guilt- the fear they'd seen in her? The reason she was crying..?!
Jiemma... he's done something, and Hora can't tell us....!?
Of all the things they'd seen Jiemma do, all the wrongs- all the cruelty, all of it.... nothing burned more fiercely in the hearts as the sheer rage that ignited at the idea.
"Why the hell can't she tell anyone about it?! Why does she have to keep everything all bent up and stuffed inside of herself?!" Natsu was still going, jumping forward into the air toward the both of Sting and Rogue, Magic blazing and the air near too hot to breathe.
And all that dread and fear and worry they had been feeling for the last few weeks since Jiemma had attacked her suddenly hit a high, it all amplified and became so much worse as they realized the full extent of how hurt she was. They nearly lost her, and they were still losing her.
Her shoulders hunched slightly, her smile growing more strained by the minute as her eyes closed.
"Please..?" She asked quietly, her voice starting to shake. She let out a strained chuckle that sounded choked. "Come on y-you guys... I'm barely keeping it together here, just a-answer the question already, this is already hard enough..." Her body was trembling too, her knees threatening to give out.
Her eyes shut, the tears spilling faster as her pressed together hands folded in on themselves, tight and gripping at her shirt as if she was holding on for dear life.
What had he done... to hurt her like that? So deeply? Like he'd scored across not only her body, but her soul too...?
They forgot to try and move, watching in stiff silence and their minds racing as Natsu came down at them- his body blazing all around in brilliant orange,
"HOW CAN YOU EVEN CALL THIS GUY MASTER AFTER WHAT HE'S DONE?!"
Sting and Rogue stiffened, their bodies reacting at the last second as their eyes snapped closed, their arms lifting to guard them- all will to keep fighting and keep up face in front of Master Jiemma was shattered.
"Fire Devil's:"
Natsu stiffened, his eyes widening at the low, steely voice of out nowhere-
"Guardian Circle!!!!!"
A powerful waft of air rushed up, slamming straight into everyone in the building hard enough to make them step back to regain their balance- their faces washed against by a thick cloud of heat that had them sweating instantly.
The glow of gold and blue lit up the room and bounced from the stone, heat wafting around through the air in wild waves as Natsu's attack crashed against the sheer, near solid wall of flame that erupted around Sting and Rogue in a circle, the air shaking violently at the sheer power that came from the clashing together fire.
Natsu's feet hit the ground, eyes wide and sweatdropping heavily as his eyes snapped on to the figure that had suddenly appeared in the very center of that storm of fire- the flames surrounding her body and never leaving a single mark-
Sting and Rogue gulped, their jaws dropping as their eyes shot open, spotting her in an instant as the azure blue fire swirled, swallowing the orange whole as if it was some great, hungry beast- before it shifted too, spiraling out of the air and down toward her- her mouth open wide as she ate every single last shred of flame, until it was gone- and her jaw snapped shut.
Every inch of fire- gone, eaten- in seconds.
Hora didn't pause, her face dark and her eyes locked straight on to Natsu with a look of sheer, icy fury- her feet bringing her forward toward him in a single second as she swung her fist back, her hand pitch black.
Natsu recoiled, his eyes going round and panic hitting him straight on.
"ENOUGH!"
The sound of Hora's fist connecting with Natsu's cheek was loud, a torrent of air sprung up from the impact and rushed out on all sides- the pinkette launched straight backward and across the room with enough force to have leveled a building it felt like.
Natsu yelped as he smashed into the wall, coughing as his body bounced off the stone, Hora halted where she was.
The building went deathly silent, every eye on her and nearly every one of them trembling.
The look on Hora's face was nothing they had ever see in her before; deep, raging anger that had her lips curled in a snarl, her deep blue eyes icy and yet like an inferno at the same time- her entire countenance was that of someone who was oh so very done.
"Whatever idiotic nonsense this is about, I don't give a shit." Hora snapped across the hall, her eyes locking onto Natsu as he slowly pushed himself up the from the floor. He blinked, sweatdropping-
The Guild around them stared, hardly daring to breath- because the Hora they saw now, for the very first time- that wasn't her. She slapped on one of those Faces the rest of the Guild had grown so used to putting on for the world, and the one she chose so suddenly- was terrifying and cold. And oh so very merciless, the way they felt hearing the venom in her voice could have rivaled that of what they had heard in Minerva and Jiemma both.
"Don't think you can come in here and start spouting so much bullshit- or destroy our inn, attack our Guild- and get away with it, little Fairy."
They shuddered, their hearts skipping a beat in an icy pang that chilled them to the core at how low her voice got, how dangerous her growl. Natsu swallowed, staring and motionless.
"You have no idea what you're talking about, and you have no clue who you're messing with." Hora snarled lowly, "You can be sure that SaberTooth is going to ground you into a bloody pulp in the Games now, you will not get away with any of this."
A shadow passed over her eyes, her icy stare locked straight onto Natsu as he recoiled slightly.
"The only reason I'm not going to turn you into ash right now is because that would disqualify SaberTooth in the Games." She hissed, her words cutting. "And you can be assured, the only reason Sting and Rogue didn't beat your ass right now is for the same reason, Fairy."
"You and that Guild of yours are done for."
Natsu shivered, his breath shaking slightly as he glared, eyes narrowed to slits.
"Did I say you could interrupt this?"
Hora's eyes flashed, her eyes narrowing slightly at the utterly low growl. She forced herself a breath, the shadow passing from her eyes as she brought them up to meet the piercing glare of Master Jiemma. She could feel both Sting and Rogue tense up behind her,
"Forgive me, Master." Hora replied, her tone utterly cool. "I did not see the point of letting this fool continue with his idiocy."
"I do not care what you see fit or do not- wretch." Jiemma growled, Hora blinked, her expression never altering from that stony neutrality. She stiffened slightly, seeing his hand lift as he drew his fingers in air toward her-
The air was cut by a high-pitched, cutting sound that whined- a sudden burst of invisible force detonating next to Hora and slamming straight into the left side of her jaw, knocking her off balance instantly as she hissed. Her skin bruised instantly from the hit that sent a wave of air out around it. She took a few steps sideways, managing to stay on her feet and hardly reacting to the hit at all-
Lector and Frosch let out startled mews, Rufus and Orga taking a small steps forward as their eyes flashed. Rogue and Sting stared, their eyes fixed on Hora as she stayed standing in front of them, looking no less stony as she let her eyes fall closed.
"The next time you step into something you do not belong, be sure you will receive worse!" Jiemma boomed dangerously, Hora nodded.
"I understand, Master." She replied levelly, Natsu growled.
"You bastard!!! Leave her out of this!!"
Hora stiffened, her eyes flashing as Natsu launched forward toward Jiemma in a burst of anger again- orange flames circling his body as gold suddenly glittered among them too, lightning.
"Lightning-Flame Dragon's:"
Damn it...!
Jiemma shifted, Magical Pressure sparking off of him as he readied himself for the attack.
"Demolition Fist!!"
The building shook under their feet, the windows shattering outward as Magic bounced up around the both of them and suddenly arced up toward the roof- blowing a hole through it as the conflict shuddered to a halt again.
Hora sweatdropped, her stony expression breaking slightly as she felt a pang of fear hit her- she flinched slightly though, her eyes snapping shut against her will, Rogue and Sting noticed the reaction instantly.
Natsu's attack hadn't hit the Master at all, it'd been moved- and in between the both of Natsu and Jiemma stood the familiar figure of SaberTooth's Lady- a cool smile on her lips as she held her hands up between the both of them, unperturbed.
"Tch.." Hora hissed, her eyes opening again as she clenched her fists at her sides. Sting and Rogue stepped closer behind her, she waved her hand back toward them in a motion for silence-
"Huh..?" Natsu growled, Jiemma growled.
Minerva hummed lightly, her hands falling on to her hips as her Magic faded. "Hmm, certainly you'll agree- but this little quarrel of yours has gone too far."
"Tch... what?" Natsu hissed,
"How dare you get in my way, this does not concern you." Jiemma growled, Minerva smiled still.
"Forgive me, you could have easily defeated this man, so I'm not doing this for your sake, Father." Minerva replied lightly, Natsu went rigid.
"... Father..?!" He hissed,
She's that bastards daughter...?!
His fists clenched,
These two, they're the ones Hora warned me about...!
Minvera didn't seem to care Natsu said anything, she just continued on. "But we must take into account what this altercation will look like to the outside world." She smiled slightly at Natsu, "Despite the fact that you are clearly the aggressor here- our Master killing a competitor will leave SaberTooth in an awkward position. That at least I do agree on, with Horatia." Hora sweatdropped slightly, "And it would certainly put a damper on the Games, wouldn't you say?"
"Tch... you know what I think? I think you're scared of seeing me beat this guy's ass into the ground!" Natsu snapped back,
"You have enraged both my father and his men- and they are not the types to take this kind of provocation lightly." Minerva answered ever easily, Hora swallowed slightly as she watched Minerva's lips pull up in a smirk.
That look...
"What do you say? Will you allow me to resolve this in a peaceful manner?" The Lady asked coolly, Natsu glared. Minerva's hands moved up, her palms hovering over eachother as her Magic flared.
Hora felt her heart stop.
"Be aware, that is the only way your kitten will be returned to you." Minerva hummed,
"N-Natsu...!!" Happy wailed, tears in his eyes and bound tightly by rope as Minerva held him in her hands. Hora's shoulders tightened, her hands clenching harder at her sides.
Minerva....
"Happy!" Natsu hissed,
"I-I'm sorry Natsu...! She snuck up on me...!!" Happy wailed, Minerva chuckled slightly. Natsu sweatdropped,
"... shit..."
"You seem to have taken out your anger on quite a few of our members in your prattling," Minerva hummed, "But I am willing to overlook this incident entirely if you cooperate." She pulled Happy closer, rubbing his head with a smirk. "Behave like a grown-up and we can continue the Games normally like nothing ever happened."
Hora's eyes fell, immediately seeing the anger and fear in Natsu's face- and the annoyance too, he didn't want to back down so quickly but he didn't have a choice.
He lowered his head a little, shaking as he let out a breath- Minerva let Happy go once it was clear he wouldn't be fighting any longer.
"N-Natsuuu!!" Happy cried, running into the Dragon Slayer and holding on for dear life. "I'm so sorry..!"
"Don't worry Little Buddy, I should be the one apologizing for running off like that." Natsu murmured, patting Happy's head as his eyes cast sideways toward where Hora was motionless, her eyes closed and silent.
"I-it's ok...!" Happy mumbled, Natsu picked him up in his arms, his eyes falling on the Exceed as he swallowed.
"... let's go home." He mumbled, slowly heading toward the destroyed remains of the inn's entryway.
"We can settle this matter in the Arena," Minerva hummed at his back, her face darkening. "Where we will show you no mercy."
Hora stiffened a little,
Don't stop, Natsu... keep walking....
"Tch... fine." Natsu growled, "But you'll never beat us, we're at a whole other level than you." Natsu glanced over his shoulder, his eyes flashing as she settled them all with a barely muffled glare.
"Cause a real Guild treats it's Members like Family, no matter what." He growled, everyone else just returned the look, neutral-faced, silent. He hissed under his breath, his eyes lingering on where Hora was for a few seconds, before he walked out.
"That's why I came."
.... like family...?
..... we know...but...
..... what do we do...?
"Tch..... I call dibs on the first event tomorrow, I'm gonna show those losers what SaberTooth is really like." Orga grumbled, his own Face setting up again, though the feeling the events left didn't go away- Rufus beside him too regaining his composure slightly with a small nod.
The Guild wouldn't forget what was said though, none of them... they knew things needed change, but still they saw no end to it. Not one... not yet.
"Indeed... your Black Lightning will make their souls tremble." Rufus murmured lightly,
"We will be taking appropriate measures in response to this disrespect, I assure you." Minerva hummed lightly, ".... hmm, though I will admit, disturbances like this do make the Games more exciting." She smirked, "And since Yukino is no longer with us, I shall take it upon myself to fill her vacancy."
There were small smirks that spread throughout the people, forced a little... but still, their other selves flared again.
Master is watching... and the Lady too.
"I see your Mission was a success," Minerva hummed, her eyes moving over toward Hora, who looked up at the comment, her gaze level. "Very good, the money from the Magic Council will surely be more than enough to pay for the damage that fool caused here."
".... yes, My Lady." Hora murmured,
"Hmm, and such ruthlessness against the Fairy just now." Minerva smirked, "I see your punishment about betraying the Guild before was sufficient, as you've now seen the error of your ways, hmm?"
"... yes." Hora replied, the dangerous glint working it's way into her expression again, her voice a growl that sent shivers up so many people's spines. "My loyalty is to SaberTooth, and nowhere else... I will gladly burn every member of Fairy Tail into ash, if you wished it, My Lady."
Sting and Rogue swallowed, their eyes narrowed at Hora's back- they honestly couldn't tell if she was being serious or not, this sudden act she put on was just.... too good.
"Very good!" Minerva smiled wickedly, "For now, you runts clean up this mess." Her hand swept out toward the people on the left side of the room, "Father, I assumed you'd like to discuss my Mission, yes?" He gave her a small glare that she took as answer.
"Everyone else, back to your rooms. I think that's enough excitement for the night." Minerva ordered easily, the whole of the Guild nodding.
"Yes, My Lady."
Hora's head twitched a little as the room lit up with noise, letting out a low breath. Rogue and Sting saw her do it, their eyes falling on her again and eyes widening-
There was a trail of blood dribbling down from the inside of Hora's left ear and down her neck, her cheek bruising already from the hit the Master had thrown her way.
'The harshness you used against that Fairy Tail boy,' Lixue hummed, '... it wasn't all an act. You really are angry with him.'
Hora's eyes flashed,
'... so angry it's like ice.'
"I'll talk to you two later, get some sleep."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure... I know you probably have questions, but right now... I am really not in the mood."
"... very well, Hora."
Orga and Rufus retired to their own rooms with little argument, they could see Hora's nerves wearing, and quickly- and the thought of her anger in the middle of that conflict?
They weren't going to argue, she really did not look to be in any sort of mood at all.
Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue jumped slightly as Hora closed the door to the room with an audible snap- her eyes glittering and cold as she stared at the floor, her entire countenance rigid and shaking.
... that..... fucking....... IDIOT!!!
Her fists slammed back against the door, the four in the room with her flinching slightly.
I told him not to! I explicitly told him to stay the HELL out of it!
And he goes around, yelling all that shit out loud?! What did he think was gonna happen?! He's goddamn lucky it looks like Master and Minerva thought he was talking nonsense!!
He's fucking lucky Minerva stepped in before Jiemma killed him too!!
Fuck, what did I say about getting involved with Fairy Tail?
It always ends up screwing me over!
"Tch....... " Hora hissed,
.... how did Natsu... even figure all of that out....?!
"Sit down!" She ordered sharply, her eyes snapping up to rest her steely glare on all four of them. They jumped, immediately sitting down cross-legged on the floor and at full attention, looking incredibly nervous.
Hora hissed, her cheek throbbing painfully and her left ear ringing at the sound of her own voice- they perked up at the show of pain instantly,
"Hora, you're bleeding...!" Rogue and Sting told her quickly,
"Tch.... shut up!" She snapped, wincing again. They grimaced,
"... No! You can't just just tell us to leave it alone this time...!" Sting hissed back,
"Atia, everything that Natsu was saying, about there being a reason you've never fought back against Master...!" Lector said quietly,
"Leave it alone!" Hora cut him off instantly, "Don't listen to a damn thing that stupid damned Salamander was yapping about! He had no right to charge in here and no right to go around spouting crap like that!" Her eyes flashed, "He has no idea what he's talking about! You four need to leave this alone and focus on the Games!"
"... how the hell do you expect us to leave it alone..?!" Sting snapped, she winced at the loudness.
"He wasn't just talking nonsense, Hora....!" Rogue growled, "... he... he knew about it, about what you said that night... about not being able to leave the Guild...!"
"Be quiet!" Hora hissed, he flinched as she swept her hand out in front of her- a line of fire forming in the shape of runes.
"Tch... shit... fucking... damn it.. Natsu..!" Hora hissed, turning her back on them and the Runes following her lead, moving out around her and growing in number to stick themselves along the walls all around them, trapping them in something of a circle. A Spell to dull down their voices in case anyone was listening in,
She hissed, sinking down to sit on her heels, her hand moving up to wipe away the blood dripping from her ear. They stiffened, their eyes wide in worry and confusion as they shifted, inching closer a little.
"....... tch... I told him to stay out of it..." She growled, they blinked. Her hands pressed against the floor as she leaned over a little, shaking still- though they weren't sure if it was because of her anger or something else now. "... I told him I had to handle it.... he could have.... fucked so much up... just rushing in here like that.... idiot....!"
"Hora... please, tell us what is going on..?!" Lector mewed, his ears falling against his head. Frosh reached out with a paw, trembling still as the Exceed moved to sit beside Hora,
"Does the Master really have something to do with why you can't leave the Guild...?" Sting hissed,
"What has he done, Hora? We need to know... it's passed time you told us..!" Rogue told her lowly,
I can't tell you.. because I know you. And I know how you'll react.
"No." Hora growled, her tone flinty as she settled her gaze on them, unwavering. "What I said that night has nothing to do with what Natsu said. There's nothing he has on me." They blinked, looking taken aback. "The reason I can't leave has nothing to do with Jiemma having something on me. I can't leave because.... because I can't bear the thought of leaving anyone here to deal with that asshole alone." They stiffened, "I've been in this Guild longer than anyone, I was here before Jiemma took over and I've seen all the awful shit he's done. I can't leave this Guild or anyone in it, not with how cruel he is.... I... I should have fought harder, to keep him from taking over the Guild all those years ago. He's hurt so many people and I could have avoided all of it."
Their eyes flashed, sweatdropping slightly.
"I want to fix this Guild... but I wanna do it my way. I have to do it my way, it should have fallen on me to start with and it's on me now." Her eyes fell, "..... hearing that Jiemma... what he did with Yukino..... it pissed me off, pissed me off so much I was gonna rush in here and demand for blood. His blood." She hissed, shaking her head. "... but I can't do that. Stopping Jiemma can't be done by...... killing him. That's the sort of thing my Magic makes me want to do, but I can't be that... I can't be what my Magic is always trying to force me to be."
They watched her silently, their eyes glittering as they seemed to deflate a little.
"... I have to find some way to take Jiemma down, on my own terms... I can't leave until I've stopped him. Until SaberTooth is free of him, and he won't have opportunity to do to other people what he's been doing to us." She took in a sharp breath,
I wish it wasn't this easy to lie
".... that's why, alright?" She mumbled, her eyes moving up toward them again. "That's why I can't leave, that's what Natsu was talking about.. but he got it wrong, alright? Not leaving is my choice... I just can't live with myself if I turn my back on what Jiemma does."
The looks on their faces, they were believing her... believing the lie.
'You are very good at lying.' Lixue commented,
"So please..... please just focus on the Games right now, alright? I don't want you guys to get in trouble, like Yukino.... I just need time to figure out what I'm going to do." Hora mumbled, "... you don't need to be worried I'm in danger or anything, I'm not. I'm just... frustrated."
".... is that really... why..?" Sting mumbled softly, she nodded. ".... Hora.... why didn't you tell us this forever ago...?"
"... because I was ashamed to admit it?" She mumbled, ".... I don't want you guys in danger, and you are in danger being here.... that's why I wanted you to leave without me.... but I know you won't, because I know you'll stay with me regardless of anything...and I love you all so much for it. I really do.... I just feel... selfish, almost."
"Atia.." Lector and Frosch mewed,
"... that is literally about as far from selfish as anybody can be." Sting grumbled, his eyes flashing. She blinked at him,
"Yeah! You just wanna keep people safe, Hora!" Lector told her,
"You should have told us sooner, Hora... we could have been trying to help you come up with a plan." Sting mumbled, she nodded slightly.
"... sorry." She sighed, "... but really, you can't right now... the Games are your first priority, alright?" He sweatdropped slightly, "... you need to keep your head in the game, promise me that." Her eyes flicked to Rogue, who blinked "Both of you."
"...... alright, Hora." They mumbled in unison, she smiled slightly.
"Thank you." She sighed,
"Now, seriously- are you ok?" Sting hissed, "Your ear is still bleeding, ya know." Hora blinked, sweatdropping slightly.
They believe me so easy...
"...ah... well my ear is still kinda ringing..." She grumbled, "... but it should be fine in a little, my cheek too... all things considered, he really didn't hit me that hard." She shook her head a little, "... I found Yukino, by the way..."
They all leaned in, eyes wide and interest peaked in an instant.
"Is she ok..?!"
"... she seemed pretty alright, considering." Hora mumbled, "I told her I would come back to see her soon, I hope she doesn't leave Crocus too quickly...."
"..... we.... we should apologize to her..." Sting stammered, his hands clenching in his lap. "... what Master did.... it wasn't right...." Hora sweatdropped,
"..... you will get the chance, I promise...." Hora sighed, ".... Yukino understands why you guys couldn't.... she knows. She's not gonna blame you for anything."
"I hope you're right, Atia..." Lector mumbled, Frosch snuggled into her lap.
"I miss Yukino..." The little Exceed mumbled,
".... I know.."
"Hora."
Hora blinked, sitting up quickly from laying in bed at the voice- her eyes flashing in the dark as she sweatdropped.
She'd left Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch to go to sleep about an hour ago- she'd gone to her own room with the intent of doing the same... though it hadn't quite worked, she was still too wound up. She'd taken time instead to write a letter to Yukino, hoping maybe it would calm her down once she tried to sleep again...... But she'd been staring up at the roof in sheer silence for another hour, and had hardly moved- her thoughts consumed in worry and anger and disdain...
She recognized that new voice in an instant though, her eyes narrowed as she stood up from the bed, looking into the deepest shadows at the edge of the room.
"... why are you acting all creepy, Rogue?" Hora mumbled, quirking a brow as said Shadow Dragon Slayer stepped from the shadows, seemingly melting from them. She blinked, his red eyes fixed on her and his face serious as all hell. ".... what's with the face...?"
He sighed slightly, walking forward toward her as she let her hand rest on her hip. He halted in front of her, his eyes fixed as she blinked. This was a little off, even for him- too quite, too... Neutral.
".... seriously.... what is wrong with you...?" She mumbled quietly,
"You lied." He replied softly, Hora went rigid.
"..w...what...?" She breathed, his eyes narrowed slightly, his lips pulling into a small frown.
"You lied, when you told us the reason you couldn't leave the Guild." He murmured softly, "I know you lied, Hora. I could hear it in your voice."
She smiled nervously, backing up slightly. ".... h..huh...? Seriously, that's why you're creeping around the shadows...? I didn't lie..." He blinked, shifting forward toward her as she backed up again.
"Hora..." He murmured, "... please, I saw it in your eyes that night you woke up, after Master...." He bit the inside of his cheek, "...... you were afraid, there's something else.... when Natsu said that Master had something on you.... it made sense." Hora sweatdropped, ".... you could beat Master, you could fight back... you could do it without killing him." Rogue murmured, "... but you've always taken whatever he threw at you, you always just let yourself suffer.... and it never made any sense why, but it does with what Natsu said."
"...... I already told you..." Hora mumbled, trying to cut him off-
"No." He growled, his tone flinty suddenly. Hora flinched, her back hitting the wall she'd backed up into without consciously meaning to. Rogue halted in front of her, his hands falling on either side of her and pressing up against the wall, a gesture and action that blocked her from moving to get out of his reach, or move to the door.
"Hora, I can see it written all over your face. There's something you're hiding still, something that hurts... something bad." Rogue growled, "You wouldn't have gotten so worked up that Natsu showed up and said all of that unless it was true. He was right, Master is holding something over your head- and whatever it is, it's bad enough you've been willing to suffer under his cruelty for years." He sweatdropped, swallowing a little as he shook his head. "You can't tell me you didn't lie... not when the first thing you did after telling us, was make sure we dropped it. That we wouldn't do anything that meant going against the Master. You wanted nothing more than to change the subject, avoid it altogether."
His eyes flashed, his fangs grinding down on eachother. Hora felt her heart drop, her eyes shinning as she saw fear and worry work it's way into his expression, so deep and so powerful it was...
"... Hora... please....." he hissed, his shoulders shaking slightly. "... please tell me what's really going on.... I can't take it.... knowing there's something wrong... knowing you've been keeping it hidden for so long.... even if it ended up tearing you up inside........ It's really that bad...? That you felt you couldn't tell us...?" His eyes fell closed, his entire countenance growing rigid- his voice shaking slightly.
Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes snapping shut- her stomach flipped and her heart went with it.
"... stop." She hissed, ".... I..... I can't..... Rogue..... If I do......."
"Hora, you don't have to feel like you're alone!" He hissed, "You don't have to feel like you need to keep everything to yourself!" He broke off, realizing in an instant his voice had gotten harsher than he liked. He shook his head at himself, ".... Hora, please. Tell me... I want to help you."
He tilted forward slightly, his forehead resting against hers lightly as one of her hands moved up to keep him back- it barely helped. Her eyes glinted in the dim of the room as her breath caught in her throat,
"..... Look..... I hate this, I've been so wound up since Master hurt you... Since you got so bad." Rogue mumbled, "...... I saw the pain inside of you that night Hora, you can pretend and promise all you like... I can't forget what I saw, and what I know. And I know you... I know you well enough now to see it when you're lying, and you lied. There is something else going on, something you've been keeping yourself from saying..... I am worried, Hora. I have been worried for months now, please.... I don't know if I can take being in the dark anymore."
He let out a low, shaky breath, his voice growing a little hoarser, enough so Hora felt her heart ache.
He was in so much pain, so much fear and sorry all wrapped up and wound into a giant knot around his very soul- so tight it was suffocating him. He'd been struggling for breath ever since that day Jiemma had beat her so hard he thought she might die- he'd been drowning, falling deeper into that ocean of fear and concern and he was still sinking. Faster now as she struggled to keep her posture and her conviction up right there in front of him, when he saw her force herself back and it hurt her to do it.
She tried, struggling and pushing against herself- telling herself in her head over and over again;
You can't! You can't... He can't know... Not when he might get himself hurt or killed or.. no...!
He saw the true and sheer fear light up in her deep blue eyes, and it felt like his heart cracked. He could practically see it, something swirling under the surface, something biting away, clawing, trying to fight free- she kept it locked up and it was killing her as much as it was killing him to see it.
He could never unsee it- not any of it, it had haunted his dreams for months, haunted him still... Maybe even haunted him as much as the things she had haunting her.
".... I'll do anything...... I just want you help you, Hora... Please....... Please help me understand......" Rogue's voice nearly cracked, so low and so soft he was barely above a whisper. Hora swallowed, biting hard onto her cheek as her eyes snapped shut- she wanted to pull away, wanted space between them. Wanted to leave and wanted to quit feeling his breath wash up against her face, have enough space between them she couldn't feel the warmth coming off his body.... space enough she couldn't see the pain etched into his face.
Her heart twisted so painfully she almost hissed, swallowing hard against it as she felt her legs starting to shake.
There was terror in her core, fear that cut deeper than anything else- worse than the nightmares, worse than that day she earned her Magic. This was the worst thing, the truest, deepest fear inside of her- fear they would ever know, fear of what they would do when they did know.... fear of what would happen to them.
I can't.... he'll.... you might get killed.....
"........ Hora....... please trust me...." Rogue mumbled, his forehead pressed against hers a bit more, their hair mixing- black on fiery orange. "....... I don't want you to feel so afraid, or alone... not anymore..... you have me, you always have.... I just need you to see it.... trust me, Hora.... I just want to help you....."
She stiffened underneath him, her eyes shutting tighter as she sucked in one, small, sharp breath, her hands fists at her sides.
God... damn....it.....
'Are you....?' Lixue asked softly,
"....... f....fucking..... damn it... Rogue......" Hora muttered, her voice hoarse and shaking. He swallowed at the sound, his eyes flashing as he pulled back a little, trying to get a better look at her face, it was hidden in shadow as she tilted it down quickly. She let out a shaky breath, and sucked it in way too quickly, his eyes widened a little at the sound- she sounded almost like she was... gasping.
"........ I... I trust you... I just....." She choked out, "...... I'm... I'm fucking.... te...terrified...... that y...you.... shit." Her shoulders hunched, he swallowed, his hands lifting off the wall and hovering over her shoulders, but hesitating to touch her.
"... Hora..." He breathed, she shook her head.
"..... fuck.... just.... just promise me... Rogue. You have to promise me... you won't tell Sting... or Lector... or Frosch... you can't tell anybody else.... if I tell you.... you keep it to yourself... you can't run off... you can't do anything to try.... try and stop it... change it..... you have to fucking swear to me... you have to keep it....!" Hora hissed, her voice trembling, her body falling suit as she pushed herself against the wall for support- her legs felt like they were going to give out on her. Rogue stared, a bead of sweat falling down his face as he saw her struggling to just... stand.
"... Hora... what do...?"
"Promise me, Rogue. And you had better fucking keep it..!" Hora snapped, but her voice broke halfway through and he flinched at the sound.
"... I.. I swear.... you can trust me Hora... I'll do whatever you want... please just tell me.." He told her quickly, she sucked in another breath that was borderline a sob.
Her hands unclenched, one of them lifting as she grabbed hold of his shirt- he wasn't sure why she did, but her hold was so tight he couldn't have moved even if he wanted to. He stood utterly still, his eyes watching her as her other hand moved up, placing itself against her chest, shaking.
She shuddered, swallowing hard as her head tilted back up- and he felt his heart drop into his feet.
The dim light in the room shimmered off the line of tears that fell from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and splattering against the floor as she bit back the shuddering, sobbing breaths threatening to break her voice altogether.
She's crying.... she.....
"..... There's a Lacrima in my chest." Hora whispered, "... it's connected with my Magic.... it keeps me alive..... and Jiemma's put a Possession Link on it." She broke off, hissing as she went rigid underneath him- his jaw dropped slightly.
"... tch.... you can't break Possession Links..... they have to be removed by the people who place them..... Jiemma's had it on me since he took over the Guild.... I can't run, I can't leave.... he'll find me no matter where I go...." Her eyes flashed, her hand on her chest balling around her shirt as she held on to his a little tighter. "..... he can destroy the Lacrima whenever he wants.... with a single thought...... and if he does...... it'll kill me...."
Rogue went pale, his eyes round and his entire person shaking in sheer horror.
"..... I couldn't tell anyone.... I couldn't tell you..... if you confront Jiemma about it, he will kill me....... and he'll kill you too." Hora swallowed, "... I don't want you to die.... you can't tell anyone Rogue... you cannot confront Jiemma about this.... you have to keep this a secret....." She gasped, her body shuddering as she tried and failed to stifle the sob that rose up her throat, her tears streaming faster.
"..... please... please don't do anything.... I don't want you dead..." Hora whimpered, her eyes glinting feverishly as she slid a few inches down the wall when her legs shook too much to keep her held up. His hovering hands moved this time, and he grabbed on to her quickly, trying to keep her steady but she was shuddering so hard, so violently- her breathing getting worse by the second as she crumbled right there in front of him. Her eyes snapped shut, both of her hands holding to the front of his shirt now. ".... please..... yo... you promised..... y..you have to keep it..... please.... Rogue...."
This.... this can't be.... real....
He felt like he couldn't breath, he was frozen in his spot, mind racing and yet shuddered to a sudden, grinding halt.
Jiemma had a Possession Link on something..... that she needed to live? A Lacrima implanted inside of her, not unlike the ones they had inside of he and Sting...?
He felt like his heart skipped a beat,
Jiemma can kill her, with a snap of his fingers..... he's been hanging this over her head for almost a decade...?! What the hell.... how could anyone....... what sort of Monster....?!
".... please..... please I can't.... lose you.... any of you....." Hora gasped, Rogue's jaw snapped shut, his eyes glittering as he sucked in a sharp breath of air.
Near a decade with Jiemma having his hands wrapped around a piece of herself..... and still the only thing she's really been scared of? More than a threat on her own life?
She's more afraid something might happen to us, than if something would ever happen to herself....?!
"...pl...please...." Hora gasped, her voice getting lower by the second, weaker.
Hora's legs buckled, she started to slide down the wall and toward the floor, her hold on his shirt nearly lost- Rogue jumped, immediately holding on to her tighter, bending over and onto his knees as she sank to the floor, the tears spilling fast against her arms and onto her lap. She was starting to cry so hard she was having a hard time breathing, and she hadn't the will to keep herself standing-
She was terrified, and the thing that terrified her more than anything she had just told him about Jiemma.... Was that he might get hurt if he were to confront that absolute, utter, bastard about it. And he wanted to- the anger that filled him up when he knew was unlike anything else, the rage and the horror that went with it. He wanted to make Jiemma pay, he wanted to tear into him and force him to release Hora. He'd had a chain around her neck all these years, trapped- her life in his hands and she was so afraid of what might happen to them if they found out about it... She lived with it in silence!
This was why she never said anything, this was why she didn't fight back- her life was on a thin line, ready to be snapped at any instant Jiemma saw fit.
How can she be worried about us, through all of that...?!
It wasn't logical- he wanted her to care about herself more- a part of him was furious she didn't, furious she felt she had to hide all of this.... And yet a part of him never loved her more, knowing she wanted to protect them that badly.
And he knew in an instant he had to keep his word... Even though he didn't want to. He had to stay, he had to do as she asked. But you can be sure as all hell he wasn't going to let her drop the issue, never. They had to talk about this, they had to find some way to fix this- and he vowed right then and there that they would. He was going to help save her whether she wanted him to or not... And he would do so without breaking his word.
He couldn't confront Jiemma, he knew that. He couldn't tell Sting- because he knew what Hora did, Sting wouldn't hesitate to go after Jiemma if he knew about this. He couldn't tell Lector or Frosch either, or anyone else... This would stay between the two of them, and he was going to do whatever it took to help her.... Free her.
But right now, what he needed to do was to not leave her.
Rogue sat down in front of her, leaning in as he inched closer, his arms wrapping around her shaking, gasping form as she sank into him, holding desperately on to him as if it was her attempt to make sure he wouldn't leave and run off and start something. She was leaning into him, nearly laying on him, in between his knees as her face got buried in his chest and his arms held around her body gently, his stomach twisting and knotting with every shake, every harsh breath, every sniffle.
"Shh... It's OK... I'm not going anywhere, Hora... I promise...." Rogue mumbled softly, his hand moving in soft, slight little circles on Hora's back, trying to get her to calm down.
This woman I have seen cry more in the last few months than I have in near ten years....
".... I'm not going anywhere.... I'm right here... I promise..."
...... This woman I've had nightmares about losing for months now... This kind... Loyal.... Insanely strong woman.....
"..... Shhh.... just try and breathe..... I'm staying right here...... I won't break my promise... I swear to you...."
...... I wish you'd told me a long time ago..... I would never do anything that would hurt you...... I'd never go against what you want, even if Jiemma does deserve hell and more...... I'd never put you in danger, not on anything.....
"..... Easy, Hora.... It's fine... I'm right here.... I'm not leaving..."
...... You've spent your life thinking about protecting us......
"...... I won't tell anyone.... I won't confront Jiemma..... Thank you.... For telling me..... I'm sorry.... I didn't know it was going to hurt you......"
...... We should have been doing the same for you...
"...... I'm sorry..... Shhhhhhhh...... breathe, Hora...... I promise..... I'll do whatever you need me to do.... I'm going to help you..... I'm not going anywhere, ever....... Please trust me..... I'm staying..... I'm not gonna do anything that you don't want... Or that'll hurt you.... I swear..... it's going to be OK....."
Her crying didn't stop for a very, very long time.... Probably close to an hour. He simply held her and she clung to him, shaking and gasping, his shirt wet and her cheeks and eyes red, her arms moved to hold tightly around his waist- he sat there, letting her lean on him, his hand stroking her back gently and murmuring little words, little comforting things, promising several times over and over again he wasn't leaving.
Her body stopped shaking, slowly, her breathing evening out again as her hold around his waist started to get slack- her weight in his lap getting heavier as exhaustion started to set in. What little bit she had kept herself from laying on top of him completely disappeared, her eyes heavy and stinging as her mind wavered towards unconsciousness she didn't want to give into- but fighting it was just too hard.
He was warm against her, and she was the same to him.... But this warmth was different from the heat that came with her Magic. This warmth was pleasant, soothing.....
Rogue blinked, his head tilting down and sideways to see her eyes had dropped closed, her cheeks still flushed and wet, her breathing still a little shaky- but she was out, her head resting in the crook of his elbow and drifting off in seconds as her arms fell a little more around his waist, catching in his cloak and saving them dropping to the floor. Her hair fell in tangled, messy little stands about her face, tickling his arm and the scar across her nose. Her jaw and cheek on her left side were bruised still and warm from the hit Jiemma had sent her way when Natsu had rushed in.... It looked painful enough, and he wondered if her ear was still ringing or hurting like she had said it was earlier.
He let out a breath, his head hanging slightly as his shoulders sagged, his free hand still resting gently on her back as he swallowed at the lump in his throat.
To have had that locked up for so long, to have been burying it under fear and anger and worry for so many years.... He supposed it really wasn't a surprise she had reacted like this, broken down and crumbled. Maybe telling someone, maybe even crying so hard... Maybe it would leave room to let her pick back and feel better. Lift a little of the weight of the secret off of her shoulders, make it easier to breath..... Even if it has hurt this much to tell him, he hoped when she woke up it would be better.
"... I'm sorry..." he breathed, the apology making its way passed his lips without really thinking about it. "...... I didn't know you were hurting this much, Hora...." His eyes flashed,
..... a Possession Link..... On a Lacrima implanted in her body? He'd never realized her Magic came from a Lacrima, and wasn't simply something she had learned firsthand... Though granted up until recently he hadn't even known what kind of Magic she used either.
He knew little about Possession Links, he had heard of them before hand and he knew they were difficult to use. He also knew they were absolute, he knew they couldn't be broken and he knew that the objects taken control of, could be rendered useless to other people, even destroyed.... But they were used on weapons and rings and staffs and other things like that. Actual, usable, everyday objects- but a Lacrima? Inside of a person?
The very idea was wrong- it was cruel and it was insane. No one should ever even think to do something like that, let alone do it!
...... Jiemma..... What a complete.. Utter....
Rogue forced himself a breath before he got too worked up, he had to try and stay level-headed about it. If Hora saw him getting worked up and angry she might think he was about to race off and start something- and he didn't want to put her through that train of thought again, not when she broke down over it.
Hora shifted, her knees moving up as she adjusted a little, lying on her side a bit more, her nose burying itself deeper into his arm and sleeve, her body settling in against him a bit more as she let out a soft, deep breath. Rogue blinked, before his eyes fell closed and he ran his hand along her back lightly, stopping at her shoulder as he sighed.
"........ good night, Hora............."
Chapter 22: Pandemonium Begins!
Chapter Text
Chapter 2 2
Pandemonium Begins!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"How could you be so stupid?!"
Erza's voice cut like one of her swords, Natsu wilting under the shouted question as he sat on the floor in front of her like a child in trouble. He sweatdropped, his arms crossed over his chest and pointedly looking away from her entirely as she seethed above him- along with Gray, Carla and Lucy looking just as annoyed. Happy stood by his Partner looking uneasy, but saying nothing- Wendy was watching them off to the side a little, her eyes flicking between Erza and toward the very visible bruise on Natsu's cheek.
"Yeah man, did you even use your brain?!" Gray snapped,
"You could have gotten Fairy Tail disqualified from the Games!" Erza snapped, "Not to mention gotten yourself arrested with all the mayhem you caused!"
"What were you even thinking, Natsu..?!" Lucy growled,
Natsu sweatdropped a little more, his eyes narrowed at the floor as Happy let out a small mew beside him. "Natsu..."
"... I said I was sorry, alright?" Natsu growled lowly, "... I get it, starting a fight was... Dumb.... I was just..... Worked up." Happy's ears fell a little,
"Whatever quarrel you've drummed up with SaberTooth, you cannot act on your frustrations outside of the Games!" Erza hissed, "Fight with them if you must, but do no lose sight of our true objective. We must do well in the Grand Magic Games in order to restore this country's faith in our Guild, and bring ourselves back out of the debt and shadow we have fallen into. If you have issues with SaberTooth, use that as fuel to beat them in the Games, they are likely to be our toughest opponents by far."
"... mm... right..." Natsu mumbled, his shoulders hunching slightly as his eyes dropped closed. Erza let out an agitated sigh and shook her head, turning her back on him as she stalked across to her bed and sat down with a huff. Gray shook his head at him too and walked away as well, Lucy let out a long sigh as her shoulders sagged and Wendy paced toward him a little.
"Uhm... Natsu-san.... you look like you got hit pretty hard." Wendy mumbled, her hands folded together. "Let me heal that, alright...?"
"No." He told her lowly, Wendy flinched a little at the reply, her eyes widening a little as Natsu shook his head at her- his eyes meeting hers for a half a second, before he glanced into his lap. "Sorry, Wendy... just leave it.... I think I deserve this one..." He mumbled,
Wendy, Lucy and Happy all blinked in confusion at the words, and the way in which his voice seemed to drop. He let out a low breath, his eyes trailing outside the window, a frown pulling at his mouth as he swallowed a little.
"....... she was really pissed......but..."
His jaw clenched slightly,
"..... I didn't think she'd..... go that far...... I just....."
He shut his eyes, Happy's eyes glittered as his tail drooped and hit the floor.
"....... I wanted to get through to them...."
She could feel her brother's hand in hers on the bedtop, his fingers locked with his lightly as his breathing deep and slow as he slept on, his head resting in his elbows. Her fever was gone, she could focus on the world around her regardless of how tired she was- and it was utterly, peacefully quiet.
She was peaceful, no fitful dreams, no nightmares.... just warm, quiet bliss.
She hadn't felt any semblance of calm like this in so, so long. She'd almost forgotten what it felt like.
... wait, wasn't I...? I was with...
Hora forced her heavy eyelids open, blinking a few times to get rid of the blurriness in the dim of the room.
..... Rogue.... Wasn't... I....?
She blinked, her eyes opening a little wider as her nose twitched- she could smell him, like night air and deep, damp earth.... But not cold, more warm, with something sweet mixed in.
She glanced up, her eyes trailing toward his face as he lay next to her, his arms wrapped around her shoulders as hers remained wrapped around his torso. The both of them pressed close and together in the bed, his breathing soft and deep and his hair a mess- her cheek resting against his chest as she felt her face grow a little hotter suddenly.
..... What the....? When did we even.... I don't remember getting in bed... Or falling asleep for that matter....
Her eyes flashed as she bit the inside of her cheek,
....... I was crying after I......told him.... But what happened.....?
She swallowed a little, her eyes falling a bit.
...... Did I pass out....?
She shut her eyes, her hold around him getting a little tighter for just half a second- before she pulled them back to herself. She nudged Rogue softly, patting his shoulder lightly and hardly able to pull away with him holding on to her like he was.
..... Its pleasant... This.... I don't think I've slept that well in awhile.... He must have calmed me down enough that I did fall asleep in the end...
"Rogue..." Hora murmured softly, he grumbled, shifting and pulling her closer- though he didn't wake up. Hora bit the inside of her cheek, she hated it but she felt herself blushing- and why not? Neither she nor he had ever even thought about sleeping in the same bed, let alone ever had.... And even if she had gotten into the situation of having to?
They were wrapped up in each others arms..!
'If not for that, however- you might have spent longer breaking down, Horatia.' Lixue intoned lightly, why did he sound amused? She shook the thought off,
".... Rogue.... Please wake up..." Hora murmured, ".... It's almost morning..."
He let out a low, long breath, his eyes fluttering open tiredly as he seemed to be trying to come to terms with what was going on and where he was. His red eyes moved down toward her, still dazed slightly as she held his gaze, her chin resting on his chest as she rolled over slightly.
".... Hora...." He mumbled, blinking again as the drowsiness wore off. "..... Are you alright...?" she blinked at the question, sweatdropping slightly.
".... Yeah.... Sorry... About...." She trailed off, her eyes dropping away from him as she tensed up a little in his hold- he shook his head at her.
"Don't apologize.... You have nothing to apologize for." He sighed, "...... I promise you, you didn't cause me any trouble... I know it can't be easy for you.... Admitting things like that.... Letting yourself be that open, either......"
Hora stiffened, her eyes flashing as the breath caught in her throat at the words. She pulled back from him, forcing his arms to slacken around her body and let go as she sat up all the way, and moved away a bit toward the edge of the bed. She settled into sitting on her heels as he shifted too- pulling himself up so he was sitting cross-legged next to her on the bedtop.
Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes falling on her hands in her lap as Rogue set his eyes on her and seemed to sigh.
"...I'm sorry..... But I see it now, that it's not easy to let anyone else see what's bothering you, Hora.... I'm.... I am sorry for pressing it, last night. I didn't know it would.... Hurt so much....." He apologized softly. Hora's eyes snapped shut as her hands balled up in her lap,
'Hmm.... After so long... You finally told someone.' Lixue's voice was low and slow, cautious almost. '.... Albeit that little bit of secret has been gnawing at you quite a while.... But now the one you told it to is apologizing, instead of scolding you for letting it remain secret so long...... Were I in his situation, I would be chastising you fervently, Horatia.'
Honestly? Had Rogue kept a secret like this so long.... She would be snapping his head off too. The lack of scolding on his part about all of this was.... Surprising. And she hated it, as well as appreciated it.
And he's apologizing... Because it hurt me...? Damn it Rogue...
"... tch... Don't." Hora growled, Rogue blinked in surprise at the sudden order. ".... just..... don't apologize....."
".... Why...?" A sharp shake of her head cut his question off in seconds,
"..... why are you apologizing..?!" She hissed lowly, her eyes flashing as he jumped a little. ".... honestly..?! I've been lying to you for years, and you're apologizing to me...?! I'd be fucking furious with you if you had done what I've been doing!" Her jaw snapped shut as her fists clenched in her lap, growling lowly as his face seemed to soften at the words- rather than stare at her in confusion like she expected.
"I'm not going to scold you, Hora." He told her quietly, she bristled at that.
"And why not?!" she snapped lowly, he sighed.
"Even though you should have told us a long time ago... I understand why you didn't. You had your reasons, Hora..... And you kept it to yourself because you were worried for our safety. And in a way... You were right, not to tell us." he sweatdropped slightly as she blinked in complete surprise. "...... We would have gone after Master straight away, in our anger... Sting especially. Which would end badly, for everyone.... Especially you."
Hora swallowed slightly, her eyes falling into her lap.
"But don't think we're not going to discuss this, Hora. Or do something to help you." his voice hardened a bit and she stiffened. "You can't live with your life in Jiemma's hands, I won't let you. We will find a way to set you free, I swear to you we will. And we'll do it in a way so no one gets hurt."
Her eyes snapped shut against the way her heart seemed to twist into a knot in her chest, her shoulders hunching slightly and hating the way her throat tightened.
"I won't tell Sting, or anyone else until you want me to, Hora." he promised softly, "But can you please explain it to me? How Jiemma ever even managed to... Do that to you, and why...? I want to understand..."
Hora jumped a little, her eyes snapping open as Rogue's hand fell softly on the top of her head.
".... I'm sorry if talking about it hurts more.... But please, Hora. I need to know how it happened if I'm going to help you, alright?"
She didn't think she had ever heard his voice so gentle as that in all her life. If it was possible... It was even more gentle and warm than his voice last night, when he was trying to calm her down.
She tilted her head up to look at him, his hand still on top of her head as he met her eyes easily.
What is that.... That familiar sort of warmth in my core...? It's not.... Fire...
She blinked, swallowing again as she nodded a little, he smiled softly and rubbed her hair a bit. Hora's eyes widened slightly,
..... Why... Why does him doing that make my...?
He pulled his hand away and she shook herself a bit, taking in a deep breath.
"... I joined SaberTooth a year before Jiemma ever came into the picture. When he showed up, he started to fight against the Old Guild Master- trying to impose his own law and code on who was allowed in the Guild, who wasn't.... He took the Guild by force, and he killed the Old Guild Master in a fight for control of the Guild to do it."
Rogue stiffened, his eyes widening in shock and horror at the words- he hadn't ever known how SaberTooth came to be, there was no one in the Guild who had been there since before Jiemma was Master- only Hora.
But he killed the old Guild Master...?!
".... A lot of people bailed after that, and those that stayed they all eventually got thrown out. None of them met his standards for strength... Except for me." She mumbled, unaware of, or ignoring his shock. "..... I made the mistake of trying to stand up to him, but I was so young at the time... Even with my Magic I didn't stand much a chance, he had years of experience on me. But fighting him put me on his radar, my Magic is so rare and powerful- he decided then and there I wouldn't ever leave. I was going to stay under his control in the Guild, and to do that.... He put the Possession Link on the Lacrima inside of me. Used it to keep me from running away, or trying to fight back when I got older, and stronger. Originally it was so he could order me out on high-stakes missions and bring in a bunch of money and reputation... But now its more because he doesn't want to lose being able to keep me prisoner." She shook her head, looking agitated at the memory as her hands linked together tightly in her lap.
".... I don't honestly know how he put the Possession Link there, I just assume it was how you'd normally do it... even if you wouldn't normally put it on something like a Lacrima inside a living person. I just remember him grabbing me one day, and waking up hours later, not able to..... he told me what he'd done, and made it clear I had to listen to him from then on." Hora grumbled, "I've been looking into Possession Links since then, but I have never found any way to break them against the 'Owner's' will. I gave up after awhile...... I just don't know how to take it away." She shook her head slightly, "...... I know a lot about Possession Links because of how much I researched them early on..... but I still haven't found anything that will help me."
Rogue swallowed slightly, sweatdropping as his shoulders stiffened.
".... Jiemma........ he did that to you because he wanted to keep you as his property....? Because.... you were powerful....?" He mumbled, she nodded slightly. "..... but.... if he could force you to stay by putting a Possession Link on a Lacrima inside of you..... Sting and I...."
Hora's eyes snapped up toward him, her eyes flashing as she immediately realized where his thoughts had gone- and not unsurprisingly. It wasn't a stretch to think Jiemma would try and do to him and Sting what he had done to her, but-
"No." Hora told him quickly, Rogue blinked at the sudden firmness of her voice. "He can't do that to you, either of you. I put a Anti-Possession Spell on the both of you the minute I realized you wanted to join SaberTooth. That first day I met you two, that night I put that Spell on you so Jiemma couldn't trap you like he did me." Rogue's jaw dropped slightly as Hora seemed to wilt a little. ".... I found the Spell while I was learning about Possession Links, but I found it after Jiemma had already done it.... the Spell only works to protect you if it's cast before someone tries to place a Possession Link on an object. He can't put one on you, ever... even if it was already too late to help me."
Rogue's eyes glittered, his face pulling into a slightly pained frown as he looked at her.
...... ever since the first day..... she'd been trying to protect them.... and they never....
Hora felt her breath catch in her throat, her eyes going wide as she stared- her eyes flashing as she saw the line of tears suddenly fall from his eyes in silence. She grimaced, her heart fluttering in sudden nervousness as she leaned forward a bit-
"W-wait, why are you crying....?!" She stammered, his shoulders hunched as his eyes dropped away from her and he sucked in a sharp breath of air. He shook his head slightly, his hands moving up to rub at his eyes a little.
"... tch...... I just can't believe you..." He mumbled softly, Hora paused at the words, her head tilting a little. ".... even from that long ago..? You'd hardly known us a day... and the first thing you did was make sure we couldn't end up with Possession Links stuck on us...? You've been looking out for us from the get-go.... and I never realized....." He sniffed slightly, his eyes trailing back up toward her and glittering still as her heart clenched.
"....... you're so kind, and you're always trying to keep us safe...... I don't think I've ever known anyone more loyal than you.. Hora.." He smiled shakily, her jaw dropped slightly as she felt her face heat up out of nowhere. "You're just... you're honestly perfect, Hora..... you're amazing.....!"
She growled, snatching up a pillow from the bed and slamming it into his face, knocking him back against the bed and holding him there- almost smothering him as she felt her face heat up even more. She cringed in the middle of it though, pain racing through her stomach-
WHY?!
"D-Don't say things like that..!" She hissed hotly, he was fidgeting under the pillow and trying to get her to let up, she growled before moving the pillow away, sitting on her heels on the bedtop as she gave him an annoyed glare- he sucked in air the minute he was allowed. "And quit with the crying, will you?! I'm the one who should be crying, not you!" Her jaw snapped shut as her teeth ground down on one another, her face still flushed as he blinked at her- a little confused why she had reacted like that- before he smiled a little.
"... sorry..." He hummed, wiping away what little moisture was left on his face as she huffed. "..... thank you, Hora." She stiffened, her eyes snapping away from him as she bit the inside of her cheek- and promptly hissed when it hurt like a son of a-!
Her hand moved up to press lightly against her left cheek, feeling the heat coming off of it, tender and swollen still from having been hit last night. She'd honestly forgotten it was there,
".... tch.... owww....!" She snapped, Rogue sat up again and leaned in a little.
"... that bruised pretty badly." He murmured softly, ".... you'd probably do well to put some ice on it, Hora." She sighed,
".... if only I could..." She grumbled, he blinked at the words, but didn't linger on them.
"Is your ear still hurting?" He murmured, she shook her head a little.
"... no.... and hopefully it doesn't start up again either." She mumbled, he nodded a bit.
"..... look, I don't know much about Possession Links- but I will help you look into them, and we'll find a way to dispel it, alright?" He told her quietly, she sweatdropped a little.
".... fine, but you need to stay focused on the Games." She told him lowly, he grimaced slightly. "Seriously, Rogue. You can't have your head in the clouds, if we can get through the Games without earning Jiemma or Minerva's wrath again, we need to. We can focus on the Possession Link thing afterward, alright?" He didn't look like he liked the plan, but he nodded anyway.
"... alright. But as soon as the Games are over with-"
"I promise, alright?" She cut him off, he sighed internally. "Now, you need to go back to your own room- before Sting or anyone else wakes up and wonders where the hell you went." She ordered lowly, he nodded a bit and shifted, standing up from the bed as she paused- her nose twitching slightly as she sweatdropped.
".... and change your shirt, you smell like... tears...." She mumbled a bit more lowly, he paused, his own nose twitching slightly before he smiled nervously.
"... that's probably a good idea.." He murmured, walking slowly toward the door before pausing again. Hora blinked at him,
".... but seriously, Hora... thank you." He murmured softly, his head tilting back toward her as his red eyes glittered.
She swallowed a bit at the way her heart jumped, nodding stiffly as she looked away. He blinked a little as he saw her blush, just slightly- and his heart jumped.
".... thank you, for..... staying, Rogue."
"... geez that looks bad..." Sting grumbled lowly, sweatdropping heavily as Hora stopped at his shoulder, her lips pulling into a disgruntled frown as she heard him say the words. The Colosseum was filled to the brim with spectators already, their voices a loud, low drum all around them as the SaberTooth Team (plus Hora, and minus Minerva and Orga at the moment...) stood in the box reserved for their Guild. It was always emptier than many of the other Guilds, since most people in SaberTooth didn't dare stay there lest it make Master mad- but Hora had never really cared, and had always taken up a post there to watch the Games.
The blonde turned toward Hora as she walked in and stopped on his shoulder, his eyes immediately finding the dark bruising spread across her left cheek and jaw- Hora's hands fell on her hips as she let out an annoyed sigh.
"Leave it be, it's not that bad." She grumbled, and though it did throb slightly- it wasn't her cheek that was bothering her now at any rate, it was the noise.
Her ear was ringing slightly at the volume of the crowds alone, and the actual events hadn't even started yet- which meant it was just gonna get worse, and she wasn't looking forward to it.
Sting blinked a little at the answer, sweatdropping slightly as he tilted his head at her. ".... you're in a fine mood this morning.." He mumbled lowly, a vein ticked on her forehead. She shot him a glare and he jumped, smiling slightly as he shook his head. "That's fine, I get it, after what happened yesterday...!"
No, you really don't....
Rogue cast Hora a glance from Sting's other shoulder, sighing silently as Lector and Frosch walked across the stone railing to stand in front of Horatia.
"Are you alright, Hora?" Lector hummed,
"Did you sleep ok, Atia?" Frosch asked, Hora's annoyance faded as she nodded toward the two Exceeds.
"I'm alright, and... yes." She murmured, and hated the way her heart jumped at the end. "Sorry to worry you.... I'm still a bit miffed about what Salamander pulled is all." They nodded,
"It was kinda stupid of him to come rushing in like that." Lector grumbled,
"Fro thinks so too."
"It was ill-advised." Rufus' voice broke into the conversation as the man circled around to land on Hora's other side, she glanced toward him warily.
Right... she hadn't explained any of what happened last night to either him or Orga.
"He was very fervent in his ideals, and he made a few interesting points..." Rufus murmured, nodding toward her slightly as he gave her a sympathetic smile. "Do not worry, Sting explained things to us this morning, Horatia." He added in quietly, Hora blinked in slight surprise as she glanced toward Sting- who nodded too.
... ah, so I don't have to... even if it would have still been a lie anyway.
"Hopefully once the Games conclude we may have time to get back to more important things." Rufus commented, Hora nodded slightly.
... and hope the Games end well....
She saw Rogue nod firmly to the words from the corner of her eye.
"So I see Orga has already headed down.." Hora murmured, changing the subject as her eyes moved ahead and toward the arena below, where she spotted his familiar turquoise hair. She blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly at the other people on the arena floor. "..... with Jura participating too...."
"Alright folks! Let's get our first event of the third day of the Grand Magic Games started!" The announcer came on over the intercom, breaking Hora's words off and earning her eyes falling closed at the way the noise rung on her left ear. "Today's event is sure to be exciting, and we call it; Pandemonium!!"
How appropriate... since my life has been anything but 'ordered' lately...
She hissed under her breath at the loud wash of sheers and yells that swelled up from the crowds,
"As always, we want only one member from each Team participating! So the rest of the Guilds who have yet to send someone, please do so now!"
Hora's eyes opened again to watch the rest of the other participants file in. She recognized Milliana from Mermaid Heel, and Jura of course, though the brunette that walked out for Fairy Tail Team B wasn't someone she knew... and though she wasn't sure, but the other Fairy Tail member had red hair. To take a guess she would say the once upon a time famous Erza Scarlet, though it was only a guess... after all her interest in individual Fairy Tail Members started and ended with Dragon Slayers.
Raven Tail was a mystery to her, but Hibiki from Blue Pegasus was popular enough to recognize too.... and then Novali from Quatro 'Puppy'.
"Hmm, Pandemonium? What an interesting name."
Hora instinctively stiffened at the sound of Minerva's voice behind them, the Lady moving into the box and halting at Rufus' shoulder with a cool, calm little smile as she watched the rest of the Guild participants file out.
"Quite, I'm curious to see what version of 'Pandemonium' they intend to play upon?" Rufus murmured lightly, "Shall it be chaos and panic, or will it allude to a den of monsters like in old tales?" Minerva smirked, her arms crossing about her chest. Hora cast a sideways glance toward the other woman, sweatdropping as she saw the slightly malicious look appear in her eyes.
"Indeed."
Hora's eyes turned upward toward the sky as a massive Magic Circle appeared over the floor of the arena, the air shaking as a... building (?) dropped down from the depths of it, floating mostly in air as one long walkway connected with the ground up to it.
"That thing is huge.." Sting grumbled,
... honestly, who powers the events for this thing..?
"Before you stands a castle filled with vicious monsters!" the voice of the Games pumpkin mascot came into focus, "That's Pandemonium!"
"... den of monsters it is." Rogue mumbled,
"Hmm.... I take it we are to do battle with these monsters?" Jura asked, his voice amplified by the arena. The Pumpkin-Man gave him a thumbs up,
"Correct sir!"
The crowds erupted with a mix of cheers and shocked gasps,
"100 terrifying beasts are lurking within the castle! But don't worry, there is no chance of them escaping and attacking the crowd! They are Magical Projections we created solely for this game!" The Pumpkin went on, "Each Monster is ranked by level of difficulty,and we have five classes! D, C, B, A and S!"
A screen popped up over the arena to show hos many of each class there was;
S x1
A x4
B x15
C x30
D x50
"To give you an example, let's show you how strong a D-Class Monster is!"
Another screen popped up to show a massive, four-legged monster that earned terrified screams from the civilians in the crowd- and more so when it ran forward and decimated a pillar inside of the castle as if it were nothing but paper.
Hora sweatdropped, swallowing hard against the noise and sorely wishing she hadn't shown up to watch the Games today... or at least brought some ear plugs or something.
"The Pandemonium Castle is filled to the brim with these vile creatures! And many more that are far stronger! Pandemonium awaits you!"
Well.... fighting Monsters isn't much of a challenge for Orga, so at least I needn't worry about him too much...
"Monsters of a higher class are two times stronger than the ones beneath them! So if you thought that D-Class guy looked nasty, you'll lose your head when the S-Class one appears! I'm not even sure a Wizard Saint could beat one of those!"
By that logic, the S-Class Monster is 16 times as strong as the lowest level.... wait, a Wizard Saint...? Seriously...?!
I will say it again, who powers the Games? This is overkill..!
"You will all take turns in choosing the number of Monsters you want to fight in each round!" The Pumpkin-man was still going, "We call this the Competitor's 'Right to Challenge'! So for instance, if you say you want to fight three monsters- three monsters will be awaiting you when you enter the Castle! If you successfully vanquish those three creatures, you will earn one point for every monster slain! After that, the next competitor in the rotation will choose what number they wish to face out of the number still left, and we will go from there! The game ends when either all the monsters have been cleared, or all of you run out of Magic Power!"
"But keep in mind, whether you choose to fight five or ten monsters- there is no telling what class of beast you will get! That means you might end up with five D-Class, or a mix of both C-Class and B-Class! All Monsters are chosen at random! And- Points will only be awarded if you defeat all of the monsters you challenged that round!"
...... someone like Hibiki might be able to guess what Monsters will come out and when.... but it matters little if you can't defeat the number you choose...... and it'll be harder against stronger enemies, and the longer the game goes on.... you might also be at a disadvantage if you're low on the line....
Hora grumbled under her breath slightly, as her eyes dropped closed in thought.
..... personally speaking, going up against most of those Monsters probably wouldn't be much of an issue, but multiple rounds means longer using my Magic- and more chance it wears me down. Orga has a lot of power though, and his stamina is pretty good too- if he keeps up with challenging about 6-10 Monsters a round he should do pretty well...
"Now! In order to determine who goes when, I would like you all to draw straws!"
Hora's eyes opened to watch the competitors pick straws, as their order appeared on the screens with their names and Guild affiliation hanging over the arena.
.... and Erza goes first....
"Ah, lucky! I bet being first means you get the most amount of turns," 'Cana' had walked up to the redhead. "Meanwhile I'm stuck in last, hehe.."
".... interesting.... I had assumed victory in this event relied entirely on the luck of the draw." Erza murmured, her voice was a little harder to hear but with the Magic-Amplification of voices Hora still caught the words- and agreed.
If you go last and a bunch of people whittle down the rank of monsters ahead of you, the probability of going against weaker monsters gets thinner, and there's also less points to snatch-
"Oh it's really much more than that! You have to consider pacing your opponents strength, the likelihood of getting a really nasty monster- the list goes on and on! It is quite a complex game if you think about it~" The Pumpkin-man intoned, Hora agreed again.
"No," Hora blinked at the reply from the redhead, her eyes narrowing as she saw her... she's smiling?
"In fact, this is no longer even a Game." Erza hummed, walking forward toward the ramp up to the castle as Hora sweatdropped.
No longer a game...?
She stopped, her smile fading as sheer determination appeared on her face- Hora leaned in a little, her hands falling on the stone railing.
"Inside this castle, with 100 Monsters- I choose to challenge;"
What is she...?
"All of them."
"HUH?!"
"SAY WHAT!?!"
Hora felt her jaw drop slightly, her heart jumping as she blinked several times in disbelief- what?!
"Tell me my ear is ringing so much I heard that wrong..?" She mumbled lowly, everyone else in the box around her and in the whole of the arena were all as shocked as she was.
"... she said... she's really going to challenge all one hundred..?!" Sting hissed,
You're joking..?!
"U-uh, you don't really mean that do you..?! We designed this event to be completed by multiple wizards..!" The Pumpkin-man was struggling for words, Erza simply glanced toward him.
"I don't care." She muttered, before turning her back on him and starting toward the ramp.
Hora closed her mouth, her eyes glittering as she blinked a few times.
I mean... she was pretty famous seven years ago... but 100? Does she seriously think she can take on all of them...? I wouldn't try that in a million freakin' years....
Her thoughts got snapped apart when the noise from the crowds increased about tenfold, many of them cheering, others just yelling out their disbelief- she shut her eyes against it and took a tiny step back from the railing, hoping maybe the stone confines of the room might block out a bit of the noise (but of course it wouldn't...).
Sting and Rufus both cast quick glances toward Hora as she moved, their eyes narrowing slightly when they saw the discomfort appear on her face.
Erza moved inside the castle as her visage appeared on screens all around, her expression nothing but calm as she waited for the beasts to appear- and gave them no time to move until she was suddenly battling, swords dancing all around and cutting down foes in record time.
"Holy cow! Erza Scarlet wastes no time! It is raining destruction inside the Castle as she immediately jumps into contending with her foes!" Hora cracked an eye open to glance up at the screens, her arms crossing about her chest as she tucked her elbow in her hand and held the other lightly against the side of her head and over her ear to try and block out a bit more of the noise- it helped, a little.
Holy.... She's amazing... How many has she taken down, and it's only been five minutes..?!
She could tell Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch were just as incredulous as she was- and a glance as Rufus, she saw his eyes riveted on the fight too.
Minerva's face was nothing but cold and calculating though, she was taking in every move, every change of armor, every swing of a sword- and she looked displeased, as well as intrigued all at once. Hora's eyes narrowed slightly, her stomach clenching.
She glanced back up toward the screen posting the Monster numbers
S x1
A x4
B x15
C x30
D x33
Damn
Hora watched in intrigue as her armor shifted, shinning black with wings on the back- and her hits against the monsters seemed to nearly double in strength- the D-Class Monsters dropped again to 27 in one swipe.
The screen lit up in bright orange and red as a Monsters hot flames from it's mouth and toward the redhead- the screens lost sight of her for a few moments, Hora blinked as she came back into view.
That's another armor.... it looks like it deflected and guarded her against getting burned....
Erza's hand swung forward, a sword with it as the next wall of flames perished in a wave of steam.
.... water Magic on the sword... to kill the fire....
Hora's blue eyes narrowed a bit,
.... that first hit.... was she testing out the weaknesses of the Monsters? And acted to change her armor and weapons accordingly? I mean.... 'Titania Erza' was a pretty big name among female Wizards seven years ago, but this is the first time I'm seeing her in action....
More monsters fell as the score board changed again;
S x1
A x4
B x15
C x25
D x27
Hora could use Requip as most other Wizards could- to store small items and clothes, but hardly ever anything really powerful, nor altogether Magical. This 'Knight' version of the Magic was... incredible.
"That's five C-Class down in near seconds!!" The Announcer roared.
The sides of the castle imploded outward by blasts of Magic as Erza Requiped a second sword into her hand, cutting straight through another slew of D-Class beasts. The screens honed in on Erza again as the blasts subsided, and Hora sweatdropped a little.
She looks like she got hit a few times there...
A massive beast of a blue color appeared on the scene, of the likes that hadn't been seen yet- which meant it was a different class of monster.
The beast threw a torrent of water out toward the redhead- who jumped to avoid it and Requiped again into something different, her weapon changed too as lightning arced across the screen.
.... she changed her weapon and armor type based on the different type of monster, and did in in a single second.... talk about quick thinking..
Hora stiffened slightly as Erza got thrown into a wall hard enough to cave it in, her own body aching slightly at the sight- before Erza was gone from sight again, and came back a few seconds later in a different armor and wielding a massive black sword.... a line of monsters behind her imploded as if they got sliced- wait, did she move that fast?!
S x1
A x4
B x10
C x15
D x18
This woman....
"What raw Power! 50 Monsters have already fallen!"
"This is insane..."
"Her fighting style is quite efficient."
"Are you kidding? You're impressed by this? She looks ready to keel over."
"The fighting seems to have taken a toll on Miss Scarlet!" The Announcer called into the mic,
....... in a world where Holder Magics like hers are usually held in lower regard than Caster Magics.... she's incredible...
"Go get 'um Erza!!! Show 'um what ya got!!"
Hora felt her heart skip a beat in surprise as her ears caught the familiar voice of Natsu from across the Arena, she couldn't see him from their box but she did hear him- and she blinked.
..... damn it.... now I want to root for Fairy Tail too....
The Castle walls all over its face continued to blow outward as Erza dodged about the confines, slaying Monsters wherever she went, constantly Requiping in the process- as the number of Monsters left dwindled steadily. The crowds and Guilds alike were watching in awed silence, hardly believing their eyes- and why not?
Fairy Tail had been low of the low for years, they were the weakest around and this...
"Amazing! Despite her injuries, Miss Scarlet continues to stand her ground!" The Announcer called, the image of Erza stalling as the redhead came to a small pause, facing something red and large- and terrifying, if truth be told.
"But how will she fair against her next opponent?! An A-Class!!"
The Monster's fist swung forward toward Erza and she was lost sight to the cloud of dust that rose up around it, the hit was heavy enough to shake the Castle- but even with the way Hora's ear was ringing, she also heard the unmistakable sound of metal ringing too.
The dust cleared as the Monster's arm crumbled away from the backlash of hitting it's fist against a giant shield that Erza held steadily before her, unfazed almost.
"She blocked that?!"
"So cool!"
"No way!!"
The crowds were getting into it, and so were the other Guilds. Hora bit down on the inside of her cheek regardless of the pain that came with it- just to make sure she didn't outwardly react to it, in case Minerva saw it.
Erza was running through like a train, throwing Monsters around, slicing through them- hammering them, blasting them with Magic- she was like a whirlwind of sheer power and destruction, and yet she was so freaking refined and precise-! Monsters were dropping like flies and she felt the fire in her soul burn brighter from just watching.
Fairy Tail..... this woman... Natsu... Lucy....... Fairy Tail used to be the best... everyone's forgotten... and I guess I did too....
Her eyes flashed,
"Titania cannot be stopped folks! The Monsters just cannot keep up with her, even as the most vicious Monsters fall before her! She's taken so many hits and used up a ton of Magic Power, but she still keeps going!! Only four Monsters remain!!"
S x1
A x1
B x2
C x0
D x0
A bridge spanning the outside of the Castle shattered as Erza sliced clean through an A-Class Monster with the utmost calm, her feet launching her into the air as she cut apart the two B-Class Monsters in seconds.
..... geez..... I'm totally starting to fangirl here...! She's amazing, maybe even better than Min-
Hora paused, her excitement faltering as the thought occurred to her.
.. could she...?
"99 Monsters dead and only the S-Class remains!"
Hora's eyes narrowed again as she saw Erza halt, her eyes locking on to the last monster... it was small?
"Don't say I didn't warn you!" The Pumpkin-man intoned out of nowhere, "The S-Class Monster was designed to become three times stronger if it was the last monster left in the game! You may have had a chance before, but not anymore!"
Hora felt her skin crawl at the sudden pressure that ignited on the air, the S-Class Monster tripling in size- and it's fight against Erza igniting in seconds. She remained in rigid silence, her eyes never leaving the screens as the fight went on-
"Pandemonium has become a 1 on 1 battle, and moved to the top of the Castle- where Erza is not overwhelmed by the massive S-Class Beast!"
"This is bad..."
"I don't think she's gonna be able to beat it..!"
"Come on Erza! That big old hunk of tin's got nothing on you!" Natsu's cheer broke in among the doubting crowds again and Hora's lips twitched ever so slightly at the corners.
In a flash of glittering light that bounced off cold steel, Erza got up and cut the Beast's fingers clean off- her body launching into the air over top of it and such ferocity in her eyes it was like an inferno.
The crowds were booming, but Hora didn't care that the noise sent a sharp stab of pain through her head.
Her swords cut clear down through the Monster's head, it disappeared in a haze of fractured life as Erza halted, bloody and beaten- but she raised her sword high above her head and the crowds lost it.
Hora swallowed back at the energy that rose in her core, doing her absolute best to keep her face neutral- her body still.... but on the inside, it was like her soul was raging.
That was...
"INCREDIBLE!!!" The Announcer yelled, his voice almost lost to the crowds and stands. "ERZA SCARLET HAS SINGLE-HANDEDLY DEFEATED ALL 100 MONSTERS! FAIRY TAIL TEAM A HAS SWEEPED TODAY'S FIRST EVENT IN AN ABSOLUTE, UNDISPUTED, VICTORY!!!!"
..... Oh my god.... Lixue...?! You don't have anything to say about that?! That was freaking awesome!!
'...... you want my commentary now?' He sighed, though he sounded amused. 'You're very excited about this, Horatia... but should you really be rooting for the other team?'
"Let it be known that we have just witnessed the making of History!! The Strongest Guild from seven years ago has returned from the grave!!!"
.... oh shut up! You can't witness something like that and not be excited! I remember Fairy Tail being the strongest Guild! I wanted to join them before going to SaberTooth, and to see this?! After seven years of being called the weakest..?!
Hora paused, her eyes falling slightly as the crowds roared their approval and praise- those same people that booed and heckled Fairy Tail, put them down, wrote them off. Knowing that the people who got left behind had suffered under ridicule as well as the pain of losing half their Guild- not just their Guild, their friends and their Family...
.... I'm happy for them, really. Happy to see that they... they're still the same Guild after seven years trapped in a Spell, and the world is now seeing that Fairy Tail is still one hell of a Guild.... Damn it, I'm happy for them, is that a crime?
'No, it is no crime.' Lixue murmured softly, 'But curb your reaction, lest it end you in trouble, hmm?'
He was right, of course.... but that didn't make the warmth in her soul any less dull.
She let out a sigh and turned away from the Arena, grumbling under her breath at the constant high, ringing pounding her eardrum. Rogue noticed her move away, snapped from his rigid silence that Sting, Lector and Frosch seemed to be in. He moved after Hora as she paused at the doorway to the box, grumbling under her breath as his eyes flashed at the pain etched into her face.
".... is your ear hurting you?" He murmured lowly, his eyes casting back toward Minerva- but SaberTooth's Lady was too busy watching the scene below with a wickedly amused smile.
"...mm... yeah... it's really freaking loud.." Hora grumbled, Rogue sweatdropped at the answer. She smiled faintly though, earning a blink of surprise from him. "Loud for good reason though, that was quite the show.." She added lightly, the sound of Erza's name being chanted filled the Arena as he sighed a little.
".... right."
"The booing that greeted Fairy Tail on Day One seems like a distant memory now! There is nothing but love here in Crocus now!" The Announcer hummed,
"Anyone would go gaga after that!"
"I must admit it was incredibly inspiring."
"What..?! They think that chick was good? Orga would have wiped out all those monsters in ten seconds!" Lector grumbled, though he looked a little stricken regardless.
"Her outfits looked pretty awesome though.." Frosch mumbled,
"Hmm.. how interesting." Minerva smirked, Hora glanced sideways toward the woman and Rogue did too. "Perhaps these Fairies aren't all talk and no action, I must say I'm impressed.." Hora sweatdropped slightly at the words,
... of course now that means Erza is on Minerva's radar...
Hora hissed, her head was starting to pound with the ringing in her ear and Rogue stiffened a little at the show of pain.
"Hora..." He mumbled,
"... I'm gonna go find some earplugs... or something." Hora grumbled lowly, ".... I wanna watch the Games... but this is going to be way too annoying if I can't handle the noise... I'll be back in a little, alright?" He nodded slightly,
"... hurry back." He murmured, she nodded back and left the box with one last cautious glance toward Minerva- but she was still too concerned with the event.. thankfully.
It got less loud and more manageable as she headed away, her feet taking her through the hallways and out toward the entrances to the Colosseum, the crowds were still lumbering about and filing in- people stopped and staring at the screens set up when they weren't trying to find seats.
She was moving in between the crowds, brushing passed people who gave her little mind an steadily heading towards the exit.
.... Where am I gonna find ear plugs....? I don't really wanna go all the way back into the city... But... Its not like I have a choice.... But are any of the stores actually gonna be open...?
She brushed passed someone in a black cloak, their hood up to cover their face and alone- she payed little mind to it before halting a few seconds later when she caught a whiff of their scent.
She glanced over her shoulder to catch a glance of them again, but they were gone already..... What the hell? I swear that scent... It smelled like Lucy....?
"Horatia..?"
Her heart jumped a little at the sound of her name, turning quickly toward it as her eyes landed on someone in Rune Knight Robes-
"... Ira." She murmured, her eyes flashing as the younger boy smiled warmly at her, before his eyes widened when he noticed the bruising along her cheek and jaw.
"Wha..?! What happened..?!" He asked quickly, clearing what little distance had been left between them and his eyes moving over every inch of her. "Are you alright?! I've been worried since you demanded Doranbolt take you back last night! What happened..?!"
She sweatdropped, her eyes flashing as she noticed people begin to glance over in interest to the quickly asked questions from the young Knight.
"... Ah... How about we head this way, ok..?" Hora mumbled quickly, her head tilting toward one of the side hallways that rarely got used since it was meant to head under the Colosseum and not to the stands. Ira blinked at her, but nodded anyway and followed her closely as she lead the way toward it and left the crowds behind.
She and Ira disappeared down the passage, unawares of the eyes watching them go across the small room. The figure with the black cloak, silent and unmovable- their eyes locked to Hora's back and countenance rigid.
A few glittering drops of moisture fell passed the lip of the hood and splashed across the floor, their hands held tightly against their chest as they let out a shaky hiss.
"... Hora..... I never got to..... before..."
".... Hora, are you alright?" Ira murmured as they slowed to a halt in the corridor once it widened, the noise was nothing but a dulled and dim rumbling overhead- it was lovely.
"You're stomach is still healing, right? And what happened with your cheek..?" He asked quickly, his eyes glittering as Hora turned to him and smiled slightly.
"... Uhm... I kinda got in a fight." She mumbled, he bristled at the words. "I'm sorry if I worried you when I ran off yesterday.... but something happened at my Guild and I got worked up pretty fast."
"There was reports of the Inn SaberTooth is staying at getting attacked last night," Ira murmured, "Is that where you got that? Who did it? Who attacked the Inn?"
She sweatdropped, her eyes flashing as she looked away for a minute. She couldn't tell him that Jiemma was the reason for the way her cheek looked, but it wouldn't be fair to say it was Natsu's fault.... even though it really was, but the hotheaded Salamander hadn't come in looking to get her hurt she was sure.
"Uh... yeah, there was a little fight with someone from Fairy Tail. But don't worry about it, he's got one of these too so we're kinda even." Hora murmured, Ira frowned a little.
".... are you sure you're ok?" He asked, she nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine... I was just leaving for a bit to find some earplugs or something.." She mumbled, his head tilted in question and she sighed. ".... My ear is ringing pretty bad, the thing I got hit with was really loud, and since my ears are sensitive.... it's unpleasant being in the Colosseum with all the noise."
"Oh, I can help you with that...!" He smiled slightly, his hands lifting as a small Magic Circle appeared in air before him and he stuck his hand through the middle. He dug around a few moments, before he pulled his hand back out and two earplugs rest in his palms, smiling a bit more toward her as she blinked.
She held her own hand out and he dropped them into her palm with ease, Hora nodded a bit and gave him a small smile- her hands moving up as she put them in (a bit painfully in the one ear, mind you....), the noise dying down to a low rumble, but her ears were good enough to still hear things even with them in. It was just more bearable now, and she sighed.
".... ah, thank you...." She sighed, her eyes dropping closed as she rubbed the back of her neck. "... this will help....... it was honestly pretty awful before...." Ira nodded a bit,
"It was pretty noisy." He hummed, she nodded. "Glad I could help."
".... I'm not in trouble for running off last night, am I?" Hora asked, a little nervously now as Ira smiled in amusement. "I mean I filled everything out, the paperwork was just being approved right...?"
"Yes, Doranbolt was none too pleased about it- but he didn't complain much either. And Lahar wasn't mad either, the Council had nothing else to go over and they cleared you to leave this morning.... we didn't tell them you'd already left though." Ira explained, Hora let out a small breath.
"Thanks..."
"Are you sure you're okay? You looked pretty worked up..." Ira murmured, Hora nodded again.
"Yes, things just got really complicated out of nowhere... I'm sorting it out, but it's not that bad."
Well... it kind of was, but.....
"Alright, after much deliberation we have decided that we need a way to rank the other Guilds- so we're gonna hold another Contest!"
Ira and Hora went quiet as the sound of the Pumpkin Man's voice made it's way to the forefront of their attention, both their eyes turning up toward the ceiling as they listened in.
"This game might be a little on the boring side compared to Pandemonium, but I think it will suffice. This is a Magic Power Finder, or MPF for short- it measures the output of a Wizards's Magic Power when you cast a Spell on it, and will display your score in numerical form! We'll use this number to decide the rankings for the remaining teams~!" The Announcer's voice came through clear and loud even despite the overhead, "Since you all drew straws earlier, we'll just continue in that order!"
Then it's Millianna's turn...
"Millianna scores 365!" The Announcer called, Ira jumped and Hora blinked at him.
"That's impressive!" Ira breathed, his eyes shinning- he caught Hora's tilted head and smiled. "Ahhh, you've never used an MPF right?" He asked, Hora shook her head.
"-perhaps I can elaborate, we Rune Knights use MPF quite frequently in training." Ira got cut off by the sound of Lahar's voice over the loudspeakers, the young boy smiling in slight embarrassment as he gestured up to the ceiling and decided to let Lahar do the explaining-
"With that score she would have made Squad Captain." Lahar hummed,
"Ah, so Millianna kicks the game off with an impressive score!"
"Ah, alright...." Hora murmured, nodding a bit as Ira did the same.
"I've never seen anyone pass the 500 mark before, but that being said most Rune Knights don't really focus on overwhelming Magical Power." Ira explained, chuckling a bit. "I bet you'd pass the 1000 mark no problem though, Hora." Hora smiled a bit in embarrassment,
"... heh... maybe.... I'll have to test one of these MPF things out sometime if I get the chance." Hora murmured, rubbing the back of her neck a little. "Though I really doubt I'd do all that well if I was the one in the competition right now.... Jura is playing after all." Ira's eyes widened, sweatdropping.
"I totally forgot about him!" He breathed, "I bet you he's gonna score some insanely high number..... we've never had a Wizard Saint try an MPF before!"
"Nobali with Quatro Puppy scores a... 124!" The Announcer broke in, "A bit on the low side wouldn't you say?"
"Hibiki of Blue Pegasus scores a measly 95..!" Hora and Ira smiled slightly, looking exasperated- and sympathetic.
That's.... maybe not a surprise....
"Next up is Obra from Raven Tail!" Hora's head tilted back, her eyes locked on the ceiling overhead and her hands falling on her hips.
Wasn't Raven Tail supposed to be having some kind of a beef with Fairy Tail....?
She blinked, her head tilting slightly.
...... come to think of it.... we're right under where Fairy Tail's Box should be, right...?
"He's the one." Hora blinked at the low growl, much quieter than the Announcer..... almost too quiet to hear, but she heard the venom in the tone.
"That scoundrel." And another she didn't know....
"The one who attacked Wendy and Carla."
Hora stiffened slightly, sweatdropping as her eyes flashed- she did recognize that one, it was Happy.... wait, what did he say? Attacked Wendy and Carla....?!
"Obra clocks in at..... 4 points...?"
Four...?!
That was incredibly low, way too low- especially for the person who could have drained Wendy and Carla's power like it had been..... Hora's eyes narrowed a bit, her jaw clenching slightly.
Now that cannot be right
"That's...... how does a Wizard in a Wizard's Guild score that low?" Ira mumbled uncertainly. He glanced toward Hora and blinked when he saw the small frown on her face,
"Millianna of Mermaid Heel is currently in the lead!"
"MISSSSSSS HORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Her frown broke apart as both she and Ira jumped, eyes flashing and sweatdropping heavily at the loud call from further up the hall- Hora turned toward it and blinked several times.
That sounds like-
She recoiled, her eyes going wide as she caught sight of the blur of red and orange that was getting really, really close-!
She got slammed into hard enough to make her fall back onto her back, her head banging against the floor with an agonizing thud and agony searing straight through her stomach- a vein ticked on her forehead as she let out a none-too-pleased hiss. Ira jumped out of his skin, eyes whited out and shaking from head to foot at what happened- his eyes landing on the bundle of embers and flame that was currently on top of Hora and completely knocked out- a letter fell to the floor beside her.
"H-Hora...?!" Ira stammered,
"Tch...... Drille!!" Hora snapped, sitting straight up and snatching the Paper Firebird up in her hands, her face dark and her fangs grinding down on one another as she glared at the creature. "What the hell?! You don't go around knocking people over like that!! What the hell has got you rushing around like that?!"
"I've been trying to find you in this labyrinth of a Colosseum for AGES!" Drille snapped back hotly, "I have a letter for you from Miss Yukino!" Hora stiffened, her anger washing away from her face in an instant, but the little bird was fluffing up in agitation and..... was that panic?
"PLUS I SAW SOME WEIRD, CRAZY, SCARY GUY WHO LOOKED LIKE MISTER ROGUE!! HE HAD WHITE AND BLACK HAIR, AND I KNOW HE DOESN'T HAVE HAIR LIKE THAT BUT I SWEAR!! THEY COULD BE LIKE TWIIIIINNNSSS!!! IT TOTALLY FREAKED ME OUT, MISS!!!" Drille squawked, his wings flapping up and down feverishly even as Hora held him, bits and pieces of ember showering her lap and the floor as she blinked, confused as can be now-
"HE WAS SUPER SCARY LOOKING! WHEN HE LOOKED AT ME I SWEAR I WAS GONNA HAVE A HEARTATTACK! I FLEW AWAY AS FAST AS I COULD!!"
"And the crowds go wild, SaberTooth's Orga gets a whopping 3825!!"
Ira's head snapped around toward the announcement, his attention diverting as his jaw nearly hit the floor.
"W-What?!" Ira stammered, Hora didn't really pay attention- her eyes were narrowed and fixed on the very panicked bird as her mind struggled to process what he was saying.
What does he mean..... a scary looking Rouge...?
'This creature looks petrified..... who did he see?' Lixue mumbled, 'It surely could not have been your friend after all, but someone similar looking.... but this reaction is odd.'
"Wait a minute, calm down, tell me again?" Hora mumbled, her eyes flashing. "You saw someone who looked like Rogue... but with white and black hair?"
"Y-yes!"
"..... and you're scared of this guy? Why? What about him freaked you out?" Hora pressed, Drille shuddered in her hold and she blinked.
"I.. I don't know Miss! It was just.... the way he looked at me, his eyes... they were so cold!" Drille stammered, "Everything about him was just so..... d-dark...! When he looked at me..... it was like he...... he looked angry..... so much rage out of n-nowhere..!"
Hora felt her heart skip a beat, a small icy flash running through her veins- and she wasn't sure why.
'...... hmm...' Lixue hummed, she swore there was something more than musing behind his tone.
".... where?" Hora asked slowly,
"J-just outside the Colosseum Miss!" Drille replied shakily, Hora swallowed a little, nodding slightly.
.... I'll have to take a quick look in a bit....
".... alright, look- I'm sure it was scary, but you don't need to worry about it. I'm sure it was just a coincidence." Hora assured the small bird, who nodded slightly. "Was Yukino okay when you saw her?"
"Yes Miss! She had important things to tell you, in her letter~!"
Hora nodded a bit and let Drille go, the bird fluttering in air with ease as her hand moved to pick up the letter that had fallen to the floor.
Her hand paused though, her back growing stiff as she felt the floor, the air.... everything start to shake.
"What the hell..?"
"J-Jura is up..." Ira explained in a hushed voice, Hora sweatdropped.
Right....
She sat stiff as a board, everything around them rattling and shaking- like some sort of earthquake. There was an incredible boom-
"Jura takes a whopping 8544! That is mind-boggling!!"
Hora blinked, sweatdropping a bit more as she sighed- Ira looked ready to fall over, he was.... well, speechless.
That would be a Wizard Saint for you....
"I knew he was strong but yowza! He may be on the same level as Gildarts..." This voice she heard from overhead and recognized as the Old Man... the Fairy Tail Guild Master.
There was a small, young chuckle that sounded afterward and Hora's eyes flashed gold for a small second,
"True, but let's not forget that someone down there has Gildarts' blood running through their veins." Hora sweatdropped a little, she hadn't a clue who the hell Gildarts was, but that voice?
..... the ghost girl.....
Hora stiffened, grimacing to herself when she realized- she was eavesdropping.
"Next up! Fairy Tail Team B's Cana Alberona!"
She shook her head at herself and opened the letter, her blue eyes trailing over the words quickly as her eyes went wide-
".... Yukino joined the King's Army...?!" Hora snapped, Drille jumped at the words, nodding a bit. She looked up at the bird, "Why?!"
"I don't know!" Drille stammered, "Does it not say in the letter...?"
Hora hissed, her eyes snapping back down to said letter and sweatdropping.
'...... there is an important project, and they need my help for it....'
".... no, it's no specific at all...." Hora growled, her hold on the paper getting firmer as her head snapped up toward Ira. "Oi! I need a pen and paper!" She ordered quickly of the Young Rune Knight, who jumped a little but twirled his finger and produced said materials with no argument.
".... why is she stripping..?!"
"Huh?!"
"That's..!"
"I know that emblem..."
Hora grabbed the pen and paper from Ira quickly, only to have her plans stall again when she heard the incredulous murmurs from overhead.
".. uh.... First Master..?" The Old Man asked softly,
"Hmm, I lent it to her for this special occasion." The ghost of Fairy Tail's First Master said brightly, "Now she's sure to win!"
She sounds awful pleased...... but what do you mean sure to win....?
'You are eavesdropping again.' Lixue commented, she told him to hush.
Hora blinked, her skin suddenly crawling as Magic Pressure ignited on the air..... even more potent than when Jura had made the earth rumble....?
What is.... she doing...?
"It's time to assemble, oh bringer of light that's guided by Fairies!!"
"Wielding that Spell is not easy. It takes incredible concentration and power, and Cana has both. I know she won't fail this."
"Shine your light! So that I may vanquish the fangs of evil!"
Hora's nose twitched, she could literally smell Magic on the air.
Hold on... this is massive....
"Fairy Glitter!!!"
Hora jumped, the earth shaking with a violent passion and the underground hallways groaning under what insane force had suddenly slammed into the arena floor- Ira struggled to stay on his feet from the sudden movement.
Holy...
"OH MY GOODNESS I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! THE MPF IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THE SCORE HAS TOPPED OUT AT 9999!!!!!!!"
"WHAT???!?!?!?!?" Ira squeaked,
"IS THIS FAIRY TAIL'S TRUE POWER?! THEY ARE TAKING TODAY'S GAMES BY STORM!!"
"There ain't no stopping us now! We're only just starting to rock your world, Fairy Tail will be Number One again!!"
The crowds were roaring again, loud enough the noise broke passed the earplugs and made her head hurt- just a little.
Hora's hands fell into her lap with the pen and paper, her eyes finding the floor as he sweatdropped, smiling slightly.
I bet that was a sight to see.... just based on what it felt like.....
'Fairy Tail is turning out to be a force to be reckoned with, hmm?' Lixue hummed,
Hora's eyes fell closed, her shoulders hunching slightly.
It was a nice feeling, their repute being heightened again, hearing the cheers and the praises..... but it was going to be bad news for SaberTooth if they kept this pace up.
And that meant they were under the wrath and scrutiny of Jiemma and Minerva even more so now.... damn it.
Why can't I just be happy, without having to worry about us...?
Her eyes opened again as she set into writing the letter in silence, ignoring of Drille and Ira in their astonishment around her- and the noise in the Arena too.
Her thoughts rounded back to what Drille said, and she shivered involuntarily- and she didn't know why...... for some reason his words made her feel uneasy, out of nowhere.
"We are halfway through the Third Day of the Grand Magic Games! Let's look at the standings- in first place we have Raven Tail! And holding on to second place, Lamia Scale!"
Hora's pen drawing across the paper failed as she folded it up and held it up for Drille to take, who plucked it from her hand lightly.
"Dropping down to third is the SaberTooth Guild! And then in fourth, we have Mermaid Heel!"
Jiemma will not be pleased......
"I will take this to Miss Yukino right away!" Drille chirped, Hora nodded.
"Be careful."
The small Firebird zoomed off in the next instant and Hora let out a silent sigh,
"In fifth place, we have Fairy Tail Team A! And trailing after them, is Fairy Tail Team B! They are followed by Blue Pegasus, and then Quatro Puppy!"
"Let's do away with the pleasantries and shake up that score board with some one on one battles!"
Hora blinked, glancing up as Ira's hand extended out to her, the younger boy smiling slightly. "Let me help you up." He murmured, she smiled a bit and nodded, taking his hand as he pulled her up and she dusted off her clothes- and winced when her hand brushed over her stomach to earn a sharp stab of pain.
"Are you alright?" Ira asked, she nodded.
"Yeah, just a little annoyed..." Hora grumbled,
"Your bird seemed awfully freaked out..."
"I know...... I'm going to head out to the outside of the Arena and see if I can find who he was talking about, before heading back up to my Guild." Hora explained, Ira nodded slightly. "Thank you again, for the earplugs- they are helping a ton."
"You're welcome~!" He smiled brightly, "I hope to see you again sometime, alright? I should probably go now too, I'm sure Doranbolt is looking for me.... and I shouldn't make him angry if I can help it, hehe..."
"Tell him to lighten up, from me." Hora smirked, he sighed.
"Yeah... I don't really wanna lose my job so I don't think I will...." Ira sighed in slight exasperation,
"If he fires you, he'll have me to answer to." Hora grumbled, his eyes flashed at that, laughing.
"You two really do fight like a married couple ya know-"
"Oi!" Hora snapped, her hand bonking the top of his head lightly, he only laughed some more.
Hora smirked slightly at the sound, shaking her head but otherwise leaving it be- it was a welcome change, the sudden lightness and mirth... things were so tense and she had o watch herself up in the Saber Box.......
"I.. I don't know Miss! It was just.... the way he looked at me, his eyes... they were so cold! Everything about him was just so..... d-dark...! When he looked at me..... it was like he...... he looked angry..... so much rage out of n-nowhere..!"
A chill ran down her spine again, and she swallowed at it.
Something's not right about that... but what..?
Chapter 23: Lurking Shadow
Chapter Text
Chapter 2 3
Lurking Shadow
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
Hora blinked, her blue eyes narrowed and trailing quietly along the lines of people heading into the Colosseum still- even though the GMG was by now halfway done for the day. She stood apart from the lines, her arms crossed over her chest and nose twitching even as she watched- picking out heads of black and white... But never both at the same time, like Drille had described.
Honestly though... Why was he so freaked out? Who could look that terrifying...?
"I.. I don't know Miss! It was just.... the way he looked at me, his eyes... they were so cold! Everything about him was just so..... d-dark...! When he looked at me..... it was like he...... he looked angry..... so much rage out of n-nowhere..!"
Another chill ran down her spine again, and she swallowed at it.
Something really doesn't feel right
'The question is why....' Lixue mumbled,
Her eyes dropped closed as she took in a long breath of air, picking apart the different smells and the like... but nothing out of the ordinary came up, nothing that didn't make sense for why it would be there. Behind her the Colosseum was awash with noise as everyone watched the one-on-one battle between Mermaid Heel and Quatro Puppy... though Hora wasn't all that interested in that fight, this was more pressing... more concerning.
.... hmm....
Her eyes narrowed, flashing slightly as she shook her head a bit..... the feeling of dread and unease wasn't going away though.
'We'll have to keep an eye out from here.' Lixue commented,
Yeah
She sweatdropped, grimacing a bit.
... Yukino joined the King's army.... for some Project.....
She growled,
.... damn it Yukino...... I hope you know what you're getting into... I don't like the sound of this......
"And with that, Millianna treats the Arena like her own personal cat-box, and she's got something big to bury!"
Hora glanced backward a bit, hearing the announcer's voice being followed by a roar of applause and approval.
.... Mermaid won then.....
She sighed, biting the inside of her cheek only to break off in a wince- growling.
.... I suppose I ought to get back..... I've probably got them worried....
She turned on her heel and started back into the Colosseum, brushing passed the people in the crowds and fixed on her destination entirely.
"Next up, the Minstrel who sings to the red moon- SaberTooth's; Rufus Lore!"
Hora blinked, her steps quickening just ever so slightly as she heard Rufus' name called out.
"He'll be facing off against Blue Pegasus'; Eve Tearm!"
Hora made her way passed the straggling few people that were around as she drew nearer the hallway that would take her to the SaberTooth Box, eyes fixed ahead and unawares of the eyes from someone else a few dozen feet away.
A woman with green hair and a cowboy hat on paused, her eyes finding the younger woman and halting in her tracks- her original intention of heading to higher ground and picking a vantage point getting sidetracked when she recognized the younger from the first night of the Grand Magic Games...... the stranger named Hora who had brought Wendy and Carla back to Honeybone Inn.
And the one who had been adamant on keeping who she really was, and what Guild she belonged to- to herself.
Bisca blinked, sweatdropping slightly as her eyes landed on Hora's back, and immediately found the icy blue Guild Emblem stamped into the skin on her shoulderblade.
"No way..." Bisca mumbled to herself, her eyes flashing. Hora disappeared from sight down the hallway in little time, and Bisca stayed still where she was a few seconds more, her lips pulling into a line and looking unsure.
I remember her now.... from the first year of the Grand Magic Games..... she's... ...... SaberTooth......
"Is something wrong, Bisca?" Alzack's voice filtered through the Communication Lacrima in her ear, and she jumped a little.
"Oh, ah-" Bisca mumbled, her eyes snapping sideways toward the glimmer of pale light on her left- her eyes widening a little to see Mavis suddenly beside her.
The First Guild Master said nothing, only smiled pleasantly and tapped her index finger against her lips in a 'shhh' sign.
Bisca grimaced slightly, sweatdropping a bit more.
".... no, nothin's wrong. I'm headed up top now." Bisca replied softly, Mavis nodded a bit.
"Thank you. For now I think it best we respect her wishes." Mavis hummed softly, Bisca nodded a bit.
"... if ya say so First..."
"Rufus beat Eve on Day 1, but will he get his revenge today?"
The gong rang and the crowds cheered in anticipation, right as Hora made her way slowly through the entrance of the SaberTooth Box, her expression falling instinctively neutral and tensing up immediately- the first thing her eyes met were the low, cool and calculating gaze that Minerva shot her way upon entering.
"I trust you've dealt with your issues, Horatia?" The Lady asked lowly, Hora nodded.
"Yes, my Lady... there will be no further problems." Hora murmured quietly, her eyes steady on Minerva, who let out a breath but looked back to the match without another word.
Her arrival earned the attention of everyone else in the Box almost instantly, their eyes daring to break away from watching the match and back toward her as Hora took up a quiet space between Rogue and Orga, placing Rogue and Sting between herself and Minerva now. Lector and Frosch moved on the railing to bring themselves in front of her,
"Are you okay, Atia?" They mewed in unison, she nodded- seeing the expectant glances from Orga, Sting and Rogue turn on her as they looked for her answer.
"Yeah, I found some earplugs, I'll be good now." She assured quietly, they nodded a bit, smiling a little in relief.
"Glad to hear it~!" Lector purred,
"Fro thinks so too~!" Frosch mewed brightly, Hora smiled slightly at them.
Their eyes shift away from themselves and out toward the Arena, the familiar figure of Rufus standing so calmly as he faced Blue Pegasus' Eve Tearm with the utmost placidity.
"I hope you know I don't intend to lose to you again." Eve smirked, Rufus smiled coolly.
"Hmm, oh really?" Rufus hummed, Eve tensed, starting forward as his hands lift and the Arena was engulfed in a sudden flurry of snow that swirled out toward Rufus at insane speed.
"White Fang!"
Rufus smiled pleasantly, not budging an inch as Hora blinked, her eyes flashing gold for a split second-
.... I'm not surprised he already moved..... he's insanely good at making those Memory Images.
"I've already Memorized that Magic." Rufus murmured,
The Image of him dissipated as the snow went straight through him, or rather- the Memory Image of him, Eve stiffened in surprise, grimacing.
"Eve was originally a Rune Knight, yes?" One of the Judges murmured,
"Indeed, He was a Member of the Custody Enforcement unit, same as me." Lahar's voice answered with ease, "He was always an outstanding talent, but after entering a a Guild his Magic Prowess has been polished further."
Hora glanced left, picking up the real version of Rufus behind Eve, his hands raising to his temples as golden Magic began to flare around him in ribbon-like tendrils.
"Memory Make;"
Hora sweatdropped, her nose twitching as the familiar sent of ash and flame hit her nose in the next instant-
...... Eve never stood a chance....
"Karma of the Burning Land."
The Arena floor flooded in burning crimson and orange flame as Rufus placed his hand to it, the inferno spreading out toward Eve in a wave and engulfing everything as it grew in intensity the further away it got from the Saber- Eve had hardly anytime to turn toward the real version of Rufus, and no time at all to try and dodge the Spell that had the air wafting up in warm waves to their Box.
Eve let out a pained yell as he was blown backward, the crowds cheering and roaring as Rufus dipped his head slightly,
"And just like that the Match is over! Eve gave a valiant effort but Saber's Rufus proved much too strong indeed!"
Hora let out a silent breath, her eyes dropping closed a moment- only faintly aware of seeing the smirks appear on everyone's faces around her, and Lector and Frosch high-fiving.
It's nice not to have to worry about how well we'll do in individual matches..... but that fight only lasted about five minutes...... I feel sorry for Eve.....
'.... sometimes I wonder if you are too nice for your own good.' Lixue commented, Hora sweatdropped.
Me too
Hora opened her eyes again, narrowed and her dark blue gaze shifting sideways toward where Rogue was standing, quiet and poker-faced as ever (in public, anyway....).
"PLUS I SAW SOME WEIRD, CRAZY, SCARY GUY WHO LOOKED LIKE MISTER ROGUE!! HE HAD WHITE AND BLACK HAIR, AND I KNOW HE DOESN'T HAVE HAIR LIKE THAT BUT I SWEAR!! THEY COULD BE LIKE TWIIIIINNNSSS!!! IT TOTALLY FREAKED ME OUT, MISS!!!"
"I.. I don't know Miss! It was just.... the way he looked at me, his eyes... they were so cold! Everything about him was just so..... d-dark...! When he looked at me..... it was like he...... he looked angry..... so much rage out of n-nowhere..!"
She grimaced a little, another shiver running up her spine as that strange, sudden feeling of..... looming dread....?
Why does it feel like something is... really wrong...... all of a sudden.....?
"Well, well! Let's get ready for our next match, shall we?!"
Her attention got diverted again, her eyes flicking away from Rogue right at the exact second his eyes shift toward her- confused and questioning, but she looked back into the Arena and ignored it. Hora bit the inside of her cheek, the pain from the bruise flaring in an instant but she didn't let up nor let herself react-
...... I don't like that.... this feeling......
"Good match, Rufus." Sting smirked, turning toward said man as Rufus came back into the box.
"Indeed, you made quick work of him." Minerva smiled,
"Thank you for the praise." Rufus smiled pleasantly, dipping his head at them. Hora turned slightly toward him, offering up a nod at him as he smiled back at her- but said nothing to her sudden return from leaving earlier.
"Next up! Fairy Tail Team B's; Laxus Dreyar VS RavenTail's; Alexei!"
Hora looked back into the Arena, her interest catching on the name-
..... One of the Dragon Slayers.....
Hora's eyes narrowed, watching the two men walk out on to the field in stony silence, straight-faced, tense.... almost looming.
.... Didn't Rogue and Sting mention there's some beef between Fairy Tail and RavenTail?
And then there was that thing, about them attacking Wendy and Carla.....
Hora's eyes widened, her face falling slightly slack in shock and wonder as the Arena floor and the air all around the whole of the Colosseum...... it's turning black...?!
She swallowed, her eyes narrowing to slits as she felt the burning-cold sensation of the Markings appear on her lower arm and spread up it, and down and around her hand- her eyes flashing a sudden gold color and staying that way this time around.
'.... some form of Illusion Magic, hmm?' Lixue hummed in intrigue, 'And you picked up on it right away this time, not like back in Jeihel, hmm?'
Yeah, but what's with the Illusion all of a sudden....?
Her attention found the sudden visage of some sort of Phantom Alexei and another Phantom in the form of the blonde Fairy Tail Wizard- who looked at it with the utmost neutrality and without budging an inch.
...... so he can see it too...?
"Let the Match Begin!"
The gong rang loudly over the Colosseum, the crowds cheering in anticipation, and the air everywhere a swirling black and purple mist that Hora was fairly sure she was the only one could see- well, outside of the two in the Arena....
She quirked a brow, watching the Phantom-Alexei launch forward and immediately land a hit on the Phantom-Laxus, sending 'him' flying with what appeared to be some incredible amount of force.
The crowd's cheering seemed to falter, and she felt the other SaberTooth Members in the Box around her stiffen in shock at the sight, a little taken aback as everyone else seemed to be-
The Phantom-Laxus landed on it's feet a few dozen yards back, the Phantom-Alexei rushing forward and giving it no time to retaliate, creating a sudden image of the Fairy Tailer getting his ass handed to him in the matter of a few seconds that continued to drag on- even as Hora glanced back to the real versions still standing so quietly in the Arena, watching the Phantoms in silence.
"W-What?!"
"You kidding me?!"
"Is he losing....?!?"
"These are raging attacks from Alexei?! Laxus can't seem to lift a finger!!" The announcer stammered, Hora let out a small breath, neutral-faced and fixed on the real thing that clearly only she could see- thanks to her Magic.
.... well this is weird...
"... what is going on here?" Laxus grumbled lowly, his voice managing a way to make it up to Hora even through the earplugs, and the noise of the Illusion on top of the regular ambient noise of everything else.
Not much a surprise maybe, even if the sensitivity of her nose had faded some with what Jiemma did with that Possession Link... her ears were sharp as ever, and much sharper than normal.
"It's a kind of Illusion Magic." Alexei murmured lowly, "The others around us cannot see our real bodies, nor hear our voices. What they are watching are Illusions fighting." He chuckled a little, "Quite good, hmm? Not a single person has noticed anything wrong-"
Not quite true
"-and all of them are watching a 'Laxus' that cannot even lift a finger to me"
"LAXUS! Hurry the hell up and fight!! Come on man!! Get your ass in gear!!"
Hora sighed silently at the voice of Natsu among the noise,
"It seems you're admired even in the Guild, I wonder what your friends are feeling right now as they watch this." Alexei went on,
"Oi," Laxus cut him off lowly, "I'm not getting the reason for all of this, what's the point of winning in an Illusion?"
"Hmm, exactly. Our aim is not winning- the Illusion is just a smokescreen." Alexei grumbled, Hora blinked in surprise in the same instant Laxus did.
"Illusions are Illusions, we can change the outcome to whatever we like. Pending our discussion, I can even let you win." Alexei murmured,
Is he trying to rig the Games.....?
"There is nothing to discuss." Laxus grumbled, his coat shrugging off his shoulders and to the floor as he settled Alexei with a glare. "I don't give a damn about your Illusions, I'll end this right here and now by taking out the real you."
"Hmm, come now." Alexei grumbled, Hora's eyes snapping from him and toward the figures walking out into the center of the Arena now.... RavenTail....
"That's impossible."
"You can't think you can take on all of us." Alexei grumbled, his hand lifting toward the mask on his face. "Ah, and one more thing..... you should know about my strength right, stupid son?"
His hand fell with the mask in it to reveal.... is that RavenTail's Guild Master...?
And.... they're related.....? Oh I have a feeling I shouldn't be listening in on any of this.....
"Hmph, I should have figured you'd try something like this, Shitty Pops." Laxus grumbled, Hora sweatdropped a bit.
....... oh this is definitely something I shouldn't be listening to...... and what's with RavenTail....? This is breaking so many rules.....
"Makarov would die before he opened his mouth, but you're different." Ivan grumbled, "Let's have you tell us then, shall we?"
Hora's head tilted, her eyes glittering as she saw the almost... manic expression appear on Ivan's face.
"The Location of Lumen Histoire, where is it?"
Lumen..... Histoire.....?
"What are you talking about?" Laxus deadpanned slightly,
"Tch, don't pretend- Makarov must have told you."
"He hasn't told me a damn thing about whatever the hell that is."
"I do not believe you."
"Well, even if I did know- I wouldn't tell you." Laxus grumbled,
"Are you really going to pass up on a Victory? If you don't accept, there is no way for you to win- Illusion or not." Ivan growled, Laxus seemed to sigh.
"You always did have a roundabout way of thinking." He grumbled, "And I know all about how you cut Gramps out....... so bring it, all of you."
Laxus' hand lift, his expression stony and lightning flickering around his person.
"Master's enemies are my enemies after all."
".... tch.... it seems you need to be taught a lesson about the strength of RavenTail; the Anti-Fairy Tail Guild." Ivan hissed, Hora swallowed again.
There was a small, fleeting moment where she wanted to move- push herself over the railing and down into the Arena. Help him contend with RavenTail maybe... or maybe even alert the Judges and the Rune Knights about what was going on.
A small fleeting second where she honestly wanted to do something, anything- and all things that would land her in so much trouble, and maybe even dead at Minerva or Jiemma's hands.
I am too nice for my own good..... shit
But she stopped herself, somehow
"Anti-Fairy Tail Guild, huh?" Laxus grumbled,
"We've gathered up Members who specialize in Magic that match Fairy Tail's weaknesses. Amongst those, we are the elite five." Ivan growled, "Do you wish to go to war with us? And against what power we have accumulated the last seven years?"
"Gramps has investigated all of you." Laxus grumbled, "Your funds, your numbers, your activities- we know everything that you've done the last seven years."
"What...?!" Ivan snapped,
"It's Gajeel, he tricked us!" The redhead snapped, Hora's head tilted at the name.
"Gramps sent the Iron-Freak in to keep an eye on you." Laxus grumbled, "Under the guise that he was spying for you."
"So he was a double agent...." Ivan hissed,
"-And even though Gramps knew that much about you, he never made a move on you." Laxus went on lowly, "He kept on believing that some part of you was redeemable, that you could come back. He kept on holding out hope for you, since you're his son."
Hora sweatdropped a bit at that, her eyes falling a bit as she grimaced.
Holding out hope, huh...?
"Be quiet!" Ivan snapped, his hands lunging forward as a sudden storm of paper dolls erupted from him Magic and swept out toward Laxus- who growled, guarding against them. "I've lived in the shadows for years for this! All of it, to obtain Lumen Histoire!"
Lightning flashed among the dolls,
"You thought I didn't want to hurt you, all these years?! I didn't bother with you because I knew an expelled brat like you would never know anything about Lumen Histoire!!" Ivan raved, "I've searched everywhere, the Guild, Magnolia, Tenrou Island- but never found it! Tell me Laxus, where is it?! Aren't you my son!?!?"
Wow he's really about knowing, huh...?
What in the hell even is that, though? Lumen Histoire?
'This certainly does not seem the sort of conversation you should be privy to.' Lixue commented, and she agreed- but then again..... she couldn't really help it.
"Obra! Do it, take away his Magic Power!!" Ivan ordered, Hora stiffened, her lips curling slightly in a snarl at the words.
That Obra asshat is the one who went after Carla and Wendy.....
"This is for the Sky Kid." Laxus growled,
Laxus flitted away from the inside of the Paper Doll storm in a flash of golden light, his fist swinging back as it connected with Obra and sent him flying in a sudden show of pure force that was insane-
Holy crap....!
The other RavenTail Members started forward, and the blonde turned on them- Lightning flaring as he faced the purple figure of Nullpudding, but the sound of the electricity drowned out whatever Laxus said next- and Nullpudding was done in seconds.
He turned on the redhead, his cheeks puffing up in a familiar gesture-
"This is for Lucy-"
A column of spinning golden electricity rammed into Flare and threw her clear across the Arena to smash into the stone wall, before the blonde rounded on the last RavenTail member and he zapped him with a storm of lightning that fried him in seconds.
"M-my Elite Troops...?!" Ivan stammered, quaking in fear, Hora was riveted and fixed, eyes wide and staring.
... well damn .....
"I ain't got a clue what your goal is, but I'm going to hold you responsible for hurting my Guild." Laxus hissed,
"W-wait, I'm your Father! We're family...! Are you really going to hit me..?!" Ivan stammered,
"Fairy Tail is my Family!"
The dark cloud of purple-black was broken apart by the sudden ferocity of dancing gold, Laxus sweeping up to stand in front of Ivan, his fist swinging forward.
"And I will crush my Family's enemies!!"
Ivan was sent flying, the air booming and shaking as he was thrown through the fighting Phantom Images, the hanging mist of the Illusion being torn apart by the sheer ferocity and power behind the attack- Ivan slammed into the wall, senseless as the Illusion faded and the whole of the Arena yelled in shock and bewilderment.
Hora swallowed, sweatdropping heavily.
...... yeah, alright..... Lixue remind me never to piss that guy off, alright....?
'.... noted...'
"W-WHAT'S THIS??!!"
"All of RavenTail..?!"
"A-AH?! ALEXEI IS THE GUILD MASTER IVAN?!"
"THE WHOLE FIGHT.... IT WAS AN ILLUSION...?!!"
"What the... fuck....?" Sting hissed beside her,
".... W... did he seriously.... take out that whole Guild by himself....?!" Lector hissed,
"That can't..." Rogue grumbled under his breath,
"..... yes." Hora murmured lowly, her eyes narrowed and fixed on the Arena and not on them. Her sudden affirmation earned their eyes, along with Rufus, Orga and Frosch- all of them winded and stiffening when they noticed for the first time that hers were suddenly... gold!? What happened to the regular blue?!
"..... all of them, all on his own- in the matter of about five minutes." Hora murmured lowly, her eyes dropping closed. "......... it was an Illusion from the start of the match."
"... y... you could tell the whole time.... Atia...?!" Lector and Frosch stammered,
"Seriously...?!" Rogue and Sting breathed, Orga and Rufus just stared at her in shocked silence.
"... hmm, I had noticed your eyes were not following the 'Fighters'." Minerva hummed lowly, "So it seems Fairy Tail has more than a few powerful Mages in it's midst this year, hmm?"
No kidding
"..... wait, your Magic does that...?!" Sting, Orga and Rogue asked softly, leaning in a little as Hora sweatdropped. "Let's you see around Illusions and stuff..!?"
She opened her eyes again, the dark blue returning as the gold faded to nothing as she glanced their way.
"Yeah.... I suppose I didn't mention that part." She mumbled,
Among other things....
Her hand found her right arm, feeling the warmth coming up from the black Markings that had stretched across her skin, and letting out a low breath as she forced them to recede again.
"..... Either way, it doesn't matter much. We have one last match to watch, might as well pay attention." Hora murmured, earning a few hesitant looks from the lot of them- but they realized why she changed the subject so suddenly, Minerva was listening- and too much chit-chat wouldn't do.
She sweatdropped, casting them an apologetic look.
"The Final Match of the Day will be between Lamia Scale's Sherria Blendy, and Fairy Tail Team A's Wendy Marvell!" The announcement rang out over the Arena and Hora instinctively stiffened at the names.
Wendy..... and Sherria......
Hora blinked, watching in silence as the small Dragon Slayer step out into the field as Sherria stepped out opposite of her. She watched Wendy though, her eyes glittering a bit.
... she looks better...... I suppose she would have to be healed up, to be participating in the Games...... good.
Good luck both of you
Sherria smiled as she moved inward from the edge of the Arena, waving to the crowds as she went- before promptly tripping over her own feet and hitting the floor.
"Oof~!" She gasped,
"Oh, ah- are you okay..?" Wendy stammered, moving forward quickly, before she tripped and fell just like Sherria did.
Hora smiled internally, her eyes dropping closed as she did her best to hide her amusement.
.... that was sort of adorable in it's own way, hehe.....
The two girls smiled in embarrassment and picked themselves up off the floor, moving the rest of the way in toward the middle, before halting.
"Hmm, we're gonna see two kiddies go at it....?" Orga mumbled, Hora glanced over toward him.
.... does he not know what sort of Magic Sherria uses....? He should look more interested than that......
"You have thirty minutes! Let the Match, Begin!" The pumpkin man announced as he bounced away from the two Wizards in the arena to give them space.
Sherria launched forward, the air shifting as suddenly a rush of black wind rushed out toward Wendy, who barely dodged it in time before sending out her own attack- pale blue clashing on black and the air shaking as the crowds stared in awe, smiling and getting more excited by the second- Wendy jumping backward as she blocked the attack and Sherria smiled, looking thrilled.
"Oh wow! You actually blocked that!" Sherria smiled,
Orga stiffened, his eyes widening as he saw the jet black color.
"That kid...?" He mumbled almost breathlessly,
Ah.... so he hadn't a clue, huh? I suppose the only thing any of them heard about Sherria was she could use Healing Magic.....
"How about this...?!" Sherria smiled, her body twisting around as her arms stretched out on either side of her, black spiraling.
"Dance!"
Hora winced internally as she watched Wendy get caught up and thrown around in the torrent of tar black, but watching intently still as Wendy flipped herself over in midair- her fingers curling.
"Sky Dragon's Claw!"
Sherria was blown back, being rammed into hard enough to knock the breath from her- both girls landing on their feet back on the ground and sliding as they regained their balance again. Both girls leaned back a bit, their cheeks puffing up in an all too familiar gesture-
"Sky God's"
"Sky Dragon's"
"... she's really a....?" Sting mumbled,
"... woah...."
".... someone that young." Rufus murmured,
"-Roar!!"
"-Bellow!!"
A spinning tornado of black and pale blue spiraled out toward each other, sending debris flying on all sides as wind slammed into the people all around the Colosseum.
".... a Sky God Slayer, huh?" Orga mumbled,
The attacks slammed into eachother, imploding as Wendy got blown back by the sheer force of it, but Sherria seemed not at all bothered- their battle coming to a halt as she smiled pleasantly at the Fairy Tailer.
"Lyon told me about you, a young girl in Fairy Tail with a Magic similar to mine." Sherria smiled, "I'll admit, I was really hoping to see your Magic for myself, hehe.... but I may have gone a bit overboard, are you alright?" Wendy blinked, looking unsure as she pushed herself back to her feet, bruised and bleeding.
".... I'm fine..." She mumbled, "... this is a fight after all."
"Then let's enjoy ourselves a bit more, okay?" Sherria smiled brightly,
".... There's nothing I enjoy about fighting, but for the sake of my Guild, I won't hold back." Wendy mumbled, Sherria grinned.
"No problem with me! I'm gonna do the same for my Guild!" Sherria announced, her Magic flaring again and rising up around Wendy in the matter of a few seconds-
.... Sherria is definitely a force to be reckoned with, huh?
Wendy skid back over the ground as Sherria's attack paused, huffing and bloody. She grimaced, her head tilting back as she started sucking in the air- streams of it materializing as she began to eat it, Sherria smirked.
"Ah, you can eat air to replenish your Magic too, huh?" She smirked, her head tilting back as she started to mimic the Dragon Slayer's plan of action.
"What the...?! Both girls are up to something! And is it just my imagination, or is it getting harder to breathe around here...?" The announcer broke in,
Wendy's head tilted back down, her feet squaring and her arms reaching out on either side of her as her Magic started to surge out of nowhere.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art;"
Hora's eyes went wide, Rogue and Sting's too as they stared, taken aback by the words and the sudden Spell-
A Secret Art...?!
Wind began to spiral around the both of them, wild and throbbing-
"Shattering Light: Sky Drill!!" Wendy shouted as her Magic spiraled out around her, tightening in like a beam and slamming into Sherria with no small amount of power and force, the Lamia Scale Wizard hit the ground and didn't get back up.
Hora's eyes gleamed,
..... damn kid....
Sherria hit the ground with a loud thud, Wendy trembling and wobbly as she panted- the crowds were going nuts.
"Sherria is down-!" The Pumpkin-man started, Hora blinked, her eyes locking on to-
"Whew, that was pretty good Wendy!"
The crowds and Wendy all faltered, eyes locking on to Sherria as she stood up again, her clothes torn- but not a scratch on her, where there had been several just a few seconds beforehand.
"Her injuries vanished..." Lector mumbled,
Wendy gasped for air as she shook while trying to stay standing, Sherria smiled a bit.
"Are you alright? You look like you're barely standing..... Do you just want to give up?" Sherria asked. Wendy frowned, still puffing as Sherria tilted her head. "I don't mind fighting but, there's little love in such one-sided violence when it's pretty clear whose the winner..... it is okay to give up, ya know." Wendy's fists clenched,
"No... I can't. Fairy Tail doesn't give up." Wendy murmured and she gave Sherria a look of pure determination. "I'll keep fighting until I can no longer stand!"
Hmm...... there's that fire again.....
"Heh.... I can get behind that!" Sherria smiled, her Magic flaring as she smirked. "Well then Wendy, it's my turn now~! I'm gonna finish this battle with one strike!"
Hora felt another shiver run down her spine, sweatdropping slightly.
.... what the hell..... is that Sherria's Magic.....?
Her Magic began to take on the form of feathers, bits of ebony swirling up around her and taking on the form of wings as she spun-
"Sky God's Secret Art;"
...... two Secret Arts in one fight....?
She gulped, her eyes glittering in shock,
This Magic Power....
"Sherria, stop!!"
Hora stiffened, her ears catching the familiar tone of Lyon from somewhere in the arena.
"You mustn't use that Spell here!" That sounds like Jura-
Sherria, what are you going to do...?!
"The full strength of your convictions will be met with my full strength! That is Love!" Sherria called,
"Heavenly Gathering of Clouds!!"
The feathers of Magic struck out toward Wendy in a vortex of devastating power that made everything shake-
H-Holy crap....!
The vortex shot out over Wendy's head, barely missing her as the little Dragon Slayer tensed under the sheer pressure of it- Hora stared.
Did she.... miss....?
"Oh! That was so cool! You used your Magic to recover my Physical Strength! That way my Magic's momentum got way out of hand and totally missed you!" Sherria beamed, looking thrilled and impressed. "Your battle strategy is amazing!!"
.... ah.... that is impressive..... quick thinking too....
Wendy launched herself forward, her hand swinging back and Magic streaming off her fingers as she swiped out toward Sherria- tearing straight through her arm and earning a well of blood, but Sherria only healed it right away.
The fight dragged on, the air shaking and whirling as both girls fought with their all, Magic thrown this way and that and pushing themselves farther, harder- never letting up for even a second as everyone watched with the utmost intrigue and fervor.
Hora never took her eyes off the match for even a second,
They are both so young... and so powerful, it's truly amazing
They were both forced to halt when the timer went off, thirty minutes ending as both Wendy and Sherria stopped- puffing and out of breath.
"The Match is over!! And it is a draw!!! Both Teams earn Five Points!!!"
Hora hummed a little, her head tilting a bit as she let out a silent breath.
...... that was quite the fight....
'Indeed.'
Wendy fell to her knees, no longer able to keep herself up anymore. Sherria started forward toward her, smiling warmly.
"Are you in a lot of pain? I'm sorry about all that.." Sherria hummed,
"No... I'm okay..." Wendy stammered, Sherria chuckled, taking a knee in front of the girl as her Magic flared and she started to heal her injuries.
"That was fun, Wendy." Sherria smirked, Wendy smiled in embarrassment.
"I.... I enjoyed it a little bit too." She chuckled,
"Let's be friends, Wendy." Sherria smiled brightly, Wendy blushed, before she smiled back.
"Yeah, Sherria!"
Hora felt her heart twist a little out of nowhere, seeing the thing that couldn't possibly happen in SaberTooth... not with Jiemma ruling it, not with Minerva
Friendship between Guilds.... open friendship, safe friendship.
Her jaw clenched at the thought, her yes shifting sideways to see the faint tenseness and even yearning in the faces of Rufus, Orga, Lector, Frosch, Sting and Rogue... she knew they wanted that too.
...... some day.... some day I swear..... this will happen for us too
Today was..... watching Fairy Tail was.... unbelievable....
Her eyes flashed, her lips pulling into a tight line as she felt a sting creep up behind her eyes out of nowhere, and it wasn't from the wafting steam coming up from the water of the shower.
Her head tilted forward, her forehead falling against the damp tile of the shower wall, the water falling down over her head and her multicolor hair running with the moisture.
....... they were amazing......... they are doing so well.... and I'm happy they are...... but if they are this good, then SaberTooth..... we're in trouble......
Her hands against the wall curled into fists, her eyes scrunching closed as the water rolled down her face and she just stood there, silent, rigid.
...... if SaberTooth loses the Grand Magic Games...... Jiemma is going to be furious..... and this time his anger is going to be aimed at everyone, not just me...... he almost killed me for helping Fairy Tail..... if we lose to them......
Her jaw clenched, her teeth grinding.
......shit.
What do I do....?
Hora let out a sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly as she ran her fingers through the damp of her hair, her lips pulled into a tight line and eyes on the floor as she left the bathroom behind- opening the door producing a cloud of steam that flooded the room.
Drops of water fell onto the russet red crop top she had on, a pair of black pajama shorts to go with it, she was ready for bed in all honesty... and it was getting late. They had all eaten dinner and the like, Hora relaying what Yukino had said in her letter and leaving them as confused and worried about what the Celestial Mage was up to as she was.... things were also tense with everyone else too- because they realized what she did, Fairy Tail was going to be hard to beat, and the implications of losing.....
..... this worry is starting to eat at me.... I feel like crap..... and my stomach is throbbing, and my goddamn cheek and ear too.......
She grumbled under her breath, her hand falling down on to her stomach lightly as a sharp stab of pain ran through it, biting down on her tongue as her steps faltered just a little bit. It was still raw, and an actual open wound in a few places, a big, round hole that had turned into patch of inflamed and scarred up skin (actually... mostly burned skin) on the center of her abdomen and left no smaller amount of damage on the inside (though you couldn't see that bit)- and it still hurt like hell of course... she'd have to bandage her stomach again.
... I hope I still have some bandages in my bag....
"O-oh my god...!"
"Hora....?! T-that...!"
"Atia...!?!"
Hora stopped dead, her eyes snapping open and her heart leaping at the sudden voices out of nowhere- she glanced up quickly, sweatdropping heavily and noticing for the first time that the room was not empty.
Her dark blue gaze flicked between Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch- all of whom had been sitting around the table in the room, and they had glanced over as she emerged from the bathroom- but she hadn't any idea they had come in, or when.... but all of them were rounding on her now, climbing to their feet in haste and faces twisting in shock and no small amount of worry as they found the wound on her abdomen, and blanched at the sight of it.
It was after all the first time they really got a look at what wound she said she had-
They were in front of her in about three seconds, hovering and fidgeting as they looked her up and down, glancing feverishly between her face and her stomach.
"Hora this is awful..!" Rogue hissed,
"Geez, I know you said you got banged up but this looks like you got impaled!" Sting snapped lowly, his tone harsh and worried all at once.
Well I mean pretty close to it-
"Are you really okay to be up and about...?!" Lector and Frosch mewed frantically,
"Sit down!" Rogue ordered, his hand finding her hand as he gently started to pull her over and toward the bed, like she was some child-
"Wait a minute..." Hora mumbled,
"Ya can't be running around with a hole through you-!" Sting scolded lowly,
Hora grimaced, her eyes flashing as Rogue's hand found her shoulder and she was pushed into sitting on the edge of the bed- not able to argue with it as the Shadow Dragon Slayer darted off toward the side and her bag, Lector and Frosch floated in front of her, bristling and eyes wide as they looked at her- and Sting stood beside them, hissing.
"Why the hell didn't you say it was this bad..?!" Sting snapped hotly, his hands on his hips and earning a flat stare from Hora- and a small flinch when his voice raised enough to make her ear ring, again.
"... because it's not?" She deadpanned lowly, he scowled.
"Forgive me if I don't believe you with that giant freaking wound!" He retorted shortly, she growled under her breath, her eyes glittering in annoyance and pain now-
"What actually happened, Atia? You said the Demon gave you... that...?" Lector asked hesitantly, Hora sighed, her face falling in her hand as she deflated a little bit.
"..... look, it really just looks worse than it is, you guys don't need to freak out over it....." She grumbled lowly, "..... what happened is.... well I got stabbed by one of the Demon's claws-" She broke off when she literally felt everyone in the room stiffen at the words, and she growled under her breath. "- it's fine, seriously- I already got checked out by a doctor, it honestly doesn't even hurt that bad. I can still move and walk around and do everything and I swear I am fine."
She earned a disbelieving look from the Exceeds, Sting, and Rogue alike when he came back- his hands filled up with bandages and frowning at her.
"Stop glaring at me!" She snapped hotly, both Sting and Rogue let out low, almost animalistic growls. She hated herself for snapping though, a sharp rush of pain running through her ear and her cheek and her stomach, and she growled at it.
".... tch..... Now why the hell are you in here anyway?" Hora snapped lowly, lowering her voice again, "I don't remember inviting you into my room."
"... Sting-kun wasn't really ready to go to bed yet, so we all came in to see if you wanted to play cards with us." Lector explained softly,
"Rogue wasn't tired either ~" Frosch added in, both Exceeds shooting her looks that she understood in an instant, and she sweatdropped.
"..... I know you guys are worked up...." Hora sighed, both Dragon Slayers grimaced a bit, looking uneasy to have her say it out loud. ".... Me too..... But you can't let it get to you. Don't forget, you're both strong as hell and I know you have it in you to contend with whatever gets thrown at you." Her eyes flashed a bit as she glanced up between Rogue and Sting in turn,
".... give it your all.... Just be yourselves..... It will be enough." She murmured quietly, her voice dropping slightly as their eyes glittered at the words.
.... I hope...
They nodded,
"Yeah, you got it." Sting murmured, Rogue said nothing- he nodded too but there was lingering worry in him that Sting didn't have... Couldn't have, because only Rogue knew.
Hora couldn't meet his eyes in the next instant and she hated herself for it.
"... I'll play a few games with you, maybe thrashing you at cards will wear you out enough to put you to sleep." She smirked slightly, switching gears to try and lessen the tenseness.
"Oi, you ain't winning." Sting replied instantly,
"Yeah Atia, everyone knows I'm gonna win~" Lector purred, for once not rushing to place Sting in the spotlight- as made sense... Lector really was better than the lot of them at card games, at least 90% of the time.
"Not today Bud," Sting smirked, Lector simply shrugged.
"You say that now~" the red tomcat sighed, Frosch lift a paw.
"Fro thinks so too!" Hora smiled slightly at it and Sting grumbled,
"Hey, what do you say about getting some snacks?" Lector asked, the frown on Sting's face faded as he smirked.
"Heck yeah, let's sneak into the kitchen and grab some stuff~!"
"You're always hungry, huh?" Hora hummed, he chuckled.
"While we're there I'll grab some ice." He told her, Hora blinked, brow quirking, confused. Sting gestured lightly toward the bruising still persistent on her cheek, smiling softly now. "For that, it's still pretty swollen right?" she sweatdropped, before letting out a sigh.
".... Yeah, alright.... That's a good idea." she admitted, he smirked.
"I'm full of good ideas."
"Only sometimes." Lector and Hora said at the same time and Sting's eye twitched.
"Oi." He growled, Lector only purred and headed off toward the door with Frosch at his side- smirking slightly over his shoulder.
"You're 40-60, Sting-kun. 40% of the time you use your brain, the other 60%? Not so much~" Lector smirked, Sting was already chasing both Exceeds down and out the door.
"40-60?! I use my head way more often than that!" The White Dragon Slayer hissed, the door swinging shut as they left in a hurry and Hora was left sitting on the bed with Rogue standing next to her, both of them... Quiet.
Hora's eyes dropped closed, her composure deflating a bit as she leaned back, her hands moving behind her to prop her up a bit, sweatdropping when the movement earned a sharp stab of pain running through her stomach, and she swallowed against it.
Rogue's eyes flashed when he saw Hora's face scrunch up slightly in a silent show of pain, his lips pulled into a tight line and his heart clenching as he let his gaze drop down toward the wound on her stomach again... and his heart ached more.
She said she had been unconscious for a whole week, right? He knew she got hurt, knew it had to be bad... but he didn't imagine it was that bad.
And what caught his attention more than anything was the fact that the scar wasn't a normal scar from a gash or a cut... it looked burned.
".... Hora." He mumbled quietly, his eyes glittering as she cracked one open and glanced his way. Rogue settled down a bit on the bed next to her, the bandages still in hand and eyes fixed on the wound.
"........ you said you got stabbed..... but this looks more like a burn." He mumbled softly, she sweatdropped a bit, her posture stiffening on instinct.
His hands fidgeted slightly, unwinding the bandages a bit and starting to gently run them around her torso, softly, gently- Hora leaned forward a bit and lift her arms to stay out of his way, her eyes glittering as she watched him start to work and not bothering to argue with him being the one to do it... she had a feeling that would be useless if she tried.
"..... you're resistant to fire, so.... what happened really...?" Rogue asked softly,
Hora went deathly still, her eyes widening in shock and utter pain as her fall back down toward the fall, and her watching of her Magic running through Neveleous' jaw screeched to a sudden, deadly halt.
She coughed, her lungs searing with fire as blood spurted past her lips and painted the air around her, her body lurching backward and all time suddenly crashing to a halt on a single moment,
Agony spread through her body, spiraling across every joint, every bone, muscle, tendon and nerve- she smelled her blood heavy on the air and felt the sticky warmth splash against her chest and neck, and immediately spill and fall down her legs and toward the floor still far, far below.
She heard her skin and muscle snap, felt it- her stomach searing so red hot it was cold, the iron taste of her own blood flooded her mouth as she coughed again, gasping as it dripped past her lips and down her chin. She was shaking, suspended in air as one of Neveleous' giant, razor sharp claws plunged itself deep into her stomach. Deep enough to do some serious damage, enough she was losing a lot of blood instantly- but it had just barely managed not to go deep enough to rip right through her body, and out her back.
Not that it made it any better-
The time that slowed down as the claw plunged into her torso suddenly sped up again, her body lurching backwards as she was thrown away and slammed into the ground, hard.
Hora yelped, her body sliding backwards across the ground. The stone caved in where she first hit it, her body skidding painfully across fractured earth and cement and stone and other debris- leaving a long, thick, deep red trail of blood behind in her path to smear over the floor.
She crashed into a halt when she slammed against a mountain of uplifted stone, destruction, and ice, her body curling in on itself as she lays on her side, her arms holding her torso and already drenched in sticky blood that gave no indication of stopping. The black markings that had filled in to cover her completely started to break apart, retreating back to her arms as she coughed again, blood spilling past her lips as she hissed.
'H-Horatia...!' Lixue sounded so very far away.
Hora swallowed, her hands balling up slightly around the sheets of the bed.
"..... I was serious.... I did get stabbed.... but....." She mumbled, Rogue blinked, his eyes flicking up toward her only to see her eyes were closed, her expression... pained.
His hands moving to wrap up the wound stalled for a second,
The Demon crumbled onto the ground, it's body losing color as it's life faded fast. It lay still and unmoving as the ice crept over it's body, trapping it in silence.
Hora tried to land on her feet, but she only slammed into the ground the second after trying. She slid a little over the ice, before coming to a halt as silence rained down over the Guild Hall that had been gripped in utter chaos for so long.
She coughed again, the world a wash of grey and darker grey, hardly able to keep her eyes open as she came to a halt.
Something fluttered down through the air in front of her among the soft snowfall that had encased the building, before hitting the ice a few paces in front of her, and too far to reach- not that she could move her arm to try and grab it anyway. Her body just... wasn't working any longer.
... heh... I..... I w-won....
She felt something warm fall down her cheek, salty liquid that splashed against the ice where she let her head lay.
..... t...tch... but..... I-i......
There was the dim glow of red that seemed to bleed into the grey and the pale... blue.
...... f..figures.... I... i.....i've.... lost t-too.... m...much.... blood......
Her eyes fell closed, the silence deafening on her ears as her consciousness started to slip away- pain and cold mixed with something rueful.
.....o...of cour..se........ I... i.......d...id......
She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move.... Everything was falling away into a chasm with no bottom. She couldn't even feel the stickiness of her own blood on her skin.
She was suffocating.....
The bell chimed nearly painfully loud in the silence that seemed to engulf that icy, blood-ridden site of destruction, its tenor ringing off stone and snow and ice and water alike,
The words 'Idiots Calling' were slowly disappearing under the sticky crimson dripping down over and staining the cards face, the Call left untouched as it continued to ring, the puddle of scarlet liquid grew until the card was becoming submerged in it.
Everything was utterly quiet, the only thing that rung from the ice was the chime of the Card....
No one heard Lixue's voice calling one word, one name.
'....h..... Hor.....atia.....!'
She couldn't hear Lixue anymore, not his voice... Not how terrified he sounded.
Her body wouldn't move anymore. She willed her hand to move toward the Card, but it didn't work.
It remained where it had fallen, her body limp, never catching hold of the one thing that would let her see the people she fought so hard for. Her bloody fingers just inches short,
Everything was just numb..... Empty.
The card-face went black, the chiming of the bell cutting off to sheer silence, drowning now in the sticky scarlet pool of blood.
Nothing stirred, no noise, no sound... Everything was deathly still.
Can a Devil Slayer be slain by a Demon twice....?
I.... I was supposed... To go back.....
.... i....... i'm..... s...o........s....orr....y
'...y..... ou're.......... bl........eeding........o...ut....!'
'...... w..... ake........ u...p....!'
'........ a....... y.....ou...... c...................an't.......... j............us...t..... die....!'
The numbness receded, just a little....
'..... y....ou..................ha..........ve....... to.......!'
'....... be.....fore....... you.....!'
There was a small little light, somewhere there in the deep, empty black.... something chilly blue. The silence breaking, just a little....
'...... you.... h....ave...... to...... try.....!'
She groaned, her head whirling, her body felt like it was bobbing up and down in the ocean. Back and forth, drowning...
'...... if... you.... l....ose...... anymore...... blood....!'
'..... you will... die!'
Her eyes fluttered open weakly, her breath a haze in front of her.
"....l.....Lix...ue..." She breathed,
'....... you can't lose anymore blood, Horatia..!' Lixue's voice was getting louder, harsher on her ears. '... those Magic Council men.... they must be looking for you...!'
The ice was red
'... you cannot bleed to death before they find you! You have to stay awake!'
Her eyes dropped again, her breath shuddering.
"... I.. I can't...." She stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper. She trailed off tough, her eyes opening just a little more.
"...... f...fuck..... o... of c...ourse....i...if. I......"
'Horatia-'
".....I... i h...ave...t-to......."
'.... y-you...!?'
Light bounced off the blood-soaked ice, the air filling with the scent of burn and blood and salt.
She screamed, her voice echoing off the ice and the stone, the shrill sound carrying through the deadly silent halls.
"I was.... it messed me up, pretty badly...." Hora mumbled, her head tilting down a bit so her bangs hid her face from view. "...... I managed to work through it... long enough to win.... to kill the Demon..... but after that..... I was just spent.........."
Rogue stiffened, his heart skipping a beat as he peered into her face- or rather tried too, but her her head was tilted down too far.
"... sorry.... you don't really want to hear it, Rogue." Hora mumbled, he frowned, his mouth falling in protest but he got cut off-
"...... I lost a lot of blood.... I was bleeding pretty bad and I knew it..... I said I was coming back, so I did what I could to make sure of that." Hora mumbled, her voice dropping so, so low.
Her head tilted up, just slightly as she glanced his way, smiling sadly and a bit nervous too-
"..... without going too far into the details.... I used my Magic, to close up the wound as much as I could." She mumbled, her eyes flashing as his face fell and his hands trembled a bit with the bandages still held in them, it felt like his heart stopped.
She.... she what...?
She grimaced slightly, her head tilting a bit as she let out a breath.
"... you asked." She mumbled softly, "... I'm sorry... I told you that you didn't want to hear it..... but I really am alright, I promise."
His hands felt so numb out of nowhere he nearly dropped the bandages altogether, his eyes fixed on her and completely silent- rigid as can be and not daring to breath, his mind whirling and thoughts suddenly filled with the images and ideas as he imagined that.
How much pain that would have caused? The sheer agony that came from burning closed your own wound...? Being forced into it, because she was bleeding to death...?!
Hora smiled sadly, sweatdropping slightly when she saw the way his eyes were glinting, the worry and fear in his expression.
"... You're not gonna start crying on me again, right.....?" she mumbled, as a joke- but her heart clenched anyway. He swallowed, frowning a bit at the question and Hora sighed. ".... Please don't....? I'm sorry, alright...? I know I've been worrying you guys a lot lately, but I'm back and I'm alive. I am fine, and I'll be good as new in a week or so." She promised lightly,
Rogue's shoulders sagged as he let out a low sigh, his eyes falling closed and away from her as he shook his head a bit.
He didn't say anything, he just went back to finishing up with winding the bandages around her stomach, his hands light and gentle as he did so and Hora's head tilted a bit.
"..... It's gonna take more than a week for this to heal up all the way, Hora." He said at length, his hands finally finding the end of the length of bandages he'd brought with him and leaning down a bit to tie them off,
'He is right.' Lixue commented dryly,
Shush
His fingers tied the bandages off, pulling it tight so it wouldn't come undone and Hora stiffened a little at the sensation- which he noticed instantly, and his heart twisted at the small hiss she let slip without meaning to.
"... Sorry..." He apologized softly, "...... Hora.... Please be more careful... Alright?" She blinked in surprise at the request out of nowhere, Rogue sitting up straighter as he glanced toward her, his red eyes glittering slightly.
".... Ah... Careful....?" She echoed a bit,
".... Its just.... You've been more hurt, more often the last few months than you've ever been in all the years we've known you." Rogue mumbled, ".... Now most of that.... Well, all of that is Master's fault.... Even if not directly. But just recently you've gotten into more trouble than ever before.... And you keep getting hurt more often, more seriously.... And I don't.... I don't like it, I hate it- so please.... If you can help it, try not to get into anymore trouble for awhile?" His eyes flashed as Hora sweatdropped slightly,
"I don't think I can handle another scare for awhile.... Me or anyone else." He mumbled, Hora let out a silent breath.
Her mouth dropped open to garner a reply, but she halted when shivers started to run up her spine out of nowhere, her heart skipping a beat as that same, odd, heavy feeling of dread suddenly rammed into her out of nowhere. That feeling from before, that-
.... Something's not right.
Her eyes snapped away from Rogue and toward the window out of pure instinct, her thoughts filled for the briefest of seconds with the idea that maybe... Is someone watching us?
But the window was empty, the night sky a deep indigo and the distant shine of Crocus and it's night life was all there was to be seen, and she swallowed.
.... I swear.... That feeling....... There had to be someone.....
Her nose twitched as she narrowed her eyes, but she only smelled the normal things- Sting, Rogue, Lector, Frosch.... And even faint whiffs of everyone else in SaberTooth.
.... There's nothing that could belong to a stranger..... But what the hell.....? What is with this feeling....?
Its..... Bad, dangerous even....
'..... Curious indeed....' Lixue muttered lowly, he felt it too.
".... Hora?" Rogue murmured, his eyes narrowing at the way she'd turned her attention, and the way she seemed to tense up, alert. She glanced back to see the confusion on his face, and sweatdropped.
..... He didn't seem to feel anything weird..... But I swear-
She shook her head a bit, smiling just faintly to try and reassure him a little.
"... Ah, its nothing... I'm just tense...." She mumbled, he sweatdropped a bit at that.
".... As for your request.... I am sorry to worry you guys like this. If I can help it, I will do everything I can to stay out of trouble." she told him, her smile getting a bit calmer as her deep blue eyes flashed, and he seemed to relax a tiny bit at the firmness in her words.
"I promise."
... The dread never went away... Not even as their Card Games commenced, not when they ended (Lector the winner of course..), and not when everyone went to bed.
"Something wrong Sting-kun?"
"Hmm? Nah! I just got this weird feeling.... Like I'm gonna be able to fight with Natsu tomorrow."
He sounded so excited, Rogue was too.... At the prospect of fighting Gajeel
But that dread-
Hora was left alone in the room again, her eyes fixed outside the window, waiting, tense.... Her skin was crawling every few minutes.
Was it.... Yukino...?
Her stomach knotted at the thought, but somehow.... that didn't feel like all of it.
There was no letter back from her, no explanation on what that 'Project' was the King's Army was doing... Or why Yukino needed be a part of it.
Her skin crawled again, the silence of the room nearly deafening as her eyes narrowed to slits in the dark and shadow all around.
What.... Why do I feel like this....? Like something bad is coming....?
She swallowed a bit, her core knotting all the more.
Something..... That scares me.....
That feeling persisted even in dreams, her sleep nothing close to being easy, her night lasting a thousand times longer as she bobbed in and out of swirling, battering black waves and into the quiet waking world that was just... more eerie than it should ever have been.
She gave up trying to sleep more long before morning rolled around and it was still there... And getting steadily worse, enough she was starting to feel nauseous.
There was like some deep, cold, looming shadow sitting at the corners of her vision- there and yet not.... Heavy and suffocating.
So... So bad....
Chapter 24: Spiraling
Chapter Text
Chapter 2 4
Spiraling
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
.... Something.... Something is wrong
"... Mm... Morning Atia...!" Lector and Frosch mewed drowsily, half asleep still as they floated up behind her into the Box set for their Guild. The Colosseum itself was filling up fast as the day started up, and Hora had been there since early that morning- getting there long before anyone else in SaberTooth had gotten there.... She hadn't slept at all for this damn dreadful, foreboding, bad feeling...
She'd had to get up and leave the Inn altogether, she couldn't sit there alone anymore and she couldn't be around them either- if they realized how worked up and tense she was right now? And without knowing why entirely?
They don't need that, not right now.... They are all already worked up enough
"You got up early today, huh?" Lector asked, breaking off halfway to yawn as she turned toward them a bit, and nodded. The early morning sunlight glittered off the large, massive sphere of water set above the ground in the center of the Colosseum- no doubt for the first Event of the day.
"Yeah, I walked around a bit and just decided to head here straight away." she murmured softly, her eyes trailing from the Exceeds and over toward the two Dragon Slayers that came in behind them. "Did you guys sleep alright?" She asked lightly, steering the subject away from herself while also casually checking to see if they were as tense as she was.... They were Dragon Slayers after all, right? They usually had some internal sense of things not being quite right, but the nods and small smiles she got back made it clear she was the only one feeling.... This.
"Yep." Sting hummed, his hands falling on his hips and stopping in front of her as his head tilted- smiling still. "Hey, that ice last night helped, huh? That bruise has faded along with the swelling~" he smirked, leaning in a little to get a better look at said bruise on her cheek- Hora nodded a bit, smiling just faintly.
"Yeah, I suppose you do have some good ideas sometimes." she replied without skipping a beat. He sweatdropped a bit but didn't get worked up, he simply sighed and shook his head a little as Lector and Frosch chuckled beside him.
"That's a lot of water." Lector mumbled,his head tilting passed Hora and eyes locking to the sphere full up with enough water it would have likely turned the arena floor into a lake.
".... it'd take a lot of Magic to hold up something that heavy.." Rogue mumbled nearly all to himself, Hora agreed- because again.... who the hell runs the Games?! And makes all the stuff that goes into them?!
"Gooooooooood Morning everyone! And welcome to the Fourth Day of the Grand Magic Games! Thank you for sticking with us, we will be starting shortly!"
Hora glanced up slightly at the sound of the Announcer's voice suddenly ringing out around the Colosseum, sending the four of them into silence as they listened in.
"I'm sure you're all wondering what we have in store for today! That contraption you see before you is part of our first event of the day, it's called; Naval~!"
Well that seems a bit on the nose...
"Let me rundown the rules for you really quickly! Each Guild will send out one member of their team to participate! The stakes are as follows, each member will do their best to stay within the confines of the water while the other Teams try to knock them out! Points will be awarded based on what place you are knocked out from, so first person out gets the least points and so forth! Once there are only two people left, a five minute Timer will start! To have any hopes of Second Place, you must stay in the water for the whole of the five minutes- or automatically get kicked into last place! Teams! Please send out your participants!"
Hora's head tilted backward toward the Arena as she blinked, her ears training away from her immediate area and toward the Arena floor.
"First up is Rocker from Quatro Puppy! And then we have Risley Law for Mermaid Heel!"
"Is Rufus gonna participate?" Frosch asked,
"Nah, should be Orga~! He could just zap everyone in the water no problem~!" Lector purred,
"Fro thinks that's a little dangerous..." Frosch mumbled, Hora would have to agree- but she also trusted Orga not to go overboard on the matter.
"Jenny Realight from Blue Pegasus joins the fray! And then the lovely Juvia Lockser from Fairy Tail Team B!" The Announcer went on as people entered the Arena, "And then Sherria Blendy from Lamia Scale!"
Sherria huh....
"It won't be either of us."
Hora's eyes snapped back toward the entrance to the Box in surprise, her attention falling on both of Rufus and Orga as they stepped inside, and she sweatdropped.
".... so the Lady plans to join the first event..?" Sting mumbled, immediately looking tense- they all did.
"She insisted it was time she step in." Rufus murmured coolly, his eyes finding Hora as she swallowed a bit, her eyes darkening slightly.
Of course she did-
"For Fairy Tail Team A- we have Lucy Heartfilia!"
Hora went rigid, and everyone in the box around her immediately tensed up too- she must have gone very pale, because all eyes snapped toward her and she could feel their seriousness and slight spark of panic- just as she felt her own.
Her heart dropped into the very bottom of her feet, her lungs ceasing to catch any air and her pulse quickened into a terrified, frantic, terror-driven speed as she stood there, so, so cold at her center she was hurting.
N..no....
She was stiff in her spot, frozen to where she was and unable to move a muscle, she could feel her heartbeat thrumming a million miles a second through every inch of her person as the world seemed silent and deaf to her outside of it- outside of...
"And SaberTooth's Minerva Orlando comes into the play! The Naval Battle will begin shortly!"
W... was this...... t..that feeling....? That dread...?
"Hora...." Rogue started lowly, his hand reaching out toward her as his red eyes glittered- she didn't look at him.
Rufus and Orga exchanged glances between themselves and then with Sting and the Exceeds, all of them sweatdropping and expressions serious.
Why.... of all days..... Lucy and Minerva are in the same event..... and.... and after all that shit Salamander pulled.....
She gulped, her eyes glittering as she kept on staring at the floor.
..... I... I know Minerva..... she's going to single Fairy Tail out for that.... a...and......
N....no....no.....!
She whipped around, her body finally listening to her again as her eyes locked on to the Arena and her jaw snapped shut.
Everyone else around her jumped slightly at how quickly she had turned around, easily able to see the fear and the concern etched into her face as she let her hands fall on the railing, her fingernails digging into the stone.
".....tch....... I swear...." Hora hissed lowly, her voice something shy of a whisper. The other Sabers behind her all looked between one another, sweatdropping heavily.
The day just turned into a whole level of bad they hadn't anticipated, and they realized in an instant- they remembered what Hora said... that she'd worked with Fairy Tail, with Natsu and Happy and Lucy.
They knew she thought of them fondly, as friends even to those Fairy Tailers- and right now one of those new friends was right in the center of the Lady of SaberTooth's icy stare, and they all knew.
This is bad
Shit.... shit....! I swear... if Minerva...!
Rogue swallowed, his hand finding her shoulder and making her jump as he stopped to stand beside her- Lector and Frosch on the railing just in front of him and Sting on her other side. Hora's eyes shift over toward him, narrowed and glittering as he let out a small breath- and the look he gave her was clearly one that said don't.
Don't because if you get mad, or protest against this.... you'll end up hurt or worse.
She knew that, of course she knew that- she had to stay levelheaded, like always... keep her mouth shut.
I hate it
She huffed, frowning slightly as her eyes moved from him and toward the Arena almost stubbornly, and Rogue sweatdropped more.
I swear.... if Minerva does anything.... I'll-!
'..... protest, and end up dead.'
Lixue's words did nothing to calm her down
The gong rang around the Arena, the spectators and crowds all around roaring in excitement as Hora dug her fingernails further into the stone railing- glittering blue eyes fixed on SaberTooth's Lady and nothing else, her heart hammering in her chest in both terror and hate.
'Keep calm, Horatia.'
Easier said than done... and she didn't know if she had much will to keep herself in check anymore...... she hadn't, since coming back. The hesitation (and better judgment maybe...) had started to fade in her heart and her consciousness, and she just.....
"Sorry everyone, but I'm knocking all of you out right off the bat!" Lucy grinned, a Golden Key in hand as she twisted it in the water- and a Magic Circle appeared with the chiming of a bell.
"Open! Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"
"Raaahhh!!! The Water is my playground!!!" The very enraged looking Spirit made an appearance, a jug held aloft over her head as the water began to churn with fervor-
"I won't let you! Water Cyclone!"
The other Fairy Tail Mage swept her arms forward as the spinning vortex of water from Lucy's Spirit was matched with a second one brought to life by the bluenette from Fairy Tail Team B. Both cyclones of water smashed into one another, matching on one another and stalling- evenly matched in power as both Lucy's Spirit and the other Fairy seemed stunned at it.
Hora's eyes still didn't leave Minerva for even a split second, not even when Jenny kicked the Quatro Puppy Mage from the water and Sherria started in on trying to knock someone else out.
"This isn't going well..... so I'm gonna bail." Aquarius mumbled,
"W-what?!" Lucy snapped, "B-but you're the best I have in the water, I need you!"
"Don't yell at me, you called me here when I was busy as it is." The Spirit snapped, a wry smirk falling across her features. "Anyway~! I have a date to get too~!"
"Wait a minute!" Lucy snapped, but Aquarius had already gone- and Lucy got slammed into by the water, being sent spinning out toward the edge in a panic.
And Hora hated herself to think maybe Lucy would be pushed out- lose, yes- but out of Minerva's grasp and interest.
"Open! Gates of the Maiden and the Ram!"
Lucy had already taken out two more keys in the matter of a few seconds,
"Virgo and Aries!"
There erupted a wall of fluff as two pairs of hands grabbed tight hold of Lucy and she ran into the fluff- saving her falling from the water with not a second to spare, two Spirits who looked like young woman in bathing suits appearing with Lucy and making the crowds (well, more the men...) drool.
Hora's teeth ground down on one another, her eyes flicking sideways away from Lucy and back toward-
"I'll knock everyone out in one fell swoop!" Juvia announced, the water spinning with her hands and her Magic as she set her sights on the rest of the competitors- and the water was absolutely thrumming.
The water rushed out on all sides, great currents ramming into Sherria, Jenny and Risley all at once and sending them spinning out of the water sphere and out of the game in the course of a few seconds- she might have been impressed with it, Juvia was clearly a masterful Water Mage, but even so...
..... tch.... of course Minerva didn't even flinch.... And the fact that she's waited this long-
Lucy kept herself in by only a hair, struggling along with her Spirits.
"Incredible!! Juvia from Fairy Tail Team B has knocked out three opponents in one fell swoop!" The Announcer roared, "No one can match Juvia's might in the water!!"
Hora hissed, her eyes flashing as Minerva's hand swept out in one, calm, deliberate motion- toward Juvia.
F...fuck....!
The whole of the crowd and their cheering and fervor seemed to falter- eyes wide and completely lost as Juvia suddenly appeared outside the water and was left to the mercy of gravity, falling to the Arena floor and taken back as much as anyone else.
"W-what...?!"
"What just happened?!"
"Huh?!"
"J... Juvia has fallen from the water! What a turn-!"
".... She could have easily thrown all of them out from the start...." Orga muttered, face tense and shoulders rigid- just like everyone else in the SaberTooth Box.
They all knew that- and the fact that Minerva hadn't done just that....
Hora's shoulders were rigid, her eyes glittering and a large bead of sweat falling down her face as she bit the inside of both cheeks without giving a damn how painful doing so was on the side that Jiemma had hit.
S...shit.....!!
"Lucy and Minerva are the only ones left in the Orb! The five minute Timer starts now!"
Minerva and Lucy were facing one another, the blonde all levels of tension and Saber's Lady nothing but cool- smiling slightly at the Fairy and only mildly amused.
"Hmm... with my Magic I could easily throw you out of the water in all but a few seconds." Minerva told Lucy lowly, "However.... that wouldn't be very entertaining."
Hora's heart skipped a beat, her face paling at that smirk that drew across Minerva's lips, the sheer, calm, subdued malice she had seen so many time right before Minerva did something that had her hurting-
Minerva's hand lift, the water shimmering and bubbling around her fingers almost white- Hora could hear the hissing and her stomach flipped.
Lector grabbed to one of her arms and Frosch held lightly to the other one, both Exceeds casting her anxious glances- Hora still never let her eyes wander, she was fixed, riveted-
.... terrified...
The blazing hot ball of heat rammed into Lucy's side, pushing her sideways and earning a yell of pain from the blonde that run around the whole of the Arena, and sent shivers running down Hora's spine... shivers in the same instant that the fire in her core burned brighter, wilder-
"Lucy!" Natsu's voice echoed through the noise of the crowd and everything in between, Hora picked it out in an instant. ".... tch... shit....!"
I... I tried to warn you...
Another blast of heat slammed down on Lucy from above, leaving her just as bruised, bloody and singed as the first. Lucy's hand shot down to her waist, looking for her Keys- but didn't find them.
Minerva's hand lift with the key's strung between her fingers and smiling so, so coldly still. Lucy blanched, her eyes wide and the panic setting in.
"... M...My Keys... but when did she..?!" Lucy stammered, Minerva snapped her fingers and a large blast of heat that felt like lead rammed into her again, throwing her backward toward the edge with enough force the entire orb seemed to shake.
... shit..... shit...!
4:07 left
Lucy's arms struck out, paddling furiously to keep herself from falling out of the water and being dropped into last place- but.... that..... d...damn it....!
"Oh?" Minerva hummed lowly, her voice cool but not without that cold, stinging malice and intrigue- the same sickeningly amused tone that the 'Lady' used when she-
Hora's hands gripped tighter around the edge of the stone railing, hard enough it cracked, just a little- and the Exceeds held tighter to her arms, unaware of the deep, shinning ebony black that had appeared on her hands and was slowly creeping upward.
Another blast of heat and pure force rammed into Lucy and sent her forward, her scream of pain was ringing off wall and water and it made the fire burn brighter- the terror slowly getting swallowed up more and more by hot... burning... rage.....
3:14 left
Sting and Rogue grimaced a bit, their expressions mimicked by Orga, Rufus and the Exceeds as they felt their cores knot a little as Minerva kept on sending the Heat/Pressure attacks out at the Fairy Tailer, ever aware of what prickling, heavy weight had settled over the box and how much the air seemed to be getting warmer... aware of that rigid form of Hora standing so stiffly there between them and her face nothing but fear and anger all mixed in with pain as she forced herself to stay standing there, quiet. Aware that with every hit Lucy took, and every sound of her pain- Hora flinched, and more and more as the sheer, careless brutality continued on- Hora was shaking.
Aware that she was losing her grip on herself and her emotions, aware of those dark Markings getting longer and stretching passed her hands and up her arms- aware that the air around them wasn't just heavy with tension. No, it was getting hot in the box- and Lector and Frosch had to let go of their hold on Hora's arm once the Markings made her skin too warm to the touch to risking holding on to her right now.
1:05 left
The fire burning in her core wasn't icy hot, it was just burning, blinding, boiling... white hot it was like lava, swirling and churning, rushing through her from her center, running through every vein, every inch of her blood and setting off a chain reaction- no matter how hard she tried to keep it down. She pushed it away, did her best to keep the Markings from stretching- from letting her emotions get out of hand, but the more she watched, the more she heard Lucy's screams.....
..... I..... I want..... to....
Her lips curled, her jaw clenched so hard she might have cracked a tooth, her face pulling into a snarl even as she desperately held herself back. Trying so, so hard to stop it from.... stop the fire....
...... I... I can't....... if I..... do anything.......
It surged, she felt it vying for control again, eating away at her and persistent, strong-
Stop her
Lector and Frosch backed off of her a little, their eyes leaving the Arena all the way and ears pressed flat against their heads. The other Saber Members around them cast Hora wary glances, sweatdropping heavily when they saw such rage and hate in her eyes- her entire form trembling and the air stuffy from the sheer heat she was giving off with her emotions, and yet still she managed a way to stand there.
For now
"It's about time I knock you out of here all the way." Minerva sighed, sounding bored now as Lucy stayed where she was, bloody and bruised and panting for air.
Stop her
N...no... wait....
She couldn't hear Lixue trying to talk her down, he was just... gone- the fire was too loud, too strong.
".... I... I can't lose..." Lucy grumbled, "... I... I won't be able to face everyone else... they've all been working so hard..... I can't lose, I'd be letting them down." The blonde looked up, holding a badly burned arm but her eyes were so steely. "I can't let them down... I'm not going to give in to you." She growled,
Hora's heart stopped, the dread and worry and panic inside of her sharpening into a sharp point.
With yet another sickening crunch, Master's foot came down upon Horatia as hard as he could manage. The young woman's entire body tensed at the almost unbearable amount of pain that flared up inside her, she tensed her jaw, biting down on her tongue as she kept herself absolutely silent.
It was an unspoken rule really, the more noise anyone made while being hit or punished by the Master, only entailed the punishment more harsh. The Master hated anything that could be seen as weakness in the Guild, therefore... You had to stay as quiet as you possibly could. Horatia knew this rule, and yet trying to stick to it was harder than possibly imaginable... But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her yell, her anger was bubbling more and more.
Unspoken rule, stay quiet, don't talk back- everyone in SaberTooth knew that, and they knew it didn't apply to just the Master- but his daughter as well.
L...Lucy..!
Minerva's hand fell back a bit from being pointed at Lucy, the brutality and violence stalling for a few seconds as the Timer hit;
30 seconds left
But every single person in the Saber Box was stiff as a board, all of their faces paling and all of their hearts stopping as their blood turned to ice. They all knew how much a mistake that was, talking to Minerva like that-
SHIT
Hora's shoulders hunched, her body leaning over the railing a bit and shaking all over as the stone under her hands blackened and burned, and the air got about a few dozen degrees warmer.
Minerva's hand swung back before swinging forward again, the water a blinding bright white and absolutely boiling as her face twisted, rage and wicked amusement falling across her features as she settled that dangerous smile on Lucy- malice so potent it was like a spear through the heart.
STOP HER
Hora fidgeted, her feet shifting slightly but she still managed to just... stop...!
Y..you can't.... you.... ca... calm down....y.. you......
The rest of the chains produced from the man's Magic snapped around Lucy, pressing tightly against her body and her arms, some of the links connecting themselves to the Nullification Cuffs and attaching themselves to the stone roof overhead, holding her tightly in place and dangling uncomfortably off the floor by barely an inch.
The North Wind woman waved a hand nonchalantly, looking bored as the cell bars before them suddenly vanished, letting the North Wind Mages step through and inside the cell easily now that the Fairy Tailers had been rendered immobile.
The Third Man smiled, he had drawn up in front of her with ever a hungry smile and now reached his hand up to curl his finger around a tendril of her hair, Lucy shuddered, squirming slightly to try and pull away even though she couldn't move. "You think Fairy Tail Wizards have a chance against us and a Demon of Zeref, huh?"
Lucy shivered, her eyes wide and looking mortified as his hand fell and moved toward her stomach, and toward the edge of her shirt.
"QUIT IT!" Natsu's voice was absolutely seething, only to get cut off as the man to kick him before brought his boot down on his back, hard. The ground cracked underneath the Fire Dragon Slayer,
"I told you to shut it!"
"Natsu!" Happy stammered, eyes wide and glittering.
"Hehe, see?" The Second Man smirked, "Fairy Tail rejects don't stand a chance against us."
"And this Fairy's too scared to even say anything, hmm?" The woman murmured, her expression bored as ever as she spared a glance toward the adjacent cell, her arms crossed over her chest and hip cocked. "Where did all that anger from before go, huh-?"
Her jaw dropped slightly, sweatdropping as her hands unhooked from about her chest, the words shaking in her throat, frozen as the cold and chill of the room was suddenly destroyed in a wave of sheer, choking heat that bounced off the stone.
The dim was split apart in a brilliant, violent wave of deep crimson fire that suddenly swept out across the stone floor and from their right, the brilliance sweeping forward in front of Lucy, directly between her and the Man, who's trailing hand was suddenly snatched away.
Lucy blinked, her jaw falling and her heart leaping in her chest, her eyes riveted and reeling just like everyone else in the room at the sudden unexpected development. Lucy was so transfixed she hardly even felt that wash of heat roll against her body, or flinched at the flames licking so close to her own body, but never touching her.
Hora's hand snapped down onto the Third Man's wrist with an iron grip, her hand and her arm stained black, the markings trailing up her neck and creeping across her right cheek, pricking just under her eye, her body dancing with fire and her hand burning the man's wrist immediately upon grabbing hold of him- he yelped, trying to pull free though Hora didn't let go.
The bars that had previously separated the Cells were a heap of melted metal, the chains that had been holding her down a mess where she had been but seconds before, trails of liquid gray seeping into the stone and even melting the rock itself.
The other North Wind Mage's eyes snapped around in utter shock, anger and hints of fear making it's way into their features at seeing Hora suddenly free and completely caught off guard by her sheer power.
"H-How did she get free...?!"
"S-Shit!!"
"Hora..!" Lucy breathed, Hora didn't seem to hear anything though, she moved, swiftly, deftly, her eyes cold and face twisted in hardly contained fury.
Hora's grip on the offending man's wrist tightened, her body snapping around as she twisted, throwing him and his unwanted attention on Lucy, clear through the opening that had appeared in the bars, flame dancing off her person and off the floor around her as he yelled, smashing into the ground down the corridor in front of them. The North Wind Mages recoiled, faces paling slightly and stunned, unable to move in their shock as their eyes landed on Hora, shaking as their gazes snapped from the black covering her skin and toward that icy blue Guild Symbol that remained clear under the pitch black consuming her person, visible with her sleeve having been destroyed enough with the sudden rise in power to let her shoulder-blade remain bare.
"W-wait?!"
"She's SaberTooth?!?!"
"S-SHIT!!"
Hora hadn't paused for hardly a second, her seething dark blue gaze snapping immediately toward that man that stood beside the still downed Natsu, his hands swiping upward in reaction as he readied himself to throw his Magic toward her.
Hora's Magic swept out over the ground in two directions, a wall of crimson, angry fire tearing up the floor and headed straight toward that man, and the other two North Wind Mages left standing behind her now, her arms swinging up around her body as she spun halfway.
The look on her face was icy rage, dark... murderous.
The black markings spread further up her cheek, crossing over her eye as the heat rolling from her Magic seemed to triple.
"Crimson Flame."
Her voice sent a shiver down Lucy and Happy's spines, their hearts skipping a beat in tune with Natsu's, a trickle of blood falling from his temple and his face tense as he watched Hora in rigid silence.
The shouts of pain from the North Wind mages rung on the air with the hissing and the booming of Hora's Magic as it made contact with them, sending them flying and knocking them senseless instantly, even as their own Magic flared to try and defend against that fast moving wall of fire- they were absolutely no match for her, and the sheer extent her Magic had reached in such a small amount of seconds had them all reeling and breathless.
"H-holy cow...!" Happy stammered breathlessly, Natsu sweatdropped, his eyes snapping from Hora for the first time toward the four North Wind Mages she had just disposed of so easily, his ears straining and still, blinking a few times.
".... she knocked them all out..." The pinkette mumbled under his breath, his eyes trailing back toward Hora, who had halted for a moment, the flame dancing around her dying, slowly, her eyes closed and stiff.
"That was amazing, Hora!" Happy grinned,
"... thank you for the save...!" Lucy sighed, looking breathless and utterly relieved at the turn in events. "... I'm so glad you stopped that guy... such a creep!" She shuddered at the thought, blinking for a moment when she realized Hora hadn't said anything, or moved for a few moments, her Magic faded now, though the air still felt hot despite it being gone.
Hora swallowed, hard, the Fairy Tailer's voices lost on her ears almost entirely as she forced herself into a complete standstill, fighting with herself to quell what rage and fury had risen up and what violent a way her Magic had manifested because of. Though she didn't show it outwardly, it had taken every inch of concentration she had to just... not, let herself get so out of hand and her Magic with it. Had she not been actively focusing on keeping herself under control, she might not have been able to wrestle her Magic in enough to keep from accidentally burning Lucy with how close the blonde had been, and more so....
... every inch of her wanted, screamed at her- to kill those North Wind Mages. Every inch of her person screamed at her to burn that asshole who had put his unwanted, filthy hands on Lucy- to burn him alive, turn him to ash. Her Magic festered at it, rose up, threatened to take control and send her mind spiraling into that numb, unaware haze of fury that would have let her do that... she couldn't, she had to not... and damn it, it was so hard. Her skin was on fire to the point it was cold, an that sensation encased her arm, crawled up her neck, stretched over her face and fought to try and spread more even as she willed it to recede.
Calm down, calm down... control yourself... you... have to.....
That fire was wild and so utterly cold, and pushing against it made a sharp, jolting flash of pain run through her core where she had been spared that feeling for weeks now, and she outwardly cringed at it. Her hand snapping up to press her fist against her chin, willing herself not to hiss and not to end up-
STOP HER!
Hora hissed, her voice trembling as much as she was as the fear struck her through her center just as strongly as the anger did. Struck hard, but not as hard nor as painful as it was to keep herself standing there, still and silent-
Her body moved out of sheer instinct, her Magic flaring as the Markings took chance to spring forward without her wishing them too.
But there was no anger then, not true anger, not the burning hot rage and murderous intent she had had to contend with her entire life. The Markings didn't burn like they usually did- they were hot, enough to be icy across her skin, but it wasn't the same force that sent her mind spinning away into a chasm she couldn't pull free from. She didn't intend to harm that man because of how fun it would be, nor how good it would feel. She wasn't attacking him outright, she was-
- Protecting them. No matter what.
And the anger didn't turn to rage, she was just... resolute. Her Magic was resolute, her Magic was steady and calm and controlled like she had seldom felt it be, in so very, very long a time.
She was moving, her Magic was rising to the surface without her thinking about it, she'd moved herself in front of all three and she did it without hesitating a single moment. Her hands raised on either side of her, flames flickering as they circled her arms like serpents would, her hair moving as the wind and pressure picked up around her. The Markings stretched down both arms, stopping just shy of her jaw and crossing over her chest and shoulders where they were visible, the black shining warmly in the growing light of the fire.
Hora let out a low, slow breath- the air engulfed in a hazy cloud before her, all of their eyes reflecting the metallic sheen that bounced from the hundreds of blades and weapons that had seemed to materialize out of the stone walls around them. The Fairy Tailers looked between the blades and Hora in utter shock, eyes widening and jaws dropping at how quickly she had moved and where she placed herself.
Those golden-red eyes landed on the North Wind Lieutenant steadily, her expression resolute and unflinching, her attention never leaving him and never flicking for even a second toward the hundreds of incoming weapons and blades of all sizes and shapes- and all deadly in their own right.
Her hands swung forward, the flames dancing from her arms and springing through the air in a wave, whirling and spinning as if they were beasts and creatures in themselves.
The flames burned an incredible golden-azure color unlike anything any of them had ever seen, striking out across the ground and through the air in mere moments, Hora's voice clear and cold as the words bounced off the stone.
"Fire Devil's-" Hora growled lowly, too low for anyone to possibly hear normally, a waft of air rushing into the Fairy Tailers behind her, causing them to bring their hands up and cover their eyes, their faces washed against by a thick cloud of heat. A flickering visage of a Magic Circle flashed in front of Hora for a split second, before it imploded and air shook with it.
"Guardian Circle!!"
Lucy screamed, loudly- her voice carrying all around and bouncing as she was bombarded with a million different attacks all at once- at triple the ferocity and violence.
Hora's eyes flashed, the air wavering around her as steam started to rise off her hands.
"You have your heads in the clouds Fairy Tail!! What kind of heart do you think we have?!" Minerva snapped, her Magic blazing in newfound fervor and brutality.
"We are the number one Guild in all of Fiore!! We are SaberTooth!!!"
Lucy was sent spiraling out through the water toward the edge at breakneck speed, headed straight out- before she disappeared- and appeared right in front of Minerva again.
"W-what?! But she was headed out?!"
Minerva's leg swung around and rammed into the center of Lucy's back hard enough to break bone, and the blonde screamed again.
...... friends.....
".... even if I'm Saber....?" Hora mumbled, it being the only response she managed. Honestly, hearing them say it so easily... they'd only known eachother a few days, and certainly not long enough..... well....
"Of course!" Lucy said quickly,
"We got plenty of friends in other Guilds ya know, don't matter to us if your SaberTooth or not." Natsu smirked, "A Guild don't define what kind of person you are."
"That's right. We like you as a friend for who you are, not what Guild you're a part of." Lucy assured easily.
Hora glanced slowly between the both of them, her hands pressed lightly against the ground between her legs and her shoulders sagging slightly.
....... Brother.....
They just kept smiling, so content and so serious about it all.
....... Brother.... I remember the last time..... It felt like this......
She swallowed slightly, her eyes falling slightly.
..... it..... It happened just as quickly then as it did now..... I knew how I felt.... But that word never popped up so fast.....
...... I thought..... I mean.... I think of them that way... I guess...... But I thought.... I always thought it took longer... Than that.... To count .....
And what Lucy said? And Natsu too...?
...... Brother..... Have I been.... Looking at it wrong the whole time....?
She bit the inside of her cheek, doubt swirling inside her stomach and her heart now where she hadn't expected it to.
...... Have I been thinking about it all wrong....?
But..... Even in doubt and worry now.... It felt better. It felt nice.
She smiled softly, nodding her head a little as she glanced to Natsu and Lucy both- familiar faces from here on out to be sure..... Friendly faces.
She never thought anyone could feel like friends in so little time, and it be real.
But this feeling in her chest was assuredly real.
.... They almost make me wish I'd ended up in Fairy Tail instead.
But just almost.
Her friends in Sabertooth were too important to her to wish she'd never been in Saber, they were too important even with how shitty things had gotten and how she'd become a slave to a tyrannical mad-man. Knowing them made it worth it.
"Yeah, friends." Hora smiled softly, her head tilting as Lucy, Cancer and Natsu alike smiled in return. "... And I will do my best, to listen to what you said, Lucy. Promise."
"Good to hear." Lucy smiled, Hora chuckled under her breath slightly.
STOP MINERVA
Hora shuddered, her breath shaking in her throat as she swallowed back at the inferno inside- the incessant want, the need... the need that grew stronger with every hit Minerva landed, every whimper and scream, every new wound on Lucy's person.
.... kill Minerva... burn her...
"Are you gonna be OK traveling all that way, Hora?" Lucy asked, earning blinks from everyone else. "Are you feeling ok enough? You still look a little pale... I don't want you to push yourself if you're feeling unwell."
"Are you sick or something Hora?" Happy asked, his head tilting slightly as Lucy asked the question.
"Yeah, you OK?" Natsu mumbled, "... I mean I heard you two talking about it earlier but..."
Hora sighed slightly, shaking her head slightly as she smiled, her arm lifting as she wrapped her arm around Lucy's neck, pulling the blonde closer as her other arm wrapped around her shoulder. Lucy blushed, blinking several times in shock as she went rigid, pulled into Hora so easily and so quickly she hadn't any time to react as Hora rest her cheek against the top of Lucy's head, the blonde's face getting pushed slightly into Hora's heart.
"... Geez... You're freaking adorable..... Hehe..." Hora murmured softly, Lucy blushing a bit harder though Hora didn't see it. ".... You're really such a kind person, and so honest too.... And you're cute when look all worried, Lucy."
STOP HER!
N...no..... if you..... you have to stay..... still..... b....but....
"STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!" Natsu roared, his voice breaking through only barely.
Natsu's head snapped around, his eyes searching (almost in vain) to catch a glimpse of where the rest of the SaberTooth Team was standing, his eyes only barely managing to catch a glimpse of them from the near impossible angle Fairy Tail Team A's box was at- and his heart skipped a beat as his jaw dropped.
All of SaberTooth, all of them- the Twin Dragons, Orga, Rufus and the Exceeds- all of them stood rigid and sweatdropping, their faces pulled and pained as they watched what was going on and he could tell in an instant that they hated what they were seeing.
And his eyes found that head of multicolor, fiery orange hair and even he could see the terror and the rage on her face, see the steam rising from her hands, see the way she was utterly shaking.
Minerva was one of the only two in SaberTooth that Hora had warned him about, he remembered that the instant the Announcer said Minerva joined.
Hora and the rest of the Saber Team standing there with her?
They... they hate this too....
"All done packing." Lucy smiled cheerfully as she and Happy approached both Fire Wizards, Hora's and Natsu's hands falling away from one another as they settled their attentions on the two of them.
"We're ready to head out now." Happy purred, Hora nodded.
"Then I guess I oughtta say bye." Hora murmured, "It was great working with you three, I had a lot of fun." She smiled genuinely, Lucy and Happy nodded in agreement to the words.
"We had a lot of fun to, it was so good to meet you." Lucy murmured brightly, "I hope we see more of eachother soon, I can't wait until the GMG!"
"Aye!"
"Hmm, me too." Hora smiled kindly, the smile breaking off as Lucy suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her neck in a firm, entirely unexpected embrace.
"You'll be careful out here by yourself, won't you?" Lucy asked softly, her breath washing against the inside of Hora's neck as the Saber girl slowly returned the embrace. Her eyes found Natsu for half a second, his expression unreadable but she could imagine how much he was fighting with himself not to leave. And Lucy hadn't any clue what she would be facing either... and Natsu knew it, Hora knew it.
"..... yeah... I'll be careful. I promise, we'll meet up again at the GMG, don't you doubt it."
Hora growled, her voice almost animalistic and her lips curling as her face went so very, very dark. Lector and Frosch bristled, their fur standing on end as they saw her expression twist.
Minerva's hand swung out toward Lucy, her Magic so strong now it was making the air throb- an attack of massive scale headed out toward the blonde that had already ceased moving and making any noise through the torture.
Hora felt something snap, her feet bringing her forward and all will to stay still just shattered in a single second- all she saw, all the heard- was Minerva, and the fire screaming inside of her to,
Kill
"MINERVA!!!"
Hora's voice was loud, and hate-filled, the name burning on her tongue and carrying easily through the box and across the Arena- but the only ones who heard that shout were among the likes of Dragon Slayers and God Slayers in the other Guilds. They all glanced up, some of them not recognizing the owner of the voice at all- but some did.
Natsu, Wendy and Sherria- they heard that voice and recognized it in an instant, even though it sounded strangely distorted and muffled to them, and for a moment their horror driven watching of the match faltered as they tried to pinpoint where she was.
Horatia
Gold Runes flashed across the open space above the railing of the Saber Box, a Spell placed and set up with deft hands and not a word by Rufus the instant he realized that Hora likely wouldn't keep herself in check any longer. A Spell that kept the volume and sound of her voice from making it passed the confines of the Box, so it would not reach either Minerva nor Jiemma's ears- her voice that was so icy and enraged, and he did not blame her.
SaberTooth's Lady was ruthless, and wicked- and she was handling that Fairy more harshly than was usually seen, and he and everyone else knew why. The sight of it curled their stomachs, made them cold- they did hate it, they wished it stop, but they held back still for fear.... fear that was lacking now in Hora as of late.
And again it came to them, that thought that they had all thought to themselves thousands and thousands of times;
This needs to stop
Everyone in the Saber Box jumped, their hearts leaping and panicked slightly as they saw Hora move- her voice ringing all around them and loud enough they winced, in her glittering eyes they saw that fire and sheer fervor erupt in her like it had that night she charged in to stay off Natsu's hand at the Inn. That fire and sudden determination and strength of will that had appeared in her so suddenly, out of nowhere even- and they had seen when she came back from her mission with the Fairy Tailers.
She started to move, ready to jump over the railing and head down into the Arena- and in all that anger and rage and determination, there was something darker too, something colder... malicious.
Murder
She never got very far, Sting placed himself between her and the railing as quickly as Rogue moved behind her and threw his arms around her, holding to her tightly and not letting her go even as his skin and clothes singed instantly from the contact with her body.
Her eyes caught glimpses of Minerva holding the limp form of Lucy outside of the water and by a cruel grip in her hair even as her movement was halted and Rogue held tight to her. Saw how bloody and bruised Lucy was and the wicked smirk on Minerva's face even as Rufus and Orga moved themselves in front of her just like Sting had, and blocked her view-
"Get her out of here, now." Sting ordered lowly, his eyes locking with Rogue's red ones, and the Shadow Dragon Slayer already ahead of his White Dragon counterpart.
Hora struggled against the pinning hold instantly, her anger bubbling higher in agitation and snapping out no few amount of curses as she felt herself yanked backward, almost sickeningly so- and the entire world got swallowed up in deep, pitch black before her very eyes.
Nothing but shadow, Rogue still holding so tightly on to her even as she snapped at him to let go.
"LUCY!!!!"
Everything was nauseating freefall for a few seconds, the sound of the Arena faded into a low drone and her world flipped on it's head- light bombarding her senses and her gaze after those fleeting moments, and she stepped forward, throwing Rogue's hands off roughly as her feet hit solid ground..... underground, in one of the deepest parts of the underway of the Colosseum. Both she and Rogue far, far away and below the Arena in the matter of a few instants- and all because he's pulled himself and her into the Shadows, and used his Magic to make them melt into the black and flit away.
She rounded on the Shadow Dragon Slayer, her arms encased now in the burning, inky black Markings and the air shuddering under the heat she gave off. Fire sparked from her person as she set her steely blue gaze on him, a stare that was so angry and burning it would have stopped any man's heart, and surely did his for a second or two- but he stayed where he was and stood tall, doing his best not to waver even under so much rage.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing?!" Hora snapped, her voice like venom and her fists clenched at her sides.
"Saving you from making a mistake." He replied lowly, Hora bared her teeth at him.
"Mistake!?" She shot back, fire sparking off her shoulders now as she stomped a foot into the ground hard enough to make the floor crack. "The only mistake I've made is putting up with Minerva's bullshit! And her bastard of a father too!" Hora snapped, her eyes flashing as Rogue grimaced- and her eyes narrowed when she realized where he had placed himself in this small little sideroom, right in front of the door.
That just made the fire burn brighter in her soul, and made her angrier.
"I am done, I'm not standing for their cruelty anymore! This needs to end!" Hora hissed, her eyes like flint as he held her blazing gaze as steady as he could- but honestly?
This much rage and anger in her was terrifying, the way the Markings kept stretching, reaching over her shoulders and crawling up her neck... the sheer light in her eyes, the darkness of her expression?
She looked less like the Hora he knew and more like someone else, someone evil
What walls she had kept up all these years to keep her anger at bay were gone now, they'd cracked after what Jiemma had done to her those three months ago, they'd been halved when she was out with the Fairy Tailers. And now they were barely a foot tall, after what had happened with Yukino, and Natsu at the Inn.
Fear or better sense or whatever that had always held her back for so, so many years was all but gone- and the pent-up anger, hurt, and outrage was spilling over so violently he wasn't sure he could contend with her if she got worked up enough. And Hora surely wasn't having any luck stemming the tide.... not that he was sure she was trying to hold herself back anymore.
She must have, right? Otherwise she wouldn't have stayed as quiet as she had through the Naval Battle... and she had to, otherwise knowing her, her Magic would have gotten out of hand enough by now to do more than make the air hot, or even just slightly singe his hands.
All through that match, through watching Minerva do that to the blonde Fairy- he hadn't been watching them, no. His eyes had been locked onto Hora and nothing else, seeing how hard she was shaking, how tight her grip on the railing was, how rigid her entire body had turned. Every second where her emotions were getting all the more out of hand and he kept his eyes locked onto her, waiting for when she finally did snap- he knew she would.
Because he understood how deeply Hora cared for everyone she knew, and everyone she ever dared to call Friend. She cared so much, more than people could ever fathom and she as so very, very loyal... and that loyalty and care for Lucy, for him, Sting, Lector, Frosch... for everyone in SaberTooth, and even for the Fairy Tailers- that that had already been rock solid was now all the stronger since she came back, and that care and loyalty had grown into something much fiercer than her will to keep herself in check, and just take everything she had from Minerva and Jiemma.
Rebel, stop it, fight back- speak up. The need to do that was more now than it ever had been, and as admirable (and even needed) as it was, doing that wasn't a good idea... and he knew that as well as she did, he knew that where no one else did, just why it wasn't something she could risk doing.
"You can't Hora, you know that." He grumbled lowly, her fists clenched harder at her sides. "If you go against Minerva or the Master, you will die! He almost killed you the last time you stood up for Fairy Tail, if you do something now he really will kill you- and probably without a second thought!"
"I'd like to see him fucking try!" She shot back instantly, a ring of fire spiraling up around her feet for a few seconds as he eyed the flames warily, but stayed in his spot regardless. "I'll turn the both of them into a pile of blackened goddamn bones before they even have a chance to try it!" She growled, the Markings stretching up to just under her left eye as her blazing gaze locked with his. "Even if I can't get rid of them before Jiemma tries anything, I'm not backing down! This bullshit has gone for years! Too goddamn long, and I am tired of living with this! What Minerva just did?! I can't let that go!!"
His hands came up to press against either side of the doorway, blocking her way just that little bit more as Hora settled him with a look so very, very icy- he felt shivers run down his spine at it.
"I'm not going to let you passed me, Hora." He told her lowly, "I'm not letting you run off to start a full on war with Minerva or Jiemma. I'm not letting you run off to get yourself killed!" He hissed, his jaw clenching as he shook his head once, and Hora just looked more enraged, her body angling slightly as she drew her hand back, and still he forced himself to stand still- ready to fight back if he had to.
"You might not care if you end up dead, but I do! I don't want to lose you, I will not let you die!"
His eyes instinctively snapped closed as Hora stepped up, her fist swinging forward toward him at breakneck speed and flame licking off her fingers- her teeth bared and eyes glittering as she swung out toward him in all her pent-up rage and anger and pain. He felt the heat in the room raise more than a few dozen degrees, a waft of it ramming into his face and his body and instantly making him sweat- he could hear the crackle of the fire in his ear, so close his hair must have been singing. Any second and-
The room shook, the air bouncing with a loud boom that went off somewhere behind him and the sound of stone cracking and crumbling rumbled all around him. The sound of fire washing out over everything was deafening, like it had turned into some great river, and he felt like a hot rod had been placed a few inches from his left cheek, but... that was it.
She... didn't hit me...?
His eyes snapped open, rigid in his spot and eyes wide as his attention found Hora a few inches from him, her fist raised but passed his face- she'd swung out but deliberately avoided hitting him at the last second (missing him by only half an inch or so), so that all the force and fire behind the hit streamed passed him and into the hallway he was still blocking off. A quick look behind him saw that the stone of the hallway wall directly behind him was crumbling into a huge mess, and all around that and about a good fifty feet down the corridor on the left and the right, everything was blackened and burned, ash and destruction still warm to the touch- and all of the sheer force not touching him, at all.
She'd halted, only about five inches between them and her entire body shaking from head to foot- he could hear her breathing trembling too, panting and high-strung as her head tilted down too much for him to see her face. He couldn't move, in the same instant relief slammed into him fear did too, because her other hand had come up to grab about the shirt over her chest as if she was in pain-
"Hora...?" He mumbled,
"Tch..... you... you should know better..... than to get in the way of a.... pissed off Devil Slayer......" Hora hissed, her voice so low and so shaky. Her fist retracted back toward her and away from him as she forced herself a few steps back, shaking her head several times and still clutching to her shirt. Her other hand moved up to press her palm against her forehead, turning away from him slightly and swallowing, hard.
"..... tch.... damn it!" She snapped hotly, her voice raising suddenly as he flinched at it a little. Her hands fell, holding on to eachother and gripping tight to her lower arms, Rogue watching in tense silence as the Markings shifted, and receded a little, moving from her cheek and her neck and stopping at her shoulders.
I... I was losing it again.....!
'..... you were incredibly worked up, I am surprised you refrained from hitting the Dargo Dragair Slajur just now.' Lixue commented lowly, his voice suddenly breaking though the haze of anger and hate that had risen up to swallow her so quickly. She stiffened on instinct to the sound of it, her eyes snapping open and on the floor as she sweatdropped.
Where were you...!?! Lixue?! You're the one that's supposed to help me with..!!
'.... you were angry enough you could not hear me.' Was the low reply, her stomach flipped a little. 'Even if you wish to hear me, if you get worked up enough to allow that Fire to get so wild, you will not hear me... it will drown me out, keep that in mind.'
S...shit....
"... tch..... I.... I just....." Hora hissed, Rogue swallowed a bit as his shoulders sagged slightly. Hora turned her back on him completely, her arms unhooking as she swung her fist forward into the wall and it caved in under the impact- her shoulders hunched and shaking still, but the burning sensation of the Markings got a little dimmer regardless.
But forcing herself to calm down again, forcing herself not to hit Rogue just then... it was agonizing, it was so goddamn hard.
"..... I worked with her!" Hora snapped, her head tilted down and her fists shaking against the stone she had decimated with little effort. "We worked together, we fought together! We ate together, traveled and looked after one another! She... She was so unbearably kind even when she'd already been told by the rest of her Guild what SaberTooth is like... what we've done to them in the Games before!" Her other hand moved, her palm pressing against the wall as she let her forehead fall against the stone lightly, it was cool against her skin.
".. I.... S.. she's my friend damn it! We are friends and Minerva just nearly... beat her to death! And I forced myself to just sit there and let it happen!" Hora hissed hotly, her voice quavering as Rogue grimaced a little. "I... I've been forcing myself to let Minerva and Jiemma just get away with everything! Everything! Every time they hurt me, or everyone else in the Guild.... I've fucking hated it! And I've still forced myself to do absolutely nothing!!"
His eyes dropped a little, a lump forming in his throat.
"How can I even all myself a friend to any of you even when I've been letting all of this go one for years?! After I've been lying to you and hiding everything for so god damn long?! After I've sat back and watched them do all of those things to any of you?!"
He'd asked the same thing, several times... more and more recently.
"..... I didn't care...... if I died.... I never have..... I just..... I want this to stop.... I want to stop it!" Hora snapped, her voice dropping as his heart lurched a little.
I.... I.... I don't.... want....
"..... I don't...... want to just..... watch any of you.... hurt like that... and not do anything.... not anymore...."
.... but I'm still......
"...... I don't want..... to..... a..and...... I don't want to..... turn into the monster.... my Magic.... makes me..... e..either........i....if..... I lose.... it........"
Rogue stepped forward a little, eyes wide and glittering as he heard her breathing hitch- and he saw the tears dropping to the floor at her feet.
She's crying again
"..... if.... if I.... l...lose it...... I'll be..... just as bad...... as them....... w.....worse....... b...because I've.... a.....already let...... a...all of this..... keep on.... for s...so long....!"
Her knees gave out on her and she sank to sitting on her heels, Rogue jumped and started forward toward her quickly- but drew up just behind her, his hand reaching out uncertainly.
".... I.... I just.... I want.... to protect everyone... I care for.... b....but....... I'm..... not good enough..... I'm not..... that person.... I can't...... be.... that person....... I wan......wanted........ to...... b.....be..... better than....... them..... be better...... than him..... b.....but I'm...... not........."
I'm just as bad... as all of them..... as Minerva... and Jiemma...... as Arden......
.... I've been letting the people I love just suffer for so long, and never doing a damn thing....!
She'd always been broken beyond repair, she'd always hated herself and hated what she was- hated what she failed to do and blamed herself for so much. She'd never been afraid of dying, because for a very long time death was all she wanted... because dying meant she could be free, on more than one account.
She was broken in so many ways and she had always hidden it, even when she was sad or in a bad place- she smiled and put on a face for everyone else... not unlike the face that the Guild put on for the world. Hers just hid how much pain and turmoil there was inside. How much horror and rage and heartbreak she had kept bottled up- and they still didn't know. Not about who she really was, where she came from. Not about her Parents, or her Brother, or Deliora... not about how she became this person either, with this curse of a Magic.
But since Jiemma had nearly beaten her to death, since she broke down and told them to leave- that face was shattered and they could see it now, how much it all hurt, how unsure she was.
How much pain there was
'.... you are much better than Arden.' Lixue told her softly, his tone gentle again where it had hardly ever been.
But she didn't want to hear it, she couldn't believe him.
"Don't say that." Rogue's suddenly firm voice made her jump, her eyes snapping open and glancing quickly backward toward him in surprise and question. He wasn't behind her anymore, he'd settled down on to his knees on her side and his hand fell on her back lightly, his red eyes glittering as he shook his head at her.
"You are nothing like them, either of them. You don't hurt people just to cause pain, you are not indifferent to the things that go on- you want nothing more than to help people, and you hurt when you can't." Rogue told her lowly, steadily. "Jiemma is cruel beyond words, he doesn't care what pain he inflicts and he's not afraid to take lives to satisfy his own interests. You're kind and you are gentle, you've showed compassion for everyone in the Guild and outside of it with ease, and you would never take a life as easily as he does. You are nothing like him." He leaned in a little as his eyes flashed, and Hora sucked in a breath and held it.
"Minerva doesn't hesitate to harm other people, she's amused by it. But you aren't like that, you'd never hurt anyone and enjoy doing it. You are kind and loyal and you've only ever done your best to try and protect us, even if that meant holding yourself back. Don't ever say you're someone who hurts and betrays other people, you are nothing like that."
Hora's eyes flashed, glimmering still as tears fell down her cheeks without end and her breathing didn't even out all that much either- not even as he said his piece.
"Hora, the fact that you are so worked up and regretful about forcing yourself to stand by all these years, just proves you are a good person." Rogue murmured, "And as it is, you've had little choice on the matter. You'd be risking your life if you'd fought back against Jiemma... We don't expect you to die for us, we would never want you to. We want you here, as our friend, alive and safe."
Alive and safe.... But what does safe mean when the Guild is being run by Minerva and Jiemma?
She sniffed, her eyes falling from him and into her hands as she held her breath again, and her chest felt like it was on fire.... like her lungs burning from the inside out all over again.
She shut her eyes tight against the sudden stab of pain through her center, cringing against it- and the hurt, the emotional turmoil, the anger....
.... And what small spark of warmth there was in her heart, gentle, soft warmth that came to life with what he said, and even with the contact of his hand on her back. Appreciation seemed the closest word to describe it.
But she couldn't find a way to really listen to him, regardless.... Not all the way
I know what I've done is wrong, letting all this bullshit go on for years.... I should have tried to stop it a long, long time ago
Her jaw clenched against the pain, eyes shutting tighter as she let out a hot breath that was more shaky than she or Rogue liked.
"... Hora...?!" Rogue murmured quickly, immediately aware of the show of pain.
"....tch...... Graaaahhhh!!" She snapped hotly, her voice a growl and non-coherent words- just aggravated noise as she brought her hands up and smacked her palms against her cheeks a little roughly, Rogue jumped.
"I fucking hate crying!" She hissed, shaking her head with her face still in her hands and looking less panicked now and just more annoyed. She rubbed at her eyes, grumbling and cursing several choice things under her breath as she did her best to wipe away the moisture- whilst also gaining hold of herself again.
I got worked up... Way too fucking fast!
And I still feel like I wanna kill.. Minerva....!!
FUCKING DAMN IT ALL
She rounded on Rogue, her hands in her lap and scowling as he recoiled slightly- his hands raising in front of him in surrender almost as he sweatdropped.
"H-Hora..." he started, but her glittering blue gaze found his hands and not his face- and she stiffened, her face filled faintly with pain and guilt.
"... I burned you..." She mumbled, her voice tense as Rogue faltered for a second. He sweatdropped, his stomach knotting slightly as he moved to lower his hands and take them from her direct view- only to halt when her hands moved up and hooked around his wrists with the utmost amount of gentleness and care.
I did it again, just like when Yukino grabbed me.... d...damn it...
Her shoulders hunched a little, her eyes flashing as she bit back at what stinging sensation and sharp, agony reared it's head in her heart.
... d... damn me.... I keep hurting them... and I can't even.... do anything about it... not with that god damned...
She let out a low breath, every fiber of her being hoping, wishing... yearning.... that it came out somehow different from the trembling, shaky, hot breath it was.
Not what she wanted... never what she wanted.
"... it's not that bad, I'm okay." Rogue assured quietly, she hated how gentle he made his voice in that instant.... hated that he didn't sound miffed or angry about it, because she was.
She hated herself for it
"Hora." Rogue murmured, his voice a bit firmer now as her eyes slowly matched with his, a grimace pulling at her lips and her expression so guilty. "Really, you didn't hurt me badly. It's little more than a sunburn, I'm fine, I promise." He assured gently, a moment passing before he gave her a soft smile. "Besides, I can't complain- you could have punched me in the face five minutes ago, but you refrained. Thanks for that, by the way- I probably should know better by now than to get in the way of a 'pissed off Devil Slayer'....."
It was his attempt at lightening the mood a little, but it honestly didn't help that much, but she forced a small smile anyway.
"... I'm sorry....." She mumbled softly, he shook his head a little.
"It's alright." He assured quietly, one of his (singed) hands falling gently on her head.
No, its really not
His soft smile faded a bit, tenseness creeping into his expression as Hora felt her heart clench.
"..... We should probably get back, in case Minerva thinks something is..." He started, but trailed off when Hora stiffened, her eyes glinting darkly at the name as her lips curled slightly.
She knew he had a point, but her tolerance for doing what was 'acceptable' according to Minerva and Jiemma's standards was incredibly low now.
There was nothing she wanted to do less than go back up to that box and sit in it with Minerva.
But damned if she had any real choice
".... Tch.... Fine." Hora growled, her eyes flashing as her hands clenched into fists in her lap. Her eyes dropped from him and closed as her shoulders hunched a little, "... Just.... Give me a minute." She grumbled, Rogue nodded slightly.
Hora forced herself a breath, her hand moving up and Magic flaring as she pushed her hand into the Magic Circle that appeared beside her in air. She reached in, her fingers curling around a pen and a few pieces of paper courtesy of Requip- a bit of taking note from Ira, actually. To store up some writing and drawing material in her Requip- which she likely should have started doing a long time ago....
She hated the way her hand was shaking when she pulled it out, she swallowed back at it as she leaned over and started marking across the top paper quickly. Rogue sat across from her, his eyes glittering as he watched her work away, almost fixed.
In little time at all there came into being the form of a small, round little bird. Small enough it could fit in the palm of her hand when given life, with a small trail of feathers for its tail.
She brushed that piece of paper aside and drew the pen over the next paper, the tip barely a smidge above the surface and her hand... Hesitated, trembling, tense.
She gulped a little, her eyes flashing as she felt them sting a little- and her heart felt like her heart cracked a little more.
Rogue grimaced, watching her hand hesitate, feeling almost for himself how much pain and guilt and regret there swirled inside of her in the next few instances. That woman he knew to be fearless and strong-willed was quite, scared, and so, so broken... And for the first time in near a decade, just lately- he was able to see it.
Hora...
She shut her eyes tight against the sting of tears threatening to make another appearance even though she tried so hard to just... No
Her breathing hitched a little and she held it, cursing herself and Minerva and Jiemma all silently in her head as she scribbled down a few words, and hated more how shaky the letters came out.... She just couldn't keep her hand steady.
She folded the paper up and tossed the one with the bird into the air, lighting it on fire in one fluid motion and giving life to the illustration. Embers and bits of flame fell from it wings and feathers like a soft rain, it chirped once as she lift the folded paper in hand- and it took it from her with little a sound.
Hora didn't say anything, the bird simply turned in air and fluttered off quickly- leaving herself and Rogue in a silent, tense room all alone as their ears trained to the sound of the wingbeats getting farther away.
Rogue broke the stillness, offering a hand to Hora to pull her up off the floor, their hands never separating as their eyes matched.
The sound of the Firebird's wings faded into nothing as both Saber Wizards stayed still in that room a few seconds more- the Announcer's voice reaching them from far, far above.
"-we have an Announcement! Pending Raven Tail's disqualification, the GMG's Guild Battles have earned an odd number of participating teams! To combat this, the Games Administration have decided that Fairy Tail Team A and B will combine to create one single team! Team Fairy Tail will keep Team A's 35 Points!"
Hora hardly heard the announcement, and she didn't bother to even pay any attention to what announcement came next- she never heard the crowds get louder, seeing for themselves who made up Team Fairy Tail and the Announcer not bothering to call out the names of people everyone has already been watching for days.... her ears were trained on to the sound of the firebird even if it got so, so far.... Even when her world got swallowed up in pitch black and it felt like the ground sank under her feet.
She strained with everything she had to hear the wings and the flicker of fire and ember from that small, paper bird she had given life even as Rogue pulled her and himself back into the shadows and back up toward the Saber Box before Minerva realized they had ever left.
She stood still in that box, stiff as a board and expressionless, silent- ignoring the looks she earned from Rufus, Sting, Orga and the Exceeds.... Her hands clenching at her sides as she felt that dark gaze of Minerva shift over toward her, piercing and steady and searching- waiting and looking for some reaction to what she'd done with Lucy, but Hora never let their eyes match. If they did she wasn't sure she could hold herself back, or quench what burning inferno of rage was still swirling inside.
She kept listening, searching for sound of that bird as she only held herself back and together and quiet by a hair's width. Her heart a million pieces and guilt tearing at her so incessantly, anger biting at her heels and hatred settled so deep in her stomach it was sickening.
It was like the world faded into nothing, and she couldn't find the sound of its wings again.... It was just silent. She heard nothing, and saw nothing even as her eyes locked on to the Arena. The people on the Arena floor were moving, fighting- Blue Pegasus and Quatro Puppy going head to head just didn't register for her.... It just... Couldn't, right then.
What Minerva did... It.... I can't anymore
'I understand, Horatia..... Truly.' Lixue broke in softly, his voice in her head near the only sound she heard... It was like everything went quiet, and fell deaf on her ears. What little she could hear from him was just... Her own pounding heart.
.... Do you....? I just.... I can't live like this anymore, Lixue..... I was willing to let myself get killed, if only to... Do something
Anything
He didn't reply, so she just stood there, watching without seeing, listening without hearing.... Stuck in her spot and hardly breathing, practically feeling the weight of that chain that had been clapped around her neck and her soul for over ten years now.
Stuck smack dab in the middle of her own life that felt like it was starting to spiral out of control... Slowly but surely dragging her down into some level of chaos she didn't want to get swallowed up by. Madness and terrible, terrible dread- that even after what happened with Lucy... That bad feeling, and foreboding still had not gone away. She was still....
... Trapped and useless, powerless.... Slave
That bird she had given life flitted away through the labyrinth of hallways and underways in the Colosseum, drawing farther from the destruction let loose by Hora in her anger and hurt, the folded piece of paper in its beak and knowing exactly where it was it was going.
It fluttered through corridor after corridor, leaving a glittering orange and red rain of embers and bits of flame behind it.... Drawing closer and closer toward a slightly ajar door and a room that was quiet, but not empty.
Wendy's head tilted toward the door, her nose twitching and alert as she heard sound of wings- and smelled fire and smoke and ash.... And something sweeter, and cooler mixed in. Something that smelled as familiar as Natsu, but not quite.
The Young Dragon Slayer shifted slightly in her seat beside the bed, eyes glittering as her attention found the small, soft red and orange glow from some strange creature that darted into the room with little a noise. Carla and Porlyusica perked up, their eyes snapping toward it too and sweatdropping slightly- a few split seconds of tenseness passing over the room as the three girls quickly tried to decide if it was a threat or not.
The beaten, bandaged blonde that had been dozing in the bed in front of Wendy stirred, her hands still holding to the bundle of Keys that had been returned her. Her glazed eyes shone slightly as she caught sight of that paper bird bleeding flame and ember, her eyes widening wearily as she spotted the folded piece of paper in the Firebird's beak.
The small creature fluttered forward toward the bed with ease, Wendy standing up from her chair and slightly tense as she moved into something of a suddenly defensive posture. Carla echoed her Partner and Porlyusica grimaced as she took a small step forward from her place on the opposite end of the room,
"Wait." Lucy murmured quickly, her voice soft as Wendy and Carla blinked in surprise. Wendy sweatdropped, shifting sideways a bit as the bird passed her by and a rain of fire and flame fell over her head- warm but not burning.... almost like soft snow.
Wendy's eyes flashed, widening slightly as her nose twitched a few more times, and her heart jumped a little.
That smell.... it had to belong to her, that same woman who's voice Wendy swore she heard when-
".... i... is that Horatia's Magic...?" Wendy murmured breathlessly, almost awed- Carla and Porlyusica stiffened in surprise at the question from the bluenette.
The creature hovered to a halt beside Lucy, the Celestial Mage's hand moving up to take the letter from it weakly. The Firebird chirped softly, hovering instead over the nightstand by the bed for a few seconds as Lucy's hands fumbled slightly, slowly unfolding the paper in air above her as her eyes trailed along words written by a hand that had clearly been shaking as much as her own.
Lucy's swallowed, her eyes flashing as sadness pulled across her face and small specks of moisture pecked at the edges of her eyes. Wendy and Carla blinked, sweatdropping a little as they saw the way Lucy seemed to tense, and Porlyusica's eyes narrowed to slits.
"... oh... Hora..." Lucy breathed,
'I am so sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen, I tried to warn you guys, but... I just...... I hated watching her.......'
The words that came next got scratched out, and further down the small note simply ended with;
'I'm so sorry.'
The Firebird chirped one last time, before the fire licking at it's body finally started to eat it- and in a flash if brilliant red-orange, it was gone entirely.
Lucy let the letter fall on to her chest with her Keys, her eyes dropping closed as she let out a small sigh.
.... It's not your fault....
Hora hardly registered Lamia Scale Vs. Mermaid Heel, what little of it that managed through what deafening haze she seemed to have fallen into was the realization that Lyon was fighting..... But even then she didn't really catch any of the battle itself.
I just... I can't
After half an hour, there was only a tie between Lamia and Mermaid, and the competitors left the Arena with little a word... and Hora let her eyes drop closed.
That foreboding, unending dread sharpened into a fine point... some deep shadow lurking at the edge of her mind and her soul. A precursor that stalked her, a symbol of things in her life continuing in down toward some chasm of total insanity.
What else could possibly-
"Next up! A true battle of the Ages! Folks, today you'll have the pleasure of watching four Dragon Slayers duke it out! Our final battle for the day will be Fairy Tail's Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox against SaberTooth's Sting Eucliffe, and Rogue Cheney!"
The world and all sound suddenly cascaded down on her ears for the first time in what felt like forever- and her heart dropped with it.
Her eyes snapped open, her body going rigid and forgetting entirely how to breath. She felt her reaction mirrored in most everyone around her, surprise and shock and worry- and small, almost undetectable hints of excitement too... but only just.
Hora swallowed slightly, her eyes narrowed to slits and sweatdropping as terror and panic hit her faster than a Mage with Speed Magic.... and she hated it.
Sting and Rogue shifted, Sting smirking slightly and Rogue with a poker-face, cool and collected at the announcement- but Hora could see the worry, hidden deep down maybe.... but there.
And why not?
Gajeel and Natsu were the two people that Sting and Rogue looked up to when they were growing up. Those two were idols to the Sabers, always had been- and there was this need and drive to test themselves against their predecessors and prove themselves. A fight against them was just what they wanted, and had dreamed to do for so long- but even that got weighed down now.
Because Fairy Tail was much stronger than anyone anticipated, yesterday's events had proven that. Natsu had always been an incredible Mage, and Gajeel too- they were not to be taken lightly, and fighting them wasn't going to be easy.
There was a chance that Sabers would bend to Fairies... and right now, allowing that to happen?
That was as good as a death sentence in Jiemma and Minerva's eyes.
And they knew that.. they all knew that.
-Shit....
Lector and Frosch bristled slightly, worry breaking through their expressions for a fleeting few seconds before they pushed all that aside and smiled.
"Yeah, you go get um Sting-kun!" Lector cheered, his defense of his Partner flaring in no time at all. "Show that Salamander who's Boss!" Sting smirked at that,
"Rogue will do his best too!" Frosch purred brightly, earning a soft smile and a nod from the Shadow Dragon Slayer.
"Indeed, show them the true might of SaberTooth's Twin Dragons." Rufus murmured coolly,
"Kick their asses." Orga smirked,
"I'm sure you won't disappoint." Minerva smiled, but it was nothing but ice and barely shadowed threat, the Dragon Slayers nodded a bit.
"Of course not, My Lady." They murmured in unison,
Hora felt their eyes turn on her, though hers had never left the Arena floor even as sound and reality crashed back down. She knew they were looking for her to say something, be the person they were used to- and quite frankly, needed.
That optimistic, supportive Hora who always smiled at them and showed how much she believed in them, and their Power..... the one who'd never doubt them, and who would at the very least- make sure they knew it was okay to muck up sometimes.
Not this time, they couldn't muck up.... that was a risk that even the favorites of SaberTooth could not afford, not now.
But damn it-
She bit back the panic and the worry and the doubt, forcing it down to some section of herself that they wouldn't be able to see. She pushed away all of that, even though she knew she couldn't look at them and be exactly what they wanted.
Her eyes locked on to both Sting and Rogue, deep blue gaze glittering and hard as her entire countenance seemed to straighten. They blinked, a little taken aback by how suddenly firm and resolute she seemed out of nowhere- and she didn't smile, she just looked at them with an expression that was so steady and calm.
"Give it your all, both of you." Hora said steadily, they sweatdropped at it.
Even if.... If you lose....
She nodded at them, her chest felt so heavy and her heart too- but she stayed steady anyway. She had to, for them, for Lector and Frosch, and Rufus and Orga. If anyone in that box needed to look so steady and sure in that instant, it had to be her.... Even when it was the hardest for her to do.
"Everything you have, your strength and your skill- all of it." She went on,
Your heart and your convictions, and your feelings too....
"Give it all you have, it'll be enough." She told them firmly, her eyes flashing as they blinked a little in faint awe- because how... how did she look so sure of that?
No matter what happens.... you are enough.
How did it make the worry in their hearts melt...?
Sting and Rogue nodded firmly, their expressions hardening in tandem with her own sudden steadiness.
"Right."
'... you really wish to believe that.' Lixue mumbled softly, sadly almost as she watched those two Dragon Slayers head away to enter the Arena. Hora glanced back toward the Arena floor, Frosch and Lector setting themselves in front of her on the railing and their tails brushing against her arms.
No, I don't wish anything.... I do believe that. They are enough.
'.... then you simply wish that things will work out.' Lixue breathed, she swallowed.
I hope they.... I need them too... but....
'.... yes, this dread.... I feel it too.' Lixue murmured gravely, '..... something dark is still lurking.... like some incoming catastrophe.'
Cheery thought.... but she had a feeling he was right.
Hora sweatdropped, her eyes falling on the figures of Natsu and Gajeel as they walked out into the Arena amidst a roar of approval from all around. She stiffened, Natsu's head tilting slightly as she saw his eyes cast sideways- and his onyx gaze locked with her dark blue one, both of them, tense, and quiet- his though, it was searching.
She dropped her gaze from him, biting the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood as guilt slammed into her, regret too.
S...shit.... I......
She took in a silent breath, her eyes flashing as she crossed her arms over her chest- her attention trailed up toward the sky.
..... Brother..... Mom... Dad..... if you're up there.... somewhere..... listening... and seeing... this.....
Her heart lurched hard enough she cringed inwardly at the onslaught of despair and hurt that was as raw as... that day.
...... if you somehow.... know..... and are even bothering to.... keep an eye on me anymore.... please.
She hated herself, doing this.... she'd..... she'd done it more than she cared to admit.... and for things she hated herself for ever thinking, feeling.... considering.
'Still praying to lost souls, Horatia....? To those long since claimed and dead.... gone from this plane........' Lixue hummed, '.... hmm..... many would say it's useless.... but....... perhaps in some way.... even the dead can still watch.... and hear...... and touch... in some way.....'
She wasn't sure if she believed that were true, but she wanted to. At least... she'd never stopped doing it, as 'useless' as it probably was.
..... if Lixue is right.... and somehow you know...... please..... please do what you can, anything you can.... we need help.... we need..... I need.....
Her grip on her arms tightened a little as a bird flew across the sky above them, and the Arena got louder as Sting and Rogue walked out.
.... I need some way.... to just...... make it through all of this..... with everyone in one piece.... alive.... safe..... please..... I'm just......
Her eyes fell closed as her jaw clenched.
.... I don't know what to do anymore..... I'm.....
She could feel Minerva's stare on the floor without seeing, she could feel the heaviness and the pressure from somewhere up above and in the stands from where Master Jiemma was watching. She could feel the malice and the piercing, throbbing power from those two so hellbent on victory- no matter the cost, and it never.... it had never chilled her more than it did just then.
.... scared....
"LET THE MATCH BEGIN!"
The gong rang around the Arena, Hora's eyes opened to watch as both Sting and Rogue tensed as they started to get ready and move forward- Hora sweatdropped even more when she realized that both Gajeel and Natsu were already moving.... fast as hell, and with not a split second to spare as the gong got hit.
She needn't see Rogue and Sting's faces to know they were caught off guard by the speed, and she flinched slightly when both boys were suddenly blown backward by a heavy hit from Natsu and Gajeel both.
She felt everyone in the Box around her, even Minerva- all of them stiffened as their eyes went wide in shock.
Rogue and Sting slid back across the Arena floor, but they hadn't anytime to even steady themselves before they were rushed down upon- again.
"...h...huh...?" Lector stammered softly, Hora's eyes narrowed to slits as her jaw clenched harder.
Natsu's gotten faster...
"White Dragon Roar!"
"Shadow Dragon Wing Slash!"
- Neither of which made hardly a dent against the Fairy Tailers, and Hora felt her stomach knot further.
Rogue got thrown by Gajeel with a hit that was hard enough she heard it, she grimaced as Natsu's hand snapped on to Rogue's arm with a steely grip as the darker haired man was in air, fire licking at the pinkette's body as he swung Rogue around like a doll- and slammed him into Sting in a sudden explosive wash of brilliant red and orange.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Slash!"
"W-What?!"
"What is happening?! SaberTooth's Twin Dragon Slayers are being pressured!"
Sting and Rogue huffed, pulling themselves to their feet and eyes glittering as they faced those they had idolized for so long- Rogue with a fire in his heart just as Sting, but the White Dragon Slayer was the only one of the two smiling. As what was dictated by those faces they always put up.
"Heh... you're just as strong as I imagined." Sting chuckled quietly, his voice was almost lost to her under all the cheering and roaring of the crowd. The blonde smirked a bit more, his expression softening just faintly and only enough that Natsu saw it- and paused. "Heh, you'd have to be- to have her vouch for you, Salamander."
Natsu blinked, sweatdropping slightly as Gajeel's eyes narrowed at the way Rogue's pokerface melted so faintly into something... sad, and somber then. A small crack and change in their outward personalities to all the world so suddenly, and only because they could not be seen clearly nor heard by the crowds or anyone else- what with all the noise and the clouds of dust swirling all around them from the conflict and fire Natsu let loose.
It was only for a few fleeting seconds, that arrogant and crude shell of the Sting Eucliffe was gone and his real side shown through, a sort of softness falling in him when he said that- her.
The one word and the one person, the same thing that had Rogue's pokerface melting for those few seconds too- and both Gajeel and Natsu saw it, and were surprised by it- but only slightly in the latter. Natsu had seen it already, the tears and cracks in the SaberTooth Guild and what people they were for the outside world- the worst, most harsh and merciless version of them... that just wasn't them.
He was seeing it more and more now, more easily... he'd seen it that first time, when she stepped in to stop a fight between them. He'd seen it again when he stormed their Inn and when he questioned what their Master had one- and once more he saw it... saw them, when the Naval Battle went on.
Pain and fear and regret.... People who weren't what they tried so hard to make the world see them as.
But this time someone else saw it too, and Gajeel found himself searching those two Dragon Slayers- before his red eyes snapped toward Natsu and what unsurprised expression the pinkette had. The way Natsu seemed to just know what it was Sting meant when the blonde said that;
Her
And then in the next few seconds as the dust cleared all the way, Sting's expression hardened and twisted into arrogance again- and Rogue's pokerfaced and dead eyes resumed.
But why do they change, and hide?
"Let's go, we'll show you the power that kills Dragons." Sting growled, bravado flaring as Natsu frowned slightly.
Master is watching, and so is Minerva
"White Drive."
"Shadow Drive."
"They're in a win pattern now!" Lector purred,
"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch echoed, Hora blinked.
Dread still
For the next five minutes, Sting and Rogue had the upper hand- they dove around the Arena floor at renewed, breakneck speed and strength. Power surging and throbbing in their bodies and at their fingertips, both of them alive in sudden life and vigor- and it was Natsu and Gajeel's turn to be driven back.
And then it turned again, and Sting and Rogue got their blows returned in full- not enough to break them, but enough to hurt... and Hora hurt with them.
Sting stepped sideways, catching himself and staying upright as Natsu's fist slammed into his jaw- it hurt like hell, yes... but he was having the time of his life. And in his own way, Rogue was enjoying the spar too... and would be enjoying it all the more if-
"Heh, you guys are amazing, no doubt." Sting chuckled, his feet sliding across the ground as he pulled himself into stance- and white light began to swirl around him. "Looks like I'm gonna have to step it up a notch! I've always wanted to surpass you, and today's the day!"
Hora's eyes glittered, Rogue's body streaming in black and red eyes glittering as he pushed himself forward harder just as Sting was.
Give it our all
"White Dragon Secret Art;" Sting hissed, his feet pushing against the ground in insane speed as he ran straight at Natsu- who simply watched.
"Holy Nova!!"
The arena shook, a massive beam of light swinging in tandem with Sting's fist as the floor disappeared in a sudden explosive dome of pure, blinding white.
It was good, he was good... they were both good-
Rogue swung out as he drew up to Gajeel, he was throbbing with power and streaming in pure, jet black that matched those devilish Markings that plagued her skin.
-both of them, so, so strong....
The white faded and the crowds went stiff, Orga's jaw dropped in the same instant that Lector's did- and Rufus' placid, cool expression shattered in shock and awe.
Hora's heart felt like it got torn in two
Natsu held fast to Sting's fist, standing tall and firm in his spot even despite the devastation- he looked like he hadn't been touched, and Sting's demeanor broke too, in complete and utter shock.
"He blocked it that easily?!" Lector bristled,
"You gotta be kidding me, right?" Orga hissed,
".... this wasn't recorded in my memories.." Rufus mumbled,
Gajeel's fist swung forward and caught Rogue in the chin, knocking the Shadow Dragon Slayer across the yard with so much force it was painful to see.
"R-Rogue...?" Frosch stammered, Hora's eyes dropped closed as Natsu threw Sting away too.
"U-Unbelievable!! The Levels are just... far too different!!" The Announcer trilled, "T-These developments! Who could have expected this!?! SaberTooth's Twin Dragons can't even lift a finger before Fairy Tail!! Will the Match end like this?!?"
No.... because I know that wasn't near all they have
"Tch..... as if it would end here...." Rogue grumbled,
"Yeah... we knew this wasn't gonna be somethin' to win easy." Sting grumbled, his hand drawing across his chin as he wiped away the blood.
We have to give it our all... we have to be enough
"We can't lose." Rogue and Sting muttered lowly, their gazes hardening as the air shifted.
Sting shone like a beacon of pure white, sterling pearl markings stretching across his skin as Rogue was swallowed in pitch black, inky markings of a jet colored hue stretching over his skin- both of them like the center of some massive, heavy, reverberating storm of pure, unrelenting force.
"Hmm, quake before the true power of the Third Generation." Minerva murmured coldly, her lips a sickly sweet smile.
'.... Dragon Force at will...' Lixue muttered,
"Stay back Rogue," Sting murmured as he stepped forward ahead of the darker haired man. Rogue stiffened, his eyes flashing as he shot the White Dragon Slayer a warning look- and the blonde cast a glance over his shoulder, giving Rogue a slightly exasperated smile that only the Shadow Dragon Slayer saw.
After all of that, they had to do something to make this battle seem less even-sided.... they both knew that.
So- put on that face again, for all the world to see.... ... for Master and Minerva to see...
"I will be enough to take them down." Sting smirked, his attention catching Natsu and Gajeel's again- both Fairy Tailers gave him a stare that was searching, and Sting ignored it.
Without warning Sting had launched forward, his speed and power not only doubled now in Dragon Force- but damned near ten times as Powerful, a sudden leap in level that not even Gajeel and Natsu were ready for. Sting dodged around the both of them, a white blur and hitting both of them with Magic and fists so strong they were soon ragged and bleeding- the White Dragon too fast for either to block or dodge, or even really think about doing so.
Dominating in the matter of a few seconds... true power in him, hidden for most of the world- but not now.
Not today, not with things like this
To Natsu's credit, he did manage to swing a flaming fist at Sting, but only received a kick in the gut that knocked the air out of him. Before Natsu could be thrown away, Sting grabbed onto the back of his shirt and flung him at Gajeel, causing the two to crash into each other in near the same manner that Natsu had earlier thrown Rogue into Sting.
Sting jumped, pushing himself off the ground and high into the air as the Fairy Tailers wheezed- and he sucked in a sharp breath of air, in a gesture all too familiar.
"White Dragon's;" Sting hissed and his head snapped down to face the Arena.
"ROAR!"
The entire arena was engulfed in the light of his Roar, and the arena shook as the floor of it caved in from the sheer force and scope of the attack under the effects of Dragon Force. Natsu and Gajeel were sent down, and Sting rushed after them.
"The match is still continuing! Please enjoy it via Lacrima vision!" The Announcer broke in as the screens appeared to aid in viewing the three Dragons that could no longer be seen from the stands.
"Its not over yet!" Natsu snapped, twisting in air as he crouched down on one of the falling pieces of earth.
"Fire Dragon's..." The earth Natsu was standing on was shattered as he pushed off of it with amazing force and hit Sting in the stomach with his head, looking like a flaming rocket. "Sword Horn!"
Gajeel appeared above Sting in an instant, "Iron Dragon Roar!" Sting was hit by the spinning tornado of Iron Magic, sent streaming toward the bottom of the hole in the Arena floor. But he landed on his feet, not at all fazed by the retaliation and all the more thrilled with it- smirking as his hands lift in a gesture few knew, like Hora did.
He's never fought so hard.... and it's for you, Natsu.... and for us too.
"The Brilliance of the White Dragon Purifies all things." Sting growled, Lector was beaming as he watched his Partner work.
"Holy Ray!"
Hundreds of streams of light lunged at Natsu and Gajeel, hitting the two dead-on, here, there and everywhere all over their bodies as their cries of pain got lost to the sound of the ensuing destruction.
Natsu struggled to stay on his feet, bloody and bruised as Gajeel hit the floor with a thud- his eyes went wide as Sting appeared in front of him in seconds, the blonde's fist swinging forward. The contact sent off a sonic wave of pure force, and the Fire Dragon Slayer was sent flying into a bit of wall and cavern and earth that was decimated by the simple force of his body smashing into it.
Not even Natsu could block that.....
Things came to a sudden standstill as Fairy Tail Mages lay on the ground, unmoving. There was not a soul in the whole of that Arena who was still, or quiet- they were all amazed, aghast and stunned- not a single person in the whole of Crocus was not watching that fight... that power.
"..... Times Change." Rogue murmured as he stood above Sting, looking down at the two defeated Fairy Tail Mages from a perch above the caved-in Arena floor. Sting's head twitched slightly at the sound of Rogue's voice, and the Shadow Dragon Slayer's pokerface broke a little as he seemed to deflate.... almost remorseful, in a way.
Those two Fairies were what they aspired to be... and to beat, but seeing it.... it was different.
".... In seven years we became real Dragon Slayers..... and now it looks like the old generation's Era is over." Rogue mumbled softly, Sting's ears catching the soft words with ease as he sighed- and his Magic faded into nothing of his own volition.
"Yeah." Sting replied, his hands falling on his hips and smile gone now. He looked somber too, like Rogue- though no one could see it. "But you were strong... Natsu...Gajeel." Sting murmured with a small smile, his eyes glittering.
You were what we wanted to be
"Hell yeah~!" Lector smirked,
"That was great!" Frosch purred,
Hora's eyes flashed, her shoulders sagging slightly as she felt a huge fraction of her worry and panic just disappear... even if there was a newfound sense of remorse in her too.
Sorry Flame-Brain..... I do want Fairy Tail to do well... but.....
"IS THE MATCH OVER!?" The announcer shouted, "T-THIS IS-?!?!"
"Wait a minute!"
Hora's heart skipped a beat, her eyes going wide and forgetting to breath as- all at once- both Gajeel and Natsu jumped to their feet, standing tall and firm almost as if it was like Sting had never hit them.
Sting and Rogue were just as stricken by it as she was... everyone was.
... you.... are kidding....? After all of that... having Sting throw his all into Dragon Force....?
Natsu and Gajeel grumbled, looking miffed and rolling their shoulders- both letting out huffs.
"Oww.." Natsu mumbled as he tilted his head and his neck cracked.
"He's better than I thought." Gajeel muttered.
"Yeah..." Natsu mumbled but smiled slightly at the frozen and speechless Sting who stood before the two, eyes wide in shock, Rogue was the same way, and Hora, Lector, Frosch- everyone.
"But, I found out all of your habits." Natsu smirked.
She felt that huge fraction of her worry and panic that had melted suddenly get reborn anew and fall a thousand times heavier over her soul, she couldn't breath, she was suffocating...... shocked..... terrified....
..... s...shit.....
"What?!" Sting stammered, sweating up a storm now.
"Yeah, the timing of your attacks, your pose when you're defending yourself, even the rhythm of your breathing." Natsu told him lightly, waving a hand at him slightly- Sting scowled.
"N-no way....! There's no way in hell you could tell that when I'm using Dragon Force....!" Sting retorted as he swung a hand out at the pinkette almost dismissively. Natsu just smiled a bit more,
"Oh yeah, that's some great power ya got there man.... I'm hurting all over." Natsu chuckled at him. "But either way, I still figured ya out. Like when you attack, you turn on your pivot leg to 11 o' clock."
"No, its 10 o' clock." Gajeel cut in.
"Its 11." Natsu said back instantly, and earned a glare from Gajeel.
"10!"
"11!"
"Tch, whatever! Then lets say its 10:30, its not 11!" Gajeel snapped.
"Its 11! Or 23!" Natsu hissed back.
"That's a whole other turn!"
Hora sweatdropped, her jaw dropping slightly as she blinked at the sudden argument and how.... how like him, it was. It was exactly like him, even as Natsu and Gajeel started shoving eachother back and forth and the Fairy/Tiger Battle got completely sidetracked.
"Shut up!" Natsu yelled as he shoved Gajeel back, causing the Iron Dragon Slayer to back into a cart(?!) and fall into it, as his arm hit the break-switch and he took off down a set of tracks leading away from where they were and further into.... wait, that cave-in looks like a literal cave-in!
Is there a fucking cave under the Colosseum....?!
"Hey! You little... ugh..." Gajeel yelled but trailed off as he let out a groan, his image on the screens got lost as the cart went faster and he disappeared down a tunnel and out of sight. Natsu smiled widely, turning back toward Sting who looked lost.
"Hihi..." Natsu snickered and Sting and Rogue just stared.
".... What ... what the hell are you doing?" Sting muttered breathlessly, Natsu smirked.
"Well- since you underestimated me, I have to reply." Natsu replied with ease, his grin fading into a firm, serious little smile and raising a hand as his flames flickered off his fingers to spell out the words 'come on'.
"I'll be enough." Natsu murmured lowly- mimicking exactly what Sting had said earlier in his little show of face and 'bravado', and the blonde visibly blanched at it- Natsu only kept on with that smile. "Come on! Both of you!"
Sting and Rogue stiffened at the words, their worlds shuddering to a confused, wild half-halt as the battle turned in a way they never expected- ever, and no one else looked like they believed it any more than they did.
Hora didn't... but maybe.... she had to.....
That... dread...
"Are you fired up now?" Natsu asked, Hora's heart fell into her feet, and her conviction shattered into a million pieces- never to be picked up again, not that day.
And she hated herself for it- because in the next instant, somehow... she didn't know how-
She just... she knew... she could hear it, in his voice- see it, written all over him, in his posture and his face and his eyes.. and in that damn fire too.
For all her wanting and wishing and hoping she could be that person- that optimistic person with all the faith in the world for them.... and she did, she really did. There were no two people in all the world she believed in more than she did those two Dragon Slayers down there, she'd stake her life on them and their Power- a hundred times over. In her heart she knew they were strong as hell- hell, she believed fullheartedly they were stronger than she could ever be.
She could go head to head with a damned Demon of Zeref and come out alive- and yet never in a million years would she ever even think of herself for a single second, as being stronger than either Sting or Rogue. Never. And never when they were together, fighting side by side- two sides and forces of nature so opposite nature, and yet never so perfect nor more powerful when combined.
White and Black... Shadow and Light
Rogue and Sting were incredible, powerful, loyal and so god damn strong- they could do anything, she believed that. She really, really did- and she always would. They could mess up and act like children, but they had so much potential and they had so much room to grow to heights she could never even fathom- and they would in time, she knew they would.... but right now?
She knew, and it broke her
They're going to lose
And when they did, it didn't matter if it was okay to mess up and to get beat- her assurances of them getting stronger and working up to being the very best she knew they would be- none of that mattered. Not when they were in SaberTooth, not when Minerva was there watching like a hawk and that bastard Jiemma was in control of the Guild.
They lose, and they were in danger... and that scared her, more than anything
She held it together, her hands falling on Lector and Frosch's heads as they all watched- stuck in that Box with the by now sneering figure of Minerva. She held it together and forced her expression never to break from tense neutrality, never cracking nor breaking under the weight of fear as they watched the battle turn- and the Fairy dominated the Tigers.
Held it together even as they lost ground, traction, will and strength- and Sting and Rogue fought so damned hard. Watched and held it together as they did what she said- and gave it their all.
Unison Raid.
That was their plan, they were hoping the power of the Unison Raid would take Natsu down and manage a way to leave them ahead. And Unison Raids aren't something just anyone can do, it's a feat near impossible for even the strongest of Mages- a feat Hora even hadn't ever managed in her lifetime with another person.
But Sting and Rogue? They were different, they could do it- had done it, so many times and every time it was amazing- their Unison Raids weren't ever just half-assed, hardly put together attacks governed by luck alone. When they put their Magics together like that, it was strong, concentrated and amazingly in tune between both of them and through both of them- as their Magic fused together almost seamlessly.
And it was incredible... so, so incredible.
But even.... even that failed, Natsu was stronger than Sting and Rogue had dared to think or even ever thought to give him credit for, and even more than Hora would have. Something had changed, drastically- since she'd worked with him.... or maybe she just.... hadn't wanted to see it
"Crimson Lotus; Exploding Flame Blade!"
The glow of Natsu's flames was brilliant, it shook the air and clashed with the bright white and black Raid- sending bits of color and Magic out all around it, intense, incredible power matched on intense and incredible power from both sides.
But the fire won out- the Unison Raid ending in a sea of orange as the flames and the two Saber's Magic was thrown back at them.... and Hora felt like she got hit too.
When the dust cleared, both Rogue and Sting fell, the Match was over.... they lost
"FAIRY TAIL IS NOW IN THE LEAD BY ONE POINT, WHAT A TURN!!"
Minerva clicked her tongue, earning Hora's eyes from the side as she felt ice run through her veins at what dangerous look had befallen SaberTooth's Lady.
The sheer disgust and the malice
We are... we are screwed.....
The Exceeds were trembling under her hands, and Hora swallowed as she rubbed the top of their heads- a small, faint attempt at some sort of reassurance... but of course it did little.
She felt the sheer anger and rage bubbling from somewhere overhead- and she needn't see the source to know it came from Master Jiemma.
Bloodlust
Hora swallowed back against it, her eyes shifting toward Minerva as the woman raised a hand and her Magic flared- the Lacrima Vision screens still trained to Natsu, Sting and Rogue went dead and dark with a wave of her hand. Her movement earned everyone else's eyes, and her dark gaze snapped toward Hora- who stiffened slightly at it, but dared not let her face give way what panic shot through her with just a single look.
"Go and collect those two. Do what you will, but be prepared for an Audience with my father." Minerva growled lowly, her eyes glittering like dark chips of ice. Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes flashing as she felt Lector and Frosch shiver against her hand- and she could hear Rufus and Orga hold their breath against the words and what venom Miverva sewed into them.
"You have one hour."
They all nodded stiffly, Hora's eyes casting sideways toward Rufus- who dipped his head slightly as a glow of gold swirled up around herself, him, the Exceeds and Orga all.
This is bad.... and that dread?
It's a hundred times worse now.... shit
'...A looming storm....'
Natsu let out a sigh, his countenance deflating slightly as his eyes found Sting and Rogue one the floor- both of them, including himself all covered in wounds and muck and blood.... But it was a hell of a fight. They were strong as hell, enough so even Natsu was by now completely beat.... Damn.
He winced slightly, stepping to the side a bit to steady himself as a bout of lightheadedness rammed into him.
He really had had the crap beaten out of him, regardless if he was still standing... and he didn't mind much the pain or anything. There was that part of Natsu that had enjoyed the fight too, even if all through it there was that sinking feeling- that small worry of what would happen, if he did win.
Saber's Master had kicked Yukino out of the Guild for losing against Kagura, right? What would he do to Sting and Rogue now that they lost...?
He hated that, thinking anything would happen..... what a bastard of a Guild Master.
His eyes softened slightly as he glanced between both of the downed Dragon Slayers, his shoulders sinking slightly as he sighed- before smiling gently, almost all to himself.
"Heh.... Lets fight again someday, ok?" Natsu murmured softly, sweatdropping slightly after a minute as his eyes fell.
..... and sorry in advance..... if this gets you in trouble..... I just wish I understood why.... why any of you just let him do any of that....
His eyes widened slightly, perking slightly at the sudden glow of gold that appeared beside Rogue and Sting both- Natsu's nose twitching as he caught scent of something familiar, and he sweatdropped.
The gold swirled up in a spiral, clashing with the deep orange of the setting sun and the harsh shadows cast over the cave-in around them- before that Magic faded entirely and left the figures of Rufus, Orga, two Exceeds and one woman with fiery orange hair standing there in the collapsed cavern, not ten feet in front of him.
Natsu frowned slightly, his eyes flashing as Hora glanced toward him from the side- and his eyes landed on the dark bruising stretched across her cheek, injury still present from when she'd gotten hit at the SaberTooth Inn... when he charged in.
Their eyes matched for a few seconds, and his stomach knotted at the fear on her face, the worry and the.... pain.
".... Hora.." Natsu started, she shook her head at him sharply, turning her back on him slightly as Lector and Frosch rushed up to their Partners, teary eyed and bristling from head to toe.
"S-sting-kun..!"
"Rogue..!"
Rufus and Orga split up, one each moving toward the downed Dragon Slayers and Hora stuck in place for a few seconds- she could feel Natsu's eyes on her back.
"..... Hora... look-" Natsu started again,
"Don't, Salamander." She grumbled sharply, he blinked, sweatdropping a bit more. He saw her fists clench at her sides and he swallowed back at the lump that was suddenly in his throat, "... just.... don't, Natsu. Don't apologize.... you won, fair and square. There's nothing wrong with that... all of you gave it everything you had, that's all I can ask...... you won, don't feel bad for it. Losing isn't.... its not a crime." Hora mumbled, her voice dropping slightly and he heard it tremble slightly at the end.
Her words earned quick glances from Rufus, Orga and the Exceeds- all of their expressions tense and serious, all of their ears ringing on that last part- that true, and yet untrue part.
Losing isn't a crime
... but it might as well be, in this Guild..
Hora's eyes were locked on the ground at her feet, she could feel all of them looking at her- feel her Guildmates looking to her for.... for something, some assurance, something that would alleviate what fear they had now. Looking to her to be the one not to crumble under what serious shit-storm they all knew they were in now.... to be the one who was calm and stood tall in it, and she really was trying... and more, she wasn't struggling to.
Because her mind was made up now, and that certainty made it easier.
She forced herself a sigh, her head tilting slightly as she cast a glance over her shoulder back toward Natsu- and the Fire Dragon Slayer felt his heart twist when he saw the withdrawal and surrender buried in her expression.
She looked like she was ready to just..... give up, maybe even like she planned to....
He stiffened, his eyes widening as small flickers of panic and fear dawned on his face next.
"Don't worry about us, Salamander. We'll be fine." She told him quietly, her eyes glittering. Natsu felt his heart skip a beat, he didn't like that look she gave him, it was... it was almost hopeless, but more than that it was just so.... so acceptant, almost sickeningly so- and his blood turned to ice as dread fell over him like a heavy cloud.
".... what are you....?" He breathed, she smiled at him and shook her head.
"This time, Natsu- leave it alone." She murmured lowly, sternly almost and he swallowed. "You didn't listen the first time, but you need to now, got it?" He just stared, fixed in his spot and hardly daring to breath-
He really did not like that look, at all
Hora looked away from him, her hand waving at him almost nonchalantly, and just once. In the same time she glanced toward Rufus, and the blonde dipped his head in understanding.
"Bye, Natsu."
All of the Sabers disappeared in a wash of gold, and Natsu got left alone with his feet cold and his blood like ice- and he didn't know why, but he knew it wasn't... it wasn't good.
".... what... are you gonna do, Hora...?" Natsu breathed, his voice lost to empty air.
Hora's feet hit the floor in Sting and Rogue's room back at the Inn, Rufus, Orga, the Exceeds and the afore mentioned Dragon Slayers appearing in the room via Rufus' Magic at the same instant.
I think Natsu could tell what I was thinking, huh... Lixue....?
She didn't wait for a reply, and she didn't expect one either- her attention shifted toward the low moan and the hiss of pain that fell on her ears, both Sting and Rogue groggily coming to now from being knocked out a few minutes ago.
"Sting-kun, a-are you alright...?!" Lector hissed shakily, the blonde propped up only by Orga's hold on his arm, which the Lightning God Slayer had pulled it over his shoulders.
"R... Rogue...?" Frosch mewed, barely holding back tears as the Exceed floated in front of the Shadow Dragon Slayer being held up by Rufus in the same manner Sting was by Orga.
Rufus and Orga shifted, bringing themselves and the Dragon Slayers over toward their beds as they helped eased the injured Mages to sitting on the beds- the movement earned a few more winces and hisses of pain from both, and Lector and Frosch stuck close, shaking, alert...
"Tch.... we got our asses handed to us..." Sting growled lowly, his forehead falling in his hand as Rogue bent over a bit with his elbows on his knees. "...shit.... he was stronger than I thought...."
".... we underestimated him..... and we lost...." Rogue mumbled quietly, "..... even with both of us.... we were outmatched...... if Salamander was that strong, Gajeel would be too.... we haven't surpassed either of them..."
".... Master... and the Lady....." Sting mumbled, sweatdropping heavily as everyone else did too.
".... we are in trouble..." Rogue breathed, his voice trembling oh so faintly- Hora's heart twisted at it.
"... She gave us an hour to get you two fixed up, before facing Master." Orga explained lowly, Rogue and Sting seemed to gulp.
".... I'm so sorry... Hora..." Rogue muttered, she blinked in slight surprise.
"... you told us to give it everything we had.... and we..." Sting hissed, her eyes flashed.
"Why are you apologizing?" She sighed, both Sting and Rogue's heads snapped up in surprise at the question. She let out a breath, her hands on her hips and looking between the both of them- her expression nothing but calm and even... gentleness.
She shook her head a bit, her hands moving as she started to untie the ribbon wrapped around her torso and over her shirt- and then move it and wind it around her arm tightly. She pulled the red ribbon she'd gotten from Ira, from being around her wrist, holding it in her teeth and her hands working to pull her hair into ponytail, before using that ribbon to tie it.
Everyone in the room just watched her do so, unsure and staring- because what did she mean...?
"Losing isn't a crime." She murmured lowly, they blinked. "And don't worry about not beating Salamander... even if you don't match up now, you will- I know you'll be stronger than him and Gajeel some day. Don't doubt it."
She moved to place herself between both beds, her hands falling on Rogue and Sting's heads softly as she gave them both a gentle, sad little smile.
"You did what I asked, you both gave it everything you had, and you fought amazingly..... that's what matters." Hora told them quietly, their eyes flashed as their lips pulled into a tight line. She just smiled a bit more, her eyes glancing between them as she ruffled their hair a bit, "You were both incredible, and it's alright that you lost."
Her eyes dropped closed a moment as she let out a silent breath,
".... don't worry about what Master or Minerva will have to say about it.... we'll figure something out." Hora murmured softly, everyone exchanged quick glances between themselves as Hora let her hands remain still on top of their heads.
We'll have to figure something out.... even if it means a last resort.
"... Everything will be fine... trust me." Hora murmured softly, they wilted a little.
.... I just... I can't anymore.
They nodded a bit as her hands left their heads, she shot them a smile and they seemed to relax- just a little... and thankfully so did everyone else in the the room. She was happy she could manage to do that, even now.
Even if that goes against everything he said, about what he and everyone else in the Guild would want... my mind is made up this time.
"For now we just need to worry about fixing you two up." Hora murmured, Sting and Rogue sweatdropped while everyone else in the room nodded in agreement.
I'll do everything I can before I go all in... but if there's no other way, then I'll do it....... I'm not afraid to.
She caught Rogue's searching red stare for a few seconds, he was doing his best to understand what she was thinking now- and why it was she seemed so... calm. Especially because the situation called for anything but calm. And she hadn't been calm, not all day- and now she was, out of nowhere, and it put him on edge.
She looked away from him, her hand extending forward to take the bandages and towels that Lector and Frosch had started to gather up.
I'm sorry.... I might not be able to do what you want.... but in the long run...... it will be better, for all of you.
She nodded toward the Exceeds, offering up a reassuring smile as Rufus moved forward to help her. Hora set the supplies down on the bed beside Rogue, her hands reaching forward to help him take what tattered mess was left of his cloak- off.
... even if the better thing comes without me in it.
For years she'd stayed silent and watched as Jiemma ruled over the Guild without mercy, his daughter rising in ranks and influence as her cruelty grew worse with every passing year. For years she'd endured everything they threw at her and lived with it, she'd sat back and watched as people came and people got hurt- as her friends were mistreated and harmed.
For years she'd resigned herself to all of it, every second she hated it more and the fire inside burned brighter- and still she quelled it.
But the last few months her tolerance for all of it had been broken down, and faded- with the beating she endured for her help given to Fairy Tail, that tolerance was cut in half.
With every second she spent with Lucy, Happy and Natsu- that tolerance withered away without her realizing it. Her conviction and ire ignited when she went head to head with North Wind broke it down further.
When Yukino was humiliated and thrown out, that tolerance halved again- it lessened more the instant Jiemma struck out at her and slammed his Magic against her jaw.
What little tolerance she had left was nothing but a hairs-width tall now, after Minerva's brutality toward the blonde Celestial Mage she had come to call friend.
And now in the face of threat and danger toward Sting, Rogue, and the Guild as a whole... her tolerance was little to none, and her conviction was at a high it had never been in all her life. She regretted that it had taken her so long to earn any semblance of that conviction, though... or what steadiness and calm it brought with it.
She pulled the cloak away and set it down on the bed beside him, she could hear Sting growl as Rufus set to work helping Lector treat the White Dragon's wounds. Rogue hunched a little, his eyes snapping closed and holding his breath as he moved the wrong way and ended up in pain for it, Hora's eyes flashed a little.
..... if it comes to that.... I'm sorry.... I hope you can all forgive me for it.... you too, Lixue.
Hora's hand trailed gently under Rogue's chin, making him tilt his head up toward her as she brought a towel wet with disinfectant up to his cheek and started to clean a cut running along his jaw. She felt him recoil faintly as she touched it, but he kept himself in place and quiet as best he could- and she was as gentle as she could be... more gentle than Rogue could ever remember her being.
His eyes locked on to her face, her own gaze following her work and not matching his- he was still searching her expression for some semblance of something, and she knew it. But she wouldn't dare let him see anything that would give away what it was she was thinking, or what she'd decided. Because he of all people in that room knew the full extent of her situation with Jiemma, and if his ire earlier when he stopped her going after Minerva was any indication... if he knew what it was she'd settled in her head now after a day of things just continually spiraling more and more out of control... he'd try and stop her.
I won't risk it, if there is another way
She kept on working in silence, every once in awhile murmuring a soft apology when she hurt him despite best efforts not to- she kept working and not saying a single thing to him even as she cleaned up cuts and bruises, wrapped wounds and whatnot. She didn't care about the blood she got on her hands, or what scarlet smeared across her shirt when she wiped her hands off on it- she didn't care if she got dirty, or her hands or anything else stained red. She was used to blood, and she simply cared about helping him.... that's all she ever wanted to do, for all of them.
.... but if it comes down to it... and I have to go to a last resort..... even if Jiemma destroys you, Lixue...
She tied the length of bandage she had wrapped around his forearm into a knot, her hands hesitating to let go for a few, fleeting seconds.
..... even then, I can last for a few minutes.... and a few minutes is all I'll need.
Her eyes dropped closed for a second as she pulled her hands back only a little, one of them curling under his as she let her fingers twine with his gently.
"Come on, you can go get changed." She told the Shadow Dragon Slayer softly, their hands twining together a bit more tightly as she helped pull him to his feet and off the bed. Rogue nodded a little bit, wincing under his breath as he stood up- but he was steady enough she didn't mind letting their hands part again.
Hora glanced behind her toward Sting, the White Dragon Slayer covered in bruises and bandages just as Rogue was now- and already changed. Rufus had already moved himself away from Sting once he was done with his part, his hat and mask having long been abandoned on the table where Orga had been sitting in rigid silence the whole time.
Rogue moved off toward the bathroom with a spare clothes in hand and limping, leaving Hora standing by the bed with her hands on her hips and watching him go in silence.
That unending bad feeling that had never gone away was so heavy now she could hardly breathe... a shiver ran up her spine and she reflexively shut her eyes against it.
...... I'm sorry..... I really don't want things to go that way.... I'm sure you really don't either...
'..... I can accept it.' Lixue replied softly, his voice making an appearance after a long bout of silence. 'I already accepted my fate long before I ever came to you, I'm not afraid of what might come now.'
For once they were in complete agreement.... of course it had to be now, of all times. And about... this.
She could feel the minutes counting down, the seconds that kept growing shorter as their hour of solace came closer to death. Seconds and minutes streaming passed and caught up in what spinning vortex of madness her life had turned into... spinning down further and further toward a pit as pitch black as those Markings born from her Magic she had always hated so, so much. Daylight failed with it as night settled in and the dark crept forward, consuming everything in the world, and threatening all light with it.
This, what was coming with Jiemma- this had to be what that looming storm was... that dread.
And now that looming weight had fallen over all of them, everyone could feel it now- every single member of the SaberTooth Guild felt the darkness hanging over their heads as they waited for what was coming, what incredible bad was assuredly coming to them.
Hora's eyes fell on the smear of Rogue's blood across her shirt, her eyes flashing as she sighed.
This is what is was, then...? So much bad..?
She pulled the shirt up and over her head, taking it off and leaving the gray tank top underneath it in full view- it lift a little as she raised her hands over her head, and Sting's eyes found the bandages wound around her torso and stomach last night... and the stain of red of her own blood slowly seeping through the bandages again. She must have agitated the wound when Rogue had whisked her away during the Naval Battle, and Sting swallowed a bit at the thought of it.
After how angry and worked up she had been- she'd been on the warpath- after all of that, how could she seem as calm as she did right now? How could she and her voice stay so steady when she said everything was going to be okay? How could any of this turn out okay?
What changed in her, that neither he, nor anyone else in the room could understand?
Rogue came back from the bathroom, changed into clean clothes and looking as sullen and somber as someone at a funeral.... they all looked that way, no matter how hard they tried not to.
"..... we'll be fine." Hora murmured aloud, caching everyone's ears in a split second. "... if we give it our all, both here and in the Games... everything will be fine. It'll work out... I promise."
Why did she sound like she really believed that?
"Don't get discouraged now, any of you." Hora went on, dropping her shirt on the nightstand and her hands falling on her hips. She let her dark blue eyes sweep out over the room, catching every single one of their eyes as she nodded at them, everything about her was just so... resolute, and in some way that was a million times more soothing to them than they believed it ever could be. "You'll live through this, you're too strong not to." She told them firmly, they blinked at the words- before they nodded, sweatdropping.
".... yeah." Sting and Rogue mumbled, Lector and Frosch nodded a bit more firmly than they needed, but they looked more resolute none the less, their paws clenched and tails held a bit higher. Orga grumbled under his breath, his arms crossed over his chest and not bothering to say anything- but he looked a little less on edge too.
"It would be remiss of us not to trust what you say, after everything." Rufus murmured softly with a nod to Hora, "... We trust you, and we trust what you believe... things will work themselves out, one way or another.... I do believe that as well." Hora's eyes glinted,
"Good." She murmured,
She felt that shadow lurking and stalking as they left the room- the hour finally up.
Every step was a thousand pounds, their trek down the hallway and toward the main portion of the inn felt like a lifetime, and still she felt that shadow following... that bad feeling sharpening to a fine a point as the end of the hallway came into view, and she saw the rest of the Guild already lined up ahead of them. She saw the rigidness and the fear etched into the backs of everyone ahead of her, Hora bringing up the rear of their little group and fists clenched at her sides. She felt the ache and the pain in all their hearts, and what agony was still bombarding Sting and Rogue from their fight- though they walked as tall and as evenly as they possibly could.
Show no weakness... especially not after losing.
And that bad feeling became so, so suffocating- her blood was ice and her heart skipped a beat as they came within a few feet of the main hall.
This is it, isn't it-
She went stiff as a board, her steps faltering as the dread sharpened into a clear, sickening sense of unrelenting danger out of nowhere- her mouth fell open in reaction, a gasp rising from her throat- but it got cut off when someone's hand clapped down over her mouth from behind.
What the hell-?!
She couldn't move, she couldn't make a sound, and she hadn't even a single second to react before the sight of everyone ahead of her got swallowed up in nothing but sheer, unending black. Her world tipped and the ground disappeared under her feet, her core flipping as all sense of up and down failed her- and she was being held and bound- unable to move as hands from some stranger held to her body, cold against her skin, unfamiliar- terrifying.
She had no idea what was going on, or what happened, where she was- nothing!
Nothing... but... why can I smell Sting and Rogue....?
N... no... that's not right..... this scent.... it's one scent... it's... it's wrong -
W-who the hell is....?!
She was struggling, trying and pulling with every bit of strength she had- but it didn't do a damn thing, she couldn't move- she was paralyzed, and her heart dropped.
What the fuck is going on!?
"Forgive me, I understand this is disorienting...."
Hora's heart skipped a beat, her eyes flicking this way and that and searching the black, but there wasn't anything to see- she couldn't see anything, and that voice in her ear sent shivers running up and down her spine. It was so low and cold and... and dead-
"...... in all things that lead up to this..... whether you are there or not, Rogue will still know." The voice went on, hot breath washing against her ear- she wanted nothing more than to pull away, but she couldn't fucking move!
W-wait, what about Rogue...?!
"..... if any of them were as they are, where I am now, they would try and change what will come.... but I cannot risk the future changing, the Dragon King Festival must go on... the Eclipse Gate must open."
Hora gulped, her mind racing her heart pounding like a drum.
Dragon King what...?! And what the hell is an 'Eclipse Gate'.....?!
"..... this must happen for the future to remain as I need it....... even with you no longer at the Inn, when Jiemma acts, Rogue will understand what has happened... he will know why you never come back, Horatia." The voice went on lowly, every word of it making her heartrate pick up and the terror get worse-
N-never come back...? W-what... what is this... guy talking about....?
"..... and he will know who to blame, and who it is who is responsible for killing you."
She felt her heart stop altogether, her breath snatched away and eyes wide- paralyzed, taken and blind, with someone whose breath still brushed against her neck- her world gone and empty and cold around her and her nose filled with a scent that was so close to being familiar, but that was so, so wrong.... so twisted.
And a voice that was so cold and empty and still.... s...still.....
.... w...why... why does it almost... s...sound like... R-Rogue's.... voice.....?
A-and.... what does he mean.... k..kill me...?
"And his convictions will solidify when they find your body..... when he realizes that you died alone...... with your death, the future unfolds as it should... and the Eclipse Gate will open, the Dragon King Festival will go on- and I will still have what I came for."
W-wait... I.. i....?!
The hands moved, releasing her but her body still wouldn't listen- she couldn't see him, her Captor, everything was still too dark, they were still floating in a world of jet black- but she could feel that Stranger move, trailing around her until he was in front of her. They were so close she could feel their body against hers, their hands hooking behind her head and her neck as she felt their body-heat wash against her face... they.... whoever it was, they were pressed so close.... too close....!
".... hmm..... alone and in agony..... left to die on the streets without anyone near..... destroyed by the actions of someone you and I once called friend." He hissed, his thumbs tracing across her cheeks as he held her face... gently.
"Forgive me, Horatia. But even I won't wait to see you die a second time."
Second time..?! What the hell does he mean, second time-!?
Hora's thoughts broke off as her eyes went wide and still saw absolutely nothing but unending black, sweatdropping heavily as she felt the Stranger's lips press against hers, locked in a kiss she wasn't ready for nor wanting- but still her body was fixed, and she couldn't even pull away.
The kiss didn't break for a few seconds that stretched to millions of years in terrified, paralyzed stillness with her heart pounding deafeningly in her ears- and when the Stranger pulled away she was left feeling... violated.
"Hmm.... I felt nothing.... perfect."
His hands on the back of her head and neck moved forward, a suddenly cruel grip clamping down on her windpipe and cutting off all air.
"I will leave you to your fate now, Horatia... goodbye, for the final time."
She was hoisted up by her throat, she could feel the black all around swirling and frothing, like some massive ocean of shadow that she couldn't escape- and it all swirled, violently- light breaking through and blinding her as she choked.
She was thrown, her body bouncing painfully against stone and wall as the world of no light was lost and her world returned again- but the SaberTooth Inn was gone.
She hit the ground with a painful thud, coughing and sputtering as she was finally able to take air in again- her head whirling and her vision swimming as she struggled to make sense of what the fuck just happened, and where in the hell she was-?!
There were buildings all around her, the night sky overhead and the stars dimmed from the backlash of city lights and a populace of the thousands held in Crocus- her body hitting the pavement underfoot and surrounded by brick walls, trash and other rubbish strewn about and completely alone- though she could hear people not far off on the main streets. In the course of five minutes she was hundred of miles away from the SaberTooth Inn, and dumped in some back-alley on the opposite end of Crocus- what?!
She jumped up and on to her feet in the next second, senses on high alert and nerves on an all-time high as her gaze swept across every inch of space around her searching for who or what had snatched her, but she was alone- just as it...
"... n.. no seriously...?! What the fuck is going on... what just happened...?!" Hora snapped out loud, her voice hushed and shaking so damn badly- but she couldn't even manage a way to calm down, not even a little. She was turning this way and that, her eyes searching and her body shaking despite herself- panic sinking it's claws in deeper by the second.
"Y-you have to be.... what the fuck...?! Future...?! Dragon King Festival..!? Eclipse Gate..?!" She hissed, her eyes wild and glinting feverishly as she looked around still, not knowing what the hell to even just..... WHAT?!
"Lixue, what in the fuck....!? You heard all of that, right...!? Wh-who... in.... what....." Hora stammered, her voice breaking as the color drained from her face more than it already had, and she felt sick- her whirling thoughts landing on one thing.
".. what... what did that guy... mean....? T...that I'm gonna.... die...?!" She hissed breathlessly, her voice harsh and cracking as she shivered so hard she felt like her knees were about to give out. She was freaking out, panicking and panting- she couldn't even breathe, or even think about-
That bad feeling?
T...this....?
"Lixue, what the hell is-?!" Hora snapped, her panic making her incredibly impatient- but she never finished her question.
Her voice died in an agonized yelp, her breath driven away and her lungs ceasing any semblance of function as she felt something inside of her shatter- she went quiet, unable to make a single noise even when she heard Lixue's voice raise in a ringing, blood-curdling scream of sheer pain. Her hands grabbed at her chest, her knuckles white from the grip around her tanktop and her knees bending so far she was half her height and barely staying standing, she tried to scream, or cry or something- but nothing came out, her mouth opened soundlessly as her world slammed to a sharp halt.
Sticky red splattered against the concrete at her feet, she never even heard herself cough- the metallic liquid rushed up her throat and fell in a river passed her lips as she doubled over, suffocating, burning, cold-
Lixue screamed again and she heard it splinter further, felt it through every inch of her being and her soul as pain unlike anything coursed through every vein, bone, muscle, cell- millions upon millions of invisible blades suddenly thrust through every inch of her body and yet nothing ever touched her.
No- something did, Magic- Magic held by the cruel hand of he who had long since turned her slave, and that hand had now crossed hundreds of miles and gripped tight about that precious stone settled in her body, and was crushing it.
Destroying... killing it... killing... L... Lixue.... Killing her
Both of us
She couldn't breathe, she couldn't even fathom how to- she was breaking apart from the inside out and she felt her being being broken apart in tandem with him, the fire leaping at the sudden weakness and raging in all her pain and confusion and terror. The flame and furnace surged inside of her, burning and breaking as it washed across every inch of her- burning her again from the inside out and threatening to break her body just as that Lacrima was splintering with every second that... t..that...
J...Jiemma..... is.... de...stroying.... it....
The Black Markings burned across her skin, stretching with more speed and ferocity than it ever had and consuming her just as the fire was eating her alive from the inside out, and her mind was unhinging- her thoughts rampant and fractured and she just.. couldn't..!
Jiemma.... is... he's trying... t...to kill... us....?!
She couldn't think, she couldn't even make sense of herself or anything- not if she was moving or breathing or screaming, she was just struggling, writhing and fighting and trying to just... just make it stop!!!
She lost it, every semblance of control or thought or even any hold on reality- and the fire consumed it all, it took over- and she lost it
S..S..STOP..... P..PLEASE.....!!!
She was pleading and begging, burning alive and being ripped apart from the inside out- her soul being crushed and her life being destroyed with it as Jiemma's Magic and his Possession Link did what she had dreaded- and her anger and rage mixed with the agony and the fear and when she lost control of herself and every rational, clear thought-
STOP!!!!
She was screaming, her throat burning and choking on blood- and Lixue was screaming too.
The night air of the city of Crocus was ripped apart by her voice, the calm and the quiet shattered as her screams of agony and torture rung on the cool night sky and chilled everyone in earshot to the bone. Those closest looked around wildly for the source, and as they looked down that alleyway they were blown backward as a wave of blistering, crimson red fire streamed out from the confined space with so much ferocity the air boomed and the buildings melted and broke apart in it's quake.
The inhabitants of Crocus screamed and yelled, scrambling as they ran for their lives and faces filled in terror as the tortured screaming persisted, and the flames struck out randomly, wild and hungry and uncontrolled- breaking and melting and burning everything in reach. In seconds everyone in the area was sprinting, all of them running away and not daring to look back as the flames burned brighter and the explosions persisted with fervor- the more wild the fire got, the more agonized became the screaming, the more ragged.
STTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!
That band of Fairy Tailers that had been rushing away from the Palace and back to their Inn with dire news on their minds and the threat of a Guildmate taken and captured was forced into a jagged half-halt as the destruction and the screaming started somewhere off their current path. Their already strained emotions at the capture of their blonde Celestial Mage and the betrayal of the Royal Advisor was broken and crashed into by shock and confusion- all of them stiff and on high alert as they saw the flames licking at the dark sky and felt the heat even from distance. The people of Crocus yelled and ran passed them, headed away from what danger there was and whoever it was that was screaming so, so terribly-
- Screams of agony and pain and torture that were unlike anything they'd ever heard, and it made their hearts knot.
"What the hell is going on..?!" Gajeel and Gray snapped lowly,
"Juvia does not like this..." Juvia mumbled, her eyes flashing.
"Those screams..." Lily grumbled, Happy bristled from head to foot,
"T-that's.... f...fire....?" Happy stammered, his voice breaking as his heart did too at the sound.
"W...who...?" Wendy stammered, eyes wide in fright and trembling. Carla at her side was staring, sweatdropping heavily as he mind raced with images of a city in ruin-
"...I...Is this....?" The she-cat hissed under her breath,
Natsu grimaced, his eyes narrowed to slits and face pale- he was panting and shaking, but not from fright- he was drained and the world was spinning regardless of how much he wanted it to stop. There was not an ounce of Magic in him, and his body ached terribly from having it stripped away by the Eclipse Gate- it was all he could do at that moment to just keep up with everyone as they rushed back toward the Inn, and stopping now had him feeling dizzy. He could hear the screams, they were painfully loud on his heightened hearing and he heard how rough the voice was, how hoarse it was getting and even strangled. Whoever it was, they were in pain- they were being tortured, and it made him growl.
His nose twitched, taking in the air on instinct to try and catch clue of what it was and who was in that direction- Wendy and Gajeel doing the same as he was, and Natsu and Wendy went deathly still, their eyes widening in horror and their hearts plummeting into the earth. Wendy let out a terrified gasp, her face pale and shaking as her hands moved up to cover her mouth- and Natsu stopped breathing for a few seconds.
"T-that...!" Wendy struggled to say anything, her suddenly terrified expression earning looks of shock and concern from many of the others.
"What?" Gajeel grumbled quickly, rounding on the younger.
"Hey, Natsu- what the hell..?!" Gray snapped, sweatdropping heavily as he saw horror dawn on Natsu's face where the Ice Mage had never seen it before.
"...s..shit..." Natsu breathed, his eyes flashing as his dropped jaw snapped shut and he started sprinting forward before anyone else even had time to react. Wendy broke away from her terror and started to follow the Fire Dragon Slayer only a second after- everyone else reeling a millisecond more, before they all rushed after Natsu and headed toward the source- and completely in the opposite direction of their original destination.
"OI! Salamander!!" Gajeel snapped hotly,
"Wendy child, what has gotten into you..?!" Carla demanded,
"Natsu!! Wha-?!" Happy stammered,
"What the hell is going on?!" Gray yelled, neither Natsu nor Wendy slowed up for even an instant.
"I remember this scent!" Wendy called back breathlessly, everyone blinked at it.
"Remember what scent..?" Most everyone grumbled,
"It's Hora!" Natsu snapped back hotly, his voice edged in fear that was unlike him- and every single Fairy Tailer stiffened at the name. Happy nearly fell out of air when his wings ceased to function for a few seconds, and Carla gulped- whilst Juvia, Gajeel, Gray, and Lily's ears rung with the name they had heard mentioned beforehand.
"H-Hora..?!" Happy squeaked,
"Ain't that the chick who found Wendy and Carla....?" Gajeel grumbled, Gray nodded slightly.
"The one from another Guild..." The Ice Mage grumbled,
"Somethin' ain't right!" Natsu snapped, "She wouldn't be tearing up a city over nothing! And she... she's the one yelling, something is wrong!!"
And he instantly wondered if it had something to do with the bad feeling he got earlier, from that look she had when she told him to leave it, again.
They felt the heat thicken, a cloud of it hanging over everything and the ground shaking underfoot as they followed Natsu and Wendy straight into the fray- the flames a blood red color and destruction thrown about, the screams ringing on their ears as they skidded to a halt at the edge of what looked like a warzone.
Natsu's jaw clenched, his eyes glittering like mad as he scanned the wall of flame blazing in the center of it all- his heart skipping a beat when he found that familiar head of hair and that woman he had come to recognize so easily.
"Hora!"
She was on the ground, writhing and twisting and fidgeting as she screamed, curled in on herself and blood smeared across the blackened stone and ground as she coughed it up- clutching to her chest and her skin marked across by jagged, inky black Markings that seemed to swim and shift and burn like fire in themselves.
"A-atia...!" Happy stammered, tears in his eyes in the matter of a few seconds and shaking like a leaf.
"Oh no...!" Wendy breathed,
"What is she...?" Gray muttered,
"She's out of control." Lily grumbled lowly, Natsu hissed as he started forward without a second thought and toward the fire. He didn't hear nor care about several others in his group warning him not to rush off,
"Hora!" He snapped, his voice nearly drowned out by the screaming and the roar of the flames themselves. He stiffened though, his movement stalling and eyes widening as the fire shifted almost of it's own volition. They struck out toward him with so much ferocity he was slammed into and knocked back toward his Guild-mates, Gray growled- his hands lifting as he erected a wall of ice that blocked the overflow of the fire headed straight for the rest of them. His shield blocked it, but it hissed, steaming and shattering- melting away in a million pieces.
"Are you alright...?!" Wendy questioned Natsu quickly, he growled.
"Yer 'friend' just attacked us, Salamander." Gajeel snapped hotly,
"The hell she did!" Natsu retorted quickly,
"Yer gonna say that when she just threw your ass?"
"She seems to be in a lot of pain." Juvia mumbled quietly,breaking up what was quickly going to be an argument between both Slayers.
"You're right." Wendy said, her eyes flashing. "Natsu-san is right, there's something wrong. She's hurting, badly- she probably doesn't even know what's going on..!"
"And what do you expect to do?" Carla growled, "Even if you're right, you cannot get close to her! We cannot do a thing while her Magic is so out of control!"
"Carla I have to try!" Wendy argued hotly, her eyes glinting. "If she's hurt I have to help her! She helped us when we got attacked by Raven Tail!"
"That doesn't mean you should risk your life!" Carla retorted, "You don't have any idea what could even be the matter!"
"Then I'll use a Diagnostic Spell, we have to do something- we have to try and figure out what is wrong." Wendy said firmly, her eyes glittering and her expression suddenly resolute.
"How close do you need to be to use a Spell like that, Wendy?" Natsu asked instantly, both he and the younger Dragon Slayer ignoring the stern look from Carla and everyone else.
"I can use it from here, but I won't get a very good idea of what's wrong if I don't get within at least 5-6 feet from her. If I'm going to really understand what's going on, I need to get at least that close." Wendy replied quickly, Natsu nodded stiffly.
"Alright, stick close to me." He ordered, Wendy nodded.
"You're crazy!" Carla snapped,
"You might be fireproof, but the kid ain't!" Gajeel growled,
"You don't have any Magic right now either!" Gray hissed, Natsu shot them a glare.
"We ain't gonna just sit here!" the pinkette hissed, "Don't worry about my Magic Energy- I'm just gonna eat Hora's fire!" They blinked in surprise at that, Gray grimacing. "I can keep most of the fire away from Wendy, even if Hora's Magic is out of control- I'll force it to cut it the hell out, if I have to!"
"Juvia can help keep the fire contained." Juvia butted in, her eyes narrowed and expression serious. "Fire's natural enemy is water, Juvia is the best match to contend with this Magic." Gray grimaced at the bluenette, and Gajeel huffed.
"She has a point." Lily intoned lowly,
"We don't have time to argue about it!" Wendy said urgently, "If she's hurt enough to react like this, we can't waste a lot of time!"
"Then let's go." Natsu growled, Wendy nodded stiffly and Juvia did too- the trio starting forward as Juvia erected a wall of water around herself and Wendy, and Natsu jumped straight into the fire.
Gray hissed, shaking his head in exasperation- exasperation that was mirrored in everyone else.
"... this is a terrible plan." Gajeel grumbled, but even despite his clear disapproval, and Gray's too- they shifted, ready to jump in and fight with all they had anyway- Lily close behind while Happy and Carla kept their distance, watching.
"This woman's Magic is incredible..." Lily intoned lowly, and Gray and Gajeel had to agree. THey could feel the power coming from her, waves of pressure and a heaviness on the air that wasn't just the heat.
Natsu's mouth fell open, leaning back as he sucked in and the fire going wild all around and started eating it. The wall of fire surrounding Hora on all sides shifted, most of it being forced into streaming toward Natsu as Wendy and Juvia started passed him and to the side a little- the fire a bit more tame and hissing as Juvia warded off what parts of it broke away to try and batter her and Wendy. Wendy's hands lift, pressed close to Juvia and the wall of water keeping the fire at bay- eyes narrowed in concentration as she let her palms face where Hora was still squirming and screaming on the ground.
Wendy's eyes fell closed in concentration, Juvia sweatdropping and quickly feeling the might of the fire getting all the fiercer even as Natsu tried to eat up every shred of it he could- but the fire seemed almost endless.
Wendy sweatdropped, her brows knitting together as she felt something dark and malicious rise up in her mind's eye amidst her Diagnostic Spell. Some Magic that had wrapped itself around Hora and was... hurting her, breaking... some....
Wendy's eyes snapped open, her Spell failing as her jaw dropped and her heart skipped a beat and her mind whirled, quickly trying to piece together what was happening and what she could do- whatever Magic it was, it felt like that same evil and darkness that had seeped into Natsu's scarf back on Tenrou. Something powerful and cruel that had latched on to her like a lock, and was using it's own Power to slowly break apart something inside of her.
"There's some sort of Spell locked on to her, and it's attacking her!" Wendy called out breathlessly, her hands raising as her Magic flared again- setting to work straight away and aware that Juvia was grunting now in the effort of warding off the fire. "I think I-!"
"Watch it!"
Wendy broke off at the sudden warning, her and Juvia's attention snapping behind them to see the fire had rounded on them and was about to crash down over them in all it's smoldering intensity. Juvia whipped around, her Water Magic moving in tandem with her and the air shaking as the Water and the fire crashed into one another strong enough to send a wall of air washing out around it, and Juvia winced as she was pushed back a few inches, her feet skidding over the ground.
"Juvia!" Wendy gasped,
Natsu coughed, forced to give up sucking in all the fire when he ran out of air- his eyes snapped toward Wendy and Juvia, hissing. "Shit...!" He growled,
"Tch... You trying to tell me she really don't know what she's doin'?" Gajeel snapped at Natsu, the Iron Dragon Slayer having already moved to put himself between the fire and Juvia and Wendy. His hand turned into a broad sword, he swung around- pushing at the air and throwing a wave of it at the fire to ward it off further, his arm acting as a large, single fan blade. "Her Magic must have a mind of it's freakin' own if that's true, Salamander!" Natsu sweatdropped at the words- because Gajeel didn't understand how true those words were. Hora had told him, that her Magic was dark and had a mind its own, and that she had a hard time keeping it controlled all the time.
But Natsu didn't get a chance to reply to what Gajeel said, Wendy cut him off. "I don't think she even knows what's going on! She's in too much pain, and that Magic is hurting her really badly!" Wendy told Gajeel quickly,
"So she's delirious?" Gray grumbled,
"Which makes her even more dangerous- she might be confused enough to attack us regardless if we're trying to help or not." Lily grumbled,
"Tch... This sucks." Gajeel huffed hotly,
"Wendy! Can you get rid of what Magic is is that's hurting her?" Carla called,
"I'll try, but the harder I try and Dispel it, the more it fights back- and the more it'll hurt Hora." Wendy said tensely, everyone sweatdropped at that.
"If you don't get rid of it, what'll happen?" Gray asked lowly, Wendy's face pulled, her expression fearful- and that was answer enough.
"If I don't stop it and soon... She might.... she might die..!" Wendy hissed,
"Then do it!" Natsu ordered sharply, "Juvia, keep Wendy safe! The rest of us will try and keep her Magic focused on us and not you!"
"Right!" Wendy replied,
"So what, we're roast-bait?" Gray growled, not at all pleased with the plan.
"Just shut up and do it, Popsicle!" Natsu snapped back, his expression hard and Gray blinked at it. Natsu's eyes snapped away from the Ice Mage as his arms swiped out, fire erupting around him and slamming into the crimson red as it struck out toward him in retaliation.
"You want her attention on us Salamander, fine." Gajeel grumbled hotly, his hand snapping forward and transforming into a club as he aimed for the woman laying amongst that wild, burning inferno. Gajeel, nor anyone else among their group expected Hora to move- she seemed like she was out of it, entirely- but somehow she sensed the danger of Gajeel's attack, and she moved.
His club stuck into the ground as the woman rolled back a bit, her eyes that had been shut tight against the pain snapping open- bloodshot and glittering in agony, she missed the hit by barely an inch and she pushed herself up and onto her feet. Trembling and panting, her screaming ceasing and turning into a series of groans and wincing that was no less pain filled- but now in the haze of her blurred, swirling, out of control mind- her body and her Magic snapped into action at the threat, and she didn't even register it- she couldn't
She was lost
She had no idea who it was, who any of them were around her- she couldn't hear them over her heart, or the sound of the breaking- and not over the sound of Lixue's agonized screaming all through her shattered and shredded mind. She couldn't see them, her vision was blurred and red and black at the edges- all of it was nothing but a haze of color quickly turning monochrome as she slipped further and further into what Jiemma was trying to send her toward-
It was nothing but disoriented, dizzy, innate and panic and pain driven reaction- her body moving without thinking and her Magic doing what it will, she had no say in any of it anymore.
She just wanted it to stop
Her hand swung forward, the fire burning brighter and wilder- the metal of Gajeel's arm already uncomfortably hot suddenly burning as he pulled it back quickly, his red eyes flashing and jaw clenching when he realized that- that was a mistake
"..shit-!" He hissed, the fire streaming out toward him faster than he could manage to move.
There was a heavy boom as the fire rammed into Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer sent hurtling backwards to slam into a building hard enough to leave a crater in the stone.
"Gajeel, are you alright?" Lily called quickly, by now in his Battle Form and glancing back toward what mess of rubble his Partner was in now. Gajeel let out a series of curses and grumbling, picking himself out of the mess and looking incredibly displeased- but quite alright, if maybe a bit singed.
"Fine." He growled, rolling his shoulders. ".... that chick packs a hell of a punch, I'll give her that...." He trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he saw Hora move again, her legs shaking as she stayed standing and blood dripping passed her lips as she hissed, but those eyes of hers- striking gold and red and.... dull, unfocused, wild.
"Hora!" Natsu called quickly, pushing further into the fire that was getting more fierce, spinning around her like beasts and snakes, he got pushed back but still managed a few feet forward- getting closer to her and onyx eyes searching. Searching for some semblance of focus or recognition in her, but she honestly didn't even seem to hear him- but she knew he was there... or at least, someone was there.
He heard her groan, more blood falling passed her lips as she coughed once- her arms swept up, the Markings still swirling and spinning across her skin like black fire in themselves and Natsu stiffened.
STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!
"Hora wait-!" Natsu snapped, but it was too late.
The fire streamed out toward him, tearing up the ground and making the air whine with the speed it moved at- his hands moved up to block himself, grasping at the flames and the breath driven from him as he struggled to stay standing and stuck in his spot. Natsu got pushed back, his feet digging into the ground and hands.... singing..?!
Natsu's eyes glittered, his jaw clenching and his stomach twisting- he'd felt it again when he was eating it, that darkness in her Magic, the wild, erratic nature- but this?
This was league's different from back then, it was insane- it was so out of control and it was like some mad, raving beast that was striking out randomly, and even his attempts at making it sit still were proving quickly useless. And it was stinging against his skin, he was sweating- the fire had reached temperatures and a level that even a Fire Dragon Slayer was feeling- shit!
This was so bad, she was completely out of control, and she was hurt- he could see the agony she was in, the sight of that blood falling passed her lips had him feeling cold. Wendy's words were ringing on his ears, the look on her face making his heart ache-
This is bad! She's dying-
He stumbled back, his arms swinging out and behind him as he forced the flames to break apart and they rushed out randomly on either side of him, Gray growled as his Magic flared in tandem with Natsu's movement. Walls of ice erected all around the square and shattering in contact with the wash of fire, but blocking it regardless.
"Well now you pissed her off." Gray grumbled hotly and shooting a look at Gajeel, who just grumbled in annoyance.
"Hora, listen to me!" Natsu called again, his feet bringing him forward toward her and spinning out of the way of another haphazard attack, a pale blue Magic Circle appeared in air over the center of Hora's back, though she nor anyone else noticed it.
"You gotta quit! You're losing control over your Magic!" Natsu yelled, his voice breaking off in a pained grunt as he got knocked back by another attack- she was throwing Magic out in every direction now, uncontrolled, unaimed- but no less destructive. All of the Fairy Tailers were moving and blocking against the flames, straining under the effort of the sheer force behind every scrap and wash of crimson red, raging hot flame- her fire felt a million times hotter than even Natsu's.
Who the hell is this woman anyway?!
She moved, her dull golden, pain-filled eyes locked on to Natsu's continual attempt at getting closer to her- and her feet pushed off the ground hard enough to crack the pavement. Natsu's movement slammed to a halt, reeling as she appeared right in front of him in seconds- her fist consumed in inky black and fire sparking as she swung toward him. He growled, his own hands snapping up to try and catch the hit.
He winced, both of his hands catching her fist and his palm bruising instantly at the contact, a rush of air rushing out around them as both he and Hora came to a halt. His arms were shaking as he kept hold on her fist, his eyes narrowed and locking with her own- but she didn't see him, and regardless of him having caught her in that moment, her Magic was still tearing out around everywhere else- and the rest of his Guild-Mates were still straining to guard against it all.
"Hora listen, it's Natsu!" He hissed lowly, she coughed, her jaw clenched but even then the blood managed it passed her teeth. Her free hand swung up to strike out at him, and one of his hands broke from holding the first to catch that one too- his fingers curling tightly around her hands, locking her in place though she immediately tried to pull free. "You gotta stop, I know you're hurting but you're gonna hurt other people at this rate!" Natsu pressed further, hoping maybe if he kept on there would be something- some recognition or understanding, but no-
"Hora, hear me! You have to stop! We're trying to help you!"
-No, the pain was just to blinding, and her mind was just too far gone in all of it- and the pain he saw in her made his heart break.
What happened..?!
The pain tripled out of nowhere and that was it-
She yelped, her hands twisting in his and ripping them away from him, her Magic doubled up around her in a dome and it exploded. Natsu was sent flying and the crimson red flame struck hard against everything in a ten foot radius, melting and blackening and tearing.
Hora yelled, her steps faltering as she lost balance and almost hit the ground- panting and hardly able to breathe at all, grabbing at the tank top over her chest, her eyes snapping shut against it and her Magic shaking badly with it- almost.... dying...
Wendy winced, pulling herself to her feet from having been knocked back- her Spell shattered at the sudden flux and surge of Hora's Magic, and that pale blue Magic Circle that had been stuck to Hora's back shattered by the heat. Wendy's hands balled into fists in front of her as her eyes snapped back toward Hora, frowning as small hints of panic hit her- but there was determination there too.
Of course, Wendy helped anyone she could and this one- this was a bit more personal. Hora, a stranger maybe, that woman had found her and Carla when they'd been hurt and brought them back to the Guild. She'd helped them both even when Natsu and Happy made it clear that helping them at all would get her in trouble.
And right now Hora was in trouble, she was hurting and she was being hurt so badly she was going to die- Wendy knew that, and she had to do everything she could to save her.
"I almost had it...." She hissed under her breath, her eyes dropping closed as her palms moved over one another and Wendy's Magic flared again.
"Whatever you're going to do Wendy, you need to do it quickly!" Carla called,
"Please hurry Wendy...!" Happy stammered, Wendy heard them both but she never replied, her attention fell into focusing on her Spell even as the conflict and Hora's Magic continued to rage all around.
"She's making a mess!" Gajeel snapped, warding off yet another wash of fire and sweatdropping. Lily jumped back to stand beside him, sword in hand and ears pressed flat against his head.
"All of this destruction is going to earn unwanted attention." Lily grumbled,
"Natsu, you good?!" Gray called over to the Dragon Slayer who'd been thrown quite hard- and was slowly picking himself up off the ground, still pale and still feeling the effects of getting Drained by the Eclipse Gate- even if eating Hora's Magic should have given him a boost.
"Don't worry about me!" He panted, huffing a little as he pushed himself up all the way.
"Water Lock!" Juvia had moved to place herself in front of Hora, the water streaming up and from her as it converged and moved to encircle Hora in a watery trap. It lunged out, Hora's eyes snapping open when it did so and lips curling in a snarl as she stepped forward. "Your fire will be no match against my Water Magic." Juvia grumbled her eyes flashing as Hora's hands swept forward toward the wall of water coming at her from the front, unawares of what Magic Circle had snapped over the center of her back again, a blue haze spreading out over her body by Magic that wasn't her own.
Juvia stiffened, her eyes widening slightly when she saw the fire burning bright around Hora suddenly dim down into nothing- and a flash of blue caught her eye behind the woman. The Water Mage's attention snapped over toward Wendy as the Sky Dragon Slayer stood just outside the confines of the water, her palms hovering over one another and her body shimmering in pale blue and white as her Magic rose to extremes she hadn't used since her fight with Sherria. Her blue hair rose and streamed under the pressure of her own Magic, spare bits of rubble and ash shifting and moving as air spiraled up around the little Dragon Slayer in a striking clash of shinning white against the contrast of the night sky.
Wendy's eyes snapped open, her palms separating as she swept her arms out on either side of her and the light of her Magic grew brighter around Hora, streams of it moving toward the woman from Wendy's own body.
"Deus Zero!"
Hora could smell the moisture around the scent of ash and blood, she could feel the rush of cool air wash against her face as the water rushed toward her- and her body moved on it's own to counteract, to throw her Magic out toward it, and burn it away.
Her hand swept forward, her body giving off an odd glow of white and blue that hurt her eyes and swum even worse than everything else in her already blurred vision- her fingers curled and the Markings that had been consuming her skin entirely were spinning, patches of skin visible and becoming more so as time seemed to slow down on that single instant she moved to retaliate against the Water Magic.
Hora couldn't tell or even notice her flames had died off all on their own volition, everything got swallowed up as the pain spreading from her center and outward to every inch of her body heightened to a sudden extreme, it was blinding.
And still the only thing on her mind was stop
Stop the water, stop the pain... just make it all stop-
The inky black Markings swirled, their vigor fading fast as they receded back up to her shoulder and disappeared altogether- time dragging by in moments stretched to hours as her fingers brushed against the water, and everything went so, so quiet.
Lixue's screams of pain and agony cut off abruptly, the sound of that precious stone in her chest chipping away and shattering failed too- she could hear her heartbeat, but she heard the water more now, heard the world that had been so lost on her. There was the clear, soft sound of some ethereal bell and the rush of wind- release.
The agony and torture tearing her apart suddenly broke off into nothing but a deep ache, and she felt the breath she let out, cold and chilly- the air fogging with it as her hand plunged into the water all the way.
W...what....?
Juvia's eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat as she watched the strange woman's eyes- gold and dull and unfocused suddenly change.
Hora's eyes glowed a sudden, eerie icy blue color and she felt a sudden rush of cold air suddenly cut through the area that had been smoldering and heavy to breathe. The water around Hora's hand shuddered, the deep blue ripped apart as blinding, sheer white and pale blue rippled out from her fingers and through every scrap of liquid water in seconds- and in seconds it was no longer liquid.
The water halted, shimmering in wet and glittering as the air clouded in frost and snow- the water dome that had been converging to trap Hora was now suspended in air as nothing but a mass of-
"I-ice...?!" Juvia stammered breathlessly, her words cutting off as she recoiled.
The suspended reality of time and movement and Magic shattered in the next instant, the ice moving fast and growing out passed where her water had been- alive and moving all of it's own volition as huge spires and pillars of it grew out of the air and the ground, headed straight for her.
"Ice-Make: Sword!"
The river of gleaming white ice that had been streaming out toward Juvia was suddenly cut apart and obliterated completely. Chips of ice and frost glittering in the moonlight, Gray planted in front of Juvia and hands clasped around a sword made of his own Ice Magic- and not three feet in front of where Hora had come to a slightly dazed halt.
The icy blue color of her eyes faded as she looked around the sudden flurry of glinting, soft pieces of chilly cold falling through the air all around them, her vision unblurring only slightly and her ears ringing with the sound of air and frost and... snow... ice....
D...did I just...?
Her hand fell slowly, time suddenly freezing again as the air had in a sudden surge of Magic no one was ready for- and in her searching dazed attention around the Magic she found the one who'd destroyed it, ice clashing with ice, and she froze, her deep blue gaze matching with one of near the same hue.
W-wait....
A young man, older than her, a head of black hair and chest bare- holding tight to a sword of ice and the blue Fairy Tail emblem plastered to his chest. Bits of snow and frost fell against the silver necklace around his neck, his eyes locked with hers, his expression tense and distrustful, his jaw tight, his.. he....
.... n...no.... i... it can't.....
She was completely paralyzed for the second time that night, she couldn't breathe and she didn't even care to- her fractured and splintered mind, body, soul and emotions were shattered still, and that made it.. this....
Her life, her years, the last few months, days... today, all of it had been a storm, all of it spiraling further and further into insanity and this...?
Impossible.... r...right...?
But.... but... he.... he looked.... alm... ost...... exactly.... t...the same......?
Older, stronger, angry... but that... that face... those eyes....
N..no....
How long....?
It can't...i..it....
She felt the tears fall down her cheeks in sheer, fixed, rigid silence and she just stared as her world fell apart further than it already had. And her heart fell apart with it... so much she wouldn't ever be able to pick the pieces back up again, not after all that happened, not after being taken, not after that pain, not after she'd... not after....t..this...
It can't be.... h.. how could it... ever....?
But she couldn't think her mind was playing tricks on her.... she couldn't think she was seeing things... not even as her vision started to fade and get swallowed up by black, a wash of it circling in and surrounding the image of him, and still she didn't dare let her eyes break away.
Impossible.... but....?
She was falling, her body and her mind failing to keep her attention on him- she just.... she couldn't take it, it was too much, all of it too much...
...G..Gray...?
She fell into pitch black, everything silent, falling further and further into that chasm that had been stalking her all day, and yet her descent was the last thing on her mind.
H....He's....... ..... Alive....?
Longest Chapter yet! And a LOT of stuff happened! QwQ
I hope you enjoyed it none the less! Thank you for your continued support!
Please Comment if you can! Thank you~
Chapter 25: Breaking Point?
Chapter Text
Chapter 25
Breaking Point?
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
Sting and Rogue stopped at the head of the lines of their Guild in the Main Hall of the Inn, their eyes cast to the floor and stiff as boards under the piercing and disgusted gaze of Master and Minerva ahead of them. The line that had parted to allow them through closed up as Rufus and Orga came to the front, Rufus feeling Hora brush against his shoulder as she stepped up beside him and they all stopped at the head of the crowd, eyes downcast and expressions tense- everyone was tense. All of them waiting with bated breath and tense shoulders. Lector and Frosch halted in front of Rufus and Orga, their eyes fixed on their Partners.
"Sting, Rogue." Jiemma growled lowly, his tone barely contained distaste and malice, everyone swallowed back at it. Minerva's fingers tapped lightly against her upper arm from having them crossed, her narrowed stare darting among the throngs of lined up Members and lips curling slightly.
"How dare you?" Jiemma growled,
"...we have no words to justify this defeat... Natsu Dragneel overpowered the both us... He was such stronger than anticipated." Rogue murmured quietly, his eyes still trained on the floor and not daring to glance up. Beside him Sting tensed, his fists clenching at his sides.
"Tch... Are those the words of Members of the strongest Guild?" Jiemma hissed, they tensed as he stood up from his chair, knocking aside the goblet of drink on the table in front of him with little a care. Jiemma stood up, looming and expression dark as he started to stalk toward the Twin Dragons, and they forced themselves to stay still.
"How dare you show such weakness? How dare you lose to such a pathetic Guild?" Jiemma hissed, halting in front of them and voice raising higher with each question, a vein ticked on his forehead and shaking in rage that was bubbling faster and faster.
"You worthless rats have disgraced the name of the Strongest Guild!"
The air shook as his Magic flared, waves of pure power ramming into both Sting and Rogue and knocking them back, their bodies hitting the floor with painful thuds as they slid and staggered back on to their feet again. Everyone in the rows stiffened against the sudden rise in power and voice, sweatdropping and biting down on their tongues as Sting and Rogue were slammed into by Master Jiemma's fists in the next instant- the large, looming, cruel man shouting now.
"You are not worthy of calling yourselves SaberTooth! Take them off! Now!" Jiemma boomed, his fists slamming into the Twin Dragons again and this time they hit the floor with their already battered bodies, and didn't manage to get up again.
Rufus instinctively cast a glance sideways toward Hora, expecting that same ire and rage in her that had ignited during the Naval Battle- and very much concerned she planned to step in now. He wouldn't blame her if she did, and in fact a part of him wanted her to- because of anyone in this Guild, Hora was the only one he could imagine would step up, even if it were ill-advised. She contended with, and reigned victorious over a Demon of Zeref all on her own- she had the strength to stand against Master, and his daughter... And lately, for the first time in the years that Rufus remembered, she had the heart and determination too.
Rufus' eyes shift sideways slowly, only to stiffen when his eyes lay on the person beside him- and it was not Horatia.
The blonde man sweatdropped, his head turning a bit more in the direction and searching the people to his left quickly and quietly for any sign of that familiar multicolor hair. When he didn't find her he glanced over his shoulder and still found no sign of her again, and his nerves started to rise out of his usual cool and calm. Rufus glanced right and toward Orga, and his head tilted forward to peer around the larger man- perhaps he'd made a mistake and Hora had moved to stand on Orga's shoulder and not his own..?
And yet there was no sign of her there either, and Orga glanced down at Rufus when he noticed him looking, and what seriousness and confusion was spreading on the blonde's face. Not unwarranted, given how angry Jiemma was and his already harsh treatment against Sting and Rogue- but it was instantly clear to Orga that Rufus was not paying attention to them at all. He looked like he was... Looking for someone..?
Orga's face fell as a bead of sweat fell down his cheek, his eyes casting furtively around him and the crowd too when it dawned on him that something was missing from this picture.
"Eh...? Where the hell did she...?" He mumbled under his breath,
Jiemma was still advancing on Rogue and Sting even with Rufus and Orga's distraction, the man bearing down on Sting as the White Dragon Slayer struggled to push himself back up from the ground, but he was too hurt from his fight with Natsu and getting hit by Jiemma wasn't helping anything. His eyes snapped up as Jiemma advanced toward him, glittering as small flickers of fear passed across his expression no matter how hard he tried to hide it, or how bad it would end for him if Master noticed the weakness.
"Remove your Guild Marks, losing trash do not deserve to wear them!" Jiemma hissed, his footsteps heavy over the ground as he halted not a few feet from Sting- halting when an unexpected voice shattered the communal silence of the watching Guild.
"B-But Master, both Sting-kun and Rogue-kun did their best...!"
The whole Guild stared, their breath's catching in their throats as Lector stepped forward and turned Master's attention on him instead of on Sting. The red Exceed was trembling from head to toe, but he forced a smile anyway and addressed the rage-filled, massive man- Jiemma's dark gaze shifting toward Lector and glowering.
"L-Lector..." Sting hissed breathlessly, his heart skipping a beat.
"T-this time they lost, but I'm still proud of them... I think people can get even stronger after a defeat. Sting-kun definitely learned a lot during this fight, a-and Rogue-kun too! They'll be even stronger after this..!" Lector mewed, his voice trembling slightly but keeping up his composure none-the-less. Sting and Rogue's expressions softened a little at the words, sweatdropping more when they rang familiar as to what Hora had said not long before.
"Losing isn't a crime. And don't worry about not beating Salamander... even if you don't match up now, you will- I know you'll be stronger than him and Gajeel some day. Don't doubt it."
Jiemma's dark gaze landed on Lector, silent and leering for a few seconds as he regarded the Exceed coldly, and Lector shivered under the stare.
"Who the hell are you?" Jiemma growled lowly, Lector blinked, looking confused. He hesitated for a minute, before smiling nervously and twisting slightly as he lift his shirt to lay clear view of the Guild Mark stamped across his back.
"Ah Master, you know.. I-I'm a Member too, I have the Guild Mark and everything.." Lector replied shakily, Jiemma's brow raised at the answer for a few seconds, before his brow knit and his expression darkened into something so heart-stoppingly malicious, Lector paled and so did everyone else.
"Why is an animal bearing the Guild Mark of SaberTooth?" Jiemma growled dangerously, Lector recoiled at the sneer, shaking more now. Jiemma's hand lift as his palm pointed at Lector, Sting scrambling on to his knees and panic ramming into everyone in the room.
"Vanish!" Master boomed, pulsing waves of Magical Pressure suddenly filling the room as his Magic amassed before his hand- and struck out toward a paralyzed Lector in all but three seconds.
"Lector!" Sting yelled, still struggling to get on to his feet but he was too slow- his eyes locked with Lector's terrified gaze, the Exceed being lost from sight in a blinding white ball of sheer power.
"S-Sting-kun..?" Lector stammered, his voice fading into nothing as he faded into nothing too- the Inn booming with the force of Jiemma's Magic and leaving no trace of the Exceed.
Lector was obliterated in three seconds, with not a single trace of him left.
All eyes in the Guild were fixed, all of them staring, disbelieving and terrified.
Master... he just... killed...?!
N-no...!
Rogue hissed, pushing his beaten body up and rushing to snatch Frosch up in his arms- guarding him from Jiemma's view lest the man decide to enact his wrath on the small, green Exceed. That Exceed that was trembling just as badly as Rogue was himself, his eyes locked on Master and terrified of what else he planned-
L..Lector...!
He felt the stinging sensation of tears in his eyes, his heart shattering in an instant- so, so painful and yet it was nowhere near what Sting felt in that moment.
Sting felt his heart shatter into a million pieces, agony and heartbreak racing through him and sending every nerve alight in the most unbearable pain- his lungs aching for air he couldn't take in, they were shaking and shuddering too much, the tears already flooding form his eyes and down his cheeks. His jaw snapped shut, a sob rising up his throat that he didn't dare think of quieting, his hands balled into fists and shaking as he sat on his heels.
N-no... n...no...no...!
There was a hole suddenly ripped into his soul that couldn't be filled, and the ache and pain of it had the tears streaming faster and his voice loud and shaking- his head tilting back and his voice cracking as he sobbed openly for the first time in too long a time- and the first time he ever dared in front of that man... that man who...
...H..he killed... L...lec...
"LECTOR!" Sting yelled, his voice painful to hear and the sheer despair in it striking the Guild through the heart,
It... it finally... Master finally went... that far...?
This... this isn't right...
And yet they'd all never been more terrified of the man, than they were in that instant.
Master killed Lector
Jiemma turned on the wailing and crying form of Sting, his lips pulled into a sneer and all the more enraged by the open show of weakness and emotion.
"Quit with your blubbering, filth!" Jiemma boomed, his voice raising above Sting's sobbing as the SaberTooth Guild Master scowled. Sting was staggering, shaking as he held his head in his arms and pulled himself to his feet- lopsided and hardly standing as he kept crying, and breaking.
"H... How could you...?" Sting hissed, "H...How could you.. do that...?!"
"ENOUGH! IT WAS JUST A STUPID CAT!"
Of all people, of all the times that they'd watched Master submit his authority (cruelty) over the Guild... Of all times they watched and they submitted, and of all times all of them sat back and did nothing... The first time someone did anything, for the first time- the one to finally snap was not who anyone expected to.
Sting snapped
It was a rush, all of SaberTooth watching in transfixed shock and horror, all wide eyes and veins turning ice- all rigid and not daring to breath as Sting launched forward toward their 'Master' in all his pain and rage and heartbreak. The White Dragon Slayer swung out, his Magic blazing faster and stronger than ever before and ruled by what wrath he held now toward the bastard of a man who dare end the life of that Exceed he had called friend and Partner since he was a kid. His fist swing forward in a blaze of blinding white as he made contact with Jiemma's torso, and a beam of sheer, unrelenting force ran straight through that man who had dared to ever lay a finger on anyone in that Guild. His Magic tearing a whole straight through Jiemma's body like it was little but paper, blood spurting into the air as Jiemma was thrown back and coughed up that sticky crimson liquid- that same liquid he had brought to bear in all of those watching when he enacted 'judgment'.
That same man who had beaten them, harmed them, oppressed and abused them for so, so long and was never challenged- that man hit the floor with a heavy thud, his blood pooling underneath him and defeated in the matter of a few seconds by someone who had always bowed underneath him. Years of being helpless and submissive, years of feeling trapped and being scared to even speak for what that man would do to them- years of being so terrified of that man they allowed themselves to endure everything... Terrified of that man who was beaten in a single second by one person.
That man they allowed to mistreat them for so, so long out of fear... That man who couldn't move, his chest a bloody mess and gasping for air- powerless.
That man destroyed... And that easily...
...h...how... How could he have ever been... stopped... T...that easily...?
How long did we...
The assembled members of Fiore's #1, and strongest Guild- the glorious, powerful Guild SaberTooth that was known and feared by all- that Guild was still and silent, paralyzed all of them... And that Guild wasn't able to move for their shock and their terrified stupor, all minds racing and thoughts running a million miles an hour- they couldn't fathom...
How... How many times did we think it...?
Hope and plead... And wish it...?
All of this... That Jiemma... Needed to be stopped...?
And... J... Just like that...?
How could it... How could it have been that easy ...?
Minerva's lips pulled into a small, wicked little smile as her hands fell on her hips- uncaring of the sound of her father's wheezing breaths, or the way in which the Guild seemed frozen.
"Very good." Minerva hummed, her voice easily breaking the silence as the Guild's eyes snapped toward her, a flash of fear running through them all. Her eyes however, were only on Sting- and he stared, sweatdropping heavily. "It seems the opportunity has arisen to put an end to my Father's reign of terror." Minerva announced coolly, not a hint nor shred of remorse or concern for said Father currently bleeding out on the floor. "And since it is clear that Sting's power has surpassed him, he will be a worthy candidate for the next Guild Master."
A shocked ripple rung out among everyone at the words, none of them sure of what they were hearing or what exactly Minerva was planning so suddenly- Sting paled a bit at the announcement.
Him...? As... As Guild Master...?
"M..minerva... What are you...?!" Jiemma wheezed, trembling and trying to push himself up from the floor- but his body would not listen. Minerva's cold gaze landed on her Father, expressionless and unfeeling.
"Silence, we have no use for losers- as according to your logic." Minrrva replied coldly, Jiemma scowled, blood dripping passed his lips as his jaw clenched.
"You... Little...!" Jiemma growled, but Minerva simply blinked. She did not seem to care when Jiemma raised a hand from the floor, smeared in his own blood and trembling- Minerva waved a hand at him dismissively, and turned to Sting again. Rogue's eyes flicked feverishly between the stumbling and struggling Jiemma and Minerva, wary of both and not sure what to make of... any of it.
"Sting, Natsu Dragneel has something you do not." Minerva murmured lowly, Sting swallowed. "What they call the Power of Feelings... It is a Power you have never used, while my Father has ruled this Guild. By his order to stay from showing any weakness or emotion to anyone else, you have been cut off from this Power- the very Power that makes you stronger than even Natsu Dragneel." She smiled, her eyes glittering as Sting stiffened. "Your feelings for Lector will be what allows you to surpass him."
"... Tch..."
Rogue's suspended attention on Minerva got torn away when he heard Jiemma cough, not a single person paying that man any mind what with Minerva suddenly taking charge of the situation. Rogue's eyes flashed, narrowing to slits and stiffening on instinct as he watched Jiemma's hand lift of the floor, a blood-red Magic Circle appeared over his palm, before his fist closed around it, starting to break it apart as if it were solid matter. Faint noise of something like glass shattering started up, so low and so quiet Rogue even hardly heard it... But what Magic was that...?
Sting's eyes dropped, swallowing back what lump was in his throat and the tears starting anew. "M..my Lady... I...I..." He stammered, Minerva's smiled twisted a little, sly and wicked cunning.
"Lector is alive."
Sting froze, his eyes snapping open wide and trembling as the words hit hard- what...?
Rogue's eyes snapped toward Minerva again in shock, his heart jumping at the words- how...?!
"I sent him to another place with my Magic." She explained, Sting swallowed- his heart sailing and sinking all at once from the kindness of Minerva who... Who was never kind.
And that smile on her face, it was wicked, amused... Dangerous.
"And your precious cat will be returned to you, only after you have proven to me you are worthy of leading this Guild." Minerva murmured lowly, Sting swallowed. "I am different from my Father, I do not care where your Power comes from, only that you are Powerful. But I still believe SaberTooth need remain the Number 1, at all costs."
It felt like a sharp sword of ice ran through the hearts of every Saber Member, their countenance wilting under that deadly stare from the Lady... The Daughter of the man they had been abused by... The woman who had always abused them.
Even with Jiemma gone...w...we...
"You can have Lector back, after SaberTooth wins the Grand Magic Games." Minerva growled, her eyes flashing as Sting's breath hitched a little. "Now don't try anything rash, remember that Lector's life is in my hands."
Hostage
Sting gulped, and Rogue held tighter to Frosch on reaction- afraid for a few seconds that Minerva might snatch Frosch up too and use the Exceed as a tool of fear and blackmail, like Lector.
Sting held Minerva's gaze quietly, the fear and worry clear in his expression and the whole of the Building deadly quiet as she waited for an answer- he had little choice in the matter, and he knew it. Lector's life was on the line and they all knew Minerva was not shy of harming the Exceed should she see need to. She'd do anything to get what she wanted and they all knew that... He didn't have a choice, he had to do what she wanted. Had to win...
... And all of them, they were still trapped, even though Jiemma-
"...tch... Filthy Wretches... The lot of you..."
This time the Guild dared break their attention on Minerva and all eyes snapped warily toward the man still bleeding out on the floor, all of them save Rogue noticing for the first time that Magic Circle he was crushing further in his hand, hearing the noise of it shattering and splintering as Jiemma shot a hate-filled glare at his daughter.
"... You've been waiting... To get rid of me..." He hissed, Minerva crossed her arms over her chest.
"I told you to be silent." She muttered lowly, "Whatever you plan with that Magic, it will do you no good. You cannot attack I, or anyone else here and hope for victory. You are weak."
"... Tch... I may die... But I will not allow you filth to take this Guild from me... So easily..." he growled, "... I may not be able to harm any of you... Or take revenge on you, Minerva... But the rest... All of you insects... And you Sting... Rogue... Every one of you... I can still break you."
Rogue felt a wash of icy cold settle over him out of nowhere, his confused, whirling thoughts over everything that had been happening in front of him suddenly swirling inward toward one thing, one realization that finally hit him out of nowhere.
Sting was the one that snapped, but-
Rogue's head snapped around toward the crowd that made up the rest of the Guild, his heart beating faster and faster with every second. His red eyes locked on to Rufus and Orga, and he didn't find her anywhere- and those concerned, wary gazes he received from both men sent terror racing through him.
"Where's Hora...?!" He hissed lowly, asking the question of them but they shook their heads, and Rogue whipped back around toward Jiemma, his expression nothing but absolute, unyielding fear.
How could he have forgotten about her like that?! And about what Jiemma-!
"... There's a Lacrima in my chest." Hora whispered, "... it's connected with my Magic... it keeps me alive... and Jiemma's put a Possession Link on it... you can't break Possession Links... they have to be removed by the people who place them... Jiemma's had it on me since he took over the Guild... I can't run, I can't leave... he'll find me no matter where I go..."
Rogue was getting to his feet, ready to rush forward and do something- anything to stop him from-
Everyone in the room stared at Rogue, sweatdropping heavily when they saw pure terror dawn in him out of nowhere, and they didn't understand why.
"... he can destroy the Lacrima whenever he wants... with a single thought... and if he does... it'll kill me..."
"Don't!" Rogue yelled,
Jiemma's hand closed all the way with one sharp sound of that Magic Circle being crushed and shattered like glass, completely broken as bits of blood-red Magic seeped passed his fingers. Rogue felt his heart stop, the tears already falling and hand outstretched, the shattering sound ringing on his ears deafeningly.
"... I'll take that worthless rat with me..." Jiemma hissed, his breath exhaling as a rasp- his hand fell to the ground, limp.
His world was crumbling in over his head as panic and fear raced through him, unending, spine-chilling, sickening- he was hardly standing, he felt faint and ready to collapse. Like he'd been ripped through by a gunshot and every part of him wanted to cease function. And yet he couldn't fall, he couldn't hit the floor and he couldn't stay standing there- adrenaline hit him square on and made his breathing elevate to panicked gasps, Frosch still in one arm and staring up at the Shadow Dragon Slayer in pure fear for how he was reacting so suddenly.
"R-Rogue, what's wrong...?" Frosch mewed, teary eyed and soon crying just like Rogue was so suddenly. It took little time at all for the Shadow Dragon Slayer's behavior to have everyone else on edge too, all of them feeling and confused- and scared.
"Rogue, what is going on...?!" Sting snapped quickly, because what in the hell could have Rogue looking so horrified?!
Rogue couldn't form the words- any words, his throat dried up and he didn't even think about stopping, or trying to garner a response- he was already moving.
He had to go, he had to... Had to find her!
No, no, no, no, no, no!
"HORA!"
"B-big... Big Brother?!"
She screamed. Screamed in terror and panic as her voice was lost to the roaring of hundreds of frightened and terrified people running around her, the noise of their shouts and their own screams pounding against her ears.
The whole village was in a complete state of panic, of destruction and disarray... Homes and buildings, all those structures she had come to know by heart- they lay in smoldering ruin around her, flames dancing and rubble thrown all about. Her home was now a mess of destruction, everything looked foreign, she couldn't begin to place where she was- and the mass of running and sprinting people around her on all sides wasn't helping any.
She looked around wildly, stumbling and tripping in the snow laden and soot covered streets- her toes numb from the icy water seeping into her shoes.
"Mom?! Dad?!" She yelled, though no one could possibly hear such a small voice, tears welled from her eyes and fell down her cheeks, chest heaving and fighting for air as sheer terror sunk in even deeper in her heart. "Brother?! Please! Where are you?!"
She was alone... She was lost... Her family...
There were bodies. People from the village, broken and bloody... Crushed under the fallen buildings. Torn apart by the rubble. Burned from the fires... People were dying and lay all around her. Death hung in the air... It...
It was a massacre.
She was trembling in her fear, her young heart hardly able to take such violence and death.. She'd never see this before, and she never should have. Such a thing as this... It was awful, it was horrifying, and among the roars of the beast and the screaming of the people around her- she was alone and lost.
All she wanted... Was her family...
But... There were so many people dead. Her heart stopped to think that maybe... Maybe... Her family was dead too.
The emptiness growing inside of her deepened, cold and rotting... She had never felt more alone, and her tears started to stream faster, blurring her vision as she stumbled about.
"MOM?! DAD?!" She yelled, voice shaking and tripping, the large and daunting form of the creature blurred from the salty wetness clouding her eyes. She stumbled and fell, the snow and icy cobblestone underfoot rushing up to meet her small body with a painful thud.
"B-Brother!" She gasped, she just wanted... Wanted someone...
Her eyes moved from the blackened ice and snow, upward as she felt a massive shadow loom over her. Her wide and terrified gaze moved up to see the Beast standing before her, so massive it was it blocked out the sky.
Its cold eyes glittering in animalistic rage and malice, her heart stopping and ice running through her veins as she simply remained motionless. She was too terrified to move, or even cry out as one of its clawed hands lift- sharp claws glinting in the fire light.
She was going to die...
It swiped downward, she lift her arms as her eyes shut right in terror- the beasts hand catching her small body and tearing open her skin and muscle and bone with one of the wicked claws, her blood flying into the air and staining the snow- just as hundreds of different scarlet pools already were. The agony that swept through her was gut-wrenching, her vision went black and red at the pain of it tearing across her being, as she was sent flying- her scream of utter pain tearing at the air and her throat.
She fell abruptly silent as she slammed into the ground, bones cracking. She rolled, coming to a halt, unmoving, unbreathing... A large, deep pool of crimson surrounding her body, the wound deep, bone showing through the shredded skin.
She couldn't even hear the screaming anymore, she couldn't open her eyes... She couldn't even wince at her pain... She was just... Falling... Alone...
My... Family... My
... My... brother...?
... She was screaming. Writhing and squirming in sheer, fiery agony searing across her body and her mind. Her wrist, arm, and all the way to her shoulder... Her skin was blistering from the insane heat- it felt as if she had dipped it in molten lava.
Arden was gripping her arm tightly, holding on to her, the grip never slipping- even as she tried so desperately to pull away. Her vision flashed black, red... The smell of burning filled her nose and lungs. She just kept screaming... The pain was blinding...
... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go. She wanted to be let go.
And for what? What the hell was all this... All this pain and sheer agony, the suffering and the torture for anyway? Why was she being forced to endure it?
... The reason... It... It was impossible... She couldn't...
... Deliora... It... It killed everyone... But me...
... R... Right...?
N...no... That... That's...
"... it's the same with Sherry, Tobi and Yuka as well. That Demon destroyed everything we had, we were left alone... I was fortunate enough to be taken in by the woman who taught me my Magic, others were less lucky." Lyon sighed slightly, that haunted look coming back into his eyes a moment as memory seemed to flood his mind.
"... The Demon Deliora. It destroyed our lives, yes... But now it can no longer harm anyone, my Mentor- Ur, she defeated it..."
L...lyon said... He... He survived... When Delioria... B... But... My home... My family... They couldn't have...
"... I was really, really young... When Deliora destroyed my village, and my family."
I was a fucking kid and... A..and...
"...I got out," her grip on her arm tightened a little, her eyes trailing along the long and deep scar.
"... Barely."
There was no way... right...?
There can't be any way... H... How many years has it been...?
Ho... How long and... I... I always...H...he had to be... There... Is no... Way...
... ho... how could he...?
She felt cold and hot all at once, her body shaking without her consent. Her head was in a haze and her eyelids felt heavier than she could ever remember them being. She shuddered involuntarily, her breath catching in her throat as she coughed faintly.
The room was dim around her, and stagnant. She could scarcely see the ceiling above her, if not for the small, faint sliver of light that managed to make it past the edge of the curtains. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she knew she had. She'd been moving in and out of wakefulness for hours, flitting between feverish reality and swirling, nonsensical dreams.
She felt something squeeze around her fingers gently, her eyes trailing sideways from the roof toward that young little boy at the bedside.
Brother...
He was fast asleep, his head resting in his crossed arms on the bedtop- one hand extended just slightly so he could keep holding her hand in his. His fingers twined between hers and limp in his sleeping, yet they still kept locked together.
She blinked, her eyes falling halfway as the haze lifted just enough- she remembered waking up earlier too, and remembered hearing his voice mixed with that of their parents.
"..b-but... I wanna help..."
"... Love, the only thing we can do is let her sleep."
"... Once she rests, the fever will pass and she will be alright.."
"... I..."
"..hmm, I know you want to help her feel better, love..." That was her mother's voice, she sounded sympathetic, and warm.
"... You know what? Sit with her, keep her company. I'm sure that will help her feel better." And that was her Father, a bit louder, but no less warm.
"..y-yeah!" Her brother sounded a little happier with that, he liked that idea- mostly because then, he would be doing something. "... I-i can tell her a story, if she wants...! Or just stick around, so she's not all alone when she's sleeping..!"
"Great idea." Mother and Father said all in unison.
Her mind was slipping back into the deep, dark depths again as she heard feet move down the hallway outside the door.
She must have fallen asleep before he made it inside, but he'd stayed anyway...
She squeezed his hand back faintly, sighing as her eyes fell closed again.
... I... am I dreaming...?
D... did any of... that...?
It was flooding back, memories and images and thoughts of a time and a town and people she had tried so hard never to think back on- because remembering them would break her, all over again.
And what spurred it? Out of nowhere as she floated in a sea of cold and black with the visions swimming by sickeningly fast, and falling over her mind that was already shattered and whirling?
Impossible... Insanity
"Oi! Where do you think you're going?"
She huffed, her fists clenched at her sides and casting the taller boy an annoyed glare as he blocked her way. There were other children behind him, watching them warily and snickering to themselves as she was denied passage through the gate.
"We ain't letting a little brat like you play." The boy growled, she frowned at him, her eyes flashing as she shifted- her feet crunching the snow underfoot.
"Why not?" She shot back, "I really wanna play with you guys, please?"
"Hell no. You're too little, you'll ruin everyone's fun." He shot back, she huffed.
"I'm not that little! I know all the rules and I can keep up really good too!" She argued, the older boy let out an aggravated growl, a sneer on his face as he shoved her back a little and she stumbled, trying to stay on her feet an managing it- barely.
"We're not gonna babysit you! We don't want you, so just go away!" He snapped, she bit back the aggravated growl rising in her throat as she simply glared at him.
"Why are you such a jerk?!" She whined,
"Why are you so annoying?! Leave!" He snapped, stepping back and hand finding the gate as he slammed it shut in front of her face, she stumbled back to avoid getting hit and ended up slipping. She landed hard in the snow, yelping a little as she heard the other (older) kids all laugh at her,
"What a baby!"
"Run home to mommy and daddy!"
They were walking away, leaving her sitting there in a drift of snow and ice and her clothes stuck with bits of it everywhere. She huffed, her blue eyes glittering and anger bubbling up in her core quicker than ever-
She stomped to her feet, sweeping up a wad of snow and ice in hand as she pound it into a ball- and launched it with all her might at the back of the older boy's head. The ball hit his skull with an audible thud and he doubled over, holding his head and letting out a pained yell- the other kids around him gasping and staring in shock at what happened, she let out a hot breath as she stood there still.
"Serves you right!" She yelled, earning all of their eyes and his as his shocked expression pulled into anger and disgust.
"You little brat! You're gonna pay for that!" He snapped back, stumbling in his haste as he suddenly spun around and started running back toward her- and she gulped.
Oh no
She whipped around, running off in the opposite direction as fast as her legs could carry her, panic rushing through her body and hearing him yelling still behind her and the sound of his feet in the snow getting closer. Her feet were slipping in the snow and she was stumbling as much as she was keeping ahead, but not for very long- his legs were longer than hers, and no matter how fast she was, she wasn't fast enough to get away or stay away for very long.
She hissed, her movement halted and her head yanked back as the boy gripped tightly to her hair and stopped her. Pain stretched up through her scalp and her neck, her feet skidding as she lost balance and that boy pulled her up from the ground by her hair roughly, her toes barely brushing the ground at all- before he knocked her down and pushed her face first into the wet, slush covered street. Her clothes got instantly soaked and the chill moisture splashed against her face as she coughed, struggling and wiggling even as the boy held tight to her hair and pinned her down with his more massive weight and strength.
"G-get off of me..!" She snapped,
"Not until I pay you back for throwing that thing at me!"
"You deserved it!" She retorted, he pushed her chin into the snow further.
"Shut up!"
"HEY!"
Her head got yanked back and up and she yelped, but the boy's grip in her hair got released and his weight on top of her disappeared. The boy grunted, growling and grumbling as he was hoisted off roughly and hit the snow with a thud, scrambling to his feet and not at all pleased.
"You wanna fight too?!" The boy snapped hotly, his eyes blazing as his gaze landed on the other, slightly smaller boy that had pulled him off of her and tossed him. She blinked, rolling over and shivering from the cold already as she saw him step between her and her pursuer, blocking her from the other boy's view.
Brother
"Just leave her alone," her Brother grumbled, "If you don't leave now, I'll make you leave."
Kids can be cruel sometimes... huh...?
Her Brother earned a black eye for his efforts, but he drove the bully off regardless (sending that boy home with a rather heavily bleeding nose, actually)... and then helped pick her up out of the snow and the water, holding her hand and sticking close as they headed home.
"Were you scared?"
"No!"
"Heh, then why are you crying?"
"He was pulling on my hair, and it really hurt!"
"Haha... you're not scared of a lot of things, are you?"
"Nope!"
... if only that were still true...
"Geez you're annoying!"
"So are you!"
"Stop pulling!"
"You stop pulling!"
They were tugging on eachother's hair, lips pulled into frowns and tempers on an all time high as they shot back angry words and yells of annoyance, tugging harder and harder and trying to one-up the other... some argument, about something- she couldn't remember anymore. They were on the floor, rolling around and squirming- sticking feet and hands in mouths and against faces trying to get free or just annoy- anything, they were just too focused on fighting they didn't care what for or how ridiculous it was getting.
It was always like that, sometimes they got along just perfectly, sometimes they simply tolerated eachother- sometimes he was so, so gentle with her and sometimes they were so rough. They fought with one another just as quickly as they made up, and cooperated- sometimes partners in crime and other times mortal enemies... behavior that was much to their Parent's dismay (and exasperation), she was sure.
They were both broken apart and hoisted up by their ankles from strong hands, their Father letting out a weary sigh as their Mother shook her head.
"Both of you, cut it out!"
... she remembered some of it... but not a lot of it. She had just been so young and so small... There was some things that stuck, like that bully, that stupid fight... his hand in hers when she was sick, things like that. And then there were a lot of small, little things that didn't last very long. A few moments eating dinner with all of them, going outside to watch the snowfall- leaning over her Mother's shoulder to watch her cook... standing to the side and watching in awe and the utmost intrigue with her Brother at her side as their Father told some fantastical, silly little story.
But all of those things faded and distorted over time, and she buried most all of it... the things that stuck most, and that remained as clear as the day they happened?
They were all so, so bad... she lost them. All of them... they all died...
...b..but...
... I was supposed to die, I wanted to die... I lived because... because Arden did that... forced that on me... forced me to live... t..through...
... Arden forced that wild, insane Magic into her- forced it to burn the wound closed, forced it to mark across every inch of her body and her soul and claim her, the pain was enough to kill anyone, the Magic was too strong, too jagged and much too uncontrolled- it was burning her alive from the inside out. She thrashed and kicked up blood-colored snow, screamed and kicked and pleaded and cried, her voice breaking, shrieking even long after her throat filled with blood and the taste of something burning sour... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go.
... she started to burn, the black running up her body and strangling her- that dirty, blood matted raven hair turning orange and red and all colors it should never have been. The rest of her body started to blister and break under the fire consuming her, eating her... killing her, and still she tried to pull away. Her mouth filled with blood and ash and fire and she felt her lungs burning away inside her chest,
She was a fucking kid... a kid for fuck's sake... a little girl that was twitching, her body falling apart and melting from the inside out and all will to fight outwardly lost- if only her mind and her heart had failed so quickly, she still felt it... felt every single second of it.
His hand shot forward, the stone still gripped tightly as he plunged his hand through the center of her chest, ribs breaking and what charred mess of her lungs was left- they were forced apart as he stuck his entire fist inside her body, moving organs and bone and leaving a giant, nestled hole for that stone to set. Her skin, and her body, covered head to foot in pitch, jet black- a pulse of blue raced from where his hand remained lodged inside her chest, and she felt like her heart had been ripped in two.
Her body felt like it had been drowned in lava suddenly felt like it had been ripped in half, melted back together, then cut into hundreds of pieces... and then melted again, over and over it when from blinding burning pain to mind shattering cold, it lasted years, it lasted too long and she felt her mind breaking under it all just as her body shattered with it.
Arden ripped his hand back out from her body again, leaving the stone as his breaths shuddered to a close. His yellow eyes dulling to grey and all light gone as his hand fell limp from having been holding to her so tightly, his face falling as a ghost of smile remained etched into his face forever more.
She was writhing around in that blood soaked snow and ice, screaming and fidgeting for hours, her body destroying itself, burning itself, and then slapping itself back together- the flames raged and then died, and then raged again and it was a fate worse than death... she wanted to die, she screamed and pleaded and wished she would- begged. And the pain still kept on-
... she should have died... she only lived because of that... she'd been forced to live through all of that... she survived, but she would have rather died...
... She'd been so broken, when she woke up... Found him, Arden... Dead and smiling still.. She was alone then, confused and trapped in a body now ruined by some evil, foul Magic she had known nothing of. She'd been confused, alone, hurt, and so afraid...plagued and eaten alive ever since by a Magic so dark and so twisted... a Magic that made her a Monster...
If she'd only survived that... by enduring hell and back... there never could have been any way... no one else could have been alive... she didn't dare hope they were- because what hell would they have gone through to stay breathing? How could she fathom anyone surviving that massacre and not being forced to live through some torture or cruelty like she had to stay alive?
If living meant going through even a fraction of what she'd been forced to... n...no... just... no!
What did that mean then...!?
What happened, what did he live through... if he really...?!
... h... how can he be...?!
... Her hand fell slowly, time suddenly freezing again as the air had in a sudden surge of Magic no one was ready for- and in her searching dazed attention around the Magic she found the one who'd destroyed it, ice clashing with ice, and she froze, her deep blue gaze matching with one of near the same hue.
W-wait...
A young man, older than her, a head of black hair and chest bare- holding tight to a sword of ice and the blue Fairy Tail emblem plastered to his chest. Bits of snow and frost fell against the silver necklace around his neck, his eyes locked with hers, his expression tense and distrustful, his jaw tight, his.. he...
... n...no... i... it can't...
She was completely paralyzed for the second time that night, she couldn't breathe and she didn't even care to- her fractured and splintered mind, body, soul and emotions were shattered still, and that made it.. this...
Her life, her years, the last few months, days... today, all of it had been a storm, all of it spiraling further and further into insanity and this...?
Impossible... r...right...?
But... but... he... he looked... alm... ost... exactly... t...the same...?
Older, stronger, angry... but that... that face... those eyes...
... it had to be, but it couldn't...!
There were emotions racing through her that she didn't have names for, nor the force of will to even begin to pick apart- all of it! It was just... TOO MUCH
Too much that grew to a hundred times too much when those memories and those thoughts got mixed in with everything else... everything flooding back like a ferocious, thundering tsunami bearing down on her head. It was a rush, blurred and messy and distorted and... pain, she had been in agony-
- someone... somebody had taken her, said things, things that didn't make sense... their lips pressed to hers, a voice so dead, familiar and twisted and a scent-
- he said I was going to die... he... he knew... that Jiemma... Jiemma-
Everything, all of it so much and tearing her to pieces, sending her emotions flying and she couldn't control any of it.
WHAT IN THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!
The darkness got torn apart in a blinding array of blurred, fuzzy, and a head-achingly disorienting array of color and scents and sounds that rammed into her frenzied mind like a train. She jolted upward, shaking and heaving as pain raced through her center and chest at the same time her stomach flipped in a bout of nausea it almost made her gag. She sucked in a deep breath, only she ended up coughing- though even that hardly stopped her as she scrambled into a sitting position, her head snapping this way and that in sheer panic and confusion as she tried to make sense of a world swimming in her eyes. She was coughing and sputtering, hardly able to take any air in and her body shaking so, so terribly- sitting up was hell and she scrambled backwards in haste away from someone's hand on her shoulder.
Who in the fuck-?!
"Woah, woah- wait a minute Hora...!"
A firm get gentle hand fell against her back and another caught her wrist with ease as she swung up in blind reaction. Hora blinked furiously, panting and wheezing as she did her best to make sense of the voice and that blurry figure (of several, frighteningly..!) in front of her, and just who in the hell was touching her.
"Hey, calm down-" that voice went on, urgent and tense.
"You really shouldn't move so much just yet...!" A different, softer voice said this time- but she was focused on the first, with how much her ears were ringing and the sound of her sputtering and gasping was to her- it was hard enough picking apart one voice, let alone two... But maybe it did sound a little familiar.
She sniffed, a flood of things filling her nose and all of it overwhelming- but what she latched on to was the familiar smokey scent of ash and ember mixed with something sweet- a same sweet found in a separate smell of fresh, cool air.
"-Hora, hey... Just take it easy for minute, alright...?" The first voice came again, her eyes narrowing as she pulled back at the hand that had grabbed her wrist out of instinct- she was still whirling, and freaking out after all- and it didn't help the hand didn't let go... But her nose couldn't lie, even if the rest of her senses were in too much of a state of disorder.
She swallowed, blinking hard until her vision unblurred enough and she made out the familiar (albeit very strained and concerned... And pale(?)) face of-
"... Natsu...?" Hora breathed, his eyes flashed as she said his name and he saw the recognition dawn in her expression, finally. He nodded stiffly, sweatdropping as his hold on her wrist softened a bit.
"Yeah, it's me." He murmured, she seemed to deflate slightly, sitting on her heels now in the midst of lunging up and struggling to move it get away... Or... Whatever, as she was freaking out the minute she managed any semblance of consciousness. He could feel her trembling under his hands, see the way her body was shaking and even straining as she stayed sitting up- the way her breathing was so harsh and wheezy made his heart twist, and the sheer exhaustion in her face and the sickly pallor of her skin didn't make him relax either.
She was confused, and panicky- and he didn't really blame her, nor was he surprised by it either... Not after everything that had just happened, and what Wendy had been explaining as the Sky Dragon Slayer rushed to heal Hora and fix what it was that had happened to her.
Hora sweatdropped, her eyes glittering as she gulped a little and Natsu leaned in a bit- him being on one knee next to her, and the one hand on her back, steadying her almost.
"Hey, you okay...?" He asked lowly, his eyes searching as she held his gaze for a few seconds, almost dazed- before he saw pain race over her face and she stiffened underneath him.
There was a sharp, agonizing jolt of pain that struck straight through her center out of nowhere, making it hard to breath for a few seconds- and making her double over at it. She coughed, one hand finding the ground to keep herself from falling face first into it and the other one pulling from Natsu's grip to cover her mouth in time to catch what scarlet liquid rose in her throat. It wasn't a lot of blood, but enough she tasted it, and a few splashes of it fell into her palm as she continued to sputter painfully for an agonizingly long minute.
"Hora..!" Natsu hissed, his (suddenly free) hand finding her shoulder to steady her a bit more while the one on her back stayed where it was, his eyes glittering like mad and jaw clenched as he felt her shudder and cough underneath him. His eyes snapped briefly from her and toward Wendy, who was on her knees in front of the Saber woman now and her hands extending quickly toward her as Wendy's face pulled in concern,
"I'm sorry, but you need to calm down if you can Hora..." Wendy instructed gently, her hands raising in front of her and the light of her Magic glowing anew as her eyes narrowed in concentration. "... There's nothing more I can do, I've healed you as much as I can... I'm sorry, I know you're still in pain..." The small Dragon Slayer murmured, regretfully so, Natsu swallowed a bit.
Hora heard Wendy's voice more clearly this time around, even over the sound of her own breathing as she fought to quiet the coughing even just a little. And she heard the concern in it, and the urgency... And how sorry she sounded when she said that;
'There's nothing more I can do'
But... but what did you do...? What... What could you do... That I'm not... A... Already... Dead...?
Hora sucked in a breath of air and held it, forcing her lungs to still for a few seconds and hopefully crush the coughing with it. Doing so made her chest ache terribly, but it was better than gasping and sputtering... Better than hacking up more blood.
L... Lixue...? Hey... Are you...? Jiemma... Jiemma was... Was destroying you...
'... I am alive... Or rather, I am intact... Mostly.' Lixue's voice was quiet, and tired- as well as strained... What with all the screaming and roaring he'd been doing. But to be honest, she hadn't expected any answer- how the hell could Lixue answer?
Y... You can't be... Jiemma... He was doing it, he was killing us... he was breaking you...! And he had all the power to do it, with that Possession Link...!
'... That is gone.'
Hora went very still, the words ringing through her head and all whirling thoughts and subjects crashing to a head on that.
W...what...?
'... There are always ways to achieve something... It happened we did not possess the means nor the knowledge between the two of us... But that is not to say someone else hadn't the means to break the Link instead...' Lixue mumbled tiredly, '... I am however surprised... Even being taught by Grandeeney, that child possesses power over Enchantments that should not be possible at such a young age...'
Hora's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening and locked on the ground as she stayed bent over, her hand still over her mouth and oblivious to anything anyone else said around her- she was only listening to Lixue now.
'... I am not unscathed however, Horatia... It will take time for the Lacrima that encases my life-force to heal, and be rid of what damage Jiemma placed upon me.' Lixue went on softly, '... I am weak right now, and the effects I have on combating the Flames are weak for it... Do try and stay as calm as you possibly can... But in the meantime, I will do what you need of me... just be aware we both have a limit, and we will hit it. When that time comes, Over-Drive will be as unforgiving as it was the last time.'
She swallowed, letting out the breath she'd been holding and panting again- just less raggedy now.
'... Likely we would have hit that limit upon waking up now... But I think that will be delayed, given that child has managed to restore a great fraction of our strength regardless of being unable to repair the damage done unto me all the way... we have some time now, before Over-Drive will take firm hold of you... We should use it as wisely as we can manage, hmm?' Lixue added in softly, 'March on until we have depleted what strength is between us... Until that limit is reached... and then hope Over-Drive does not prove fatal on this second round...' She sweatdropped at that, her stomach churning slightly at the prospect that Over-Drive would get that bad, or even worse than last time...
... W... Will you really be alright, Lixue...? You.. We were dying... He was tearing you apart- how... How can you be fine...?
'... I think I will be alright, in time. You and I are both such better off now than should be possible after all of...that... But do refrain from anything exceptionally brash, will you?' He replied easily, '... You can use my Power as you need, Horatia... I will hold out, but I still caution at least some restraint.' She stiffened,
Use... Your...?
She didn't wait for Lixue to garner a reply... Ten years.... Ten years of wishing and hoping that she could-
Her hand fell from covering her mouth, her other one lifting from the ground as she sat back on to her heels a bit more and straightened- and her gaze locked on her hands as she brought them in front of her.
Ten years and so many times she called forth Magic and never... Never ever got what she wished...
"Not so fast!"
A wall of water sprung up, moving into it's liquid state after having previously been ice on the floor- Hora's back slammed into it as she was moving to get out of the way of the Demon's giant claws swinging out toward her. The flames she had let rise up around her hissed and shrunk away from the water she had slammed into hard enough it felt more like rock than water, her right hand instinctively rushing backward to slap against the wall of liquid- only to have her heart drop into the pits of her stomach when she realized nothing happened.
"S-Shit...!" She stammered, her eyes flicking forward toward those claws getting closer she was struggling to see around the blood that had splashed into her eyes.
'You forgot...?!' Lixue snapped, slightly exasperated but he sounded more panicked. She felt just as panicked, her Magic blazing brighter, the water hissing and spitting as steam started to encase everything around her. Hora swept her arms up in front of her, her eyes snapping closed on instinct,
"Crimson Flame!"
Deep scarlet fire sprung up as a wall between herself and the Demon's claws headed straight for her- the contact of them both sending up a wave of explosive force as her Magic imploded against the pure power behind the hit. Hora gasped, the wave of force knocking into her and sending her falling back through the wall of water hard enough she hit the ground and bounced a good hundred feet before stopping, gasping for air and cuts littering various places of her body from skidding so far.
Better than being impaled though, but that cut that had been sliced across her cheek, over her nose, and down the other cheek just below her eyes, was bleeding and throbbing in pain now, deep and stinging.
I can't believe... I thought I could... fuck!
She swallowed, her eyes flashing as they narrowed at her palms- uncaring of the flecks of blood splattered over her skin.
She slowly drew her hands back up, pressing the sides of them together lightly in front of her chin, palms open to face up as she took in a small breath, her eyes falling closed. She exhaled softly, eyes opening as they glinted with the bright golden and red light of a flame that formed from her breath, the flame licking at the air gently before she sighed, and her Magic faded again.
... Damn it...
Ten years trapped and bound and limited... Ten years and now...
She let out a low breath, every fiber of her being hoping, wishing... yearning... that it came out somehow different from the trembling, shaky, hot breath it was.
Not what she wanted... never what she wanted.
... A piece of her that been missing was back again... A hole filled somewhere inside of her as she took in a slow, deep breath... A warmth in her soul brought on by something so, blissfully cold...
She brought her hands up in front of her a bit more, that breath she took in halting as she felt her heart skip a beat- and she blew it out.
The air she let out was a cloud, hazy and chill as specks of moisture turned into minuscule shards of frost and fell like a small little snow in the palms of her hands.
Ten years a slave and bound and now...
...free...
Her eyes glittered, her face softening as her hands shook a little- the eyes of Wendy, Natsu and everyone else around them had fixed to the flare of Magic she let loose in her hands, transfixed. Hora's focus shifted from her hands toward the young bluenette sitting in front of her, Wendy's eyes wide and awed as she stared at the little spectacle.
"You did it..." Hora murmured softly, Wendy's eyes locking with hers as the older girl suddenly said something. "... You broke the Possession Link..." Wendy sweatdropped slightly and Natsu went rigid beside Hora at the words, his ears ringing and eyes wide at the familiar name.
"... Is that what it was called...?" Wendy murmured, "... I didn't realize... I could just sense there was some sort of Body-Link Magic being used to hurt you, and that I needed to Dispell it, in order to help you..." Wendy explained softly, Hora's eyes flashed as her hands fell slightly. "... I didn't know if I could cast the Spell I did to Dispell it before now, to be honest... It was rather hard... Ah, I also did what I could to heal you, like that wound on your stomach and your cheek, but I can't do much else now... But... Wait... You already knew there was a Body-Link someone else had placed on you...? Why-?"
Wendy got cut off, her words dying in a surprised squeak as Hora suddenly leaned forward toward her, catching the small Dragon Slayer up in her arms and a hug that was rather tight. Wendy went still, her hands raised and stuck in place- unsure of what to do with the sudden hug, and Hora just buried her nose into Wendy's shoulder, holding her even closer and not at all bothered with personal space.
"O-ohh...ah...?" Wendy mumbled nervously, blushing a bit.
"Thank you." Hora whispered her words so low and quiet and so sincere, it was almost heart-wrenching to hear. "... I didn't think it was possible... Just... Thank you, Wendy... You have no idea what you just did... you... You did more than save my life... Thank you..." Hora whispered, Wendy's eyes glittered in question and surprise as her hands slowly fell to return the embrace gently.
"... You're welcome... I'm happy I could help you..." Wendy murmured, smiling slightly though still nervous, and a bit embarrassed now. "... I'm glad I could return the favor, I actually wanted to thank you for helping Carla and I, and finding us..."
Hora pulled back, her eyes shinning sadly as she let out a small breath and shook her head a bit. "Sweetheart, you don't have to thank me- especially not now." Hora murmured quietly, Wendy blinked as Hora's hands found either side of Wendy's face and the older woman leaned in, her lips landing lightly against Wendy's forehead in a gentle kiss. Wendy's face turned bright red at the action, the younger girl almost steaming as Hora hummed and pulled back with a sweet smile, her hands leaving from holding on to Wendy.
"You're amazing, sweetheart. I could say thank you a thousand times and it'll never be enough." Hora mumbled, Wendy held both cheeks as she continued to blush like crazy.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" A different voice broke in now, Hora's smile fading to nothing as she finally took note of the other people standing around Natsu, Wendy and herself- and her heart plummeted as her eyes snapped up and met dark blue ones.
In her whirling mind and reality her thoughts had snapped on to what Jiemma had been doing, and if Lixue was okay- that got swallowed up again when it became clear that the Possession Link was gone and that little Dragon Slayer had done what she had long since given up hoping could be done. That relief, astonishment and appreciation that flooded in in all but a few seconds was shattered as quickly as it came- and all of those thoughts and feelings got swallowed up by the fear and the guilt and the sheer, unending, shock and denial that her unconscious mind had been being bombarded by.
And again the only thing in her head was that completely insane and impossible-
...G...Gray...?!
Her throat dried up and her whole body froze, her eyes staring and face pulled and twisted and even slightly fearful as she stared at him and what tense, untrusting gaze he had settled on her. Those eyes of his that were the exact same color as hers, that face, that raven-hair... Him
There was no doubt it was him, and even though it couldn't be- she couldn't deny it, and she couldn't look away. What small, faint little hope in her head that she might have imagined it? That was broken, gone, swept away and she... She...
... How can you...?
His eyes narrowed, suddenly suspicious as she stared at him like he had suddenly grown three heads- because why?
"There something the matter?" He asked curtly, his lips a tight line and Hora swallowed.
"Why are you looking at my Darling Gray like that?" The Water Mage from today- Juvia- suddenly asked too, looking a bit miffed and hands on her hips. Hora's eyes just went wider, ignoring or oblivious of the 'Darling' that came before-
Gray...!
... How... How could I have never known...?! M... My own Brother...?!
H... he really is Gray...?! And he's really alive...?!
How could he...?! Deliora... The whole Village... And mom... A-and dad...!
He got out...?! And all these years... he's been in Fairy Tail...?!
Just... WHAT..?!
She sucked in a breath of air, her eyes flashing and a stinging sensation burning behind them now- there were so many questions running through her head, hundreds and thousands of them and all in rapidity. All them getting closer and pushing passed the haze of shock and improbability until she felt his name rising up her throat, shaking in her tongue and ready to just start blurting all of those thoughts out at once- but a sudden sharp stab of pain in her chest reminded her where she was, what just happened and she stopped herself before ever making a noise.
Shock and fear and guilt and elation and so many hundreds of things and emotions all at once- and she bit back at them. Bit back at those questions and the tears she felt trying to come up, and stopped.
Jiemma just tried to kill me. I was literally ten seconds away from dying and Wendy saved me... But I got dragged out here in the first place by some mystery figure and I have no idea why... What happened...?!
What was going on, why had she been dragged out here, why did she suddenly have Jiemma try and kill her...?! There were so many things that had happened in so little time and she had so many questions- and no answers.
... What good would it do to add on all of that now? Ask those questions and pile on the shock and confusion on to him? Why add another round of inquiry and crazy before she had any idea what promoted all the insanity that had just gone on? What good will it do to start all of... Of that, right now?
... It pained her to think it... It hurt like hell to stop herself in that instant... But she had too much going on and that she didn't understand-
She forced her eyes to leave him, hating herself for the way she was reacting and quickly working to erase what distress there was in her now from being visible to anyone else.
I can't right now... that's a whole shit-storm in itself and I just... Shit!
Her eyes darted around the rest of the people in that small group in front of her, finding the familiar figures of Gajeel and Juvia, and Happy and Carla... And then back again to Natsu and Wendy... And the last being a black Exceed she didn't know.
I can't bring all that up right now...! B...because...!
What happened at the Guild that...?!
"Hora, a-are you okay...? Happy mewed shakily, bristling from head to foot and teary-eyed.
"Oi, what is going on...?!" Natsu hissed, his patience running thin and all the thinner with what incredibly odd turn in events and demeanor there was in Hora when Gray said something.
No, not just that- all of it! Between her and dying, what Wendy said and the Possession Link- with SaberTooth's bastard of a Master and off behavior, and on top of that- Lucy and Yukino had been arrested not half an hour before hand! All of it was just too much and he didn't have a will to be patient or calm, or even really to handle all the secrets and the not knowing anymore-
Hora's eyes snapped toward him, sweatdropping heavily as his rigid stare settled on her and he was not pleased- but he also looked like hell...?! Like ready to keel over sort of hell...?!
... W-wait... Did something else happen...? Why were all of these guys out here to start...? This isn't anywhere near their Inn...
"Hora! You were dying, you need to tell us what the hell is going on and what the hell just happened?!" Natsu snapped hotly, "And I am not dropping this time! So don't even try telling me that!" She swallowed a bit,
"Indeed, why were you out here to start with?" The black Exceed asked lowly, his paws over his chest and orange eyes level on Hora as she glanced toward him briefly.
"We just went to head with you while you were tearing up the city, the least you can do is tell us what the hell is going on." Gajeel muttered gruffly, "And just who in the hell are you? Salamander and his cat wouldn't tell us a damn thing."
"What's with all the secrets?" Gray muttered lowly, his voice full of not at all hidden suspicion- and so cold it made her heart twist, more when her eyes darted to him again and it took everything in her to ignore the well of emotions that surged.
Secrets?
There were so many of them... more than anyone knew.
"Hora, who put that Possession Link on you?" Natsu asked lowly, saving her gaze getting fixed on Gray again as the pinkette called her attention to him. His voice dropped, low and angry and the glint in his eyes- he already had an idea who, but he needed her to say it. "Who just did all of this to you?"
I... I don't have time to sit here... And... Explain it to you...
She felt the urgency and the fear getting worse in her core, the need to leave- to go back and find out... Why
Natsu's anger flared when he saw her hesitate- could see the apprehension getting clearer in her face, the need to get away and leave- avoid what he was asking.
"Hora you need to tell me! Friends trust eachother right?! I tried letting it go and doing what you wanted, but I can't! Not when you're getting hurt and not when that bastard is threatening you!" Natsu snapped lowly, Hora sweatdropped a bit more. Hora's hands clenched, her eyes flashing as his hands found her shoulders, his dark gaze steely, searching... Worried.
He's so wound up... And I get the feeling it's not just because of... Me...?
'Indeed, this seems more deeply rooted... Even if that boy does care for you...' Lixue murmured, Hora's eyes narrowed. She knew he cared about her, they were friends- and she cared about him... But this was more. More than just her, and that made the sinking feeling in her heart worse.
"What is going on?!" Natsu hissed,
"... Natsu... I can't right now-" Hora mumbled, he shook his head.
"Don't give me that!" He cut her off, she clenched her jaw. "This time you can't avoid it, not when you almost die-!"
"Natsu!" Hora snapped, her tone icy and commanding and his jaw snapped shut in an instant, eyes widening slightly. "Listen to me you big, hyperactive, Flame-for-Brains! I said I can't right now and I fucking mean it!" She snapped hotly, he flinched the slightest bit at how low her tone got out of nowhere. "I don't have time right now, 'what just happened'?! It only happened because something bad happened in my Guild and with my Family, and I cannot sit here arguing with you and wasting time! I have to go and I have to figure out why in the fuck that son of a bitch tried to murder me, and I have to make sure everyone I care for aren't in the same boat!"
The eyes of the rest of the Fairy Tailers were on her, fixed and silent- lost for words and even in all his anger, Natsu was quiet too.
"I am not dropping the subject either, I will tell you what happened, why- everything! But this takes priority, and I will not let you fight me on it!" Hora snapped coldly, he sweatdropped.
"Why would I let you run off to the same guy who just tried to kill you...?!" he argued lowly, she growled.
"Because thanks to Wendy, he has nothing on me anymore, and I'd like to see him fucking try and kill me again." Hora growled, her expression darkening in a sudden rage and malignancy- that same dark in her that had even Natsu's heart skipping a beat, and shivers running up his spine. "I'll be fine, it's him that needs to worry- I'll come back and I will answer your questions, but I am fixing my Guild first. Got it?"
Natsu gulped a little, a cold drop of sweat falling down his spine as he matched her gaze- frozen. For someone who had been writhing around in pain and dying ten minutes before- and still looked like hell... She'd never looked more dangerous than she did in that instant.
And still he didn't dare let her run off again- or hold off on explaining... But he hesitated, because no matter how worked up or worried he was about Hora- there was something else that cut deeper in his soul and his heart... And he had to pick.
"... Lucy and Yukino have been arrested for treason by the King's Army." Natsu mumbled lowly, Hora's dark expression breaking in shock as her eyes widened at his words and the sudden change in subject. "They're in prison, and they're supposed to be used in some Project called 'Eclipse Gate'. They're in trouble, and we need to get 'um back."
Hora sweatdropped heavily, her ears ringing and panic sweeping through her all anew.
Yukino and Lucy...?!
Eclipse Gate...?! T-that's what that guy who snatched me was...!
Crap... Crap crap crap...!
What the hell else is gonna go crazy...?!
"You can hold off answering my questions, but I'm not letting you handle all of this yourself." Natsu hissed lowly, "I'm coming with you, and then after that I'm kicking some Kingdom ass and rescuin' Luce and Yukino both!" Hora grimaced, a bead of sweat falling down her face as she saw the fire in him burn bright again and continue that way- anger and worry and rage and resolution that became all the more stony when he promised to get back Lucy and Yukino.
He was so, so wound up and she didn't doubt he would blow through any enemy to do what he wanted- but he...
"Natsu you can't rush off and start fights...!" Happy stammered,
"You're barely on your feet as it is, Salamander. Even with eating her fire." Gajeel grumbled, Hora's eyes widened a little at that.
"You really need to rest Natsu-san, or you'll make yourself worse...!" Wendy said quickly,
"Push yourself too far right now and you'll end up with Magic Deficiency Syndrome for certain." Carla huffed,
"And you're going to start a fight with another Guild?" Gray hissed, "Why the hell would you risk that right now?! You know we need to win the Games to get Lucy back! That ain't gonna happen if you get us disqualified!"
"We don't need to win if we rescue her right away!" Natsu snapped hotly, Hora's eyes trailed from the ever more angry look on Natsu's face and toward Wendy, questioning.
"Natsu got all of his Magic drained by the Eclipse Gate just before we found you." Wendy explained to her quickly, "Even if he ate some of your Magic, it still hit him really hard...! And he needs to rest for awhile, or he'll...!" Wendy mumbled, Hora sweatdropped.
So that's why he looks like hell warmed over...?
'Even if he did eat some of your fire while you were rampaging like that, it was too uncontrolled and volatile without my dampening it down.' Lixue added, 'Even with his body adapted to eating all types of flame, the sheer energy he would need to use to just keep the ferocity imbued in your Magic from tearing him apart is substantial. What strength he would usually regain from eating fire would have been used up just keeping your Flame from harming him... Eating your fire while it was like that surely did nothing but make him all the more exhausted than when he started.'
She knew Lixue was right, and though Natsu would never say so- he was feeling like utter crap, and her Fire didn't help. Her eyes dropped closed as she bit the inside of her cheek, Natsu was getting more and more riled up as he settled into arguing back and forth with Gray and Gajeel both. It didn't matter if he felt like shit, he was so damn stubborn...
... I don't have time, I have to go.
There's just... So much crazy, all at once.
... and... Damn it. This is gonna hurt, isn't it...?
'Most likely.'
"Natsu, listen to me." Hora ordered lowly, earning his eyes as his turned toward her again- and he stiffened as her hands found either side of his face, her fingers curling into his hair a bit. "Sorry, but they're right- you look like hell... So just give it a rest, and I promise I'll be back before you know it." His eyes narrowed at her words, his mouth falling and ready to protest- but it was much too late.
You can be pissed at me later-
"Sleep."
Her dark blue gaze flashed an eerie icy blue as Natsu felt his body get enveloped in sudden cool- his mind near immediately fuzzy and senses drowsy as his eyes dropped against his will. He slumped sideways, tilting over as he lost all sense of the world and Hora eased him onto the ground instead of letting him hit it. She felt the other Fairy Tailers stiffen around her in shock, and Happy had moved up to his Partner in an instant.
"N-Natsu...!"
Hora's eyes closed, her hands retracting back toward herself and one falling on her chest as pain shot through her center in the next instant, hissing under her breath at it.
"What did you do him?" Gajeel huffed, Hora pushed herself up and on to her feet- swaying slightly at first before correcting.
"... Saved you dealing with a rampaging hot-head for a little while..." She mumbled, one eye cracking open to glance toward the Iron Dragon Slayer wearily. At receiving suspicious looks from him, Carla, Gray, Juvia and the black Exceed alike, she sighed.
"... He'll be fine, he's just gonna sleep for a little... It's a simple Spell." She explained softly, "... And look, I understand all of this is... Insane, and the whole thing with Lucy and Yukino makes it worse... And I know the bulk of you don't trust me, that's fine. But I really have to go and settle everything else first... But I will meet you at Honeybone Inn as soon as I am done."
"Why? What's Lucy and Yukino got to do with you?" Gray hissed, Hora swallowed, hesitant to look back at him for fear she couldn't look away.
But the icy tone from him... It hurt, more than she expected.
Gray...
"They're my friends." Hora mumbled,
"Hora, are you gonna be okay...?" Happy asked shakily,
"You're still not healed all the way, Hora... I couldn't fix all the damage that got done to you..." Wendy murmured,
"Don't worry about me." Hora murmured softly, "... I have it on higher authority than myself that I have a bit before I really hit a wall... So don't sweat it... I'll see you in a bit... and you might want to tie Natsu up, he won't be pleased when he wakes up."
They didn't get time to wonder on that before they lost sight of Hora completely, a rush of air wafting against them as she left with an insane amount of speed- and much too quickly to see where she went.
She was sprinting through Crocus at breakneck speed, her lungs heaving and aching, and her whole body following suit. She dodged in and out of people, around corners and still pushing herself faster as she continued on toward that Inn on the hill and the place she had been stolen from by some Stranger... Dropped on the other end of Crocus and left to die, when it knew that Jiemma would attempt to take her life.
Dying and in agony as Jiemma used that chain and lock he had to reduce her to a Slave all these years. That Chain and Possession Link on the Lacrima in her chest containing Lixue, his life-force and all his power... Lixue that was essential to keeping the Fires burning from her Devil Slayer Magic in enough control that that Magic didn't rip her to shreds, and burn her from the inside out... And kill her.
Lixue who was essential to keeping her alive... And Jiemma tried destroying him, in order to kill her. Kill her now after so many years and she hadn't the faintest clue why- after Sting and Rogue's loss he would have been mad... But to kill her?
She was terrified of the why. Of what was going on and what was happening to them- all of them. While she was away and alone in in the street... dying but saved and freed now by a little Dragon Slayer she had helped not a few days prior.
A little Dragon Slayer who healed that persistent wound in her abdomen from the Demon of Zeref in North Wind- and had done away with the damage done by Jiemma when Natsu confronted him. And now did away with a bulk of what that same bastard had done tonight. Wendy who saved her life, even if she and Lixue knew all too well that the damage done was too much- and eventually they would reach their limit... And Over-Drive would consume her with what was likely to be greater fervor than the last time.
Wendy who was out in the streets and running back to her Guild to tell them what happened- that Lucy, and Yukino with her, had been arrested by the Kingdom for treason, and their lives held for a Project known as the Eclipse Gate. Eclipse Gate mentioned by the Stranger who had taken her... Fairy Tail told to win the GMG to get Lucy back... Fairy Tail...
... The Guild where the Brother she had for so, so long thought dead and destroyed in what massacre had been left by Deliora. Mourned and lost and cried over... Prayed to and asked for help and advice all these years without ever dreaming there could ever be an answer... Or that she would ever seem him again.
Brother who had grown as she had, become a Mage as she had... And joined a Guild... A Guild that was kind and safe.
Brother who she recognized in an instant now and never even caught wind of before- not even as she helped to locate Tenrou Island. Her focus had settled on Dragon Slayers only, and he wasn't one. Though she hated she hadn't...
... Brother who was alive and had friends and a Family as good as Fairy Tail... And Brother who did not recognize who she was, at all.
And she wasn't surprised he didn't- she was drastically different than back then, in almost every way... And why would he even suspect anyway? Even if there was some small thing he noticed? Like her, he'd probably lived his life knowing he'd lost it all, and would never gain it back. There was no way he'd realize, no way he'd guess or even think... She knew that, was unsurprised by that... And that made it easier, now that she'd stopped herself and chosen to say nothing.
Nothing until... Until some semblance of sanity comes back first, in all of this.
He wouldn't know and he couldn't know... There were other, more important things to worry about right now. Lucy was gone and needed rescuing, Yukino too... That Guild he called home and that blonde Celestial Mage that was a member of his Fairy Tail Family, and the only family he had for so long- that was the most important thing, out of everything.
She knew that, she felt that and she understood it... After all, SaberTooth was her top priority right now, out of everything.
So why... W...why...?
"Tch... Why am I crying...?!" She hissed, her voice shaking badly as she continued running and never let up- not even as her breathing began to hitch and the tears came and kept flowing. She didn't dare slow up, not even with the tears or the sharp pain growing worse in her chest, and threatening to make her start coughing.
She hated it, all of the shit that just happened and was happening- it was fucking crazy! So many questions and variables and worries and not enough time to deal with any of it- she was rushing now and she was panicky and she hated it..!
What in the fuck is going on today..?! It's like someone let loose all the crazy in the world at once and dumped it over top of me!
And then to add to the fun, whoever that asshole was with the jar of insanity had also uncorked a bottle of emotional distress and child-hood trauma and dumped it's contents over her head and onto her life for good measure! If Zentopia Church had a say in the matter that someone would be God on their terms... Well, then God is a bastard!
Even getting worked up over those thoughts didn't help slow the tears, much to her displeasure and further distress... Damn it!
Stop! Just stop! Focus on one thing at a time or you are going to lose your freaking mind!
'I believe there can be a bit of debate that you have already lost your mind.' Lixue intoned, like a snarky little ass and she growled.
"Fuck you, you are not helping!" She snapped at him, her voice lost on open air and earning a few bewildered stares from the people she was sprinting passed.
'Well then I will simply remind you- emotional or physical distress right now will only make the situation, and you're already badly battered health- worse. You need to be as calm as possible... Though that will be difficult.' Lixue grumbled, she growled, biting down on both cheeks.
He was right of course... Did she ever mention she hated it when he was right?
How do you expect me to be any semblance of calm right now, after all of this...?!
'I understand all of this is straining, and I am sorry this is befalling you all at once, truly.' Lixue murmured, '... Perhaps catering to your habit of ignoring your own needs over another's, think of it this way. If you do not keep some semblance of calm, you place more strain on me, and I am already injured... If not for yourself, Horatia- find some way to settle yourself for my sake, and not yours?'
She grimaced, still sprinting and pushing forward harder to get back to the Guild- still crying, damn it- but... Maybe that did help.
... Fine... Because you're hurt... And we need eachother, Lixue... I'll try...
'Thank you.'
Hello everyone! We have finally hit the fast climb into the height of this story, and I hope you are all enjoying it!
Thank you for continuing to support this story, all the feedback and comments I get from you just MAKE MY DAY ALWAYS!
Anyhoo~! I have neglected Broken Fairies for a long while now (for any of you who read that/ read my Frea-verse Series!) The next thing I update will assuredly be Broken Fairies!
Thank you for reading~!
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Chapter 26: Brutal Honesty
Chapter Text
Chapter 26
Brutal Honesty
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
He couldn't find her, anywhere.
He was flitting between every room in the Inn using his Shadow Form. In the five minutes it took him to bounce between every room, and realize she was nowhere in the Building- it felt like his heart was going to give out on him.
He rushed back into his room and snatched up the Calling Card from the nightstand, Frosch trembling and scared on the bed where Rogue had set him down before darting off again. He could hear Sting's voice ringing through the building- yelling at him, and demanding and explanation- but Rogue didn't wait.
He connected the Calling Card through to Hora's Card- hoping and praying she would actually answer. But his hopes shattered when he heard the chime of the bell ringing through the wall. He melted into Shadow and stepped into Hora's empty room to see the Calling Card left on the bed and ringing with only Rogue to hear it.
No
She can't
He whipped around, ready to fade back into Shadow and rush back to the Main Hall and to the entrance- to leave the Inn and all of the Guild behind in their shock and their terror and confusion. Ready to leave Frosch trembling and teary-eyed in the room, and leave Sting shouting at him- ready to rush out into Crocus and search every inch of the city, he had to.
I have to find her
Where even had she gone? How could she have been there, following them to face Jiemma's wrath- and then out of nowhere and when no one was paying any attention, she was gone? How could she-?
She can't just disappear... She can't... She...
She can't be gone, Jiemma can't have...
He was arguing with himself and the dread in his heart- the fear that wouldn't go away and the sinking feeling that kept nagging and yelling at him that she... She was gone... She cannot be gone..!
"Rogue! WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Sting's voice roared through the Inn, easily heard even by normal people and almost blaringly loud on Rogue and his heightened hearing. He didn't stop even then, though- he was rushing across the floor and under people in a mass of pitch black shadow that moved like a flat, black cloud on the ground. He rushed right passed the main hall and passed the rows of people frightened and confused, straight toward the doors and intent on leaving all of it behind- but he got stopped.
Somehow, Magical or otherwise- he was suddenly forced out of his Shadow Form and stumbled a bit a few dozen feet from the door, unsure how it happened or why- but even then he didn't dare stop. He'd search Crocus on his feet and without his Shadow Form if he had to.
But the sudden steely grip on his upper arm made his movement falter and he was pulled around roughly to meet Sting's wild, fearful blue gaze and pale face. The blonde grabbed Rogue tightly, locking him in place and a bead of sweat falling down his face as he saw the sheer terror in the Shadow Dragon Slayer. "What is going on..!?" Sting snapped, Rogue blinked. "Rogue, what about Hora?! Where is she, and why are you freaking out like this?!"
There was no room in the frenzy of his mind to come up with an answer, the only thing he could think was go and find her. And with Sting holding on to him like that, the only thing that trumped that thought was-
"Let me go!" Rogue snapped quickly, already pulling away from the blonde- who's fingers dug into Rogue's arms even more tightly.
"Not before you tell me what the hell is wrong!" Sting snapped back hotly, though the question could be answered several ways- with what all just happened.
Jiemma defeated by Sting's hand and left to bleed on the floor until Minerva waved a hand and sent her father to who the hell knows where. Jiemma attacking Lector and the Exceed thought dead for a few, horrible minutes- only to find out he was alive, but now hostage at Minerva's hand. Hostage and to stay that way in the cruel woman's clutches until SaberTooth won the Grand Magic Games.
Everything had spiraled out of control in the course of half and hour and it went further when Rogue suddenly reacted like that- terrified and frantic and on the verge of tears now as Sting struggled to hold him still. More when he yelled Hora's name and they couldn't find her in the Inn, at all- and had been missing since before anything had happened with Jiemma, as Orga and Rufus explained. And now the Guild was panicking too, and desperately trying to hold it together- because Minerva was standing in her spot at the head of the hall and watching the sudden commotion with narrowed eyes and rigid, icy neutrality.
Sting pulled Rogue closer roughly, halting the man and earning his glittering red eyes, his face pale and shaking- sick almost as Sting swallowed. "Rogue! What is going on?!" He demanded again, and this time there was a lull- a small, fleeting instant where Rogue stopped struggling so much and his knees seemed to almost give out on him. And the tears spilled passed his red eyes and down his cheeks, and the sight of it was enough to make Sting forget how to breathe.
"We have to find Hora, she's in trouble...!" Rogue hissed, his voice breaking on her name and Sting felt a stab through his heart.
What trouble?
He was going to ask, but he didn't- because that was all he needed. Seeing how scared Rogue was and how much he needed to go- there was no time to ask and he wouldn't waste anymore.
He's in tears
He's petrified
It didn't matter why, finding her was the only thing that mattered in that instant.
Sting nodded a bit, his hold on Rogue lessening as he swallowed back the lump in his throat- switching gears in an instant and pushing away everything else, latching on to action in lieu of question. "Y-yeah... Yeah, we'll find her." He replied quickly, Rogue was already turning to the door again and Sting heard him gulp a bit, causing a break in the frantic rhythm of his breathing.
She has to be-
Her lungs were on fire, her body in agony and every step down in her running was jolting and sent a wave of pain rushing up through her. Her center was in pain and she felt like pieces of shrapnel were trudging through her bloodstream and tearing as they went- the breaths she sucked in were jarring and harsh and tasted like blood.
She wanted nothing more than to stop- her body needed her to stop, but she couldn't. The hill up up the Inn was torture. She was heaving and gasping as she refused to slow her sprinting even with the incline.
She'd managed to still her tears before leaving the confines of Crocus behind. In her whirling mind Gray was still on the front-lines, but she had to stop thinking about him- she had to focus on her Guild and her friends and-
Why in the hell did Jiemma try and kill us now, after a decade?!
She was sputtering in her running, halfway coughing but never fully there. She was sure if she stopped the coughing would manage a way to fruition and it would probably end up with blood. Which, had been smeared over her lips and on her chin, and she'd done her best to do away with and only leave faint, almost imperceptible stains... But that was only her face, she couldn't do away with the stain of red on her hands or her arms.
Damn it...! Why has my life turned into such insanity all of a sudden, anyway..?!
She couldn't stop to try and wash up, she had to go faster, she had to get there, she had to understand and know what the fuck just happened. She had to get there and know that the Guild was okay, and that Jiemma hadn't tried to do anything to them like he had tried with her- he tried killing me...!
What if he tried to hurt them? He'd have been royally pissed about the loss today, and she wouldn't doubt his wrath and cruelty- but to go that far?
If he's touched any of them, he's dead!
'Do try and temper your rage.' Lixue murmured, 'If you get too out of hand, I will not be able to quell you... it's not as if either of us are at full power right now anyway, despite how far you may be able to push it.'
Hora growled, the sound more wheezy than she liked as she pushed herself up the hill ever faster. Her heart beating like a drum and her soul on fire as her breaths started to taste more and more like blood.
Please, please be okay...!
She blinked furiously, the edges of her vision blotched by dark spots and blurring incessantly as her head spun with the exertion. The inn was drawing closer but it was still so damned far- but not far enough she couldn't hear the sounds from the inside. And the very first thing she heard above everything else- was Rogue's voice.
"We have to find Hora, she's in trouble...!" He sounded so panicked it made her heart twist painfully.
Shit shit shit...!
Of course he's panicked , he must have already realized what Jiemma was doing-
She was almost there, she cleared the threshold of the front door and rounded the corner toward the main hall in what long pause there was before she heard someone reply to Rogue- and it was Sting's voice... Confused and scared.
Her steps faltered as she got there, her hand finding the wall as her balance tipped too much to stay standing on her own. Her vision was swimming as much as her head seemed to be spinning, but that didn't stop her from scanning the hall and taking everything in. All the rows of the people in the Guild looking unsure, afraid and on edge- stiff in their spots and not knowing what to do or even really what had all just happened. Hora stood in the entrance to the main hall, panting and her hand on the wall to keep herself upright as she struggled to make clear sense of the people and the situation- near all of which found her there in an instant, but only because Rogue and Sting had already been headed toward the exit.
Her dark blue eyes matched with frantic red ones as Rogue faltered in shock at seeing her suddenly back in the inn- especially after having been searching for her. And he saw her, pale and covered in sweat and panting so, so hard- her hands and her arms stained in blood that hadn't been there before. His and everyone else who lay eyes on her now- all their hearts dropped.
"... H... Horatia...?!" Was the shocked murmur that spread quickly among the masses,
"Hora!" Rogue gasped, his faltering over and done with as he swept up to her and his hands took firm, shaking hold of her shoulders, his red eyes raking over every inch of her. Sting wad close behind, looking stricken at the state of her and paling a little himself- because how did she look so awful out of nowhere?
"Are you alright...?! You look terrible...! Jiemma, he.. he...!" Rogue stammered quickly, his wild gaze snapping up to meet hers and tears streaming from his eyes, Hora felt her heart twist. "Hora, please... He tried to do it, he did do it- how... How are you here? Are you okay, or are you...? Hora, just... Please please don't die...!" He hissed, his voice hoarse and painful and breaking. "... Please... Please tell me he didn't... You... You have to be okay...!"
Sting- who had come up beside the Shadow Dragon Slayer and stopped next to him and to Hora- flinched slightly, eyes wide and trembling as he saw Rogue falling apart by the second and nearly begging... And about... Hora dying...?
"W-what...?" Sting stammered, "... What the hell do you mean...? Why would you think... Why would you be dying...?!" He questioned quickly, looking to Hora now for an answer Rogue was in no state of mind to give. "Hora what the hell is going on, what happened to you...?! What did Jiemma do...?!" his eyes flashed as fear cracked across his expression almost as potently as it was on Rogue's. He stepped closer a bit, eyes flashing. "Please, you gotta tell me...! What is going on, are you... are you okay...? Why wouldn't you be okay...?!" Hora faltered on replying for a few seconds, her eyes stayed with Sting's and Rogue's hands still holding so tightly to her- and both Dragon Slayers trembling, though less so in former's case.
They're both panicking-
Her eyes swept passed them and towards the rest of the Guild, and she saw the apprehension, fear and confusion on their faces too.
-all of them are... but if Sting had to ask, that means Rogue didn't say anything... So why do they all look so scared...?
She looked among them all and couldn't find the bastard of a man she had held her slave for the last decade, and her nose twitched, easily able to smell blood- his blood.
But where the hell is he...? What is going on...?!
"Where did you go...?!" Sting pressed, quickly getting impatient.
"H-Hora..." Rogue stammered her name, holding tighter to her arms. "Please, tell me Jiemma didn't...!"
Hora hissed, swallowing back at her labored breathing and her eyes breaking from searching the crowd toward the dark-haired man. Her hands moved up, catching his arms and gently forcing him to let her go, though he hesitated to do so. She nodded at him in answer to his question, and the color drained from his face faster than it ever had.
"Rogue, listen to me and calm down." Hora instructed quickly and gently. "He did try and break it, but he didn't manage to. I'm going to be fine, I promise, and I'm going to explain everything-" her eyes moved toward Sting as she nodded at him, "-to all of you. But right now you need to tell me what happened. Where the hell is Jiemma?"
"He is dead."
Hora's heart skipped a beat, her stomach flipping and her attention snapping around toward the cold and icy voice of Minerva- who had moved through a parted line in the crowd and stopped not twenty feet away from Hora and the two Dragon Slayers. Minerva's expression was cold and calculating, and her eyes piercing as she stopped there with her hands on her hips. Hora hissed and pulled Rogue up and passed herself- before stepping in front of both him and Sting, her body a barrier between SaberTooth's Lady and them.
"What?" Hora snapped lowly, Minerva's eyes flashed at the way Hora had moved to place herself between Sting and Rogue so blatantly.
"I sent his body off somewhere else before he began to give off a stench." Minerva replied lowly, "While you were off doing whatever it was you were doing- in my Father's anger after today's defeat, he lashed out, and Lector was 'killed' in the crossfire." Hora stiffened, her heart plummeting into her feet.
L-Lector...?!
"And in Sting's rage and pain, he naturally retaliated." Minerva went on coolly, her head tilting slightly toward said Dragon Slayer, and Hora cast a glance over her shoulder to see Sting's eyes fallen to the floor... He looked so... Defeated...
But if Lector really is... He should be a mess...!
"A short lived conflict, ending with Sting the winner and proving he has the right to try and earn the title of Guild Master of Fiore's #1 Strongest Guild." Minerva hummed, "Should SaberTooth win the Grand Magic Games tomorrow, he will be the new Guild Master- and his precious cat will be returned to him."
Hora went very still, her eyes locked on Sting still even as Minerva continued talking- and this time she felt her heart stop.
Returned... To...
"I plucked Lector away before he met his demise at my Father's hands, and his life remains in my hands until the Games are won." Minerva hummed, her voice dripping in threat and malice- she held the power still and she knew it. Because even with Jiemma gone, she was still the Lady of SaberTooth and she still held dominion over the Guild, and she made sure everyone knew it- and could hear it in her voice. They all knew just how easily she could harm Lector, and get away with it. And not a damn one of them would ever do anything about it- they hadn't the nerve to try.
Hora's face darkened though, her eyes blazing with a cold fire and her hands clenching into fists at her sides as she turned around and back toward Minerva in an instant- and in the next, she was not a foot in front of SaberTooth's 'Lady'.
Minerva stiffened a little, her eyes widening at how quickly the other woman had moved to plant herself there- and what burning, steely, hate-filled look was on her face.
"Who in the hell do you think you are?" Hora growled, her tone flinty and like ice- and the Guild and even Minerva stared at the question- what was she... she's speaking to Minerva like that...!? And she approached her like that- so blatantly! They didn't even see her move...!
Minerva scowled, her expression twisting in disgust and anger at the sudden shift in attitude- and the nerve. "Excuse me?" Minerva muttered, her tone like venom. "How dare you speak to me like that?" Hora's expression darkened further, and the inky black Markings made an appearance- spreading and spiraling up across both arms with a fervor. The air got about five degrees hotter in the course of a second, and the Guild gulped- riveted and not able to wrap their heads around... around Hora. Where did this come from? She's never stood up to Minerva before, not... not once!
"Oh, I dare." Hora shot back lowly, her voice barbed and her countenance nothing but straight-backed and angry and steely- more steely and more firm than ever, and against Minerva!
Hora took one step forward, threateningly- and Minerva's icy eyes narrowed to slits at the action, though she said nothing- because she was reeling too. This had never happened before... Horatia had never talked back, ever. Not in over ten years. And that look on her face, it was so dark, and angry... dangerous, even.
"That is your mistake, Minerva." Hora growled, and the way she said her name had chills running up everyone's spines.
"Oh really?" Minerva growled, her eyes flashing in anger and disgust. "You're the one about to make the mistake, Horatia. You do realize what I could do to you-"
"-your biggest mistake is thinking I am afraid of you." Hora cut the other woman off with utter ease and Minerva blinked, "Or that I have ever been afraid of you, or that I ever could be. Do you honestly think I never fought back out of fear of you? Or what you would do to me? Or that you could beat me if we went at it?" Hora took another step forward, and this time Minvera's posture grew just the faintest bit defensive. "Now that your bastard of a Father no longer has that fucking Possession Link on me- let me make this perfectly clear for you."
Minerva's eyes widened slightly, her expression pulling a bit- defensive and tense and reeling and fixed to her spot- and silent. She was rigid and motionless and hardly daring to breathe as Hora stepped up and put herself right into the 'Lady's' face, her dark blue gaze burning into Minerva's with more fire and fervor than they had ever had. And Minerva looked confused- she probably couldn't fathom the idea that anyone let alone Hora would stand up to her, and especially not then. She was fiery- and yet so, so cold. The air was hot around her and yet Minerva's blood turned to ice under the sheer power of that look.
"I can't fight you right now without putting Lector in danger- so for now, we'll go into the Games and we will aim to win. For now, we'll go with your plan, and I'm sure everyone will do their best." Hora growled lowly, "But hear me when I say this; if you hurt Lector, or anyone else in this Guild, in any way, from here on- I will kill you. Without hesitation."
Minerva's expression flooded with the faintest hints of fear for a few seconds- Hora's words like swords and her sudden brash and bold and fiery fearlessness nearly flooring everyone in the hall. And the sheer, deadly serious tone of voice- and the look in her eyes... Murderous
Many people gulped, shivering as the words rang on their ears and every single person in that hall knew she meant that threat.
"...tch... You think you could?" Minerva hissed lowly, the fear gone where it had hardly been for a few seconds- and her own demeanor steeling a bit once more. The Markings swirled over Hora's skin like ebony fire and she inched just a little closer to Minerva, their noses almost touching and their eyes locked.
"You will be a pile of blackened bones before you ever even think about using Magic." Hora growled, the air heating up more and now the people in it felt more than the warmth- they felt the pressure and the throb of Hora's Magic Power. It was stifling.
"You have no clue what I am capable of, Minerva." Hora hissed, her fangs bared and her dark blue gaze suddenly flashing an eerie, icy blue. Minerva's eyes widened at the change, taken back by it and not daring to move- she wouldn't back down, and Hora wasn't likely to either. But it was enough Minerva said nothing- she did nothing, and that in itself was something of a surrender... A surrender so subtle and yet no one could believe it.
Hora has Minerva on the defensive... W-WHAT...?!
Hora stepped back after a few tense, electrified seconds where she and Minerva just glared at each other. She shot one last, hot and hate-filled look at the 'Lady', before turning and looking toward the stunned Guild instead. Among the masses including Dobengal, and Othan, and Keiyye, and so many more she had known for so long... She had let suffer in this Guild for so long.
"Go to bed." She ordered softly, her ire fading along with the Markings, and the warmth of the room. "I'll explain what's going on to the rest of you after the Games are done. For now just stay calm, and please be patient." She murmured, there was a wash of uneasy faces and looks among all of them- and they hesitated. Of course they did, they hadn't any clue what had even just happened. Not where she went or why Rogue had been freaking out, not what she meant by 'Possession Link' or how she could have become so bold in the face of Minerva out of nowhere- or why it was she asked them to go and to wait for answers... How could she go from arriving in the room and out of breath, to angrier and more dangerous than they had ever seen her- and then all the way back around to somehow calm and even gentle when she asked them to wait and to disperse? How could she not... She hadn't hardly seemed bothered by the fact Jiemma was dead or that Sting had killed him- in an instant she was just furious with Minerva for taking hold of Lector.
Did she even realize it? They were a Guild without a Master and more than that- the cruelty of that man would be no more? She has to, right? More than anyone in all the years, Jiemma had always been the harshest with her... And yet she skipped over it and bore down on Minerva with the resolution, steadfastness, and the will she had never shown before against her or their (now former) Master.
It made sense Hora would be angry about Minerva's threat over Lector and Sting- and everyone else- in order to win the GMG. That was natural, Hora had never liked Minerva, and to have her holding Lector of all people hostage and using his life as leverage- they all hated that, not just Hora. But the fact she threatened to kill Minerva if she harmed him? Him or anyone else in the Guild while the GMG was still going on? And she said it to Minerva's face out loud and for everyone to hear and to see?
Where did this new Hora come from...!? And out from nowhere...?!
"Please do as I say." Hora said, her voice clear and level and reaching all of them with ease. This time they shifted, casting furtive, questioning looks at her and moving with shuffling feet.
"...o-okay..."
"... Y..yeah... We'll just... Go..."
"... Dude what the fuck is going on...?"
"... Dunno... I've never seen Horatia like... Like that..."
They started to file off, slowly and then much more quickly like they couldn't wait to put some distance between themselves and all the tension in the hall. Minerva watched them move off with narrowed eyes, but said nothing against the order given by Horatia. And once the bulk of the Guild left her eyes found the five figures who- four had not moved to leave as Hora directed- and the other was standing at the edge of the hallway and trembling from head to tail. And Hora was well aware they didn't go anywhere- she expected that, and she wouldn't argue it... Even if she knew she had no choice now but to tell them. About all of it-
'-all of it?' Lixue asked curiously, Hora bit the inside of her cheek.
... Eventually all of it, but right now just... Just some of it I guess. The most important parts... The pressing parts. I don't have a lot of time to stay here recanting it all either... I have to find out about what happened with Lucy and Yukino... So I can't stand here for very long, I told the Fairy Tailers I'd meet them...
Hora's head tilted slightly, her eyes shifting sideways and toward Minerva as she shot one last, angry look at the woman over her shoulder- before she looked away and started walking.
She gestured softly with a hand toward the hallway, her eyes darting over Rufus, Orga and Sting- a silent signal for them to head toward it. Her hand caught gently around Rogue's upper arm as she pulled him along with her, and they started in a silent, sullen group toward the hallway and toward where Frosch was waiting and shaking like a leaf. Hora let Rogue go and stooped to pick Frosch up in her arms, holding him close as the small creature mewed, burying it's nose in her chest. Hora's eyes darted toward Sting and she grimaced, her heart twisting.
Lector... I can't believe Minerva even dared-
She forced herself a breath and looked away, aware of the people and their footsteps behind her- and the heavy silence that followed them all the way back and toward the room that Rogue and Sting shared. She gave Frosch a small squeeze, biting the inside of her cheek as she stepped into the room and to the side, stopping at the door and letting everyone file in passed her with her eyes cast to the floor. Rufus shut the door behind them all with little a sound before joining the others in the center of the room- all of them facing her and rigid in their spots and waiting.
Hora glanced down toward Frosch, pulling the Exceed back slightly and earning teary eyes. "I'm going to put you down, alright..?"
"Y-yeah, okay... Atia.." Frosch stammered, Hora nodded and set him down on the table. She stepped back a bit and stood in front of the door with her hands on her hips, eyes closed and quiet for a few seconds.
"... H.. Hora are you okay...?" Rogue's shaky question came in the pause, his eyes still wet and his face still so pale and scared- he was trembling just as much as Frosch was, and his behavior had everyone all the more on edge.
"What is going on..?!" Sting grumbled, "Rogue was freaking out- he asked if you were dying, Hora- why would you be...?!"
"Seriously, you look like crap." Orga grumbled lowly, his eyes finding the blood on her hands and arms- and she was pale too. "Where the hell did you go? One minute you were right behind us and then the next you disappeared."
"And what you said, about a 'Possession Link' that Jiemma held." Rufus murmured lowly, "Possession of what? And why did it cause such distress?"
"And more than that- you just stood up to Minerva! You... You've never done that..! And right now when she has Lector...?!" Sting hissed, eyes glittering. "Hora I'm freaking out here, you need to tell us what the hell is going on...! And... And what does Rogue know that we don't...?!" Rogue flinched a little at that and Hora did too, "And what the fuck even is that?! A 'Possession Link'?! Is that... Is that what Jiemma was messing with when he said he was gonna-?!"
"... Break it." Hora mumbled, cutting him off a bit as he frowned.
"Break what?! He said he was going to 'bring someone with him'- kill them! What is it that it could kill you..?! Is... Is that the real reason you said you couldn't leave the Guild?! Was all that stuff you said the other night about wanting to fix what Jiemma's done and keeping and eye on the people in the Guild all a lie?!"
"Not all of it was a lie." Hora murmured softly, her eyes trained to the floor. "There's just... There's a lot of things I've never told all of you-"
"You think we don't already know that?!" Sting snapped, cutting her off abruptly. "After you broke down and started crying back in Lamia-Town?! Or after all that stuff you said before finally telling us what your Magic even is after almost ten years?! Of course we know you've been hiding shit! But we trusted you to tell us the important things! And you haven't! You've been hiding and lying about so much of it!" Hora flinched under the angry words and everyone else in the room stiffened at it. "Tell us what is going on!" Sting ordered sharply, Hora's shoulders hunched as her eyes snapped closed under all of his anger.
Her hands moved upward and her palms clapped together in front of her. Her head suddenly bowed and her body too as she pressed her forehead against her held together hands. Everyone in the room stared slightly at the sudden posture,
"There's a lot about me I never told you and I never planned to, and the bulk of it is... It's terrible." Hora said quickly and quietly, her voice low and tense. "My past and my life and my Magic and everything about all that spanning back to before I ever met or knew any of you... I kept it all to myself and I've tried to keep it all hidden and keep you all from knowing even... Even when it was hard, or you deserved to know... I kept my mouth shut and I never said anything and... And I've starred to learn and see that I shouldn't have." She sucked in a sharp breath of air and held it a few moments when the ache of pain in her chest flared to life.
"... But even when I knew that, I still hesitated- and it had nothing to do with not trusting you. I was just scared and I hated to think what might happen if you ever knew... More than anything in my life, my first priority has been to keep you safe. To do what I can to make that happen and do it even if it meant putting you ahead of me. And even then, I have sucked at doing that. I've sat back and I have watched you get hurt for so long and I hate myself for allowing it... But you deserve to know, and for the first time in my life... I'm going to do my best to be completely, and brutally honest with you... Even if it hurts... Or... Now is maybe the worst time to dump it on you with everything going on..." Her voice broke a bit at the end and she hissed, her head and her body still bowed... Regretful and apologetic.
"... So much of this is just... Really bad... And I'm sorry... But I need you all to realize that these years with you- all the good times, and the care, and the fun... My friendship with you... All the best parts... Those were all real." Hora hissed, her voice trembling as her hands did too. "None of that has ever been a lie, or an act... All of it was genuine, regardless of everything else, or what you're going to find out... And... And I hope someday... Maybe...you'll forgive me..."
Her fingers folded together tightly and she kept her nose pressed against the top of her knuckles. Her hands were shaking more and the rest of her was following suit. Damn it her whole body felt stiff and twisted- and her soul was just as knotted... She almost felt sick even just thinking about saying any of it- let alone doing it.
You can't stop, you just have to push through and do it- if you hesitate you won't tell them... You... You just have to!
"... Tch... When... When I was a kid, the village I grew up in was attacked by a Demon of Zeref... And everyone... Everyone died..." She hissed, her voice shaking and hesitating when she said that... Everyone.
A lie but... But...
She wouldn't look up at them, she couldn't handle seeing their expressions- or what shock and upset appeared in their faces at that, their stomach's flipping and their blood running cold.
"... I was going to die too, but there was a man who found me... Arden... He was the previous holder of the Magic I have now... he transferred his Magic over to me... even when I didn't want it..." Hora hissed, her hands holding together tightly and her nails digging into her knuckles. "... the issue with Fire Devil Slaying Magic is that it's too powerful to exist in someone's body all by itself, and you can't keep control of it on your own... it... It eats at you, tearing you apart from the inside out... burning you alive..." She broke off, flinching backward at the torrent of memory flooding forward of that day- that terrible, terrible day...
She was writhing around in that blood soaked snow and ice, screaming and fidgeting for hours, her body destroying itself, burning itself, and then slapping itself back together- the flames raged and then died, and then raged again and it was a fate worse than death... she wanted to die, she screamed and pleaded and wished she would- begged. And the pain still kept on...
"... it has a mind of it's own and Devil Slayer Magic is in itself corruptive... it makes it's holders lose their minds, twists them into monsters... but Fire Devil Slaying Magic is much worse. It consumes you, and it's more wild and uncontrollable than the the other elements... that's the nature of fire after all... so... so even if it doesn't manage to kill you somehow, it drives you insane, makes you want to harm and to kill... whoever you were before is lost to the flames." Hora growled, she shook her head hotly, letting out a breath of agitation. "It got decided a long time ago there had to be some way to temper the Fire that comes with the Devil Slaying Magic, and the only effective way of doing it was to imbue a Magic inside of the user with an opposite nature to counteract the Fire." Her hands unhooked a little and her palms pressed against her chest lightly as she stood up a little straighter, her eyes still closed and taking in a deep breath.
"There's a Lacrima imbued with the Magic and life-force of a creature that uses Ice Magic. It's his job to help keep the Fire Devil Slayer Magic in check, and keep it from tearing me apart... this Lacrima is what keeps me alive, without it I would die." Hora murmured lowly, everyone stiffened. "...and ten years ago, when I had been in SaberTooth just under a year- Jiemma arrived and took over the Guild. He killed the old Guild Master and he found out about the Lacrima inside of me. And in order to keep me here and under his order- he placed a type of Body-Link Magic known as a Possession Link on it. You can't break them, I've tried, and I tried to find something that could, I researched them for years... I never found anything that would help me, or break it... and... and with it, Jiemma... He could find me if I ran, and he could break the Lacrima and kill me if he wanted with ease- for ten years I've been stuck here and I've been trapped and forced to just... Let him get with everything, or risk him killing me." Her tone grew icy at the end as she growled, "And I've never been afraid he'd... I'm not afraid of dying, I've never been, but more than anything I never wanted to tell any of you because I didn't want you in danger... I didn't want you to be put in trouble if you stood up to Jiemma or tried to change something, I didn't want you in danger if you went after him for it... and I didn't want to risk leaving any of you alone here in this Guild run by that bastard..! I didn't want to leave you here alone and I didn't want you in harm's way... so fuck me, but I've just let him do all this awful shit to all of you for so long! I am so sorry, I've hated having to watch him hurt any of you, and I've hated having to hold myself back all this time...! If I could have stood up and not... not risked anything... shit..."
She broke off and her hands raised, her knuckles pressing against her chin as she shook her head furiously.
"I didn't want you to get hurt, but that's all that's been happening... and I am so, so sorry.... I've been hesitating my whole life between wanting to tell you and explain it to you all- and then holding back so you'd be safer... like you could be safer just not knowing... I thought that if Jiemma found out that you guys knew about it, and you said something... I thought he might kill you and I couldn't live with that...!" Hora snapped lowly, "... I... I didn't want to tell you... I never have... I... I should have said something a long time ago... I get that now... I've just been too damn afraid...!" Hora hissed,
"... why did... Rogue knew, right..?" Sting asked lowly, and slowly too- Hora jumped a little at how steely a tone he had. She dared lift her eyes up enough to see the utterly stony look on his face- a stark contrast to the pale and stricken looks shared among Rogue, Frosch, Orga and Rufus at what slew of new and terrible information had just been dumped upon them.
"...yeah..." Hora breathed, and Rogue glanced toward Sting nervously.
"I... I didn't give her much choice... It wasn't easy for her to tell me.." Rogue murmured lowly, "... and I've only known since two nights ago..." He added quietly, Sting's eyes flashed.
"... and what happened tonight? After what... what I did to Jiemma... and he decided he was going to hurt you any way..." Sting growled, "... Where did you go? And if Jiemma really did try and break that Lacrima by using the Possession Link... and you really need that Lacrima to live... how are you alive...?" Hora swallowed slightly,
"... I... I was out on the other side of Crocus." Hora murmured, his eyes narrowed.
"... how the hell did you get all the way over there..?" Orga mumbled,
"... I... I don't know..." Hora stammered slightly,
"What the hell do you mean you don't know?" Sting hissed, Hora wilted a bit.
"... I honestly don't know." She muttered, "I was following you guys out, down the hallway and then... something... or... or someone grabbed me and I was just... I wasn't here anymore, in about three seconds. It... it was saying all this weird crap that I don't understand it and it seemed to know what was going on here, it... it said something like I was supposed to end up dead-" She broke off completely, her words failing her and her eyes dropping downward.
"Forgive me, Horatia. But even I won't wait to see you die a second time."
... what... what does that even mean...? Whoever it was... they watched me die once already...?
But... I'm not...
She shuddered despite herself, her hands clutched together in front of her a bit more tightly as she tried to shake off the memory as quickly as it came.
"... listen... Jiemma tried... he was shattering the Lacrima and I could feel it... I was... my Magic got out of control and I wasn't even able to think, let alone breathe... I would be dead right now and on the other side of the city... he... he got so close to killing me..." There was a pain and fear in their faces as she said it, but her eyes were on her hands now. "... but Wendy found me, and she Dispelled the Possession Link Magic, and she healed me... mostly..."
"... mostly...?" Rogue breathed, his red eyes flashing and fear racing anew through his veins.
"Wendy... the Fairy Tail kid...?" Orga mumbled, Rufus' hand moved up to his face to brush his bangs back a bit, taking in a low, slow breath that was probably meant to be calming.
"... a child with a gift for enchantments... perhaps it is not a surprise she could unwind such complex Body-Link Magic..." The blonde murmured aloud, Rogue stepped forward toward her just a little bit, red eyes gleaming and looking her up and down.
"Woah, wait a minute, if he put a Spell on a Lacrima in you... don't that mean he could have done the same thing with these two?" Orga grumbled, his head tilting sideways toward Sting and Rogue and Hora shook her head quickly.
"No, I put a Spell on both of them as soon as they decided to join the Guild." Hora answered quickly, "It prevents a Possession Link from being cast on an object at all, Jiemma could never even try that on them- I made sure of it." Orga grimaced, nodding a bit as Rufus looked at her quietly- Rogue had his eyes on Hora while Sting had his on the floor... and the White Dragon Slayer's hands balled into fists at his sides.
"Hora, you said mostly... you haven't..." Rogue started, but he never got very far.
"Tch... so you were dying a few minutes ago and you did what... you sprinted through Crocus to get back here...?" Sting grumbled lowly, Hora blinked. "And you ran in here ready to take Minerva and Jiemma on, regardless of dying a few minutes ago...?" Sting growled, "You just threatened to kill Minerva even after you ran all the way here and you look ready to pass out! And you did say 'mostly', you are not okay- one look at you and we can all tell that, Hora! All of this is... with you and your Magic and what happened to your parents... how could you not tell us any of this...?! How can you stand there and just..." He growled lowly, his jaw clenching- and hard.
Hora stared, her eyes glittering and stiff as a board as she simply watched him. His hands locked behind his head and his fangs ground down on each other, his entire countenance harsh and quickly bubbling...
"How can you just... just say all of that and lay out there like it's nothing..?! How can you be so worried about all of us when you've been... you've been a slave for ten years Hora, and you let yourself suffer the entire time in silence...! All of this shit has happened and been happening to you for years, and you were more worried about us...?!" Sting snapped lowly, Hora's eyes widened a little, a bead of sweat falling down her face. He growled, pacing slightly a bit in front of her and between Rogue and Rufus. "... tch... all this time and you've never... you've never said anything, Hora! Not a damn thing, not about Jiemma, or even your Magic, or your family... you could have told us...! You should have told us!" Hora blinked a few times,
"... I... I know... I've realized that..." She stammered quietly, swallowing a bit. "...I... I get it... you're mad at me..."
She flinched backward and everyone else in the room did too as Sting suddenly rounded on her, blue eyes blazing and furious.
"Of course I'm fucking mad at you!" He snapped hotly, "How can I not be?! You've been lying and keeping things from us for years! We don't know a damn thing about you!" Hora stiffened, "Hora, we didn't even find out you were a Devil Slayer until a month ago! And now you're telling us you've got some creature and it's Magic locked up in a Lacrima in your body that we never knew about?! And all this time you've never once mentioned a family or who you were before we met you! And we didn't question it! But don't you think we deserved to know what happened to you, after all of this time...?!" He stepped toward her and Hora backed up a bit out of instinct.
Rogue turned to Sting a little, "Sting..." The Shadow Dragon Slayer warned lowly, but he was more or less ignored.
"... I know you did... I know you all deserved to know..." Hora started softly, her voice almost hoarse.
"But you didn't!" He snapped, Hora's mouth shut and her breaths halted in her lungs.
He... He's livid...
"What else have you not told us, huh?!" He growled lowly, Hora swallowed at that, her expression clouding with fear for a second- and he noticed in an instant. "I see the look on your face Hora, there's something else!"
"... Sting, calm down a little..." Rogue mumbled,
"Yeah man, you're gettin' too wound up." Orga grumbled,
Both of them got ignored and Sting advanced another few steps toward Hora, and she stiffened under the glare. "What else happened, Hora?!" Sting demanded, Hora bit the inside of her cheek.
"... There were other Fairy Tailers with Wendy, when she found me." Hora started lowly, "I don't know all the details right now, and I plan to go and find out but... what they told me is that Lucy and Yukino have been arrested by the Kingdom and they are both in trouble." Sting went very still, his anger dissipating slightly in a wash of shock, confusion, and even fear at the words. Everyone else all stiffened, their eyes widening and hearts jumping at the news about the Celestial Mage they had heard nothing of in days.
"... Yukino...?" Sting breathed, Hora nodded stiffly.
"I didn't have a lot of time to ask questions, I had to get back here and understand what went on." Hora told him softly, "I told the Fairy Tailers I would meet them in a bit and I plan on finding out what the hell is going on... And why Yukino and Lucy have been taken prisoner... And maybe even what it was that snatched me a bit ago and what all it was talking about is." His expression pulled a little.
"... You're leaving then?" He asked quietly, Hora paused.
"Hora you can't run off, you look terrible...!" Rogue butted in quickly, "You said you were dying, and you're clearly not healed all the way- you need to rest!" She shook her head a little,
"I'm fine, at least for now..." She told him softly, but it wasn't the assurance he or any of them were looking for. "Wendy healed me quite a bit... Even if it wasn't all the way, I have time yet before I can't do anything anymore and I have to rest. I don't plan on sitting here doing nothing..."
"Even if you run yourself into the ground...?!" Rogue hissed, "I understand you want to help them, Hora- but you need to take care of yourself too..!"
"...tch... What are you going to do anyway?" Sting grumbled, "Fight the kingdom by yourself?" Hora grimaced a bit,
"You've yet to relay to us the full extent of your injuries, Horatia." Rufus murmured softly, "If I am understanding all of this correctly- what Lacrima that had a Possession Link upon it has been damaged, and quite severely in fact. That in itself is painful, and cuts into your health and your Magic capability... But it must have also been left unable to temper your Devil Slayer Magic while being destroyed, yes? If without the Ice Magic in the Lacrima, your other Magic would harm you and injure you- what time it was inactive you were being injured internally, at near a constant rate, yes?" He asked quietly, and Hora swallowed a bit, uncertainty flashing across her expression- of course Rufus of all people would understand it, and better than everyone else.
And of course he was spot on... Damn it
Rufus' eyes flashed as he narrowed them at her, expression as collected as could be managed but not without the small hint of worry too. "... Which would mean you're wounded internally, and quite extensively... Even should Wendy have healed you, her Magic would have limits. And your injuries are likely beyond them." Rufus murmured, letting out a small sigh. "It is the nature of her Magic to regain someone's strength, and she likely did so for you- so you have strength now to push passed your wounds and stay standing, but you are still unwell. And more so, from what you explained to us of 'Over-Drive', and what we know know about your Magic... That condition is likely to strike you now as well, yes? And soon?"
"Over-Drive almost killed you the last time, Hora..!" Rogue snapped, his voice shaking and body too- he had none of the will to be as collected as Rufus was when the blonde said his piece. "You told us physical and emotional strain sets it off- you just went through a surplus of that with what Jiemma did, and telling us all of this right now- if you go off to fight somewhere after all of this... Over-Drive could be ten times worse than last time! You got really bad! You stopped breathing!" Rogue snapped hoarsely, his eyes glittering and Frosch wilted at the memory of it.
'There is no 'could' about it... It will be worse this time around.' Lixue commented dryly in her head, and Hora hissed.
"... It'll not be like last time." Hora replied lowly, "Last time I had the Possession Link on me, the other half of my Magic was cut off and unusable- I had one half of myself vying for power with little to no opposition, it won't be like last time-"
"But it'll still be bad, right?" Sting hissed lowly, cutting Hora off and she flinched a little at his tone- and the accuracy of the statement. Her hands held together a bit more tightly in front of her, her eyes falling on her fingers and quiet for a few seconds. That was answer enough for the rest of them though, and Rogue looked all the more panicked for it, though he never got the chance to say anything before Hora started up.
"Look... I'm... I'm sorry, I know you're worried about Lector and I know I just dumped a bunch of stuff on you guys..." Hora started, and Sting scowled slightly, his eyes glittering. "It doesn't matter right now, I have awhile yet before I hit my Limit- and I can't just sit back and do nothing while all of this is going on... Yukino is one of us, and she needs help, I can't just leave her there. And I can't leave Lucy there either." She took in a deep breath, her breath hitching slightly and threatening to have her coughing- but she refused. She stood straighter and her expression hardened, "They're my friends, I have to try... I have to do something, even if it's just a little thing. And I'm sorry if you don't want me to, but I have to go. I have to try, and I will do everything I can to make sure I come back- and Yukino and Lucy come back safe and sound too." Her eyes swept across them in succession before landing on the scowling face of Sting,
"I can't go against Minerva to try and get Lector back without risking his life... even with everything I am and can do- I'm not fast enough, and she'd use him against me just like she's using him against you." Hora mumbled, "If she wants SaberTooth to win the GMG, then you all have to try your hardest to make that happen... I don't know what I can do, but I'll try anything to help get him back Sting... and I'll do anything to make sure he and everyone else in this Guild is safe. I promise that." Her sudden firmness faded slightly, "... I just don't know what to do to help right now... as much as I hate it, we have to go along with what Minerva wants for now... things are just really complicated, and I have to find some way to unravel it- and that means talking with the Fairy Tailers to try and clear some of this up. If there's anyway to help with any of this, I'll do my best, you all have my word on that."
Rufus, Orga, Frosch and Rogue seemed to deflate a little at the promise, their eyes glittering and tense as they listened to her- and Sting let out a low growl that caught them all off guard.
"Tch... you need to quit worrying about everyone else ahead of yourself, Hora." He told her lowly, she blinked at the harshness of his tone. "But fine, whatever- leave Minerva and Lector to us, and go talk to Fairy Tail if you really have to." He hissed lowly, "You're clearly gonna run off no matter what we say, so why waste time arguing about it?" Hora blinked, her eyes glittering and her heat plummeting a slight bit as his hands fell on his hips and he settled her with an icy stare. "Go, find Yukino and bring her back."
"W-what seriously..?!" Rogue snapped, "Did you hear anything we just said...?! She's in no shape to be going anywhere! How can you even tell her to leave like that...?!" Sting's jaw clenched at the words, his eyes dropping closed.
"She's going to do whatever she wants, Rogue." Sting muttered lowly, "No amount of talking to her or yelling at her is gonna change a damn thing. Nothing we've said or done has ever had an effect on changing her mind before, I doubt it'll start now." He growled, Hora's eyes flashed at the ire in the words, her eyes darting away from and to the floor as she felt her heart twist.
That... that's not true...
Rogue stiffened at the words and so did everyone else, eyes widening at the sheer venom and anger in Sting's voice and expression- he was being so... so harsh.
Insanely harsh- especially given what was going on and the very real situation that Hora was in and how hurt she was and could end up being... harsh even after all she'd said about her life and her family and how she'd been trapped by Jiemma. Being that way right now, after learning about all of that and realizing what she was going through... that wasn't like him, it was almost cruel.
Hora swallowed, biting back the painful twisting of her heart and willing the stinging in her eyes to go away. She understood it, he was angry at her and he was worried and wound up about Lector and Jiemma and Yukino and... everything. She got it, he had every right to be angry and she didn't blame him for being curt with her... but she didn't expect it to hurt so much.
S...shit...
"... what the hell has gotten into you...?!" Rogue snapped at the blonde, "You're being an ass! Don't you give a damn what happens to her, Sting?!" Hora bit the inside of both her cheeks when Sting didn't ordain an answer, but instead huffed. Sting turned his back slightly on Rogue and the rest of them, utterly quiet and Hora felt her heart ache... And she ignored it.
She gestured at Orga in a sign for him to come closer, and the large man did so- slowly though, since he wasn't sure what she wanted. And Hora didn't elaborate either, "... Rogue I have to go." Hora mumbled softly, her voice quavering as she stepped forward toward him and caught his arms gently. His glimmering red gaze snapped from Sting toward her, apprehension and worry that made her heart hurt even more. His hands moved up to grab hold of her waist with no intention of letting go, and Hora sucked in a sharp breath of air.
"Hora I'm not letting you go anywhere, you're not in any shape-!" He argued hotly, her hands moved up from his arms and grabbed soft hold of his cheeks, cutting him off with the unexpected action as she pressed her forehead against his- dark blue on red eyes locking.
"Rogue I'm sorry." She murmured, "... I'm so sorry... to all of you... but I have to go... I'll be back, I swear..." Her eyes dropped closed as she leaned into him a little and he just searched her face, stiff in place and holding on to her.
I don't have a choice, there's too much going on... I can't stay here and fight you... I can't... I dumped all of this on you guys and I can't stay here and let it sink in... I have to go... Yukino and Lucy... my friends... they need me... and right now they are the only two I can do anything to help...
... even... even if that means leaving you here and leaving Lector in Minerva's hands, damn it... and now Sting is right to be angry... because... I'm useless, and I've mucked everything up and made it so complicated... I'm so sorry...
... I've messed up... I...
There was single drop of moisture that managed it's way passed her closed eyelids and onto the floor, and with it there flared a bright flash of pain in her chest she hissed at.
"... I'm so sorry... for all of it... please forgive me." Hora breathed, her eyes opening again as she locked gazes with him a second time- and this time her familiar deep blue eyes flashed an eerie, unfamiliar icy blue.
"Sleep."
Rogue's eyes dropped and his body went slack near instantly, his weight falling into her for a few brief seconds before Orga's hands moved forward and caught the Shadow Dragon Slayer with ease. Saving Rogue falling to the floor, and in time too- because Hora cringed and doubled over a bit, her hand clutching at the shirt over her chest as pain sparked through her body from the depths of her core.
Rufus was next to her in an instant, deft hands reaching out and steadying her as she waited for the pain to subside and jaw clenched hard enough to crack teeth. She did her best to stifle the hiss of pain rising up her throat, and failed quite miserably- and her eyes snapped shut against it.
She missed the way Sting went rigid at the show of pain, his body turning as he glanced over his shoulder toward the way Hora was bent over with Rufus holding to her elbow and waist- the pain etched into her face and the sound of her hissing and her breath hitching with it. His blue eyes glittered as he traced over the blood spattering her skin and the paleness of her features for about the hundredth time since she arrived panting in the Guild Hall- and he saw how much her legs were shaking... She was shaking all over. He grimaced, pain and worry etching into his expression in lieu of the anger and agitation that has flared so quickly at learning... All of it.
Orga sighed and hoisted the now clocked out Rogue up a bit and let him fall into the bed- Frosch mewed softly and lighted down on the pillow next to his Partner. The Exceeds's eyes darted over toward Hora in question as she stood there and leaned into Rufus for a few tense seconds.
Hora sucked in a sharp breath of air and regretted it. The threat of coughing that had been lurking that whole time managed a way to fruition- and her hand moved up to cover her mouth as the raspy, wheezing coughs racked her body for a few long minutes. When it was done she knew there were specks of blood on her palm- she could taste the iron liquid and her chest burned like cold fire... And her breathing was nowhere near level.
... Damn it... Lixue I thought you said I could use your power...?!
'... Perhaps a little warning, next time.' Lixue muttered, he sounded just as pained as she felt. 'And as a correction- you did use my Power just now... I simply did not tell you it would not be painful when using it.'
That would have been nice to know.
'Why are you surprised? It was painful to put the Salamander to sleep before, why would it be different now?'
... I thought that the pain would fade over time...
'Not that quickly.'
She grumbled, standing up a bit straighter and leaning on Rufus less as she closed her hand tight to keep sight of the blood to a minimum. "Are you alright?" Rufus asked softly, his eyes searching as she glanced up at at him, and nodded- once.
"Yeah... Using his Magic just... Sucks right now." She mumbled, Rufus quirked a brow.
"Twice now you've said 'his' in reference to the Lacrima in your body." He murmured, Hora blinked.
"Yeah, I noticed that too." Orga grumbled softly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck a bit. "Ain't it just a rock?" He glanced towards Sting as he said it, and the White Dragon Slayer had his arms crossed over his chest and still with his back facing the bulk of them.
"Indeed." Rufus murmured, "And I do not recall you using a Spell such as the one you just used to put Rogue to sleep either, shall I assume you can choose to use the Ice Magic in the Lacrima to some degree?"
Hora straightened up a bit more, and Rufus pulled his hands back to himself as he waited patiently for an answer. She paused though, biting the inside of her cheek and sighing.
"... It's complicated, but yes." She mumbled, "It's not like it's just Magic trapped in the Lacrima- it's literally the Life-Force of the creature that used to be whole, and physical and alive. So in some weird way, I have this... Condensed living being in my body in the Lacrima, and he's not technically alive but he is... At least enough I can talk to him..." Hora trailed off, grimacing to herself as her hands fell on her hips and her eyes dropped closed, musing. "...mmm... I dunno how to explain it without it sounding really crazy... But it's just how it is. He has a mind of his own and some semblance of control over his Magic- and I have control over it to to some degree but it's more like... I'm working hand in hand with Lixue to use it, sort of with permission but not really... I just haven't been able to use that half of my Magic- and his Magic- since Jiemma put the Possession Link on us. It sort of blocked it off all these years for some reason..."
'It is meant to be a partnership, but regardless you have more control than I do.' Lixue commented, 'It is appreciated you look for my permission most of the time however... You are one of two who has ever worked with me, instead of simply taking.'
Right...
"Lixue...?" Rufus hummed,
"You sayin' ya got some monster's voice running around in your head all the time?" Orga asked, Hora grimaced.
"... I told you it sounded crazy..." She sighed,
"Sting, ya got the voice of a Dragon running around in your head cause of that Lacrima in you?" Orga didn't seem to hear her and turned on Sting instead,
"Of course not." Sting growled lowly, Hora wilted at the anger in his tone.
"I have never caught you seeming to be talking to yourself before." Rufus commented, Hora sweatdropped.
"... I try not to talk out loud." Hora mumbled, "... And as it is, Lixue... Well I didn't start hearing him again until after what happened when Jiemma found out I helped Fairy Tail..." Rufus nodded a bit,
"... Intriguing." he murmured quietly, Hora bit her cheek.
"... I'm going to get into the details more, I promise... I just don't have time right now." Hora mumbled, "... I'm sorry I just dumped all of this on you guys, but.."
"Do not worry about us." Rufus cut her off gently, "Today has been tumultuous, for all of us, and especially you. You are right to want to save Yukino and Lucy, we will not stand in your way." he paused, his eyes flashing. "Just be careful, yes?"
"Yeah, keep us in the loop on this whole thing." Orga grumbled, "And don't go running off to fight the King without givin' us a heads up, got it?" Hora nodded slightly,
"Yeah, I'll explain what happened and the plan when I get more info." Hora promised quietly, "And I'll be careful... I should be back in a few hours." She cast a glance back at Sting but he didn't bother to glance her way, and she sighed.
... He's really pissed at me...
She shook her head a bit and started toward the door, only to pause before she ever moved when Frosch called her back. "Atia...?" Frosch mewed softly, she sidetracked a bit and stopped at the edge of the bed Rogue and the Exceed were on.
"Hmm?"
"... Is... Are Lector and Yukino going to be okay...?" Frosch stammered, Hora stiffened at the question- she could feel everyone else do the same. She swallowed, nodding her head as her hand came down gingerly on top of the Exceed's head.
"... Yeah... they'll be okay." Hora murmured, "... We'll figure all of this out, don't worry."
Everything has to be okay... I've screwed up a lot but... But I want to fix things.
She looked for Sting's eyes as she left the room, but he was refusing to look at her, and somehow that hurt worse than Jiemma trying to tear that Lacrima in her chest apart.
... I just maybe... I don't know how...
... Damn me...
Chapter 27: Highest of Stakes
Chapter Text
Chapter 27
Highest of Stakes
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"... Who the fuck cares about all of that?! Let me go right now! I'm gonna tear that bastard apart and then I'm gonna rescue Luce! How could you dumbasses just let her run off like that?!"
"Calm down, Natsu."
"It's not like your 'friend' gave us any choice after she knocked you out. She just left."
"Dude you need to chill."
"The hell I do! She ran off to face the asshole who was killing her! She's in trouble!"
"..b...but Natsu, Hora didn't seem like she was worried about it..."
"Of course she wouldn't Happy! She was willing to let that bastard get away with all of that bullshit, and insisted she had to handle it all by herself! She's fucking stubborn as hell!"
"You're fucking stubborn, Flame-Brain."
"Natsu-san, you just woke up, you should really try not to get too wound up..."
"Perhaps instead of screaming like a child you should explain just what is going on. You clearly understand more about what happened to 'Horatia' than anyone else- who is she to be facing and why are you so angry about it?"
"None of you have managed to tell us much."
"We don't even really understand what happened. As it is, we only just met the chick, and she ran off right off the bat after the kid did her thing."
"She tore up a shit-ton of stuff too. We had to rush out of there before the Council Knights or the Kings Army came in to arrest us."
"With the amount of power that woman had, what adversary could she be facing that would worry you so much, Natsu? Surely she could handle herself- even after the ordeal she seemed quite fine."
"I'm not worried she can't kick his ass, I'm worried she's gonna go too far!"
Hora grimaced slightly, her eye twitching at the loudness of his voice on her ears, even from the distance she was at, he was fucking loud.
"PLUS I WANNA KNOW WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED! AND WHAT SHE'S BEEN KEEPING TO HERSELF THE WHOLE TIME! I'VE KEPT FROM ASKING, AND I'M DONE DOING THAT!"
.... You and everyone else, Salamander...
She sighed, her steps leading her down the last stretch of street in front of the entrance to the Sun Bar and alone in the midnight light of Crocus around her. It was so quiet outside of Natsu's voice, it was almost peaceful... But the day had been anything but.
And she wasn't sure if it was nerves or weariness or what, but that sense of dread that had been hanging over her? It hadn't gone away, which meant that what Jiemma had done and that thing that had swept her away were not the worst things to come... Which would spell for something even more terrible approaching, and that was a chilling thought.
She'd sidetracked a bit back at the Inn to wash off the blood from her hands, and arms and everywhere else, and just altogether clean up a bit, since she was a mess and she saw it in the mirror. She straightened her clothes and brushed through her hair a bit after doing away with the bulk of the grime, and then stuffed a multitude of items in her Requip in case of need. She had the Calling Card in her back pocket and knew the other one connected to it was back with Sting, Rogue, Frosch, Rufus and Orga... Though seeing as how Rogue was conked out and Sting wasn't really talking to her right now...
Her eyes narrowed at the ground, her core aching at the thought. But she pushed it away as quick as she could.
... away from that... She looked less a mess now and she'd hurried down the hill and back into the heart of Crocus growing steadily closer to where Fairy Tail was. She'd passed by a number of soldiers and Rune Knights milling about and avoided them, they were out and about with the destruction she'd caused, as she heard one of the Fairy Tailers mention. And she didn't expect anyone in the Guild to try and call her using the Card right now.
Probably better they don't interrupt... I'm gonna have a lot to handle with the Fairy Tailers... Natsu especially... And...
... damn it Hora... Just don't stare at him like an idiot.
Her fingers tapped lightly against the door into the tavern and the tension and knotting of her core got just a bit worse. She could hear Natsu yelling a few incoherent things, and figured he was tied up and unable to move, lest he'd have already stormed from the building. She hesitated on opening it for a few seconds, before growling under her breath and stepping inside slowly.
"... You can quit yelling Salamander... And there's no need for you to go rushing off either." Hora muttered lowly, her eyes closed and still able to tell that the eyes of everyone in the Building snapped around toward her sudden arrival. She pushed the door closed and glanced up to see him strapped to a support beam, eyes wide and looking still so very wonderful as she met his gaze, and she frowned slightly, "... Need I remind you how well that turned out last time? Especially when I asked you not to get involved?"
A quick survey of the room found the group that she had run into before- Gajeel, Juvia, Wendy, Carla, Natsu, Happy, the black Exceed, and... Gray too.
And to add to it was Erza, Laxus, Mirajane, and the Guild Master.
And all eyes snapped over toward her, a mix of surprise and suspicious looks as Hora swallowed a bit under the stares.
"So this is that girl from another Guild, huh?" Laxus grumbled under his breath, Mirajane's head tilted slightly at Hora in intrigue.
"I clearly needed to get involved!" Nates snapped back hotly from his place on the floor, Hora grimaced. "How could you not tell me that asshole had that Possession Link thing on you?! And what he could do with it?!"
Erza blinked in surprise at the words, her eyes narrowing at Natsu and then at the new arrival. "Possession Link?" she hummed, "... Natsu asked what they were, and that you'd mentioned them to him, but I am confused on how it could harm someone as drastically as Wendy and the rest described." The redhead said to Hora, and Hora wilted a little.
"... I'll try my best to explain things." Hora mumbled, her eyes dropping as she started forward into the room and toward Natsu. "... Sorry to drop in sort of unannounced and uninvited, by the way... I understand the bulk of you don't really know me enough to trust me." She added softly, her eyes flicking sideways toward Gajeel, Juvia and Gray as she passed them by near the door, and hating the way her attention lingered on the latter a bit too long.
"Hora!" Happy trilled, nothing but a blue blur as he darted through air and toward her. He crashed into her chest and she caught him- by now prepared for him, unlike the last time. She bit back the wince she almost let loose at the sudden contact, biting the inside of her cheek as she patted the Exceed's head a few times.
"... Hey, Happy." She mumbled, pulling him off and holding him up in front of her. "... Try not to crash into me too hard if you can, alright...? Still a bit sore..." He blinked, nodding.
"Sorry, I didn't think about it.." He mumbled, wings flaring as he pulled himself out of her hands.
"It's fine." Hora murmured softly, her walking continuing forward until she halted, again.
She sighed silently, this time stopped by Wendy as she got closer to Natsu. The smaller girl stepped forward, her eyes shinning, and in the meantime Hora completely missed the suddenly stiff and defensive posture that Gajeel, Gray and Juvia had adopted after she moved passed them.
"Hora, are you alright?" Wendy asked quickly, "I've been worried... Are you feeling okay after everything...?"
"You certainly look a little better, at any rate." Carla commented, Hora nodded.
The wonders of washing off blood and dirt and all else...
"Yeah, I'm good." Hora hummed, her hand falling gently on the bluenette's head and offering up a weary smile. "Don't worry about me for now sweetheart." Wendy blinked at the name, blushing slightly even as Hora took her hand back and moved to crouch down in front of the bound Natsu. Her deep blue gaze matched with his onyx one and he frowned at her, looking no small amount of agitated. Her elbows settled on her knees as she tilted her head at him, "You still look like crap, Salamander." She commented dryly and he scowled,
"So do you!" He snapped back hotly and she grumbled, her hand lift as she knocked the side of it against the top of his head lightly- cutting his words off with ease.
"Yeah, well you can't really blame me for that." She muttered, "I get that you got your Magic drained and all, but eating any amount of my Fire when I was like that was just stupid. Even for a Fire Dragon Slayer... One would have hoped you had the better sense to think about what you were putting in your mouth before you did it."
"It's fire, I can eat whatever the hell kinda fire I want to!" He argued hotly, and she sighed.
"Fine tough-guy, pretend all you want that you're stomach's not killing you right now." Hora grumbled and he faltered a bit at the words, and that was answer enough to tell her he didn't feel so hot right now... And that was her fault. "... I think at this point we've established my Fire isn't normal... Less so when I was like that. It is my fault for not warning you before though, so that's my bad. But until it's out of your system you really should just cool it." She settled her chin in her hand and let out a low breath, "... Sorry for putting you to sleep too, by the way. But it really was better that way... Busting in and starting a fight would just make things harder."
"Hora, that asshole has to pay for what he did, he can't just get away with all of this-!" Natsu snapped,
"He's not a problem anymore." Hora muttered lowly, and Natsu faltered at the way her tone changed. But neither of them had time to go further down that train of thought, because Hora stiffened the instant she felt the tension in the room change and the stares she was getting turned downright nasty. She could feel something like someone looming behind her and her heart skipped a beat, glancing over her shoulder to see that many of the people in the room were looking at her with dark, angry glares. And especially the bulky form of Laxus and the tall ones of Erza and Mirajane were imposing, and she swallowed.
"...uh...?" Hora mumbled,
"You're SaberTooth?" Laxus growled lowly, his eyes flicking from hers and toward the icy blue Guild Mark painted on her shoulderblade, visible now with the tank top she had on. She froze for a second, lost on what to do or even what to reply as her eyes darted among the people and the anger in their eyes.
And why not? SaberTooth hadn't been kind on the Games and after what Minerva did this morning...
"...u..uhm... yeah, but I sort of thought you already knew that...?" Hora stammered quickly, ".. ah... I mean, didn't you already see my Guild Mark back when you guys found me...?" Hora asked, her eyes falling on Wendy (who of which looked the least suspicious among the many, by the way) paused.
"... No, actually." Wendy smiled nervously,
"Those weird-ass black markings that were all over you covered it up." Gray snapped lowly and Hora flinched without meaning to.
"O-oh, really...? They don't usually... Do that..." Hora stammered, nervousness getting worse by the second.
I totally just walked in here like I owned the place and they didn't even realize-
"It is appreciated, what you did for Wendy and Carla. And though Natsu, Lucy and Happy seem to trust you, what your Guild and your comrades have done cannot be so easily overlooked." Erza told her curtly, "What concern is Lucy and Yukino to anyone in SaberTooth? You threw out your own Guild-mate for a single defeat, I find it odd to think you'd be concerned with her welfare now."
"SaberTooth is our number one enemy right now." Gajeel grumbled lowly,
"And the Guild with our anger directed at it, after this morning's events in the Navel Battle." The Fairy Tail Guild Master said lowly, his eyes piercing as Hora caught them. She paused, before growling under her breath and Hora pushed herself up on to her feet again, her eyes flashing as she glanced among them.
"SaberTooth isn't what you, and everyone else think it is. Most of us are not bad people-" she started,
"And why the hell would we trust your word on that?" Gray cut her off and she stiffened, "Your Guild's been nothing but ruthless in the Games so far, and the way all of you guys have been acting? 'Bad people' seems like the right way to describe it."
"How can you say that about your Guild when you all allowed one of your members be thrown out for one loss?" Juvia grumbled,
"I'd hate to make a snap judgment about every member of a Guild, but SaberTooth hasn't shown much to be optimistic about." Mirajane muttered, Hora's jaw clenched.
"... tch... Look." She growled, "I showed up here with Wendy and Carla and I refused to tell you what Guild I was in even when I knew it would make you suspicious of me-"
"Because you must have known you would not be treated kindly if we knew you were a part of SaberTooth." The black Exceed (who's name she hadn't a clue still) said lowly, cutting her off, and she growled, her agitation rising.
"Hell no." Gray muttered hotly, and there were a number of nods from everyone else at the words. Even Wendy nodded tentatively, though she seemed reluctant to jump into anger and distrust. Happy was watching tensely and Natsu was- for once- silent, with his eyes fixed on Hora and the annoyance and firmness growing stronger in her expression.
"That had nothing to do with it." Hora shot back lowly, "I couldn't give a damn if you didn't trust me, I had no hope you would if you knew I was in SaberTooth. I've long since accepted the fact that people automatically hate us, and I do not blame you."
"The reason given for your silence, was that it would land you in trouble." The Guild Master broke in calmly, Hora looked to him again. "That contact and assistance to other Guilds would come with repercussions, and at the hands of your Guild Master, yes?" Hora nodded stiffly,
"Yes, he forbade it. Jiemma was always more interested in keeping power and prestige than he ever was with anything else. For years we've been doing what we had to in order to keep the public image of the strong, powerful and ruthless SaberTooth standing. We couldn't do anything that would make us look weak or kind or soft- we had to out up a face and act like we were the best of the best and the true 'Number One Strongest Guild'- even if that meant alienating other people and coming off to the world as cruel. We had to make it look believable and keep the act up no matter what. We've had to go to extremes to keep up with his idea of strength and convince him and everyone else we meant it. Even the smallest hint of hesitation, guilt, compassion, gentleness or regret and we paid for it." Hora told them steadily, her eyes flashing.
"And what could your own Guild Master do to any of you that would make you act like such assholes?" Gray muttered behind her, and Hora grimaced.
"... I wouldn't expect you guys to understand it. You're part of a Guild that you feel safe in and have called a home for a long time, right? And with a Guild Master who cares about you all?" Hora grumbled, her head tilting toward the Old Man who's eyes narrowed at her. "Simple fact of the matter is that Jiemma was a complete bastard. He hurt us, and abused us- every chance he could get. And his daughter latched on to the cruelty, and started dishing it out as fervently as Jiemma did." Her hands fell on her hips as her eyes flashed. "Talk out of turn and risk having him send a blast of Magic at you. Lose a match- be forced to erase your own Guild Mark and be thrown from the Guild- maybe even earn a beating for good measure. Do any little thing that he didn't like- you get hit, thrown around, beaten, threatened, blackmailes, humiliated- you name it. And to add atop it, you have to just sit there and take it- if you complain or you try and fight back, he went after you ten times harsher... Sometimes harsh enough to do serious damage." Happy and Natsu flinched at the words, their eyes dropping to the floor as everyone else in the room just stared, fixed. "We don't want to be like we are, but we've had to act like that for fear we'd get hurt or worse." Hora grumbled,
"None of you ever tried to fight back?" Erza asked lowly, Hora grimaced.
"No, for the bulk of the Guild they've never tried to fight back because they were either too afraid of Jiemma, or they didn't think themselves strong enough to win against him." Hora muttered,
"If you're saying he's really been treating all of you like that, fear or strength shouldn't matter. Any of you should have tried to do something about it before now." Mirajane murmured,
"That'd be asking them to go against the one person that scares them the most. And the one person who would do literally anything to get his way- who is also backed by Minerva. Jiemma's powerful in his own right, but Minerva is more so. She's not an easy person to take on and hope to win against." Hora muttered, "Even I'd have a hard time trying to beat her, and I'd probably risk losing my sanity in the meantime..." She added softly, almost all to herself.
"So why not just leave?" Gajeel grumbled,
"Despite Jiemma and Minerva, SaberTooth is still a Guild. People work for money to keep themselves afloat, and get jobs... but it is more than that. We've made friendships, and we care about each other- those relationships are not something we can just walk away from lightly." Hora mumbled, glancing over her shoulder toward the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Could any of you walk away from your Guild and leave the people you care for behind so easily?" The Iron Dragon Slayer's eyes narrowed as he seemed to grumble internally at the question,
"Even if staying means getting hurt?" Gray asked lowly and Hora's eyes flashed, her posture wilting a little as she spared a glance over toward him.
"... In my experience, leaving behind and losing the people you care for, is far worse than any injury or hurt." Hora said softly, her eyes glittering as his eyes narrowed at her, almost confused. She cursed herself in her head and forced herself to look away, her eyes dropping closed as she sighed.
Stop it Hora you fucking idiot-
"Look, I don't expect you to understand it, it all sounds fucking crazy... and it really is. It's not the sort of thing you don't really get unless you lived it... the fear and the doubt and everything else... Rationally it totally makes sense, and is even easy to say we should have 'done something', or 'stood up for ourselves and stopped all of it'. And in all respect that is what should have happened. But it wasn't that simple and there were too many things that could wrong and some of them that did go wrong... and there was a lot of things none of us were willing to risk, and me especially... it's all just such a big mess." Hora grumbled, "But I do mean it, when I say that they are not bad people. They're actually pretty good people, they just haven't had a chance to show it... and I know they hate how they've acted and what they did. They didn't want to do those things, and they hated what Minerva did this morning as much as you did." That earned disbelieving looks from everyone but Natsu, Happy and Wendy.
"You kept saying 'they' and 'them'. Like you were excluding yourself." Erza pointed out lowly,
"You're talking as if you aren't afraid of Jiemma, like they are. Or Minerva for that matter." The black Exceed murmured, Hora let out a hot breath.
"That bit is complicated too, but the short answer is I'm not afraid of them. I never have been... they don't scare me as much as the idea of what they might do to everyone else does." Hora muttered lowly, her dark blue eyes flashing in agitation and barely muffled anger. "To be honest, I couldn't give a damn if they went after or hurt me- I can take that, and I have taken that."
People all around blinked in surprise at that, while Natsu just let out a grumble under his breath- but Hora didn't pause.
"But I have absolutely hated watching any of the rest of my Guild get hurt or worse at their hands. Seeing any of my friends get hurt by Jiemma or Minerva- I've hated all of it, but I couldn't do a damn thing about it- and I hate that even more." She hissed, one hand lift to point at Natsu though she didn't open her eyes to look at him. "And before you say a damn thing, Salamander- I know, okay? I remember everything you and Lucy all said about friends trusting each other and telling them things when something's wrong or other people are gonna get hurt. I've had you and Sting and Rogue and literally everybody else in my life snapping my head off about not telling the truth- so it's been fairly well established I suck at being a friend and I definitely suck at the whole honesty thing. And I tried to be more honest, but I didn't get very far and that's on me- but to make things worse, today has been a terrible day and I'm so god-damn worked up that I went up to the Inn and found what insanity had transpired there- and I went into full blown brutally honest mode!"
Hora's hand fell and she placed it back on her hip again, her voice raising and all the more agitated by the second.
"I dumped a shit-ton of information on their heads in the course of a few minutes and I unloaded on them all at once- and yeah, I wanted to do better, and I wanted to open up and be honest and tell them everything- but I felt like I got rushed into it, and I didn't know what to do so I just fessed up! And I probably made everything about ten times worse! They were freaking out and Rogue was a goddamn mess, and I was pretty much backed into a corner and had no choice!" she said lowly, "And they were persistent, and they were doubting everything already since you ran in and started spouting all that shit about Jiemma having something on me!" She snapped hotly, "And I understand why you did that- I know after what Yukino said to you, you were pissed and worried and I get it. I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you, but I didn't say anything for a reason! You are a notorious hot-head and I didn't want you to get hurt by barging in, and I didn't want you to give anyone in my Guild a reason to get involved and into a place where they would be in danger too! But even if I get it, and you might have had a point and all that- I will not apologize for throwing you across the Inn!"
She was pacing now, back and forth in the small little space between the bar counter where the Fairy Tail Guild Master sat and the door, the rest of the Fairy Tailers spread out on either side and watching her as she continued.
"... so she's the one who clocked Salamander on the jaw the other night?" Gajeel grumbled under his breath, Lily beside him nodded slightly.
"Must be." Lily mumbled,
"And to make it all worse- you were right, Salamander! Annoyingly, you were right about Jiemma having something on me- and because you came in and started ranting about everything, Rogue figured out something was wrong even when I tried to pass it off! He knew I lied and he literally backed me into a corner! And at that point I just broke, and I told him about the Possession Link and what Jiemma could do, and had been doing and it sucked! And then this morning when Minerva did all of that to Lucy I was barely keeping myself back! I wanted to tear her to shreds and I was three seconds away from saying fuck it and jumping down into the Arena to give her a piece of my mind! But since Rogue knew about the Possession Link and what Jiemma might do- he stopped me from going down there, and I was so worked up I almost went after him when he did! Rogue! The same person I have known and been friends with for eight freaking years! And I got two inches away from punching him because he stopped me from going after Minerva- and he did it because he didn't want me to get killed!"
She stopped with her back to the room, right in front of the door and growling. Black stretched up slowly along her right arm and around the scar, and the eyes of the Fairy Tailers latched on to it, though Hora didn't seem to notice.
"Graaaahhh... that fucking Possession Link! It'd been eating at me for so long, and I always hesitated telling any of them about it- and I hated telling them now! Because you open the can of worms about a Possession Link placed by Jiemma, on a Lacrima in my chest, you get in to the fact that he could use that Link to destroy the Lacrima and keep tabs on me and keep me on a metaphorical chain and I couldn't leave! I couldn't fight back, I couldn't resist- and not because I was afraid he was gonna kill me- no! But because I wouldn't dare die and leave everyone in my Guild alone with that bastard and his bitch daughter!" She snapped, her eyes shut tight and seething as she stood rigid in her spot. "But then you get passed that and open another can of worms about the fact that it's a Lacrima I need to actually stay alive. Because it's that Lacrima that keeps the one half of my Magic from killing me, and making it harder to lose my sanity. Without it, I get burned alive from the inside out and maybe take a few people out with me on the way! But of course that just brings up all sorts of other questions I've been trying to avoid for most of my life- 'what is your Magic anyway?' 'Why does it suck so much?' 'What's a Devil Slayer and why does your Magic feel so evil, huh?' Does it drive you insane- yes, yes it does! It's corruptive and it's wild and it has a mind of it's own and makes you want to just... just burn everything and everyone and that's hard enough on it's own, and it's damn near impossible without the Lacrima and Lixue trying to keep you sane! And it just gets so much worse when you get hurt, or you get worked up- about anything! And today has been a plethora of things to get worked up about!"
The Fairy Tailers tensed slightly, eyes glittering as they felt the air start to slowly warm up in the building. They glanced between eachother, looking a bit unsure of what to do as the Saber woman continued to... well, rant. And about things that were so bad. Terrible really.
"First with what happened with Yukino and Natsu barging in- and then I fess up with Rogue, and then Minerva hurt Lucy, followed by Sting and Rogue getting their asses handed to them and losing- which landed them and all of SaberTooth in hot water! And then I get snatched away by some crazy, creepy, weird thing and dropped on the other side of Crocus that's talking about an 'Eclipse Gate' and the fact that I was supposed to die- and then I almost did! Because while I was on the opposite end of the city, every semblance of sanity and order in my Guild got obliterated- and then in all of that insanity, that bastard Jiemma tried to use the Possession Link to break the Lacrima and kill me! If you lot hadn't been out and about because of whatever the hell happened with Yukino and Lucy, and Wendy hadn't managed a way to break the Link- I would be dead!" Hora hissed, her hands falling on top of her head and pacing back and forth- again. But she still wasn't looking at the Fairy Tailers and she didn't see the surprise and the shock that appeared in their faces.
Both at the idea that a Guild Master could ever try and kill a member of their Guild, and the sudden appearance of that- 'Eclipse Gate'.
"I've ended up in more near-death situations in the last three months than I ever have in ten years! It's like I'm in some ridiculous pattern with this Guild!" Hora muttered hotly, her hand gesturing backward toward the lot of them- Fairy Tail.
"First I help you with something and then I end up getting screwed over, and then you help me with something somewhere down the line- and it starts all over again!" She snapped hotly, her hands waving at them and still pacing. "I help find Wendy and Carla- Natsu barges in to face Jiemma and I get hit and then I have to fess up to Rogue, Jiemma tries to kill me- and then Wendy shows up and breaks the Possession Link and saves me dying." Hora hissed, her hand held up and index finger extending with each part of the 'pattern', and ending with three. "I agree to help Lucy, Happy and Natsu finish their job to find that necklace- in the middle of which we get captured and I nearly get my neck cut open- but then quickly followed by you saving me and even doing more so by keeping me sane when I was losing my mind when I was out there all alone!" She was counting on her fingers still with that iteration of the pattern, before she waved her hand over her head in agitated animation, and the Markings on her skin started to spin.
"And all manner of that leading back to the first instance of that damned pattern! I help locate Tenrou Island and ship the information off to Hibiki in Blue Pegasus- Jiemma and Minerva somehow find out about it and he nearly beats me to death- but all of that just circles back to the fact that if you hadn't come back from Tenrou, Wendy wouldn't have been here and I would have died tonight!" Hora snapped, "And none of that is your fault, of course, even though it probably sounds like I'm yelling at you! But I'm just ranting now and I'm worked up to all hell and I-" She broke off, her eyes snapping open and finding her reflection on the window. She could feel the burn of the Markings but she hadn't realized how far they had stretched, or how fast they were moving.
Shit
"-I'm getting too worked up. And I've probably raised the temperature in here, and I just ranted and said... all of that. A lot. All at once... aaaand most of it not really something you should be worried about so... so... ah, Sorry, I'll try to... quit." Hora muttered, stammering slightly, and her arms crossing over her chest as she forced a sigh. The Markings receded slowly and she chewed on the inside of her cheek, "... sorry I wasn't planning to just... say it all at once like that... again..."
I'm a fucking mess...
'Quite. Though it seems keeping all of that to yourself for so long has made the information something of an overflowing dam- and now the walls have mostly crumbled.' Lixue commented,
"... That doesn't help, Lixue..." Hora muttered under her breath. Hora wrung her hands together in front of her nervously, slowly turning to the interior of the building that had fallen deadly silent for a few moments after she shut up, her eyes glittering and swallowing. "... Ah... I'm not actually crazy by the way..." She mumbled, "... My life is just a mess and I didn't mean to dump all of that on you..."
Hora paused, her eyes darting across the faces and seeing the bulk of them (save the Guild Master and Laxus) all staring at her and quite lost for words. Some of their jaws had even dropped and Wendy and Happy looked on the verge of tears,
"... That certainly was... A lot." Erza said slowly, Mirajane nodded slightly.
"And there were a few things I have questions about..." Mirajane mumbled,
"... Indeed." Makarov murmured,
"... Wait a minute, you helped find Tenrou Island...?!" Gray, Natsu and Gajeel all snapped at once and Hora jumped a little.
"What the hell?! Why didn't you say anything about that when we met?!" Natsu asked quickly, struggling against his bonds again. "W-wait a minute, what Yukino said happened- Jiemma hurt you that badly because you helped us?!"
"W-well yeah..." Hora stammered nervously,
"Why would you even care?! Why were you looking for Tenrou in the first place?!" Gray pressed and Hora swallowed,
"That is a good question." The Fairy Tail Master said calmly, "I was aware that Blue Pegasus had received information from an outside source, but they hadn't a clue who sent it. You have no previous affiliation with our Guild, so if it was you who helped locate the island again- why did you?"
Hora tapped her fingers together in front of her, fidgeting almost as she bit the inside of both cheeks. "... U-uh well... uhm... the reason is a bit... Complicated, and a little weird... Sort of... Philosophical, I guess..?" She started uncertainly, "Ah... So like there's this thing I sort of believe in, about Slayer Magic.. Like they're super old Magics and they play a part in the balance of the world and between good and evil and stuff like that... There's this old legend I read once, about different sorts of Slayer Magics with all the same Element coming together in a sort of ritual or something that decides the fate of the world and Dark Magic over Light... But the thing is, you kinda need Slayers for all that, and Balance keeping and such so..." She trailed off, grimacing when she saw the stares she was getting. "... So there were four Dragon Slayers on Tenrou that were down for the count, and a God Slayer, and that was a really big blow to the Balance theory and everything, and I wanted to right it... If I could anyway." She paused, her eyes falling on her fingers as she tapped them together a few more times.
Slayers were the main thing... But if I'd known about Gray I would have...
Her eyes darted toward her Brother for a few seconds before she looked away again.
"... That was one reason I guess... The other was more just... I knew how hard it hit the rest of Fairy Tail when all of you disappeared. I couldn't really get close to other Guilds or anything, and most everyone just disliked me on principal since I'm SaberTooth, but I could... I could still see how much they all missed you, and once I figured out the island was still there and you might be alive, I wanted to help if I could... Make them feel better..." She grimaced a bit to herself, her cheeks flushing a bit in further embarrassment out of nowhere. "... Plus Rogue and Sting had always wanted to meet Gajeel and Natsu, and if you were alive they could... finding out that the island was there meant I could help the people in Fairy Tail and maybe even help Sting and Rogue too... That all probably sounds really cheesy though..." She shut her eyes against the way she felt her face heat up even more.
Why am I so embarrassed right now...?!
The Fairy Tailers blinked though, a little surprised with the way her voice dropped and her cheeks grew red, and the sincerity in her voice when she explained herself.
There she was, a Mage of SaberTooth and a complete stranger to the bulk of them, and she had just thrown out no small amount of information in the course of a few minutes. All of it news to all of them, and most of it unfathomable, and worrying, and shocking.
SaberTooth as a whole was just a Guild filled with people being no less than abused? By their own Guild Master and his daughter? And all of them frightened and intimidated into being the terrible, ruthless, unlikable Guild they had all gotten used to?
And in the abuse, it sounded as if Hora had received the worst of it. Not just being hit or threatened, but reduced to being trapped and kept a prisoner, and with her Guild Master having direct hold over something that kept her alive? And had used that hold tonight to try and murder her?
And then there was all that about her time spent with Happy, Lucy and Natsu- of which the rest of them knew little of. And then on top of that the bit about her Magic, and how it worked- and she said Devil Slayer?
And more, she mentioned something grabbing her and she mentioned those words that rang so heavy on their ears now; Eclipse Gate.
Then drop on top of all things hard to wrap their heads around and making their minds whirl- this SaberTooth Wizard and this stranger had been the one that ferried information about Tenrou Island over to Blue Pegasus and helped return the Tenrou Team after seven long years? And for some weird philosophy/legend/balance keeping with Slayers sort of thing? But not just that, also because... She didn't like seeing how torn up those in Fairy Tail who got left behind were? Because of her own compassion and sympathy? For them?
All of that- all the crazy and the information and the river of things about her life and what had been happening to and around her- it was all real. The Fairy Tailers weren't sure how they could tell, but they could tell she wasn't exaggerating... And that was crazy in itself.
How does anybody's life turn out so fucking insane? And how do they even live with it? And how does anybody sound so genuine and truly pained by the idea and the fact that they had to let their friends get hurt and treated badly, and really not have any way out of it? Not just about her own friends in her own Guild- but she meant it when she said she hated what happened with Lucy that morning, and the anger in Horatia when she thought of Minerva was the same anger they had all had burning inside themselves.
This chick...
... Her life has been hard, hasn't it?
... I think maybe I can see why Natsu, Lucy and Happy all seemed to latch on to her. She seems a surprisingly kind person, I suppose I couldn't expect that from a member of SaberTooth.
I still can't imagine a Guild Master would be so cruel... He tried to kill her.
... She risked her own hide to help find Tenrou too, and paid for it... She's not even fazed by the fact she got beat to hell either.
... Tch... Maybe SaberTooth really isn't what it looks like... Just maybe.
She seems embarrassed about her reasons for helping... almost modest, hmm?
She did find Wendy and Carla simply for the sake of helping... even when it could get her in trouble.
She said she didn't care if she got hurt or even got killed- her first priority is everyone else, everyone she cares about...
... This woman is almost ridiculously nice. And loyal...
... Hmm... What did the First say? She has the same heart as this Guild...?
"U-uhm..." Hora fidgeted in the sudden silence, glancing between them and their stares in quick succession.
... Did I... Overload them...?
"Your kindness, and the passion of your loyalty to your Guild and friends is admirable, as well as incredible, given it seems your life and circumstances have been quite trying."
Everyone in the room stiffened in surprise at the sudden soft voice, and their eyes snapped around toward the source. The Fairy Tail Guild Master jumped as there suddenly came to be a young blonde girl sitting beside him on the bar counter, and Hora jumped too, her eyes widening as the dark blue suddenly flashed a brilliant gold for a few seconds before fading again.
Her again...
The blonde smiled sadly for a few seconds toward the Saber woman, Hora's eyes attention fixed on her just as Mavis was in turn. The other Fairy Tailers glanced between Hora and Mavis, all of them taken back by the fact that Hora could see the First Guild Master- even if they had been told she was able before... Seeing is believing.
The solemnness of Mavis' expression faded as her head tilted and a more bright and amused smile pulled at her lips. "Though I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised, I had already seen this kindness when you helped locate Tenrou Island, and more so when you assisted Wendy and Carla. And it certainly should come as no shock, after you described yourself to me as 'a big softie'." She chuckled brightly, Hora blinked.
Her eyes darted from the blonde and toward the floor as her cheeks flushed further, fidgeting almost. "Oh... R...right... I forgot I said that..." Hora mumbled under her breath, her hand running along the back of neck in her embarrassment.
'... It's an apt description.' Lixue intoned quietly, Hora grimaced slightly as she let her eyes drop closed for a moment at the comment.
Shut up...
Mirajane, Wendy and Erza smiled slightly at the Saber Wizard's embarrassment, while everyone else remained either expressionless, exasperated, or just altogether uncertain of what to make of the situation. Needless to say, none of this is what any of them could ever have expected nor imagined.
"So you really can see the First, huh?" Laxus was the first to break the silence, and the question was probably one of the lowest ones the list of things they wanted to ask- but it needed be asked anyway. Hora jumped a little at being addressed by the large blonde so suddenly, her attention snapping over toward him and her fingers tapping together nervously again. He just held her gaze, expression flat as can be and almost... Daunting.
Let's be honest, Hora had seen that man defeat all of RavenTail like it was freaking nothing! She was not at all comfortable with being stared down...!
"... Ah.. Yeah..." She mumbled,
"Why?" Was the next utterly flat question, she paused this time.
"... It's... It's a thing, with my Magic and how it works... I can pick up on and see through Illusions and stuff, usually automatically..." She started, her eyes averting to her fingers and she bit the inside of her cheek. "... I'm like hyper-aware to changes and Spells in Magic that run along those lines... So it's typically hard to fool me with Illusion Magic at all, and I can just see through it right away when it happens..."
She did not see it, but this bit of information earned narrowed and wary eyes from Laxus, Makarov and Mavis all. Because the minute she explained that, all their thoughts turned to the suddenly very real possibility that Horatia had been aware of, and able to listen in on what RavenTail's Guild Master had been looking for when confronting Laxus the other day.
Does she know about-?
"... Though in regards to seeing your First Guild Master, it's sort of the opposite... Wherein I'm actually picking up on the Illusion Magic straight away instead of just seeing through it like what's supposed to happen..." Hora added softly, and much too low for anyone to hear... Because that really isn't important right now...!
"You said you're a Devil Slayer." Erza murmured, shifting the conversation herself and Hora looked up again. "I have heard of Dragon and God Slayers, but never Devil Slayers. Being a type of Slayer Magic, I assume it's similar to the others?"
"But you also said it does things to you... Like warp your thoughts and actions, as well as your emotions?" Mirajane asked softly, Hora swallowed. Her fingers tapped together nervously a few more times as her eyes dropped and she bit the inside of her cheek, oh so very aware of all of their eyes on her, and fidgeting under them.
Of course they wanted to ask about that, her Magic... And everything else she'd just ranted about. Understandable, inevitable... But she hated herself for spilling so much at once, because she knew she was overdue on the 'explaining things', but again... Right now, most of that isn't important. At least, not more important than whatever it was that happened with Lucy and Yukino.
Hell if she would have any easy time avoiding the questions and asking about that, though.
I hate myself... Why did I rant like that...?
'It was unwise, and a bit of a distraction, in the grand scheme of things.' Lixue commented, she huffed.
You could have tried to shut me up, asshole.
"... Ah... It does." Hora mumbled softly in reply to Mirajane, deciding for a moment it was probably best to explain at least this part. "... It's hard to explain, but... Devil Slayer Magic is a more... Volatile sort of Magic than most. It's powerful all on it's own, but it also feeds off of your emotions and your thoughts, and it has a way of... well, more of a want to steer the person it's inside of toward doing... bad things." Her fingers tapped against another just one more time, before stalling and her eyes fell shut. "... the longer you have it... the harder it is to keep resisting it, and keep from going insane... that's just... how it is, with this Magic..." She mumbled under her breath, grimacing slightly as she let out a low sigh. "... Having Fire as the Element makes it worse, since fire itself is wild and consuming just naturally... so mixing that with Devil Slaying Magic just makes something... way too powerful."
'Which is why you need me.' Lixue hummed, she ignored him, before she stiffened. Her eyes moved upward and she winced internally, nervousness ramming into her again, and very, very quickly.
"A-ah, uhm... a-all that being said, I promise I'm not some sort of threat or anything...!" She stammered quickly, her blue eyes glittering. "I'm fine, I've never actually done anything terr... well, like super evil or anything...! I've stayed pretty well put together, and you needn't worry about me going nuts or anything either..! I managed to stay sane even when I didn't have the half of my Magic meant to keep me that way...! And now that bit is back now, so I'm gonna be good as long as I keep a hold on my anger and... uh..." She cut herself off when she realized she was rambling again, and she was only getting flat or otherwise wary stares from everyone in the room. Her hands moved up to cover her mouth, noticeably wilting as she shook her head at herself and muttered 'idiot' and a few other names for herself under her breath.
"...I'm not really building myself the best case... or any case at all... I'm... I'm just gonna shut up now..." She mumbled quietly from behind her hands.
"... You are very odd." Erza told her after a few moments of silence, and Hora flinched a little at the comment, wilting further.
"... Sorry..." Hora apologized quickly, Erza simply blinked at the reply. "... I know this is all... Its a lot, and I know its confusing, and most of you just don't know me at all... And I know you have questions. It wasn't really my plan to walk in here and unload all of this on you, and I'm sorry I did... We probably have better things to be doing then trying to explain away my issues..." Hora mumbled, her hands shifting from covering her mouth and instead holding the back of her neck as her head bowed a bit, her bangs hiding her eyes from view. "... I'm sorry... Pretty much all of this isn't your guys' problem... I wasn't trying to make things more complicated... And I wasn't trying to distract you from Lucy and Yukino either..." Hora apologized softly, biting the inside of her cheek now. "... Sorry... For all of it..." She sighed, Wendy and Happy's eyes flashed at the apology and Natsu grimaced from his place on the floor. Everyone else though just watched, fixed and quiet as they saw that strange woman from SaberTooth suddenly lower herself, bowing to them and so sullen... So genuine, and so regretful.
Erza exchanged quick glances between Mirajane, and then Master Makarov and Mavis beside him, silent words seeming to pass between the lot of them, before the redhead stepped forward and suddenly moved to clear the distance between herself and the bowing Saber. Hora heard the footfalls of the armored women, and she tensed on instinct, her eyes snapping shut as she readied herself for whatever it was that was headed her way.
Erza's hand came down lightly on Hora's still bowed head, and so very gently at that. Hora felt her heart skip a beat, her eyes snapping back open and staring at the floor and Erza's boots, quite lost for what she was doing, and stuck in her spot for it.
W..what is she...?
"You needn't apologize, Horatia." Erza murmured softly, and Hora felt her heart skip another beat at how calm the redhead's voice was. "You've nothing to apologize for, especially not after what you've done to help us, with both Tenrou, and Wendy and Carla, and then Natsu, Lucy and Happy." Hora swallowed, shivers running down her spine as Erza's hand lift up and patted her head lightly a few times. "It seems things are more complicated than anticipated, and much of which has caused more harm than good, especially to you... And more than you deserved." Hora stiffened at that, her mind reeling at the words and... And such kindness and tenderness in Titania than she could have ever imagined- especially toward her!
I'm SaberTooth, and she hardly knows me... Why... why is she being so nice all of a sudden...?!
"You have it wrong, though." Erza said next, and Hora's thoughts shattered in sheer surprise and confusion. The redhead's hand moved away from patting her head and Hora couldn't help but glance up, still bent over and her dark blue eyes glittering in question.
"...huh...?" She breathed, and Erza blinked, her hands falling on her hips.
"Natsu, Happy." Erza said the names suddenly, and both boys jumped in surprise at suddenly be addressed. Erza's eyes trailed toward the two, neutral and firm and utterly steely, it was impossible to guess what it was she was feeling, or what she was getting at.
"... Yeah?" Happy and Natsu mumbled in unison,
"Do you consider this woman a true friend, and trust in her?" Erza asked simply, her head tilting toward Hora in gesture and the Saber woman's eyes went wide at the question. Natsu and Happy seemed just as surprised with the question too, but they faltered no more than a single second before a smirk drew across Natsu's lips and Happy grinned, his paws clenching into fists.
"Hell yeah." Natsu replied without skipping a beat, and Happy's tail lashed.
"Aye sir!" The Exceed trilled, his voice as steady as Natsu's was and Hora stared at them both. In front of her, Erza nodded once and smiled coolly, her attention turning back toward Hora.
"Very well, that's settled." Erza announced and Hora glanced back toward her very slowly, "Any comrade of our Guild-mates is a comrade of ours. And with that, whatever ails you, or whatever problems you may face, become a concern to the rest of us." Erza said rather matter-of-factly, and Hora felt her heart stop altogether this time around. "So you are wrong to say that the things that are troubling you, are of no concern of ours. You are our ally, and we shall not sit idly by while a friend is in need."
Forget her heart, she felt her breath get snatched away- she couldn't breathe!
F-friend...?!
She couldn't fathom it- none of it! How had things turned so quickly?! A minute ago she'd been stammering and trying to defend herself in this room full of people who distrusted, and quite frankly, disliked her! A minute ago she'd been the stranger and the perceived enemy of near every single one of these people, and a minute later she was being called comrade, and ally... And FRIEND?!
Titania the Fairy Queen just called me friend?!
W-WHAT?!
She could feel herself trembling from sheer shock, eyes wide and jaw dropped yet utterly lost for words as Erza smiled still so calmly, and her eyes quickly snapped from her and toward Natsu and Happy, and they were smiling too... And then she found Wendy, and Carla and they had small smiles of their own, just as Mirajane did, and the First Fairy Tail Guild Master... W...what..?!
W-why... Why are they...?! How can they...?!
Her eyes snapped across the rest of the Fairy Trailers, and she saw little of that wariness and suspicion that had been so very potent to start. In fact she earned small nods from a few of them, and she shivered.
"Even if you're from SaberTooth, if Happy and Natsu trust you, we should too." Juvia murmured softly,
"And here in Fairy Tail, we do what we can to help all of our allies, regardless of where they may come from." The black Exceed murmured,
"You helped us, Hora. Of course we consider you a friend!" Wendy chirped softly, Carla beside her smiling coolly as she nodded in affirmation.
"You seem like a nice girl, despite the less than ideal first meeting, and everything else we've assumed about SaberTooth.." Mirajane smiled gently, Hora's hands wrung together at that, her face flushing slightly in embarrassment. She bit the inside of her cheek, her heart pounding now and desperately trying not to hyperventilate- especially as she earned a small nod from Makarov and the First Master both.
This doesn't... how are they...?!
How could they have suddenly gotten so... so nice out of nowhere...?! T-They were ready to fight me a few minutes ago...!
How did one simple response of 'yes' from Happy and Natsu suddenly turn into the rest of the Fairy Tailers suddenly... suddenly accepting her?! At least sort of?!
ME?! The SaberTooth Wizard and absolute stranger who just walked in and dumped so much crazy in their laps?!
They have no reason to trust me or like me, let alone call me friend or comrade or anything, and they have no reason to kind or nice or polite or anything...! A-and all of a sudden...?!
People just don't... they don't do that! N-not this fast...!
She stiffened though, her eyes catching Natsu's briefly as he gave her a small smirk. She swallowed, her heart fluttering and her intertwined hands wringing together more tightly for a moment.
... t...this... this is almost exactly like... when I met Natsu, Happy and Lucy... they called me friend... In so little... Time...
Natsu stood with his hands on his hips, his expression neutral as he glanced down toward Hora steadily. "Friends gotta stick together and trust eachother."
... they keep saying that word... like it's natural... like It should be... obvious...
"...heh...?" She huffed, words seemed apt to just fail.
He smirked slightly, "Ah, come on don't give me that face. We're all friends, yeah?" Her breathing caught in her throat this time around, her eyes gleaming as she saw Lucy smiled slightly her way.
... friends...
"... even if I'm Saber...?" Hora mumbled, it being the only response she managed. Honestly, hearing them say it so easily... they'd only known eachother a few days, and certainly not long enough... well...
"Of course!" Lucy said quickly,
"We got plenty of friends in other Guilds ya know, don't matter to us if your SaberTooth or not." Natsu smirked, "A Guild don't define what kind of person you are."
"That's right. We like you as a friend for who you are, not what Guild you're a part of." Lucy assured easily.
Hora glanced slowly between the both of them, her hands pressed lightly against the ground between her legs and her shoulders sagging slightly.
They just kept smiling, so content and so serious about it all.
... But she'd never dared call them friends out loud, not until weeks had passed, not until she was sure they had to have felt the same way. Because who would consider a total stranger 'friend' after no more than three days?
T...they were so quick to do it... But I'd worked with them at least... The rest of these people, they just met me tonight... H...how...?
...how can they look like they're willing to try and accept me... And even start to consider me as a friend... Only after ten minutes...? And after everything that's gone on...?
Hora's eyes glittered, her heartbeat loud on her ears and still holding her breath without meaning to as her mind and her thoughts and her feelings struggled to come to terms with... With this utter turn.
... What the hell even... Is this Guild...?
"... Hmph, I could care less what Flame-Brain thinks."
She went absolutely rigid, the rapid beating of her heart stalling for the second time in the last few minutes, and she felt and icy cold rush through her so deep and so biting it was more potent than she was used to from even Lixue's Magic.
She thought she would freeze, and she wished she had, because she hated how quickly her head snapped around and landed on the one person in the room she was having the hardest time just... not looking at. And the utterly neutral expression on his face as her dark blue eyes matched his made her heart ache, terribly.
She swallowed, her hands holding together more tightly and so tight her knuckles turned white, her eyes glittered as Gray let out a small huff, oblivious or ignorant of what sheer pain, guilt and even fear ran through Hora's expression for the most fleeting of seconds. Juvia beside him blinked, her eyes narrowing at the Saber woman and looking confused- more so when she saw the way that Horatia began... she's trembling?
Natsu saw it too, the way Hora started to shake, almost imperceptibly so, but she definitely was. And he'd seen how incredibly tense she seemed to get when Gray said anything- she had been tense before, yeah- but as soon as the Popsicle spoke up, she looked ready to have a heart attack. Natsu's onyx eyes narrowed, his fangs biting down on the inside of his cheek and grumbling internally as he watched Hora closely, trailing over the rigidness of her shoulders to the grip of her hands around one another... to the way she was shaking, so, so faintly, and to the sound of her breathing picking up, just a little- and not enough anyone without his ears would be able to tell.
Erza still standing in front of the SaberTooth Wizard watched quietly, her eyes looking over the girl with just as much attention and detail as Natsu was- of course Erza could see it, she and Hora were standing too close together not to be able to notice... but like Natsu, Erza hadn't a clue what spurred that reaction.
... is that... fear...?
Gray let out a slightly forced sigh and shook his head at himself, his eyes breaking from Hora's fixed attention and grumbling under his breath a bit in exasperation.
"... Natsu's not known for being smart about the people he hangs around with. And Happy usually isn't much better." The Ice Mage grumbled, and Natsu scowled at the words, his attention on Hora forgotten as he glared at Gray from across the room. Hora herself seemed to stiffen at the words, her eyes flashing as she watched him and her heart sank further and further with each second. Gray trailed off for a minute, his hand rubbing the back of his neck and frowning as he seemed to muse for himself for some time, and musing seemed to leave something of a bad taste in his mouth- Hora felt her heart not only falling in the pause, but cracking piece by piece too.
His arms crossed over his chest as he seemed to deflate a little, and shot Hora another look she seemed to swallow at, but there wasn't much else other than wariness in his expression... and resignation...?
Gray...
"... but I guess if Lucy and the First seem to think you're ok, and you did help us out with Tenrou, and Wendy and Carla... you can't be that bad." Gray said at length, and almost grudgingly, but Hora hardly noticed. Her eyes went wider, glittering like mad and her heart suddenly deciding to beat again, and on such an ultra-high of a tempo it was almost painful against her ribcage.
Why... why did hearing him say that... feel so good, but hurt so much...?
'... because you know he still distrusts you, and knowing that from your own kin... it is a terrible feeling.' Lixue told her softly, gently almost, and the painful, churning sensation in her stomach and her soul got a little bit worse. But she ignored Lixue, all her attention was on Gray and her thoughts were quickly beginning to spin faster and faster, and eventually- out of control.
She wanted to tell him, so, so badly- just right then. She wanted to forget what was going on and what had happened, and she wanted to come right out and say it.
Gray, it's me... your little sister. I didn't know... all these years I thought you were dead...! All these years, I thought that Deliora...
She wanted to say it. She wanted it so bad she almost needed it, and it hurt. She wanted him to know it- to realize who she was, as she had realized who he was in an instant. She wanted to tell him what happened after Deliora, hos she survived, how long she'd been alone, and she wanted to tell him- and apologize to him- that for all these years she'd given up on him and never thought to see him again. She wanted to apologize for never looking for him, she wanted to apologize that she never realized he was in Fairy Tail even when she was looking for the Slayers and the Island. She wanted to apologize for not knowing he was here, in this same city and in the same Guild as Natsu and Happy and Lucy, and she didn't realize it.
She wanted to apologize for leaving him alone... for letting him be alone for however long he was after it all happened, and before he found somewhere else to call home. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was that she had ever lost him at all, and she wanted to tell him how much she hated herself for what pain and ache he must have felt when he thought back on it all.
He... he had to feel it too, right? That same ache and pain and hurt that she did whenever she remembered everything? When she thought about him, their parents, and their village?
He... he must have missed it, right? Missed them? Missed her...? He must... He must have felt that ache so heavy and so cold and so biting in his heart when that terrible night came to the forefront of his thoughts, right...?
She faltered though, and she felt her heart break again as one thought found her in all the storm of them, and she felt the sting of tears in the back of her eyes.
What... what if he's forgotten about all it? What if he's pushed it all away, and vowed never to touch it again...?
What if he's... moved on...? What if I try to tell him... and he doesn't want to remember?
What if... he's forgotten... and... and let go of me... forever...?
What if he doesn't... want to remember me...? O-or...
'... grim thoughts, Horatia.' Lixue hummed softly, she shuddered. 'You shouldn't be so quick to think he's erased you from his mind... you've held to the idea of him all this time, yes? Why would he not do the same?'
She wanted to believe in what Lixue said, she really, really did... and maybe she did. But what if telling him did more good than bad? What if revealing who she was, just brought back everything that had haunted him? What if she brought back everything that had ever hurt him?
What if I hurt him?
She felt like she'd been lost in her own mind for years, but time dragged by slow as ever and Gray never paused, he just sighed and shrugged- and still he was unaware of the struggle and the storm raging in her heart and her mind.
"Even with all the crap SaberTooth has pulled, I guess it wouldn't be right to lump you in with the rest of them when you haven't really done anything..... and if you guys have really been in a bad way......" Gray mumbled, trailing off as he shook his head a bit at himself. "... So I guess for now it wouldn't be a bad idea to try and get along with you..."
"Besides, it's sounding like some of the crap that's going wrong with you is related to our own trouble." Gajeel grumbled lowly, Gray nodded toward the Iron Dragon Slayer in affirmation of the words, and still Hora couldn't take her eyes off the latter. "We might be able to solve both our problems at the same time, and maybe clear a few things up too."
"Indeed." Master Makarov murmured lowly, nodding toward the Iron Dragon and his eyes trailing toward Horatia slowly. "Perhaps it would be best to start from the beginning of what transpired tonight? You mentioned that you had an encounter with some entity that spoke of the 'Eclipse Gate'?"
Hora's eyes failed to move toward the old man though, she was still rigid and transfixed on that raven-haired Ice Mage, and this time Gray seemed to notice the rather off behavior when she failed to react to Master Makarov's question. He blinked, his brow quirking at her and looking off-put. "... there a problem?" He asked lowly, and she jumped, time catching back up with her and reality too as she realized she did it again. All her thoughts and emotions running rampant through her shattered, leaving her with little but panic, and a feeling of such emptiness and a rush of lightheadedness that hit like a train. Her legs were shaking now, and had been for a long time without realizing it, and once his voice snapped her from her head and her worry she staggered slightly, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat and she saw his question turn to apprehension- a look shared among Juvia and even Gajeel, and then concern started to trickle into the faces of Wendy, Happy, Natsu and Erza alike.
"Eh, you ok...?" Gray mumbled uncertainly, Hora felt the lightheadedness quickly shift into something more akin to vertigo, and she felt whatever warmth of strength in her body slipping away as her overload on worry, fear, guilt, shock and heartache sapped it all but entirely.
S..shit...
She couldn't find the will to stay upright anymore, and her legs felt the same no matter how much she needed to be 'ok'. It was all she could do not to tilt, her eyes finally leaving him and the suddenly very blurry form he had adopted in her eyes. Her knees gave out and she started to sink quickly toward the floor, her shaking hands catching traction on the hardwood in front of her as she sank into sitting on her heels, hunched slightly and panting a bit now as she fought to catch her breath again after having forgotten to breathe for a long while there. Her fingers dug into the wood floor as she pressed her hands against the ground between her knees, shaking a bit more now and shaking her head against the out of nowhere bout of dizziness.
"H-Hora...?!" Happy, Wendy and Natsu all snapped.
... d... damn it... I can't... I can't think about all of that and... and freak out like this... I'm in no shape to handle it...
The sudden loss in posture from Hora made many of the Fairy Tailers jump, concern and shock flashing over their expressions. Erza moved a bit closer from where she had been standing in front of the girl, her eyes glittering and hand extending toward the Saber Wizard, but falling short as if she wasn't sure the contact would be welcomed. Wendy on the other hand didn't hesitate to rush forward, the bluenette hovering as she took a quick knee beside the SaberTooth Wizard, eyes glittering like mad and worry etched into her features. Happy was close behind, ears pressed back against his head and shaking as he stopped in front of Hora, his paw landing on her knee.
"Hora, are you alright...?!" Wendy asked quickly, her hands falling gently on Hora's shoulder and back, and her eyes searching for the older girl's but not finding them, not with the way Hora's head was bent and her eyes closed.
"...w-what's wrong...?" Happy mewed shakily, Erza moved herself a bit, before taking a knee as Wendy did beside the SaberTooth Wizard, silent and calm despite how quickly Hora's health seemed to fade just then.
Hora forced herself a long, slow breath. She could hear Wendy and Happy ask the questions, and she was aware that she had the wary attention of the room, and the worried ones too. And she hated how quickly her strength failed her in the midst of her own internal turmoil.
"Are you still feeling weak from earlier..?" Wendy asked quietly, and Hora grimaced.
The answer was yes, but that wasn't what had hit her just now... and she couldn't explain why she'd... freaked out.
I can't
She forced the breath she took in out slowly and straightened up from being bent over so she was more settled on her heels. One of her hands moved from the floor and pushed her bangs back from her face a bit, the other landing in her lap as she shook her head slightly, and her eyes opened to catch Wendy's gaze. Hora smiled, her hand finding a faintly flustered place on the back of her neck as she tried to give the bluenette a reassuring look.
"Ah, no... sorry..." Hora murmured quietly, Wendy's head tilted. "I wasn't trying to freak out or anything... ah... I'm just not really used to other Guild's being so... accepting..." She hummed, chuckling a bit nervously as Happy and Wendy both blinked in surprise. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you... I'm just kind of reeling. Most of my first encounters with other Guilds go really bad, so, ah... having you guys being all nice out of nowhere... I'm not really used to it, and I kinda... don't know what to do with it, either... heh..." She trailed off, biting the inside of her cheek a little. "... I'm okay, I'm just surprised is all... I wasn't expecting that... you guys are... kinda weird..." She added softly, before cutting off again in embarrassment. She waved her hands in front of her a bit, "I-I mean that in the nicest way...! Please d-don't think I'm insulting you, or anything...!" She stammered, Wendy and Happy smiled softly at the embarrassment, as did a few others.
"We take no offense to it." Erza told her lightly, earning Hora's attention now, and for the first time realizing the redhead had taken a knee in front of her. Hora blinked, before smiling a bit more and nodding just once. "Are you sure you're alright though?" Erza asked next, and Hora felt her stomach churn.
"Yeah, are you okay...?!" Natsu butted in too, pulling at the ropes that still has him bound and earning Hora's eyes for a brief moment.
No
"Yeah." She replied softly, to both Erza and Natsu alike. "... I am actually still pretty worn out from earlier, but I am okay... you guys just caught me off guard." She mumbled, Erza nodded, though Natsu looked none-too-convinced from the corner of her eye... She ignored it.
"I can imagine." Erza replied softly, "I would suppose finding out you're a member of SaberTooth doesn't sit well with other Guilds."
"Not usually.." Hora murmured, though... well, actually- Lamia wasn't that bad, huh? I mean they were pretty prickly to start, but that wore off after awhile of spending time with Sherria, and Lyon and...
Her attention on Lamia broke off when what dim sense of a question that had been asked by the Fairy Tail Master suddenly managed a way to register in her mind. She stiffened, nervous still as she quickly glanced away from Erza and shifted on the ground a bit to more face him directly, her hands folding together in front of her.
"... Ah... You asked me about that thing that I mentioned, and the 'Eclipse Gate' thing, right...?" She asked slowly, addressing the old man now as he nodded. "... Sorry, I guess we kind of got off track..." Hora mumbled, her hands hooking behind her neck as she let out a sigh, and her eyes dropped closed for a moment. She bit the inside of her cheek, frowning faintly as her thoughts slowly worked to move back to the matter at hand and away from all things... Gray...
... Damn it, stop Hora... Focus...
"... I can tell you what little I know about that bit... But is it okay if I ask what happened to Yukino and Lucy first...? Natsu said they got captured by the King's Army, for treason? And for a Project with that name, 'Eclipse Gate'?" Hora murmured slowly, almost uncertainly as the old man blinked at her. "... I realize I just ranted about a lot, and you all have.. A lot of questions, and that's fair... But Lucy and Yukino are the main reason why I'm here." she explained, her nervousness fading only slightly in lieu of firmness. "I have to ask, since that is why I came. And I really don't have any clue what 'Eclipse Gate' even is, whatever it was that snatched me from my Inn just said it, but that's it. And I don't know what that thing was or what it was planning... and I'm not sure that part is gonna help with anything right now." The Guild Master held her in a steady gaze as she said her piece, calm as can be, before his eyes dropped closed and he seemed to let out a small breath.
"... Hmm... After the events of the battle between Natsu and Gajeel, and Sting and Rogue, a discovery was made about a cavern underneath the Arena." He started slowly, and Hora blinked. "When Gajeel was whisked away in the middle of the battle, he ended up there- and upon seeing what the cavern held, he returned here and brought, Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Gray, Carla, Pantherlily, Wendy and himself back to it."
"... Cavern...?" Hora echoed, her eyes narrowing as she glanced between those mentioned and saw tenseness appear in them, the Dragon Slayers especially. "... What... Was in it...?"
"A Dragon Graveyard." Gajeel was the one to answer, his tone low and Hora's eyes widened in shock.
G-graveyard...?!
"... There were dozens, even hundreds of Dragon Skeletons..." Wendy intoned quietly to Hora's left, Hora swallowed.
'... How unpleasant...' Lixue commented quietly, though the lack of surprise in his voice caught her immediate attention.
"Wendy was able to connect with the spirit of one of the Dragons in the graveyard." Carla spoke up next, and Hora blinked several times at that.
She said... Spirit...? Like... Like a ghost...?
'Do not sound so surprised. That child's Magic is powerful.' Lixue murmured, Hora grimaced internally.
Ghosts and spirits, Lixue! Since when was talking with ghosts a thing?!
'Since always.' Was the dry answer, she wanted to strangle him.
"In doing so we were able to inquire as to what happened, and the Dragon we spoke with told us the tale of the first Dragon Slayers... And how they came to be." Carla went on, her tone dropping slightly and Hora bit the inside of her cheek. "There was a great war 400 years ago, between dragons. On one side were the dragons who wished to rule all, and the other side-"
'-who wished to coexist with the humans, as equals.' Lixue intoned, breaking into Carla's words and breaking Hora's attention. Hora stiffened in surprise, her eyes narrowing in confusion and intrigue. 'Rather than continuing on in a system where humans were little more than food.' Lixue hummed, and rather nonchalantly. Hora's eyes narrowed to slits at the comment,
... Why do you know that...? ... Are you really that old, Lixue...? That you were around when...?
'Indeed.' Was the easy answer, 'Have I not mentioned my age before? Or this bit of history?'
No, not once.
'Well, you never did inquire.'
Why should I have? And if you were there, what the hell were you doing in the middle of a 'great dragon war'...? You aren't a-
'-My life at that time is of little consequence, since shortly into that war, my lifeforce was channeled into this Lacrima, and I ceased to be 'alive'.' Lixue answered simply, and Hora swallowed. 'But away from that, perhaps you should just listen to what the Fairies have to say?' He suggested, and her jaw clenched in agitation,
Well maybe if you would stop interrupting-
"... The war went on for a long time, and much of the world suffered underneath it. Eventually the Dragons on the side of supporting the humans came up with a plan to win, and in doing so they decided to teach humans Magic that was meant to slay Dragons." Carla kept on talking, completely unaware of the interruption in Hora's mind, and Hora grudgingly took up Lixue's suggestion, and tuned him out all the way. She kept on chewing the inside of her cheek though, swallowing back her agitation and only faintly aware of Wendy and Happy still sitting on the floor beside her, while Erza had gotten to her feet and moved back to the place she had been to start with.
Though she did notice Wendy shudder from the corner of her eye, and she blinked at the bluenette in question.
"... They became the first Dragon Slayers, and with their help, the war was won." Carla murmured, "However, some of the Dragon Slayers got out of hand, and they began to slay the Dragons that were meant to be their allies. They became drunk off the power they earned, and the more they killed, the less human they became. Until eventually..." Carla's words faded away a bit as she sighed, and Hora saw Wendy's expression cloud in fear. "... There was one human among the many, who killed the most. What Dragons that are in that graveyard under the Arena were all slain by him. And he gained so much strength and power from the Dragons he slayed, that eventually he became a king among all Dragons... And then eventually transformed into a Dragon himself." Carla murmured lowly, and Hora's heart skipped a beat at the news.
He... Became a... Dragon...?! A human...?!
"... W...what...?!" Hora stammered, Carla paused. "W-wait a minute, how does that even happen...?! How does a human go from being a Dragon Slayer to being an actual Dragon...?!"
"We were shocked by it too." Wendy murmured softly, Hora's eyes found the bluenette instead of Carla. "... It's... Crazy... But apparently there's a catch that comes with being a Dragon Slayer. The more you use the Magic, and the longer you have it... Eventually it turns you into an actual Dragon." Hora's jaw dropped,
"You're serious...?!" She stammered, Wendy, Natsu and Gajeel all nodded as she glanced between them and she hissed a few curses under her breath. "B-but... That's gotta be all sorts of not true! You guys have been Dragon Slayers for years and using your Magic all the time, and you're not Dragons! And neither are Sting and Rogue!" She argued quickly, "A-are you sure it wasn't a mistranslation or something...?! Cause that can't be a real thing-!"
'-it was an unfortunate side effect of the Dragon Slaying Magic, but it is real.' Lixue came back with his comments, and Hora's jaw audibly snapped shut. 'A development that the Dragons did not anticipate, as I recall... But it happened.'
"What?!" She snapped hotly, her attention on Wendy failing entirely- though the bluenette jumped at the sudden raise in Hora's voice, and the agitation that appeared in it.
'You are speaking to me out loud.' Lixue reminded and Hora huffed, her fingernails digging into her palms.
Don't you think Dragon Slayers turning into actual fucking DRAGONS would have been something important to know?!
'Not at all.'
WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NOT AT-'?!
"A-ah, it doesn't seem to be like that...!" Wendy intoned quickly, Hora paused. "F-from what Arcadios said, Acnologia got turned into a Dragon by Zeref, and not just because of the Dragon Slayer Magic...!"
"... Ac... nologia...?" Hora mumbled, her thoughts shuddering to a halt on that one thing and Wendy blinked.
"Yes, that man who became a Dragon." Carla took over again, "It was Acnologia, though according to Arcadios, his transformation was a byproduct of Zeref's handiwork." Hora glanced over toward the white Exceed slowly,
... That... Is that...?
'Yes. It was Acnologia.' Lixue confirmed, 'And Zeref getting involved is true.'
A...ah... O..okay... But what about... The... The turning into Dragons...?
'... That is true, as I said. But it is not an issue you should be worried over. None of the Dragon Slayers in this age will transform, that side-effect was dealt with long ago.' Lixue explained, Hora let out a shaky breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. '... As is why I never mentioned it. It is an unimportant detail, and there was little use working you up about it- as you clearly became very worked up just now, and for no reason.'
R...right...
Hora shook her head a bit, trying to regain some of he'd composure again. "... Uh... Okay... I guess I... Get that... But who is Arcadios...?"
"He is a Colonel in service of the Royal Army." Carla answered, "And he was also in charge of the Project Eclipse Gate. We met him in the graveyard, along with Yukino, and they took us to the Palace to explain what the Project was." Hora perked at that, her eyes flashing.
"Yukino...?" She mumbled,
"She said she was a sergeant or something." Natsu grumbled, Hora bit the inside of her cheek.
"... Yukino told me she joined the King's Army, and she mentioned a Project she was asked to help with." Hora murmured, earning blinks and intrigued expressions from the Fairy Tailers. "Though even then, she didn't tell me anything specific. She made it sound like it was super secret or something, and important..." Hora trailed off, grimacing at the thought. "... So, this Eclipse Gate thing is what she was asked to help with...?"
"Yes. Arcadios told us that they needed a Celestial Wizard in order to make the Eclipse Project work." Carla murmured, "Though apparently he originally planned to only use Yukino, he realized that it would be a much bigger success if he had all 12 of the Zodiac Keys."
"... Which is why he took both Yukino and Lucy?" Hora grumbled, "Because between them, they have all 12?"
"... It was a bit more complicated than that." Carla murmured, Hora's head tilted slightly.
"From what everyone has explained, this 'Arcadios' man intended to ask Lucy and Yukino for their help, not force them into it." Mirajane explained, "He wanted them to be willing to help make sure the Project worked, and to make sure the Eclipse Gate did as it was made to do."
"... What the hell is it supposed to do?" Hora mumbled, her eyes narrowing. "And why would he need the twelve Zodiac Keys to begin with?" There was a quick exchange of glances between the Fairy Tailers that made Hora grimace, her eyes narrowing at them all (while pointedly not looking at a certain Ice Mage...) as there came a small section of silence she didn't like, at all.
"... it seems impossible, but the goal behind the Eclipse Project is to defeat the likes of Acnologia, and Zeref both." Erza murmured, her eyes landing steadily on Horatia, who's own eyes narrowed at the words. "To do so, they plan to use the Eclipse Gate during the Eclipse happening on July 7, pairing that Celestial Event with the power of the 12 Zodiac Keys, in order to open a portal through time. In doing so they would travel back to the point before either Zeref or Acnologia had gained any power, and alter history so they no longer existed in it."
Hora blinked, once, twice, and then several times over as her ears rung with Erza's words, and what they were meant to mean... I'm sorry, are we talking about time travel now?
At a lack of a joking tone or look among the Fairies, and a considerable surplus of seriousness- yeah, we are talking about time travel now... ooooookay...
'... not an impossible notion, but the alteration of time and the persons who can do so are incredibly rare.' Lixue intoned calmly, Hora's fingers twined together in her lap. 'And Time does flow differently between different Planes of existence, so bridging this Eclipse Gate through the 12 Zodiac Keys, and the Spirit World through them, would likely make for some sort of road through time, if you could manage a way of controlling where that road and current in time dumped you out at. I think that's likely a functionality built into this Eclipse Gate itself..... or intended functionality.'
Good to see you're a voice of 'reason' in all this insanity... but seriously, Lixue? First ghosts are a thing, and now Time... Magic, or whatever?
'There are several Powers in this world you know nothing of, but that does not mean they do not exist.' Was the low reply, and she bit the inside of both her cheeks.
"... mmm... I guess that makes sense..." She mumbled lowly under her breath, her eyes dropping closed. "... and I guess if you think about the whole time stopping thing that happened on Tenrou... I can't really disregard there being ways to mess with Time on different scales... but wouldn't messing with the timeline that involves both Zeref and Acnologia, like... really mess things up?"
'It would change events in history drastically.' Lixue replied, 'There would be no rise of Zeref's Power, and for it, he would not help Acnologia change into a beast- so what destruction he wrought in all these centuries would never come to pass.' Hora nodded slightly, 'The same could be said for what Zeref has done, who he has killed, what civilizations he destroyed... the Demons he created.' Hora's heart skipped a beat and her eyes snapped open, '... should Zeref never have existed, the Demons he created would likely never have existed either... and what destruction they caused, could be undone.' She swallowed, her eyes flashing as she stared at the floor.
But... that would mean that... all that happened with... with Deliora, and my family...? None of that would...?
'Perhaps.' Lixue murmured, Hora felt a shiver run up her spine. 'But changing something as integral to this world's history as Zeref... well, doing so would have ramifications. And there's no one to say if what comes of altering time is worth the consequences that arise.'
He was right. Of course he was, she realized that in an instant. Because even if, somehow, what happened with her Village and Deliora just didn't happen- she would never have left, she would never have become what she was... and maybe she would have liked that. But if all of that happened?
I would never have joined SaberTooth... and yeah, that means that Jiemma wouldn't have done what he did... but I wouldn't have ever met Sting and Rogue either, or Yukino, Rufus, Orga, Lector, Frosch... none of them.
I wouldn't know them.
That made a heavy lump fall into the pits of her stomach, and she felt nauseous for it.
"... they can't do that." Hora murmured, shaking her head and glancing up again after a few moments of silence. "Whatever the intentions are, changing Zeref and Acnologia, and erasing them from history would just screw everything up. Nothing would be the same, everything we know and we lived through might never happen- and even if it got rid of some of the bad things- some of the good things could get wiped out too!" She hissed, "That's not to mention how much could actually change in the process! They might set of a series of events that lead to... to the world ending or something! And there'd be no way of knowing that beforehand!"
"You are correct, and those are the same fears that ended with Lucy and Yukino's arrest." Makarov murmured, "While it seemed to be Arcadios' plan to enact the Eclipse Gate, there was another man opposed to the plan- Darton, the Minister of Defense for the Kingdom." Hora's grimaced, her attention fixed on the old man as he sighed. "He betrayed Arcadios, and had him arrested for treason against the Kingdom along with Yukino and Lucy, since they are essential to making the Gate work at all." Hora's eyes narrowed to slits, her jaw clenching as a flash of anger ran through her.
"That's bullshit." She snapped lowly, "Yukino and Lucy haven't done anything wrong, you can't arrest someone because you think they might do something!"
"But... Hora, Yukino sounded like she really wanted the Eclipse Gate to work." Happy intoned softly, and Hora stiffened. "... I mean, if you think of it that way... Yukino was willing to go along with the Project, so it isn't weird to think they would expect her to do something..." He mumbled, his ears drooping slightly. "... I mean... I kinda get it... but why would Yukino be willing to go along with changing the past...?" Hora's eyes flashed, her attention dropping to the floor as she wilted slightly.
"... she probably thinks changing Zeref's fate would change what happened to..." Hora mumbled softly, almost to herself and Happy perked slightly at the words. But Hora shook her head rather hotly, "... she has her reasons, I can understand why... but if she really knew what might go wrong, she wouldn't go through with it." Hora muttered lowly, and Happy blinked.
"Regardless, they were still taken unjustly." Erza murmured, "It seems that Yukino and Lucy both have ended up in the middle of an internal strife inside the King's Army, and their capture is likely just a way to keep them hostage until the Eclipse Project is done away with completely." Hora growled under her breath, forcing herself a breath. "We were told that we could save Lucy from such a fate, if Fairy Tail were to win the Grand Magic Games tomorrow." Hora's heart skipped a beat in shock, her eyes flashing.
"And it is our intention to win." Makarov murmured lowly,
"... even despite the fact we aren't sure if we can trust that Darton guys word on letting Lucy go." Gray muttered lowly, and Hora swallowed, her eyes nearly darting toward him again, but she stopped herself and looked at the floor.
"But if it means we have a chance to save Lucy, we'll aim to win at all costs." Erza murmured firmly, Hora flinched at the words as panic started to bubble up in her core. Her eyes found her hands in her lap, her nails digging into her knuckles as she held her hands together tightly, and she swallowed back what lump was forming anew in her throat.
They want to win... they plan to win, for Lucy's sake... and after seeing what these people can do the last few days...
She sucked in a breath of air and held it, fear ramming through her hard enough to make her wince.
... we might lose... b...but we can't... Minerva...
"... that... that's going to be a problem..." Hora murmured quietly, breathlessly almost as her voice quavered, and the Fairy Tailers blinked at the words, confused.
Hora frowned, her eyes dropping closed as she pushed herself up a bit and adjusted to sit cross-legged on the floor instead of on her heels as she had been. Her elbows met her knees as she bent her head a bit, her hands moving up as her fingertips on each hand lightly pressing together and palms remaining apart as she drew her hands in. Her touching index fingers lightly rest against her nose, while her thumbs rest against her chin, silent in the odd, and yet somewhat unique gesture as a silence seemed to fall over the Saber Wizard as she fell into her own head. The Fairy Tailers all around her blinked at the action, confused as to what it was and why she seemed to be thinking so intently out of nowhere- not that any of them interrupted, mind you.
Gray stiffened though, his dark blue eyes flashing and narrowing to slits as she watched Horatia move her hands into the odd form, her posture silent and rigid and thoughtful... and yet he swore he'd seen that before. That hand thing... but what...?
He grimaced, silent as his eyes trailed over her form and he grumbled internally, but said nothing at all.
Hora bit the inside of both cheeks, frowning to herself as she remained where she was sitting and her hands stilled where she had put them, her thoughts whirling as she fell further and further into her own mind.
They were told to win, in order to save Lucy... and Fairy Tail had been nothing less than an upset in the Games so far. They were a formidable opponent, and add on top a threat against one of their friends, and Guild-mate? Of course they were aiming to win, at all costs. She couldn't blame them for it, she didn't. She would have been happy to see Fairy Tail win, if it had not cropped up a bunch of issues already, but... but at the same time... she couldn't have them do that!
Shit... shit..!
Her shoulders stiffened even further than they already had, her lips curling as she pressed her fingers against her nose and chin harder.
They have someone they care about on the line if they don't win... but at the same time, we do too... shit, I can't ask them not to win, I don't want to ask them to forfeit the Games on our part, especially not if Lucy's in trouble... but what the hell else am I gonna do...?!
Natsu beat Rogue and Sting on his own. Erza defeated 100 monsters on her own. Laxus defeated an entire Guild on his own. Gajeel was unscathed during the fight today even before he got sent off in a cart, and the rest of them? Of Fairy Tail? How could she have seen any of what she had the last few days, and not believe that the others in this Guild were just as strong? Or that they didn't actually have a chance of winning the Grand Magic Games?
She knew they did, she felt in her heart that same feeling and knowing that had hit her today when Natsu went against Sting and Rogue. She knew they were going to lose... and she felt it in her soul that they... they might just lose tomorrow too, and that terrified her.
If SaberTooth were to lose, then Minerva would make good on her threat to Lector. She knew that too, because she knew Minerva, and how deeply her threats went. That little witch had her fingers wrapped around Lector's neck and she would not hesitate to hurt him the minute she thought that things were not going as she wanted them to.
And it was even worse now, she wasn't trapped anymore, Jiemma didn't have that god-forsaken Possession Link on her anymore. She could try, she could stand up to Minerva and her cruelty and she wouldn't hesitate to do it- but again, she couldn't damn it!
Lector was that same leverage and hostage to her as he was to Sting and the rest of the Guild, and Minerva knew that. The minute Hora tried to do anything to get Lector back, or anything to disobey her, she would hurt him, so so badly and there was nothing Hora could do about it. She wasn't fast enough against Minerva's Magic, and Hora trying to fight back about it was what Minerva expected. Minerva would be ready for it, and that put Hora at the biggest disadvantage of all... and left her useless. Just as useless as she had been all this time.
If SaberTooth loses, Lector gets hurt... and I can't have that.
But I can't ask Fairy Tail to lose, not after all of this... not with Lucy in trouble. And I can't tell them why, not without making it clear that Jiemma is gone and... oh shit.
She cringed inwardly, her eyes scrunching closed harder.
... crap... we don't have a Guild Master anymore, that's a violation of the rules of the GMG already, and even more so since Minerva's elected Sting... both of those are grounds for disqualification. And if SaberTooth gets disqualified, that'll make winning easier... and automatically condemn Lector. Minerva will know immediately I or someone else in the Guild would have to have told them about it... damn it, what do I do...?
"Oi, Hora! Why would that be a problem...?!" Natsu's (very loud) voice snapped her from her thoughts, and her hands snapped away from her face, swallowing as she glanced sideways and caught his eye. "And while you're at it, it's about time you tell us what the hell happened?! What the hell happened with that bastard Jiemma and that Possession Link thing?! I've been waitin' long enough, it's time you explain it!" He pulled against the ropes binding him, eyes blazing and jaw clenched as Hora wilted under the glare. "You told me that you would tell me what the hell is going on, Hora! You can't back out, not again!" Her heart twisted when she saw the worry in his eyes again, fear and concern hidden under frustration and panic.
She knew what she'd said, she knew she promised to tell him... it was passed time to tell him, she knew that. And still she hesitated, and she hated it... she didn't want to hesitate, but at the same time she didn't want to mess things up more than they already were.
Damn it... what am I supposed to do...?
"Hora!" He snapped again, clearly seeing her hesitate and getting all the more frustrated for it. She looked away from him entirely, letting out a long, low sigh and biting the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood.
"... is winning the GMG your only plan?" Hora asked softly, her attention shifting back to the Guild Master, who narrowed his eyes in question. "If Fairy Tail wins the games, you might get Lucy back, and I understand that's something you're willing to fight for... but you can't trust the Army's word on that, right? And even more so, there's no guarantee that Yukino is gonna be let go either... I can't leave her there, so regardless of what you decide to do... I am going to try and get her back." Hora murmured lowly,
"Don't ignore me, damn it!" Natsu snapped, cutting in again and Hora's jaw clenched.
"I am not ignoring you, Natsu." Hora replied shortly, her tone dropping suddenly as she shot the pinkette a steely look he flinched at. "But you need to understand, what happened is complicated and telling you might muck things up, badly. I want to tell you, and I know I said I would... But all that has happened tonight has made it so that if I choose to do or say something to any of you, some of the people I care about are gonna end up hurt, or worse. I have to be careful, and I have to make sure that what I decide to do, is the best thing... Alright?" He faltered slightly, his eyes glittering and very confused, but he knew she was serious, and that was enough. Hora looked away from him and back to the old man, "I need to know what you are all planning to do." She murmured, "If you have some plan to go and rescue Lucy regardless of the outcome of the GMG, I need to know, and I have to go with you so I can rescue Yukino. And if you really do intend to win the GMG, and I think you have a chance of it... we need to be on the same page about what doing that means." Hora's voice dropped slightly, tenseness working it's way into her posture again. Makarov simply held her in a silent stare, silence falling between the two of them for a few moments, before he nodded.
"We intend to send a small team into the Palace during the Games tomorrow in order to rescue Lucy." He murmured, "As a failsafe, in case we do not manage to win the GMG, or the Army does not keep it's word." He added, "Though seeing as how our opponent is the King, we must tread lightly. If you are intent on rescuing your friend, we will not stop you. Your help would even be appreciated, given the delicate situation... if you are up for it." He told her, and Hora nodded.
"I'm up for it." She answered without skipping a beat, he nodded just once.
"In the event we do win, what does that mean for you?" Erza asked slowly, steering the conversation back toward what Hora had said first. "And why would it be cause for the people you care for, to get hurt?"
"... and what does that have to do with what happened to you tonight...?" Wendy murmured softly, Hora grimaced. She paused, sighing as she grumbled under her breath a few choice curses that were too low for anyone to hear them.
Please... please don't let me make a mistake...
"... listen, if I tell you any of this, you have to keep it to yourselves." Hora murmured lowly, her eyes on the floor. "... you can't tell anyone outside of this room, and I have to ask you to please... please don't do anything that would get SaberTooth disqualified... and above everything, you cannot let Minerva find out that I talked to you, at all. Not that I was here, or that I'm going to help you, or that I told you what is going on in my Guild... SaberTooth has to play in the Games tomorrow, and everyone else in the world has to believe that nothing is wrong." Hora muttered lowly, her eyes moving upward and settling on the Fairy Tailers one by one, firm and steely yet almost pleading.
And under all of that?
Scared
"If I tell you, you need to go into the Games tomorrow and act like you don't know about any of it. Minerva cannot suspect that you know what is really going on, and she cannot suspect me or anyone else in the Guild of helping you, or telling you the truth. Minerva cannot find out about any of this. No matter what you feel, if you're angry or disgusted or whatever the hell else- you cannot confront her about it directly, and you cannot talk about it with her. She can't know, not on anything." Hora hissed, her eyes glittering. "I have to be able to trust that you won't let her find out about any of this, alright?"
The Fairy Tailers glanced between one another, rather lost and unsure of where the call for silence was coming from, or why she was stressing it so much. What on earth could happen that would have Hora asking for such secrecy?
There was a small pause, before the Fairy Tailers all around the room nodded, solemness falling over their faces.
"You have our word, she will never know." Erza promised firmly, and Hora's posture wilted a bit as her eyes fell. She bit the inside of her cheek, her head shaking a few times before she shifted, pushing herself up and standing suddenly as Wendy and Happy beside her jumped at how quickly she got up out of nowhere. They stood up too, hovering slightly and watching Hora closely as she stood there, her hands falling on her hips and eyes still closed.
"... if you want to win, you'll need to pick the people on your team that will have the best chance of defeating the toughest opponents from the other Guilds." Hora murmured, the subject suddenly changing and the Fairy Tailers blinked in surprise. "I'm sure you've realized that everyone on SaberTooth's Team won't be easy to take out... But tomorrow everyone in Saber are going to fight with everything they have. They have to win at all costs. Both we and Fairy Tail have too much to lose... " She let out an agitated sigh, "... I'll help you figure out a plan if you want, but I'm not going to tell you my Guild-mates weaknesses. I'm not going to help make it easy for you to beat the SaberTooth team tomorrow, I can't... I won't do that to Sting, Rogue, Rufus or Orga." She mumbled, her fingers on her waist digging in a bit as she growled. "Minerva on the other hand, I could give a damn about." She hissed, her tone nothing but hate and spite so powerful the Fairy Tailers stiffened in shock. Hora's dark blue eyes opened, glittering like mad and full of such fire out of nowhere, the Fairies were reeling slightly.
"I will tell you everything I know about Minerva's Magic, and what weak points I know she has. I don't know much, but to be honest, anything you can get on her and how she fights, you are going to need it." Hora muttered lowly, "And not just so you have a better chance of winning the GMG, but because I need another promise, and I need it from you." Hora murmured steadily, her eyes locking with Erza suddenly. The redhead stiffened slightly at being addressed, her eyes narrowing in question. "You were famous even before the whole Tenrou thing, and I knew you were strong as hell, but I didn't realize just how strong you were until the Pandemonium Event." Hora told her, "The entire time that Minerva has been a member of SaberTooth, I've never felt like anybody could take her on and win, even I doubt I could take her on and win without losing myself in the process. All of this time, I have never once seen anyone in action and automatically had the thought that 'hey, they might actually be stronger than Minerva'." Hora's eyes flashed as one of her hands came up from off her hip, and she pointed straight at Erza. "When I watched you take on all 100 of those monsters, and cut them down one by one even when everyone in the world was against you, and Fairy Tail, and didn't think you had that in you- and you proved the world wrong, it was amazing." Hora murmured, "I've honestly never been more exhilarated by a fight in all my life, and it was deserved! And in the middle of it, when I was watching you fight and rooting for you, that thought crossed my mind before I even realized what it meant."
Erza blinked, her expression softening slightly as she saw the way Horatia's eyes were glittering, and saw that fire that had started to burn so suddenly, continue to grow brighter.
"She's amazing, maybe even better than Minerva!" Hora announced firmly, "You are the first person in ten years that I have ever seen and believed could best her, and it's because of that I need you to swear to me that tomorrow in the Grand Magic Games, you will defeat her. You have to face Minerva and you have to beat her!" The Fairy Tailers all around the room blinked, their eyes widening in surprise as they watched the sudden exchange between Hora and Erza.
Where did this come from..?
"I need you to do it, because I can't. As much as I hate it, I can't face her without losing someone I care about. You have to beat her, and I have to hope that when you do, everything will work out." Hora murmured, her expression twisting painfully for a moment. "I have to hope that you can do what I can't... I have a chance to help save Yukino and Lucy, but I can't do this, so I need you to do it. Please."
There came a small, heavy moment of sheer silence between them, Hora's eyes locked with that of Titania Erza- the Fairy Queen- and the woman she was now placing the utmost trust in, and hope... and she sorely hoped that Erza could see how much she needed this promise, and how much it meant to her to be asking it at all.
She could feel the eyes of the other Fairy Tailers on the two of them, she could practically hear the gears grinding in their heads as they tried to understand where this was coming from, and why she was asking. She knew they didn't understand, and she knew Erza didn't either, not all the way... but she couldn't say it. She couldn't tell any of them anything before she was absolutely sure that... that she wasn't making a mistake. And for it, she wasn't risking Lector's life.
She saw something light up in Erza's eyes, something like recognition or understanding of a caliber she hadn't expected with such a vague request. But that light faded and the utterly neutral expression that the redhead had adopted turned into something calm and stony and so utterly determined, and Hora's heart picked up.
"You have my word." Erza promised steadily, her arms crossed over her chest and straight backed as she nodded just the once. "With everything I have, I will defeat Minerva. I promise you that." Hora's eyes glittered, a rush of cool and utter relief running through her and what genuine an answer it was... and maybe some small section of that dread hanging over her chipped away.
"You have my word, now can I ask for yours?" Erza said suddenly, and Hora blinked in surprise.
"... Mine...?" She mumbled, her hand falling again in uncertainty and Erza nodded.
"Make sure that both Yukino and Lucy return safely." Erza said steadily, Hora blinked, stunned for but a moment, before her expression hardened and she smiled just faintly.
"You have my word." Hora replied steadily, and Erza's expression softened as she nodded.
"Hmm... I think I rather like you." Erza said simply, and Hora's heart skipped a beat at it, her eyes widening as her face flushed. Erza didn't pause on that for very long though before seriousness came back into her expression, "But away from that, Horatia. Now that you have our promises, are you ready to explain what is truly going on?"
"Yeah, it's damn well passed time." Gajeel grumbled, and Natsu huffed.
"And what did you mean, get SaberTooth disqualified?" Juvia asked lowly,
"Forget that, I wanna know why that asshole tried to kill you!" Natsu butted in hotly, and Hora felt her stomach knot again. What little relief that has come when Erza made her promise was shattered under the very real situation of having to finally explain... All of it.
Where was she even supposed to start...? Oi...
"And why in the hell did you never say anything?!" Natsu kept on, what little will he had had to stay mostly quiet the whole time gone now. And now all the questions and outcry that has been burning inside of him since the slew of info she'd blurted out in her (unintended) rant were boiling over and out. "I can't believe you let that bastard get away with any of that! And for how long?! How long were you willing to just take all his bullshit and let yourself get bossed around and hurt?! WHY THE HELL DID ANY OF YOU EVEN LET HIM COME IN AND BE YOUR GUILD MASTER AT ALL?! I WOULD HAVE BEAT HIM TO A PULP THE FIRST TIME HE EVEN TRIED TO LAY A HAND ON ME OR ANYONE ELSE! SCREW BEING AFRAID OF HIM, YOUR GUILD-MATES SHOULD HAVE KICKED HIS ASS TO THE CURB THE FIRST TIME HE EVER HURT YOU, LET ALONE TRIED TO KILL YOU!"
Hora's jaw clenched, her eyes dropping closed as Natsu's volume continued to increase and his anger, frustration and worry all wrapped into one became all the more potent too. And now he was the one ranting, and asking things she had more or less covered in her own rant... Well, sort of.
"... Natsu, we already established this whole situation hasn't been handled all that well... You don't need to keep snapping at me." Hora mumbled, "... try and understand, this all started a really long time ago... I was young, and I grew up being little but a pawn, so my confidence and willingness to try and really fight just wasn't really there, not until I got older. And I realize that's nothing but an excuse... But I was eight." She mumbled, and Natsu's jaw snapped shut audibly, panic and shock rushing over his face. The other Fairy Tailers stiffened, and Hora sighed a little as she kept her eyes on the floor and not on them. "I had only been in SaberTooth for little but a year before Jiemma came into the picture and took over. I was eight years old and still a messed up little kid, and I did try to fight back from the very start... A mistake on my part, because doing so just made Jiemma all the more interested in my Magic and what I could do. He wanted the world's strongest Guild, and I was the perfect start... So he found out a way to make me do whatever the hell he wanted, and make sure I could never get away. He put that Possession Link on the Lacrima, and that was it. I was stuck."
"..y...you've been living with your life in his hands... For that long...?!" Natsu stammered, Hora nodded stiffly. "Y-you gotta be kidding me, how old are you now...?! Like 17...?!"
"... I'm 19." Hora mumbled, and Natsu looked all the more horrified, as did several others- Wendy and Happy especially.
"H-hora that's terrible...!" Wendy squeaked,
"T-that's over ten years!" Happy shrilled,
"Its despicable." Erza muttered lowly, Makarov and Mavis' expressions alike had both darkened considerably, their anger bubbling in silence.
"So you were trapped, and Jiemma could kill you anytime he wanted by destroying that Lacrima in you?" Gajeel asked lowly, "You've been living like a doll, and you've just taken all his abuse for ten freakin' years?"
"Yeah." Hora mumbled softly, the Iron Dragon Slayer grimaced at the utterly calm answer, looking disconcerted by it along with many of the others.
"Who the hell does something like that to a kid...?!" Gray's furious voice made her stiffen, and this time her eyes found him before she could tell herself not to look, and she swallowed.
"... The same sort of person who abuses his Guild, and tries to murder someone in it, in one of the most cruel ways possible." Pantherlily muttered lowly before Hora could try to come up with some answer. The black Exceed's tail twitched behind him, frowning as he bit back what anger had risen in him as it had in all the other Fairy Tailers, and for good reason. Lily had a point though, and they knew it. Those among the group who had been there when they found Hora in the middle of Crocus knew it. She had been writhing around and screaming in agony, a part of herself had been being ripped to pieces and she felt it through every inch of her... And her Magic had gotten so out of hand it seemed to have been tearing her apart from the inside out.
That sort of power over someone and their life was unthinkable, but even more so was the idea anyone would subject another person to that sort of torture. But a Guild Master? A man who was more tyrant than Master and had been so cruel to the people he was supposed to lead and to protect?
Despicable didn't seem an apt enough word
"... And don't blame anyone else in my Guild for not doing anything." Hora murmured, rounding back to Natsu's line of questions from before. "Outside of being scared, I was the first one there of any of them. They got used to my own compliance and lack of retaliation, and they fed off of it. I was the 'normal'... So their unwillingness to fight is my own fault, not theirs." Hora mumbled, Natsu grimaced.
"You still should have said something long before now!" Natsu snapped hotly, "And why did Jiemma try and kill you today, huh?! You were acting weird after the fight with Sting and Rogue, but there's no way Jiemma was so pissed about them losing that be tried to kill you, right?! And what happened after you knocked me out?! Did you seriously rush back to face him by yourself?!" he was pulling against the ropes harder, and she could hear the tendrils starting to split. "WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU WENT BACK THERE?! AND WHERE IN THE HELL IS JIEMMA NOW-?!" Hora's eyes flashed, her lips curling slightly and her expression hardening into something so cold and so steely it was almost terrifying- more terrifying when the words she said next, she said them with no emotion at all.
"Jiemma is dead."
Natsu's jaw snapped shut again and he flinched, an action mirrored in the rest of the Fairy Tailers in the room as Hora's utterly stone cold words ran straight through them. She didn't flinch, she didn't even seem to care, and maybe a lack of empathy was warranted... but she was so icy it was incredibly disconcerting. But more so the statement- because what...?!
Dead...?!
"W-what do you...?!" Wendy stammered quickly with Carla in unison,
"Seriously...?" Gajeel and Gray both muttered, both of them looking stricken- they all looked stricken. Because they could tell in an instant that she was serious, it wasn't some sort of ruse or terrible joke, it was real.
Hora wasn't looking at them though, her eyes had not left Natsu, and she saw the fear work it's way into his expression almost instantly. Fear, and wariness and even caution, and her jaw clenched at the look.
"... dead..." Natsu breathed, his onyx eyes flashing as he swallowed. "... Hora... did...?" He seemed to struggle to get the words out, and she huffed at him and the fact he was going to ask... but not surprised.
"No, I didn't kill him." She grumbled lowly, her eye dropping closed as her arms crossed over her chest.
Though I would have really, really liked to... it's probably better in the long run that it wasn't me... I'm still some semblance of sane...
"... but... when... h...how..?" Natsu stammered, Hora sighed.
"... when you beat Sting and Rogue in the Games today, we were in serious trouble." Hora murmured, "The whole Guild... Jiemma was on the warpath and Minerva wasn't much better. Sting and Rogue were gonna get punished and we all knew that... and we knew they were so angry that they wouldn't hesitate to dish it out to the rest of the Guild if we got involved. I knew what was going to happen, and I was ready for it... today would have been my last straw." She mumbled, "... that's probably why you thought I was acting 'weird' after the battle. I had made up my mind. I was going to be willing to fight back against both Minerva and Jiemma tonight if they tried to hurt anyone, and I would have done it without caring if Jiemma tried to use the Possession Link against me. I figured if I got angry enough and I let my Magic get out of control, I could take out both of them at once, even if in the end I'd end up dead or damn well close to it." She admitted softly, and she earned wary and slightly agitated looks from the Fairies all around, though she never saw it. "So when the whole Guild started to gather to meet Jiemma's wrath, I followed everyone out toward the main hall, and I did it with the impression that tonight was the last night."
"Hora..." Happy mewed quietly, his eyes glittering and nearly tear-filled.
"Sacrificing yourself is never the answer, even if it is for your friends." Erza murmured lowly, almost scolding and Hora grimaced. "You don't die for your friends, you live for them."
"I never said it was the best plan." She replied quietly, one eye cracking open to glance toward the redhead. "I'm well aware that willingly going into a situation where I'd end up dead is stupid, and I'd never want to leave any of them behind, or make them live with guilt over the idea that I died trying to help them. But I was out of options." Hora grumbled, Erza frowned a little. "I have lived over a decade with that Possession Link on me, and with the reality that it wouldn't go away. I looked for years to find some way to get rid of it, through every book and Magical document, tome, library, whatever. Years spent looking and never once finding any way or anyone or even any little hint of being able to break it. I was stuck with it, and I was stuck with the reality that if and when I tried to stop Jiemma, I was going to end up dead. It didn't matter if Sting or Rogue or anyone else tried to help me do it, and it didn't matter if I wasn't the one who started it or not. Every situation that had to do with going against Jiemma ended with either me being killed for beginning the fight, or being used as blackmail if someone else started it. And all ways I end up dead." Hora grumbled lowly, and Erza's conviction seemed to wane ever so slightly. "I had no other options, like it or not... it was a bad decision, but it was the only one available."
When Erza's eyes dropped away from her, Hora knew that the redhead saw the sense she was making... grudgingly, though.
Hora's eye closed again as she forced herself a calming breath, shaking her head slightly. "... but it hardly matters now, because it never got a chance to come to any of that in the first place." She muttered, "Halfway down the hallway, I got snatched away and dropped on the other side of the city by some weird person-thing that seemed well aware that I was going to end up dead tonight, and that it was necessary in the grand scheme of things... and no, I never got a look at it. I don't know who or what it was, everything was pitch black, and it's scent wasn't right-"
Hora cut off, her shoulders stiffening as her thoughts trailed back to what had happened, and what she'd smelled.
... one scent... but it smelled like Sting and Rogue, at least some of the way... but it wasn't right. It smelled sour, and twisted... it smelled wrong.
She swallowed, shivers running up her spine at the lingering sensation of those cold hands grabbing hold of her, a voice hissing and emotionless and dead... wicked fingers curling around her body as she was forced closer and paralyzed as she felt strange lips press against hers, and she couldn't pull back.
"Forgive me, Horatia. But even I won't wait to see you die a second time."
She shivered again, her hand moving upward to brush against her mouth ever so lightly, and she felt her stomach knot in a million different ways.
... if I was supposed to end up dead... and whoever that was... they saw me die a first time? Like... seeing the future, or...?
... shit... this is really starting to freak me out... the Eclipse Gate is supposed to mess with time, right...? Could that mean... whoever that was... they... they did see some version of me end up dead tonight? And... and they know me...? Enough to know that Rogue would realize what happened, and that it all started because of what Sting did, going after Jiemma...?
... but... who the hell...?
She sucked in a breath of air and held it, biting back at the suddenly rising panic and fear in her core that had her shivering, again. The dread that was still hanging over her was suffocating, and even more so as her thoughts wandered back to that... to that Stranger, and what they said... and what it meant.
... s...shit... I don't like this... this isn't right... this... this is wrong... all of it... and I... I don't understand...
... what happens... if the future that that Stranger knew... didn't happen? She wasn't dead, she'd survived... was that part of the plan? It couldn't have been, right? It said that Rogue needed to realize why she'd ended up dead...
... but... why Rogue...?
She shuddered again and her stomach knotted so tightly it was utterly painful.
... It... can't have been... right...?
"Hora?"
Mirajane's gentle voice snapped Hora from her pestering, endless pit of thoughts and she jumped without meaning too, her eyes openeing to find the white-haired woman.
"... are you alright?" She asked slowly, and Hora cursed herself for getting so off-track.. again!
"Y-yeah, sorry..." Hora replied quickly, shaking herself off and her fears with it, as much as she could anyway. "... I didn't mean to fade off like that, it... the whole getting snatched thing was just so disorienting, and confusing, and thinking about it... it's still got me reeling..." She explained, "... ah... sorry, back to what I was saying... so while that was happening, back at the Inn Jiemma started to really lay into both Sting and Rogue for losing the match." She murmured, mentally blocking off all thoughts and things having to do with the Stranger and what all of it meant. She still had things to explain, and the bit about Jiemma being dead and the story behind that was a little too pressing to keep dragging in out like she was.
.... but damn it... today just really, really sucks......
"... From what everyone told me when I got back, Jiemma was throwing them around pretty hard, and they were already hurt from having fought with Salamander... he was just adding on more damage, and a lot more of it." Hora mumbled, her tone dropping slightly as the Fairy Tailers frowned at the idea. "Jiemma was always cruel, but he'd mostly refrained from being too hard on Sting and Rogue before... they've never really done anything to piss him off as much as he was today, and he was furious... so he was ten times worse than usual."
Bastard
"... Things got really out of hand, really, really fast." Hora muttered, "All of it, between me getting snatched away without no one realizing it happened, to Jiemma starting to beat Sting and Rogue to a pulp, things were already bad... but then Lector stepped in and tried to talk Jiemma down, and Jiemma did not like that." Hora mumbled, her stomach knotting just that little bit more. "Before any of them even realized what happened, or could even think about reacting, Jiemma turned his anger on Lector and he tried to obliterate him, and he nearly did. But all any of them saw was Lector getting turned into dust." Hora growled, her fingers digging into her arms. "He was dead. Everyone saw that and they beleived it, and it terrified them... Jiemma killed Lector without so much as a care, and Sting snapped."
For good reason
"It happened in an instant. All of that pain and rage and anger and fear all wrapped into one at seeing Lector getting murdered like that... all it took was a single second of losing control, and Sting lashed out at Jiemma, and with only one blow- but one was enough." Hora said lowly, "Jiemma probably didn't even see it coming, no one would have... it all just spiraled out of control and no one in the Guild knew what to do or even what had happened. One minute Sting and Rogue were being thrown around, and then Lector was dead, and then the next... Jiemma was lying on the floor bleeding to death... they were all reeling and Minerva didn't make it any better. She stepped in and took control of the whole situation and left Jiemma on the floor to bleed out..." She went on lowly, before pausing as she grumbled a bit. "... Which spurred the whole Jiemma trying to kill me thing." Hora muttered, "He was pissed about being beat, so he figured if he was gonna die, he was gonna get back at Sting and everyone else by taking me with him."
Everyone in the room grimaced at that, a mixture of anger and hate and worry passing among them all as they continued to listen in stony silence, and Hora certainly didn't pause for very long.
"So he started to break the Possession Link, and that started to kill me... And then all of that happened out in the city, with Wendy and everyone else, and you already got told the gist about that, so I'm not gonna re-explain it." the Saber Wizard muttered lowly, "But all of that was going on while Minerva stepped in, and nobody realized what Jiemma was doing until way after he started... And Rogue realized what was going on. But by the time I got back there, all of this stuff had already happened- and Minerva had already done what she had and I couldn't do anything to change it." Hora grumbled, the Fairy Tailers blinked in question.
"So anyway... Retracting a bit... Minerva had taken Lector away right before Jiemma managed to hurt him, so he didn't actually get killed. But now she has him captive inside of her Magic." The Fairy Tailer's stiffened at the news, their expressions slowly darkening with every second the story kept on. "She's using Lector as leverage over everyone in the Guild, and she's planning to hurt him if we try to oppose her, and... and if we don't win the Grand Magic Games tomorrow, she's never going to let him go. And while she has him, his life is in danger, every single second. She's not afraid of hurting him to get what she wants, and she knows the only way that the Guild will listen to her now with Jiemma gone is by making sure she can manipulate us. And she's doing it with his life."
"... that is why you asked me to defeat her." Erza murmured lowly, her eyes steely as she bit back at the anger that flared to life in her core at Minerva's actions, and wickedness. Hora nodded,
"I can't try and fight her, because the minute that I do, she will hurt Lector in order to get me to obey, and I am not fast enough to prevent her from doing it. Not with how her Magic works." Hora muttered, "But she can't use Lector against you like she can with my Guild, and she knows that. When you fight her, it'll just be about winning and she won't be focused on him- and if you can beat her, even enough just to waste all her Magic Energy or disrupt her hold on her Magic somehow- Lector will be set free if her Magic fails, and he won't be in danger anymore."
"And you can't risk SaberTooth being disqualified from the Games now that you no longer have a Guild Master, because Minerva is set on winning the Games, hmm?" Makarov intoned lowly, and Hora glanced to him. "Which is why having Fairy Tail win the Games would cause trouble for you."
"Yeah." Hora mumbled lowly, "She wants us to win so we can still be the strongest Guild, but we don't give a damn about that. The goal isn't to win the GMG, it's to get Lector back and safe... it's just that winning the Games is the only option we have to do that. So tomorrow, the SaberTooth Team is gonna give everything they have to win, they have to, for Lector." Hora's eyes moved back to Erza. "But if you can beat Minerva and set Lector free, we don't have a reason to want to win the Games anymore. And if we get Lector back, Minerva loses all her power over us and we don't have to do a damn thing she says, not ever again."
"So it seems the best outcome in all of this, relies on our ability to stage a succesful rescue of Lucy and Yukino from the King, as well as coming up with a plan to completely defeat all of the other Wizards in the GMG- Minerva especially, in order to set Lector free. Which would of course leave SaberTooth with no need to win, and Fairy Tail could earn a sound victory of the Grand Magic Games."
Everyone's attention shifted in surprise toward the sudden input from a certain blonde girl, who had for a long while, been sitting on the bar listening and watching in absolute silence. Hora glanced over quickly, blinking a few times in surprise and earning the girl's serene green eyes, calm as can be and steady as she returned Hora's gaze.
"Should Erza be sucessful in defeating Minerva, and Lector is returned safely, our chances of winning the Grand Magic Games improve. And in doing that, our need to claim victory can be satsfied with no real consequences befalling your Guild once Lector is free, and Minerva loses her leverage over all of you, yes?" Mavis murmured lightly, Hora paused, before nodding slowly. "While it is true we cannot trust the Minister of Defense and his word that winning the Games would earn Lucy leniancy, it is still an avenue we need to take. But Yukino is not given that chance, so me must launch our own rescue regardless... and if the rescue plan works, and we succeed tomorrow in the games, we could manage to get through all of this with both sides happy." She said simply, and Hora swallowed.
"... I mean I guess... but everything has to work out like we want." Hora mumbled, "And that's not taking into account things going screwy along the way or anything, and being able to handle that when it comes up... I know you guys are strong and everything, and I know this means a lot to you, but it's not gonna be a walk in the park or anything."
"Of course it won't be." Mavis replied with ease, "But with your insight to Minerva's Magic, and with a carefully structured strategy based upon what I've observed in the Games, we could contend with any issues that arise, and give ourselves the best chance of making all of this work." Hora bit the inside of her cheek,
"... you don't know hardly anything about the opponents." She mumbled, "Kagura's been a mystery the whole time she'd been around, and Jura's just a powerhouse, and there are plenty of other strong Wizards in Lamia and Pegasus and everywhere else... and I'm not going to tell you about Sting, or Rogue, or Rufus and Orga..." Mavis smiled, the action making Hora trail off as she shook her head at the Saber woman.
"I don't need you to." She replied simply,
"And we wouldn't want it anyway." Gajeel huffed, Hora blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, we wanna beat those guys on our own, not with some trade-secret stuff." Gray muttered, "We got our own beef with your Guild, and we'll settle it on our terms, and with our own power." Hora swallowed, her eyes darting his way and feeling her heart clench.
... beef...? I know we've not been kind, but what sort of beef does Gray have....?
... it.... it doesn't matter, Hora.... if you keep thinking about him, you're gonna freak out again... stop.
She forced herself to look away and to ignore the question. She did her best to cast Gray and her swirling emotions to the back of her mind, and she focused on Mavis, glancing back toward the still so very tranquil and placid figure of the First Fairy Tail Guild Master. ... How could she seem so calm, with all of this? So calm facing the very real fact that they were going to be facing nothing but a massive challenge tomorrow? And one where so, so many things could go wrong? Where so much had already gone wrong and the world seemed to have gone insane?
And how can she say she... has a plan? And that it will work...? How is she so confident, under such massive stakes?
"... you're gonna need a hell of a plan..." Hora mumbled softly, Mavis smiled.
"Yes." She hummed brightly, a sudden gleam and a certain sort of fire that Hora didn't recognize started to bubble underneath that unwavering composure. "But that is my role to play. Over the last few days I have watched all the other opponents in the games and I have compiled a comprehensive review of thieir capabilites, and their weak points, as well as how our members will match up against them." Hora blinked, her eyes widening slightly as her heart skipped a beat. Mavis' smile faded just slightly, turning into something almost fearless, and so utterly calculating.
'... this girl...' Lixue hummed lowly, Hora just stared, her mind reeling again.
Mavis nodded just once, her green eyes blazing as Hora held that gaze in rigid suspense, her heart picking up and some strange sort of... of power suddenly pricking in the back of her mind, and it was coming from the First.
"It will take work, and I must be sure of the strategy we follow. But I intend to create a sure-proof plan that will lead us all to victory, Fairy Tail and SaberTooth both." Mavis hummed and Hora swallowed,
Both
"If we work together, we can do this. I give you my word, Horatia. It is time we work together and help one another with everything we have."
LOTS of info in this Chapter, but hopefully it wasn't too boring! And I hope you all enjoyed it~!
Thank you for reading, and your continued support! I appreciate every single one of you!
Please Comment if ya can! Thanks!
Chapter 28: Breathe
Chapter Text
Chapter 28
Breathe
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"... So what, that Rufus guy has a bead on everyone's location?" Gajeel grumbled from his seat at a table with Gray and Juvia. Laxus stood leaning against the wall not far off and Erza stood a bit from the table with Mirajane close at hand, while Natsu and Wendy stood in stiff silence near to where Hora had taken a seat at the bar. Happy, Carla and Lily stood on bar itself, and the building was scarily quiet around them, and all their attentions were turned to the First Fairy Tail Master, and what... Ridiculously spot on predictions she had been detailing about tomorrow's event, and what the other Guilds would do.
Between anticipating the moves of the other Wizards, who was likely to be taken out first among them, and laying out who she thought would act and how... Well, the way she seemed to be able to guess SaberTooth's moves had Hora reeling.
An 85% chance Orga would seek out Laxus for a fight, a 90% chance Rogue would look for Gajeel, a 87% chance Minerva would seek out either Erza or Kagura (or even both), and a 92% chance that Sting would wait to let the herd clear out before looking to attack anyone. Those paired with a quick overview of how each of the afore mentioned capabilities stacked up in terms of speed, attack and defensive power, and even planning... And all manner of that spanning across details and predictions that Hora almost completely agreed with. In some ways it felt like Mavis had known and been with her Guild-mates as long as Hora had, and that was why she seemed to know their moves and the way they thought to well... But of course it wasn't like that, and it just made it more terrifying.
About half an hour ago, Hora had hashed out the last details of what transpired tonight (in limits, of course..) and settled into telling Mavis and Erza alike what Magic it was that Minerva used, and what her battle strategy usually relied.
(Long range, surprise attacks and leverage and manipulation... Paired with lightning quick speed and a near impossible sense of space and everything in it...)
And again, Hora knew little about it. She'd never come to blows with Minerva enough to be a full on fight, so what she had seen of Minerva's battle habits had been from the few times of watching her work over the years... But she probably knew more about it than any others in the world- besides Mavis, apparently.
To begin with, Mavis knew much more about Minerva's Magic specifically than Hora did- which wasn't much a surprise in the grand scheme of things. But it was an Ancient Magic and a rare one at that, so info was limited to begin with, but Mavis knew of it regardless. And like all the other SaberTooth members, Mavis seemed incredibly aware of Minerva's habits without ever really knowing her.
But all in all, that discussion on Minerva hadn't lasted long at all. There was a bit of general discussion held between Mavis, Hora and Erza on the redhead's inevitable confrontation with SaberTooth's Lady, but it was just that- general. And the whole discussion lasted little more than Hora saying her piece about it, before Mavis seemed content to let Erza come up with a strategy all on her own.
The lack of detailed planning set Hora on edge more than she would admit, but it was Lector's life at risk and to be decided by the outcome of Erza's battle with Minerva. And while she trusted Erza to do her utmost best, not having a clear idea of what Titania was planning just wasn't comforting... But she had to leave it alone. She had to trust and believe in Erza, and believe she would get Lector back.
But damn if her worry and fear would fade
Anyway, once the discussion about Minerva was done with, Mavis had started into her battle strategy and attention on Hora had faded into nothing. It had been decided that the Team participating in the GMG tomorrow would consist of Erza, Juvia, Gajeel, Laxus and Gray... Which left Natsu, Wendy, Mirajane, Hora and the Exceeds as the rescue party that would be storming the castle, though plans on that part hadn't been talked about yet, not with Mavis focusing on the strategy for the GMG at the moment.
And Hora was content with simply sitting there and listening. It was something of a relief not to be the center of the conversation or everyone's attention for awhile, and her stained and utterly frazzled emotions, state of mind, and body needed the break oh so badly right now. And admittedly, some of the discussion was genuinely interesting- but mostly the bits about the Fairy Tailers she hadn't already known... And in particular, the mention of what Magic Gray used.
She remembered little to nothing about what he'd said or what Magic he'd used earlier when she went after Juvia in a fit of pain and agony and whatnot. She supposed she had some faint recollection of Ice that wasn't hers... But it was so hard to tell, she hadn't been sure if she imagined it or not. And what shock and utterly reeling effect seeing him in front of her and all of that... Well, the bit about him using Ice-Make Magic hadn't really sunk in until it popped up in the discussions now. And when it did, it caught her immediate interest- why wouldn't it?
She hadn't realized he was alive, let alone a Mage, so in some ways she was listening intently every time he was mentioned or said something or whatever else... Because she wanted to know him. Or at least, the Gray he was now, the one that has grown up from so, so long ago.
She just had to make sure her interest wasn't noticed... And she had to watch how long she focused on him too.
Master Makarov had left soon before any of the actual battle planning had started, so he could meet the rest of the Fairy Tailers that were not present and make them aware of what was going on (barring what bit about SaberTooth Hora had asked not leave the room). And as the old man left, Natsu had finally been let free from being strapped to a support beam, since by then he had managed to calm down enough not to run off like an idiot... And as much as he wanted to run off, he wouldn't. There was a plan to be put into motion and he had to follow it, even if that meant staying here while Lucy spent the night in a cell, or how much he hated the thought.
And besides that, Hora was here and he wasn't really keen on the idea of letting her out of his sight so soon again. Words could not describe how agitated he had been upon finding out she'd sent him to sleep and run off alone, and now that she was here and he could keep an eye on her, he would, and for as long as could possibly be managed.
Because as much as Hora seemed fine now, or however much she said she was 'okay'- he knew it wasn't true, and that made his stomach knot almost as much as the thought of Lucy being in trouble did.
So now he hadn't moved more than a few feet from being at Hora's side even as the discussions started up, and he stayed there in stiff silence, his eyes watching her carefully more than a few times every few minutes or so. He was hovering, and Hora noticed it... And she also noticed that Wendy was doing the same thing, but she hadn't the will nor the want to argue with it, she just didn't have the energy.
However she could also feel Natsu's agitation still sparking in the midst of his hovering, and that was wearing quickly on her nerves, and sooner or later she wouldn't be able to ignore it.
He's angry at me, huh...?
... Just like... Sting...
But even her attention on Natsu wasn't unconditional, nor was it on Mavis. It didn't matter how many times she told herself to stop, inevitably and without fail, her eyes were constantly darting to that head of raven-hair and face so hauntingly familiar, and every time they did, she couldn't pull her gaze off of him for a long while before somehow managing to look away again... But then her eyes went back, forever without end, and every time she did, the more nauseous and knotted she felt.
... Just... Stop...
Mavis' predictions had for now doubled down on the opening strategy that Rufus was likely to use at the start of the event- the same Spell he had used on the first day that would span a large area and target everyone in it's confines for a powerful attack meant to knock out many people all at once.
And again, that is exactly what Hora would have guessed Rufus would do.
Honestly, at this point it wouldn't have even mattered if Hora told the Fairy Tailers about everyone's strengths and weaknesses and whatnot. Mavis was so spot on with literally all of it, her attempt at staying loyal to her friends was sort of wasted... and pointless... But why is she so good at this...?
... It's kinda scary...
"So it would be in our best interests to defeat Rufus first, so that the SaberTooth Team doesn't have our locations pinned." Erza murmured lowly, and Mavis nodded.
"Exactly." Was the First's reply, Hora settled her head in her hands as she leaned over a bit, and propped her elbows on her knees. Her eyes dropped closed as she let out a silent sigh,
... Good luck with that... Minerva's tough, but Rufus is always so careful and on top of things... getting one up on him is not gonna be easy...
"Let me deal with him."
Her eyes shot back open in the same instant that her heart sped up, the sudden sounding of Gray's voice shattering what little bit of calm that managed to trickle in between glancing at him and looking away on a loop. Her head lift up and out of her hands as she looked right at him, and though the angle she sat at didn't give much on the way of seeing his face, she could still see the sudden fire and determination ignite. But Gray was looking at Mavis, and Hora saw the same hesitation that rushed through her, suddenly appear in the First Guild Master too, though she wasn't sure if that was because of the same reason.
"That'd be fine, right First-?" Gray asked of the ghost- though his words got jumbled a bit underneath Hora's own voice as she suddenly spoke up and long before she even realized what she was doing.
"That'd be a bad idea-" Hora said quickly, before cutting herself off when she realized she had started talking at the same instant Gray had. She grimaced, her jaw snapping shut and nearly flinching as Gray shot her a small look, almost agitated- and whether it was for the (unintended) interruption, or the comment itself, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that her heart ached so, so bad when she caught the small glare he gave her.
Shit
"... S..sorry..." She apologized quickly, "... It's just... You use Ice-Make Magic, yeah...? That's not the most ideal match-up with Rufus..." She mumbled quickly in a rather poor attempt at explaining herself, and covering up the other half of her blurting out so suddenly being... Well, worry.
Because again, Rufus may not seem like much at first glance, but she knew how much a challenge he was to defeat in a battle. And a long since buried and forgotten part of her flared to life with the realization- worry, concern, and protectiveness- and it was for the Brother she had lost and found just that night. And while she trusted Rufus not to fatally harm anyone, let alone Gray- the thought of him getting beat to hell (as he assuredly would be) in the battle between the two of them, had her feeling fidgety, and maybe a bit panicky too.
"She is right, based upon what I observed in your first confrontation with Rufus, and what I was able to see of his Magic with Eve, the chance of a success should you battle him isn't-" Mavis murmured in reply, Gray visibly stiffened and his attention on Hora shattered as he shot a heated look at the First Fairy Tail Master.
"I don't give a damn about that!" He snapped hotly, cutting Mavis off and sending the room into something of a tense silence. "Listen, I got beef with the guy and I'm gonna settle it. And there ain't any way in hell I'm losing either, regardless of your calculations or how you think my Magic matches up against his." He grumbled, shooting the slightly scathing words toward Hora and Mavis both.
Hora swallowed, her eyes falling quickly from him and into her lap as she bit back at the churning in her core.
"Trust me not to lose." Gray murmured lowly, his eyes still settled on Mavis and steely... And the First Guild Master paused for a few moments, before nodding.
"Very well." Mavis relented softly, and Gray nodded to her in turn. Hora bit the inside of her cheek though, her jaw falling into the palms of her hands again. She grumbled a bit under her breath, her eyes closing tightly and cursing herself in her head a few more times. She was only faintly aware of the battle strategy picking back up again among Mavis and the Team of Fairies meant to be fighting tomorrow, and this time around she wasn't really listening.
... Great job Hora... Now he thinks you're underestimating him... Maybe I am... But Rufus is hard to beat... And he already lost to him once, huh...? Rufus told me about that when I ditched the Council, but I didn't realize it was... Gray... Oh damn it, why am I so worried...?
She tilted her head down so her face was in her hands instead, chewing the inside of both cheeks now.
... I'm a mess... Today fucking sucks...
Natsu blinked, his eyes narrowing at Hora as her posture deflated and she seemed to sink in on herself after what brief spark of tension arose between her and Gray. He bit the inside of his cheek, brow quirking slightly.
"... Hora, are you okay...?" Wendy's soft voice asked to Hora's right, and the Saber woman pulled her face out of her hands in surprise, glancing toward the bluenette who had inched closer without her noticing.
"Yeah." Hora murmured quietly, offering up a weary smile that didn't help to clear what concern was visible in Wendy's eyes. Her hands fell into her lap again as she straightened up, humming a bit under her breath and her smile softening. "... I'm alright sweetheart, don't worry about me. I was just trying to settle everything in my head is all... It's been a long day."
"Yeah..." Wendy agreed softly, her hands wringing together in front of her for a moment as her eyes fell. "... Uhm... I actually had a question, if that's okay...?"
"Shoot." Hora replied with ease and Wendy's eyes moved back up in surprise at how quickly Hora relented.
"Ah, OK... I was just wondering what happened to you, to have that wound on your stomach...?" Wendy asked slowly, her hand gesturing toward Hora's torso and earning a blink from the Saber Wizard. "It... It was pretty bad... Your... Ah, Jiemma didn't do that to you... Did he...? You said he... He really hurt you, when he found out you helped find Tenrou... A...and... Even though I healed it tonight, there's still a really big scar..." The worry and guilt quickly made its way into Wendy's expression as she said the words, and Hora's heart twisted a little, instantly able to tell where she was going with the inquiry.
She's afraid the injuries I had from North Wind were Jiemma's doing, after finding out I helped Fairy Tail
"No that wasn't from him." Hora told the young Dragon Slayer softly with a shake of her head, Wendy blinked. "Jiemma found out I helped find Tenrou almost immediately after you guys got back, not just recently. So all the injuries I got from him were healed and dealt with a long while ago." Hora explained softly, smiling faintly though it was more somber than she intended it to be. "So don't worry about that. This was from a Job I worked to disband a Dark Guild, and deal with a Demon of Zeref that I finished about a week and a half ago." She added, patting her stomach and where there was still a scar running across her abdomen- courtesy of the Demon, and her own burning of the wound closed. Which apparently couldn't be gotten rid of even by Wendy's Magic, not that Hora much minded.
Wendy, Carla, Happy and Lily's eyes went wide at the explanation though, all of them listening in on the Saber Wizard and their hearts jumping in shock. Natsu bit the inside of his cheek at the words, but he was unsurprised at the news- he had already known about it, after all, and that Hora had been 'banged up' pretty good. She'd told him so that first day she got back.
"D-Demon of Zeref...?!" Wendy, Carla and Happy alike stammered in shock,
"So it was you who defeated North Wind and Neveleous?"
Everyone's attention near the bar got diverted toward the new voice out of nowhere, all their eyes turning on Mirajane as she stopped behind Wendy- and had apparently moved up to their small group without any of them noticing it. Hora blinked in surprise at the white-haired woman and her question, a little taken aback that Mirajane seemed to know more about it than she should...?
Mirajane nodded a bit at the questioning look she received from Horatia, "Master Makarov received word that a member of SaberTooth had confronted North Wind alongside the Magic Council and had defeated the Demon of Zeref in their control, single-handedly." Mirajane explained, Hora sighed silently, oblivious or otherwise ignoring what astonished expressions rippled over everyone in earshot, she never took her eyes off Mirajane. "Erza, Master, Mavis and I all assumed that it had been Minerva who had completed that job, seeing as how she was described as SaberTooth's strongest member... I am a little surprised it was you instead." She added with a small, almost apologetic smile, but Hora didn't look at all surprised with the assumption.
"Eh? Of course it was Hora, she's a Devil Slayer. Minerva wouldn't stand a chance against something like that, she's nowhere near as good as Hora." Natsu cut in quickly, brow quirked at Mirajane and arms crossed over his chest. Hora blinked in surprise at his sudden interjection, casting him a quick glance and staring a little. He caught the look and grimaced slightly, "What's the face for? I'm right." He replied flatly, and Hora sighed as she smiled at him.
"... I'm just surprised by the sudden vote of confidence, Salamander." Hora replied quietly, "It's appreciated of course, but you did doubt how well I could handle one little North Wind guy on my own back in Jeheil..." She pointed out, and he bristled.
"I told you it wasn't like that, Hora..!" He replied shortly, and she chuckled a bit.
"I know, I'm just teasing." she hummed softly, he huffed a little, his cheeks puffing up in agitation.
"I-I'm sorry, but what...?" Carla stammered breathlessly, pulling Hora's attention back and earning the SaberTooth Mage's dark blue eyes. "Did I hear that correctly? You defeated a Demon of Zeref all on your own...?" she asked quickly, and Hora nodded.
"Yeah." she mumbled softly, "And I get why you'd thought it was Minerva, she was out on a Job too, but North Wind was my Mission, not hers." Hora explained with a glance toward Mirajane. "But Salamander makes a good point, I am a Devil Slayer, so slaying Demons is pretty much what I'm meant to be good at..." She added, almost in exasperation as she trailed off a bit and everyone else blinked. "... Grant you I was pretty surprised I managed it at all, I've not really proved the whole Demon Slaying thing true before..." She grumbled, her heart twisting as her eyes fell slightly.
... Right... Because I was supposed to deal with Del... with Deliora... And I... Shit...
She shook her head at herself hotly, grumbling under her breath a few things no one caught.
"Ah... so it's fine to doubt it was me over Minerva." Hora mumbled, redirecting a bit. "It would make sense, since none of you really know me or what I can do... and Devil Slayer is a bit of a misnomer over 'Demon Slayer', so it wouldn't be an automatic put together of two and two even if you did know before..." She trailed off again, realizing she was about to start rambling and hating herself for falling into it so quickly. Her eyes flicked from Mirajane and toward Wendy as she offered up a reassuring smile, "... and please don't worry about what happened with Jiemma after he found out I helped all of you, I healed up pretty well with Sherria's help..." Hora added softly, and Wendy blinked in surprise at the sudden mention of the Lamia girl, all of the others looked surprised as well.
"Sherria...?" Wendy and Happy echoed softly,
"You know her?" Natsu pressed instantly, Hora nodded.
"A little. Sting and Rogue brought me to her when I got pretty sick after the whole thing." Hora replied softly, and Natsu grimaced a little, his eyes flashing at the thought of pretty sick. An understatement he was sure, considering what Yukino had said had made it clear she almost died- but Hora didn't let him linger too long on it. "I was at Lamia for a few days, we talked a little before I left. I haven't seen her or anyone else in Lamia since then, though... you know, since I've been running around on the edge of Fiore's territory chasing North Wind and everything else." She shrugged slightly,
"... you've had a busy few months, hmm?" Lily asked lowly, Hora sighed.
"...yeah..." She mumbled,
"Hey, Hora..?" Happy spoke up quietly, she tilted her head at him.
"Hmm?"
"I was just thinking... if you've got a Lacrima thing in your chest like Laxus and Rogue and Sting, and Jiemma put that Possession Link thing on it and you... well..." Happy started uncertainly, his paws wringing around his tail pensively. "So, since Jiemma's... well, was... like a really, really bad guy... did he do the same thing to Sting and Rogue, as he did with you...? With the Possession Link thingy..?" He asked tentatively, his ears flicking in her direction.
"I wondered that myself." Carla pointed out lowly, and she earned a few nods from the people listening and Hora stared slightly.
Rufus, Orga and everyone else had asked that too, after finding out... but... I...
"... uh... no..." Hora replied slowly, "... I put a Spell on them... so he couldn't... do that..." Her face fell as her words faded into nothing, her attention clearly not on the Fairy Tailers now and her mouth having been running before her thoughts had really clicked together all the way- and then they did, and her eyes flashed as she stiffened and her heart skipped a beat.
Oh my god
Her hands clapped together in front of her, her index fingers pressing against her nose as she sucked in a sharp breath of air, frowning as her heart sped up in panic and shock.
Did I seriously...?!
'You did.' Lixue answered with the utmost ease, and she bristled further at the reply.
I'm a fucking idiot!
"Hora, are you okay..?" Wendy asked slowly, her head tilting in confusion. Hora hissed, pulling her hands apart and quickly standing up from her stool, startling everyone near her with the sudden action.
"I'm fine, sorry, I just-" Hora replied quickly, pushing the stool back under the bar and looking passed Wendy and everyone in their small group as she scanned the immediate area for... for an open space...
"Oi, you ain't goin' anywhere." Natsu growled lowly, immediately moving to put himself in her way and she frowned.
"I'm not leaving, Salamander." She grumbled, waving a hand at him dismissively and easily slipping passed him before he could really get in her path.
"Then what the hell are you doing?" He asked without skipping a beat, "And why are you so freaked out so suddenly?" He grumbled, and she sighed, running her hand through her bangs as she softly stepped passed Mirajane and brought herself to a standstill in the small, clear and open space of floor just beside the corner of the bar, and the wall. Everyone in their small group (and not part of the battle-strategy over with Mavis) turned in her direction, eyes narrowed and curious. Natsu took a few steps after Hora, bringing himself level with Mira and Wendy, and was about to take a few more to get closer- but Hora's quick waving of her hand at him caused him to halt.
"Sorry, but stay there, alright...?" Hora said quickly, "I need some space real quick. I'm not doing anything dangerous or whatever, but I do need to do this while there's a break... I should have done this the minute the Possession Link got broken, but, well... I had other things on my mind, and have had other things on my mind, but now I remembered because of Happy's question-" She explained quickly, her hands falling slightly and her eyes dropping to the floor even as she talked and they all blinked, not following. And Hora was paying more attention on the floor than she was on really elaborating on what had her suddenly a little flighty, and rushing, and what she needed space for.
She spun in a small circle, slowly, her blue eyes tracing across the floorboards as she did, musing to herself for a moment as they let her be- and then Natsu huffed.
"What are you doing?" He asked again, his tone slightly more agitated and Hora stiffened, faltering in her tightly spun circle and casting a glance over her shoulder at him.
"Oh, uh... A Spell." Hora mumbled in reply, and rather lamely at that, and he quirked a brow.
"Hora, do you think it's a good idea to use Magic after what happened tonight..?" Wendy interjected quickly, her worry flaring anew and Hora caught her glittering brown eyes. Hora paused a moment, biting the inside of her cheek before shaking her head a little.
"... I'll be fine... It's not a terribly big spell in terms of Magic Energy, it's just complicated..." Hora replied slowly, Wendy looked not at all reassured, and Hora sighed. "Really, I'll be okay. I feel fine, considering everything, and it's not like I'm gonna be able to avoid using Magic if I plan to help you guys get Lucy and Yukino back." She pointed out, and the Fairy Tailers exchanged quick glances at that. She smiled a bit, "Plus I still have a long while to go before I really hit a wall, so don't worry, kay?"
"... if... if you're sure..." Wendy mumbled, Hora gave her a slightly appreciative smile.
"Completely sure." Hora replied easily, her eyes breaking from Wendy and back to the floor.
That being said... Are you actually good, Lixue?
'Hmm... for this? Yes... but don't be shocked if it's harder than you remember.' Lixue replied lowly, and she bit the inside of her cheek at it.
"What Spell are you planning to cast?" Mirajane asked,
"The same one that I put on Sting and Rogue, and the Lacrima in them-" Hora mumbled, her eyes not finding the woman, nor anyone else for that matter. "-which is why I should have done it earlier... I can't believe I ran off to the Inn to face Jiemma and Minerva without placing the Ward on Lixue... I'm fucking stupid..." She grumbled next, nearly all to herself as she made one more circle, and then stopped moving, her hands falling on her hips and her eyes dropping closed. "...mmm... If I accidentally burn the floor, I'll pay the owner for the damages... so sorry in advance, I'll do my best to... not." She sighed, casting the comment toward the watching group of Fairy Tailers.
Hora took in a long, slow breath and blew it out again, her hands raising off her hips and holding her hands out on either side of her, index fingers extended.
The Black Markings stretched up quickly along her arm and up to her shoulders, spinning and twisting as golden-red flame suddenly sparked to life at her fingertips. Her hands moved as she started tracing runes in air in little lines of fire, and simultaneously turned round in another slow, tight-knit circle with her left foot extended and dragging across the floor to leave a trail of smokey black and gold across the hardwood. She made one full turn before stopping again, standing in the middle of the circle she had just drawn, eyes still closed. Her hands stalled, her drawing of the runes in air before her coming to a close as her hands fell halfway and her palms remained flat and open to the ceiling.
"... Bind in steel, and iron cold..." Hora mumbled under her breath, her words wispy and so low she could scarcely be heard. "... Unbreakable locks, and chains unbendable... Unseen to the eye, unable to touch... Steadfast and unyielding, an impossible wall..."
As she spoke those soft words the runes she had given life and burned like single golden fires in air, they began to flicker and spark with more fervor. The golden-red turned utterly gold, and continued to burn brighter and brighter until it became bright white- all in tandem with Hora repeating those firsts lines of phrases over again once, and then twice.
After the third iteration she brought her palms up, her fingertips brushing against the runes directly in front of her as they shift under the contact, and slowly the runes circling around her started to bend and move inward toward Hora's chest and back. The black markings swirling over her shoulders spread down her other arm next, swimming across her skin in constant motion. That circle of ash and ember she had drawn on the floor sprung up in gold flame about two feet high- giving off a distinct warmth, but it was almost calm and gentle, in a way. Her hands raised up in front of her, fingers extended and each of her fingertips touching the other lightly, palms apart.
"... I write and carve these things into the soul, the essence of an object not meant to be controlled..." She mumbled softly, chanting almost as she recanted the verses of the Spell with the utmost calm and concentration, and the looking Fairy Tailers stood by in near awe. "... Inscribe these things in the very essence, so deep, so strong... so nothing may take hold... to never be controlled, to never be owned... to never let hands unwanted rule what they do not have right to possess."
The fire flickering at her feet wavered, the blinding gold color shifting to a near icy blue and white for a few seconds as the runes stuck to Hora's arms and skin, glowing brightly as the Saber Wizard's words cut off, and she seemed to suck in a sharp breath of air. Her recanting of the Spell and it's verses died altogether, and she stood there in the center of that flaming circle in the utmost silence and stillness. She didn't seem to breathe as she stood there, the runes glowing across her skin and remaining beacons even among the swirling black markings that tried to swallow them whole, but never actually managed it... at least not for about three or four minutes.
The longer Hora stood there in silence, the brighter the flames at her feet seemed to rise, wavering and licking at her body, but it was quickly growing colder- whatever heat the flame was meant to have was fading. And it was fading in tandem with the glow of the Runes stuck to her skin, dimming as the minutes ticked by and they almost seemed to sink in through her skin, down to muscle and bone, and then deeper until they could no longer be seen. Hora felt them though, bright and so hot they were cold, heavy and solid as they latched on to her, chaining themselves to her core and forming a protective layer across that stone in her chest.
And shit it hurt
She bit down on the inside of both her cheeks, her muscles going stiff and her eyes scrunching closed against the bright, fiery stinging sensation that erupted through her core and radiated through every inch of her. Where the runes had seeped in through her skin, her flesh, muscle and bone all felt like they were burning- and it was an utterly unpleasant sensation she was all too familiar with.
But even apart from the pain and the discomfort, she felt herself straining to keep the Spell going, and all the way to the end. It was hell to keep her concentration on the damn thing, and keep it steady- and to keep her attention on delicately weaving those runes into the fabric of the Lacrima, and imprint them into the stone so deeply?
Holy shit... this is harder than it was last time... fuck...!
'... I warned you.' Lixue intoned dryly, though he sounded as uncomfortable as she felt.
She held her breath against it, her hands shaking as she kept her fingertips pressed together, and she could feel her knees shaking every once in awhile too.
... you're fine Hora... you can hold out to finish the Spell... you're fine...
She winced silently as the stinging, burning sensation in her chest reached a peak. Her hands split apart in an instant, swiping out on either side of her and head bowed a little, the markings along her arms swirled faster and the flames at her feet rose high enough to brush against her hands, but she didn't feel it.
"Link Ward: Set." She muttered lowly, a small Magic Circle appearing in front of her chest for a few seconds, and followed by the faint, far off sound of something locking shut, before it was gone. As the Magic Circle disappeared, the flames encircling her died off, sinking back into the floor and the circle of ash she'd drawn, before the ash itself faded altogether too, and left no trace behind.
Hora's hands pulled back in toward her center, letting out the breath she'd been holding for so long and her shoulders sinking out of their stiff posture. The Markings ceased their rapid swirling and retracted, moving back to her shoulders and then all the way down to her right wrist, and then they were gone too.
Her hand fell lightly on her chest as she leaned over a bit, her other hand falling on her knee as she propped herself up with it a little. She grimaced faintly, her breathing a little elevated now and feeling shaky too.
... Well... That wasn't fun... But... At least now, a Possession Link can't ever get placed on you again, Lixue... And honestly... Even wasting all that energy right now was worth it, if only to feel a little... Safer...
'... Indeed...'
Her hand fell away from her chest and to her other knee, sighing as she forced her slightly panting breaths to slow down again. She cracked her eyes open to look at the floor, only to see it swimming in her vision, and she swallowed at it.
... Though maybe for a little while now... I'll refrain from using a lot of Magic... Or using big Spells... I'm a little too dizzy after that...
"Are you alright, Hora?" Wendy asked quietly, Hora could hear the small Dragon Slayer's feet on the floor as she took a few steps closer- a second pair of feet told her that Natsu had come a little closer too.
Hora nodded a little, cracking one eye open and casting the small Dragon Slayer a weary smile.
"Yeah, I'm good." She murmured, straightening up a little, though her hands stayed on her thighs. "... Honestly I just feel better having the ward put up, so its worth however hard the Spell was..." She mumbled, and Wendy nodded slightly.
"I suppose it would." Pantherlily murmured lowly from his space on the bartop, Hora's smile faded a little at the comment, though only a little. She nodded a bit and sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly.
"Where did you learn a Spell like that, Hora?" Wendy asked softly, her head tilting in intrigue.
"Hmm...?" Hora hummed a little, glancing toward the girl. "Oh, I found it in an old book at the Grand Magic Library a few years back." She explained, "... I spent a lot of time moving between libraries and archives all over Fiore, trying to learn everything I could about Possession Links and how to break them, if I could." she mumbled, shrugging slightly. "... Never did find a way to break them, but I did find a way to keep an item from having a Link placed on it in the first place. It was too late for me by the time I learned it, but it helped with Sting and Rogue. As soon as they decided to join the Guild, I made sure to put a ward on them both..." She told the bluenette softly, and Wendy nodded a little.
"They're lucky to have you as a friend Hora." Wendy smiled gently, "It must really comfort them, to know they have someone who cares about them as much as you do." Hora blinked, her smile fading almost all the way now.
I'm not sure they'll feel that way, after finding out like they did... None of this is...
She looked away, and she couldn't bring herself to give Wendy any sort of reply, especially not when her stomach lurched and her heart twisted at the thought of how angry Sting had been.
... I don't know if any of them can forgive me for any of it... I've just screwed up so badly...
She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes falling to the floor as her fingernails dug into her knees a little.
Damn me
"...ah.. Speaking of friends." Hora murmured, shaking her head at herself and straightening up all the way, her hands falling on her hips away she cast Natsu a look. "How you feeling, Salamander?" She asked softly and he blinked, his eyes narrowing at her.
"... Fine." he grumbled slowly, and Hora raised a brow.
"You sure?" She asked and he frowned, "Stomach's not killin' you, Flame-Brain?"
"I'm fine." He huffed slightly, looking away from her rather pointedly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Tch... I told you, I can eat whatever fire I want, yours ain't any different... worry about yourself." He muttered hotly and Hora smiled sadly at him.
He still looked pretty shitty, by the way- pale and subdued in his behavior (despite his agitation). He clearly didn't feel very good, and every once in awhile she swore she saw him sway, or cringe slightly like his stomach was hurting him. And he was quiet, and he was hiding it well, but... Well, she could just tell.
Experience maybe
"... Hmm... Stubborn as hell, huh...?" She mumbled, and he stiffened a little at the comment, especially when a few of the others smiled in amusement. "... Fine, I'll drop it for now... Maybe we can talk about the plan, then?" Hora suggested, her eyes finding Mirajane next. "I realize that's what Mavis is good at, but it'll help to talk things out between ourselves." Mira nodded,
"Alright, I suppose it would do us good to start talking it through." the white-haired woman agreed, shifting slightly to the side and gesturing with her hand back to the bar with a gentle smile. "Maybe you should have a seat?" She suggested gently, smiling a little more as she cast Natsu a look. "Maybe you should sit down too, Natsu." She added, and the pinkette grimaced, his eye twitching.
"I said I'm fi-" he started hotly, but cut off as Hora stepped forward and linked her arm through one of his, easily pulling him around and up toward the bar. He stumbled slightly in surprise, eyes widening as Hora silently lead him up to a stool, and then easily unhooked her arm from his, and let her hands fall on his shoulders.
"Sit, Salamander." She ordered softly, her hands putting pressure on his shoulders as she somewhat forced him to sit down, and he huffed. Her hands retracted and his fell to rest on the stool between his legs, shoulders hunching and almost pouting as he watched Hora take a seat on the stool beside him. Wendy took a seat on Hora's other side, and the Exceeds settled down on the bartop again as Mira rounded the bar to the other side. Their small group huddled together a bit, their attention on Mavis and everyone else behind them fading into nothing.
Hora crossed her arms on top of the counter, leaning against them. "So first thing first I suppose, does anyone know where exactly Yukino and Lucy have been taken?" She asked softly,
"The prison in the castle." Natsu deadpanned immediately, and Hora sighed.
"... Well I figured that, but the castle and it's jail are probably pretty huge." Hora told him, "Personally, I don't have any good idea of what that place looks like on the inside, I've never been there, so I wouldn't have a clue where to go in terms of looking for them."
"What's that matter? We can just follow their scent." He replied instantly and Hora sighed, again.
"... as sure-proof as our noses are, Salamander, what happens if we get separated? And some of us are left without anyone who can sniff their way around?" Hora pointed out lowly, and he grimaced a bit. "And besides, this is supposed to be a stealth mission. It'll go smoother if we have a general idea of what the place is like on the inside, and it'll help even more to know which end of Mercurius to be looking in."
"That is true." PantherLily agreed with a nod of his head, "Though we have little experience with the inner workings of the palace ourselves, and with it being so heavily guarded, getting any information will be a challenge."
"Yes, and all the King's men and army will be on high alert for anyone in Fairy Tail to be snooping around." Carla murmured lowly, "So even if we wanted to, we can't be sticking our noses around the palace before the plan actually begins, lest we risk setting Darton off."
"And all of that is overlooking how we plan to get in. It won't be like we can just walk in..." Wendy mumbled softly, Hora grimaced slightly, her eyes falling to the bar counter.
"Normally I would use my Transformation Magic to fool the guards." Mirajane piped in, "I had thought about posing as one of the king's men, and pretending I had arrested Natsu and Wendy sneaking around the borders... though it would be hard to keep a handle on the rest of you all by myself, without making it look suspicious." She added with a nod of her head toward the Exceeds and toward Hora, who glanced up at the white-haired woman curiously.
"That's too bad, that might have worked.." Wendy sighed, and Hora's eyes narrowed a bit.
"... well... it might still work..." Hora mumbled softly, earning blinks of question from the Fairy Tailers. Hora unhooked her arms and brought her hands up, her fingertips on each hand lightly pressing together and palms remaining apart as she drew her hands in. Her touching index fingers lightly rest against her nose, while her thumbs rest against her chin- the odd and somewhat unique gesture from earlier making a reappearance, though none of them paid it much mind this time around.
Hora's eyes dropped closed as she hummed under her breath for a minute, thinking to herself for a few moments, before she went on. "... It's not a bad idea, and I think it would work- and you are right. Even if you were to say you arrested me too, and hid the Exceeds in your coat or something, three prisoners for one guard would be suspicious. And still you wouldn't really know where you were going, or where the jail is, and that would be suspicious too... but..." She bit the inside of her cheek, "... maybe if there were two guards..."
"Two?" Wendy hummed,
"Do you know Transformation Magic too?" Happy asked, and Hora sighed.
"No, but the way I'm thinking, we wouldn't need someone else who used it." Hora replied,
I mean he probably would help if I asked, right? It's not like he would be directly involved in anything the King's army is doing, right...?
... at the same time, I would hate to get him in trouble... but the situation kinda calls for drastic measures...
... I hope he's still in Crocus, then...
"... so the plan is to get in, get Yukino and Lucy, and get back out again without causing a riot..." Hora hummed softly, "... hard to do with throwing Magic around and storming the gates, and harder if we don't know the layout of the land... but if we were let in without causing suspicion, and had a better idea of where we were going... the rescue thing might not be a huge mess..."
... and honestly, the less fighting we- and I- have to do in all this, the better in the long run...
"What are you thinking?" PantherLily asked, and Hora glanced up, her hands pulling away from her face.
"Well in terms of getting a better layout of the palace, I can probably send some birds to do a little spying." Hora murmured, Lily's head tilted at the statement, but Hora didn't pause. "And I might have a friend who can help us actually get passed the guards and into the jail itself, and Mirajane's plan for that would work well with his help... I think." Hora sighed a bit and her hand lift, reaching left in air as a Magic Circle appeared before her hand, and she stuck her hand through the center of it, digging around.
"Birds...?" Mirajane and Lily mumbled, Wendy and Carla cast unsure looks between each other.
"Those things are pretty bright ya know, and it's dark outside. Don't you think the guys at the palace are gonna notice them flying around?" Natsu mumbled beside her, and Hora glanced his way, though her digging around in the Magic Circle didn't cease. "They're pretty much balls of fire. Even dumbasses won't miss them."
"These are gonna be different birds than the ones I used back in Jeheil." Hora replied with ease, her hand retracting from the Magic circle with a large stack of papers, and a few pens. "For one, they are actual birds, not just bits of flame. And I can change them to look like whatever I want Salamander, so I'm gonna make them as inconspicuous as possible. Don't worry about that bit."
"What if they get seen?" Happy asked,
"Well they aren't exactly something anyone in Fairy Tail is known for doing, so they won't assume it's you guys getting involved right off the bat." Hora told him, setting the papers and the pens down in front of her, the Magic Circle disappearing. "And if they get noticed, they'll just burn up. There won't be anything to track, or hold on to if they get caught either... they'll just disappear." She pulled the cap off one of the pens with her teeth and stacked the papers up a bit more neatly in front of her. "... grant you, at least one of 'um is gonna have to make it back, in order to get any info... but I'm sure one of 'um will." She mumbled around the cap, "So I'll send 'um to try and get a better look at the layout of Mercurius, and send one to ask for help with the gettin' in... but it's gonna take me a little while to draw 'um all..." She mumbled, her hand raising to take the cap out from between her teeth.
"And who is this friend?" Mirajane asked,
"He's from the Magic Council." She murmured, and immediately the Fairy Tailers stiffened, which was not much a surprise given Fairy Tail's relationship with them. She smiled slightly, "He's a good kid though, you don't have to worry about him causing trouble. And I'm sure he'll be happy to help out."
"... well, I suppose if you think he'll be of help.." Carla sighed, Hora smiled a bit more, but let it be. Her attention turned to the papers on the bar in front of her, and she adjusted the pen between her fingers.
Her pen hit the paper as she started into making quick, deliberate strokes across the paper, shaping an outline and filling in the ink. Swirling, intricate designs painted across the paper and the shape that was less shape than a blob, but would quickly become less so. The Fairy Tailers around her leaned in a little, watching her work with intrigue, and she did her best to ignore it.
"... Hora, did you make that paper bird that came to see Lucy in the Infirmary?" Wendy asked suddenly, Hora glanced her way in slight surprise, her pen stalling for a minute.
"Uh... you were there..?" Hora asked slowly, Wendy and Carla both nodded a little, though they looked a little more surprised by the admission.
"Yes." Wendy hummed, "Lucy wouldn't tell us who it was from at the time, but I suppose I do remember it having your scent on it... it was a really interesting little creature, I'd never seen anything like it." She smiled softly, "Your Magic is really amazing, Hora, it seems like it can do so many things...!"
Hora blushed a little nervously, her eyes darting away from Wendy as her pen hovered over the paper a bit.
"And these birds you're drawing are very pretty too!" The little Dragon Slayer hummed pleasantly, and Hora felt her face heat up a bit more. She was reminded instantly of the compliments that she had received from Sherria back in Lamia Scale, and she grumbled internally at the praise that made her feel more flustered than she would like to admit.
"... Ah, thanks..." She mumbled slowly, Wendy nodded. Hora forced her hand to move the pen back down so the tip of it could hit the paper once more, determined to lose herself in her drawing and manage to not be so very aware of all of them leaning in and watching her do it.
... Mmmm... this is weird... They're all staring...
She bit the inside of her cheek, grumbling internally and hating the way she felt so damned flustered.
... I wish they would stop...
She kept her mouth shut though, quickly getting through the papers and finishing each illustration one by one until she was done- and had about a dozen stacked on the counter in front of her. She set the pen down and picked the papers up in hand, still doing her best to ignore the watchful eyes of the Fairies around her, and not let how flustered she felt show outwardly.
She paused for a moment, her eyes trailing to Natsu and Wendy leaning in close on either side of her, and sighing silently.
"Okay, I'm gonna send them out now, alright...?" She mumbled, and the Fairies blinked, before nodding slightly.
"Alright." Was the collective murmur, and Wendy and Natsu seemed to take the hint to back up, at least a little. Hora sighed again and let her eyes drop closed, one hand lifting with the papers between her fingers and the other falling into her lap. She lift the papers up a bit in front of her, gold pulsing into the paper from her fingertips and instantly setting the stack alight in bright, warm flame. She held to the stack for no more than a second more, before tossing them all up into the air above their heads rather nonchalantly. The papers separated, cascading in air like a shower of smoldering flame as the paper got eaten up- but the illustrations remained unharmed, the fire spreading along the wings and the paper suddenly puffing up into something no longer two dimensional.
They never hit the floor, instead they floated above the bar, wings flapping and bits of ember and fire falling like gentle snow underneath the 12 small, now suddenly very much alive birds, fire dancing along their illustrated, black and white bodies. They all chirped a little, their attention on Hora and not on the band of Fairy Tailers looking up at them with the utmost awe, their eyes reflecting the brilliant red and gold color of the flames.
"Hello Miss!" They all chirped in unison, Hora smiled slightly.
"Hello Drille, Pilli, Fille, Kaille, Jelli, Reille, Erelle, Anilli, Vylle, Belle, Nalli, and Seylle." Hora hummed, nodding to each bird and talking to it directly as she recanted all their names with the utmost ease, and each bird nodded back when addressed. The Fairy Tailers around her blinked at all the names, casting Hora somewhat surprised, and somewhat amused looks, though Hora never saw them.
"What can we do for you today, Miss?" Drille chirped brightly,
"I have a mission for all of you- a bit of reconnaissance of the Mercurius Palace." Hora explained, "Lucy and Yukino have been captured and are being held prisoner. I need you to got to the Palace and look for them- figure out the layout of the entire area, and see if you can pin down where they both are to as small a distance as possible." The birds all nodded affirmatively, and Hora lift a finger, holding it up in air and her smile fading. "Be as thorough as you can, and make sure not to get seen or caught. We can't alert the Palace Guards or the army to what we are doing- the instant you think someone sees you, or you get cornered- burn up, got it?" Another stiff nod from the little creatures and Hora nodded back, her dark blue eyes flashing. "Good. This is a Maximum Stealth Mode mission, do your best!" She told them firmly, and the bird's chirped, their little wings flapping a little faster.
"Of course Miss! We won't let you down!" They replied in unison, their wings seeming to find a sudden unison too as the flames giving them life suddenly flashed- the brilliant gold and red quickly washed away as the fire took on a color so utterly, deeply black in color... a pitch ebony hue that even seemed to seep into the white bits left alone in the paper, turning them all a darker hue that none of the Fairy Tailer's had expected paper or fire to be capable of.
"Maximum Stealth Mode, activated!"
Hora nodded, her eyes flashing as she tilted her head to the door. "Head out." She ordered softly and the birds all turned tail and streamed out the front door and window with little a word and even little a sound, the noise of their wings seemed to dampen in conjunction with their color shift. Hora cast a glance to the door, letting out a small breath and her hands folding in her lap.
... be careful...
"... Hora, your Magic is so amazing!"
Hora stiffened at Wendy's voice, her attention turning from the door and toward the little Dragon Slayer, blinking to see the wide smile on the girl's face, and seeing the enthusiasm in the Sky Dragon mirrored in Happy almost tenfold.
"Seriously, how many Magic's can you use, Atia..?!" Happy mewed, his tail wagging back and forth. "You're a Devil Slayer, but you use Picto Magic too!"
"And you can use all sorts of other Spells too, like the one for the Ward, and the one that put Natsu-san to sleep earlier!" Wendy intoned brightly,
"Uh..." Hora mumbled, a little taken aback by... well, the excitement.
"I knew you were super good with Magic, but I didn't know how good!" Happy trilled,
"You are such a strong Wizard!" Wendy beamed, Hora felt her face heat up again, her stomach and nerves lurching. "And your Magic is so powerful, and versatile! It's incredible!"
"Is there anything you can't do?!" Happy asked, and Hora felt her face burn brighter than ever.
"W-Wait, it's really not... I'm not r-really anything special, or anything...!" She stammered quickly, waving her hands a bit in front of her. "I-I'm not using all that many different Magics at all...! All of the birds are j-just... I make them with my Devil Slayer Magic, really... I've just a-altered it a little, to make m-my own special version of P-Picto-Magic out of it...!" She explained quickly, though she honestly felt it was a terrible explanation. "P-plus the Ward Spell is just a random Spell...! Most every Wizards know a few random Spells, ya know...?" She tapped her fingers together a bit nervously, her eyes falling on them and not on everyone else. "B-besides, I'm not that strong o-or impressive or anything... a lot of what I do is just... luck and stubbornness, more than actual skill or anything..."
"I think you give yourself too little credit." Mirajane hummed pleasantly, and Hora bit the inside of her cheek.
"Indeed. You did defeat a Demon of Zeref on your own." Lily intoned with a small smirk, Hora's head dropped a bit shyly.
"...I... yeah... I guess.. but..." Hora mumbled under her breath, her words fading into nothing as she bit the inside of both cheeks.
... that whole thing was just unending stubborness on my part, and probably no small amount of luck too...
'... perhaps, though they do have a point. Few Wizards are capable of the feats you can accomplish with relative ease.' Lixue intoned quietly, and Hora growled a little.
I guess... but how impressive can I really be when I've been little but a slave for the last ten years...?
'... that is unrelated in this case.'
Hmph, if you say so...
"You are far too modest for your own good." Carla interjected on Hora's thoughts, and the Saber woman looked up cautiously, still a little flushed. "Your actions against that Demon aside, let's not forget what happened tonight. You were in danger of losing your life when we found you, and despite what injury you earned from Jiemma's actions- you are running around and using Magic and you are doing so with what seems little issue." The Exceed huffed, and Hora blinked. "You nearly died tonight, and yet you are carrying on as if you are fine, putting the best interests of your Guild and your friends first and doing everything you can to make things right. You are here planning to rescue your friends, and you intend to participate in that rescue tomorrow morning alongside us- and just now you've already implemented a plan to gather more information to help with that venture." Her tail flicked a bit irritably behind her, her paws crossing over her chest. "Honestly, you should scarcely be able to move right now, let alone be doing all you are- and that is more a testament to how strong you are than anything else. And a testament that tells you are, indeed, incredibly strong." Her words earned nods from everyone else, and Hora paused, her eyes dropping slightly.
'She has a point.' Lixue murmured softly, 'Most people would have not survived any of what happened tonight, and near no one could keep on like this... you do not realize how strong you are... tedious, as I thought you had earned a bit more confidence these last few months...'
"She's right, ya know." Natsu murmured beside her, and Hora glanced his way, her eyes glittering. "All the stuff you've done and pulled through, and all the fight's ya won too, not all of that is just luck or whatever else. What's gotten you through everything is all you- and you're strong as hell." He murmured, smiling just slightly. "Even with a fire in your belly, it won't mean much unless you're capable of staying standing... and you definitely are, you've proved that today and a bunch of times before now."
Hora let out a small breath, her eyes flashing as she looked away from him and her shoulders sank a little. "... maybe you're right.." She hummed, and he huffed.
"Of course I'm right!" He replied instantly, and Hora shrugged.
"I dunno, you say some pretty stupid shit sometimes, Salamander." She quipped with ease, and his teeth grit a bit. Hora smiled softly though, her eyes opening as she cast him a glance, her expression nothing but calm and... appreciative too, and his irritation at the comment cut off in an instant.
"But sometimes you do say exactly the right thing." She hummed softly, her eyes glittering as he paused, his face falling slack.
"H-huh..?" He stammered, looking entirely unsure on what to do when he saw the tears falling from her eyes. His eyes flashed, his hands moving up slightly as he stumbled for something to say or do. "W-what? What did I say? I wasn't tryin' to-!"
He went rigid, Hora head falling as her arm moved out toward him, her fist lightly pressing against his chest as she stood in stillness, he blinked rapidly, unsure what the gesture was or what it even meant.
She lightly tapped her fist against his chest, ever so softly as she shook her head, her eyes moving back up toward him as she smiled, her tears having already come to a halt.
"... you didn't say anything wrong, Salamander." She said softly, her eyes glinting. He blinked, sweatdropping. "... It's just... no one's ever separated who I was from what my Magic is... I've never... but in your own weird way... You said everything right. "
He bit the inside of his cheek a little, sighing as the memory faded away and he nodded a bit, offering up a small weary smile, and she smiled a bit more, nodding back to him.
Wendy, Happy, Carla, Lily and Mirajane exchanged glanced between themselves and the two Fire-Users, smiling slightly to themselves but not really sure what the look they'd shared really meant.
"So, now... while we wait on them to get back, wanna keep on with the planning?" Hora hummed, turning to the rest of them and calm returning to her expression in near no time at all. The Fairies nodded, huddling together again as they began to quietly talk amongst themselves- and Hora entirely unaware of the sidelong glance she earned from a certain Ice Mage on the other side of the room.
His attention on the battle strategy with Mavis had faded for a minute, momentarily distracted from their battle strategy when Hora sent the Firebirds alight and then sent them out. He'd been listening long enough to hear what orders the Saber woman gave to those strange little birds, and what she called them... and Mavis' voice was a low drone as he narrowed his eyes at the strange woman's back, though he did little but look at her from the corner of his eye. Juvia noticed his diverted attention though, and she frowned a little.
They both noticed it of course, in some way... the way that Saber woman's eyes lingered too long or kept flicking back on end, and how tense she was- though neither of them really knew why. But what caught Juvia's attention now was the fact that Gray had looked toward her this time and kept his eyes there, instead of the opposite.
Something was a little off... but what?
Gray grumbled a bit, huffing under his breath and his arms crossed over his chest as he looked away again, and Juvia's eyes glittered as she looked at him in silence.
Was it distrust? It wouldn't be unwarranted, SaberTooth did not sit well with them, even after what they had learned... and maybe that was part of it.
But there was something else... Something that just... Irked him about her, and he couldn't place what it was. And the not knowing made him distrust her and anything having to do with her all the more.
... What is this...? That I'm feeling...?
... tch... Something about her... it puts me on edge... I don't like it.
"... alright, are you planning on returning tonight?"
"Yeah just... not quite yet, I think there's a few things to wrap up before I come back... you guys don't need to wait up on me, you gotta get some sleep for tomorrow. It's already pretty late..."
"We will, but we wanted to be sure you were alright... how are you feeling, Horatia?"
"I'm good... I mean mostly, I'm tired now that things have winded down but... I really am fine. I don't feel terrible or anything..."
... well, maybe a little, but-
"... Is... Rogue still clocked out?"
"Yes, and that's probably for the best."
"Yeah... how is everyone else...?"
"They are fine, Frosch is asleep and Orga has been quiet-"
"- I'm fine, Hora. Don't sweat it about me, you got your own stuff to worry over."
"... right... alright... and... Sting...?"
"... he was here a little while ago, though he left soon after he finished listening to you explain what your plan for tomorrow is... And I do not believe he intends to come back into the room anytime soon either..."
"...O...oh... yeah... I... I get it... that... that's fine..."
"... Apologies, Horatia."
"N..No... it's okay... I... I'll be back soon... please get some rest, both of you."
Hora's eyes glittered, her lips pulling into a tight line and her head falling back against the wall, her knees bent and her elbows on top of them as she held her Calling Card lightly in her hands. She was sitting on the floor, underneath the lip of the bar and leaning against the bottom of it- the stool that had previously been in her place having been pushed aside. The overhang of the bar itself over her head blocked out the overhead lights in the building, which eased the headache she had and the sting of the lights on her eyes... and she felt a bit more out of sight in the small space, which helped even more against the tenseness that had never gone away, and that nagging, unpleasant sensation of knowing the Fairy Tailers always had their eyes and attention on her in some way.
And she honestly hated being the center of attention- and even just being in their attention when they were talking was uncomfortable too... she felt she'd relaxed a bit since first showing up, but she was still in a building full of people she was a stranger too, and she never forgot it. So when a lull came in, and the discussions faded into little but nothing, and Drille came back with a report on the findings- they had a better idea of what the Palace looked like, where Lucy and Yukino were being held, and Ira had agreed to help... so they had a plan laid out for tomorrow at last, and it was high time she updated everyone back at the Guild- seeing as how several hours had gone by already. So she'd tucked herself away under the bar and pulled the Calling Card out, and the conversation that had gone on had been between herself and Rufus... and only Rufus (spare what few times Orga popped in with a question, here and there...).
But the whole call had been sorely lacking a certain blonde Dragon Slayer, and her heart clenched painfully in her chest.
... he... he didn't even say a word to me... or look at the Card, or ask any questions... and he left without...
Her hold on the Card tightened, and she felt her heart twist painfully in her chest, a stinging sensation pricking at the back of her eyes as she stared at it's black screen-face.
... he... doesn't even want to... S.. Shit...
She shut her eyes quickly, her hands folding and enough so the screen-face tilted down and she would no longer be able to see it, even if she was looking.
The memory of a few hours ago flooded her mind, the way she'd spilled everything to them in the room, about her Magic, about what happened when she was a kid, about the Possession Link... about how angry he'd gotten, the rage that had ignited in him and the steely glare he'd settled on her, fury in those eyes and.. and...
... c.. crap... he...
Her stomach knotted, her chest tightening as she sucked in a sharp, shallow breath of air that was much too shaky for her liking... but shit.
Her pulled her legs in further, her head bowing as she rest her forehead against her knees.
"... Hey, you okay?"
Hora stiffened, her thoughts and her emotions slamming to a halt as she glanced up slowly, her dark blue eyes finding a familiar pinkette in front of her, crouched down on the balls of his feet and elbows on his knees. His face pulled slightly, concerned, tired, and questioning all at once as he tilted his head at her. She blinked at him, still holding her breath and her eyes glittering. She hadn't even heard him come closer or know he was there until he said something, and she saw his face twist a little in worry when their eyes met, and she hated herself for how obvious her emotions were just then.
Her eyes dropped from him as she pulled her arms in and off her knees, crossing them over her stomach and nodding a little. "Yeah... I'm..." She started, her voice trailing off as Natsu grimaced slightly at how her voice died so quickly, and her conviction seemed to die just as fast. His mouth dropped open to say something, but he never actually got that far-
"Hey." A gruff voice interrupted behind him, causing Natsu and Hora to jump- Hora felt her heart sink and suddenly run a hundred miles an hour all at once.
She felt a shiver run up her spine, setting her on edge and her eyes snapping up and open wide as her attention darted straight passed Natsu in front of her, and toward the person standing behind the pinkette- and again, she hadn't heard him approaching at all until he said something, and with such an edge to his voice too.
She recoiled without meaning to, though already being pressed against the wall of the bar, she hadn't much room to really move at all. Her hands around her Calling Card got all the tighter though, bending the edges of it without noticing nor really caring- her dark blue eyes locked with his own eyes of the exact same hue, and she felt she forgot how to breathe.
Natsu blinked, a bead of sweat falling down his jaw and eyes narrowing at the instant way in which Hora seemed to tense up- like a lot... she looked almost...?
He bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes trailing from Hora and toward Gray where the Ice Wizard had stopped just behind him and interrupted what he'd been about to say. And he saw the way Gray's eyes narrowed too, his lips pulled into a tight line and shoulders rigid as he crossed his arms over his chest tightly, looking wary... Gray noticed Hora's sudden tenseness too, and it wasn't the first time either.
But again, why?
Gray grumbled under his breath, his jaw clenching slightly as he let out an agitated huff and shook his head a little at the look he earned from the Saber Woman, but he ignored it for now.
"That thing you did earlier." Gray muttered lowly, and Hora blinked, rigid in place and fixed. "When you were on the floor, with your hands and you started... thinking or whatever." He elaborated a bit when he noticed the otherwise blank stare he was getting, and Hora blinked several times in surprise when she realized what he was referencing.
... Hora frowned, her eyes dropping closed as she pushed herself up a bit and adjusted to sit cross-legged on the floor instead of on her heels as she had been. Her elbows met her knees as she bent her head a bit, her hands moving up as her fingertips on each hand lightly pressing together and palms remaining apart as she drew her hands in. Her touching index fingers lightly rest against her nose, while her thumbs rest against her chin, silent in the odd, and yet somewhat unique gesture as a silence seemed to fall over the Saber Wizard as she fell into her own head. The Fairy Tailers all around her blinked at the action, confused as to what it was and why she seemed to be thinking so intently out of nowhere- not that any of them interrupted, mind you...
"What the hell is that?" Gray went on, and Hora paused, her head tilting.
"Uhm... I... don't... know...?" She started slowly, her voice quiet and a little shaky as she grimaced a bit, her heart pounding in her chest and her thoughts racing now. And without realizing her hands were doing it, they slowly moved back into that same odd posture- her Calling Card lightly between her palms and her eyes glittering, her fingertips tapping lightly together as she glanced away from him and down at her hands in her lap. "... it's... just something I do... I guess...?"
But what... why was he asking that, all of a sudden? She couldn't think of why, it didn't make any sense... it was just something she did, without thinking about it.
Gray hissed, looking a little annoyed with the answer. "Was it something you came up with, or picked up from somewhere?" He pressed lowly and Hora stiffened, her eyes slowly trailing back up to him and swallowing back at the utterly flat stare he had set on her.
"Uhm... just... came up with... I guess...?" Hora answered slowly, her hands trembling slightly as her fingers linked together a bit self-consciously. His eyes narrowed further and she shivered despite herself, "... I just... I do it... without thinking... it's kinda like habit, I guess..." She mumbled, stammering a bit and all too aware she was teetering near the edge of beginning to ramble- but Natsu saved her from that.
"Why the hell are you asking?" Natsu asked of Gray, his brow quirked at the Ice Mage and just as confused as Hora was in all honesty.
Gray growled a bit, shaking his head and clicking his tongue almost dismissively. He waved a hand at the both of them and turned, starting to stalk off.
"Whatever, just forget it." He muttered behind him, already moving and leaving both Hora and Natsu to watch him walk away in slightly stunned, slightly reeling silence.
Hora's eyes remained fixed to his back, her eyes flashing and blinking several times over as her thoughts spun and tried desperately to come to terms with the sudden questions, and what they meant... and why he seemed so annoyed with her answer..?
I don't get it... why ask about that at all? It's just... it's so trivial, it doesn't mean anything... I don't think about it when I do it. I've never thought about it at all, it just happens... and maybe it's a little weird, but I do a lot of weirder things.
So why... single that out? Out of everything I said today, or did?
I just... I don't get it...?
'... it is a little odd.' Lixue agreed, clearly he had no other ideas about why it had suddenly cropped than she did.
She couldn't take her eyes off his back even as he walked away though, and she swallowed back at what lump was in her throat, her stomach churning.
She felt it again, that urge to spill, to say it- call his attention back and just tell him, make it so he knew.. all those hundreds of things spinning through her mind and begging to be uttered aloud whenever she looked at him. And with each recurrence, it was getting harder and harder to just keep her mouth shut...,
Hora swallowed, hard, her eyes flashing as she quickly got to her feet and stepped away from the bar. She walked straight passed Natsu and left him and his question behind, not bothering a glance at him at all. Her eyes were locked on Gray's back, and she walked faster, intent on clearing the distance between them and determined... determined to just do it.
"Gray..!" She called quickly, her voice was trembling too much, but he heard her and stopped. He glanced over his shoulder, brow quirked and wary still, but she had to ignore the icy pang that ran through her at the look, and the terror rising faster and faster- immensely so as she cleared those last few steps between them.
"What?" He grumbled and she took in a deep breath, her hands held together in front of her and clinging to her Calling Card still.
"... can... can we talk, for a minute?" She asked softly and his brow quirked further, his eyes narrowing.
"... I... I need to talk to you... tell you something... but... maybe outside...?" She murmured, her voice dropping very, very low. Her eyes were on her feet when she said it, afraid if she looked up she might see... something on his face she didn't want to see, distrust or distaste or... would he even agree? To talk?
And would doing this now, be the right thing? A good thing? Was it...?
She didn't know, and quickly her conviction died out altogether...,
Her eyes broke from watching Gray's back when he walked all the way across the building, and then turned enough she couldn't see him anymore from her place underneath the bar. She was left staring at empty air, and her jaw clenched, her eyes glittering as she felt her entire core knot so very, very tightly- so much so it was agonizing, and she sucked in a shaky breath of air because of it.
Every part of her wanted her to do it, screamed at her even- tell him, say it... admit it.
It's me
..Tch... But... I can't... I just... I can't do it... not now... n... not...
...shit... I don't want to make everything worse, or more crazy, or more difficult... I don't wanna hurt him, or distract him... I don't want to drudge it all back up... I just...
Her eyes dropped, her head with it as she crossed her arms over her knees and buried her face in them.
... I just don't wanna mess everything up... And I...
Her shoulders hunched, her teeth biting down into both sides of her cheek and holding her breath against what utterly terrible ache ignited through every inch of her being.
S...shit...
"... Hora...?" Natsu's voice was low and quiet, and much closer this time around. She heard him shuffle closer across the floor, dropping down to sit cross-legged just beside her and leaning in as he tilted his head, his eyes searching her and her posture since he couldn't see her face anymore. And she knew he must have heard the way she sucked in air and held it, and he certainly noticed the sudden trembling her body had given into... but she just couldn't help it, and hearing the concern in his voice did not help.
"... what's the matter?" He asked, and she hissed, her fingers digging into her arms.
"... I've messed so much shit up... and I keep messing up..." She muttered, her voice muffled with her face hidden, but even then he heard the way her voice shook, and the bitterness in it. He blinked, his posture deflating slightly as she shook her head a little hotly, but she never looked up. "... shit... I just don't... know how to fix anything... with anyone..."
"... with who?" He murmured and she hissed again, "Come on Hora, talk to me. You clearly wanna talk about it... or at least some part of it." He pressed, "Besides, what did I tell you about friends tellin' eachother things?"
"... tch... what happens if telling things is what made things worse, huh, Flame-Brain?" Hora muttered lowly, "... or will make things worse..?" He sighed, biting his lip a little and debating on what he should say next- or rather, ask.
He wanted to ask her why talking to Gray seemed to make her so tense and worked up, and maybe even a little afraid- but as much as he'd noticed her rather off behavior around the Ice-Freak, he had also seen how shaken she was about him (though still, he couldn't figure why), and maybe pressing the issue wasn't the best thing... for now.
And besides that, she'd looked pretty shaken up even before Gray interrupted there- so for the meantime he figured he would ask what he meant to, before the Ice Mage had cut him off. And maybe asking that would make it easier to work out all of what was clearly bothering her, and so badly.
"... did something happen, when you told everyone back at your Guild about it all?" He asked softly, and he saw Hora stiffen, and he nodded, taking that as answer enough. "Why do you think telling them messed things up?"
"... tch... were you eavesdropping on my Call, Salamander?" Hora muttered lowly, and he looked away for a minute almost sheepishly, though she didn't see it.
"Uh... not a lot..." He mumbled, and he heard Hora let out a slightly aggravated growl. "... sorry, I couldn't help it..." He apologized softly, and Hora shook her head a little, her head still in her arms.
"... it's... fine." She muttered, grudging so and he grimaced a bit to himself. He sighed, leaning over a bit with his elbows on his knees and watching her carefully as a few moments of silence settled between them.
"... what happened when you told them?" He pressed after a bit, and this time Hora tilted her head enough to cast him a sideways glance just over the top of her arm. For a few more seconds, she just stared at him and he returned the look evenly- patient, for once in his life.
She grumbled and looked away again, her eyes dropping closed as she lift her head out of her arms and let it fall back against the wall again.
"... they were shocked, and confused, a little angry... and hurt, I guess." She murmured at length, "... I mean why wouldn't they be? I unloaded so much shit on them in so little time, and they never had any clue about any of it... and it was right after Rogue had freaked out and thought Jiemma had killed me, and what happened with Lector, so they were all already on edge... and I get it. I know I should have told them a long time ago, I always wanted to... I just never did, and I... I regret it." She mumbled, her voice tensing at the end. "... I mean... they never really knew me, not all these years, you know...? They thought they did, and I just... I'm not what they thought, and what they know now, about the Possession Link, about Lixue, about being a Devil Slayer, and what happened with..." She trailed off there and Natsu blinked, his head tilting in question, but Hora never let herself continue with whatever that last bit was.
"... I messed up. I lied to them, kept things hidden for so, so long... I worried them, and hurt them, and I understand that they're worried, and angry with me for staying so quiet... I understand them being scared, and being confused... I get it... I really get it, I can't blame for it either... but..." Her jaw clenched, her teeth grinding together a bit as her fingernails dug into the tops of her knees. "... even if... I had to tell them, and needed to... it... I still messed it up... telling them has mucked things up and changed them, and I don't know if... everything I have done and damaged with all of this, can ever get fixed... I don't know if things will ever be the same again... or... or even just... close to it."
How can they be..? With everything they've all learned, and seen, and know... nothing's ever gonna be the same again, and now... the way they looked at me...
"Tch... I don't know if anyone's gonna ever be able to even... f-forgive me... s...shit..." Hora hissed, her voice shaking badly at the end and Natsu's heart clenched at it.
"... they'll forgive you, Hora." He told her calmly, and all too easily- and he meant it, but she hated how quickly he replied with it. "They're your friends, and I know they care about you. It doesn't matter if ya messed up, they ain't gonna hold it against you."
"Tch... you don't know that." She hissed back, and he sighed. "You... you have no idea how mad..."
"Yeah I do." He murmured, "I'm a little miffed with you too, ya know- for not telling me. But that don't change the fact you're my friend... and even if I'm angry, that doesn't mean it's gonna keep me from being your friend or caring about you or anything else from here on. Just because they got a little mad doesn't mean they won't forgive you or anything." Hora's shoulders hunched, her face twisting as she glanced down, staring at the floor and not him.
"... Salamander... you didn't see it." She whispered, "... not the looks on their faces, or the pain... not... you didn't see how angry Sting got, how much... rage, was in him." Natsu tilted his head,
"... he's sort of a hot-head though, ain't he?" He mumbled, "Give him a chance to cool off. Just 'cause he's steamed right now doesn't mean anything-"
"-it wasn't like that." Hora cut him off softly, "I've seen him angry, steamed, annoyed, whatever- this... this wasn't that." She muttered, her shoulders hunching further, "... this was just... cold, fury... hate, even... and it got to the point he... he seemed like..." Her voice hitched along with her breathing, one of her hands moved up toward her face, her fingers tangling in her hair and Natsu's heart skipped a beat, his eyes flashing when he saw the flecks of moisture pecking at the corners of Horatia's eyes.
"... t..tch... he... he didn't seem like... he could even look at me anymore... a.. and... he didn't even seem like... he... wanted to... to bother with me anymore..." She hissed, her voice cracking painfully. "... E..even just when I Called... he d..didn't say anything, or look at the s-screen... nothing... it... he just... he's so angry with what I did... it's like he's just... s...stopped..."
Her eyes shut tight and a line of tears ran down her cheeks in silence, her breaths shaking as her hand fell from her bangs and held her forehead instead, her head tilting down a bit.
"..S...shit... I don't know if he's ever... g..gonna talk to me again... a..and...i... I... I've messed up, s-so bad..."
Her head tilted down further, hiding her face in her hand almost all the way and hissing quietly.
"...s-shit... and... I... I don't wanna... freak out like this... I... I just... I c-can't help it..."
Natsu's eyes flashed, his heart twisting further as he watched her fold in on herself a little, her breathing ragged- but she was quiet about it, restrained even- she didn't want the rest of the building to hear anything, or see her falling apart.
"...T... today has just been... f..fucking terrible... and... and I don't... know what to do... tch... i-it's taking everything in me t.. to just... focus on a plan... s-stay focused enough to... to get Yukino and Lucy back... i.. I have to keep focused on it, or I'll...fuck..."
... f..fall apart... all the way... a..and at that point... I'll just be... useless...
There was a sharp stab of pain that ignited in her chest and snatched her breath away, leaving with it an icy-burning sensation that threatened to have her start coughing, and she just couldn't have that... not right now, damn it...!
... s..shit...s...stop it... Hora...! Y-you have to... just... quit...
She cringed, her body folding in a bit as her forehead met her knees and her arms snaked around her torso, hugging herself and willing with everything she had to just calm down.
She couldn't let herself get so worked up, and not just because her emotions would run rampant- getting worked up meant triggering Over-Drive again, and much faster than she could risk right now. Not when she was supposed to go out tomorrow and get Lucy and Yukino back, and not when she had to keep herself running and together to contend and deal with all the insanity going on right now.
... I... I have to just... Keep it together... Until I know... Everything is... Fine again...
She bit down on the inside of both cheeks so hard she tasted iron on her tongue, but she didn't notice the small bit of pain that came with it.
... Damn it Hora... Stop crying...!
Her fingers dug into her sides, still holding her breath and fighting back at the shakiness her lungs and her body wanted to give into.
... You... You don't have time for this...!
She felt like her lungs were on fire, begging for air she didn't want to give into- not for fear she ended up coughing, or wheezing, or anything other than just normal breathing. She didn't feel like her body would listen to her, or do what she wanted, and she didn't want anyone let alone Natsu to hear how raggedy her breaths had grown and start to worry about it. She didn't want to be a mess, she didn't want to be freaking out, and she didn't want to be crying- she didn't want to fall apart!
She just wanted to... To hold it together, damn it!
... But shit... It's so... Hard...
Why did everything have to suck so bad? Why did her whole world have to just tip on its head over and over the last few months? And then get thrown into complete pandemonium all in one day?
Why did Yukino and Lucy have to get captured?
Why did Jiemma do what he did? Minerva take Lector?
Why did she almost get killed, for nothing other than spite? Trapped for years, and nothing more than a slave?
Why did she get dropped on the other side of Crocus by some... Some stranger?
Why did she... Why did she not know, all these years, about Gray...?
Why is everything so... So screwed up...?
Why is my life such a living hell...?
She scrunched her eyes closed harder, her forehead pressing into her knees more and oh so aware of those salty tears falling against her legs.
'... Breathe, Horatia.' Lixue instructed, his voice that unfamiliar gentle tenor she wasn't used to from him. She grimaced, shaking her head at him and mussing her bangs up in the process. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't risk it-
'Breathe.' Lixue instructed again, persistent, yet no less gentle. 'Tumultuous as your day, and your life has been, you have never bent underneath it... And you will not now, as much as you may feel you will. You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for... No matter the mistakes you've made or the horrors and pain you have lived through, you have always pulled through. This time will be no different... You just need to let yourself breathe. Let it pass.'
She hated him and his persistence... And his gentleness, and kindness... And meddling, damn it...!
She hated him always butting in and saying stupid shit... Saying things like that, that were so... so genuine, and wise... Ugh...!
She hated him talking to her like a child... But... But shit...!
... Why did she wanna believe him so bad...? Trust him...?
Trust and hope... That all of this would just 'pass'? That all she needed to do to stop feeling like such shit was to just breathe? How could it be that simple? That easy?
"Hey."
She stiffened, her eyes snapping open and staring at her legs in front of her face when Natsu's hand fell lightly on top of her head, ruffling her hair a bit and putting a grinding halt to the tumult and tornado her thoughts and emotions were in. She glanced up slowly, her head lifting and his hand remaining where it was as her glittering blue gaze locked with his, him having moved forward a bit to sit right beside her and brow furrowed slightly in worry as he looked at her.
"... please just take a breath, Hora." He mumbled, grimacing a bit. "... before you pass out, okay..?" He added, and she blinked at him, wondering briefly (if by some other sort of insanity) he could hear what Lixue was saying too...?
He rubbed her head a little, wilting once a few more seconds went by and she still didn't take in any air. "Come on Hora." He murmured softly, and this time it was her turn to grimace, her lips pulling painfully at the corners and she shut her eyes again and looked away from him- but this time, and much too long after her lungs had already started to scream at her, she took in a rushed, painful breath and then several more... panting and a little wheezy, and she did cough, once or twice, but not badly. Air flooded her lungs and her chest and it felt as wonderful as it felt terrible, and she winced, panting still even though every breath stung and felt ragged in her throat.
Natsu's eyes flashed as he watched her fight for air, his hand still on top of her head and biting the inside of his cheek as he waited there for a few minutes to just try and let her settle again. And even though her breathing didn't really even at all, and her tears didn't seem apt to stop- at least she was breathing now. She'd held her breath for so long there he actually had been afraid she was gonna pass out...
"... I know this stuff sucks, Hora." Natsu murmured at length, his tone quiet and even. "... and I get today has been awful, none of the stuff that's happened to you is fair, and you sure as hell don't deserve to be dealing with so much by yourself, or feel like you'd messed everything up... and you haven't, ya know." She stiffened underneath him at the assurance, and he shook his head a little. "I mean it. Even if Sting got all mad at you, I know he cares about you too much to just quit bein' your friend now. I could tell how happy he and everyone else was that first night ya came back, and he thinks a lot of you too- he mentioned you, when we fought today."
Hora glanced his way only slightly, the corner of her eye catching him as he smiled slightly.
"Your opinion means something to him, and you definitely mean something to him too... He ain't gonna stop being your friend because of all this. And he'll forgive you, they all will." He went on, giving her a somewhat pointed stare and she grimaced, looking both pained and a little disgruntled too- but she was listening, and he felt there was a part of her that believed him... Or at least, wanted to believe him.
"Everything will be fine." He hummed, "Believe that, yeah? You've always worked so hard to make sure everything was okay, and no matter how much you think you messed up, you have gotten through all of it, right?"
She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes darting away from him and sucking in a deep breath of air and holding it again... But only to calm down some more.
Because... That first breath and all those after it had helped... But her soul still felt so raw, and much more as he kept talking.
"And everything you do is for everyone else." he added softly, "You are super loyal, and all your friends know that, and how much you care about them, don't doubt it." She sniffed, her chin falling into her knees and staring at the floor ahead of her in sheer silence. "They ain't gonna hold any of this against you, and they'll definitely forgive ya. And no matter what else happens, everything is gonna be fine. We'll make sure of it, yeah?" She sniffed again, grimacing a bit as she swallowed, but her breathing settled a little more. "Come on, ya still got that fire in your belly yeah? Long as ya got that, everything's gonna be fine!" He smiled a little toothily, and she grumbled, huffing at him.
"... You're an idiot..." She muttered lowly, though her voice didn't manage any sort of edge to it at all. Natsu hummed a bit under his breath, smiling still as he ruffled her hair up a bit more before finally pulling his hand away, she let out a small sigh at it. His head tilted, smiling softly as she sniffed again and her hands unhooked from around her torso, moving up as she rubbed at her face and grumbled- but the tears had ceased, and her breathing was finally some semblance normal.
"Mmmm, maybe, but it helped yeah?" He replied and she huffed again, "Plus I'm being serious, Hora. Things are gonna be okay, with you and Sting and Lector, and Lucy and Yukino and everything else. Things haven't been fun for the most part, and today definitely sucked- but tomorrow will be better, and everyday after that too."
Tch... how can he sound so sure of all that...?
'... You wish you can be that confident, hmm?' Lixue intoned softly, she grimaced.
... Shut up
But again, Lixue had a point... Though inwardly she hated that he was right, and about the breathing thing too... And that Salamander making it seem so easy, getting her to calm down like that again.
Seriously, he acts like an idiot half the time, but he's also... I dunno... hellishly perceptive, and he knows how to handle people more than it seems like he would...
"... Though fire in your belly or no, you're not gonna feel any better unless you get some sleep." Natsu intoned after a moment, and Hora spared a sideways glance at him. "You gotta get some rest if you're gonna be in the best shape for tomorrow, especially after everything that went on today." he mumbled, grimacing a bit as he let out a small sigh. "You still look like crap, ya know." He pointed out, and she grumbled a bit under her breath.
"So do you." She shot back quietly and he grimaced a bit at it, but didn't argue this time around.
"Yeah, well I'm gonna get some sleep too." He mumbled and she huffed, glancing away and her arms crossing over her knees, letting her chin fall into them.
"... I'm sorry." Hora mumbled at length, and he tilted his head at the sudden apology. "... for freaking out... and worrying you... and everything else... and I'm sorry my Fire's hit you so hard after eating it... I can tell you don't feel good, Salamander." She mumbled and his eyes dropped, and she was right- about that last bit. His stomach had been churning without pause since the eating her fire, and he honestly felt more nauseous than he would ever like to admit, almost to the point he was dizzy and felt he might throw up... and he was doing his best to hide all that, but Hora could still tell, apparently.
"You don't gotta apologize, Hora." He replied softly, she shook her head a little, though she said nothing in reply to it. She kept her eyes on the floor, her attention on Natsu fading as she focused on the sound of her own breathing, and on trying to let her frayed emotions settle as much was possible.
She'd calmed down, a lot, but she still felt like her soul was in such utter turmoil... and it was, but now she was quickly feeling like she just didn't have the energy to really freak out anymore... god she was exhausted. She felt like she could fall asleep and not wake up again for a month, and the thought of waking up in a few hours to set out toward the Palace on the rescue mission was unpleasant- but she would do it. Because saving Lucy and Yukino was much more important than her sleep.
... I'll have time to sleep after this is all over... after things get fixed... at least as much as they can be.
... damn it... I do want to believe you and Flame-Brain... that everything will be okay... even after so much of it just... isn't.
After everything... is things turning out okay an actual possibility...?
... I don't know...
'... have faith.' Lixue murmured softly, 'Things will work out, one way or another... no dark storm lasts forever.'
... maybe... but even then... after all of this...? When I do get time to just... take a break...? I won't be out of trouble, Lixue... we won't.
'... Over-Drive is an inevitability, but worrying over it now will do you no good. We will just have to contend with it, when we get there, and our Limit is finally reached.'
... hopefully that Limit doesn't come too fast, hmm...?
'Indeed... and hope that Over-Drive does not take as heavy a toll as the last time.'
Hora grimaced slightly at the comment, but she shook her had at herself again, her eyes falling closed and letting out a low, long, slow breath. Natsu sat beside her, his arms crossed in his lap and his eyes falling closed too as content silence settled between them... a small bit of a calm and pleasant lull that was sure to be lacking by tomorrow.
... please... let tomorrow go better than today... let us find them, safe, and bring them home... please don't make my world grow any more insane than it already is... I don't know if I can handle any more crazy.
... please... let everything be okay
Chapter 29: Not Quite...
Chapter Text
Chapter 29
Not Quite...
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"Do your best, all of you... I promise, Yukino and Lector are gonna be okay. We'll get them back."
She nodded to them all, stiffly, curtly even, but firmly all the same- and much to her relief, her voice managed to sound at least mostly confident as she said the words. Confident and steady even despite the way her heart and soul ached, and cold biting fear that kept nipping away at her.
She had to sound sure, she had to stay strong, she couldn't crumble... Too much was at stake to start falling apart, and everyone needed to be focused and as on top of their game as was possible. She couldn't fall apart because if they saw her do so, everything else was just going to be so much harder for them. And things were already hard enough.
So she bit back at the worry and fear in her core, and the ever persistent ache of pain and sadness that would not go away... She forced all thoughts of Gray from her mind and did her absolute best to not let Sting's icy stare hit her as hard as it did... Or at least she did her best not to show how painful it was outwardly.
And she ignored all of that, on top of a sense of exhaustion and overexertion slowly getting all the heavier on her body and mind... And would surely grow to be something unbearable as the events of the day came about. Maybe even to the point she just couldn't-
She bit down on her cheek and tossed the thought away before she could finish it.
"Do your best today, alright?" Hora murmured firmly, her blue eyes flashing as she looked between the group of them standing before her. They nodded to her slightly in turn (those that returned her gaze anyway), from Rufus to Orga, and Frosch and to Rogue- but Sting never looked up. He stood off to the side a bit, his arms crossed over his chest, grim-faced, and utterly quiet.
She felt her heart clench painfully, her eyes locked to the blonde for a few seconds, before she forced herself to look away and put up a small, strained smile.
"Everything's gonna be fine, just give it your all." She hummed softly, and they nodded again, looking as grim as they probably should- and no small amount of worried.
"Please be careful, Horatia." Rufus told her softly,
"Yeah, no joke. You gotta be real careful." Orga grumbled,
Hora nodded slightly, "I'll be careful, I promise." She replied softly, "Though honestly you guys have the harder job for today..." She added quietly, and they sighed.
"... Hora, I hate this plan." Rogue mumbled lowly, his red eyes glittering as she glanced up at him, frowning a bit herself.
He'd actually been conked out near the whole night, which was something of a blessing cause it let Hora get at least a few hours of sleep before he started freaking out and asking questions all over again. He'd woken up early that morning and Hora had quickly explained to him what went on last night with the Fairy Tailers, and what the plan was for the day- while also apologizing more than a dozen times for... well, all of it.
And yes, he hated the plan- because he did not want to let her run off with the Fairy Tailers to stage a jailbreak, not after what happened last night. And no amount of Hora assuring him that she felt fine and that sleep had helped, was going to change his mind on the matter. Because he knew that no matter how much she said otherwise, she was not in good shape and she wasn't feeling good at all... but damn it, she was still so set on running off.
I have to
"... I know... but it's the best one we have." Hora replied, shaking her head a little at him. "Please, I know all of this sucks, but we gotta keep it together, and fight hard. We can do this, we can make sure everything turns out okay, I believe in that... I need you guys to believe in that too." They all exchanged glances between each other, and Hora's hands linked together a bit in front of her, her eyes falling for a moment.
"... I promise, I'm gonna be fine. I'm going to get Yukino back, and Lector will be okay too... everything is going to be okay, I'm sure of it... I'll make sure of it." She murmured softly, her eyes moving back up from the floor and flashing, a bit of steeliness working it's way into her expression and her posture.
"I swear to you, everyone will come back safe."
.:+:.
... Please... I think I deserve a good resolution, after all the crazy shit the last few months, right...? Hell... the last ten years...
... I want this to work... it needs to work.
Please
"... Hora!"
Hora glanced up, her hands moving up off of being on her hips and her body turning around as she spotted the group of Wendy, Natsu, Mirajane, Pantherlily, Carla and Happy. The sun overhead was just barely making its way over the horizon, but few in the whole of Crocus were up and about just yet... With the exception of them, of course.
But they needed to be moving as soon as the GMG started up for today, and they had a few last minute things to get through- so being early was unavoidable... Even if only and hour or two more of sleep would have probably done her some good.
She shook her head at herself once, and only slightly.
... It's fine, Hora... You'll keep up... You have to keep up. And when all of this is over, you can sleep for a week.
'... Likely more than a week, if Over-Drive has it's way.' Lixue added dryly, and she swallowed a bit.
Not now Lixue
"Did you sleep okay?" Wendy asked breathlessly as the little Dragon Slayer stopped in front of Hora.
"You certainly look better than last night." Carla murmured, floating at Wendy's shoulder and quickly giving Hora a look-over. Hora smiled faintly, nodding.
"Yeah, I slept okay." She murmured, "I feel better this morning, please don't worry about me. I'll keep up with all the rest of you just fine." Wendy nodded slightly in understanding, before her eyes dropped down to the long scar running down Hora's right arm- fully visible now, since she had forgone wearing the sleeves she'd had on the night before (and ditched the belt at her waist too).
Of course Wendy had seen some of the scar last night, but never the full thing nor so easily, and for a moment the little Dragon Slayer stiffened, fixed to her spot and staring slightly. She'd seen the one on Hora's nose, and stomach- and known they were from a Neveleous... But what caused such a long and deep scar, like that one...?
She almost asked, but Hora's eyes found Natsu instead as he stopped in front of her with Mirajane at his shoulder. "How are you feeling, Salamander?" Hora asked him softly and he frowned a bit, nodding once and slamming a fist against his open palm.
"I'm ready to kick some Kingdom ass." He grumbled, and Hora smiled faintly at the answer.
"Well hopefully we can get in and out without too much trouble. This is more geared to be a stealth mission, ya know." She mumbled, and he huffed, though everyone else smiled at the comment, and Natsu's none too pleased face.
"Whatever, I'm still gonna kick somebody's ass." He grumbled in reply, before pausing, looking around a bit. "Where's that Council guy you're having us meet up with?" He asked next, changing subject slightly.
"He should be here pretty soon." Hora murmured, glancing away from the Fairy Tailers and upward above the buildings on either side of the alley they stood in. Mercurius' high towers and walls could be seen above them, even with that alley only being one or two streets over from the boundaries of the castle itself.
Hora's Birds had scoped this spot out the night before, it was close to the side of the Castle's grounds where the Prison was, but in a secluded and out of sight place so they could all meet up without tipping off the guards. She'd pointed out where this spot was for the Fairy Tailers and Ira both on a map, and though she'd not had anything but written word from the Council boy, he'd said he was coming and willing to help do a little jail-breaking.
(Just so long as Lahar and DoranBolt never found out about it, mind you.)
Hora's nose twitched, her eyes falling from the sky.
Ah, speaking of-
"H-Horatia...!" Ira's call came from up the alley a bit, breathless sort of and hushed. He was moving up the alley quickly, dressed in full Council garb and green eyes glittering as she matched gazes with him for a few seconds, before his attention darted quickly among the Fairies circling her.
"Ira." Hora hummed softly as he came to a halt in front of her, pausing a bit to catch his breath. "Thank you for coming to help with all of this, I really appreciate it... I know you could get in trouble if you get caught." Hora murmured softly, and Ira shook his head a bit.
"N-No, I'm happy to lend a hand...!" He replied quickly, "Everything you sent in your letter sounds really bad, and I can't believe the King's men are doing any of this at all...! Your friends don't deserve to be locked up for something they haven't done... if I can help you out even a little, I'm glad to..!" He explained, before smiling nervously. "And I don't think Captain Lahar or DoranBolt will find out, the King's Army and the Magic Council don't really communicate between each other very much... plus I'm pretty sure I managed to leave without DoranBolt even noticing I'd gone. He probably won't even know I went anywhere by the time I get back." He added lightly, and Hora offered up a faint smile.
"Alright, but if he gives you a hard time you can send him to me so I can tell him to stuff it." She hummed and Ira smiled more, chuckling.
"You two are an old married couple." He quipped and Hora huffed, but smiled anyway.
"Definitely not...!" She shot back lightly, and all he did was smile at the reply. Hora shook her head a bit and glanced back toward the Fairy Tailers, who were listening to the little conversation with curious eyes. "Ah, anyway... this is Ira." Hora mumbled, introducing the young boy to the Fairy Tailers. "... and this is Wendy, Natsu, Mirajane, Carla, PantherLily and Happy." Hora kept on, pointing each Fairy Tailer out toward Ira, and they all nodded as their names were said.
"Ah, hello." Wendy smiled shyly, and Ira nodded back a bit, his green eyes glittering.
"It's nice to meet you all." Ira murmured softly, "I know Fairy Tail and the Magic Council have a bit of a rocky relationship, but I'm gonna do my best to make sure this infiltration mission goes smoothly." Ira promised, dipping his head slightly toward the Fairies and earning soft smiles from them all.
"I take it that means you have a plan?" Hora asked Ira, and he nodded at her.
"Yes, I think what Miss Mirajane suggested will work the best- to impersonate Authorities and pretend that some of you have been captured and are being incarcerated." Ira replied, nodding toward the white-haired woman as he caught her eyes. "Though in this case, it would be better if you could use your Transformation Magic to mimic a Rune Knight, instead of a Castle Guard. That way I can lead you directly to the Prison instead of relying on finding it yourself. I've been there before and there'll be little chance of you all getting lost, or tipping the Guards off prematurely. Will that be okay for you?" He explained, and Mirajane nodded in affirmation.
"Of course." She hummed and Ira nodded,
"Alright, I also brought a few things, a uniform for you to put on, and some Nullification Handcuffs to make it all a bit more believable that you guys are prisoners." He added, glancing toward Natsu, Hora and Wendy as he said it. "And you three should be able to hide in the robes I brought for Miss Mirajane. It's a size or two larger than normal, so you'll have plenty of room." He finished, glancing toward the Exceeds.
"Ain't the Guards gonna think it's weird a couple of Rune Knights are using the Castle Prison?" Natsu mumbled, "Ain't the Council got it's own Prisons they can thrown people in?"
"We do, but there's a special ordinance that allows the Magic Council to requisition any Prison to hold persons we have arrested if needed. Mostly if our own Prisons are at capacity, or we need to keep fugitives in a secure area until proper transport can arrive, or while awaiting orders... either way, they really shouldn't question it too much." Ira explained, "As long as we act like we should be there, and not be nervous or anything that might give us away, the Guards won't think it weird at all. Especially if we all look the part." Ira smiled, and Hora hummed a bit under her breath, while Nastsu nodded.
"I knew it would be a good idea to ask for your help." Hora told Ira lightly, and he blushed a bit at the compliment. "Once we get inside the Prison, are we gonna have to keep playing the part or no?" She asked, and Ira blinked.
"No, once we get inside you should be able to move rather freely." Ira answered, "The Castle Prison is seldom ever actually used, so they don't have a regular posting of Guards or patrols on the inside. It's a pretty big place, but it'll be really empty. You'll probably just have to search a bit to find your friends." Hora nodded in understanding.
"Alright, once you get us in we can take care of the rest." Hora told him, and he tilted his head. "You can't very well walk out with more prisoners than you went in with, so we'll have to split up and find our way out on our own." She murmured and he paused.
"... I guess that makes sense." He relented after a moment. "But how do you plan to get back out unnoticed? You can't storm out the front door, not if you wanna keep under the radar." He asked, and Hora smiled slightly.
"We'll figure it out when we get there." She replied with ease, and he looked none too assured by the answer.
"... that's a terrible plan." He mumbled,
"Maybe, but between the seven of us we should be fine." Hora hummed, "Nine, once we get Lucy and Yukino out. We're tough, we'll be fine."
"... alright..." Ira relented slowly, his hand raising as a Magic Circle appeared in air beside him and he reached his hand into it. "The Grand Magic Games are going to start soon, we should get moving." He announced, pulling a set of Knight's Robes out of the Magic Circle, followed by three pairs of Nullification Handcuffs and the same number in chains. He handed the robes off to Mirajane and smiled nervously as she turned to Hora, Natsu and Wendy alike.
"Wait, you were serious about chaining us up?" Natsu mumbled quickly and Ira nodded.
"Yes, it needs to look convincing." He mumbled, "I'll take them off as soon as we're inside the Prison and out of sight of the Guards..."
"... But we won't be able to use any Magic with these on, right?" Wendy asked softly, and Ira wilted a bit, smiling nervously.
"No, in the meantime you won't, sorry... There's no way to make them not work, so your Magic will be Nullified as long as you have them on..." Ira explained softly,
"Not happening." Natsu huffed rather stubbornly, and Hora sighed.
"... I get it Salamander, and I don't much like it either- but you are gonna have to suck it up." Hora told him calmly, and he shot her a disgruntled look. "It won't be for too long, and the less you argue, the faster we can move and get in, and then get them off again." She added, and he frowned, grumbling a bit under his breath before looking away again, his teeth gritting.
"Tch... Fine." He muttered, uncrossing his arms and holding his hands out toward Ira, who jumped a bit, before quickly locking the cuffs around the Dragon Slayer's wrists. He muttered small apologies as he did so, and continued that as he fastened the cuffs around Wendy's wrists too, and then attached a length of chains to both of them that kept Natsu and Wendy tethered together. He handed that end of the chains off to Mirajane, who was dressed now in the Knight's Robes she had been given with the Exceeds pressed against the inside of the uniform.
Ira turned to Hora next, and she held her hands out for him, smiling faintly as he hesitated for a small second, his eyes landing on the red ribbon tied around her right wrist- the one he'd given her back in North Wind, and subsequently couldn't be destroyed (via a very useful Preservation Spell of his own making), and had at one point been used to keep tabs on her whereabouts.
"... Y.. You're still wearing that..?" Ira asked quickly, glancing up. "You know I Dispelled the Tracking Spell, right...? You can take it off..." He mumbled uncertainly, and Hora chuckled lightly.
"Yeah, I'm not that dumb." She laughed lightly, "But why would I take it off? Thanks to you I have an indestructible hair tie, it comes in handy." He blinked a few times, before smiling faintly.
"Ah... I guess that makes sense..." He hummed, moving the handcuffs closer again and locking them around her wrists. He hooked a second line of chains to the cuffs, holding on to them himself this time around.
Hora felt her Magic dull down to near nothing the minute they locked, and sighed internally at the less than pleasant sensation. It wouldn't be for too long, she reminded herself... But hell, getting chained up like that was a very unpleasant feeling. She'd been chained and trapped far too much for one lifetime after all.
"Goooooooooooood Morning Crocus!"
Everyone glanced up as the GMG Announcer's voice rose up from the head of the valley and rang over the whole of Crocus. Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her blue eyes flashing as the image of the SaberTooth team and everyone else in the Guild came to the forefront of her mind... Lector especially, and Rogue and Frosch's fear... Sting's rage.
She swallowed back at the ache of pain that rose anew in her chest.
"... The Grand Magic Games are starting..." Wendy mumbled softly,
"Time to go." Hora murmured, her eyes trailing sideways toward Ira. He nodded stiffly,
"Right." He replied lowly, his green eyes flicking toward Mirajane. "Just follow my lead and we'll be fine." He told her, and Mira nodded in return.
"Got it."
.:+:.
"... Uh... Wha...?" The Castle Guardsmen mumbled, startled from his mundane watch duty by the two figures dressed in Rune Knight Robes and tugging three others behind them on the end of chains. The Castle Grounds inside the walls were utterly quiet and mostly undisturbed, so any movement at all was few and far between- let alone and entire group marching straight up to the Prison doors... And certainly not a group being lead by someone who looked no older than 14 or 15.
Ira walked straight up toward him, Hora following along behind him and grumbling a bit under her breath at being tugged by the chain- she could tell Natsu was seething about it too, though she didn't glance back at him, or Wendy, or 'Guard' Mira with the Exceeds in her robes. The Guards standing outside the Prison door shifted as they saw them coming, immediately wary and eyeing all of them suspiciously, but Ira gave no indication of being bothered by the stares.
He drew up in front of one of the Guards with the calm countenance of someone on a mission, his green eyes locking with the older men steadily and one hand on his hip while the other held still to the chains hooked to Hora.
"... Who the hell are you supposed to be...?" One Guard muttered as he shot Ira a look, before he stiffened upon looking at Wendy and Natsu in particular- Ira did not let the man's attention wander too long, however.
"I am Lieutenant Ira Ceine of the Rune Knight's Magical Enforcement Division. Under Ordinance 47 of Council-Royal Military Pact, I am requisitioning a holding cell on these premises to hold these three Mages in captivity. Until time we can prepare proper transportation of them to Era." Ira told him evenly, addressing both Guards at once and straight to the point, his voice so utterly steady and full of command. Hora blinked,
... Holy crap, Ira's actually the kind of person that can actually lie their ass off, isn't he? I did not expect that from him...
"These three are being held in custody under suspicion of being involved in the destruction wrought upon the western part of the city last night, and will be awaiting here until their incarceration at Era- as part of the ongoing investigation to what occurred last night." Ira kept on, still so very sure of himself and the story he was stringing in seconds time- he made it look effortless!
Hora grimaced internally though at mention of last night's 'incident'... Cause yeah, that was actually me. So Ira's story is less a story than the truth- not that he knows that.
And the Guards were totally believing every word Ira said, there wasn't a shred of uncertainty in either of them or hint of suspicion of the tale. They'd even straightened up, and were nearly standing at attention for the young boy that was nearly three heads their shorter.
Hora smirked inwardly, suddenly quite pleased with herself for actually brought Ira in on this. He was making this so easy.
I love this kid
"R-right, understood!" The Guards told Ira (or rather, Lieutenant Ceine) in unison, "It would be the Royal Military's pleasure to help secure these Mages on behalf of the Magic Council..!" Ira nodded curtly to the men,
"The cooperation is appreciated." Ira hummed, his hand lifting off his hip and gesturing toward 'Guard' Mirajane. "My Officer will remain stationed here to oversee the Prisoners for the duration of their stay, I have to return to the scene to continue collecting evidence." Ira explained, and again the Guards nodded quickly, drinking it all in.
"Of course." The first one murmured, shifting as he opened the door to the Prison and held it open for them. "Take any empty cell. I'll inform the next rotation of the situation."
"Thank you." Ira murmured evenly, casting a glance back at Hora and tugging on the cuffs a bit harshly in signal for her to start walking. She grit her teeth, casting Ira a glare as he turned his back- both for show and a little annoyed with it, but she knew he was just making it all look believable. So, on that note she also made sure to turn a cold and icy glare on both the Guardsman as she passed them by, and they both gulped at the look.
'Guard' Mirajane tugged Natsu and Wendy along behind her as (s)he followed Ira and Hora through the open door and into the Prison. A fleeting glance over her shoulder saw Wendy looking at the ground in slight agitation, and Natsu looking as miffed as one might expect a caught 'criminal' to seem.
Hora suppressed the smirk that nearly broke through at the two Dragon Slayers playing the part too.
The doors shut behind them and they walked through the silent hallways leading further into the prison in sheer quiet. Once they had gotten far enough to be out of sight and earshot of any Guards, they paused in a side hallway and Ira turned to them, while Mirajane De-Transformed, her Robes opening as the Exceeds spilled out, a little breathless.
"Ira, you are awesome." Hora smirked, catching the young boy off guard as he moved to release the cuffs from around her wrists. He blushed at the comment, blinking a few times in question. "Seriously, this could not have gone smoother."
"You are a big help..!" Wendy chirped kindly, and Mirajane, PantherLily and Carla nodded in agreement.
"Yeah man, you totally rocked the whole Rune Knight thing!" Natsu smirked, Mirajane working to unlock the cuffs from around the Fire Dragon Slayer's hands.
"Aye sir!" Happy mewed,
Ira blinked, "... Uhm... You know I am actually a Rune Knight, right...?" He asked slowly and Natsu grinned,
"Yeah I know, but you played bein' a high-up Lieutenant real well!" Natsu replied brightly, and Ira's expression fell utterly blank, the cuffs on Hora's wrists clicking open, and she pulled away, while Ira kept staring at Natsu.
"... I am actually a Lieutenant." Ira mumbled, not sure if he should be offended or not- and that bit of words had most everyone looking surprised.
"Huh..?! Really?!" Natsu and Happy asked in near unison,
"You are?" Hora asked too, and Ira's head snapped in her direction, looking mortified.
"What do you mean..?! You've known me for almost two weeks, Hora...!" Ira told her quickly, "How can you not know that..?!" Hora blinked, a hand rubbing the back of her neck a bit nervously.
"... I dunno, I'm sorry? Its just you never actually told me your Rank or anything, and you were taking orders from Lahar and DoranBolt pretty regularly, so I just sort of figured you were an Officer..." Hora mumbled, and Ira looked quite exasperated, and sighed loudly.
"... Of course I was taking orders from them, DoranBolt is First Lieutenant to Knight-Captain Lahar, and I am the Knight-Captain's Second Lieutenant. So they are both technically my superiors- sort of in DoranBolt's case- and I listen to them... but I am a Lieutenant...!" Ira grumbled, Hora hummed a bit under her breath.
"Ah," she mumbled simply, "I guess that makes sense for the way you and DoranBolt act around each other, actually." She mused, Ira frowned slightly.
"You have no room to comment on my behavior around DoranBolt." Ira told her flatly, and Hora grimaced a bit at it, but kept her mouth shut this time around.
"... Right." She mumbled after a moment, forcing a small sigh. "... Anyway, sorry I didn't realize... But I'm not that surprised. You are a totally clever dude, and your Magic is no joke. Lieutenant is a good fit for you." She added lightly, smiling a bit and he flushed at the words. "And thank you again for doing this, we really appreciate it." She hummed,
"Yes, thank you." Carla smiled slightly, and Wendy nodded.
"You've given us a great start to this mission." PantherLily told him,
"Yeah, you're totally cool for a Council dude." Natsu chuckled,
"Aye!"
"Helping us was really nice of you." Mirajane hummed sweetly, and Ira flushed further at all the comments, nodding a bit shyly.
"O-of course, I'm happy to have helped." He replied, his eyes dropping for a moment before slowly trailing back up to Hora, who was still smiling.
"Remind me to take you out for dinner or something when all of this is over." She told him, "I definitely owe you." He nodded a bit more, and Hora paused, her voice dropping a bit. "... Ah, are you actually doing cleanup and stuff for that 'incident' last night?" She asked and Ira blinked at the unexpected question.
"Hmm? The destruction in the west part of the city...?" He echoed slowly, "Oh, uhm yeah... I've been assigned to try and figure out who is responsible..." He told her, and Hora smiled nervously.
"... Right, so I'll owe you a few more then, 'cause I'm actually the one who tore everything up..." She mumbled, and his eyes went wide.
"H-huh..?! You...?!" He stammered, and she nodded.
"Yeah, it's really complicated and I don't have time to explain it all right now... I'll pay for the damage and stuff after all of this, but I figured I'd let you know so you aren't running around in circles about it..." Hora sighed, and Ira blinked, looking like he wanted to press it further- but thankfully he didn't.
"Alright." He relented softly, "All of you guys be careful, okay? And I hope you get Miss Lucy and Yukino back safe." He told them, his eyes scanning Hora and the Fairies.
"Yep." Natsu smirked,
"We will." Wendy murmured,
"Mhm." Hora hummed.
Ira took the robes and cuffs back from Mirajane, stuffing it all away in his Requip again. He cast the group of Wizards a final look over his shoulder as he headed back the way they had come, before rounding the corner and disappearing from sight.
"Alright, now it's time to find Yukino and Luce!" Natsu grumbled, cracking his knuckles and very quickly losing his smile to be replaced by something much more determined and serious. And the shift in demeanor was quickly mirrored by everyone else, Hora especially.
"Right, but we'll still need to be careful for any Guards." Carla reminded lowly.
"And be quiet too." Wendy added,
"If we are able to stay undetected this whole time, that would be preferable." PantherLily agreed,
"Right! So, which way do we go?" Happy mewed, "This place seems huge, and they could be anywhere..."
"That's easy Buddy." Natsu told him, "We just gotta follow our noses, and we'll find them in no time!" Wendy and Hora nodded in affirmation.
"Then let's start." Mirajane murmured, and they all nodded, starting off down the hallway with Natsu taking the lead.
"Between Natsu and Wendy's sense of smell, we should be able to find them easily enough." Carla commented, floating at Wendy's side.
"Horatia's sense of smell is also heightened yes?" PantherLily commented, earning a side glance from the Saber woman and a small nod from her. "Right, so between the three of them there's little doubt we won't find Lucy and Yukino."
"Aye sir!" Happy grinned, flying alongside Mirajane. "I wonder whose nose is better though?" He asked aloud, musing almost.
"Definitely mine." Natsu grinned,
"I dunno Natsu, Hora found Carla and Wendy didn't she? You used your nose for that, yeah?" Happy hummed, his eyes trailing sideways toward Hora and she blinked.
"... Well yes, but I wouldn't say that proves anything-" she started,
"I got the better nose!" Natsu huffed, cutting her off. "Hora's ears are better than mine, but my nose tops hers." He smirked, Hora blinked.
"... I guess I can agree with that." She mumbled, "... Not that I was looking to stack up our skills or anything, mind you." She smiled in slight exasperation.
'... Technically all of your senses are be more heightened than his, however. Being both a Devil Slayer and the effects of my LifeForce being inside your body combined.' Lixue popped back in with his own piece to be said, and Hora sighed. 'So your nose is the better one... Not that you rely on it enough to accurately prove that point.'
Be quiet...
They headed deeper into the prison, moving downward and further into the earth and the underground portions of the facility, all the while keeping their ears and noses perked for any guards, and keeping a lock on the familiar scents of Lucy and Yukino.
Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes narrowing to slits and glancing to either side cautiously as they kept up their steady pace through the halls.
... I know Ira said there was gonna be little guards walking around in here, but this is way too quiet... I mean the higher ups have gotta be worried about Fairy Tail throwing a fit about Lucy getting snatched, right? Shouldn't they at least have upped security in here?
Hora grimaced slightly, her shoulders tensing a bit more than they already were.
... This doesn't feel right... It's too easy.
'I agree.' Lixue grumbled lowly, and Hora grimaced a bit more, her eyes still trailing around the space and on high alert for anything that might spell what she was afraid this would turn out to be- a trap.
But there were no Magical secrets or Illusions as far as she could see so far, and little chance she was simply missing them now that she was actively looking... So maybe it wasn't a Magical Trap, but that didn't mean it wasn't a trap at all.
"... Oi, Salamander." Hora mumbled, earning the pinkette's eyes from where he was ahead of her. "I hate to say it, but this is starting to feel a lot like back in Jeihel." She grumbled, and he nodded stiffly.
"Yeah I feel it too." He muttered, looking back ahead. "We can't stop though, we'll just have to keep an eye out. And if anything does get thrown our way, we can handle it- just like back then." He murmured, smirking slightly at the end and Hora sighed quietly at the small show of bravado... Because it was very much like him to be at ease about any possible mishaps, and be confident they could handle it.
"... Yeah." She mumbled, though honestly she wished she had the same confidence it'd be fine.
There's just too much going on... And that dread still hasn't gone away... And that thing that took me last night...?
She shivered involuntarily at the mere memory of it and quickly shoved the thoughts away.
... I have a feeling that today is gonna be a bad day, just like yesterday... Shit.
.:+:.
"Psst... Hey, Luce...!"
Lucy's head snapped up off the bed in surprise, eyes wide and glittering in the dim of the cell and the prison around her and Yukino sitting against the back wall. The unending and heavy silence of their confinement shattered with sound of that hushed voice, and Lucy and Yukino both felt their hearts leap in their chests at the sound of it- and who they recognized it belonged to.
A breathless smile crossed Lucy's face as she pushed herself up onto her knees, her eyes shinning as she matched gazes with Natsu crouched on the balls of his feet on the other side of the bars, a toothy grin on his face as she looked up. Yukino's eyes glittered in the dim, her expression pulling in surprise and shock as she caught sight of the pinkette, and the others beside him from the other side of the cell bars.
"... No way..." Yukino whispered under her breath.
"Natsu!" Lucy beamed, her smile growing wider as her eyes darted around to Mirajane on Natsu's left and Wendy on his right, while the Exceeds stood by and raised their paws in greeting. "Everyone, you're here...!" She hummed brightly, her voice echoing slightly off the stone. She was about to say more, only to get cut off when Natsu pressed a finger to his lips and shushed her.
"Ssshhh, Luce!" He told her quickly and quietly, "We don't wanna catch anyone's attention before we get out, kay?" Lucy nodded, smiling softly.
"Yes, I'm sorry I got excited..." She murmured softly, "It's so good to see you all, I knew you wouldn't leave us here..!"
"Of course not!" Natsu smirked, "Let's get you two out of here, yeah? Back up a bit from the bars for a minute Luce." Natsu hummed, his hands closing around the metal bars of the cell as Lucy backed away from them and Yukino climbed to her feet, approaching enough to be a bit behind the blonde. Steam rose up from his hands as the dark metal of the bars began to bleed a bright, white-hot, bending and melting underneath him as he pulled them apart with a small grunt of effort and created a gap large enough to allow the two Celestial Mages to step out. Lucy stepped quickly through the opening once it cooled off enough, beaming still and throwing her hands up to catch Natsu in a hug. She held to him for a few seconds before giving Mirajane and Wendy similar greeting, still grinning from ear to ear and looking so very relieved.
"We brought you a change of clothes." Mirajane hummed pleasantly as Lucy let her go, "We also brought some for you too, Yukino." She white-haired woman murmured lightly, her eyes moving toward Yukino as the girl slowly stepped out of the gap, tentatively accepting Natsu's hand as he helped her out.
"Thank you..!" Lucy hummed, though Yukino looked a little stunned with the offer, blushing slightly.
"... o-oh, thank you... but it's not necessary...." Yukino murmured softly, her eyes dropping a bit as she took her hand back from Natsu's and stood stiff in her spot for a few seconds.
"Oi, any sign of guards or anythin'?" Natsu asked, his attention skipping passed Yukino at his shoulder and a bit further up the corridor from where they were huddled together, his hands on his hips. Yukino blinked at him, her eyes quickly tracing where his eyeline seemed to lead and going stiff as a board when she reached the end of it.
"No, nothing for now... though this still feels way too easy." Hora grumbled lowly, shifting from glancing around the corner she was standing at and backing up a few steps in the direction of where everyone else was. She bit the inside of her cheek, on high alert and absolutely hating the silence of the whole of the prison and the lack of literally anybody else- she'd hung back a little as they got closer to where Yukino and Lucy were, opting to take up a bit of a lookout position just in case they got jumped while they were busy collecting the girls. But there was nothing amiss, no new scents or sounds, and no sign of anyone looking to stop them staging the jailbreak... it really couldn't be this easy, could it? Somebody had to be watching right?
She couldn't pick up on anything though, not that it made her feel any better.
She turned slowly, her eyes leaving the hallway they had left behind and still moving toward the others. And for that moment, letting her attention divert to what she really wanted to focus on- or rather who.
"Are you guys okay?" Hora asked quickly, her dark blue eyes scanning the figures ahead of her for that familiar pale hair, only to draw up short a few feet away from the group when someone suddenly jumped toward her, arms extended and breathless. Hora had no time at all to react, and she felt herself stumbling backward as their bodies connected and she got knocked backward onto her ass, the breath driven from her for a moment and only barely managing not to get knocked flat on her back. Hora winced, a newfound ache igniting through her (very) battered body, her hands hovering slightly and not sure what to do with them for a few seconds as she bit back at the pain.
... I really need people to stop ramming into me for a hug... tch...
".. Hora..!" Yukino's breathless voice reached her ear, the Celestial Mage hugging to her tightly. "I can't believe you're here...! I am so happy to see you...! I-I've been worried...!"
Hora swallowed a bit, her hands winding around Yukino gently to return the hug and her eyes flashing at the words.
"... I'm sorry..." Hora mumbled, "I didn't mean to worry you... but of course I came, I wouldn't leave you here, not on anything. You're still SaberTooth, regardless of what Jiemma or Minerva may say, and you're still family." Hora mumbled lowly, her hold on Yukino tightening a little. "... speaking of worrying, I've been pretty worried about you too, ya know..." She added lowly, and Yukino stiffened.
"... I... I apologize..." She whispered, Hora shook her head a bit.
"No, I get it... you don't have to explain why you got caught up in this Eclipse thing, I understand." Hora told her softly, "We're gonna sort all of this out, I promise. You and Lucy are gonna be fine, everyone is gonna be fine, it'll all work out... and by the end of this, I'm gonna bring you back to the Guild safe and sound, and you can stay. I swear."
".. b..but Hora... I got exiled, the Master..." Yukino started shakily, and Hora shook her head, pulling back from Yukino so their eyes could meet and her expression serious.
"Jiemma has no say in what goes on in SaberTooth anymore. And Minerva won't for much longer either." Hora grumbled, and Yukino's eyes widened, confusion and question washing over her face. "A lot of stuff has happened since I last talked with you, and I will explain it all... but for right now we should probably focus on getting out of here, okay?" Hora murmured, giving Yukino a half apologetic look as the girl paused, before slowly nodding.
"Yeah... alright." She agreed, and Hora smiled, shifting to her feet and helping Yukino up. They moved the few feet they needed to join up with the rest of the group, and Lucy broke away from Mirajane's shoulder to catch Hora up in a hug too- though this time she saw it coming and managed not to get smashed into too hard.
"Hora, it's so good to see you..!" Lucy hummed, and Hora nodded a bit.
"Good to see you too Lucy... I'm sorry we haven't been able to talk face to face..." Hora mumbled softly, and Lucy pulled back, shaking her head.
"No I understand, I wouldn't want you to get in trouble..!" Lucy told her quickly, "Yukino told me about what happened to you a few months ago, and how terrible SaberTooth's Master is..." Lucy explained softly, and Hora grimaced a bit, seeing several other people frown at mention of it too. "I can't wrap my head around how someone could be so cruel, but I understand why you've had to be so cautious... I'm just really relieved to see you here now, but aren't you gonna be in worse trouble if your Master finds out you came..?"
"... no, it's not that simple." Hora murmured, "Like I told Yukino, a lot has happened the last few days, and just last night especially... I will explain everything to you both later, but right now we should get moving." Hora explained, and Lucy nodded a bit, though she clearly had more she wanted to ask- but also had the better sense to know Hora had a point. They could spend all the time they wanted talking when they were all safely out of this prison.
"Right, I'd like us to be able to leave the castle undetected if at all possible." PantherLily murmured,
"We can't go just yet." Lucy told him quickly though, "They still have my Keys, I can't leave without them."
"Mine are gone as well." Yukino inputted softly, "Mr. Darton confiscated them from us, he'll likely still have them." She explained, and Hora bit the inside of her cheek.
"That's the Minister of Defense guy right?" Hora grumbled, and Yukino nodded in affirmation. Hora grimaced a bit, "Well that's gonna make things more complicated, there's no way he isn't surrounded by guards..." She sighed,
"You're probably right, but it don't matter." Natsu replied, "We'll get your keys back, promise." Natsu grumbled, nodding his head toward Lucy and Yukino both.
"... I guess it might be a good idea to send Drille out to look for him, then. Give us some clue of where to head and what we'll be dealing with." Hora murmured, her hand raising as a Magic Circle appeared in air beside her- intent on pulling the paper she had tucked away inside, but she halted before her hand ever reached the Circle.
She felt something click under her feet, faint and hardly there really- it could have easily been someone's feet tapping against the floor, but she didn't think it was... What the..?
Her eyes trailed downward and to the floor in confusion, only for her jaw to snap shut and her heart to leap into her throat when the floor suddenly dropped out from underneath them.
"W-what the hell...?!"
"The floor...?!"
"Shit...!"
Hora hissed, her attention on her Requip lost as she felt the bottom of her feet meet empty air, her arms sweeping down below her and mind whirling as she quickly tried to come up with some way to stop them plummeting into the hole. A floor, a basin, anything to catch them- and fire wouldn't do.
Her eyes flashed icy blue, sheer white clouding the air around her arms and hands in the few seconds they began to fall.
She meant to make a platform for them to land on, but the minute she pushed for the Magic to come, all she ended up with was a bit of chilly frost that quickly evaporated, and pain.
Searing agony sprung up and rushed through her from the center of her chest, and her eyes and jaw snapped shut against it, cringing and all plan or thought of trying to save them wiped away in an instant. She hissed, wincing harshly under her breath and she heard Lixue let out a pained grunt that rung through her mind and thoughts.
And they were all falling, the Fairy Tailers shouts of surprise and Yukino's too lost on her ears. They quickly fell a few feet, and the opening that had sent them falling slammed shut over their heads, and they were plunged into sheer darkness and unable to see the bottom.
It didn't last very long though, and honestly Hora was too wrapped up waiting for the pain to fade again to really notice at all. Greenish light flooded up from below them as they all fell passed the edge of the tunnel they had been falling through, and quickly approached a rocky floor coming on fast. Lucy was wriggling in air, trying to grab out toward Happy and save herself hitting the floor, but she had little time and she ended up slamming to a halt on top of Natsu- who had hit the floor first and hadn't been able to try and land it. Carla saved Wendy from hitting the floor and Happy took Yukino, while PantherLily caught Mirajane, setting the three girls down gently and Hora was left to fend for herself... Which was fine, she could have landed easily enough, if it hadn't felt like her chest was on fire.
She landed awkwardly, pushing passed the pain for just a few moments to at least allow herself not to smack against the floor. She did stumble quite a bit though, and almost lost her footing while she was at it, before struggling to a half-halt and bent over a bit. One hand fell on her knee to prop herself up with while the other gripped at the shirt over her chest, her eyes shut tight and hardly daring to breathe for a few seconds. The pain hadn't faded away even in those few moments of falling, and seemed slow to even start to do so.
... Tch... W..what the hell...?! Why didn't... That work...?! Why did that fucking hurt so much, Lixue...?!
'... Tch... You need to pace yourself... That large of a Spell is too much to start off with...' Lixue grumbled, '... Advance warning of you trying to use my power would also help... Lest you catch me off guard like that again, and you actually end up in worse trouble than this...'
Hora grit her teeth, her fingers digging into her knee and shirt both. She wanted to snap at him and tell him she shouldn't have to watch herself- but she she knew better... And that he was right, though that was agitating.
... Tch... Sorry... I wasn't thinking how large that Spell was gonna be... I'll try to warn you of anything big I try to do beforehand...
'... That would be best...'
Hora shook her head, grumbling a bit as she slowly let the breath she was holding out, and she pain began to turn into a dull throb.
Pace myself huh...?
... I've never been very good at that... Especially not when my life consists of just making colossal, snap decisions in the heat of the moment... Ugh
... But fine... Start small... Work my way up... It can't be that hard, can it?
'We shall see...' Lixue commented dryly, Hora's eye twitched at it.
"Oi... Can you get off me, Luce...?" Natsu moaned,
"Where are we...?" Wendy murmured, glancing around the dim confines of what seemed a cavern all around them.
"The hole we fell through shut itself..!" Happy mewed, glancing hastily toward where they had appeared from and seeing nothing but solid stone overhead.
"... Hora, are you alright...?"
Yukino's soft and slightly concerned voice caught Hora's attention, her eyes opening to glance left toward the Celestial Mage and straightening a bit. Yukino's eyes moved up and down Hora's figure, glittering in question as she slowly moved up toward Hora's shoulder, her head tilting. "You look... like you're in pain...? Is something wrong..?" She asked softly, reaching a hand toward Hora, though drew up short as Hora gave her a small, tired smile.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Hora replied quietly, "I was trying to put up something that would save us falling, but it didn't work out... my Magic is a little finicky at the moment is all." Hora explained softly, and Yukino's head tilted further. "... like I said, a lot has happened the last few days..."
"Where in the hell are we?" Natsu grumbled hotly, finally pulling himself to his feet as Mirajane gave Lucy a hand up off of him. His eyes darted around the cavern and the several massive, peculiar structures of human figures carrying what seemed to be the weight of the roof all around.
"Welcome to the Palace of Perdition."
Hora stiffened, her head and body snapping up straight as the strange voice echoed over the cavern and bounced off the walls. Everyone snapped to attention around her, eyes darting about the space to try and find the source- until a large Projection Screen suddenly came to life above them and the figure of a young woman with green hair appeared on it's face.
"You fell right into my trap." The woman murmured lowly, "Look around you, this is the Palace of Perdition- a place a death."
Hora grimaced, her eyes casting sideways from the screen and toward the cavern again- her eyes adjusting to the dim all the way now and catching sight of what the woman meant... and the scent of death reached her nose, sharp and heavy on the air. Courtesy of what large array of skeletons and bones were littered all around- hundreds, she would have to guess.
... well shit...
"This place is the final taste of freedom for criminals. Not a single person has ever escaped from it." The woman went on, her gaze hard and icy. "May you wither and rot there, thieves."
"Who the hell are you?!" Natsu snapped hotly,
"I am Hisui E. Fiore, Princess of the Fiore Kingdom." The woman replied coldly, and Hora bit the inside of her cheek.
"... the princess huh...?" Hora muttered lowly, "... Perfect, she's with the Kingdom... and probably with that damn Minister of Defense too..." She grumbled, her eyes dropping closed in agitation.
... I knew this felt like a trap...
"I don't care what you are, tell us where the damn exit is!" Natsu snapped, only to cut off as the screen disappeared and the Princess' attention went with it. The pinkette ground his teeth together, looking agitated to all hell.
"Nevermind the exit, I don't even see an entrance." PantherLily grumbled lowly,
"What are we going to do..?" Wendy asked softly,
"We're gonna have to try and find a way out." Lucy mumbled,
"But this place looks huge..." Happy mewed,
"... It is." Yukino intoned quietly, earning their eyes. "... If memory serves, there is a massive Labyrinth rumored to sit underneath the castle grounds- leagues in length, with thousands of different twists and turns." Yukino explained, "If I had to guess, this is that same place."
"... well she did say no one has ever escaped this place." Carla sighed,
"We can't just give up though...!" Happy trilled,
"We ain't gonna get stuck in here Buddy." Natsu told the Exceed quickly, "We'll find a way out, don't doubt it!"
"... well, should we split up and look for a way out..?" Wendy asked slowly, Hora shook her head.
"No I don't think that'd be a good idea." Hora murmured, "If this place really is a big maze, we might lose track of each other indefinitely if we split up, it'd be better to stick together instead of running the risk of getting lost alone."
"That makes sense." Mirajane hummed, and Wendy let out a small sigh of relief at the idea they weren't going to split apart. Everyone else nodded in agreement and Hora sighed,
"... with that in mind it'll probably just be easier to let Drille and a few of the others run around trying to find an exit." She mumbled, "With any luck they'll find one, but it might take awhile... meaning we'll probably just do better to sit still for a bit." She explained, and they all sighed at the words.
"... you're probably right." Lucy groaned, "Though this place is creepy, I'd rather not stay here too long..."
"Y-yeah..." Wendy mumbled, "... it smells pretty bad too..." She added, and Hora felt she had to agree.
"... ugh, fine...!" Natsu moaned, his arms crossing over his chest haughtily and sitting cross-legged on the dusty floor, pouting slightly as he let out a huff. Hora smiled wearily at the behavior, many of the others doing the same.
What a child
Hora shook her head and lift her hand again, digging around in her Requip for a few moments and sifting through it's contents in search of what she wanted. Lucy took the little lag in movement to actually change into the clothes that Mirajane had brought for her, hiding behind a sheet that the woman and Wendy held up for her. Yukino stayed close to Hora though, watching quietly as she pulled several pieces of paper from the her Requip, each of them sporting an illustrated bird. Hora had made several pre-drawn copies of these last night so she wouldn't have to spend time drawing out in the field.
"... if your Magic is being 'finicky', will you be able to use it to bring the Birds to life...?" Yukino asked softly, and Hora nodded.
"Yeah, it's not this half of my Magic that's being weird right now." Hora hummed, and Yukino's eyes narrowed in confusion at it. Hora didn't give the look much mind though, her eyes moved away from Yukino as she held the papers up, gold pulsing from her fingertips and the paper sent alight in flame in seconds. The paper on the edges of the illustrations burned away, before the images puffed up into form and six birds fluttered in air before her, showering the cavern floor with embers.
"W-where are we, M-Miss...?!" Drille squawked, fluffing up in fear as most of the rest of the birds did the same.
"This place is c-creepy...!" Pilli chirped,
"Sooooo creepy..!" Nalli whined,
"Are t-those skeletons..!?" Jelli yelped, her wings almost stalling in air and sending her tumbling to the floor.
"Calm down." Vylle muttered lowly to the other birds.
"You're all wimps." Fille sighed,
"Shut up!" Pilli, Nalli and Jelli snapped back hotly. Hora's eye twitched,
"Enough!" Hora interrupted, waving her hands in front of her and easily snapping the Birds' attention back to her. "Look, I know this place isn't very fun but I need you all to listen and help us out, okay? Try and be brave for me." The Birds stiffened, before nodding quickly.
"Y-yes, Miss... sorry... We'll try!" Drille, Pilli, Nalli and Jelli mumbled, Hora nodded.
"Now listen- we're trapped in here and it's a big maze, so I need you guys to spread out and try to find us an exit, alright?" Hora told them, "According to Yukino this place probably goes on for a really big distance, so it'll probably take you awhile, but it'd be good if you could search as fast as you can, okay? We don't wanna be here too long."
"Of course Miss, we will do our best!" The Birds chirped in understanding.
"Great. There shouldn't be anyone else in here as far as I know, but be careful anyway." Hora murmured, and they nodded again.
"Right!"
"Thank you." Hora murmured, and they nodded one more time, before quickly taking off in all available directions, and flapping out of sight.
"Hora, you really like birds, huh?" Happy mewed brightly, coming to a stop in front of her and raising a paw to get her attention. Hora glanced down at him and blinked, her head tilting.
"Hmm? What makes you say that?" Hora mumbled slowly,
"You make a lot of birds with your Magic! The ones for your Picto Magic are all birds, and even the ones you made out of fire in Jeihel were all birds too!" Happy mewed, "Either you really like birds- or are they the only thing you know how to make?"
"... I have wondered this myself." Yukino inputted quietly, looking away from Hora sheepishly as she glanced toward the Celestial Mage. "... I have also wondered on your naming sense... though I never mentioned it..." Yukino added even more quietly, blushing slightly in nervousness as Hora blinked several times over.
"What's wrong with my naming sense...?" Hora mumbled uncertainly, and Yukino paused, looking shocked at the question for a moment, before smiling in exasperation.
".. eh, really...?!" Happy deadpanned, "You gave all your birds super weird names, Hora! They don't even sound like names, just made up words...!" Hora frowned, her cheeks flushing in a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment.
"They're fine names!" She shot back quickly, "There is nothing wrong with them, and so what if they're made up?! A name can be anything you want it to be!" She hissed, her teeth gritting and actively fighting the urge to strangle Happy when he placed a paw over his mouth and snickered at her reaction.
"Ooh, touchy touchy~" He purred, her eye twitched at it, her teeth gritting further.
"... What are the other names...?" Lucy asked quietly, being the only one in the group that had not heard all of the names besides those six just then. Mirajane and Wendy smiled in amusement at the blonde,
"... If I remember correctly, they were Kaille, Reille, Erelle... Anilli, Belle, and Seylle." Mirajane recanted softly, her hand on her cheek and smiling still.
"T-there's nothing wrong with their names, you're right..." Yukino mumbled, quickly trying to appease Horatia as best she could- and the side conversation between Lucy, Wendy and Mirajane going entirely unheard. "T-they're cute... I just mentioned it because you seem to have a theme going..." She stammered, "... They all seen to end in '-illi' or '-elle' or some variant of those is all..." Hora bit the inside of her cheek, huffing.
"So what? It makes it easier to remember them all..." she grumbled hotly, "... Tch... I did make all of their names when I was six or seven you know, it was hard to keep track of names when I was so young..." She muttered.
"Oooooh, that totally makes sense now!" Happy meowed, "Those are totally names a little kid would make up, no wonder they're so weird!" A vein ticked on Hora's forehead and her teeth grit so hard they threatened to crack- but damned if her face wouldn't quit heating up in embarrassment.
"Happy, stop teasing her!" Lucy snapped from over the lip of the sheet she was hiding behind, and saving Hora from saying anything further in retort to the blue Exceed.
"I'm sorry about him, Horatia." Mirajane smiled sweetly toward the Saber Wizard, "But you needn't be so embarrassed, I think all of those names you gave your Birds are very cute- just as cute as they are. Your Magic is beautiful." Hora blinked, swallowing and blushing further despite herself at the compliment, and quickly looking away.
"... uhm, thank you..." She mumbled, and Mirajane chuckled under her breath at the reaction. Everyone else smiled slightly at Hora's embarrassment too, and Happy grinned.
"I'm sorry Hora, I wasn't trying to be mean~!" He purred, "Though I am still wondering if you do like birds a lot? I like them too, for food- though fish is always better!" He mewed, and Hora bit the inside of her cheeks, her eyes dropping closed instead of garnering the Exceed a glance.
"I'm a little curious too... you're really talented at drawing things, do you ever make any other sorts of animals?" Wendy hummed, her head tilting.
"Yeah, we never saw anything different than some sort of bird." Natsu commented, Lucy nodded a bit.
"I know you made a copy of Cana's Calling Card on your own, but you never did make anything other than birds with your Picto Magic." Lucy told her, and Hora sighed a bit.
"Even the messenger you sent to the Infirmary looked like a little bird, though it wasn't very big." Carla added in,
"And I've never seen you use anything other than birds the whole time I've known you." Yukino hummed, "I can't imagine you couldn't make different creatures, you're too good with your Magic for that to be why you've never branched out..."
Hora's arms crossed over her chest, her eyes opening only slightly to look at the ground, still chewing the insides of her cheeks as everyone else added their own inputs and questions- and she didn't answer straight away.
'... a touchy subject, is it..?' Lixue hummed. 'You created those Birds very soon after I joined you... I have always assumed they were companions made up by a lonely and terrified child. Friends in a world you felt so utterly alone and out of place in.'
She stiffened, her eyes narrowing to slits and holding her breath against his words... because he was right, and him saying it just then brought back all those terrible thoughts and emotions. All those years after what happened with Deliora, wandering and lost and hating herself and the body that no longer felt like her own... lost and in so much pain and so, so lonely. A monster now because of that wretched Magic she had been forced to have, and a monster that couldn't possibly dare have any real friends or anyone at all...
... yes, all of them- Drille, Pilli, Jelli, Vylle... every single one of those Birds, a made up, imaginary creature given life through her own thoughts and feelings and her want for just... someone to talk to.
Hora swallowed, hard, her eyes flashing and her shoulders hunching slightly despite herself.
... but why birds...? Of all things in this world, all the wonderful, fantastic things that existed, and could exist...? Of all the things that could be made up and imagined, just through thought and pen and paper... why birds...?
.:+:.
"Ahhh, look at this one it's such a pretty color...!" She hummed brightly, her eyes glittering and wide as she leaned over the book, her eyes latched to the page and the picture of that utterly crimson red bird painted there. It was so stark and red against the white of the page, like blood in snow, and with deep black around it's face... it was like nothing she had ever seen, not outside of books and pictures. Not in this village full of water and snow and ice, and staying a chilly, silent wash of winter all year long.
"What's this one called?" She asked breathlessly, her eyes daring to break away from the page and toward her Brother at her shoulder, leaning on his elbows against the desktop and smiling slightly as they both looked through the book together... tucked away in their room and sharing the single chair at the desk (well, more him sitting on the edge of it while she stood).
"Mm... its says Card... inal... Cardinal." He hummed, reading the name slowly and sounding it out a bit before putting it all together.
"Huh? I thought Mom said that was a church thingy...?" She asked immediately, and he blinked. "Like a priest guy or something."
"Nah, it must have been something else, or you heard it wrong." He replied quickly, "This is definitely 'Cardinal'. It's a bird."
"...huh..." She breathed, relenting to his explanation all so easily and looking back at the painting. "... it's so pretty... and so red...! I've never seen anything around here that red...!"
"Well duh, it's too cold up here." He told her, "Dad says all the birds stay further south, and if they come up here they freeze and leave really quick."
"But there are penguins, aren't there?" She told him, "They were in this book, so they are birds too right?"
"Yeah, but not the kind that fly." He told her with a shake of his head, "And they aren't bright colors like red or green or anything either ya know. They gotta blend in with the snow and stuff... for protection and stuff."
"Huh... that's cool... but this one is really red, does it live in places where there are like lots of red trees or something?" She asked, and her Brother paused.
"Hmm... gotta be, why else is it bright red? It'd get spotted way too easy if it didn't live somewhere where it.. it blended in and stuff, right?" He told her, almost matter-of-factly and she just soaked it all in.
Why not? What reason would she have not to trust what he told her? He was her Big Brother, he knew so much she didn't.
... the naivety, ignorance, and innocence of such a young child, she supposed... but she had loved it. Both that book and all its wondrous feathered creatures, and how happily her Brother had looked through it with her, and told her what the words said.
"Woah... red trees! That's sounds soooo cooool!" She beamed, and her Brother smiled at the grin on her face, his fingers curling under the pages and humming a bit.
"You think this is cool?" He asked, his eyes on the book as he began to flip pages and she watched him do it. "Wait until you see this one...!" He smirked, flipping quickly and skimping passed a multitude of other pages, other birds, all colors and shapes and sizes and words and lettering she couldn't read nor cared to- the pictures were more than enough for her.
And when he stopped flipping pages, the one he stopped on was huge, noble, and tall- with a long, flowing tail and a blaze of reds and oranges and golds of the like she could never have even imagined before right then. It glowed almost, sleek, shining feathers and bleeding bits of flame and embers of such wonderful hues they almost seemed to jump off the page and into real life before her very eyes.
Her heart swelled, her eyes growing wider than they ever had and the biggest smile spreading across her face as she stared at it in all it's bright, warm, fiery glory- and the smirk her Brother was wearing got bigger as he saw the way she absolutely lit up.
"Woah!!!" She was breathless even as the word made it passed her lips in hushed excitement, and she rocked up on her toes, almost bouncing with excitement. "This is awesome! What is it called?!" She asked quickly, her head snapping around toward him in excitement for only a second before she looked back at the picture again- and before he even got the chance to reply.
"It's called a Phoenix. It's a Magic Fire-Bird." Her Brother told her, and she nodded several times at the information.
"The name is even cooler! And it's a Fire-Bird?! And a Magic Bird?! It's so big, and so bright! It's so pretty, the prettiest bird in the whole world!" She exclaimed, pretty much bursting now and he smiled at it, his hand falling in his cheek and just watching her nearly jump up and down on the chair beside him... and no small amount of impressed with himself she was sure- that he'd managed to introduce her to something that got her that excited.
"You have to tell me what all the other words say!" She beamed, turning to him again and shaking his shoulder a little roughly in all her excitement. "I wanna know everything about it! Please!"
He laughed, grinning from ear to ear and his dark blue eyes shining in amusement as she shook him, and nodded at her. It was one of the few times she remembered him laughing like that... or remembered herself being so genuinely excited over something.
"I will, I will! You gotta stop shaking me first though...!"
.:+:.
Hora swallowed hard, her eyes stinging all of a sudden and blinking several times to get rid of the unwanted sensation that arose with the memory.
She had loved that book of birds. She'd loved all the pictures and she'd loved reading it with him most of all.. even if some of the time he told her information that he presented as fact, but in retrospect he had little clue... but he had to seem like he knew it all, he was her Big Brother and it was his job to know everything, right...?
She shut her eyes tight, her arms crossed over her chest tightening slightly as she willed herself not to fall into that pit of raging emotion and hurt that wanted to swallow her so badly. And reminding herself quickly that she just couldn't think about it... not now, not knowing she had spent so long thinking him dead, and not realizing just this last night that she had been so, so wrong about that... that he was alive and he might not even remember her, or any of those memories at all.
S-shit... stop..! Damn it...!
You can't think about any of that right now, you dumbass!
She took in a deep breath and held it, forcing her stiff shoulders to un-tense and glancing up slowly- and hoping she hadn't faded off into silence and her own thoughts for too long there.
"... it's gonna sound stupid." She murmured at length, casting them all a quick glance before looking at the ground again. ".... it's just... there weren't any birds around where I lived as a kid, it was too cold and never got warm enough... so I looked through this picture book about birds in other parts of the world about a dozen times with... and it just... Birds were this thing I never got to see myself, but I could imagine them, and they seemed so cool and unique... they were something I never got to have in my life back then, so I've always been really fascinated by them... so I guess... I'm just hooked on them, because of all that..." She trailed off uncertainly, and then shook her head at herself when she realized her thoughts were dangerously close to going down that avenue of memory and heartache she couldn't risk traipsing down again, not even a little. Not right now.
Yukino blinked, her eyes growing wide and her expression falling flat in shock as she found herself staring at her friend for a few seconds in stunned silence- even as the Fairy Tailers smiled at the explanation and how cute it sounded to them. And it was cute, and a little adorable- more so because Hora seemed embarrassed with it all... but to Yukino?
Hora never talked about her family or her childhood, ever. Not once in all the time she had known Hora had there even been mention of her parents, or where she lived, or anything that had happened in the years before SaberTooth... Hell, little had even been said about the earliest years of Hora being in SaberTooth. Not even when Yukino had told Hora all about her own life, of her parent's demise and her older sister's disappearance... So for Horatia to mention something like that now, and so out of the blue..?
Yukino's eyes glittered, her hands linking together in front of her and eyes searching Hora as the Devil Slayer glanced up again after a few moments, and shook her head- while also seeming to shake off what bit of silence and seriousness that had befallen her for a few moments.
"That's kinda cute, Hora." Wendy told the Saber Wizard brightly, and Hora blushed slightly at it.
"... If you.. say so..." She mumbled, looking away from the young Dragon Slayer and everyone else altogether. Yukino bit the inside of her cheek, hesitating for a moment, before stepping closer to Hora and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"... Hora... you never talk about your childhood." Yukino told her softly, her head tilting as Hora stiffened a little at the words.
"... oh... I guess.... I don't really, do I...?" Hora mumbled uncertainly, her eyes falling to her hands as she tapped her fingers together a bit nervously. "... it's just... I kinda do now... at least a little... since last night..." She murmured, and Yukino's head tilted a bit further in question.
"... what happened?" Yukino pressed, her eyes flashing. "It must have been something serious... you seem a little off, honestly... and you look exhausted, Hora." Yukino told her softly, and Hora grimaced a bit at the assertion. "... and what you said earlier, about the Master... what is going on...? Are you in trouble or...?"
Hora shook her head, cutting Yukino off a little and her eyes flashing as she met the Celestial Mage's gaze again. "... a lot of really big stuff happened... and none of it all that good, honestly." Hora replied quietly, "... And you need and deserve to know about it... it's just a lot, and I'm not sure right now is a good time to get into it..."
"... if we will be waiting awhile on your Birds, it may be as good a time as any." Yukino pointed out gently, "... you don't have to explain everything at once, but enough so I understand what is going on? If things have really changed so drastically in one night, there's probably at least some of the more pressing parts I need to know right now, yes...?" Hora stayed quiet for a few moments, her eyes steady on Yukino as she let the words sink in, and she tried to come to a decision on what she ought to do... Yukino had a point, even barring some of the more major things- there was probably quite a bit that they needed squared away sooner rather than later.
"... alright." Hora relented softly, "... both you and Lucy probably ought to get caught up on what happened, and we do have some time while Drille and the others search... so okay. But give me a minute to make sure we aren't being listened in on, I don't trust there aren't any monitoring Magic or Devices in this place." Hora explained, and Yukino nodded.
"Alright." She hummed and Hora stepped passed her, her eyes finding Lucy pulling on her last boot and catching the blonde's attention, and the rest of the Fairy Tailers all at once.
"... since we'll probably be waiting awhile for my Birds to get back, I figure we might as well catch Lucy and Yukino up on what's going on with all of this." Hora announced softly, and winced internally at the tense faces she earned from the Fairy Tailers who were already aware of all that had happened.
"... that's probably wise." Carla relented quietly, earning stiff nods from Wendy, Mirajane and PantherLily, whilst Natsu and Happy just frowned slightly- though they didn't argue with it.
"... alright, well if we're gonna talk about it I would feel better if I made sure we can't be listened in on." Hora sighed, walking toward them and gesturing toward Yukino to follow.
"Listen in?" Happy echoed,
"I suppose it would be foolish to think the Kingdom doesn't have some way of monitoring us in this place." Lily commented dryly, immediately understanding what Hora meant and earning nervous looks from Wendy and Lucy alike.
"W-what...?! You mean they might have just been watching me get changed...!?" Lucy stammered, blushing up a storm and looking mortified at the idea.
"That's so creepy...!" Wendy said,
"Well if they were watching Lucy, at least they had a good show~!" Happy chirped, only to get clonked on the head by the blonde.
"Shut up you pervy cat!" She snapped hotly,
Hora hummed a bit under her breath at the sight, though she didn't linger on it too long. She shook her head and kept walking until she was about seven or eight feet from where they had all grouped together, most everyone hanging back at Yukino's soft request to do so- naturally, since Yukino knew well what Hora was planning to do in order to keep them from being eavesdropped on. It was a familiar habit adopted by the woman when she wanted to make sure neither Minerva nor Master Jiemma could listen in on conversations it would be better they were not privy too.
"Oi Hora, what are you doing?" Natsu asked instantly, his arms crossed over his chest and watching Hora intently as she began to walk in a circle around their group, dragging her foot in the process and creating a line in the dirt as she went.
"... it's a Silence Barrier..." Hora mumbled, her eyes stuck to the circle she was making and not him. "... it's a Spell that nullifies all sound from inside it's contents... I use it a lot to keep from getting eavesdropped on by the wrong people." She explained, halting once she had completed the circle and instead turning her attention to her hands, fire traced in air from her fingers in the shapes of Runes. The Runes themselves moved as she continued to right them, moving out and sticking themselves against the floor on top of the line that Hora had drawn, trapping them in a circle and glowing dimly against the sand, stationary and silent as Hora finished writing them and then turned to the Fairy Tailers again. "There, that should do it. We can talk, and no one will hear what we say... Kingdom or otherwise." She announced softly, clearing the space back toward them and her arms crossing over her chest.
... where do I even start...?
Hora sighed and settled down to sit on the floor cross-legged, her hands falling on her knees and quiet for a few moments as she mused over where she was supposed to begin, or even how much she needed to go into all of it... because it was a lot, and the thought of rehashing out all the details and all the terrible bits was just seriously exhausting. Everyone else seemed to take her hint to sit and slowly settled on the cavern floor around and in front of her, quiet and expectant- but more so in the case of the two Celestial Mages they had come to rescue (and sort of hit a snag with already...).
"... to begin with I guess... it would be worth mentioning that us being here is a two part plan." Hora started slowly, "That Darton guy said he'd release Lucy if Fairy Tail managed to win the Grand Magic Games today, and on the chance he'll keep his word on that, the Fairy Tail team is doing their utmost to win right now... with Mavis' help and planning." Hora explained, and Lucy blinked in surprise at the name, while Yukino looked confused.
Who is Mavis..?
She never got around to asking though, and Hora didn't linger on it.
"... but even if they do win, there was no promise he was gonna let Yukino go, and we really weren't sure if he was gonna keep his word or not, since he's all bent out of shape about this Eclipse Gate thing." Hora went on, and Yukino grimaced slightly at it, Lucy too. "So instead of putting all hopes on that, we decided to send a team into the castle to come get the both of you instead- which is us... and hopefully we could get you both out without being noticed, though that part hasn't quite gone to plan already." Hora sighed,
"... how did you get involved in this?" Yukino asked Hora softly, but not pausing to let the Devil Slayer answer, before Yukino's eyes moved toward Natsu and the others. "... did you contact Hora after we were arrested last night, and tell her what was going on, or...?" She started, and upon earning a slightly pained grimace from Wendy, Happy and Natsu alike, she stiffened and trailed off.
"... Yukino, do you remember what Salamander said when you ran into him, that night you got kicked out...?" Hora asked slowly, and Yukino's eyes snapped back her way. "... about Jiemma having something on me, that kept me from standing up to him...? Even after all the shit he did, to me and everyone else...?" Hora mumbled, and Yukino nodded stiffly, her eyes glittering.
".. yes, of course..." She replied, and Hora let out a low breath.
"... well he had it right." Hora told her softly, her eyes breaking from Yukino briefly to catch Lucy's as the blonde listened in stiff silence. Lucy had been told what had happened to Hora a few months ago by Yukino, of how badly her Master had hurt her and to the point she had almost died, and how cruel Jiemma was to everyone else in the SaberTooth Guild. And that being the reason they all put up Face and acted as terrible as they did to the outside world... out of fear, terrified they wouldn't live up to their Master's terrible standards and be punished harshly for it. That the SaberTooth she had seen and witnessed in the Grand Magic Games so far as ruthless and arrogant and harsh was just an act, and in reality they hated being that way and being so hurtful to the other Guilds... but what choice did they have?
None at all, as Yukino described it. And the fear and the pain in that girl last night as she and Lucy sat alone in the prison cell, and Yukino tearfully recanted what had all gone on, and all the horrors those in SaberTooth faced everyday, was not something Lucy was lightly to ever forget... and it made her sick, and angry, and worried all at once. She could scarcely imagine it, or believe it- but she knew it was true, and quickly understood what warning Hora had given her all those months ago.
.:+:.
"... have you ever noticed, that sometimes you don't really know what a person's like... unless you become close to them?" Hora asked, "... SaberTooth is kinda like that. They all come off as mean and cold and cocky... but that's not how they actually are. But the only way anyone can see that is if they get close to us... and not many people do." She sweatdropped a little more, "... You probably won't like anyone else in SaberTooth when you meet them, and I can't just... make you see what kind people they are deep down. I can just tell you, that who you see on the outside is nothing like who they are on the inside." She smiled a bit wearily, her eyes not moving up to meet Lucy's.
".. as for me... I'm just a bit more open is all. I guess..." She sighed, "When the GMG rolls around, try not to take how my Guild acts to heart. With the exception of... two of them... all the rest of them aren't bad people at heart. Though how they act will probably make you think differently."
.:+:.
"... I haven't been able to leave SaberTooth or stand up to Jiemma or Minerva, because this whole time I've been... well more or less a Prisoner." Hora kept on, her voice tensing as her eyes dropped closed. "I have a Lacrima in my chest, that's meant to help keep my Devil Slaying Magic at bay, and from driving me insane, or just consuming and killing me... without it, I die, because the Devil Slaying Magic is too powerful to exist in my body all by itself. It would burn me alive from the inside out, and I probably wouldn't last more than a few hours without it... I need this Lacrima to survive." Hora explained quietly, her hand falling lightly on her chest and eyes on the ground... Mostly to avoid the shock and terror quickly working it's way into Lucy and Yukino's faces with every word, and the more pained looks shared by everyone else at hearing it all again. It was still so hard to listen to even a second time around.
".... When Jiemma took over SaberTooth, he found out about it. And to keep me in line and in the Guild, he put a Possession Link on the Lacrima... effectively trapping me, and making it impossible to leave, or disobey him, or anything else. With the Possession Link he could destroy the Lacrima with a single thought, any time he wanted, and I couldn't do anything about it." Hora mumbled lowly, "... I couldn't ever stand up to him or try and fight back, otherwise he'd just kill me on the spot..." Hora murmured quietly, her eyes still closed and missing the looks of horror that passed across Yukino and Lucy's faces, their blood turning to ice and paling.
"... W...what...?" Yukino stammered almost hoarsely, while Lucy's hands moved up to cover her mouth and the shaky breath she let out.
"... T... That's horrible..." Lucy whispered,
"... W...were... You've been living with your life in Jiemma's hands... T..this whole time...?" Yukino stammered breathlessly, trembling slightly now as the words sunk in deeper and heavier, and her mind whirled for it. "... B..but Hora... H...how... How could you have never told us something like this...?" Yukino asked quickly, "... I mean... We would have helped you, or tried to do something...! Why... Why did you keep this to yourself this whole time...? Living with that..." Yukino hissed and Hora glanced up slowly, her eyes flashing as she saw the turmoil and the hurt and the... The betrayal in Yukino, and her heart ached at it.
"... It wasn't a matter of trust or anything, and it wasn't personal... I just... I couldn't tell anyone, and definitely not anybody in the Guild... Because I was afraid of what you all might do, and what might happen to you if you tried to retaliate against Jiemma... or how badly he might hurt any of you, and I wouldn't be able to help you or stop it." Hora told her quietly, her voice tensing at the end and Yukino stiffened. "... I didn't want any of you hurt on my account, and I didn't want you to get killed trying to fix it... All this time I've known there wasn't anything that could be done to free me. Possession Links can't be broken by anyone outside of the one who creates them- every single piece of information I found on them through the years all said the same thing... There was nothing you or I could do..."
".. B... But we still could have tried...!" Yukino replied quickly, shaking her head. "W... We could have known, we could have tried to understand and... And you didn't have to spend all this time living alone with that terrible secret, Hora...!" Yukino hissed, clearly angry now but the sadness in her eyes and the way they shone gave away just how much the truth hurt her. "... Y... You're always keeping an eye on all of us, and trying to keep us safe and happy... But what about you...?! We could have known, and we wouldn't have been kept wondering and worrying all this time about you and why you let Jiemma hurt you so much, without ever understanding why you just took all of it...! I mean... We've all told you so much...! Me and Sting and Rogue, and everyone else in the Guild...! You listen to all of us and help us feel better, and we trust you with our secrets... B..but... But you never let us help you with yours...!"
Hora swallowed, her heart aching more and more as Yukino kept on, and she found it harder and harder to force herself not to let her eyes drop in guilt or shame or any of it... And she felt it. She'd been feeling it, for years, every time and conversation she had ever wanted to tell them, or she got so close to it... And worse after letting it all out and earning this same lecture from just about everyone she had told so far.
And she was right. They were all right, she knew that and understood it... But being reminded of it over and over and seeing how much it hurt them all? To realize they had been lied to and had so much hidden from them? How much they hated she had just left herself to suffer all this time, while they were none the wiser...? And all they wanted to do, wished with everything they could have... Was that they could have known, and could have tried to help her. Even if it was just a little.
They just wished they had been given the chance to try, but she had robbed them all of that.
I messed up so much... But I can't fix it all...
"... I know." Was all she could say, and really- what else could she reply with and not make it worse? She knew she fucked up, she knew she should have done things much differently... But it was too late to change any of that, and all she could do now was apologize.
"... I'm so sorry." Hora whispered, her head bowing slightly. "... I know all of that, and I know I messed up, and that I should have told you long before now... I get it, and I truly am sorry. I'm trying to do better... It just might be slow going, on the honesty part, and being able to explain it all... It's just so complicated... This whole mess with the Kingdom and the Eclipse Gate aside, everything else is just so... Crazy... You have no idea how much..." She apologized softly, her head and body lowering a bit more in a gesture of submission, regret, guilt- you name it. And Yukino and Lucy both stared, quiet and eyes shinning, they eyes of the rest of the Fairy Tailers fixed as well and somber.
"... I'm sorry." Hora repeated again, softer this time around and they all felt their hearts twist at how strained her voice sounded so suddenly, and just for a moment there. "... Really... And I'm gonna be even more sorry, after I explain the rest of this... And what happened last night, after you two got arrested..." She added lowly, almost wincing at the idea of going through the whole thing. Lucy and Yukino blinked, looking a little confused while everyone else seemed to wilt a little.
And so she set into the next part- about what has happened at the Inn with Jiemma, and Sting and Lector. Explained that their 'Guild Master' was now dead and cold and Minerva had seized control and Lector both before anyone could have reacted- and long before Hora knew about any of it, or anyone back in Saber had realized she was no longer there. As expected the news about Jiemma's demise earned no small amount of shock from the Celestial Mages, but it also seemed to trouble Yukino quite a bit- though mostly at the fact that it had been Sting to deal the killing blow.
And of course it was hard for Yukino to imagine a world where Jiemma just... didn't exist anymore. And all the hatred and the cruelty he had forced the Guild through was done and over with in the course of only a few seconds? Like the rest of the Guild, she couldn't fathom it... how could it have been that easy?
But worse than that, was the idea of Lector in Minerva's clutches. Yukino and Lucy's hearts both ached for the Exceed, both of them all too aware of how cruel and hateful Minerva really was.
"... but I was dropped on the other side of Crocus and had no idea any of this was even going on." Hora sighed quietly, shaking her head a bit as an involuntary shiver ran up her spine at what fleeting memory of that Stranger invaded her mind. "... and Jiemma didn't want to die easy, he was determined to do as much damage as he could even as he was bleeding out... so he used the Possession Link to begin destroying the Lacrima inside of me." Hora mumbled, her hand falling on her chest again and Lucy and Yukino went rigid.
"W-wait, what...?!" Yukino hissed, leaning in as Lucy did the same.
"D-Didn't you just say that doing that would kill you...?!" Lucy snapped fearfully, and Hora nodded solemnly.
"... Yeah, exactly." Hora replied, her hand finding the back of her neck as she wilted a bit, her eyes dropping closed. "... and because it was being broken, my Devil Slayer Magic got really out of hand, really quickly... I was a mess, and it was definitely killing me, and I couldn't do anything about it-"
"Are you okay..?!" Lucy and Yukino snapped in unison and Hora blinked,
"-I'm fine." She replied quickly, though they looked none too assured by the answer. "I mean... it wasn't fun... and it definitely sucked, but I am okay." Hora assured softly, her head tilting toward Wendy and the others. "... everyone that had been with you when you got arrested found where I was, and Wendy managed to break the Possession Link before Lixue got destroyed completely." Hora explained with a small, slightly tired smile.
"B-but... Should you even be here...? If you were... Were d-dying just last night, should you be running around...?!" Yukino hissed, "... I.. I mean how bad did it get...?! Are you badly hurt, or..?!"
"Yukino calm down, I'm okay." Hora interrupted her gently. "Really, Wendy did a lot to heal me up last night, I'm totally fine to be here..." Hora murmured, and Wendy nodded tentatively.
"... I did everything I could." Wendy told Yukino rather shyly, and Yukino paused, her eyes shinning and not sure if she was looking to believe it- Lucy looked little convinced as well.
"I really am alright." Hora repeated, before pausing a second and smiling wryly. "... Well... At least mostly. I'm probably gonna need to sleep for a week or so after all this mess gets cleared up to be honest..." She added, and she was right- she would probably sleep for a week once things settled... And probably much more than a week if OverDrive had its way... Not that she need mention that bit right now.
"... Are you sure...?" Yukino and Lucy asked slowly, and Hora nodded again.
"Yeah." She hummed, and they glanced between each other, before slowly nodding.
"... So... You're no longer... Trapped...?" Lucy asked at length, "... Now that Jiemma is... And Wendy broke the Link...?"
"Yeah, I'm free." Hora told her softly, "And because of the Link being gone, I can use Lixue's Magic again too- I haven't been able to, since the Link got placed on me. But now I can." Hora murmured, "...it's Lixue's half of my Magic that's being a bit touchy right now, since the Lacrima is still damaged... It should repair itself on its own in time, but for now I kinda have to watch how much of it I use." She added with a glance at Yukino, but both Yukino and Lucy looked a little more confused now.
"... Who's Lixue...?" They both mumbled in unison, and Hora blinked.
"I'm wondering that too..." Wendy murmured, earning nods of agreement from everyone else.
"Yeah, you mentioned that name a few times now but you never said who it is..." Natsu told her, before trailing off slightly and tilting his head. "Wait a minute, ain't 'Lixue' that the same person you were talking to that night we were working the job together? When you were by yourself outside?" Natsu told her, and Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her hand moving up to rub the back of her neck a little as she halfway nodded, halfway shook her head.
Oh... Right, I forgot Salamander heard me talking to Lixue out loud... And I only actually told Sting, Rogue, Rufus, Orga and Frosch about Lixue, huh...?
"... Ah, well it's gonna sound... Kinda insane...? Well... more insane than everything else..?" Hora started off uncertainly, "... Lixue's not really a person per say... he's actually the LifeForce of a creature who got locked away in the Lacrima in my chest, and it's his Magic that keep the Devil Slayer Magic from getting too out of hand... since it's an opposite nature to the base Element of Fire it uses..." Hora murmured, grimacing just a bit as she saw their faces quickly fall either completely blank, or completely unsure. "... he's supposed to help keep me balanced and whatever... and generally he does, not just in terms of Magic, but he talks to me too, in my... head..." She trailed off all the way this time, grimacing a bit more.
... that does make me sound completely and utterly crazy when I say it out loud...
She groaned internally, suddenly reminded of when she'd started talking to Lixue out loud in the middle of the fight at North Wind... you know, where all of the Council guys started muttering about her and wondering if she was crazy and talking to herself.
What had been the answer she thought up back then, that sounded just as crazy as everything she had said just now?
"No I'm not crazy, I just happen to have this big old, annoying prat in my head named Lixue who's supposed to keep me from going Dark. Oh and by the way, Lixue's actually-"
She cut the thought off when they all shifted a little, their initial hesitation wearing off as they all blinked once, twice, and then several times over as the words struggled to sink in and... well, make sense. And find a way of just... believing it..?
"... wait, what?" Lucy mumbled,
"... what do you mean... creature...?" Yukino stammered uncertainly,
"... you hear him in your head?" Natsu and Wendy asked quietly in unison,
"You hear strange voices in your head, Hora?" Happy mewed,
"Is it even possible for a creature to exist inside a Lacrima and still be... cognate...?" Lily wondered aloud,
"... that does sound ludicrous." Carla huffed a bit, while Mirajane smiled, though she did look a little unnerved anyway.
"... well it can't be much different than how Take-Over Magic works, right?" The barmaid mused, clearly trying to come up with a reasonable comparison that didn't make Hora seem too crazy. "I mean I technically have demons living in me, that I can use for my own purposes, so maybe having something exist in a Lacrima isn't so unbelievable... though the Demon's I've taken over don't ever speak with me....." She added softly, and Hora wilted.
"... I told you it sounded crazy... but I'm serious... and I'm not actually insane..." She mumbled, "... and it's not strange voices, it's just the one. Lixue." She added toward Happy, and he flicked his tail back and forth, tapping his paw to his chin.
"Hearing several voices or even just one isn't really normal." He told her brightly, and she hissed a bit under her breath.
'... in my day, talking cats were not normal either. And yet there that creature stands, and several others like it.' Lixue commented dryly,
The passive-aggressive stuff is not helping, Lixue...
"... I mean... it's not that we don't believe you Hora, it's just... surprising." Lucy told her slowly, though 'surprising' was probably putting it a little too nicely.
"... I've never noticed you.. talking with yourself... at least not much to be a pattern." Yukino mumbled,
"... well like I said, I haven't been able to use Lixue's Magic since Jiemma put that Possession Link on me." Hora replied, "And more than that... I couldn't hear Lixue either. He just stopped talking... it's like the Possession Link made him hibernate or something all this time... he only started up again after what happened three months ago, when Jiemma hurt me, and OverDrive got stirred up..." And she trailed off again before she got too far into that line of thought, because the mere mention of 'OverDrive' earned her even more questioning looks from the Fairy Tailers who had no clue what that was. And she didn't want to get into it that either, not right then.
But all intention of continuing on with the conversation got shattered, Hora's smile breaking in an instant as she went stiff as a board and the sensation of something disappearing washed over her... several sensations of it, all in three seconds.
No way-
She grit her teeth, her eyes snapping away from the Fairy Tailers and toward their surroundings, on sudden high alert and already shifting onto one knee, her nose twitching and eyes narrowed to slits.
Her reaction was noted immediately by everyone else, all of them tensing too and on edge as they mirrored her and found themselves instantly ready for anything.
"What?" Natsu asked her quickly, his tone low as Hora grumbled under her breath.
"All of my Birds just got destroyed." She hissed lowly, and everyone stiffened at the words.
"A-all of them...?" Happy mewed softly,
"Then that means-" Wendy mumbled,
"-we are not alone in here." Lily finished for her lowly,
Their murmurs got cut off as the cavern around them rumbled, bits of debris falling from the roof and tumbling down around them as the bones clattered with all the movement. They struggled to keep their footing the floor because the floor was shaking so much, and there was the loud and thundering sound of something like the earth cracking open from somewhere down a tunnel that was on their right. So loud it hurt Wendy, Natsu and Hora's ears a little, and Hora growled, her ears trained that way and sniffing at the air for any sign of what it was... all she smelled was the lingering scent of rot and death and earth, and something new- something sharper she couldn't place, but immediately made her just a bit more tense.
What the hell...?
The trembling of the cavern carried on for a few more moments before it faded into nothing, and they could keep their feet easily again.
"W-What was that...?!" Lucy stammered,
"It sounded like a cave-in!" Happy mewed,
"... I can feel fresh air." Wendy said aloud, immediately perking at the small, faint feel of fresh, non-stagnant air that emerged after the shaking. Hora and Natsu caught a whiff of it too, though it was gone fast- but Wendy of course was much more attuned to changes in the air than they were, or anyone else. She was a Sky Dragon Slayer after all.
"You think an exit may have opened up?" Carla asked,
"Let's go check it out." Natsu grumbled, immediately taking off in the direction they had heard the sound, while everyone else quickly followed his lead. Hora swiped her hand in front of her and the Runes flickering around the circle disappeared before they stepped across them,
"-and keep an eye out for whoever the hell destroyed my Birds.." Hora added in lowly, shooting the comment toward the pinkette, and he nodded as his only reply.
They moved quickly, Natsu and Happy at the head and Hora taking a natural position at the back with everyone else sandwiched in between. The further they went, the more haphazard the cavern started to look, and the more the stone seemed... melted.
Hora's eyes narrowed to slits, the sour scent she had picked up on before suddenly sharpening and almost chemical in type... and the way the stone seemed melted?
They staggered to a halt as a wall rose up in front of them, with a large fissure worn into it- stretching clean through the the other side of what had previously been about 100 feet of solid rock.
"Woah, that's a really big hole...!" Happy mewed,
".. yeah..." Lucy mumbled,
"... it looks like the stone's been melted.." Yukino mumbled, "... by fire, or...?"
"... no, it smells more like some kind of acid." Hora told her lowly,
"Then someone opened it on purpose?" Carla murmured,
"Possibly the same person who destroyed Horatia's Birds." PantherLily grumbled,
"... should we go through it...?" Wendy asked softly,
"It might be a trap." Mirajane told her, and Natsu nodded.
"Yeah, but I can smell fresher air coming from the other side now too." He told them, "Bets are there is some sort of exit that way, so even if it's a trap or somethin', we got nowhere else to go."
"... I guess so..." Lucy mumbled, though she looked little thrilled with the idea. Hora sighed silently, her eyes fixed on the opening and not on the Fairy Tailers, her eyes straining for view of the far side through what was a very tight squeeze, and her ears searching for anything outside of everyone else's voices... she couldn't hear anything but the faint hiss of steam coming off some of the rocks still, warm to the touch after being melted so quickly. She could smell fresher air more clearly here too, like Natsu said, and it probably did mean there was some place they might be able to get out... but being lead here so blatantly did not sit well.
Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing further as something else pricked at her nose- a new scent, nearly lost under everything else... and one she didn't recognize at all, despite what she was sure might be blood or... burned flesh.
She grimaced, biting the inside of her cheek at it.
"Come on." Natsu grumbled, waving the Exceeds ahead of him, and all three of PantherLily, Carla and Happy having absolutely no trouble fitting through the tight space with their small size. Wendy went ahead of him with Natsu following close behind, and then Lucy. Yukino was next and Mirajane went after her, with Hora going last and sighing to herself as she found herself quickly having to move slow in order to carefully slide past the rough rock wall enclosing them.
"... this is really tight..." Lucy groaned, about halfway through, clearly uncomfortable as she struggled to keep moving herself through the narrow space... mostly hindered by what little space existed between the rock in front of her and her chest.
"... can you manage well enough, Yukino?" Mirajane asked the girl ahead of her, who blushed a bit and nodded shyly- her chest was making it difficult for her too, Mirajane with similar issue.
"Yes, but barely..." Yukino mumbled, Mirajane smiled in slight exasperation. Wendy and Natsu ahead of them were moving with little to no issue at all though, and Mirajane turned her head a bit to look back at where Hora was.
"... are you doing alright, Horatia?" She asked, her blue eyes landing on Hora not more than a few paces behind her, and clearly moving faster than either Mirajane, Lucy, or Yukino were. Hora blinked at the question, sweatdropping slightly and flushing when Mirajane's eyes quickly flicked from Hora's face, toward the decent amount of room there was left available between Hora's own chest and the wall.
"... ah..." Mirajane mumbled softly, almost without meaning to, before smiling at Hora in what as somewhat an apologetic way.
"... I'm fine..." She mumbled, her cheeks heating up a little more and sighing to herself.
'... it seems a ridiculous thing to be embarrassed about, Horatia. You can move easier with a smaller-' Lixue told her, before she cut him off with a sharp shake of her head.
Do not say another word!
'... tch... humans.'
Hora grit her teeth, grumbling silently to herself the rest of the way through to the other side, and having to pause for a bit for Lucy to wriggle herself free of the rock as it narrowed at the end a bit too much to allow her easy way through... which ended in Natsu trying to pull her out, and then promptly falling flat on his back while Lucy landed on him with a painful thud, for the second time that day. Natsu hissed, his teeth gritting and grumbling at the blonde for being 'heavy', though he made no move to push Lucy off and Hora couldn't help but smirk slightly at the sight once she stepped out of the tight space herself.
"Here Salamander..." Hora chuckled, stepping out of the fissure and extending a hand to help the pinkette back to his feet once Mirajane helped Lucy on to hers. He huffed and took it, Hora easily pulling him up and smirking still, "You good? That's the second time she's dog-piled you, ya know... you getting slow, Salamander?" Hora asked lightly, and he stiffened, frowning a bit and pointedly looked away from her.
"I'm fine, and I ain't slow." He huffed, and Hora smiled still, chuckling under her breath a bit more.
There were probably worse things than Lucy to keep falling on top of him... and him quickly averting his eyes just made it more amusing, and also told her he probably didn't mind her falling on top of him nearly as much as he might pretend otherwise.
"Guys, there's someone over there...!" Wendy's voice broke her attention on Natsu, and everyone's heads snapped around quickly to her call. Hora blinked, hesitating for half a second while Natsu started off near right away.
... someone...?
She followed close behind, grimacing to herself as the scent of blood and singed flesh got a little stronger, and she saw shock and fear run across the faces of Yukino and the Fairy Tailers as they came up on the figure of a man, beaten and bloody and severely bruises- with no small amount of burns running across his body... the burns themselves weren't that bad, but he was overall in terrible shape, and Hora frowned at it. They gathered around him, circling slightly with Natsu and Wendy at the front and Happy and Carla too, followed by Lucy, Yukino and Mirajane while Hora and Lily brought up the back. Wendy darted forward immediately and took a knee beside the man, her hands hovering above him and glowing a pale blue as she set to work on trying to heal some of the injuries.
"... o.. oh no..." Yukino hissed, her hands coming up to cover her mouth.
"... this is terrible..." Wendy mumbled softly, her brows knitting in worry.
"... ain't he that Arcadios Guy..?" Happy mewed,
"... the White Knight." Carla murmured lowly, Hora tilted her head slightly.
"... this is the guy that brought you guys on for the Eclipse Gate thing?" Hora asked softly, and Yukino and Lucy nodded stiffly, though they didn't glance back at her.
"Yes... but I can't believe they would do this to him..." Lucy whispered,
"... with Darton being so opposed to the Project, it wouldn't be hard to imagine he was willing to throw Arcadios in here like we were." PantherLily commented lowly, Hora shook her head a bit though.
"... no, it wouldn't be a stretch." She told the Exceed quietly, "But doing this much damage to him before tossing him in? Even if the guy fought back, this is a lot... and those are definitely burns, I can't imagine the Royal Army is using any sort of weapon that would do that to him." Hora pointed out with a tilt of her head toward the man, and PantherLily's eyes narrowed at the words, his paws crossing over his chest and ears falling back slightly as he nodded.
"... you have a point." He replied quietly, "... these injuries would suggest someone who uses Magic... perhaps the same kind that created the opening?" He suggested, and Hora nodded stiffly.
"... that'd be my guess." She replied grimly, her eyes level with PantherLily's for a few seconds as they held each other's gazes, both of them tense and serious- because they both realized the same thing. The Markings appeared across Hora's skin and slowly began to crawl down toward her wrist and across her chest, while PantherLily's paw lift and he popped his sword out of it's sheathe a little.
There is little chance this is not a trap or some ploy... and whoever did all of this is assuredly lurking somewhere in the shadows.
"Oi, dude, you okay..?" Natsu grumbled, taking a knee on the other side of Arcadios from where Wendy was and nudging the guy a bit to try and rouse him. Arcadios stiffened, a low hiss of pain escaping his lips as his eyes fluttered open halfway, and his blurry attention found the figures of those standing over him.
"Colonel Arcadios, what happened...?" Yukino asked quickly, and he winced, his voice rough and low as he shook his head a bit.
"... t...tch... run..."
Hora and Lily stiffened, shivers running up their spines as the sensation of someone looming over them, and Hora dug her heel into the dirt, the Markings spreading along her arms faster and flame licking off her body in the matter of a few seconds.
"Pop! Sploosh!"
Hora whipped around, golden-azure fire arcing across the ground in tune with her movement and eyes flinty and flashing gold, the acrid and chemical scent of acid and someone unfamiliar hitting her nose straight on.
"Fire Devil's; Guardian Circle!" Hora snapped, a waft of air rushing into the everyone behind her, causing them to bring their hands up and cover their eyes, their faces washed against by a thick cloud of heat. A flickering visage of a Magic Circle flashed in front of Hora for a split second, before it imploded and air shook with it.
The glow of gold and blue lit up the cavern and bounced from the stone, heat wafting around through the air in wild currents as a wave of sizzling, sickly yellow-green acid crashed against the sheer, near solid wall of flame that encased their group in a circle, below their feet a Magic Circle now resting and it's edges rung around by the wall of flame.
The hiss of acid on flame washed out all other noise, spouts of steam rising up into the air and the bits that didn't get burned up splashing against the stone and wearing puddles into it, melting with ease. The large and bulky shadow of whomever had previously been standing behind them suddenly was no longer there though, not after a satisfying thump of their body against the wall of flame that rushed up in two seconds time. The figure got thrown a few feet away, hissing. He was big, and round, and clutching what looked like a wine bottle in his teeth as he pushed himself up off the floor, looking none too pleased at being thrown just then.
Who the hell is that guy?
Hora growled, her eyes narrowed to slits and still glowing gold as everyone else readjusted themselves, slightly reeling at just how quickly Hora had reacted, but shaking it off as they prepared themselves for whatever else was coming.
The flames at the edge of the circle didn't even have time to simmer down though before Hora saw someone else move from the corner of her eye, her head snapping around just as their voice reached her, and she saw another man, with strange clothes, a headband, and a mess of a ponytail with wild black hair leaning over a bit, his hands grabbing to a large flag.
"Haul, Haul, Haul!"
Hora turned on instinct- she was sure that the Circle would block whatever he intended to throw their way, but she felt her heart skip a beat as their eyes locked and he grinned, raising the flag up off the ground in a powerful swing. She felt the earth under her feet tremble, the scent of water hitting her nose from literally nowhere.
"Huge Haul!"
Shit, I don't-
"Move!" She ordered sharply of everyone behind her, her eyes leaving the man and darting toward them as her order rang over the cavern- only to nearly get drowned out by the sound of the earth splitting open, and the roar of what seemed an ocean. Large cracks erupted in the stone, appearing underneath the confines of the Magic Circle of her Spell as water surged from the floor at breakneck speed- her Spell disassembled nearly all the way with the Circle being broken from below, and then got squashed as the huge torrents of water rammed into them all with painful force, destroying the azure-gold flame and sending the Fairies and Sabers flying.
Hora coughed, the water rushing into her and knocking her onto her back, hissing off her skin and the intensity of the heat of the Markings. She flipped over backward and landed on the balls of her feet in a crouch, skidding back a few paces from the momentum of being thrown before halting and seeing most everyone else bounce against the floor around her, Natsu holding on to Arcadios and Mirajane holding to Yukino. Her eyes matched with the vacant stare of the man and his flag, smiling blankly at her and tilting his head.
"Your fire couldn't hold up against my Wave Zone, tai~?" He hummed brightly, and Hora's teeth grit in agitation.
"... huh..?!" Wendy hissed, jumping to the side a bit as strange plants suddenly erupted from the floor near her, and a huge bloom broke free of the earth- a woman sitting in it's midst. Hora's head snapped quickly from the flag man and toward the sight, before being diverted again by the flutter of purple confetti paper floating on air in a massive storm, before converging in on themselves in and revealing the figure of a woman now standing beside the first. And behind the both of them stood someone else entirely, covered in armor and a cloak, with two huge scythes on his back and a mask to cover his face. Hora growled under her breath, her fists clenching at her sides as she pushed herself back up onto her feet,
"... I... I told you to... Run..." Arcadios hissed, struggling to lift his head up.
"You know who these people are?" Natsu grumbled in reply,
"... T... They're an independent faction... Employed by the Kingdom..." Arcadios grumbled, "... They're the reason no one ever... Escapes this place... The Hungry Wolf Knights... The king's ultimate executioners..."
"... Executioners, huh...?" Hora grumbled lowly,
"... That's not good..." Happy mumbled,
"... Hungry Wolf Knights?" Natsu echoed, his eyes narrowing at the five new arrivals and tilting his head. "... But they don't even look like knights? Where's their armor?" He grumbled, "OI! Ain't you all supposed to be matching?!" He snapped hotly at the Wolves. Hora, Lucy and several others all sighed in exasperation.
"Natsu, I think we have bigger things to be worrying about than if they're all matching...!" Lucy told him,
"Seriously Salamander..." Hora mumbled,
"But how can they call themselves Knights if they don't look the part?!" Natsu argued instantly, Hora grit her teeth a bit.
"Enough." The man in armor with scythes interrupted coldly. "Your blabbering is useless, criminals."
"...eh?! Criminals?!" Natsu snapped, "We ain't done nothing!"
"-Besides stage a prison break." Carla mumbled under her breath,
"Yeah, and we break lots of stuff all the time too!" Happy chipped in,
"You're not helping!" Lucy hissed,
"You are all criminals." The woman with the paper murmured coolly, "Fairy Tail is notorious for causing trouble, and you are all trespassing here on the King's land."
"But is trespassing really bad enough to be executed over?" Carla grumbled lowly, the woman blinked.
"Yeah! I mean I know Natsu breaks a lot of stuff and we aren't supposed to be here, but killing us seems overboard!" Happy trilled, "I haven't ever done anything really bad, and neither have Carla or Wendy, or Yukino or even Hora!"
"You are all guilty of sin, do not attempt to deny it." The scythe guy murmured, his eyes flicking among them all from under the shadow of his hood and landing on Hora last- cold and steely and certain, and she stiffened.
Oh I do not like that look...
"You know the weight of sin all too well, Ardendous." He told her lowly, and Hora's jaw snapped shut, her fists clenching harder at her sides and anger sparking in no time at all.
Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me, how many people am I gonna run into that recognize Arden's goddamn Magic?! This is the third person in just a few months!
'... He did do a lot of damage, in his time..' Lixue told her quietly,
Yeah well his time is over damn it! Everybody needs to stop bringing that bastard up!
"... Ardendous...?" Several people, including Yukino, echoed uncertainly, their eyes flicking toward Hora once they realized she was the one being addressed. Even Arcadios looked up, his face twisting in shock and maybe even slight bits of fear- because unlike the Fairy Tailers and Yukino- he had heard that name before, and he knew what evil it spoke of.
"What the hell is that?" Natsu grumbled,
"A true monster." The scythe guy answered before Hora had a chance to, "True sin... a beast that swept through the northern continents, leaving murder and mayhem in it's quake. Hellfire so hot it was icy cold, destroyer of lives and slayer of humans... a monster and demon of which you can only imagine, and one that killed near two thousand people in only five years." He murmured and then everyone stiffened, their hearts skipping a beat and a cold chill falling over them at the words- and they turned their slightly horrified eyes on Hora, as the man dipped his head toward her,
"I recognize those Markings, those flames... you are Ardendous. The Arctic Hellfire."
Hora grit her teeth, all so aware of the looks she was getting from everyone and how quickly the thought crossed their minds; could that-?
"...w..what...?" Wendy stammered,
"... two thousand people...?" Lucy whispered,
"... Arctic... Hellfire...?" Natsu mumbled, his eyes locked to Hora and questioning.
"... there's... there's no way that was you... right Hora...?" Yukino asked quickly, Hora winced a bit, her eyes snapping toward Yukino and the words tearing her heart in half- did she really have to ask that..?!
"No of course not!" Hora hissed quickly with a sharp shake of her head, her eyes glittering and her expression pained for half a second as her voice seemed to break a bit at the end too. Yukino stiffened at it, her hands linking together in front of her and realizing in an instant she should never have asked that, and she hated herself that she had- but she never got a chance to apologize either.
"... then what the hell is he talking about?" Natsu mumbled quietly, and Hora hissed under her breath, her eyes catching his for half a second. He blinked when he saw the hurt in her eyes, and something else too... anger yeah, but there was something darker... deeper.
Hora looked back across toward the Wolves, her eyes locking to the man carrying the scythes and her eyes turning flinty.
"I am not Arden." She growled lowly, her voice loud enough everyone heard it and they flinched a little at how stony her tone was.... but even then there was something else, something hoarse, tense, shaky even that was buried underneath as she shook her head again, and her hands trembled a little from clenching them so tightly. "I know what he was, I know what he did... and you're right, he was a monster." Hora hissed, her eyes flashing. "But I am not him. I am nothing like him." She snapped, shaking her head one more time, and rather stiffly, her fists clenching so hard her whole body trembled, just faintly.
"... tch... he's just the bastard who forced this Magic on me, that's it." Hora muttered sharply, the words aimed toward the man and everyone else behind her, and they flinched a little at how harsh her tone got just then. "But it's my Magic now, and I have never, and will never use it like he did, not a fucking chance...!" She snapped, and raising her head up a little higher, the hurt in her expression turning to nothing but icy cold anger. "So don't you dare call me that again, Arden is gone and I am not him." She told him lowly, her tone borderline dangerous and the man just returned her glare evenly.
"... whether you are the man himself, or just his successor- his sins are yours, as long as that Magic taints your body." He replied evenly and Hora's face darkened further, bits of flame sparking off her shoulders and the Markings on her skin swirled with a worsening fervor. "And for those sins, and all the rest- you will all meet your end here, criminals never escape us."
They all tensed, immediately aware that the conversation was over and they were about to be in a fight- and though they still found themselves wondering about 'Arden' and everything else, they had other things to focus on right then, and couldn't afford to be distracted by their questions.
"Let us go first." The woman with the confetti announced, stepping forward with the other woman in the hat at her shoulder.
"It will be beautiful... A beautiful massacre." The woman in the hat hummed,
"Alright, a little two on two then?" Natsu hissed, stepping forward and slamming his fist against his palm. "I'm getting all fired up!" He smirked, his eyes moving sideways and finding Wendy. "You up for a little action, huh Wendy?" The small Dragon Slayer blinked in surprise, before nodding firmly.
"Yes...!" She answered, Hora blinked, her head tilting and catching Natsu's eye from the side.
"What the hell am I, chopped liver?" She muttered, and he shook his head.
"No, but I'd rather you keep an eye on Lucy and Yukino." He replied easily, and she paused. "They don't have their keys, and you guys can keep an eye on that Arcadios guy too." He added with a glance back at the Celestial Wizards and the Colonel, earning stiff nods from the girls and Hora bit the inside of her cheek. Because it made sense, they didn't have their Keys, they were at a bit of a disadvantage maybe... but she had the distinct feeling him not choosing her to fight right then was more because of how angry she had gotten at mention of 'Ardendous'. And she would be right- Natsu saw the rage in Hora, and he knew it could get out of hand... and he trusted her not to, but he knew it was hard to keep herself in line too, and she wasn't exactly in the best shape to be fighting anyone (let alone herself) anyway.
He couldn't say that so bluntly though, lest she get annoyed at it- so he didn't, and instead he gave her a more rational reason to stay back for now.
"Plus you already tossed tubby around a bit ago, it's our turn to lay into them." He finished, adding that last bit in for good measure and tilting his head toward the large man that had attacked them first- and subsequently had been thrown by Hora's Guardian Circle Spell (who of which scowled at 'tubby' comment). Hora bit the inside of her cheeks, hesitating for a few seconds more, holding the pinkette level in her stare, before nodding slightly.
'... probably wiser you not expend too much Magic anyway.' Lixue commented lightly, though she ignored him.
"Fine." She grumbled a little sourly, and Natsu smirked, but let it be at that. Mirajane and PantherLily stepped up as Hora stepped back and joined Lucy and Yukino, who had already bent down and were supporting Arcadios between them.
"We'll back you up." Mirajane told Natsu and Wendy, PantherLily nodding in affirmation as the pinkette nodded back.
"Great, let's go Wendy." Natsu grinned, and Wendy nodded, shifting into a defensive stance.
"I'm right behind you." The little Dragon Slayer told him, and then they were off and jumping straight into the fight with little hesitation, to absolutely none at all. PantherLily and Mirajane moved forward a little more, shifting themselves into something of a defensive line between Hora, Lucy, Yukino and Arcadios- while Hora planted herself in front of the latter three once they had backed off a little in a same sort of defensive position.
Hora stood in utter silence, ever aware of the three behind her though she never looked back, as her eyes stayed locked on to the clash of fire, air, paper and plant going on ahead of her as Wendy and Natsu fought with the two woman among the Knights. Even despite the dire warning of them being the king's 'ultimate' executioners or whatever, she didn't really worry that Wendy and Natsu couldn't take them on and do fine... she could tell all of the Knights had no small amount of Magic Power, she could feel it coming off of them in a steady wave... but even still, Natsu was a powerhouse in his own right, and Wendy was a lot more capable than her small frame might suggest. She'd proven that in her fight against Sherria in the GMG.
Hora crossed her arms over her chest and grit her teeth anyway, though mostly as lasting agitation from Arden being brought up, and being told she was still responsible for all his sins and the terrible shit he had done... tch, I had nothing to do with any of that damn it.
Just because I have the same Magic does not make me him, or even make it okay to compare me to him. I am nothing like that asshole... I don't go around killing people, not even the ones that might deserve it.
Her fingers dug into her arms as she growled, shutting her eyes tight for a few moments and willing her anger to simmer down... she could feel the heat of the Markings on her skin still persistent, and that was fine, just as long as didn't lose every bit of her cool.
But what pissed her off even more was that any of that shit about Arden got brought up now- in front of everyone. All the terrible shit, the accusation, the thing about having his Magic... she didn't want to talk about that, or explain it all that much (though she knew eventually she would have too...), and she didn't want to do it right now. She hated she'd been forced into it at all.
She stiffened a little though, her thoughts flashing back to the looks they had all had, the questions clear on their faces- the fear that it might be true... Yukino having to ask if it was.
There was another ache in her chest that was near as painful as what she'd earned trying to use Lixue's Magic earlier, and her shoulders hunched despite herself.
... I know I get really worked up sometimes... and sometimes even enough that I might go over the edge... she's seen it, like back a few days ago when I found out she got kicked out of SaberTooth... how angry I was, and how much I meant it when I said I wanted to make Jiemma pay... but...
Her eyes opened halfway, shifting to the side a bit but never turning her head to look back at the Celestial Mages behind her.
... I can't be surprised she would ask that... I got so angry I burned her hands... and I did the same thing with Rogue... and I've been keeping everything a secret for so long... of course it makes sense... she'd doubt me... I just...
She shut her eyes again and grimaced, biting back at the sting forming behind her eyes.
'... you'd hoped she'd never doubt you enough, that she would think you capable of such cruelty... as much cruelty as what Arden did.' Lixue finished for her, and she swallowed, holding her breath against it.
...s... shit... I don't mean to be so...
'... the Celestial Mage is your friend, Horatia.' Lixue reminded gently, 'Do not be so quick to think she sees you in such a bad light. She is your friend and despite everything, she sees you for your true self and heart... you are not Arden, and she knows you are not a monster, despite your temper, or your mistakes.'
She wanted to believe him, she sort of did, she figured Yukino had probably only asked out of confusion and shock, not out of being accusatory or anything... but still, Yukino asking that question?
It still hurt... and it still brought up all those years of fears and doubts of herself, and her own thoughts and seeing herself as nothing but a monster as bad as the one that came before her.
Yukino's eyes glittered, her attention locked to Hora in front of her instead of watching the fight Natsu and Wendy were involved in. She heard the commotion and was aware of it, and Lucy and Arcadios beside her- but all of that seemed rather dulled as she kept her eyes on Hora's back, her eyes tracing across the ridge of her shoulders and to the icy blue SaberTooth Guild Mark on her shoulderblade... and she saw Hora hunch a little, her posture nothing but rigid and tense, and Yukino felt her stomach churn.
Yukino's eyes dropped to the floor, her brow's knitting together as she bit the inside of her cheeks against the knot quickly getting bigger in her core, as the look on Hora's face kept flashing on repeat in her head.
.:+:.
"No of course not!" Hora hissed quickly with a sharp shake of her head, her eyes glittering and her expression pained for half a second as her voice seemed to break a bit at the end too.
.:+:.
"... Hora..." Yukino started softly, and Hora stiffened at the sound of her name, her head slowly turning just enough to catch Yukino's eyes from the side. Yukino paused, her eyes shining and her face twisted slightly, guilty and Hora blinked, "... I... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have..." Yukino mumbled, but for some reason the words wouldn't come out all the way and Lucy cast the blue-haired girl a sympathetic look, her own heart twisting as Yukino seemed to struggle for the apology.
"... I didn't mean..." Yukino whispered, her voice giving out on her as her eyes dropped away from Hora altogether and she hung her head a bit too. Hora stiffened, her lips pulling into a tight line and her eyes flashing as Yukino's head bowed, and the Celestial Wizard trembled, just faintly, her voice shaking too.
Hora looked away, swallowing back the lump in her throat and nodding, just once.
"... I... know..." She mumbled quietly, and Yukino stiffened at the answer, her eyes quickly raising again only to find Hora had turned her back again.
"... I know... it just... the whole Arden thing... it's not... it's a really sore subject..." Hora mumbled quietly, "... I know... you... just... just leave it be... okay...?" Hora asked, her voice dropping to something just short of a whisper, and Yukino felt her heart twist painfully at it, her eyes flashing. She took a half-step forward toward Hora, intent on just... well, apologizing again, because the first clearly hadn't done much at all- she could tell Hora was still hurt about it, but she never got that far.
Something happened, her body halted despite her wanting it to move, and she found herself suddenly paralyzed as a rush of purple paper suddenly flew at them all from somewhere up ahead in a great, huge storm. The paper stuck fast and hard to their bodies, and Hora was too wrapped up in her own head and her aching soul to even realize anything was coming- and by then it was much too late, everyone was covered in purple paper and not a single one of them could move an inch, no matter how hard they tried.
What the hell is...?!
"Purple is the spirit of confinement." The woman with the confetti paper murmured lightly, apparently gaining a swift and decisive upperhand in the fight against Wendy and Natsu- which until just about then, the two Dragon Slayers had been doing quite well. "It was quite interesting to see you two dance, but we won't waste anymore time on you." She smiled placidly, while the woman in the hat at her side chuckled, her hands raising in air before her as the air trembled and slit apart- a massive stalk and flower springing up from the earth and opening it's petals wide... the center of it a gaping hole with what looked like teeth.
Teeth
... is that some kind of... carnivorous plant...?!
Hora's heart skipped a beat, her pulse quickening into a panicked tenor as the plant swayed, and then suddenly the air shifted, and it began to suck everything in toward itself- the air, the debris, and them.
She hissed, her feet already leaving the floor and sent spiraling into the air- Lucy, Yukino and Arcadios behind her as her mind whirled, desperately trying to get her body to move and yet it still refused with those purple papers sticking to her.
"Wendy...!" Natsu snapped, his eyes finding the young girl as they all quickly got sucked closer and closer to the gaping plant.
"Y-yes..!" Wendy answered, her eyes scrunching closed in concentration as her hands glowed, green light flowing off of her and then surrounding everyone else. "Enchantment, Dispel!"
The purple paper sticking to their bodies shredded in a powerful gust of wind circling around each of them, Wendy negating the effects of the Paper Magic and allowing them to move- though they were all still being pulled and buffeted by the vacuum created by the plant.
"Waah, we're still getting sucked in!" Happy cried,
"W-What do we do..!?" Wendy yelled,
"Destroy the plant!" Natsu snapped, already twisting himself around in air and flames springing up off his body in... massive amounts.
Hora tensed, her eyes going wide her hand darting forward toward Natsu out of instinct, though he was much too far from her, and her heart skipped a beat in panic.
"Wait a minute Salamander, if you send off too big a burst you're gonna-!" She called to him quickly, but it was much, much too late.
His flames slammed against the open maw of the plant with a deafening boom, the plant screeching and the vacuum it had created expanding quickly with all the heat- and sending out a devastating wave of pressure and force.
"-blow everything up...!" Hora hissed, but there was no way anyone could have heard her then. Not with the explosion that washed out, knocking every single one of them back and shaking the cavern to it's core, the floor, the walls, everything- all of it torn open and rubble flying in every direction.
S-Shit!
She had no traction, she was still in midair, and she only caught a fleeting glance of Yukino and Lucy before she was slammed backward by a wash of air, and her body rammed into, and fell through an already crumbling section of the cavern. Light got swallowed by black in three seconds time, and she was falling- for way too long. She was too winded from her impact with the stone that her body had opened the hole int, and the side of her head smacking painfully into a slab of stone.
Specks of blood fell up into the air above her, glittering in the little light that was quickly fading from the hole that was getting tinier by the second, before being swallowed up completely and then... nothing but darkness.
.... c.. rap... none of this... went right...
... so much... for the plan...
.... why... can't anything ever go... right...?
Hello!
Here we are with another update, and a pretty long one too! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one will have even more juicy action bits- and THE BIG REVEAL!
Lol not that big reveal. So sorry, but you'll have to wait a little while longer for dear big brother Gray to be 'reunited' with 'lil sis.
But there will be some badass Magic skills flaunted by Hora in the next chapter, that I can assure you. And maybe some more blanks to fill in on Lixue and his Magic? XD
Anyway, thank you for sticking with me so long! I know I am very slow to update all of my stories, but I do appreciate your continued support!
Ah, and another thing- I have set up a Ko-fi! If you really like my stuff and feel like buying me a coffee, I would very much appreciate it! The link to it is on my profile bio!
Chapter 30: Ripple
Chapter Text
Chapter 30
Ripple
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
Everything was moving, the ground, the trees, the air... It was all swirling passed her in millions of streams, pulling, shifting, prodding, tugging at her as they continued to move and bend around where she stood. All of it a wash of monochrome in a world utterly devoid of color, and yet at the same time she wasn't sure she had seen anything so colorful in all her life. The greys bled rainbow hues one could scarcely imagine, lurking at the corners of her mind and vision- they weren't there, and all at once they were.
She felt like she was being pulled along by the constant motion of the current, the trees bleeding into buildings, into mountains, into sea and lands upon more lands- whisking her away and through places a million miles apart in all but a few seconds... But her feet were stuck hard and fast to the ground, and she wasn't moving. She couldn't move, she was paralyzed- and still she felt like she was falling through... Worlds.
... What... The hell...?
... Where am I...?
What... Happened...?
The world slowed up, the fast paced change of environment stalling on something barren, vast, and so so blurry. A mess of jagged, jittering shapes, figures and clouds of that rainbow monochrome that seemed to desperately be trying to form some scenery. It... Looked maybe like it was meant to be a city...? It was so misshapen though, almost incomplete- and yet somehow it seemed hauntingly familiar.
The colored monochrome streams of air continued to move, flowing sluggishly, weaving in and out of huge blobs that didn't look right, but still eerily reminiscent of houses and shops... Winding without end around her and through what might have been streets, and flowing like a river made entirely of thin air- but she could feel it, heavy, warm, and thrumming with life almost. There was so much movement here, and yet it was utterly quiet. Nothing but unending, sheer silence that seemed as heavy as a million pounds- even her own voice in her head seemed faint, and muffled, and so very far away. Her ears even rung from the quiet, but that too sounded unnaturally subdued.
She stepped forward, her feet no longer stapled to the ground and her body listening again. She walked a few paces into the vast, blurred non-reality of the misshapen city, the ground under her feet swaying and spongy, and bobbing up and down so much she surely shouldn't have been able to keep her balance- and yet it was easy.
Where the hell... Is this...?
Why am I...?
... Don't tell me... I didn't hit my Limit yet, right...? And... passed out...?
I still... Have things to do...
... I promised...
She stopped, her attention casting backward when something rumbled, low and deep and thrumming and still so very subdued by all the silence... but it was there and a shiver ran down her spine.
Was that...?
She turned her head slowly, her heart rate picking up as her eyes found a massive looming shadow swirling into form behind the other blurred remnants of the town- sharp fangs, horns, several stories tall... deadly.
She instinctively recoiled, backing up a few paces as the roar of the Demon echoed over this forgotten place once more- a little louder this time, though strangely distant. She tensed, fear racing like wildfire through her veins and fully expecting the beast to solidify, it's figure sharpening as it began it's path of destruction through the ghostly town anew. For it to be headed straight for her with wicked sharp claws that would rip her open like all that time ago, sending her to land in a crumpled, broken mess among the blood-stained snow, and her life bleeding out of her until Arden came to turn her body to ash from the inside out.
But it didn't move, and if it did it was so slow she couldn't make it out apart from the way it's form blurred and wavered near as badly as the rest of everything around her. She swallowed back at the lump in her throat, her hands pulling in toward her and riveted in her spot for a few more seconds, just staring... before slowly she forced herself to relax, at least a little.
... it's not... coming after me...
She dared break her eyes from the Demon, looking around at the fragmented memory of the town and blinking several times.
... this... isn't a dream... it... feels too... real...?
But... how does that make sense? This has to be a dream... but... why isn't it playing out like it always does?
Why does it... look like this...?
She stiffened, her head snapping upward as several figures flew passed over her head out of nowhere, approaching where she stood at a speed unimaginable, and then stalling entirely as they reached her- swirling, smoking shapes suspended overhead and bleeding bits of silver and white... ember...?
... wait a minute...
She counted, one, two, three- all the way up to 12 and she blinked, reeling slightly as she stared at what was little but blobs... but she still knew what they were.
...that's Drille ... and the others... my Birds...?
But they looked malformed, and messy- what little linework she could make out above her, scraped across the paper that gave the Birds life was just... completely ill-drawn. They looked little more than the scribbles of a child, and she shivered again.
... these look like... back when I first made them... I couldn't draw for shit.....
"What... the fuck is going on...?" Hora whispered shakily, only for her voice to break when the Birds wavered and burst into pieces- pulled apart at the seams and only held together by stringy remains of monochrome light, before quickly getting swept away from her in the ever moving current of air. She turned, her eyes locked to their remains getting pulled away and the village went with them, jittering and glitching as it all changed again- still so malformed, so hard to make out, nearly impossible to be seen as anything but a watery mess... but this time she found herself standing alone in empty confines of the SaberTooth Inn- and around her flickered monochrome flame, the building crumbling all around, and yet the debris suspended mid-fall.
She turned, her blood turning to ice in her veins when one thing in all the blurry reality actually came into full focus- a burned, twisted, blackened human splayed on the cobble, blood turned to dust and ash in a circle around where it lay, a dead and broken crystal shattered into a million pieces sticking up passed a rib-cage barely holding together.
T-That...
She sucked in a sharp breath of air, stepping back and trembling.
"... t...that's me...?" She hissed, her voice shaking now along with her body.
"Yes."
Hora stiffened, her eyes going wide and heart lurching in panic at the sudden, and entirely unfamiliar voice- clear as day, and not at all dimmed nor subdued like everything else seemed to be.
She whipped around, her eyes flashing in the dim and shifting immediately into a defensive stance as her gaze landed on the voice's owner- a woman, with long, dark purple hair and brown eyes, dressed in a skintight suit that left her back open, and white ribbons in her hair. She walked forward through the monochrome current slowly, pinned between her hip and her arm a glass ball, expression nothing but utterly neutrality as she met Hora's eyes. The woman stopped a few paces in front of her, and Hora bit the inside of her cheek, eyes narrowing and tense as can be.
"Or rather, that is how you are meant to be." The woman murmured coolly, and Hora blinked, her lips pulling downward at the edges in a grimace.
... how I'm meant to be...?
The woman let out a soft breath, her eyes trailing from Hora and toward the burnt up corpse behind her. "... but instead you avoided that fate, and now you are an Aberration." The woman murmured quietly, Hora stiffened.
"... Aberration...?" She hissed, before shaking her head, not bothering to wait for the woman to say more. "Forget that, who in the hell are you..?! And where the hell are we...?!" Hora asked quickly, the woman's eyes trailed back toward her calmly.
"... my name is Ultear." The woman responded calmly, "In your current time, I walk within your reality as a member of Crime Sorciere. At this very moment my Guild and I are waiting at the edge of the city, investigating the Presence of Magic Power like that of Zeref... Magic brought to this city by the Eclipse Gate hidden beneath the city, and those tampering with it." Hora blinked,
"Crime... Sorciere...?" She mumbled, her eyes narrowing in confusion. She'd never heard of it- like at all! And this..... this 'Ultear' chick, and her Guild, they knew about the Eclipse Gate...?! Seriously...?!
She stiffened though, her eyes flashing.
"... wait a minute, what the hell do you mean in my 'current time'?" Hora muttered lowly, and the woman blinked.
"... I am only a fragment of who I once was, a concept of a person and a Memory that has been collected here within the Current." The woman replied evenly, Hora blinked.
.. the... what...? Current...?
"I was reduced to this Memory three days from this current time, as a result of what destruction will occur on July 7, at around an hour passed Midnight that day." Ultear murmured evenly, and Hora felt her heart skip a beat, her mind quickly beginning to whirl.
"W-woah, wait a minute, are you trying to tell me you're a 'Memory' or whatever from four days from now...?! Like in the future four days from now?!" Hora hissed,
"Yes." Ultear murmured evenly, and Hora stared.
"... t..that's crazy..." She mumbled breathlessly, "... I mean... people, or.. or Memories or whatever don't... come back in time from the future... r.. right...?" She stammered, and Ultear paused, holding her silently in her stare.
"... you are already aware of what the Eclipse Gate is capable of." Ultear murmured, her eyes dropping closed. "It creates a Gateway through Time, you already accepted this... but you must also accept that there are things that exist and happen in this world, that you may not be able to explain, or come to terms with easily." She glanced up again slowly, her eyes opening and her gaze stony, intense... Hora shivered, because it felt like Ultear was looking right through her. "... For you yourself, are already outside the realm of what is supposed to exist and happen in this world." Ultear murmured lowly, "You who stands here in the Current, alive, and with form- an Aberration in this Timeline. One where you should not, and do not exist in."
Hora flinched, shivers running up and down her spine and fidgeting slightly under the intensity of the stare, and the weight of the words... of how heavy and deep and powerful they fell on her very core.
"You do not exist." Ultear told her lowly, "On this Day, July 7 of the year X791- you are dead."
Hora felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart stalling for a second that stretched to a million years and all she could do was stare, her ears ringing over and over.
Dead
She swallowed, her hands balling into fists at her sides and her body shaking, her eyes glittering like mad as her eyes fell from the Memory of Ultear altogether.
"Forgive me, Horatia . But even I won't wait to see you die a second time."
She grit her teeth, the breath she was holding come out shaky and shallow, her eyes locked downward.
"... you already know you are not meant to be alive." Ultear told her quietly, and Hora's shoulders hunched slightly, her eyes shutting tight against the words. "... You were told this by a shadow... the same shadow that lurked at the edges of the coming disaster, and lurks even now. Waiting... planning."
"...tch... planning what...?" Hora hissed, her eyes breaking back up and locking to Ultear.
"I do not know." Ultear replied softly and Hora bristled,
"What the hell do you mean you don't know?!" She snapped hotly, "If you're gonna stand there telling me that you're from three days in the future, that some big disaster is coming by tonight, and that you know I got snatched last night by some goddamn 'shadow' and I'm supposed to be dead, and I don't exist in your... your Timeline or whatever else, how can you not know that?!" She hissed,
"I do not know." Ultear repeated, and Hora bristled further, her teeth gritting more. "I know only what I did before I became this Memory... three days from now, I do not know what the shadow planned, so I do not know now."
"Tch, well you sure as hell didn't know me either!" Hora snapped, "I've never even met you! Not now or before now, so how do you know that I'm... that I'm not supposed to be alive...?!"
"Because you're existence in this Current is like a boulder thrown into a stream." Ultear murmured, "You who does not exist and does not live- but has somehow been kept alive and tossed into the waters, disrupting the flow and creating rifts in the stream. Rifts rippling outward, destroying the water's movement, creating new, unpredictable paths and forcing the Current to diverge outward into unknown Timelines that never should have existed to begin with. Forcing this Current away from the path it was meant to take, and did take before- but now it's unstable, wild, and trying as hard as it can to right itself to the way it was supposed to be." Ultear grumbled, shaking her head slightly. "You are an Aberration, a disturbance in this Current- and your presence here has sent ripples like shock waves all throughout the Current, all of which I can sense, and feel that you should not be here." Hora grimaced,
"...tch... so... then how do you know about... that thing telling me I should have died...?" She muttered, and Ultear looked away, her attention sweeping out over the blurred and fragmented scenery around them.
"Your Being was fractured when the Current was disrupted." She murmured in reply, "When you were to die, your Memory was meant to manifest here, as mine has... but when you lived, the Current tried to stay it's course, so it has stripped some of you away and brought it here, creating a fractured imprint of your Memory, one that isn't whole... but does to an extent still exist here, and I've been able to access it. Enough to see that you encountered the shadow, and a few other things... this bit of you is what has also allowed your consciousness to enter the Current and speak with me, otherwise this conversation would be entirely impossible." She murmured softly, and Hora stiffened at it. "... But I do not know anymore of you than what little is trapped here in the Current." Ultear's eyes left their surroundings and landed back on Hora.
"... what the hell is this... the Current..?" Hora asked slowly,
"... it is the boundary of reality where Time flows, shifts... exists, in all it's entirety." Ultear murmured, "It has been called many things, by many people... but it is the Current. Time itself... where all Memory resides, and all paths stem, and die, and move. Living things do not come here, they cannot... but you can, because you've been thrown out of your intended Timeline, and spurred another."
Hora bit the inside of her cheek, silence falling between them for a long time as she just kept her eyes locked with Ultear, her mind absolutely whirling and fighting to come to terms with... all of it. Trying to just... believe, all of it actually. Because she was absolutely sure she'd never actually manage to understand it- it was just way too beyond her.
Hora shook her head a few times, forcing a long, deep breath as her eyes dropped closed for a few moments, waiting for her body to stop shaking and some amount of calm to trickle in... if that were possible. But she needed to calm down, she needed to think, and she needed to listen- and at least gather some of this crazy into some semblance of understanding on her part.
"... why are we having this conversation?" Hora asked at length, "... if you... don't know what that thing was, or what's its planning... why are you talking to me?" She mumbled, her eyes raising again. "And what the hell do you mean when you say 'disaster'? One that's gonna happen tonight, on July 7...?"
"On this night, ten thousand dragons will descend on Crocus, and the kingdom will be decimated." Ultear told her steadily, and Hora's heart dropped. "Less than 10 percent of humanity will survive, countless lives will be lost in the manner of a few hours... and many more in the coming days."
"...w...what...?" Hora breathed, her voice cracking about halfway through- and Ultear only nodded grimly.
"... Crime Sorciere was warned of this, two nights before it occurred." She went on, "We were told of what was to come by someone from the future, someone who had lived through the destruction, and then used the Eclipse Gate to travel back into this Current time, hoping to stop it from happening again." She explained softly, her eyes falling closed. "We failed." She said simply, Hora gulped.
"... so... so it's already happened twice before...?" Hora stammered breathlessly, "... twice already, where those dragons came... and everyone... d...died...?"
"Yes." Ultear replied softly, "Twice now, nothing has changed. Destruction still came, lives were still lost, trying to change what would happen- did nothing. Not on the part of I, or anyone else, nothing we did changed. Nothing we did changed the outcome." She explained, her voice dropping slightly. "... both times, everything leading up to it, was the same, despite everything... until suddenly, one single thing altered- you."
Hora felt her muscles lock.
"Without precedence, you have suddenly avoided your fate, where you die on the night of July 5. Where you have died, twice." Ultear murmured with a nod of her head toward the mangled image of her body lying behind her. "I do not how, or why that fate has changed- but it has, and this Current has fractured because of it, because of you. It is disrupted and broken and forced off the path it has stayed on twice before, and even right now it is fighting to go back."
She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move, her heart felt like it had stopped- and Ultear took a step forward, her gaze hard and locked with Hora's deep blue one.
"So I have come to you now, because you being here, where you cannot exist means there is a chance to stop what is coming." Ultear went on, "You still being alive in this Current proves that things can be changed. You are the Aberration, the anomaly and the one thing in all of this isn't supposed to be here. Your life has sent this Current into disarray, and everything you do is another disruption- another ripple that is created in fate's plans, and one that grows and effects everything else. You are the thing that has opened to door to change and this time, fate can be disrupted, the world can be saved, and everyone in it. You are the chance to fix this, you are the one thing fate is not prepared for."
M...me...?
She still couldn't breathe, her mind felt like it was racing a million miles an hour and every word Ultear said just then hit so hard, and yet didn't seem to want to sink in at all.
But more than anything came this suffocating sense of dread and terror with every word said, every sentence- the whole notion... A sense of the world suddenly falling on top of her shoulders, and she didn't want it. Couldn't... I... I...
"... Y... You want me... T... Y.. You expect me... To be the one thing... That saves... E...everything...?" She stammered, her voice shaking terribly and her body too. "... F...for me... To change it all...? S..stop everything...?"
"It has to be you." Ultear pressed, "You are the only thing unaccounted for, and the only thing that can possibly alter the path of this Current indefinitely. You are possibly even the only thing that can figure out what we could not- why the dragons came, what part the Eclipse Gate has to play in it all, why we couldn't change what happened even with warning. We couldn't put the pieces together, we were missing something- but you could find it, you can change it, and stop it. You can do what we didn't, what we didn't know we needed to do. You could find what we missed, you could make the decision, you could do what we failed to." Ultear told her, almost urgently now and taking another step toward her- but Hora took a step back from her, the terror and panic rising in her core getting all the worse by the second, and she shook her head a few times, stiffly, trembling.
"... I... I can't..." Hora hissed, her eyes flashing. "... T... This is all... S...so much bigger than me, and I don't... I don't even know half of what's even going on, or why... I... I don't even understand hardly any of this...! I... I've... You're asking me... T... To do something... I... I can't... B... Because I... I don't know anything...!" Hora stammered, "... S... Seriously...! All of this crap involving the Eclipse Gate, the Dragon King Festival that shadow... T..that thing that took me and dropped me alone... And told me I was gonna die... I.. I don't even understand any of it, I don't know what any of its about...!"
Ultear blinked, the neutral look she had dawned the whole time suddenly breaking slightly in confusion, but Hora didn't see it, she backed up again, one more step, then another, her hands coming up and holding to the top of her head, her breathing quickly getting raggedy and frantic.
"... I'm just as lost as you are..! I don't get any of it...! H-how am I supposed to find a solution, o-or make... Make the right decision, or do the right thing, or fix anything if I don't even know what's going on...?! I... I can't fix everything, I can't even fix one thing...! Everything I have ever done has just screwed everything else up worse..! I can't... I can't even manage a way to apologize to anyone for all the shit I've screwed up, o-or get them to forgive me, or fix all the pain and hurt I've created...! F...fuck... I can't even go more than an hour without breaking down...! I'm n..not... Tch... I'm half dead right now, I'm a mess and I just... I keep screwing everything up...! I-i don't know how to do anything, let alone save the whole goddamn kingdom...!"
She hissed, her fingers digging into her hair and scalp as tears spilled over and down her face in a constant stream, and she shut her eyes against it, shaking her head over and over.
What little bit of composure and self control she had managed since last night was gone- all of it was rushing down over her head in a great huge wave and she was crumbling underneath it. Underneath the pain and the regrets and the fear she couldn't fix anything she had broken, that she couldn't fix anything at all, that she was powerless and worthless and couldn't do anything- that she was never going to be able to fix anything that mattered the most, and it would all just keep getting worse and never get better. Her world would continue to spin out of control as it had been the last few months, and these last few days- until eventually it spiraled all the way out of control, and what she was left with was absolutely nothing.
No one in SaberTooth would ever look at her the same. They would never forgive her all the secrets and the pain and worry she has caused them. They would never forgive her all the years of suffering and cruelty she had say silent in and let them all be put through. That in the end no amount of apologies or truths or explanations or excuses were going to change what they knew now- who they saw her as now.
Liar
For all the hundreds of secrets she had kept and spilled, and still thousands more she hadn't spoken aloud.
Thief
Of all the years of happiness she had stolen from them for her compliance, and all the years she had never let them try and help.
Monster
Like that of Ardendous, murderer of so many lives and whose same evil and rage lived in her. That rage befit of the monster who lost sight of herself and her own mind, who burned her friends in anger, and even one day might kill them too if the darkness ever won. Forever carrying with her this terrible wicked thing inside if herself they all knew lived there- and feared was all she ever would be... The sort of monster Yukino could believe her to be, when accused of such terrible things.
She felt herself losing them and no amount of scrambling was making a difference. She was too far gone to change, and it was much too late to fix anything... So how in the hell was she supposed to fix the future? Stave off ten thousand dragons and a fate of massacre and destruction that has already won out twice?
How was she supposed to find a way to fix the whole goddamn kingdom if she couldn't even manage a way to fix her own problems and mistakes...?! Or when she wasn't even able to come up with a way to just... Just...
"... I... I can't! I'm not some special thing... I'm not some... Some missing piece in all of this, me being not dead... It doesn't make me some sort of... Of miracle worker...! And... And you... you're asking me to do... Something completely beyond me...!" Hora hissed, "... Y... You want me to change the whole future...?! How the hell am I supposed to do that...?! I'm not... I'm not the kind of... I'm not... I'm someone who has failed to fix everything wrong in my life for over ten years...! I lied to everyone, I betrayed them... I... I failed to defeat Deliora... Even when... T-that was the one thing I was kept alive to do..! I couldn't stop Jiemma when he took over the guild... I couldn't stop h-him putting the Possession Link on me, I... I couldn't stop him hurting everyone all these years...!" She snapped, her voice cracking painfully and her eyes squeezing shut, holding her head in her hands still and her posture crumbling as the tears got all the heavier. "... Tch... I couldn't even... Half the time I can't even stop myself... Keep from getting... P...pulled into Darkness... I couldn't... I couldn't stop Lector getting... I... I couldn't... Stop hurting them... Worrying... T...them... Lying... And...and... Sting hates me now... A...and they all... Know I'm... T... terrible...a...and... Gray..." Her voice broke completely and she hissed, a sob catching in her throat and her knees shaking so much she was hardly staying standing.
"... Shit... D...don't you get it...? I've never...e...ever done anything but... Screw everything up worse...! How... How the hell am... Am I supposed... To fix... Any of this...? Fix... T...the whole... future...? Save... Anybody...? I don't... I can't even... Save myself... From... Continuously... Fucking up..."
Ultear blinked, quiet and stuck to her spot as she watched the fiery-haired girl crumble in front of her, sobbing and voice choked in tears, laced in nothing but pain, despair, fear and regret. Saw her being crushed underneath a world of hurt and emotions, self-hatred, and doubt that would have been heavy enough to flatten a world- and all of it was tumbling down overhead in a huge, terrifying storm... All of it that she had bit back at for days, weeks, months and years and it festered, growing... But now she couldn't keep it back, and she was breaking down, and badly. Pushed the edge now when the terrifying thought of having the fate of the world and everyone in it suddenly forced upon her now- all the information, all the insanity, the threat of despair and destruction coming in only half a day at best, and the knowledge that it has failed to be averted already twice before.
Hora couldn't stop herself this time. She'd managed to find an end to the breakdown when it happened with Rogue, last night with Natsu- even after she'd found out about Gray... But this time it hit her all at once, every bit of it, and she could not hold it back no matter how hard she tried. She was crying, sobbing and shaking and she was breaking, getting crushed and she knew that it was all... All my fault
I screwed everything up... Everything
I can't fix anything... I can't... Save anything...
... No matter how hard I've tried... I'm not different... I still hurt everyone... Destroy... everything...
I'm... Not... Good enough... I'm not enough... None of it... Was ever enough...
"... I... Can't..." She cried, her voice hoarse, her throat in agony- her lungs, her heart, her soul too.
I can't
Ultear's eyes softened, her gaze falling from Horatia as the sound of the girl's sobbing quickly became all there was to hear. And in between the sobs and gasps those words were repeated without end- I can't... And the crying only continued to get worse, her body shaking more and more violently.
"... I'm sorry..." Ultear said at length, her eyes still fixed downward. "... I do not... I did not mean to rest the world on your shoulders... But I cannot believe that you are not able to change this fate... I must believe your life gives hope for something better."
"... S...stop..." Hora hissed, shaking her head and her fingers digging into her hair, pulling at it and hunching over, stumbling back a few more steps, backing away even as her knees threatened to give way on her. "... Just... Stop... I'm... I'm not..."
"Enough."
Hora's steps faltered, her heart stalling in her chest, shock and disbelief rushing through her in a massive wave- her back bumping into something solid, steadfast, massive. And the voice rung clear, cold, stern and loud from above her, sweeping through the muddied scenery in tune with an icy wind that scattered the misshapen inn and left the whole world in nothing but calm, quiet, sheer white.
Hora felt her lungs stall, her body freezing in an instant, her emotions and turmoil halted for a single second as her blood ran cold.
That voice...
Ultear's head snapped up, her eyes growing wide and stricken as she saw that massive, looming creature now suddenly behind Hora. Huge, glittering white claws shining like wet ice came down on either side of the girl, nearly five times her size, holding her in place as her back came into contact with smooth, crystalline skin and scales so utterly cold... A long, sickle tail curling around in front of her and boxing Hora in all the way. But her eyes would not leave the floor, not even when the claws appeared in the edge of her vision, or when the tail snaked in front of her, smooth and glittering like a million stars against a pale white backdrop.
"... That..." Ultear's voice faded off into nothing, her mind struggling to come to terms with just how that... That beast could even be there-
But Hora stayed still, not daring to look up, not daring to look behind her, not even daring to breathe. She felt the body against her back, felt the chill like the coldest blizzard and the warmth underneath it that felt like the glow of the sun. She smelled frost and ice so heavy on the air she was nearly drinking the chilly moisture in, and she smelled something older, ancient even- and sweet too.
She knew that scent, though she had never smelled it before. She knew that voice, though she had never heard it with her ears before. She knew what had her enclosed in it's grasp, pressed against its chest, shouldered by its claws, and barred by its tail... Even though she had never seen it before.
And she knew there was a massive head hovering above her own, chilly breath blowing down against her body and eyes like chips of ice locked to her, even though she did not look up.
It was not possible... And yet-?
"... L... Lixue...?" Hora stammered, breathless, scared even- and why not?
He had never been more than a voice, a body-less, formless being in her mind and thoughts that she only ever heard. He did not have form, he did not have a body, he could not speak out into the world... He could not be right behind her, surrounding her, trapping her.
But she felt him, as real and as solid as any living thing, and her heart dropped in nothing less that true, and utter shock.
"... There's...no way..." She muttered shakily, a whole new line of tears streaming down her cheeks where overwhelming disbelief had stopped them for a few moments.
"Cease for a few minutes and listen to me, you stubborn girl." Lixue rumbled, low and quiet and she could feel his voice thrumming against her back from deep within his chest. "I realize most of this is hard for you to understand, and I know you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders... But you have felt that weight since even before realizing your fate was altered. All hearing this now has done is simply add to the insurmountable burden you have been carrying with you for so long now..." He told her lowly and Hora blinked, her eyes locked ahead and on the ground, her hands still holding her head, though her grip on her hair was slowly failing. She heard him sigh, felt the breath against her back as his voice dropped just a little bit more, and what he added next sounded slightly exasperated. "... a burden you've been carrying, in my opinion, quite needlessly." He pointed out and she stiffened.
"... but I will not argue that with you, it has never done anything before, and I doubt it will do good now." He mumbled, not pausing long enough to let her wonder on the comment. "And I will also not waste my time assuring you that your mistakes can be forgiven, and that all those you worry will forever hold everything against you, will not do so. And I will not try to convince you that you are not what 'monster' you worry you are... I've tried to assure you of all these things before now, and clearly they have failed to make a large enough impact with you. You are still concerned over all of this, and holding to it, letting it suffocate you... And in truth, even were I to assure of any of that- I cannot possibly know any of it for certain. And I know you aware of that, that is probably why you are still doubting." He grumbled, Hora swallowed hard against the words.
"So instead, I will make it simple, and I will only tell you what I know as truth." Lixue murmured softly. "You are not perfect. You are insecure, scared, haunted, and at the best of times- truly a mess. And you have made many, many mistakes in your short life- some of which could have been perhaps avoided, or handled better, that is true." He told her rather matter-of-factly, and Hora grimaced, her shoulders hunching. "You have hurt people, mostly without want to, and you do feel regret for it. But of anyone, you have hurt yourself the most- by far. You are not unendingly strong, and a large fraction of the time, your success's are drawn mostly from stubbornness and dumb luck. And you are certainly not the strongest human, or even close to it- and you are certainly not the brightest either. There are plenty more in this world stronger, more powerful, more intelligent, and more capable with Magic than you."
She hunched a little more, her hands falling from her head to holding her cheeks, hiding her face almost as she hissed, her breaths still raggedy and shallow. "Tch... If this is supposed... T...to be a pep talk... Lixue... It sucks..." She whispered, and Ultear looked like she agreed- but Lixue just sighed heavily at the comment.
"Let me finish." He grumbled. "All of what I have said is true... But none of it matters." He told her, and Hora paused, her mind stalling in confusion. "You do not have to be the strongest, or the most powerful, or the smartest, or even be the most capable Mage. You do not have to confident, or fearless, and you do not have to be incapable of making mistakes- all living beings make mistakes. It is a part of being alive." He rumbled lowly, "You do not have to be any of these things, and you do not need to be perfect... Because the simple truth is that you are enough, just as you are."
Hora blinked, her heart skipping a beat as the words seemed to ring on her ears for a moment or two.
W...what...?
"Despite all your shortfalls, and your mistakes, and the pain you carry with you always- you are enough. You always have been, and you always will be. You are enough, just as you are, and with every flaw included." Lixue rumbled, "You are enough... And you needn't be the answer for everything, you needn't be the key to stopping the destruction this world is fated for- you needn't be the hero of this story who slays the beast and saves the world all on your own. Your life spared does not make you the sole being capable of these things, and you shouldn't believe it does... You being alive is enough."
Hora swallowed hard, her eyes flashing and trembling still, locked in place and her ears ringing with every calm, steady, rumbling word.
"The simple fact that you are still live when you are not meant to be is all the proof needed to believe that fate can be changed- that is all that is needed. You do not need to be the hero, and you do not need to have all the answers. Things will happen as they do, it is not up to you to fix everything. The only thing you need do is be there, in any capacity you are able." Lixue rumbled softly, his head bending slightly as his nose pressed against the top of her head. Hora choked on the sob that hit her, her eyes flashing, and trembling under the gentleness of the touch.
"Just live."
.:+:.
Hora started forward with a ragged gasp, lungs heaving and heart pounding a million times a minute. Her blue eyes snapped open into near pitch darkness, the world around her so dim even her eyes had a hard time adjusting to it, and her mind had an even harder time coming to terms with it all.
She felt like she'd been snapped backwards, wrenched from that place filled with memory and grayscale-multicolor and tossed into the world with absolutely no warning. One moment she was there, her mind whirling and her emotions too, Lixue's gentle touch and the sound of his voice, the feel of his breath, that woman Ultear- all she'd been told about how she was not supposed to be alive, about the future, the destruction coming, all of it- one minute she was there and now she was... Where the hell am I...?
Why is it so fucking dark...? I...
... I was falling... Right...?
She glanced up above her head, her eyes finding a gaping hole in the roof above her with no light to be seen... And where she was laying among a pile of rubble, in what looked like a cavern tunnel of some sort. It was dark, and cold, and... Wet. Like there was a lot of water here, she could smell and hear it somewhere she couldn't quite see.
...did I really... Fall this far...?
So far... I can't even see any light from up there...? This is like... Super underground...
She grimaced, wincing harshly as she pushed herself up off the rubble and her body hated her for it immensely. Everything hurt, her back and her head most of all, and she grumbled to herself to see a splash of blood fall into her lap as she straightened up all the way. She tapped the side of her head gingerly, her fingers caching with blood from a gash there... I guess maybe I do sort of remember hitting my head earlier...
... Is that what it was...? That whole thing... Talking to Lixue , and that woman...? Was it... All in my head...?
'No. All of that was very real ... Albeit it did happen in a different plane of reality than this one.' Lixue's voice intoned steadily as she grimaced at it, her stomach flipping anew and her eyes flashing in the dim.
"... I was afraid you would say that..." She mumbled quietly, her voice trembling slightly despite herself and she dug her fingers into her sides, hugging herself slightly. "... So that means everything else is real too... The dragons coming, everything getting destroyed... The future trying to stay the course toward... Absolute chaos..." Her fingers dug in a little harder and she swallowed, her eyes on the floor and glittering. "... Me being dead... That I'm supposed to be dead... And that I have died twice already... That's true too..." She mumbled shakily,
'Yes.' Lixue murmured softly, 'It is all true, and fast approaching... We don't have much time before night falls and the danger that woman spoke of comes to pass.' Hora's fingers trembled slightly as they dug a bit further in her sides, her stomach flipping again and feeling absolutely sick for it.
"... A...and... Knowing all of that... All of that awful... Coming... You really think... All I have to do... Is just live...? Lixue...?" Hora stammered softly, the fear quickly making a reappearance in the waking world, and she could feel herself slipping dangerously close to breaking down like she had before- and she did not want to... But shit.
"... How could that be enough...? Shouldn't there be something more...? I mean... I have to warn everybody, right? Tell them what's coming...?" Hora stammered quietly, "... But what would I even say...? 'Yeah I know it sounds crazy but I ended up in this alternate reality and this lady from the future told me what's gonna happen- and oh, I'm apparently supposed to be dead right but I'm not, so I'm basically like this huge wrench in the whole sequence of events that's happened twice now'... I mean... That's insane, they couldn't even begin to believe it if I tried to tell them..." She hissed, shaking her head and grumbling.
"...shit... What do I do...?"
'... You do need to tell them. Explain things as best you can, it will be hard, none of this is easy- but you must try.' Lixue told her steadily, 'Forewarning your comrades will do nothing but help, and better prepare you all- find them, tell them, do everything you can and what you feel is right.' He murmured, 'There is no correct course of action here. All you have to do is try, I believe that will be enough. Do not go through this thinking you must do something spectacular, or otherworldly, or that you must be the key to fixing this all. Do this as you normally would. Tackle this issue as if you only knew that the destruction was coming, and did not know any of the rest- face this incoming danger as you have faced all the other dangers in your life, give it your all, and resolve yourself to doing all that you can knowing that your best- in my belief- will be more than enough.'
She took in a breath and held it, chewing on the insides of her cheeks and eyes narrowing at the floor.
'This battle is no different than any you have been in before, do not let yourself believe it is. Fight in the only way you know how- even if if is in your hotheaded, stumbling, stubborn, and entirely dumb-luck driven way... This chaos may just need a bit of you and your foolishness to see it throughout to the end.'
Hora sniffed, smiling slightly despite herself and only for a moment, before she took in a deep breath and straightened up. Her hands moved up, her eyes dropping closed and her palms meeting her cheeks roughly and either a very loud SMACK
She stiffened at it and the stinging sensation in her face, but she didn't bend under it and she nodded once, firmly so as she let a big breath.
Okay, time to buck up Hora
Get up, go... Fight, even if this all fucking insane... Just do your best
I defeated a Demon of Zeref all on my own right? How hard can some Dragons and time-traveling shenanigans be?
I have to try... I have to try and I am not dying
I have to get everyone out of here, get Lector back, see them all again- I have to
She huffed, pushing herself on to her feet again and ignoring the ache that ignited in her body for the movement. She drew her hand across the side of her head, wiping away the blood as best she could and her expression hardening along with her resolve.
I promised I would do this, so hell if I'm gonna muck up and give up now
She moved her hand out to the side, pulling it through a Magic Circle that appeared in air beside her, pulling a piece of paper out if her Requip. The paper went up in flames with a pulse of gold from her fingers, Drille puffing up into life before her and looking mortified with the dense dark around them.
"Y-yes Miss...?!" He asked quickly, taking the steady look on her face as a clue not to comment on their whereabouts or the state of her- which she appreciated, but really she hardly paused.
"Everyone got separated, I need you to fly ahead of me and try to find the others." Hora started in quickly, "If you find them before I do, I need you to tell them that I am fine and I am on my way to rejoin them as quickly as I can. But if they have found a way out of this place by the time you reach them, or even if they haven't- you have to tell them to keep going, they cannot wait on me, got it? I don't care how much they argue, they have to get out of here- you need to tell them that there are 10,000 Dragons that are gonna come to Crocus tonight and destroy everything! They need to know, you have to warn them, so they can be ready for what happens, and maybe find some way to stop it!" Hora told the little bird quickly, and Drille nearly dropped out of air when it's wings stalled in terror at the words.
"W-WHAT?!" Drille squawked, but Hora shook her head curtly.
"No time to freak out about it, you have to go!" She hissed, "Tell them, and tell them I will explain all the finer details when I find them- but for now all they have to know is they cannot wait on me, they have to keep moving, get out of here, and get ready for what's coming! They need to warn anybody else they can, the Guilds, the Army, Council- whoever! There's a huge fight coming and a lot of people are gonna end up dead if we don't do something!"
Drille flinched a bit at the harshness of her voice, but nodded curtly, his little wings flapping like mad as he whipped around and streaked off. "Y-yes Miss! I will tell them, I'll find them, I promise!" His little voice called as he left, the light of the fire giving him life fading to nothing down the corridor, and she huffed slightly under her breath.
She started forward in the same direction at a run, her body hating her for the movement but she ignored it and pressed on without ever slowing up. She had to find her way out of this deep dark hole she'd fallen into, and a way back to the surface and everyone else. Time was running out, and having no sense of how long she'd been down here unconscious or how long they'd been stuck in this labyrinth made her all the more uneasy- those dragons were coming tonight.
I have to go, we have to do something... Something to stop all that terrible shit from happening a second time...!
Shit... Shit, shit, shit... We have to do something, but what...?!
I hope everybody else has some sort of plan, because I definitely don't... I just gotta live, huh Lixue ? Act like this is some normal crisis and go from there?! And that'll have to be enough...?!
Tch... I fucking hope you're right, and that's all I need to do... I have nothing else to give...
.:+:.
"... Hey, is that a door...?!"
"It might be the way out...!"
The group of Fairy Tailers and Yukino in tow sped up a little in their walking, a door in the cavern wall ahead of them catching their immediate interest.
Their fighting against the Hungry Wolf Knights had come to a close about an hour earlier, the fights for each of them taxing and a challenge- especially for the two Celestial Mages whose feet were burned from the lava floor they'd been forced into... But saved by Arcadios. Wendy's healing had the girls fine enough to walk, though the Colonel was completely out of it still and being carried along by Lucy's Celestial Spirit, Loke (who of which had passed though his own Gate and returned both Yukino and Lucy's keys to them). Once the fighting was done and over with, they'd ended up wandering this maze of caves and such, looking for both a way out, and their missing Devil Slayer.
There had been no sign nor hint of Hora since the Wolf Knights had appeared. She had been separated from them all and tossed off somewhere where they couldn't seem to find her- and Natsu and Wendy not having been able to pick up on her scent did nothing to alleviate any of their unease. Was Hora hurt and lying somewhere, alone and with no help? Had she been attacked by some other enemy they weren't aware of? Or had she simply gotten lost? Or was she a lot farther from them than they realized?
The exit being found before Hora was all the more worrying, and what little relief they felt at finding a way out was muffled by their worry and concern over where Hora was, and if she was okay. They'd almost been hoping she might have found the way out before them, and would have simply been waiting for them as they arrived... But still there was no Hora here, and their stomachs knotted.
"... There's still no sign of Hora..." Yukino mumbled under her breath, casting the way they had come an anxious look and lagging at the back of the group. Natsu beside her grimaced slightly, brooding almost as he cast that direction a low look.
"... Yeah, I was really hoping she'd be here waitin' on us." Natsu mumbled lowly and Yukino swallowed slightly.
"... Do you think she's okay...? Should we... Go back and look for her...?" Yukino mumbled uncertainly and Natsu paused, biting the inside of his cheek.
"... We found the way out, but we can't just leave here without her." Lucy mumbled, moving up behind Yukino and Natsu slowly, everyone else having drawn up too before they could reach the door all the way.
"Yeah, what if she's like really, really lost? O-or hurt...?" Wendy stammered worriedly,
"... Perhaps we shouldn't jump to conclusions." Carla murmured softly, trying to be a voice of reason though the look of concern on her face gave her away.
"Y-yeah, I bet ya Hora's on her way to us right now...!" Happy tried to purr, his paw raising in air though it was shaking too much to really be convincing either.
"Horatia is a very capable Mage, despite everything she's been through as of late. We should have more faith in her." PantherLily intoned coolly, very much a convincing voice of reason than the other two Exceeds. "I agree we should not leave without her, but we shouldn't assume the worst either." He murmured, Mirajane beside him nodding in agreement.
"Yes. We should look for her, but I am sure she's just fine." The white-haired woman intoned calmly, casting a small and reassuring smile toward Yukino, to which the Celestial Mage seemed to bite the inside of her cheek at.
"... I hope so..."
"... Hmm, to have even your faith Mirajane- I admit, I am more than curious about this Horatia woman now." Loke intoned lightly, Arcadios slung over one shoulder his his other hand lift to his face to push his glasses back up his nose, smirking faintly. "I am excited to meet the lovely lady~!"
"Stop with your playboy stuff, it's creepy...!" Lucy hissed toward the Spirit quickly, but Loke simply shrugged it off, smirking still and lost in his own head.
Natsu and Wendy stiffened though, their heads snapping around in the direction they had come from and instantly on high alert. Everyone else noticed the reaction of the Dragon Slayers too, adopting their own tense behavior without knowing why- before soon after they heard what Wendy and Natsu had... The frantic, fast-paced, and nearly mad-dash flapping of... Wings...?
"What is that...?" Lucy mumbled quickly,
"I FOUND YOUUUUUUUU!"
There was a blur of orange and red that rushed straight up to them, and then was promptly followed by an audible SMACK as something rammed into Natsu hard enough to knock him flat on his back. Everyone jumped, wide-eyed and reeling for a moment while Natsu lay in the ground, stunned with a ball of paper and fire on his chest, equally as stunned from the impact. There was one or two seconds where everyone stood still, unsure of what to do it what had even happened- before several of those on their feet realized what the bundle of flame and paper was.
"Drille!" Lucy and Mirajane breathed,
"You're here!" Happy trilled,
"Is Hora okay?! Did she send you?!" Yukino asked quickly, immediately bending down closer to the bird and Natsu.
"Where is she?! Why are you going so fast...?! Is something wrong...?!" Wendy stammered worriedly,
"... And why the hell did you have to slam into me...?" Natsu grumbled hotly, picking himself up a bit and the bird falling into his lap, still a little dazed.
"Drille, please...! Where is Hora, is she alright...?!" Yukino pressed again, impatiently almost as the bird seemed to shake off the last if it's daze, and then quickly shot back up into the air, flapping and agitated and panicky once more.
"Y-yes, Miss sent me! She asked me to find you, and deliver urgent news!" Drille replied breathlessly. "Miss says to tell you she is alright, and she is making her way to rejoin you as fast as she can! I had to fly a long way to get here to you, she is still far away, but she will meet up with you as soon as she can!"
"That's great-!"
"She's okay-!"
They let out relieved sighs, smiling and the tension in their shoulders fading quite a bit and quite suddenly too- but they all got cut off by the bird near right off.
"I-I'm not done!" Drille snapped a tad impatiently, "Miss says that she does not want you all to wait for her! She wants you to leave this place as soon as you can, even if she's not with you!" Drille kept on quickly and they stiffened at it, their lightened moods breaking off in shock and confusion.
"W-what?!" Was the collective response from most all of then, and Drille fluffed up, wings beating like made and sending embers raining to the floor with a ferocity.
"Miss says you need to get out of this place, get back to the city- you must go without her, she will find you- but you must go! You cannot be stuck here waiting for her, she wants you to leave this place as quickly as you can!" Drille kept on, frantically still almost, and it just made them all the more wound up.
"What, why?! Why the hell wouldn't we wait for her?!" Natsu snapped,
"We can't just leave her in here, what if there are more people like those Wolf Knights..?!" Yukino said quickly,
"Please do not argue with me I am simply delivering the message!" Drille squawked impatiently, "Miss days there is terrible danger coming to the city tonight- you must be ready to face it and try to avert it, there is no time to lose!"
They all stiffened, eyes wide and stunned for a moment- what the hell did he mean, terrible danger...?!
And how would Hora know that...?!
They meant to ask, to interrupt again, to start in on interrogating the poor bird, demanding further details, an explanation- anything... But they never got to it.
The door leading out of the underground maze suddenly creaked on it's hinges, opening inward by a pair of hands on it's other side, and everyone's attention immediately snapped to it. They whirled around, on edge and defensive for the unexpected arrival in this place so far below everything, Mirajane, PantherLily, and Natsu quick to step up and place themselves between the cloaked figure in the doorway and the others.
Air rushed up to meet them as the doors opened wide, sending up dust in it's waken and carrying with it the scent of the stranger- and both Natsu and Wendy went rigid, their defensive posture shattered in the next heartbeat as shock and confusion hit them full square.
"...n...no way..." Natsu stammered breathlessly,
"... That scent, it can't be...!" Wendy mumbled too, and everyone else shot the Dragon Slayer's confused looks.
"What's the matter...?" Carla asked of Wendy quickly, and the bluenette shook her head slightly, stricken still. Lucy blinked at it, her eyes snapping quickly between Natsu and Wendy both, before she swallowed and took a tentative step forward.
"... Who are you?" Lucy asked lowly, the cloaked figure seemingly stuck in their spot, dazed almost as they looked among the group of Wizards silently, their eyes glittering in the shadow of their hood that kept their face from all view.
"... Hey, are you...?!" Natsu hissed quickly, only to draw up short when the figure hunched a little and they took in a sharp breath of air, their hand quickly raising to their face and stifling... A sob.
They... They're crying...?
"... I... I'm sorry..." The stranger stammered breathlessly, their voice low and shaking terribly, but they all stiffened- not for the crying, but for the familiar ring of that voice.
They knew that voice
N-no way...
"... I'm... I'm sorry... I just... Please... You have to help me..." The stranger kept on, shaking their head slightly as they seemed to try and still the sobs, but the tears kept coming, glittering as they hit the floor. "... Please... Help me..."
Their hands moved up and grabbed hold of the hood, pulling it back and the light flooding from the open exit dazzling across familiar blonde hair, tears streaming down a face they knew oh so well- and the second of that face among them now. They all froze, wide-eyed and hearts skipping a beat.
"L-Lucy...?" Natsu stammered,
"... W..what...?! There's two Lucy's now...?!" Happy hissed,
"... Impossible...!" Yukino breathed,
"T...that can't be...!" Lucy stammered, her eyes frozen to the mirror image of herself, crying still, very much real and there- and yet how could that be possible...?!
Drille sucked in a sharp breath of air as the Second Lucy showed her face, the breath breaking off in a strangled squawk and the poor Creature's body puffed up in a burst of flame, it's body burning away in a seconds time. That shock was the last the poor thing could take, between everything else it had been told and heard, and now seen- and how utterly impossible it had to be too.
Not only were there now two Lucy's there before Drille, but it was much too similar to what he had seen a few days prior, and of which had unsettled him more than anything else. He'd seen both impossible things, and he couldn't take it.
Two people, both with the same face.
Two Lucys , and two Rogues.
Everyone standing there did not notice Drille be consumed in flame and vanish, they were still fixed to the Second Lucy, her tears, and what utterly chilling words left her lips next.
"... Please, you have to help me... I am Lucy... I used the Eclipse Gate to travel through Time... I'm... I'm from the future..." The Second Lucy stammered breathlessly, her words breaking off painfully as a new line of tears fell from her eyes anew, and she took a small, shaking step toward them, her entire figure swaying.
"... You must help me, the kingdom is going to be destroyed...!"
Her voice trailed off to nothing not three seconds after she said it, before her knees gave out on her and she hit the floor with an awful thud.
"L-Lucy...!"
.:+:.
Hora's running faltered midway through a step without her intending it to, her heart skipping a beat when the sensation of Drille burning up suddenly hit her. She staggered to a half-halt at it, panting and out of breath as she cast a wary glance up at the roof overhead, eyes narrowed.
"... He burned up..." She mumbled under her breath between puffs for air, "... He must have found everyone else then... I hope they listened..." She grumbled to herself, her eyes falling closed for a second and stiffening against the chill that ran up her spine just then.
... Shit... All of this... Feels so terribly wrong...
... Of course it does... 10,000 Dragons are gonna destroy everything in a few hours... And I have no idea how we're gonna stop that...
... Tch... I really hope... Everyone else has a plan... Because I don't have one... Or even a clue... Where we would... Start...
She grit her teeth against it and shook her head furiously, hating herself for falling down that lane of thought again and quickly abandoning it altogether. She took in a deep breath and started running again, ever winding through corridors and taking in the air, hoping for some scent or clue to where she was and which way was out. Out of here and back to the surface, out of this maze and back to everyone else- to get out, get everyone, warn everybody and... Fight like hell, because that was all she really knew what, and how to do with all of this insanity.
This complete and utter insanity
Time traveling people, a dire warning from someone who had traveled back in time from the future to warn Ultear and whoever the hell 'Crime Sorciere' was. Someone who told of the coming destruction, asked for help to avert it- and had failed... Once, or maybe twice, she wasn't really sure.
Destruction had come twice already as Ultear had said... But wouldn't that mean it had happened once already, and someone came back to avert it? And that even with the forewarning nothing changed the second time...?
So this... Is the third time around...? Does that mean whoever it was that warned Ultear went back in time a second time around...?
Or... Is Ultear the one that stepped back in time...?
Fucking hell I don't get any of this at all...!
Hora swallowed hard, her eyes flashing as she whipped around a corner and kept on, fast-paced, never daring to slow. She felt another chill run up her spine and she bit the insides of her cheeks against it.
... But... That thing said... It wouldn't watch me die a second time...
... If... According to Ultear I have already died twice... Wouldn't it have said... 'I won't wait to see you die a third time'...? Not a 'second'...?
... That would... Only make sense if... I guess... Ultear... Or... Her memory or whatever is the one that jumped back in time on the second round... So it should have still been the same timeline no matter what right...? Her stepping back in time to right now shouldn't have had any effect on what happened with me... So... So why...
... What the hell happened... That made it so I... Didn't die...?
... Nothing should have changed, right...? Not by any means I can see... Not that I get any of this, but...
'... No it is a valid point. I follow your reasoning and I agree... I do not see any reason why the timeline would have changed so suddenly, but clearly it did. Even if that Memory of Ultear did not say it directly, I do think what she was meaning to explain was this- something did change, and without precedence, and quite abruptly it seems... She certainly made it clear she did not know what caused the change, but she did seem to me quite disconcerted by your survival. Certainly you did die twice as far as Ultear is aware, and she mentioned no other significant changes to events than that of your survival.' Lixue intoned lowly, earning a grimace from Hora. 'So, if we are to believe it was not a misstep or a lie by that Shadow that took you- you should still have died only the once by their account. This should still be the timeline where you die a second time, and they even mentioned that was the future that needed to come to pass... But it is not what happened. Something changed... And to me, it seems almost as if the change had to brought about by no one involved in this mess. Not of this future informant, or even that Shadow, or anyone else here could have changed- lest Ultear would have noticed, and mentioned it. You are the only, and unprecedented change by Ultear's account... With all of that in mind, I might dare to guess something even greater than you or I might have dealt a hand in all of this, and been the drive toward your sudden survival.'
"... Something greater than you and I...?" Hora mumbled slowly, "... Meaning even greater than the people time-traveling, and the Ultear Memory... And definitely not anybody alive here in Crocus right now...?" She grumbled,
'Yes.'
"... Who the hell does that leave, Lixue?" Hora huffed, "You're telling me there's something or someone out there that had literally nothing to do with any of this chaos, isn't even in the city or was, in any version of events... That just decided 'hey, how about we spice things up a bit and make Hora not die'... For what? The hell of it...?" She muttered lowly, "You get how absurd that is, right?"
'Well, we are attempting to rationalize a Power beyond our comprehension.' He replied evenly, Hora huffed again.
"Well who the fuck would even have that kind of influence at all? To just up and create that big a Rift in the 'Current' without influencing anything else? Just me? By... By just deciding it, or thinking it, or whatever...?" She hissed,
'... Maveel itself perhaps, but I could not say for certain why it would do such a thing... Perhaps it was just a whim, or a passing thought... Perhaps an urge to answer some unheard wish, dream, hope... Or... Even maybe an alternation made, in response to something else we are unaware of changing... Perhaps even a change that occurred in another Bealorr Greiin...' Lixue mused, quite cryptically she might add, and he didn't seem to want to continue the though nor elaborate- because he changed the subject next without giving her a chance to question him on any of the nonsense he'd just spouted. '... Whatever the cause, I do not think it wise to dwell on the reason it happened- it occurred, and it would be better to focus on keeping that change in motion.' He murmured, rounding to something different and she grit her teeth for it. 'Though I would suggest you think over everything else we do know... I am curious as to who it was that warned Ultear, hoping to avoid disaster.' He hummed and she bit the inside of her cheek.
"... Maybe... Do... Do you think... it could be... that thing that snatched me away...?" Hora mumbled under her breath. "... It wanted me to die, it said I was meant to... But... If it knew about the future..."
Hora trailed off completely, and quite soon after she started, and Lixue said nothing... Because she knew immediately once she suggested it, that it couldn't be right, and Lixue sensed it to.
Thinking about it set her on edge, and she instinctively recoiled at the notion of thinking further into it at all. She didn't want to think about it, she didn't want to remember it- it had been awful, disorienting, chilling... Terribly wrong and so...
... Terrifying... B...because... I... I think...
She hissed, shaking her head furiously against the shudder that ran through her again.
... Shit... It can't be... But... What Drille said... The scent... Even... Even the voice...
... But... But how could... He... have felt so... So dark...?
... So... Not right...?
... Whoever... whatever that was... That snatched me from the Inn and left me to die...
... It's not... The same... And still... My nose can't lie... My ears don't...
... Drille ... Knew what he saw...
... But the sensation... It was... Pure wickedness... Pure...
She bit down hard enough on her cheeks she tasted blood, her hands clenching tightly into fists and her running growing faster, and more frantic by the second.
... Pure... Darkness...
... Pure... Evil...
... It can't have been...
... Please... I don't want what I'm thinking to be right...
... I don't want it... Even though...
... I know... In my core... It was...
.:+:.
10,000 Dragons
This was the doom the Lucy from the Future had rushed to tell them, to warn them. After she came to, she relayed what fate was to come and she pleaded for help in stopping it... And apologized for having no plan in place to avert it, that her jump back through the Eclipse Gate was rash, and driven only by fear and despair. She mumbled the apology with tear-filled eyes, heart heavy at her own lack of a solution for what had already come and gone for her... Her life turned upside down, and everyone she knew and loved killed, all in one night.
And that night was fast approaching- right around the corner, and looming over their heads. The Future Lucy urged them to leave, to find a way from the Palace- they could not be stuck there, that it was what had happened already in the future she lived, and it did not end well. They had to escape the Palace, to avoid the mistakes that had been made in her future- find a way out, shoot up a signal flare for those in the Games and likely nearly done with them. They intended to go and to meet with Crime Sorciere at the Future Lucy's behest, and they all started off, quick-paced and wary.
Get out of the Palace, get back to everyone else- do not get trapped there in those castle walls that had been their doom. They had to avoid it, in whatever way they could.
They did not question the Future Lucy, or what she knew or even how- they believed her tale instantly... Both because she was a friend, and because her warning of incoming doom was much too similar to the one Drille had passed on to them, before vanishing before the creature could explain further. They knew it must have been that disaster Hora seemed so suddenly aware of- though they didn't know how- they knew it was real, and fast coming. Hora knew it was coming and they trusted she would find a way to them, before the end... Trusted they would see her again, though they forced themselves away from trying to find her immediately. They followed her request to get out, knowing now that they really needed to, but they did so with uneasy hearts. They pushed forward... But Yukino wavered, and she could not bring herself to leave that place without making sure her friend and (former) Guild-Mate was alright.
Yukino broke off from the others, intent to find Horatia, somewhere, hopefully okay, hopefully not in danger... Even if Hora seemed to already know something terrible was coming, Yukino had to warn her to get out of the castle before it was too late, lest the future repeat itself. She had to find her, Hora had risked so much to come here after being hurt the night prior- she was working so hard to make sure she and Lucy had been found safely. She had to find Hora... If only to try and show the same loyalty and protectiveness toward her, that Hora had had for all of them all this time.
She had to try
The white-haired Celestial Mage was gone long before they'd gotten the chance to realize she had left- and then suddenly they were cornered in the grand arching hallways of the castle, Royal Soldiers blocking their way and sending their escape into slamming to a halt. Mirajane was the first to notice Yukino gone, and though their attempts at escape had come to a sudden standstill, she rushed off after the younger, hoping everyone else would be just fine without her there. Yukino could not be alone in this place, and everyone else had each other even if Mira were to go- so she went... Leaving behind both Lucys, Carla, Happy, PantherLily, Wendy, Loke and Natsu to deal with the army.
And they fought hard, blowing through the soldiers with strength and skill owed to Wizards belonging to a Guild of the likes of Fairy Tail- the biggest upset in the GMG, and the one filled to the brim with people just as steadfast and loyal, as they were powerful.
They would get out of there, they would not be stopped- they would escape and warn everyone else, and ready themselves for that terribly future that they could not let unfold.
But despite the conviction, they found themselves deadlocked, moving forward at a snail's pace, constantly berated by endless droves of soldiers and the like... And they were not the only ones left to try and force their way through countless soldiers, struggling through the halls and quickly becoming more and more breathless and exhausted.
Hora had not stopped running the whole time, she sprinted through tunnel after tunnel, heart pounding, thoughts racing, dread and franticness growing heavier in her soul. She never stopped running, not even when it got increasingly more painful to move and to breathe... And her thoughts never stilled either.
No matter how much she didn't want to think about it, she couldn't stop thinking about it. And the more she did that, the more she remembered and recanted what had happened and what she had felt- the worse the dread grew, and the fear too.... And the more she found herself wishing, hoping, and even pleading that she wouldn't be right.
And then for it, the harder she pushed herself- she had to get out of that underground, she had to find everyone else, because she was getting more and more sure that they were in far more terrible danger than they knew. That maybe it wasn't just the looming catastrophe brought on by 10,000 Dragons- that there was something worse, something deeper, darker... Lurking like a shadow, and one that she had felt for days now beforehand, and never stopped long enough to give it the attention it deserved.
She'd been ignoring it, because she didn't want to believe- shit..!
.:+:.
"... Its just... You've been more hurt, more often the last few months than you've ever been in all the years we've known you." Rogue mumbled, "... Now most of that... Well, all of that is Master's fault... Even if not directly. But just recently you've gotten into more trouble than ever before... And you keep getting hurt more often, more seriously... And I don't... I don't like it, I hate it- so please... If you can help it, try not to get into anymore trouble for awhile?" His eyes flashed as Hora sweatdropped slightly,
"I don't think I can handle another scare for awhile... Me or anyone else." He mumbled, Hora let out a silent breath.
Her mouth dropped open to garner a reply, but she halted when shivers started to run up her spine out of nowhere, her heart skipping a beat as that same, odd, heavy feeling of dread suddenly rammed into her out of nowhere. That feeling from before, that-
... Something's not right.
Her eyes snapped away from Rogue and toward the window out of pure instinct, her thoughts filled for the briefest of seconds with the idea that maybe... Is someone watching us?
But the window was empty, the night sky a deep indigo and the distant shine of Crocus and it's night life was all there was to be seen, and she swallowed.
... I swear... That feeling... There had to be someone...
Her nose twitched as she narrowed her eyes, but she only smelled the normal things- Sting, Rogue, Lector, Frosch ... And even faint whiffs of everyone else in SaberTooth.
... There's nothing that could belong to a stranger... But what the hell...? What is with this feeling...?
Its... Bad, dangerous even...
'... Curious indeed...' Lixue muttered lowly, he felt it too.
"... Hora?" Rogue murmured, his eyes narrowing at the way she'd turned her attention, and the way she seemed to tense up, alert. She glanced back to see the confusion on his face, and sweatdropped .
... He didn't seem to feel anything weird... But I swear-
... The dread never went away... Not even as their Card Games commenced, not when they ended (Lector the winner of course..), and not when everyone went to bed.
But that dread-
Hora was left alone in the room again, her eyes fixed outside the window, waiting, tense... Her skin was crawling every few minutes.
Her skin crawled again, the silence of the room nearly deafening as her eyes narrowed to slits in the dark and shadow all around.
What... Why do I feel like this...? Like something bad is coming...?
She swallowed a bit, her core knotting all the more.
Something... That scares me...
That feeling persisted even in dreams, her sleep nothing close to being easy, her night lasting a thousand times longer as she bobbed in and out of swirling, battering black waves and into the quiet waking world that was just... more eerie than it should ever have been.
She gave up trying to sleep more long before morning rolled around and it was still there... And getting steadily worse, enough she was starting to feel nauseous.
There was like some deep, cold, looming shadow sitting at the corners of her vision- there and yet not... Heavy and suffocating.
So... So bad...
... Something... Something is wrong
.:+:.
"MISSSSSSS HORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
That sounds like-
She recoiled, her eyes going wide as she caught sight of the blur of red and orange that was getting really, really close-!
She got slammed into hard enough to make her fall back onto her back, her head banging against the floor with an agonizing thud and agony searing straight through her stomach- a vein ticked on her forehead as she let out a none-too-pleased hiss. Ira jumped out of his skin, eyes whited out and shaking from head to foot at what happened- his eyes landing on the bundle of embers and flame that was currently on top of Hora and completely knocked out- a letter fell to the floor beside her.
"H-Hora...?!" Ira stammered,
"Tch... Drille !" Hora snapped, sitting straight up and snatching the Paper Firebird up in her hands, her face dark and her fangs grinding down on one another as she glared at the creature. "What the hell?! You don't go around knocking people over like that! What the hell has got you rushing around like that?!"
"I've been trying to find you in this labyrinth of a Colosseum for AGES!" Drille snapped back hotly, "I have a letter for you from Miss Yukino !" Hora stiffened, her anger washing away from her face in an instant, but the little bird was fluffing up in agitation and... was that panic?
"PLUS I SAW SOME WEIRD, CRAZY, SCARY GUY WHO LOOKED LIKE MISTER ROGUE! HE HAD WHITE AND BLACK HAIR, AND I KNOW HE DOESN'T HAVE HAIR LIKE THAT BUT I SWEAR! THEY COULD BE LIKE TWIIIIINNNSSS ! IT TOTALLY FREAKED ME OUT, MISS!" Drille squawked, his wings flapping up and down feverishly even as Hora held him, bits and pieces of ember showering her lap and the floor as she blinked, confused as can be now-
"HE WAS SUPER SCARY LOOKING! WHEN HE LOOKED AT ME I SWEAR I WAS GONNA HAVE A HEARTATTACK ! I FLEW AWAY AS FAST AS I COULD!"
What does he mean... a scary looking Rouge...?
'This creature looks petrified... who did he see?' Lixue mumbled, 'It surely could not have been your friend after all, but someone similar looking... but this reaction is odd.'
"Wait a minute, calm down, tell me again?" Hora mumbled, her eyes flashing. "You saw someone who looked like Rogue... but with white and black hair?"
"Y-yes!"
"... and you're scared of this guy? Why? What about him freaked you out?" Hora pressed, Drille shuddered in her hold and she blinked.
"I.. I don't know Miss! It was just... the way he looked at me, his eyes... they were so cold!" Drille stammered, "Everything about him was just so... d-dark...! When he looked at me... it was like he... he looked angry... so much rage out of n-nowhere..!"
Hora felt her heart skip a beat, a small icy flash running through her veins- and she wasn't sure why.
.:+:.
'... yes, this dread... I feel it too.' Lixue murmured gravely, '... something dark is still lurking... like some incoming catastrophe.'
Cheery thought... but she had a feeling he was right.
.:+:.
Hora hissed, the underground tunnels turning to Palace hallways full of light and windows- and her heart skipped a beat to see the sun already set and night falling heavily on the whole of Crocus.
They'd been stuck here in this mess the whole day, and she'd been on her own for hours- everyone else must have already got out, right? In all this time she'd had to spend running and fighting to get out of that labyrinth, they had to have gotten out... Right...?
The dread in her core sharpened further as the question crossed her mind, and she quickened her pace as much as was possible. She pushed forward harder even when everything burned in the most excruciating way when she did so, her lungs aching and feeling like they'd caught fire, and her heart felt ready to just give out on her any second.
She could hear the booming and thunder of feet overhead, she felt the Palace trembling and shaking under the strain brought on by battle. She heard the muffled shouts and orders being barked out, dozens upon dozens of feet running, rushing- all of them headed upward and so many... Up, up, far overhead and deeper into the center of the Palace, where she could not hear their voices clearly enough to make out what they said, but they were familiar voices, and she knew they were there. Still stuck here in the Palace and clearly fighting like hell against droves of Royal Army Soldiers that were far from slowing.
Shit, shit, shit-!
It wasn't long before she caught up with the rushing soldiers, gaining on them from behind and instantly thrown into full-blown conflict. They rounded on her, shouting things, weapons flashing, tempers and nerves alight- and she had no patience for them, or their interference.
With every second spent on them, night was falling heavier outside- and with it, darkness and shadow and unrelenting dread were getting thicker with it.
"GET-"
She hissed, fire burning bright off her body and inky black markings swirling wildly across her skin. Spinning and whirling across her flesh, just like the dread, and the icy cold making her ever more on edge.
"-OUT OF-"
A line of them were blown through, crimson red and gold washing over them in a wave- headed by the Saber, her dark blue eyes hard, teeth bared.
She felt it getting closer... That Lurking Shadow that had been dancing on her senses for days now and she knew-
"-MY WAY!"
The hallway was engulfed, a river of crimson and gold flame rushing through the length of it and devouring the soldiers in its quake, leaving them singed and smoldering, but very much alive and not hurt enough to cause real harm, just to stop them being in her path, hindering her.
- she knew it was coming, getting closer, almost there... Somewhere up above her head she felt the shadows getting thicker, felt the chill that came with them, and that terribly unnatural, twisted, and truly evil sensation steeped into every shred of pitch black.
.:+:.
And that bad feeling became so, so suffocating- her blood was ice and her heart skipped a beat as they came within a few feet of the main hall.
She went stiff as a board, her steps faltering as the dread sharpened into a clear, sickening sense of unrelenting danger out of nowhere- her mouth fell open in reaction, a gasp rising from her throat- but it got cut off when someone's hand clapped down over her mouth from behind.
What the hell-?!
She couldn't move, she couldn't make a sound, and she hadn't even a single second to react before the sight of everyone ahead of her got swallowed up in nothing but sheer, unending black. Her world tipped and the ground disappeared under her feet, her core flipping as all sense of up and down failed her- and she was being held and bound- unable to move as hands from some stranger held to her body, cold against her skin, unfamiliar- terrifying.
She had no idea what was going on, or what happened, where she was- nothing!
Nothing... but... why can I smell Sting and Rogue...?
N... no... that's not right... this scent... it's one scent... it's... it's wrong-
W-who the hell is...?!
She was struggling, trying and pulling with every bit of strength she had- but it didn't do a damn thing, she couldn't move- she was paralyzed, and her heart dropped.
What the fuck is going on!?
"Forgive me, I understand this is disorienting..."
Hora's heart skipped a beat, her eyes flicking this way and that and searching the black, but there wasn't anything to see- she couldn't see anything, and that voice in her ear sent shivers running up and down her spine. It was so low and cold and... and dead-
"... in all things that lead up to this... whether you are there or not, Rogue will still know." The voice went on, hot breath washing against her ear- she wanted nothing more than to pull away, but she couldn't fucking move!
"... if any of them were as they are, where I am now, they would try and change what will come... but I cannot risk the future changing, the Dragon King Festival must go on... the Eclipse Gate must open."
Hora gulped, her mind racing her heart pounding like a drum.
"... this must happen for the future to remain as I need it... even with you no longer at the Inn, when Jiemma acts, Rogue will understand what has happened... he will know why you never come back, Horatia." The voice went on lowly, every word of it making her heartrate pick up and the terror get worse-
N-never come back...? W-what... what is this... guy talking about...?
"... and he will know who to blame, and who it is who is responsible for killing you."
She felt her heart stop altogether, her breath snatched away and eyes wide- paralyzed, taken and blind, with someone whose breath still brushed against her neck- her world gone and empty and cold around her and her nose filled with a scent that was so close to being familiar, but that was so, so wrong... so twisted.
And a voice that was so cold and empty and still... s...still...
... w...why... why does it almost... s...sound like... R-Rogue's... voice...?
A-and... what does he mean... k..kill me...?
"And his convictions will solidify when they find your body... when he realizes that you died alone... with your death, the future unfolds as it should... and the Eclipse Gate will open, the Dragon King Festival will go on- and I will still have what I came for."
W-wait... I.. i...?!
The hands moved, releasing her but her body still wouldn't listen- she couldn't see him, her Captor, everything was still too dark, they were still floating in a world of jet black- but she could feel that Stranger move, trailing around her until he was in front of her. They were so close she could feel their body against hers, their hands hooking behind her head and her neck as she felt their body-heat wash against her face... they... whoever it was, they were pressed so close... too close...!
"... hmm... alone and in agony... left to die on the streets without anyone near... destroyed by the actions of someone you and I once called friend." He hissed, his thumbs tracing across her cheeks as he held her face... gently.
"Forgive me, Horatia. But even I won't wait to see you die a second time."
Second time..?! What the hell does he mean, second time-!?
Hora's thoughts broke off as her eyes went wide and still saw absolutely nothing but unending black, sweatdropping heavily as she felt the Stranger's lips press against hers, locked in a kiss she wasn't ready for nor wanting- but still her body was fixed, and she couldn't even pull away.
The kiss didn't break for a few seconds that stretched to millions of years in terrified, paralyzed stillness with her heart pounding deafeningly in her ears- and when the Stranger pulled away she was left feeling... violated.
"Hmm... I felt nothing... perfect."
His hands on the back of her head and neck moved forward, a suddenly cruel grip clamping down on her windpipe and cutting off all air.
"I will leave you to your fate now, Horatia ... goodbye, for the final time."
.:+:.
Hora ran through the hallway full of downed men, stepping quickly between their fallen forms and headed further in, further up- she had to get there, now... Now before it was too late.
She could hear them now, their voices were muffled still but she could hear them more clearly... And still she was still so far. She was racing against a shadow she knew that was quickly drawing nearer... And it wasn't headed for her.
She knew-
"Horatia..?!"
Her running staggered to an unwanted halt as she hit a flight of stairs at the end of the hallway, her heart skipping a beat to hear her name called from up ahead. Her eyes snapped up the steps and locked on to Mirajane, the white-haired woman out of breath and coming to a surprised halt on the steps ahead of Hora, her blue eyes glittering.
"... A...are you alright...?!" Mirajane asked quickly, after immediately taking in the state of the Saber and finding her breathless, skin pale, clearly feeling like hell- but mad dashing still. And after so long of not seeing nor hearing a word from the Saber Woman, seeing her now looking so frantic and fighting as she was... Well, was a shock- though perhaps not as big a shock as all they had learned since they'd gotten separated.
Hora stiffened, her shock wearing off quickly as she started forward up the stairs again, eyes glittering.
"Where is everyone else?!" Hora asked instantly and Mirajane blinked,
"... Further behind, I split up to look for Yukino." Mirajane answered quickly, and Hora stiffened further at the mention of the Celestial Mage. "She ran off before we got cornered by the army, I think she was looking for you- she probably wanted to warn you about what's going on." Mira explained quickly, Hora coming to a halt a step or two below where she was, and Mira swallowed slightly. "There's 10,000 Dragons that will attack the Kingdom tonight-" Mira started, but Hora shook her head sharply.
"I already know that!" Hora hissed, and Mira paused at it, her eyes widening. "Drille was supposed to tell you guys about that when he found you, did he not..?!" Hora asked, and Mira shook her head, earning an agitated grimace from Hora.
"... No, I think he meant to, but he burned up before he got the chance." Mira replied quickly, "We were told about what was coming by Lucy- ah, well a Lucy who used the Eclipse Gate to travel back in time after the Dragons attacked. She told us what was coming, she wanted us to meet with man we know that's the head of an Independent Guild- she was trying to get us out of the Castle, she said we got captured in her timeline, and we had to avoid it. She's trying to stop it from happening... We were trying to get out and warn everyone else, but the army stopped us before we got too far. Everyone else is still fighting I think." The white-haired woman explained shortly, and Hora's heart skipped a beat at the information.
A Lucy from the Future... That must have been who warned Ultear , and Lucy wants to stop all this shit from happening again-
Hora shuddered despite herself, swallowing hard as her eyes flashed.
- that means- that means... I...
"-Hora, how did you already know about the Dragons coming...?" Mirajane asked, snapping Hora back to attention for a brief moment, and she grimaced further. She meant to garner something quick, something brief- she'd already stopped too long just to exchange those few words between them. She was still racing against time... Against shadow and evil and she couldn't-
A shiver ran through her, more violent than before, more biting, and Hora's eyes snapped off Mirajane and on to the roof, her heart dropping into her feet and her face paling further than it already was.
She felt it, burning bright and strong, and stifling... Unrelenting darkness, married and twisted and not right.
.:+:.
"Halfway down the hallway, I got snatched away and dropped on the other side of the city by some weird person-thing that seemed well aware that I was going to end up dead tonight, and that it was necessary in the grand scheme of things... and no, I never got a look at it. I don't know who or what it was, everything was pitch black, and it's scent wasn't right-"
Hora cut off, her shoulders stiffening as her thoughts trailed back to what had happened, and what she'd smelled.
It smelled sour, and twisted... it smelled wrong.
She swallowed, shivers running up her spine at the lingering sensation of those cold hands grabbing hold of her, a voice hissing and emotionless and dead... wicked fingers curling around her body as she was forced closer and paralyzed as she felt strange lips press against hers, and she couldn't pull back.
"Forgive me, Horatia . But even I won't wait to see you die a second time."
.:+:.
She smelled that same scent again, heavy overhead and she knew
She had to go- now
Her eyes snapped off the roof, blazing and so steely Mirajane flinched at it. "Find Yukino!" Hora hissed quickly, her feet already bringing her passed Mirajane and continuing in her rushing. "Find Yukino, keep her safe, and get out of this castle, now! I will explain later, just go!"
Mirajane never got a chance to ask anything, or stammer for an explanation or a reason for her running off- and she did not get the chance to figure out why Hora looked so terrified just then.
.:+:.
... what happens... if the future that that Stranger knew... didn't happen? She wasn't dead, she'd survived... was that part of the plan? It couldn't have been, right? It said that Rogue needed to realize why she'd ended up dead...
She shuddered again and her stomach knotted so tightly it was utterly painful.
... It... can't have been... right...?
.:+:.
She hissed, lungs begging for air she could not get, her ribcage aching under the thundering of her heart, her body groaning under the constant movement, the fighting, the Magic-Play, all of it.
Above her head and still too far away she heard the fighting stop, felt the shadow getting larger, more powerful. She heard the screams and cries of dismay and then the utterly terrible silence that followed it... Broken only by footsteps, and then the low, hissing, chilling voice of that shadow.
"... You... What are you doing here...?"
"... You just took out all the guards... Does that mean you're on our side...?"
"I have come from seven years in the future, where Dragons rule the world."
"Another person from the future...?!"
"... What do you intend to do here? Why have you come from the future?"
"... To open the Eclipse Gate." The Stranger murmured lowly, coldly.
... The Stranger... The Shadow Lurking for so long... The one with same voice of that Stranger who had snatched her away, spoke of her death, and then left her to die alone in agony on the streets.
That Stranger that left her to die for what future it wanted
Hora rounded another flight of steps, panting and her breaths quickly growing more wheezy... And tasting more iron in her mouth with every step up she climbed.
"... W-what...?! Why would you ever wanna open it...?!"
"For one simple reason. The Eclipse Gate has two functions- one that allows the travel through time, and one where it can be used as a Cannon, that is capable of dealing large amounts of damage." The Stranger went on, it's voice, even and cool, and unflinching. "Opening the Gate and using the Eclipse Cannon is the only way to defeat the 10,000 Dragons descending upon the Kingdom tonight... The same dragons that seven years from this day, rule the world... The world that I have come from."
Not a Stranger, not an 'it'... The future he wanted, him.
"Oh, so you're on our side then...?! We just gotta point the Gate at the Dragons and everything is all good, right...?!"
"Our Future can be saved...!"
"... That's great...!"
Hora rounded another stairway, and another, hoping two, three, four steps at a time- sprinting still, racing, rushing... She felt the shadow get worse, felt the chill, the dread- all of it.
The evil... The malicious intent, barely disguised under a guise of cool... Shit-!
Could they not feel this...?! Everyone up there, listening to him, and what he was saying...?!
Could they not tell, around the tale of the Gate, the Cannon, the plan to open it... How could they not feel this much... Much Darkness...?!
This much Darkness and evil in him... Him with his scent so wrong, his voice dead and cold- his voice, his scent- both that she knew so well in her heart, and both she knew weren't right.
It was one scent... but it smelled like those of two different people.
His voice, but it had never been so devoid of anything- not even when he put up face for the world.
His voice she heard now, over her head and getting closer- but it was chilling her to the core in a way that made her heart want to stop, and she shuddered against it.
"... It is not so simple as that." He murmured lowly, and she jumped up several steps, panic setting in further and further.
The shadow was looming... His shadow, deep and suffocating and so unnatural... So not him, and yet still him.
"... On this day seven years ago, someone stopped the Eclipse Gate. They shut it before the Canon could be fired, and doomed the world to fall in Dragon-fire." He kept on, "I've come back in time to eliminate the person who would shut the Gate, the person who destroys the future." He grumbled, voice low, steady, steely.
How could no one feel this? Not Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Happy, PantherLily...?
Could they really not sense it?
"... W..what...?!"
"You mean... You're going to kill them...?! The person who shuts the gate...?"
"Why would anyone do that...?!"
"Yeah, couldn't you just explain to them what'll happen? Surely once they knew what was at stake, they'd never close the gate at all..!"
"There's no need to resort to murder...!"
Hora sucked in a sharp breath of air, stumbling slightly on the last few steps, but keeping on toward the hallway anyway, heart skipping a beat.
She felt the dread sharpen, the darkness too- could really none of them feel this...?!
The same thing she felt now, stifling and heavy...?! The same thing she had known and wouldn't let herself think about... What she didn't want to believe, not about him?
Him- the one who she knew so well, who she cared for, who she would die for- but also the same person who had done what she could never believe him capable of.
He left her to die for a future he said must happen
The future that she wasn't in-
"... There is nothing to be done. They could not be convinced, promises not to close the gate will mean nothing. This is an inevitability, an event set in stone- they will close the gate no matter what, they have no choice. Their action is one that is written in the sequence of events, they cannot resist fate. This is the future that will happen and will come to pass, no matter what you or anyone else does. Fate cannot be changed." He replied lowly, "This is the future that comes to pass, the closing of the gate is one of many things that will always happen, no matter what. The only way to change it, is to wipe this person from existence. It is the only option... The only way to change an inevitable, unflinching future that will not change course, not for anything less." He grumbled lowly, and Hora's teeth grit so hard they threatened to crack.
Her feet brought her swiftly around the last bend, she came to a dead halt a few feet behind him, panting, shaking, fists clenched at her sides and expression twisting in fury and unease. Everyone else saw her first, a small glimpse of her from where they stood before the man, his long hair a mix of white and black, his scent so achingly familiar and so wrong.
That man she knew, and didn't recognize at all as her eyes locked to his back- that man she'd known deep in her core since the night prior, when he left her to die, when he snatched her, when he held her, and he pressed his lips against hers- and said he felt nothing.
That man intent on bringing on a future that he was convinced she had to die to fulfill. The same man now convinced he had to murder another to keep the future on the path he intended- convinced that the future could not be cheated, that things in it were inevitable, and could not be altered- tch!
"If fate can't be cheated and things will always happen the same way they did before no matter what- explain this! Tell me how this is possible- you left me there alone knowing what Jiemma was gonna do! You told me what would happen, you'd seen it already once before- it was set in stone, it 'had' to happen- that's what you said!" Hora snapped hotly, her voice cold and cutting on the air as she shook her head furiously, glaring daggers into his back and he, along with everyone else, went absolutely rigid.
"Well do I look fucking dead to you, Rogue?!"
There was a chilly silence that followed Hora's furious voice, broken only by the short, nearly strangled gasp of air the Future Lucy sucked in, her hands clapping over her mouth and looking stricken as her eyes found Horatia... And the Future Rogue's head turned slowly to look over his shoulder, shaking slightly and settling a deadly, cold, and disbelieving stare on Hora- who matched the look, her blue eyes burning.
"... Impossible..." He hissed through gritted teeth, his jaw clenching so hard his teeth threatened to crack. Hora stiffened at it, her fists clenching harder at her sides.
That was Rogue's face, those were his red eyes... But that was it. This was a Rogue she didn't recognize, not his hair, the scar on his nose, or the tattoo on his face- and certainly not the Rogue she knew, not with how deadly cold a look he gave her just then. Utterly malicious and seething-
"... H... Hora...t..that can't be possible...!" The Future Lucy stammered breathlessly, her legs shaking so much they threatened to give out on her, tears instantly falling down her cheeks. The Present Lucy beside her stiffened at the tears, eyes wide and frozen. "... S...she... She died... The night Yukino and I were arrested... I... I never got to talk to her again... N...not... B..before... she..." The Future Lucy mumbled under her breath, bordering a sob now and the Present Lucy felt her heart skip a beat at it.
"... W...what...?" She stammered quietly, "... Hora... Isn't... Alive in... Your future...? At all...?"
Neither Hora nor the Future Rogue heard the little exchange, barely anyone did- save Natsu and Wendy, with their heightened hearing. But all focus was on the two Saber Wizards now, the Future Rogue not daring to turn his body to face her, he only cast that glare over his shoulder and glowered, as Hora returned the glare tenfold- Horatia, alive, there, on her feet and clearly not dead and burned to a crisp as she was supposed to be.
"How in the hell are you alive?" He hissed lowly, "You are supposed to be dead, I watched it happen Horatia- you were ripped apart, your body a smoldering pile of bones. You cannot have survived what Jiemma did to you... You cannot be here." He growled and she shook her head hotly,
"Well clearly I am!" She snapped. "The future you saw isn't going the same way around again, I'm right here and alive and I do not intend to die! Clearly things can change, you said I had to die, but I didn't! I was supposed to die but I didn't- your future has changed, that means everything else can change too! None of this is set in stone!" She hissed furiously and his eyes hardened, his face twisting further, his gaze like a million swords and teeth gritting still- so hard she heard it.
He forced a low breath, heated and unhappy, his eyes glinting dangerously as he shook his head once. "You are wrong." He muttered coldly, "Yes, you might have avoided death last night, but that changes nothing... this future will unfold, things will be set right again- you will die, that is what you're fate is bound to, and you will not escape it. You and the one to who closes that gate, your fate's will swallow you up, no matter what."
Hora stiffened slightly, a shiver running up her spine as something about his face changed, the feeling of his Magic in the back of her mind sharpened to a fine point and snatched her breath away. She felt her muscles lock, paralyzed under the look despite everything in her mind screaming for her to move right then- move, do something, he's gonna... you have to move...!
"I will make sure the future unfolds as it needs to- even if that means I have to kill both you, and the one who will close the gate, myself." He hissed lowly and her heart skipped a beat, his hand clenching into a fist at his side and Hora stared, still rigid, still paralyzed, even when the sense of dread and danger became so suffocating just then.
You have to move-!
"I'll close your fate myself, Horatia- but first, the one who closes the gate must die-" He hissed and she flinched, the danger overwhelming now, but instantly aware that he had looked away from her and his eyes found- NO!
"-Lucy Heartfilia!"
The Future Rogue swung forward faster than ever, three steps ahead of Hora, Natsu, and everyone else in that hallway. Shadow bled off his hand, streaming out through the air lightning-fast and in a beeline toward Lucy, and they all were sluggish, their minds faltering and bodies too for the sudden turn- the threat they hadn't expected, and not that fast.
Hora took a step forward, heart racing and eyes wide as she tried to muster up something, fire licking at her feet- but she could not be fast enough, not from where she was, not with how hard it was to make her body move at all.
Natsu moved right off too, jumping sideways and hand reaching out for the Magic, trying to stop it, trying to do something- but his fingers fell short of the mark and his face fell in fear and terror mirrored in everyone else. Lucy was stuck in place, the Magic quickly just in front of her, about to tear through her, frozen, trembling, mind whirling.
No, no-!
Blood sprung up in air, dark and sticky, a wave of it as the Magic struck hard, fast, and without a shred of hesitation against the body suddenly directly in front of Lucy- the Future Lucy letting out a strangled gasp of pain as the Magic tore through her stomach, hissing and burning and leaving a gaping wound much too big, and much too deep. She hit the floor, a smear of sticky red tracing across the marble and breath hitching, her hood on her cloak falling from having been raised, and for a few seconds there was nothing but sheer silence.
Nobody moved, nobody dared even breathe- Hora felt her heart stop and she stared, shaking at the crimson pool forming underneath the blonde and the terrible gaping hole torn through her body like it was nothing.
N... no...
"...L-LUCY...!" Happy yelled, his voice breaking painfully and immediately tearful as the blue Exceed rushed forward toward the wounded woman, and the Present Lucy was quick to follow, shaken and reeling, and teary-eyed too as she quickly stooped beside her Future Self. The Future Rogue blinked, hesitating for half a moment at what had happened, and whose face he could see now that had been previously hidden behind the hood.
"... there's two of them..." He mumbled lowly under his breath,
"... W...Why did you do that...?!" Present Lucy hissed, holding herself gently in her arms, blood trickling passed the Future Lucy's lips already as she struggled to even open her eyes, or take in a breath of air.
"... I... I... I'm from further... in the Future... if you die... I cease to exist too..."
Hora shivered, her eyes glittering like mad and a line of tears instantly spilling down her cheeks in stony silence, stuck in place and so, so cold.
... He... Rogue just... he... just...
Her stomach flipped so violently she probably would have thrown up, but she didn't move even still... not even when her knees threatened to give out on her altogether, and she lost track of any will or want to just breathe.
... he didn't... even hesitate... Rogue... he...
The world was collapsing in over her head again, the floor whirling sickeningly under her feet, her heart threatening to give out along with her knees, and pounding so hard the sound of it nearly drowned everything else out- but it didn't ans she still heard the words... the pained words and voices, and the tears.
"... You shouldn't have done that...!" Present Lucy hissed shakily,
"L-Lucy you have to be okay...!" Happy sobbed, Hora swallowed hard, her tears spilling faster still.
"... Wendy, can you...?" PantherLily asked breathlessly, but the little Dragon Slayer only grimaced, her expression twisting as she bit back at the pained breath she nearly let loose.
The pool of blood was getting quickly bigger, the blonde's breaths shallower, harsher... harder to keep going, her life spilling out of her and from a wound far too severe to do anything about, and Hora felt her heart break.
... Rogue... he... . he just... killed... L...Lucy...
"... I... I never closed the Gate..." Future Lucy stammered breathlessly, "... I swear I didn't..." She hissed, tears joining the drip of blood down her face and Present Lucy shook her head furiously.
"I know you didn't, and I won't close it either...!" She hissed, "Now please... please... please, just hold on..!" She choked on a sob she tried desperately to hold back, and the Future Lucy smiled weakly.
"... it's okay... You get... to have a future now... everybody in mine is already gone..." She murmured, her voice growing weaker by the minute. "... it doesn't matter if... I die... you don't have to cry..."
"Of course it matters!" Happy hissed instantly, tears falling freely from his eyes and fur on end as his paws grabbed tightly of the Future Lucy's hand, holding on her dear life and shaking his head several times over. "I-It doesn't matter if you're from the future or the past, or whatever- you're still Lucy! Lucy is Lucy and you're still our friend! Of course we're gonna be sad and we're going to cry, because you... b-because you...!" Happy's voice broke off in a painful cry and Hora's heart broke again, twice more, three times- a million times and she couldn't breathe against the shattering sensation of it... a shattering feeling that was so much worse than what it had felt like to have Jiemma breaking that Lacrima in her chest apart.
"... hey... let me see your right hand..." The Future Lucy breathed, hers reaching up shakily for the Present Lucy's, her tears falling faster down her pale face as she brushed gently against the pink Fairy Tail symbol stamped on the Present Lucy's hand. She smiled weakly, her breath hitching again as her eyes dropped closed for the last time.
"... I... I am so happy... I got to see you guys... one last time..."
The Future Lucy's hand fell, smacking against the floor and into the puddle of blood underneath her, her body falling limp and heavy in the other Lucy's hold as one last breath shuddered passed her lips, and then nothing.
Hora couldn't move, she could only stare, her eyes breaking from the dying blonde and toward the bit of movement from the Future Rogue, the man turning toward her now for the first time and their eyes locked, his devoid of any light and hers still spilling in silent tears.
Lixue said something, his voice urgent and curt on her mind, but she couldn't make out the words. She was stuck still, staring into a face she didn't recognize and still the same one she knew so well- the one she'd known for years, seen through pain, and joy, and heartbreak, and loss, longing and fear... the same face from the same person who had been pleading for her to be okay, to not die, to trust him, to tell him what was wrong... pleading for her to... not go...
"... h...how could you... Rogue...?" Hora stammered breathlessly, he glowered, his fists blazing in Magic and eyes hard.
"Easily, even if she does not remember closing the Gate- she did. And she will still do so, no matter what.... but now-"
He had cleared the space between himself and her in the blink of an eye, Hora stiffening and still glued to her spot as he came up just in front of her, Magic swirling around his hands wildly and teeth bared. Her eyes widened slowly, paralyzed still and not a single thought to move or retaliate moving across her mind, not even when rationally she knew something should have.
She had to do something, move, try to defend herself- she should have been livid, angry... she should have been ready to throw him across the room, burn him to ash for what he just did, get payback for it, retribution- he just killed Lucy, her friend, and it was unforgivable.
She should have swung out, reacted, tried to inflict some amount of pain- teach him a lesson, even. She told herself to, to fight back, to attack, but... But she couldn't.
She looked at him and knew it was Rogue and she couldn't do it
'MOVE!' Lixue snapped louder this time, a touch panicked, but it was much too late, Rogue was already swiping out, Magic blazing, steady, and deadset.
No hesitation, whatsoever
Natsu had moved finally, face twisted in rage and tears falling from his eyes- he moved, the instant Rogue did, he knew where his attention went next but like before- he was too slow... And worse even, he expected something from Hora, but he saw the look on her face and the rigidness of her body as she stood there, frozen, her expression filled with pain and disbelief, and heartbreak.
She was supposed to move, he expected her to- he was used to her fast reaction times, her almost impossible reaction times- but she did not move, and Natsu knew instantly she couldn't do it too.
And he was too slow, twice
"-Now to seal your fate as it was meant to be!"
"HORA!"
The Magic around the Future Rogue's hand condensed, his fingers bent and the shadows forming claws from every finger, long and wicked sharp. He swiped up, the claws slicing across her body in one quick motion, tearing through the flesh of her stomach, her ribs, her chest, both arms, and almost across her neck too- wearing scarlet lines through her body and blood splashing up into the air in five huge streams.
Hora stared, shaking and silent as fiery pain raced through every inch of her, the world shuddering to slow motion as she watched her blood stream passed her. Her flesh split as easily as paper, the Shadow Magic hissing and spinning as it tore through her- but hitched in more than a few places, though the movement of the attack didn't slow very much at all. The inky black Markings had moved even when her body hadn't, basic instinct for survival driving them forward to crawl across her skin and down her body and try to cover her in a thick layer of jet black. Something to try and guard against the wicked claws, to try and hold against it, keep her from being sliced apart too much. But they were not quick enough, not nearly enough- what little the Markings managed was to keep the claws from slicing her neck open completely, and in few places the skin was covered by the pitch black, the skin tore less than everywhere else- bit it tore regardless.
And all that blood
The pain didn't make a dent, not right away. She felt suspended, a storm of her own blood falling between herself and Rogue, their eyes locked still and time moving so, so slow. She saw his hand pull back, his Magic disappearing and getting ready to hit her again, and she could not move.
... He isn't... The Rogue... I know but...
... I still... Couldn't... Do it...
... He...
The Future Rogue spun on his heel, leg swinging around as he rammed his foot into her core with so much force her organs must have bruised underneath it. She was thrown sideways across the room on a beeline toward the windows and the massive drop awaiting on the other side of the glass. The Future Rogue didn't even wait for the impact of Hora's body with the glass, he spun around again, his eyes locking on to the paralyzed figure of Lucy stuck near her fallen counterpart. So he did not see Loke move quickly from where he'd been standing and rush to save Hora crashing through the glass. The Lion Spirit threw himself between Hora and the windows, their bodies colliding painfully as he struggled to keep hold of her bloody body and stop their momentum backward. They did stop, Loke's back smashing against the low wall under the windows and bring them to a painful halt, Hora wrapped up in his arms and his suit staining crimson instantly.
The Future Rogue did not notice any of it at all, his eyes settled on Lucy, icy and intense, and the Celestial Mage shivered under it.
"Now on to Lucy Heart- ack!"
Rogue's voice broke off in an agonized yelp, how teeth clacking together as Natsu's fist pound against his jaw, sending the Future Rogue flying back several dozen feet and skidding against the floor in a blaze of heat and sparking flame.
"I will not let you take anybody else's lives away from them- you are not gonna take Hora's future, and you will not take Lucy's! I will not let you!" Natsu roared coldly, eyes blazing along with the flames flicking off his body and fangs bared, and so full of rage.
"How dare you touch them?!"
Rogue flipped back over and on to his feet, expression twisting in agitation now and very unenthused with being hit and the interruption. "Tch, if I need to kill you to get you of my way, then fine!" Future Rouge snapped coldly, already moving forward again toward Natsu and Magic blazing.
"Your fate is to die at the hands of the Dragons, so killing you know will no make a difference!"
They clashed head on, pitch black colliding with fiery red. Natsu swung out, fire grazing the Future Rogue close enough his robes singed, but the black-white haired man nimbly sidestepped, and sent Natsu flying down the far end of the corridor with a core-shaking hit. But Natsu was on his feet right away despite it, seething still and instantly racing back toward the Future Rogue, whose body melted away into a shadow and streaked across the floor back toward the group of Lucy, Wendy, Lily, Happy and Carla. The latter four instantly grew defensive, stepping up between the incoming shadow and Lucy, Natsu sprinting behind as fast as he could- but Rogue as a Shadow was too fast for the pinkette to catch with the distance he'd been thrown.
Rogue jumped up and out of his Shadow Form, fist curled behind him and eyes locked to Lucy behind the heads of her line of protectors- but his eyes did not find the brown gaze of the Celestial Mage, and he stiffened mid-movement, lips curling into a snarl.
Hora had moved, releasing herself from Loke's grip the instant she was even faintly aware of the Future Rogue's movement toward Lucy. She moved faster than should have been possible, leaving puddles and streams of blood in her wake as she came to a shaky stop in front of them all, fists clenched and struggling to breathe, the pain was blinding- but her eyes locked with the Future Rogue, steady and resolute despite her body being shredded five ways, bleeding out surely, and despite the fact that she shouldn't have been able to move at all.
It was like she refused to die- tch!
"H-Hora...?!" Wendy, the Exceeds, and Lucy stammered in shock.
"Get out of the way!" Natsu barked, but Hora did not budge, her eyes stayed locked on to the Future Rogue quickly getting closer.
She moved this time, even when it was Rogue, and she'd been unable to do anything before. She moved... Because it wasn't about doing something to save herself- it was to save Lucy, and everyone else... And that was more important than whatever hesitation had gripped her so tightly beforehand.
Protect them-
"There is nothing you could conjure up now that will stop me, Horatia!" Rogue yelled coldly, his fist swinging forward and continuing his attack regardless of her being there- and really all the more fervently, for how agitated seeing her there made him.
"I know you, and I know every single trick up your sleeve- you could throw anything you like at me, I will know how to counter it, and you will still all perish!"
He swung forward and Hora didn't flinch, steam was rising quickly off the markings over her skin, the inky black shrinking back quickly across her skin, disappearing altogether and leaving her blood to flow faster and more freely from the wounds they'd tried to hold together. She didn't care for the quickening of her blood hitting the floor though, or how much her body felt it wanted to fall apart without the extra support- she didn't care about the pain, because with the heat fading to nothing, icy cold was getting heavier through every inch of her, and a bit of numbness and relief came with it.
This time she moved and she acted, because it was for them and not herself- protect them, even if you have to hurt him... No matter how much you don't want to, even now.
She hissed, her teeth gritting and the Markings gone all the way now- she glared at him, her feet squaring and her posture straightening with it.
"You don't know everything...!" Hora muttered back sharply, and the Future Rogue faltered this time. His eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat when the air dropped several dozen degrees in the course of a second, and his breath billowed out in front of him in a haze.
Hora's dark blue eyes flashed an eerie, chilling, icy blue- and he felt fear course through him as he stared into the unnatural color he had never seen in her before, ever.
She swung her arms forward, the air and the floor rumbling and suddenly plunged into a chill like death- droplets of her blood suspending in air, frozen solid in an instant, and huge spires and spikes of ice, and frost shot outward like a great, huge, storm.
"Flash-Freeze Hellstorm!"
The ice grew exponentially, stacking and shooting out of itself in an endless line and sending of bursts of air pressure that was enough to knock everyone back a pace or two, the Palace rumbling and the windows blew outward with a boom. Wafts of icy wind followed the quake of the wave of ice that shot forward, encompassing the hallway nearly it's whole width, and stretching down all the way to the very end and out of the windows there- the Future Rogue rammed into by the wickedly sharp points of ice and thrown from all sight... in about fifteen seconds flat.
Everyone stumbled to a shocked halt, eyes wide and jaws dropping at the intensity of the attack- even Natsu stalled, stricken as he watched the Future Rogue get tossed away and barely able to comprehend it at all... That that powerful of an attack could come from Hora- who was bleeding still, and badly, and it was Ice Magic no less. Icy cold even to the point he shivered for the intensity of the chill... It was the exact opposite of that suffocating and overbearing heat he had grown so used to from her Fire Magic.
Both sides of her Magic were stifling-!
The spires and whole sections of spiky ice groaned, cracking up their lengths nearly as soon as they were born, and crumbling to the floor in a mess of shattered pieces. The sudden crumbling of the ice brought their stunned silence to a quick halt, and all eyes snapped off the Magic and toward the person who had conjured it forth, their hearts skipping.
"Hora..!"
The Saber Wizard tilted forward, her body falling quickly limp as she collapsed, her mind sent spinning away toward a black pit with no end in sight the minute the Spell concluded, and the pain that ignited in her center was too bright for the numbing sensation of the Ice Magic to quell.
Lixue had cautioned restraint when using his Magic- but she hadn't even thought about it in the moment, and he hadn't complained... But that Spell was too big, and both she and Lixue were instantly hurting for it.
Loke darted up quickly again, grimacing heavily as he rushed to catch Hora for the second time- he hadn't intended to let her go the first time, but he'd been too distracted by the threat on Lucy to keep hold of the Saber when she broke loose from him. Loke saved her hitting the floor, holding to her as he eased her down onto it, before he shrugged his suit jacket off and quickly tied it around her torso. He did it to try and slow the incessant spill of her blood from the slices cut across her body, and covering her a bit too- now that her shirt had been fairly well destroyed, though the amount of blood drenching her didn't afford much in the way of seeing anything. Lucy, Wendy and the Exceeds were quick to dart up toward the Lion Spirit as he did so, eyes wide and shaking terribly for the amount of sticky crimson that covered Hora and the floor around her, as well as how terribly her body shook with her breaths- quick and raspy and definitely getting worse by the second.
"H-Hora...!" They hissed, their voices breaking and hearts racing- Natsu gulped, his attention breaking from them and toward the other end of the hallway, instantly aware of the shadow that had started up toward them again, just as quick as before, just as persistent. Not even that attack by Hora was enough to keep the Future Rogue at bay for long, but it had been enough- they had to go.
"Get Lucy and Hora out of here, now!" Natsu ordered curtly, snapping them out of their terror, their eyes darting up to him. Lucy stiffened, shaking badly and shaking her head a little.
"B-but Natsu...!" She hissed, but the pinkette shook his head at her sharply.
"He's trying to kill you!" He hissed, his eyes darting from Lucy to everyone else, "You have to get them away from here, right now! I'll hold this guy off!" He told them firmly, and they grimaced at the words.
"Go!"
They nodded stiffly, Loke scooping Hora up into his arms bridal style and Wendy grabbing tight hold of Lucy's wrist. They stood up, Wendy jerking Lucy to her feet and following quickly behind Carla and Happy, while Loke and PantherLily followed close behind.
"Natsu-San is right, Lucy...!" Wendy said quickly, her eyes glittering as she cast a glance over her shoulder toward the blonde she was pulling behind her. "He's after you...!"
"Yes, we can't stay here..!" Carla hissed, "We must get away, quickly...! The faster we put some distance between ourselves and that man, the faster we can pause and take a breath...!" Carla hissed lowly, her expression pulling painfully as she shot the woman in Loke's arms a look, and everyone else's eyes darted that way too.
"... We have to go... We have to find a safe place to stop, Hora won't last long i-if...!" Wendy stammered shakily, tears pecking at the corners of her eyes as Lucy frowned, her eyes snapping to the little Dragon Slayer. She shook her head furiously, her hand around Lucy's tightening as she bit back at the sob that threatened to break her voice. "... She's really hurt... We have to hurry... I don't lose anybody else...!" Wendy hissed under her breathe, and they all flinched at it.
"... A..alright..." Lucy stammered under her breath, shooting Hora another look, before she cast a last look back and toward the blonde lying still and cold on the floor... And then at Natsu- the pinkette already going head to head with the Future Rogue, and with everything he had. Lucy hissed under her breath, looking back ahead again and swallowing hard as she picked up her pace.
"... Be careful... Natsu...!" She murmured lowly, everyone else silently wishing the same thing.
Happy slowed up a little to stay at Loke's shoulder, his eyes still filled with tears and silently letting then keep spilling- though he stifled his sobs as best he could. His teary eyes looked down into Hora's face, her head pressed into Loke's shoulder, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth. He saw her eyes, hazy and unfocused, fluttering up and down without end and her breaths wheezy, and he swallowed hard against it.
"... Please Hora, you have to be alright...!" Happy stammered breathlessly, "Please, j-just hold on, okay..? Wendy will get you fixed up..! Just... Just try and stay awake, okay...?" Happy mumbled, his voice breaking at the end and trailing off no matter how hard he tried to keep it steady and calm. Everybody else grimaced at Happy's words, at the way his voice tapered off, and how badly it shook as he tried to muster up some amount of reassurance for the wounded Saber. Loke even stiffened for it, his eyes darting down toward her in his hold and his stomach twisting. His arms were slick with blood already, his white shirt stained with it and more already starting to soak through the jacket he'd tied around her.
This was bad, he knew it, they all knew it... And though he didn't really know her at all, he wasn't all that sure anybody could be okay after that- even if Wendy were to try and Heal her... Would it work?
Even if, by the Future Rogue and the Future Lucy's accounts- Horatia was already supposed to be dead...? This seemed like fate reclaiming its plan...... But then again, somebody who had managed that level of attack at the end like she had- that was strength, and power of a like Loke could not have expected, not in a million years. Somebody who could do that, after being hurt this badly... Maybe.
Either way, they had to be quick- time was running out on all fronts, and they had to hurry.
Hora didn't really hear what Happy said just then, she wasn't even all that aware of being carried, or that they were moving. She was floating somewhere, trapped in an endless cycle of pain and a suffocating sensation- and her mind was whirling faster and faster, dizzy and lightheaded and unable to focus at all. She felt that endless pit coming up quickly to claim her and snatch her away to some place far, far away from consciousness... And she tried to resist it, she really did, but she was sinking further and further with every second.
... I was... Supposed... To... To live... Wasn't I...?
... I think... Maybe I... Did fail...
... The Current... Is getting what it wants... ... I don't want to die... But... I'm so tired... So... Lost...
... This was all... So big... Too big...
... He said... The Gate... Could... Defeat the Dragons... Right...?
... That... Would be a solution... To all... The crazy...
...but...
... I... Still... Feel like...
... I know... Something... Isn't... Right...
... But... How do I... Tell them... Now...? Huh... Lixue ...?
... I don't know... If... I can... Do it... Tell them... Say it... I feel like... This... Is it...
... I'm... Spent... Huh...? ... We're spent... We hit the Limit... Didn't we...?
... Lixue ...?
... Are... You...?
...
... You...
... You can't...
... Hear me... Can you...?
... Shit...
.:+:.
"W-Wendy... she... she's not breathing...!"
They'd stopped, as soon as they'd felt safe enough to, on the bottom floor of the palace and outside it's walls, among paths of cobbled stone and hedges and flowers and Lacrima-Lamps shedding pale blue. The moon was rising higher in the sky above them, the rumble of Natsu's battle against the Future Rogue a distant drone. Mirajane and Yukino had found them not long after, and at the sight of the group and what had happened, their faces paled and fear struck through them both- but for Yukino, it was straight to the core.
Little to no questions were asked, frightened and fearful explanations went and came in seconds, rushed, hasty- terrified for the revelation of what had happened, who they had faced, and who had done so much damage... to the Future Lucy, and to the fiery-haired woman they were now so instantly focused on, and fearful for.
All of them sat on their heels on the ground, circled around the bloody and broken form of Horatia, lying still on the cobble and covered from head to foot in sticky red, the front of her body ripped five ways, stretching from one arm to the over, over her chest, her ribs, her stomach and her neck... Hora who lay there, trails of dried blood running from the edges of her lips, her eyes shut, her hair a mess around her, and Hora who did not move, not an inch, her lungs stalled and no longer drawing any air. She was not breathing, she'd seemed to cease doing so since even before they'd stopped- Loke had been quick to warn them that he couldn't hear her wheezing anymore, and it had been a mad-dash to stop, and to try and save her. Wendy jumped in right off, setting straight to work trying to close up the wounds, to stabilize the motionless Saber again, to bring her back.
Happy's terrified hiss made Wendy stiffen, the little Dragon Slayer's hands covered in Hora's blood and glowing blue as she kept at it, shaking her head furiously as she watched the wounds stitch together slowly... so, so slowly.
"I-I know, b-but...!" Wendy stammered shakily, biting back at the tears trying to force themselves to the surface, she couldn't cry now, she had to focus... but she didn't understand what was wrong..!
Lucy, Loke, Happy, Carla, Mira, Yukino and PantherLily around Wendy stiffened, their eyes fixed to the little Dragon Slayer and the way her expression twisted, her hands shaking over the wounds.
"... She... she's not dead, I know she's not breathing... b-but even the bleeding's stopped, and it wasn't because of me..." Wendy stammered breathlessly, "I don't understand... she... her heart is still beating, but it's so slow... A-and my Magic is working, the wounds are closing up, they wouldn't be if... if she wasn't still alive... b..but..." Wendy mumbled shakily, her eyes shutting tight for a moment and the glow of her Magic growing brighter, the light glittering off their terrified gazes and the tears spilling quietly from many of their eyes. "... I just... I don't know what's happened... I'm just trying to close the wounds all the way... m-maybe if I do that, she'll start breathing again... but... I just don't know...! I've never seen this happen before...! It's not like a... a coma or anything it's... it's almost like she's... frozen... like her body's just stopped, her breathing, the bleeding, all of it... and her hearts so slow it's like it's not there...!" Wendy hissed under her breath, "I'm trying...! I just... I have to keep going... I have to hope it'll work if I close these wounds, and stabilize her...! I... !" Wendy's voice broke painfully on the next bit and everyone flinched at it.
"Calm yourself Wendy, you are doing everything you can..!" Carla murmured, quick to calm the girl and Wendy nodded stiffly, swallowing hard as she pushed her Magic harder, the wounds torn across Hora's body stitching together a tad faster with it. They were healing, they were closing... but it was still slow, and just as slow as her heartbeat was on Wendy's ears.
"... H... Hora, please...!" Happy hissed, leaning forward on his hands near Hora's head, his ears folded back and shaking from head to tail.
"... You have to be okay... you have to come back...!" Yukino hissed hoarsely, her hands clasped together tightly in front of her and her forehead pressed against them. Mirajane beside her put a steadying hand on the girl's shoulder, while Lucy on Yukino's other side had her arm hooked tightly inside of Yukino's. Both Celestial Mages were crying, and shaking terribly as they sat there, the longer time dragged on, the more the absence of Hora's breathing became deafening on their ears, and the faster their hearts picked up in terror for it.
Loke swallowed slightly, Virgo sitting beside him after Lucy had called her through her Gate, hoping she might be able to help Wendy- but there was little to do now than wait for the Dragon Slayer to try... and both Spirit's sat there, silent and watchful, waiting, for as long as they needed to, PantherLily beside them just as quiet, his paws crossed over his chest and ears back against his head.
"Please... Please Hora... wake up...!"
.:+:.
The world was full of multi-color monochrome again, fractured pieces of her life scattered around her, blurred, fragmented, and wavering badly. She stood in the middle of a storm of it, blinking at the scattered things, the figures of people and places and monsters... of Deliora there, herself dead on the floor, the blurred figures of the Guild, her old life, her old home, her Guild... all of it.
She was back here again, and once more she had no idea how she ended up there- it was like she was just bound to end up there, every time her mind fell away from the waking world... and maybe that was accurate enough.
Her Being was fractured right? That's what Ultear had said, some portions of her had been broken off and sent here... she was tethered to this place, and it wanted the whole of her. It wanted to right itself, so it would make sense she'd end up here every time she faded away from the living world, yeah..?
But this time she saw no sign of Ultear, there was no sound of her approaching from the great empty at the edges of her vision, and there was no sight of her color splashed against the muddied wash of it all. And there was no sign of Lixue either, though it still felt weird to expect to see him at all... she did want to see him, just then, but it would have been enough to even just hear him like she always did.
She remembered she'd not heard him at all before ending up here. She remembered getting hit by the Future Rogue, she remembered how bad the wounds were, and she remembered that she'd been effectively bleeding out- though none of those wounds persisted here in this place. She remembered most of all though the pain that came with using that last attack against the Future Rogue. She remembered the pain and Lixue's hiss against it at the time, and she knew it had hurt him just as much as it had hurt her- she'd pushed using his Magic too fast and too hard, and now they were paying for it, she supposed.
She couldn't hear him, and he didn't answer when she asked- so maybe he couldn't hear her now. Maybe he was too hurt, too weak, too broken and barely holding on by a thread after all of that... maybe this was it. She was stuck here now, pushed to the limit and done for.
The Current was getting what it wanted, her out of the way and back to how she was supposed to be- dead and no longer causing ripples or problems in the grand scheme of things and this timeline. She was here and she was done, her one job ending in failure.
All she'd been told to do was live... and now it seemed that hadn't happened-
"... You are not dead, do not be so dramatic."
Hora jumped, her head snapping around and her body with it to the voice rumbling behind her out of nowhere, her eyes widening and heart skipping a beat when she saw him- big and looming and pearly, frosty white- but totally there, and looking exasperated and tired maybe- but totally there!
"Lixue..!" She breathed, eyes gleaming and quite frankly- relieved.
"... hmm, the Current is not the place where things go to die." He rumbled lightly, ignoring for a moment her sudden burst of glee at seeing him, and she blinked at the comment. "... though perhaps you should in that place now... I suspect that because your Being has been fractured and you've been unintentionally tethered here, that you've avoided being drawn to that place of Death for now, even when you likely should be there... I suppose that is fortunate. Being stuck here in the Current has probably saved your life, or at least prolonged it, after all of what went on with the Future version of the Shadow Dragon Slayer." He mused and Hora bit the inside of her cheek at the mention.
"... I didn't... mean to freeze, like that..." She mumbled quickly and Lixue blinked, his eyes like chips of clear, bright blue ice.
"I would hope you didn't intend it." Lixue mumbled dryly, and she flinched slightly. "... though I understand why you did. Even if he is no longer the person you know, and has done terrible things- he is still your friend, and you cannot let that go so quickly. It is your loyalty to him that made you falter... unfortunate in this case, and dangerous that it did so- but it is not a bad quality, Horatia." She bit the inside of her cheek at it, her eyes on the sheer white ground and not on him. "... you needn't dwell on it, you acted when you needed to in order to protect your other friends. That is all that should matter in the end." He added a tad more gently, and her eyes flashed at it.
"... I guess... but how the hell am I supposed to keep on after that...?" She mumbled, "... He... the wounds he gave me aren't small, I was bleeding out... and if I'm here again, like you said, that probably does mean I'm in bad shape... I can't do anything after this, Lixue... I mean... even if I am alive, it's barely... and once Over-Drive kicks in... I won't be able to do what you said... I mean... we've totally hit the Limit now, right...? I'm done..." She trailed off, her voice tense and Lixue let out a low, long breath.
"... I'm not so sure we have hit the Limit." He murmured at length and she stiffened, her eyes snapping up in confusion. "Yes, the wounds notwithstanding- you using my Magic like you did was unpleasant, and you did not warn me beforehand as I asked... but even so, I do not feel that 'wall' has been hit yet. I do not think we hit the Limit yet at all, at least... I feel fine, relatively." He mused, a clawed hand coming up to rest on his broad chest, the icy white claws scratching against the scales. "As it is, since the day began you have actually used very little Magic at all- it is not your Magic Energy that has taken a beating in all of this, it's simply been your body." He murmured and she frowned,
"... yeah well, Magic isn't really enough to keep me going if my body's been torn to shreds ya know-" She mumbled quickly, and he shook his head at her.
"- I am not unaware of that." He interrupted with another sigh, "You asked if we had hit the Limit on our Magic yet, and I answered... and in regards to your body, you might actually be in better shape than you think." He pointed out lightly and she tilted her head.
"... what do you mean?" She asked slowly,
"Hmm... well, to begin with, those Markings born of the Devil Slaying Magic did save you somewhat- the wounds could have been much deeper, from what I recall when it happened. And in many places they did guard some of the more vulnerable places... your neck for one, among others." He murmured, and she glanced away from him for a minute. She... supposed maybe she did kind of remember that- but even the Markings couldn't have guarded her that much, they were only meant to provide protection against attacks from Demons, and Rogue wasn't that.
"... and as I said, I think being pulled here into the Current has probably done you more harm than good." Lixue went on, "... this place is between all Time, and Time in itself... so things flow differently here, and your being here now- even if it's not your physical form- will affect your body in the Waking World regardless. It's probably slowed Time down for you... 'Frozen' you even, if you will. Your body will not work or move as quickly on it's own as you'd expect it to while you are here- it's probably kept you from bleeding to death, and will keep your body frozen until we leave here... I think perhaps Grandeeny's Child will be able to Heal you just fine, even if you are in such a state. It might be slower than she is used to, but you will still Heal, and you won't be at risk of your life running it's course as she does so. In essence, you've been given extra time to be helped, and healed, and regain yourself- while you are here, in the Current."
Hora stared for a few seconds, her eyes narrowing at him as she tried to process what he was trying to say and explain to her... and she didn't really get it all the way, but she was less concerned with getting it, and more concerned with how he could even know any of that.
"... why do you know so much about this place, Lixue?" Hora asked slowly, "And about everything else too... like the Dragon Slayers, the war, Acnologia, and... whatever the hell the place is for people to go die...?"
"... I am very old." Lixue replied slowly, "... In terms of the Dragon Slayers, and the war, and even Acnologia and Zeref like him- it is experience, through thousands of years being alive on this Earth. I have seen many things, so I know them." He explained, before pausing a moment, his eyes falling closed and his voice softening a tad. "... as for my knowledge about this place, Time, the forces involving the Current, and all others like it... well, a very long time ago I was very close to someone quite... integral, to such Forces. Like Time, and Death... She taught me much, though I only know very little... I am not meant to understand it all, what little I do know is a gift, and a blessing." He murmured, his voice wispy suddenly and Hora's eyes glittered at it.
... She...?
Lixue did not go further into the subject, and he seemed intent not to be prodded further on it either- his eyes opened and he tilted his head to the side a bit, shrugging.
"... At any rate, Horatia, regardless of the state of your body when you awake- what do you intend?" He asked and she blinked several times at it. "I am curious, what will you do? Now knowing what those from the Future have said, and what they intended- and what actions they took. Even if the Eclipse Gate can be used to destroy the 10,000 Dragons supposedly coming- which I very much doubt it can take them all- what will you do? You have a number of unfinished things, yes...? As it stands, you have no clue the fate of your Guild, or that cat that was taken, or the outcome of the Grand Magic Games... and a brother you have yet to tell who you are, hmm?" He murmured and Hora stiffened, her hands wringing together in front of her uneasily. "I told you before to tackle this issue as you would any other, and though I know you and your habits well, I still wonder what action you will take now... this chaos is from over, as I am sure you feel, and know all too well." She nodded stiffly to it.
He was right, this was far from done with- there was still a sense of dread hanging over her, and she knew the worst was probably yet to come... and she held her breath against it for a few seoncds, shaking her head at herself a little roughly.
"... I... I don't know exactly what I'm gonna do yet... but first thing's first, I have to talk to Lucy." Hora mumbled lowly, her eyes flashing. "... I know what the Future Rogue said... but... I do feel something's off still, what he said doesn't really... line up." She murmured uneasily, and Lixue blinked slowly. "... It doesn't make sense... and I don't why it doesn't, but... maybe if I tell her... maybe Lucy will figure it out, where I can't..." Hora mumbled quietly, swallowing hard. "... I have to warn her, even if I don't know why it doesn't make sense... I have to warn her... warn all of them... I have to try, and hope it's enough, in the end..."
She looked up slowly, her eyes leveling with Lixue's as they fell into a few seconds of silence, and he dipped his head to her, calm, steady.
"... then go." He murmured lightly, "Warn them, explain what you can, do as you will, and fight hard... temper yourself though, this will be a long night, and there is much left coming and to do, Horatia. With any luck, you will get through it all before you and I, are truly spent." Lixue rumbled coolly, and Hora nodded firmly at it, her posture growing a little firmer, and her eyes gleaming.
"Yeah, I'll do my best." She told him steadily, "And hopefully it'll all come out okay, somehow... I think I'm overdue some good luck at this point." She mumbled in slight exasperation, and Lixue let out a low breath that sounded faintly amused.
"... I suppose you probably are."
... but after all of this... what happened with... with Lector, and Lucy... and Rogue... I'm not sure it'll... shit....
... please... just this time... let things, and let everyone just...
... be okay...
... I don't think I can take much more going... so terribly wrong...
A big chapter with lots of stuff that goes on!
The next chapter will be jumping straight into the beginning of the Eclipse Gate opening, and we will be getting closer and closer to the biggest reveal of all! QwQ
But poor Hora has a long way to go before she gets a chance... or will she?
Lol I guess we'll find out, won't we? XD
... also, not so subtle references to the big Forces in my other Fairy Tail Fics with Frea haha XD
As always, thank you guys for being so patient with me! I know I am a terribly slow updater, but I appreciate your loyalty to this story and for sticking with me so long! ;w;
Chapter 31: Not Tonight
Chapter Text
Chapter 31
Not Tonight
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
Hora started forward with a ragged gasp, lungs heaving and heart pounding a million times a minute. Her blue eyes snapped open to dim, the world around her shadowed and engulfed in the throws of nighttime dotted with bright lamps- the clash of dark and light made it hard for her eyes to adjust to it, and her mind had an even harder time coming to terms where the hell she was at all.
It seemed... Like way too quiet. Peaceful even, but how the hell could that be right...?
Just like the first time coming back from the Current, she felt like she'd been snapped backwards, wrenched from it with little warning and dumped in her regular world quite abruptly... Only this time her body ached a million times worse, but her lungs felt... Fine...?
Her eyes dropped quickly down, looking herself over and eyes glinting.
... I'm not... Bleeding to death...
Her arms and torso were covered in small bits of dried blood here and there, but she wasn't covered in it- not like she should have been... In fact most of her was fairly well clean, her arms sporting three shallow little cuts each that were the remnants of the clawmarks that had ripped through her. And everywhere else on her chest, neck, ribcage and abdomen- she felt the sting of pain from the cuts still there... But they weren't bad, or at least they didn't feel that way- she couldn't see them at all, what for the bandages that been wound around her person from stomach to chest... The bandages stopped short of her neck and she blinked, the slice that had run over the flesh of her collarbone just as shallow and pink as the ones on her arms- not at all bad and not even a bother.
... That's... Kind of insane...
... Even if Wendy... Used her Magic... And if what Lixue said was... True...
... How am I this okay...?
... I mean... I feel exhausted still... But... I'm not like... Super screwed up anymore...
Her mind whirled, the questions flitting across her thoughts in the few seconds from joking up and quickly giving herself a once over- and in those few seconds she remained utterly unaware of anything, or anyone else around her.
"H-Hora!"
"Atia!"
"Y-You're awake!"
"T-thank goodness...!"
She stiffened, several pairs of arms suddenly snatching her up and piling on top of her in a rush of breathless voices, half-stifled sobs, and shaking bodies pressing tightly against her own. They latched onto her, and held on tightly as if she was going to slip through their fingers altogether, and they gripped harder without meaning to. She nearly toppled over at being jumped upon like that, but one of the many someones had hugged her tightly from behind and saved her from it- but four others were holding her everywhere else, around her neck, shoulders, stomach, even mostly in her lap, and she cringed slightly for being jostled so much, and what sharp stings of pain ran through her for it.
... Owww... Owwww... What the hell...?
Her hands hovered uncertainly, quickly trying to piece together who all had her wrapped up between the lot of them... And who were all crying, their faces pressed against her, trembling and sobbing, and she faltered.
"...e-eh...?" Hora mumbled quietly, blinking several times over to find heads of blonde, blue, and white on all sides of her, as well as the blob of blue that was Happy.
"... Y... You're awake...!" A voice hissed next to her ear, two sets of arms wrapped around her neck and shoulders, and both people with their faces pressed into either shoulder, soaking her with tears. "... Y... You're alive...! H-Hora... I... I was so worried...!"
It was Yukino who said it, the poor girl's voice broken by shaky gasps of air as her body hitched with every word, her grip on Hora getting slightly tighter, and Hora paused- quite surprised, actually.
"... Yukino..." Hora mumbled quickly, "... But... When did you... Find me...? Are you okay...?" Hora asked slowly and the pale-haired girl stiffened at the question. Hora's eyes trailed to her left and found the head of blonde hair, Lucy being the one behind her and also hugging tightly to her shoulders. Wendy was hugging her too, her little arms snaked around Hora's stomach, Happy in her lap and hugging her quite the same way too. "... Are... All of you guys okay...?" Hora asked quickly, and they all stiffened at it, their breaths hitching. "... And... Where are we...?" She mumbled too, glancing up at the night sky for a brief moment in confusion.
It's like... Really quiet...? What's going-?
"N-never mind that, Hora...!" Yukino hissed,
"Y-yeah, do you even realize what happened...!?" Lucy muttered shakily, "... You can't go asking stuff like that, l-like... Like everything's fine...!"
".. Y...you weren't breathing, Hora...!" Wendy hissed, "... I tried everything, I tried to heal the wounds as best I could, b-but even when I did, y-you still weren't...!"
Hora faltered slightly at the words, her eyes flashing.
... I wasn't... Breathing...?
"... Y-you've been so still for so long now, we thought we... We lost you...!" Happy sobbed, "... B... but then you just... You just woke up... H-Hora... I'm so glad you're awake...!"
... Ah... I really must have 'frozen' or whatever, while I was in the Current, like you said I might, huh Lixue ...?
'... It would seem so. I imagine you did seem quite dead indeed, not breathing, not moving... It's not much a wonder why they are all so worked up.' Lixue rumbled coolly,
"Y-yes, but are you okay...?!" Yukino asked quickly, pulling back from Hora enough they were face to face instead. There were tears spilling from Yukino's eyes still, glittering like mad and shaking so badly as she looked Hora up and down and her hands quickly moved, trailing over Hora's shoulders. "You were down for so long, and these injuries, t-they were so awful...! A-And there was so much blood...!" She hissed, her voice breaking painfully and so terrified Hora felt her heart twist.
"... Y-you shouldn't be sitting up like this...!" Lucy told her quickly,
"Y-you need to rest, you can't be moving so much, n-not after what happened..!" Wendy stammered too, and Hora stiffened, her eyes flashing as she shook her head quickly,
"I-I'm fine..!" Hora assured them right away, but they grimaced at it, and she broke off.
"Hora you are not fine!" Yukino snapped hoarsely, her eyes scrunching closed tightly and the tears spilling faster for it. "T-There is no way you can be fine, not after that...! Not after not breathing for that long, not after losing that much blood, not after you... Not after you got ripped apart like that... A-and not after everything else that happened to you, w-with Jiemma, and the Possession Link...!"
Hora flinched slightly, her hands still hovering and hesitating to reach out for the other girl just then, because she wasn't sure the contact would do any good. Her eyes flashed and she looked between the rest of them crowded around her, Lucy, Happy and Wendy- all still crying, all still holding on to her, all still trembling terribly and Hora swallowed against it.
"... I... I'm sorry, for worrying you so much... Really..." Hora mumbled slowly, her eyes dropping closed as her hands moved, slowly, carefully, and she snaked them around all four of them, hugging them closer to her and she felt them stiffen against the embrace in surprise. "... And I realize this isn't gonna be convincing... But I am actually okay... And I'm not just saying that... I'm tired, and a little lightheaded maybe, but that's it... Please stop crying..." She mumbled, her voice dropping again the end and she felt their bodies hitch underneath her.
"... B...but... You stopped breathing..." Wendy stammered, her voice barely above a whisper and Hora grimaced at it.
... And I can't explain that away without talking about the Current... Which will make everything a lot more complicated... Ugh...
"... Yeah, I'm sorry I know that was scary... But I do feel pretty fine now..." Hora mumbled, "... You healed me a lot, huh...? The wounds seem pretty much gone, and I feel okay, please trust me on that..." Hora murmured, "... And anyway, I don't mean to skip over it, but... We're not out of the woods yet, we need to talk about what's going on, and what's coming..." She added tensely and they stiffened at the words, their sobbing cut off for a few seconds. They didn't move right away, they seemed hesitant to do so at all and Hora gave them a small squeeze that was meant to reassure them a little bit more. "... Come on... Please..." Hora mumbled, "... I know you're all worried, and I appreciate it... But we have more to worry about than me right now, okay...?" They paused further still and she bit the inside of her cheek. "... And... Uh... You all hugging me so tightly kinda... Stings..." She added quietly, not really wanting to mention it, but the tears across her torso were starting to throb the longer they held on, and she winced internally for it. They jumped off quickly, releasing her and immediately flustered and frantic as their still tear-filled eyes glinted uneasily.
"O-oh no, I'm so sorry...!" Yukino hissed,
"We didn't mean to hurt you...!" Lucy and Wendy stammered quickly.
"... S-sorry Hora...!" Happy mewed tensely,
Hora let out a small breath, shifting slightly to sit crosslegged where she was, shaking her head slightly and casting them all a weary smile. "... It's okay, really... It wasn't that bad..."
"... Are you sure you're alright...?" Lily asked, he, Carla, Loke, Mira and Virgo stepping up behind the four around Hora and earning the Saber Woman's eyes. She hadn't noticed any of them hanging back and she blinked, before nodding to him.
"Yeah I'm sure, I'll be fine... I'll sleep for a week after all of this, but I'll be okay to see it through." She murmured, her hands holding on to either arm as she let out a small sigh, biting the inside of her cheek again.
... I hope...
"... Here, might as well cover up a bit while we talk."
Hora jumped slightly, something suddenly falling over her shoulders, set there by someone who had come up beside her when she wasn't paying any mind. She blinked in surprise at the coat around her, and her eyes met a man with orange hair in a suit, who smiled coolly at her from behind his tinted glasses. She didn't recognize him, beside maybe faintly recalling him being the one who'd caught her back after the Future Rogue had hit her... She expected to see blood on his shirt and hands though, but there was none, he'd seemed to have cleaned up. And the woman standing beside him in the maid outfit was unfamiliar too- wait... The girl is one of Lucy's Spirits... Virgo, right...? ... So he just be a Spirit too, yeah...?
The orange-haired Spirit smiled as he caught her eye, "Wouldn't want you to catch a cold, hmm?" He hummed lightly and she paused a moment more, before nodding slightly.
"Oh, ah... Thank you..." She mumbled quickly and he nodded.
"Of course, my pleasure pretty lady~" he chirped and Hora blinked, her face flushing slightly, and instantly confused.
... Pretty... Lady...?
"Now is not the time for that, Loke...!" Lucy hissed at him, and he simply smiled.
"Yes, yes my bad Princess- you needn't be so jealous." He hummed and Lucy looked like she wanted to pull her hair out. Hora stared, quite confused still, but her attention got diverted soon after anyway.
"... Hora, how did you know about the Dragons coming?" Mirajane asked gently as she settled down to sit on her heels in front of the Saber, and Hora looked from Loke and toward her. "You said that Drille was supposed to warn us, but how did you know about it...? How could you know about it...?" She asked,
"... Did... Did the... Future Rogue... Say something... When he... When he left you in the city...?" Yukino asked quietly, her voice shaking badly as she asked, and Hora felt her heart twist so painfully at the thought of it she almost winced... But she ignored it, swallowing hard as she shook her head at her friend.
"... No he didn't tell me anything... All he told me when he did it was that I was gonna die... That I was supposed to..." Hora replied quietly and they all stiffened at it, while Hora pulled the jacket a bit more over her chest and she sighed. "... And he was right about that, I was supposed to die." Hora added lowly, and their eyes widened.
"... The other Lucy said that, b-but..." Lucy mumbled quickly and Hora cast her a small glance. "... B-but you didn't die, Hora... How... And how can... You say you're supposed to...?"
"... I don't know why it didn't happen, but I know it was supposed to happen because someone else told me as such." Hora explained softly, "When I got separated from you guys I... Met this woman named Ultear." Hora mumbled, and the Fairy Tailer's faces lit up in shock and recognition of the name. "... It was a Memory of her from four days from today, and she told me about the Dragons coming, and that she and her Guild had been warned about it by the Future Lucy... And she told me that I was supposed to be dead, but that because I wasn't, it's kinda like the future that's supposed to be coming has been altered, and can keep being altered- but it's gonna keep fighting to try and unfold the way it already has... Toward the future where everything gets destroyed." Hora murmured lowly and they all visibly swallowed at it.
"... All of this is really complicated and kinda beyond me, honestly... I don't get it all, and Ultear didn't really even understand why I didn't die either... Its just all really crazy... But that's how I knew, she warned me about it. And Drille was supposed to tell you guys about the Dragons, but I guess he didn't get to it, sorry..." Hora mumbled, her expression twisting slightly as her fingers curled around the jacket tightly. "... And I'm really sorry about what happened with... With the other Lucy, and the other Rogue... I was rushing to get there because I realized... That... It was him, who snatched me, and I had this terrible feeling that something was going to happen... I knew he was going to do something bad, but... I couldn't move..." Hora said next, her voice tensing despite herself and eyes dropping into her lap. "... I meant to... I knew I needed to... I just couldn't do it... And... I still can't believe he did that... That he's changed that much..." She mumbled, her voice just shy of a whisper now and they all grimaced slightly at it, and how pained her voice became so suddenly. Yukino especially felt her heart twist, both at the thought of what he'd done to both Lucy and Hora, and just how uneasy Hora looked just then... And how much she seemed to hate herself for doing nothing, and how painful it was for her to think about having to do anything at all- and Yukino understood it better than anyone.
Of course Hora couldn't fight him, not even if he was no longer the person she or Hora knew. Rogue was Rogue for her, no matter what.
"... You don't have to apologize, Hora...!" Lucy told her quickly, "Especially not when you got hurt, and you did guard us against him at the end..." She told the Saber, but Hora didn't look at all assured by the words.
... But I knew... I sensed that he was going to do something... Unforgivable... And I couldn't even force myself to move when he killed Lucy...
"... Lucy, listen to me." Hora murmured lowly, her tone suddenly shifting to something steady and grim, and the blonde stiffened at it, her heart skipping a beat as Hora's eyes locked with hers, unflinching. "I know what he said about the Eclipse Cannon, and that it was supposed to take out the Dragons- and that you end up closing it. And I know the other Lucy said she never closed it, and I know you never will- not if it means everything gets destroyed. I know you would never do that." Hora told her lowly, and Lucy nodded stiffly, but Hora shook her head curtly at the gesture, and Lucy faltered. "I don't care what he said- you cannot take him at his word, not on anything. Not about what he told you about the Eclipse Cannon, or what it's supposed to do, or that you closing the Gate is what leads to disaster- you cannot trust anything he said." Hora hissed lowly, and Lucy went rigid, her eyes widening and stunned.
"... W..what do you mean...?" She asked breathlessly, her question echoed by most everyone else, but Hora's eyes never left the blonde.
"I can feel that there is something wrong, something else that's not right about all of this, something that doesn't make sense- and I don't know what it is, but I am telling you- you can't trust what he said, not blindly." Hora grumbled, "He might be lying, he might not, he might be hiding something- I don't know... But I do know that he isn't my Rogue." Hora hissed, her eyes flashing as she seemed to grit her teeth a moment. "... He's not my Rogue, my Rogue would never try to kill you, or be willing to leave me to die- not even if he thought it was gonna avert something terrible, or save the future. He would never do what this Rogue has done, ever." She hissed, a tad shakily now as she shut her eyes for a moment and shook her head furiously. "Tch... I don't know what happened to him, but he isn't the Rogue I know... And because of that, I can't trust anything he said, or anything he's doing. If he's willing to go so far to kill you and me, then he's definitely willing to do other things just as bad, and maybe worse." Hora grumbled lowly, her hands balling into fists around the jacket and shoulders hunching, before she forced a breath and looked back up at Lucy.
"... I don't know this Rogue, but I do know you." Hora murmured steadily, "I can't trust any of his actions or his words, because he's not the Rogue I know- but I know you Lucy, and I trust you- the Future you too. She was trying to stop what's coming, I don't doubt that for a second, and I don't doubt that you would do anything to keep things from getting destroyed. I can't trust this Rogue, but I can trust you- so you have to be careful, don't just assume what he said is right." Hora told her quietly, "I can't say for certain he was lying about any of it, but I do know you can't just believe it right off... And I don't know that whatever future he's aiming for is a good or bad one, but anything he said is suspect. You have to trust me on that."
Lucy hesitated for a minute, her eyes gleaming as her attention stayed steady on Hora for a few tense heartbeats, before she nodded stiffly, faint inklings of steadiness working their way into the blonde's expression. "I trust you, Hora." Lucy told her firmly, "And I understand what you're saying... Something about all of this isn't right. I'll be cautious from here on." Lucy murmured,
"We all will." Everyone else murmured steadily, and Hora nodded slightly.
"... Good..." She mumbled with a small sigh, her posture wilting for a moment as she glanced up at the moon, and paused to see the edges... Turning red.
... Well that's creepy...
"... Did you guys send out a signal flare yet?" Hora asked next and they stiffened,
"O-oh, no we were too busy and w-with...!" Wendy stammered quickly,
"We totally didn't even think about it...!" Happy hissed,
"... That's fine, I can just send one up now-" Hora mumbled,
"-you shouldn't use Magic, Hora!" Yukino cut her off,
"E-especially not so quickly...!" Wendy hissed, and Hora sighed internally.
"... It isn't like a flare is terribly hard or anything..." She mumbled softly, "... And besides, I do feel fine... I've not even used that much Magic today at all-" she explained but another round of roughly shaken heads from Yukino, Lucy and Wendy alike made her cut herself off with an internal sigh. "... Who are you gonna get to send up a flare if not me?" Hora mumbled, "Salamander ain't here to do it..." She mumbled, before trailing off, her eyes narrowing. "... Wait, where the hell is Natsu...?" Hora asked quickly, the pinkette's absence fully dawning on her for the first time and everyone stiffened slightly at it.
"... He stayed back to keep the Future Rogue busy, so we could get away." Happy told her quietly, and Hora stiffened for it. Her eyes shift sideways toward the palace again, her attention on everyone else fading to none as the instead focused on her ears... She heard the rumbling of fighting from within the castle, and figured it must be Natsu and the other Rogue still going at it... Quite hard, from the sound of it, and she grimaced slightly.
He was up there fighting, like hell, against someone clearly with no qualms about murder... And he was alone doing it because they'd had to get away, just not to get killed.
... Because I froze... And couldn't...
... Shit... Please be careful, Natsu...
"... Right..." Hora mumbled softly, forcing her eyes away from the palace and to those in front of her again. "... anyway, if you're so bent on me not sending up a flare, I'm gonna at least try and get ahold of someone with the Calling Card." She murmured rather matter-of-factly, one hand raising already to stick itself through a Magic Circle for her Requip that appeared beside her. She pulled the Calling Card out and tapped the face, connecting the Call through to the other one and waited for the other end to pick up... And kept waiting.
Five minutes went by and no faces appeared on the screen, the other Card never got answered and Hora felt her stomach knot at it, her blue eyes glittering and tense.
... Why is nobody picking up...?
Another few minutes in silence and no answer, she stopped trying to connect the Card and hissed quietly.
... Shit...
"... Nobody answered...?" Yukino mumbled uneasily, and Hora shook her head.
"... No..." Hora mumbled, her eyes trailing drone the card and toward everyone else. "What are you guys planning to do from here?" She asked and they faltered at it, looking uncertainly between themselves. "... It's almost time for when the Kingdom is gonna open the Eclipse Gate, right?" She pointed out, "Even if all of that about the Cannon is true, I don't think it'll be able to take out all 10,000 Dragons- there's probably gonna be some left over, and if that's true, we need to be ready for a fight." Hora murmured lowly, "And right now, we don't even know what happened with the GMG, or Lector, and everybody else in the city probably doesn't even know what's coming. They need to know, they have to be warned... I could send Drille, but after earlier when he didn't get to tell you everything I sent him off to deliver, I wouldn't trust sending him off by himself now. Not with so much important stuff." Hora told them, and they seemed to bite the insides of their cheeks.
"... I... I think we should go to the Gate." Lucy murmured after a moment, "... Knowing what the Other Rogue said, and what you did too, Hora... I think we should be there to see what happens when it opens." She told the Saber, and she earned small nods of agreement from the other Fairies, and Yukino too.
"... I agree." Hora murmured softly, biting the inside of her cheek a moment as her eyes diverted from the blonde and back toward the inner city, dark and quiet.
... You said... Do what I normally would... As if this was just another problem, like all the rest... Right Lixue ...?
'... Quite.'
... Well... Then I think...
Her eyes flashed as she forced a small breath, looking back toward them all and suddenly quite steady, her gaze unflinching and her posture straightening too.
"... Okay, then you guys go to the Gate. I'm gonna go and find the other Guilds, and warn everybody if they don't already know... And see what happened, between the GMG and everything else." Hora told them coolly and they all stiffened at it, eyes going wide.
"H-Hora we're not just gonna let you run off by yourself...!" Lucy and Wendy hissed in unison,
"Yeah Hora, you're still hurt, you shouldn't be on your own!" Happy mewed,
"Y-you should stay with us..!" Yukino told her, but Hora shook her head.
"I can't, somebody has to tell everyone else what happened, and what's going to happen. And they need to know that we got you both out of the prison." Hora replied evenly with a look at both Celestial Mages. They faltered at it, because they knew it was reasonable- but even still...!
"W-well then... I'll go with you!" Yukino told her, but Hora shook yet head again, still steady, unflinching even.
"No, you and Lucy need to stay together." Hora told her lowly and they blinked. "The Eclipse Gate needed your Keys to work, right? If anything happens, and you guys have to act- I think you two are gonna have to be together. I think you're gonna have to work together, if it comes to anything like that... So you have to stick close, go to the Gate, and be ready for anything."
They swallowed hard at the words, their eyes flashing and looking at one another uneasily. They didn't want to split up, but they knew Hora was making sense- they'd been taken Prisoner in the first place for the express reason that their Magic, and their 12 Zodiac Keys, were the things needed to make the Gate work at all.
"I agree with her, Princess."
Everyone jumped slightly, their attention snapping around toward the voice and Loke who said it, the Lion Spirit steady and calm as he caught his KeyHolder's eyes.
"You two have the full Zodiac between you, the Eclipse Gate requires our Keys to function properly." He murmured, a hand falling on his chest while Virgo beside him nodded. "You should both go to the Gate, it's too risky right now to not have all the Keys together- especially if we might be needed. Horatia is right, you two just remain together, and go to the Gate." He murmured with a nod toward the Saber, and Hora smiled faintly at being backed up like that, and so unexpectedly.
The Celestial Wizards seemed stunned slightly for the Lion Spirit's words of agreement and urging, before they looked away uneasily, but nodded stiffly in agreement anyway.
"... Alright, we'll both go." Lucy murmured with a glance at Yukino, who nodded at her steadily.
"Then one of us can go with you, Hora." Wendy murmured next,
"Yeah..!" Happy chirped, but Hora just smiled wearily at them both and shook her head again.
"No, I'd actually feel better if you guys went with Lucy and Yukino." She murmured softly with a nod at Wendy, Happy, Carla, Mirajane and PantherLily all- and their eyes widened in surprise. "If things go sideways, you'll do better in a bigger group. You can back each other up, and you'll need each other more than I'll need any of you." She murmured, "As it is, we still have a little bit of time before things are supposed to go down- I'll be fine to make my way back into the city on my own, there shouldn't be anything dangerous about doing that. And then I'll have everybody else with me, once I find the other Guilds- so I'll have plenty of people to watch my back then." She smiled slightly and they grimaced for it... But hell, she wasn't wrong, about any of it. She was making total sense and they knew it, but worry had them faltering anyway, and making their stomachs churn.
"... Are... You sure...?" Yukino asked slowly,
"... Yeah, I don't really like this idea, Hora..." Happy mewed softly,
"... You are being rational." Carla mumbled grudgingly,
"Yeah, I'm sure." Hora murmured, nodding to them. "Here, you guys should take this for now- when I catch up with the others, they should have the other Card. We can keep in touch like this, if need be." She murmured, handing the Calling Card to Yukino, and she took it slowly, everyone nodding in understanding.
"... Alright..." All few of them mumbled softly,
"... Please be careful, Horatia." Lily told her evenly and she nodded at him.
"I will be." She hummed, "You guys be careful too, kay? I expect you all to kick ass, even without me." Hora told them all, smiling faintly and trying to lighten the mood... Which it kind of worked, they smiled a little in reply, nodding.
"Before you go, might I offer you a change of clothes, Princess?" A voice asked to Hora's right and she looked around quickly, at first not sure who was being addressed- only to falter when she found Virgo's face not a few inches from her own quite suddenly.
"...u-uuh... Are you asking... Me...?" Hora stammered quickly, she said Princess right..?
"Yes." The Spirit replied evenly, nothing about her expression changing and Hora blinked. Virgo lift a hand and gestured toward Loke to her left, though her blue eyes never left Hora. "Brother will be needing his jacket back, and your shirt is no longer wearable- I would be happy to give you a new outfit. Unless you would rather go without wearing anything at all?" She hummed and Hora faltered, before blushing slightly.
"O-oh, uh... Yeah, if you have something I could wear I would appreciate it..." Hora stammered, "B-But I don't need a whole outfit, just a shirt would be good...!" She added quickly, and Virgo nodded just once.
"As you wish, Princess." She murmured, straightening up from having bent over to be at Hora's level, and Hora kept staring.
... Why does she keep calling me Princess...?
Virgo stuck a hand out for Hora in an offer to help her up, and she blinked at it, before slowly taking the Spirit up on the gesture and their hands connected. "Very good, I will get you cleaned up." Virgo said simply, easily pulling Hora up on to her feet again and not letting go of the Saber's hand at all, even when she was on her feet.
... Cleaned up-?
Hora let out a startled yelp, the earth under her and Virgo's feet suddenly dropping, tunneling down with the two of them and leaving a circular hole that rose up around them- and had them cut off from view or everyone else who had been left ground level above them. What happened next was a bit of a blur, Hora stiff in her space and reeling, Virgo quickly working away, hands deft and lighting fast. The Spirit did her work in sheer silence, gentleness, and speed- wrapping Hora up in something else, readjusting things, whatever else- and then the ground rose again under their feet to be as it was a few heartbeats before, like it had never sunk in the first place, and they were both standing ground level with everyone else again. Hora's eye twitched, stiff in her spot and kind frozen for a second or two, not really sure what had just gone on...?
"All done." Virgo told her lightly, handing Loke's jacket back off to him without even a glance at the man, and Hora blinked, glancing down at herself slowly.
... With... What...?
Hora's eyes went wide in surprise, finding herself now very much cleaned up- all of the dried blood and muck that had been clinging still to her form was gone, and all that was left of the injuries were the bandages around her torso, and the still pink (but mostly closed) scratches across her arms and around her neck. Virgo had gotten rid of the blood, and the dirt, and even got the stain of it off her clothes- she'd brushed her hair too, and redone the braid at the front, replacing the beads and all the earrings in her ears to boot... As well as retying the red ribbon around her right wrist.
And as per Hora's request, Virgo had refrained from an entirely new outfit change- she'd left Hora's black shorts, shoes, and her red fishnet thigh-high socks alone. But the Spirit had replaced Hora's nonexistent shirt with a red tube-top, and gone a little further- throwing in a sleeveless white jacket lined in blue on the edges that reached her knees on the back, and was fastened around Hora's chest and shoulders by a series of white laces. The laces curled around her shoulders, and in an 'x' formation across the top of her chest, before winding around behind her and back to the front- tying into a bow just under her bust. With the tube top and the way the jacket tied, and flowed open on the front- you could still see the bandages wrapped all the way from her chest to her stomach, but even then it wasn't super noticeable against the white of the jacket itself.
Hora stared a few seconds, reeling again at how quickly all the gore had gone, and more so for the jacket and it's weird lacing... She didn't hate it, she was just a little surprised by it.
How did she... Do that so fast...?
"... Oh you look so much better, Hora...!" Lucy sighed in relief, earning the Saber's eyes, but Lucy had glanced to her Spirit. "Thank you for your help, Virgo...!" She hummed, and Virgo dipped her head.
"Of course."
"... You do look better, with all the blood gone..." Yukino murmured, looking a little relieved herself- everyone else seemed reassured by it too, and Hora smiled faintly.
"I like the jacket and the top too, it goes really well with the rest of what you were wearing...!" Wendy smiled slightly, clapping her hands together in front of her. Mirajane and Carla nodded in agreement to the comment.
"You're so cute, Hora...!" Happy trilled and the woman blushed at it, looking away nervously- which the reaction earned quite a few amused smiles from everyone else, which Hora was all too aware of.
"Wonderful work as always, Virgo." Loke smirked, his chin pressed between his pointer finger and thumb as he gave Hora a thorough once over, smiling all the while until he seemed to pause. His head tilted and he stepped closer to Hora, earning her immediate attention, and quite uneasily as he narrowed his eyes at her, pensive for a moment. "Hmm..." He hummed lowly and Hora drew her arms in toward her a little uncertainly.
"... Is... Something wrong...?" She asked slowly and Loke's hand left his chin, pointing at her instead as he tilted his head just a little further.
"Have we met before?" He asked lightly and Hora blinked several times.
"... Uh, I really doubt it...?" She mumbled back slowly, "I haven't met any other Celestial Spirits besides Yukino's, so..." She mumbled and he smiled faintly,
"Hmm, well I did live in the Human World for three years as a 'human' of sorts." He replied lightly, and Hora blinked in shock at the news- but he did not pause on it, he just kept smiling, his hand falling into his pockets and shrugging a bit. "Three years is plenty of chance to cross paths, and you do look familiar, though I can't quite place it... Perhaps it was a brief, but fated encounter, sometime in our past?" He hummed, smirking slightly now and Hora smiled faintly,
"... Uh... Maybe...?" She mumbled, though she really doubted it, she was pretty sure she'd remember him.
"... Huh, you know it's kinda weird that you mention it, Loke." Lucy mumbled, moving up to stand at the Lion Spirit's shoulder and giving Hora her own once-over now. The blonde tilted her head and Hora paused, blinking. "... I kinda thought you looked familiar too, Hora, when we first met." Lucy told her, smiling slightly and completely oblivious to how rigid the Saber woman went in the next instant.
W- wha ...?!
"Ah, so did I...!" Wendy breathed, coming up beside Lucy and giving Hora a quick up and down as well, her hands clapping together in front of her.
"Really?" Lucy and Loke asked the little Dragon Slayer in unison, and Wendy nodded brightly.
"Yeah...!" She breathed, her attention diverted by the two, but quickly returning to Hora, her head tilting again. "Hora's scent is familiar too...! She smells a lot like Natsu-san, because of her Magic... But she kinda smells like Gray-sama too...!" Wendy chirped and Hora's heart stopped.
SHIT
"Because of the Ice Magic, huh?" Happy mewed,
"Yeah." Wendy hummed, though she paused a moment, her nose twitching. "... Though it's kind of weird, her scents more similar to Gray-sama's than it is to Natsu-san's, even though she uses her Fire Magic more." Wendy pointed out softly, and Hora wanted to pull her hair out.
Can we not talk about this, please?!
"... That is weird." Lucy mumbled, all eyes turning to Hora one last time and the Saber woman smiled at them, nervously so though she did her absolute best not to be that way.
She needed this train of thought to end, for the topic of her supposed familiarity and similar scent to a certain Ice Mage to just quit... Because of course she looked familiar, of course her and his scents were quite the same. It made total sense, but they didn't know why and she really could not handle opening up that can of worms right now.
"Well, whatever the reason- maybe we ought to get going...?" Hora suggested, her fingers tapping together a tad uneasily and they blinked at the suggestion. "Time's gonna run out pretty soon..." Hora added softly, and they nodded a bit.
"You're right, we should probably start moving." Mirajane murmured,
"... Please be careful, Hora." Yukino murmured tensely, stepping up in front of her friend and grabbing Hora's hands in her own gently. "And please don't push yourself so hard, when you get to everyone else... Lean on them, please. Don't try to do everything yourself, you don't have to do anything super huge, or drastic... Please just do your best to get through this, okay...?" The girl murmured quietly and Hora stiffened slightly, the words ringing slightly familiar to what Lixue had said.
"... I will." Hora smiled gently, her hands squeezing Yukino's slightly to try and reassure her a little. "You gotta do the same for me, okay? I expect you guys to come back safe, kay?" Hora murmured, "We gotta get you another SaberTooth Symbol soon here too." Hora murmured, and Yukino's eyes gleamed at the words, her hands trembling in Hora's a moment as she nodded, smiling faintly.
"Yes... I look forward to it." Yukino told her breathlessly,
"... Hora, when you find the other Guilds you should see Sherria." Wendy piped in quietly as she came up on Yukino's shoulder. "She could heal you some more, and help you recover more than I can." Wendy explained and Hora paused, before nodding a bit.
"Well, go kick some ass." Hora hummed, her and Yukino's hands separating as Hora cast a glance at all of them.
"I'll see you when this all done, yeah?"
.:+:.
... Damn it... Why does the Palace have to be so far from everything...?
Hora puffed slightly, growling to herself as she slowed down in her jogging and more into a brusque walk. Though even as she slowed she had to blink several times over to try and get rid of the haziness over her vision... And it didn't go away, of course.
She'd left everyone behind a few minutes beforehand and started making her way quickly from the palace grounds and back into the city, her nose on high alert for the scents of her Guild-mates and headed steadily in the direction she caught whiffs of them in... Which was not back toward the SaberTooth Inn, as she might have guessed- instead it was toward the center of Crocus, and she huffed.
... Ugh... My body doesn't really hurt so much... I'm just... Getting really lightheaded... Really fast...
It ached to move, and the injuries across her whole top-half stung and pulled uncomfortably with the movement, but they weren't painful enough to hinder her much or at all. She could push passed the discomfort, but what she couldn't shake was the dizziness that hit her, and continued to grow heavier as she kept going. Any amount of exertion was enough to make her feel woozy, and running was hard without tripping or swaying. She was having way too hard a time keeping going, her head spinning and panting with the effort of it, and it shouldn't have been that bad- but totally was, and was aggravating as all hell.
'... You did lose quite a lot of blood, you shouldn't push yourself so fast.' Lixue intoned coolly, 'Lest you end up collapsing here in the street before you ever return to your comrades.'
She growled at the comment but slowed to a not-so-brusque walk anyway, just for a little. He had a point of course, she realized the dizziness was from having lost so much blood, and she was at risk of just conking out if she pushed it too far- but still, it was aggravating as all hell.
She forced a sigh, her forehead falling into the palm of her hand and shooting the ground a disgruntled glare, still walking, but slowly still... And the world was blurry for a while regardless of the change in pace. She glanced up slowly, her eyes narrowed at the streets surrounding and how deadly quiet everything was. There didn't seem to be anyone at all in the city and it set her on edge, her blue gaze flashing in the dim.
... Where did everybody go...?
... I mean the GMG must be over by now, there should be plenty of people out and about, celebrating, drinking, whatever...
She sniffed at the air, a flood of many scents hitting her nose. There had been people here, their scents weren't faded to none, just a little stale, so they must have just... Left here, she guessed...?
A rumble of voices and calls in the distance caught her attention, her walking drawing to a small halt as she strained her ears to make out what was being said. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and holding it, focusing passed the breeze and the sound of her own heart- searching for the low drone and picking up on many voices, front quite a ways away she had to guess.
"... Please, this way..."
"... We must evacuate... City..."
"... Why, why do we..."
"... Please keep moving..."
Her eyes opened again and she let out the breath she'd been holding in.
... That sounds like the Royal Army or whatever has been evacuating the civilians...
She looked back the way she'd been heading before pausing for a moment there, biting the inside of her cheek.
... That's probably for the best... Less casualties if this all gets worse, before the end...
The dread that had been biting at her heels for days had not gone away, not even after seeing and confirming what she'd been afraid of- that it was Rogue, behind so much crazy... It hurt still, knowing it, but the dread remained and she knew all too well there was a fight coming, no matter what happened with that damn Gate.
Her eyes found the slowly turning blood-red moon in the sky and she grimaced.
... A big fight...
She shook her head at herself and started forward, jogging again despite Lixue's warning and her own immediate bout of lightheadedness, but she pushed through it.
Just like before she could feel time ticking away, and she swallowed against it.
I gotta keep going, I don't have much time
Keep going Hora... Get through this, make it okay, fight like hell- do what you do...
... Just... Be stubborn until you get through this shit, just like back with North Wind...
... I defeated a Demon of Zeref yeah? How hard can some Dragons be...?
'You know-' Lixue started, but cut himself off nearly right after- Hora rounded a corner and her running came to a jolting, painful halt when she rammed into something... Or rather, someone.
Her body ignited in pain all over, her bones rattling for the impact and her head whirling too. She lost her footing as her body bounced back against the other, both of them stumbling backwards and then promptly hitting the cobbled stone in a mess of limbs and white fabric, their startled yelps cut off by hisses of pain as they smacked into the stone. Hora landed on her left shoulder, her body curling in on itself slightly for the very unpleasant pricks of pain that ignited on an all time high across every single length of the clawmarks that had been torn into her body. She shut her eyes against it for a few moments, holding her breath and waiting for the initial intensity to cease, and not even giving a second thought to who she had crashed into until the pain tapered off... And when it did she hissed, pushing herself up and turning an incredibly agitated glare on the offending party- who also had sat up and turned his own glare on her.
And then they both halted, their eyes meeting and shock washing the agitation away for only a second, before it returned and in twice the intensity.
"You!" She and Doranbolt hissed in unison, both of them bristling instantly.
"What the hell are you doing running around?!" Doranbolt snapped in agitation and Hora growled,
"I was trying to find my Guild!" She snapped back hotly,
"Eh? Don't you know all the Wizards got called to the Town Square by the King...?!" He hissed back and she stiffened in surprise, but he was pushing himself up onto his knees, a vein ticked on his forehead. "Oh, wait- of course you don't! Because you were off breaking into the Palace and stealing prisoners away all day, right?! Did you really think I wasn't gonna find out that you had Ira help you break in this morning...?!" He told her hotly and Hora grimaced, "And did you really think we weren't gonna find out about all this Eclipse Gate nonsense from him too...?! The Kingdom is breaking over a dozen laws, Lahar is absolutely furious, and of course you're all wrapped up in it, aren't you?!" Doranbolt snapped hotly and Hora glowered, her own vein ticking on her forehead.
"Tch, well of course I am- they took Lucy and Yukino and threw them in jail for no good reason!" She shot back, "I wasn't gonna just sit there and let them rot!" She hissed, but he shook his head furiously at her.
"Why do you have to get involved in everything?!" He snapped, "It's like you can't help putting yourself in the middle of all the crazy- because you are crazy!"
"I am not crazy damn it!"
"Yes you are- I have never met anybody so insane in all my life!" He hissed, "Any reasonable person wouldn't just constantly throw themselves into anything involving things like Time Travel, or Zeref, or an entire Dark Guild, or a Demon of Zeref- or threaten to burn people when they're just trying to do their job! And sane people do not talk to themselves!" He hissed,
"Well for your fucking information I wasn't talking to myself back then, I was talking to Lixue!" Hora shot back shortly, "And it's not my fault I keep getting sucked in to all this shit, I didn't have a choice about North Wind or Neveleous, and I didn't have any choice but to help Yukino and Lucy! Do you have any idea how terrible the last week has been- yesterday and today especially?! I've almost died, twice- and that was on top of all the shit that almost killed me at North Wind! Do you really think I would keep jumping into things that are trying to kill me if I had a choice?!" She snapped and he paused this time around, his eyes narrowing at her and seemingly trying to process the information... And then his eyes narrowed further, trailing quickly over the state of her and quirking a brow.
"... Wait a minute, are you hurt?" He mumbled slowly and she grit her teeth.
"Oh, now you notice." She muttered lowly, and he huffed at it, but he kept his agitation at a simmer now.
"... Tch... What the hell do you mean you almost died twice? You can't have run into this much trouble just trying to break a few people out of jail- it's not like the Royal Army should be a match for you." He grumbled, and she paused slightly, grumbling internally to herself. "What the hell is going on?"
"... Shouldn't you already know?" Hora mumbled, and he sighed in exasperation.
"Why would I know? All we know is what you told Ira." Doranbolt grumbled, "The Kingdom has been keeping this whole thing under wraps, we wouldn't even know about it at all if you'd not told Ira... Even right now I'm supposed to be with him and Lahar, going to that meeting the King called all the Wizards for, so we can figure out the rest of what's going on." He explained and Hora let out a small sigh,
"... Dude, all of this is so complicated, I wouldn't even know where to begin." She grumbled, her head falling back a bit, before she blinked, her head snapping back down nearly right away and he jumped at it. "W-Wait a minute, before any of that- how did the Games end?!" She hissed quickly and he hesitated, not sure why she seemed so frantic all of a sudden...?
"Who won?! What happened between Erza and Minerva?! A-And everyone else...?!" She pressed and he blinked again, before seeming to let out a silent breath.
"... Fairy Tail won." He murmured and Hora's heart skipped a beat. "And it was kinda... Like the hugest upset ever- no one on their team got defeated, they beat everybody. Minerva included, she and Erza went at it really hard." He told her, the Saber woman's eyes gleaming at the news. His hand lift to rub the back of his neck, sweatdropping slightly. "But that wasn't even the most surprising part- at the end it was just the Fairy Tail team left, and that guy Sting from your Guild. They were all beaten to hell and he could have probably taken them all down... But he surrendered." Doranbolt explained and her eyes went wider than ever, breathless now as her heart sped up a million miles and hour.
He surrendered...?!
Then that must mean...!
Hora's hands swept forward, grabbing tight hold of Doranbolt's shoulders and jerking him forward to be right in front of her, their noses barely apart. He jumped at it, startled and effectively trapped in her iron-like grip, and quite lost as her expression became suddenly urgent.
"W-what the hell are you...?!" He stammered,
"You gotta take me to where the other Guilds are all gathering, right now!" She told him quickly and he faltered,
"W-why...? I thought you were supposed to be telling me what the hell is going on...?!" He stammered, but she shook her head curtly.
"There's not a lot of time so here's the quick version! There's 10,000 Dragons coming to the Kingdom and they're gonna destroy everything!" Hora told him quickly and he went deathly still at the words, his eyes wide. "They are gonna try to use the Eclipse Gate to kill the Dragons- but I don't know if that's gonna work, or even if it does- there's no way it'll take them all out! We are probably gonna have to fight a shit ton of Dragons tonight- and that's probably what the King gathered all the Wizards to talk about!" She hissed, her hands balling into fists around the fabric of his jacket and pulling him a fraction of an inch closer, her eyes flashing. "Take us to there to the Square, right now! You can hear the rest with Lahar and Ira- I have to see my Guild!" She hissed, her expression pulling slightly in worry and unease that was so unlike the steadiness and demanding she had become so quickly, and he stared at it. "Please Doranbolt, I wanna see them before things get too crazy all over again!" Hora hissed, her voice trembling slightly now and his heart skipped a beat despite himself. "I have to see them, make sure they're all okay- and they need to know that everybody I was with is fine too! We don't have a lot of time, so please! Please take us there!"
He paused for half a heartbeat, his expression falling neutral as he met her eyes, felt how tightly she was holding on to him... Heard how close her voice dropped to something of a pleading tone. He'd not seen her like that before, she'd always been so stern and heated with him (and let's be fair, he'd been the same back), but this time she wasn't demanding anything- was asking, and it almost looked like she needed it... Like really needed it.
And he didn't get it, none of this made sense, there were too many missing pieces, too much crazy- but he knew instantly she meant it when time was running out.
His hands moved, falling on her shoulders lightly and little bits of resolution trickling into his stunned expression, and he nodded once at her, firmly- and Hora's heart sped up at the look.
"Yeah, I'll get us there."
.:+:.
"10,000... Dragons...?"
The huge mass of the Wizards from every Guild present in the City stood assembled in the Square, all of them stiff and wide eyed as they listened to the King's explanation of the impending Dragon Attack, and how they planned to use the Eclipse Gate as a weapon on the Dragons.
The King, a small old man, stood at the head of the mass of Wizards, perched on the fountain erected there and grim-faced. His words, much more than his expression- had everyone instantly silent, and reeling for the revelation.
"... Yes... Even with the Eclipse Canon, we anticipate a few dozen, or maybe even a few hundred Dragons will survive." The King murmured lowly, and a shiver passed through the crowd, the hearts of the Wizards skipping a beat. "... Due to the sheer amount of Dragons coming, and those that may survive... I now ask you, Wizard Guilds... Please cooperate with us... We want to use your power... Help us protect this country." The King went on, his voice dropping by the second as he bent over. He bowed to them, the Guilds stunned with the gesture, and any amount of anxious murmurs among the crowd fading off to nothing. There were several heartbeats where no one moved, no one spoke- no one even really dared breathe, and why not...?
This was insane... 10,000 Dragons insane, and to most all of them- mention of the Eclipse Gate was new, and sudden, and they were all reeling. Naturally so, who could have anticipated such a turn after a day filled with such tumultuous events? To Fairy Tail's upset in the GMG, Sting's surrender at the end, and then even Fairy Tail's quick and rushed explanations to some of the other Guilds, explaining what had happened the night before and relaying what team they had sent to rescue the Celestial Mages? So much was going on, and so much more than they'd even all been aware until just then in that Square... And the reality of all of it was daunting, to say the least.
They could see the King shaking as he stayed bent over, see the way his hands had balled into fists, how hard a time he seemed to have standing there, shaking further for the silence that stretched on and the Wizards glanced between each other warily... Before they all nodded firmly, their countenances straightening and a light igniting in all their eyes at once- like a ripple of water stretching over a pool.
"Leave it to us!"
"Yeah!"
"We'll take down those Dragons!"
"Ain't no way we're gonna let some monster's take us down!"
"Hell yeah, you can count on us!"
"We'll fight like hell, don't you doubt it!"
The silence shattered, the air of the Square shaking and suddenly sent alive with the shouts and cheers that sprung up from the Wizards- all suddenly brimming in energy and anticipation for the sure to be soon battle, even against the daunting odds of it.
The King's head snapped up, stunned as he stared, shocked into silence as their calls reached him and the fervor behind it too. He swallowed, his head bowing again as he let out a shaky breath, silent tears beginning to stream down his face and splatter against the stone at his feet.
"T-thank you..."
Many people smiled slightly at it, others stiffened for it- but they all felt the weight of those tears, and they felt heaviness get a little weightier on their souls- though they kept up the noise and the vigor, determined not to bend to the looming catastrophe hanging over their heads.
The SaberTooth Guild was the quietest of the lot- they of course called their own assurances out that they would fight, with everything they had- and they meant it in earnest too. But they didn't dare speak up too loudly, they stayed huddled together slightly at the edges of the mass of other Guilds, wary of the distrustful looks they were receiving from many... And they didn't return the looks with the heated, hateful, venomous ones that many of the other Guilds had grown so used to from the SaberTooth Guild. No, they kept their eyes down, quiet and tense in their spots, and almost like they were afraid of catching anyone's eyes at all. They would not look at them, they couldn't- they felt the angry and hateful looks and they wilted, they knew they were being muttered about, and they knew why... They knew they deserved it, and they were ashamed for all of it.
All the years of putting up face and being brash, and harsh, and cruel, and ruthless- power hungry and cold, and so hurtful to all these other Guilds and all those Wizards... Years of being monsters and alienating everyone, out of fear. But now with Jiemma and Minerva gone, they didn't put up those faces again. They would never dare put up those faces ever again, and what replaced it was just the guilt and the shame, and it was almost painful for those Fairy Tailers who had been told by Hora the night before what the Sabers had suffered through, to look at that Guild now and see nothing but hunched, sullen, regretful figures.. It was harder still to see how hard the Sabers tried not to tread on anyone's toes, or hunched against the nasty looks they were getting from all around. They were distancing themselves, none of the Saber Wizards had said a word to any of the other Mages, and they were afraid to.
The other Guilds noticed the sudden shift in behavior of course, and they had no idea what prompted it- and that just made them all the more wary, which did nothing to ease the tension.
"... Tch, what's with SaberTooth...?"
"Yeah they're acting weird..."
"... I don't like it..."
The Sabers hunched further at the suspicious grumbles, their faces twisting for them and shaking slightly too. They fidgeted, all of them, teetering on the edge of moving, saying something, maybe trying to come up with an explanation... but words would not come and they hissed against it.
How were they supposed to explain it...? There was no excuse for all these years of being... Being such terrible people to all the Guilds... Would they even get it? How could they? How could they get the other Guilds to understand why they'd done it, that they hadn't meant it, that it was all out of fear and terror...?
... Ow... was that just... An excuse...? Would they see it that way...?
"... They're acting like whipped dogs, what the hell?" Someone muttered crossly,
"Tch, they can't even talk to us when we're about to be fighting together?"
"Typical..."
The Sabers grimaced against the comments, hunching even further in on themselves, some of them shutting their eyes against it. Sting and Rogue grit their teeth, their eyes locked to the ground while Lector and Frosch let out small mews, their ears pressed against their heads and casting their partners anxious looks. Rufus tipped his hat forward enough it hid his face, and Orga beside him had his eyes shut, arms crossed over his chest and looking disgruntled and uneasy all at once.
Only Rogue's red eyes dared to lift from the ground and dart quickly over to the Fairy Tailers, his hands shaking at his sides and stomach churning so terribly. He wanted to go and ask, see if they'd heard anything from the team sent to the Castle- they should have been back hours ago, and there was no sign. Something must have gone wrong, he felt so nauseous at the thought, and it was almost enough to make him forget the tension and just go... But what would they do, if he just strolled up to them like that...?
How do we... Explain it...?
... Make up... For it...?
They hate us... They have every right to hate us...
"... They're gonna pretend like he don't exist, huh..?"
"Tch... That damn Guild..."
"... Can't even stand to look at us, huh?"
"Those ba-"
"Enough!"
The comments and grumbled words got cut off by a clear and stern voice, everyone jumping and those SaberTooth Guild especially as their eyes snapped around toward the owner- the redheaded figure of Titania Erza, bandaged to hell like many of them were, and walking calmly through the crowds toward the huddled-together Sabers. She walked through them without hesitation, her order cutting off the naysayers, which earned curious looks from everyone- namely the other Fairy Tailers, Lamia, Mermaid, Pegasus and Cerberus alike. Erza stopped in front of the Sabers, her eyes narrowed and steely as she looked not at them, but instead she scanned the crowds and those that had been grumbling shrank under the stare.
"Cease with your ill-will toward SaberTooth, all of you." Erza commanded firmly, earning no small amount of incredulous looks all around- and the Sabers stared too, eyes wide and stunned that she'd even spoken up for them at all. Everything got rather quiet then, Erza still trailing her gaze around the crowds and unflinching, even as a few started to grumble again.
"...eh?"
"Why? They ain't ever had anything but ill-will for us..!"
"I said enough." Erza said again, cutting the murmurs off just as easily as before and her tone dropping just a tad. "Your ire is understandable, but SaberTooth does not deserve your wrath- not right now. And they do not deserve your anger, not until you understand why they have done all they have, and they have a chance to explain themselves." She murmured firmly, her eyes moving back to the Sabers and softening a tad, especially when they went rigid under the look, and the words... At the prospect of that- explaining themselves.
"We do not have time to explain things fully right now, but I ask you all to take me at my word- these people have suffered for far too long to deserve your anger tonight. Not with everything coming." Erza murmured, nodding her heads to the Sabers and everyone stiffened at it. "We must band together to face this incoming enemy, we cannot pull apart or fight amongst ourselves. SaberTooth is with us, give them a chance to prove who they truly are to you all- judge them on their actions here tonight, and not one what has come before." Erza said calmly, her voice ringing on all their ears and all of them at full attention- the Sabers' faces falling slack, shocked, and stunned, their souls suddenly aching so very much with every word... Every calm, steady word in... In their defense.
They did not expect it, not in a million years- there was no way a Wizard from any one of the Guilds they had treated so terribly could be calling for... For time to let them prove themselves, promising they weren't what they were, they they could show they weren't- and Erza seemed to really believe they would. They could see it in her face, they could tell instantly that she knew- she knew that the people they had shown themselves to be before now were not the true them, and their hearts swelled a little at it.
Titania Erza the Fairy Queen was defending them, and calling on everyone else... To... To give them another chance...!
The SaberTooth Wizards collectively took in sharp breaths of air, holding them in against the sudden siege of emotion that hit them in that moment, the disbelief and the fear, the shock and the hurt, guilt and... And maybe even little bits of hope too, and appreciation.
It was such a simple thing on Erza's part, but it meant the world- and it was the last thing they needed to get a little push passed the uncertainty, and the hesitation. A sudden surge of energy rushed through the Sabers, all of them breathless and stepping up quickly, all of them moving by some unspoken word between them. Every single SaberTooth Wizard bowed, their heads and bodies bent to the Fairy Queen, and all the other Guilds and Mages behind her, and the Square went deadly quiet.
SaberTooth was bowing to them
"... We... We're gonna prove ourselves, to all of you...!"
"We... We swear, we're not gonna be like we have been, not anymore...!"
"We will never treat any of you like we have, ever again...!"
"We... We're so sorry...!"
"... This is so hard to explain, and... We can't possibly make you understand it all, not right now but..."
"... But please hear us when we say we will show you who we are- the real us, not the people you've seen before..."
"... We never wanted any of this... To act like this... But..."
"... Please... Forgive us..."
"... We won't make you regret it, we just... We need a second chance, to show you... To prove who we are..."
"... Please... Just let us show you..."
"... We'll be who we've always wanted to be... We'll be better, we'll be kinder, we'll fight with you with all we have in earnest...!"
"... Please let us show you what we can do, we want to help, we will help, we swear...!"
"... We aren't what you think, all we ask... Is that you let us prove it... Please." Rogue murmured softly,
"... We will remake ourselves, in the image we've dreamed SaberTooth of being for so long, now that we have a chance to at least try." Rufus murmured solemnly, his hat in his hand and not on his head as he remained bowed like all the rest.
"And we'll be that SaberTooth, don't doubt it for a second." Orga grumbled lowly, "We ain't gonna keep on as we have, never again."
"... Please forgive us all we have done before, and how we've treated you all." Sting mumbled, his eyes on the ground and hands straight down at his sides. "... There is no excuse for it, we knew it was wrong, but we were afraid... We won't be afraid anymore. We're not going to be that anymore, we're going to be better." His words earned quite a few stiff nods from many of the members, and the other Guides stared, completely stunned.
...w-what...?
... What did they... Mean...?
They were afraid...?
What... Was all of this...?
They were apologizing- asking for forgiveness, admitting they were wrong, that they'd done wrong, and they regretted it all.
SaberTooth never apologized
SaberTooth never admitted they were wrong
SaberTooth never regretted, anything
They all stared, their minds grinding to a halt with every word, every please, every pleading, shaking, breathless sentence- every pained look among the Sabers and even the tears falling from some of their eyes, their bodies trembling and barely holding back sobs.
The other Guilds couldn't fathom it, it was like their minds wiped clean and all they could do was just keep staring, keep being stunned, keep looking at all those Saber Wizards and with every single second they did- they all realized more and more... This... This is SaberTooth, but it's... Not the same SaberTooth, they'd known all this time.
This is not the Guild full of ruthless people and wicked smiles, full of bravado and downright cold and uncaring. This was not the Guild full of people willing to go to any lengths, who only cared for power, and image, and prestige, and nothing else. This was not the Guild who had berated them, fought them, and even hurt them in the Games- for years.
This was a Guild full of people desperately trying to hold back tears, people with heavy hearts full of guilt and despair and pain of a like they couldn't fathom. People who looked away in shame, bent their heads in humility, freely admitted their faults and asked for forgiveness of their mistakes. These were people who asked for a second chance, even though they seemed terrified, and yet they had never been more resolute- to be different, to be better, to prove themselves and show... Them. These same people, this same Guild- and yet this was the SaberTooth they had never seen before, and it was... This was SaberTooth.
The real SaberTooth
There was awhile of nothing, everyone still stunned, reeling as the face that SaberTooth had put up for all the rest of the world to see was disappearing in front of their very eyes, revealing the heart of all of them- the real them that was vastly different. Almost impossibly so... But so genuine still, they all saw it.
And no, they didn't get it, they didn't understand- they didn't know, not the years of abuse and terror the Sabers had lived in, and what had driven them to be that terrible version of themselves... But they didn't need to know, not right then. They saw the sincerity, and the honesty- the genuine SaberTooth, and their drive to be better- and they believed it, wholeheartedly. That was all they needed, just for right then.
The tension halved, and then went to almost nothing, the other Guilds behind Erza shifting slightly as their expressions steadied, and they looked at the Sabers not with hate, or suspicion- but acceptance... Or at least the willingness to give them that chance they asked for.
"They're so different all of a sudden..."
"... Dude, I've never seen SaberTooth like this... Ever..."
"... This is is insane, I can hardly believe it..."
"... A second chance, huh...?"
"... They're... Totally different people..."
"... Where has this... Been hiding...?"
"... Hmm... She said we gotta work together yeah...?"
"If you guys are really be different from now on, show us by kicking some ass, yeah?"
"Yeah! We got some Dragons to beat, so let's go..!"
"We'll trust you for now, show us the people you wanna be!"
"Prove to us you mean what you say!"
"We wanna see this new SaberTooth you're talking about, huh guys?!"
"Hell yeah!"
The mood shifted entirely, the other Guilds calling out, smirking, asking for them to do what they said- prove themselves, show them the real SaberTooth, make good on all their promises to be better and to never be what they hated again. Their spirit's lifted, energy coursing through them all, and anticipation too- energy and drive and the will to do, to fight hard, to make something of themselves, and the hope that they did be that new Sabertooth they all wanted.
The SaberTooth Wizards eyes gleamed at the sudden chorus of voices and calls, their hearts aching at the suddenly invigorated mood and the faith- they could hardly believe it, they were a little unsure still... But they had also never felt so relieved nor determined in all their lives. It was like the calls of the other Guilds were melting away some of that dark shadow that had hung over the SaberTooth Guild for so long now, and they could breathe a little easier for it. The Sabers straightened up, standing taller, heads held a little higher, and they matched eyes with the other Guilds without flinching.
"We will!"
"We're gonna be better than ever!"
"SaberTooth has all of your backs!"
"YEAH!"
"Alright! Lets get it on!" Gajeel smirked.
"All the Guilds joining forces." Ichiya smiled.
"What a wonderful Parfum." Nichiya replied.
"Lets do our best, all of us." Hibiki smiled.
"WILD!" Quatro Cerberus yelled out.
"Lets fight." Jura smiled, crossing his arms over his chest and shooting the Sabers a glance. "I'm excited to see this new SaberTooth in action."
"... Me too!" Sherria grinned, her eyes darting to Lyon and finding him watching the Sabers quietly, his expression neutral. "... Something wrong, Lyon?" She asked and he let out a small breath.
"... I was just thinking, about something Horatia said to me." He mumbled quietly, his eyes flashing. "... I think I understand it now..." He said and Sherria blinked, her eyes trailing to the Sabers and biting the inside of her cheek.
"... Speaking of, Fairy Tail said she and Wendy had gone to the Castle this morning... They're still not back yet, huh...?" Sherria mumbled and Lyon frowned slightly for it,
"... No..."
Erza smiled slightly at the suddenly brightened moods, especially in the Sabers- and she hummed under her breath for it, her eyes falling closed. Rogue glanced her way, rather quiet still even with the rise in energy, and he stepped slowly up toward the redhead, Frosch trailing after him, and Sting and Lector too- though they hung back a bit.
"... Miss Erza." Rogue mumbled softly as they all came to a slightly uneasy stop in front of the redhead, her eyes opening to look Rogue's way immediately.
"Hmm?"
"... Have... Have you or anybody else heard anything, from Hora and the others...?" Rogue asked tensely, his red eyes flashing as he wrung his hands together in front of him. "... They should have been back a long time ago, and they were supposed to send up a signal flare, right...?" He mumbled and Erza's smile faded to none, her expression growing serious too as she shook her head at him.
"No, we haven't heard anything." She replied lowly and he immediately stiffened at it, his lips pulling into a frown, and his folded together hands trembling too. Erza noticed it and grimaced slightly herself, a small breath escaping her. "... I am worried too, but we should have faith in them. They are all very capable Mages, they can take care of themselves, and they have each other." She pointed out softly and Rogue just swallowed, his eyes dropping into his hands. Frosch let out a troubled mew, while Sting grit his teeth and frowned at the ground, Lector tapping his paws together uncertainty.
... Hora... Yukino ...
Erza sighed quietly, lifting a hand to place it gently on Rogue's shoulder, causing the man to jump slightly at the unexpected contact. "... I'm sure they're just fine, you'll seem them all before you know it." Erza assured gently,
"Yeah, there ain't no way Salamander and the rest of them are too far over their heads." Gajeel huffed, coming to a stop beside the group suddenly and earning the Saber's surprised eyes. "Salamander's an idiot, but he's strong- and Lily is there too. Plus that Hora chick of yours packs a punch, they can handle whatever the hell gets thrown their way." The Iron Dragon Slayer mumbled lowly.
"... I... I hope you're right..." Rogue stammered quietly,
"Fro hopes so too..." Frosch mumbled,
"... T-they have to be fine...!" Lector huffed, trying to put up some semblance of a brave face. "Atia's really strong, and so is Yukino...! And Natsu-san is strong too, they'll be okay...!"
"Y-yeah..!" Frosch piped in with the other Exceed,
Rogue and Sting glanced to the two quietly, their eyes glittering and tense still, especially at how quickly the Exceeds moved to shoot them both slightly shaky, but determined smiles to reassure them.
"They'll come back, don't you worry Sting-kun!" Lector purred, and Sting's eyes flashed at it.
"Yeah, Atia will be okay, and so will Yukino...!" Frosch piped in, and Rogue seemed to nod slightly, though only so. Lector gave both Dragon Slayers a more confident smirk next and a thumbs up, his tail lashing behind him as he floated in air before the Twin Dragons.
"That's right! They'll be fine! For now though, we gotta get ready to fight-!"
"LECTOR!"
Lector broke off, his name being shouted cutting what he said short, and everyone stiffened- the red Exceed was there before them in one second, and then the next he wasn't.
A blur of white and red rushed passed Rogue, Sting and Frosch- small glimpses of Lector trapped in someone's arms darting passed and behind them in a blink of an eye, and for a heartbeat or two they stood there, stunned and not really sure...?
"... What...?" Sting mumbled,
"... Just happened...?" Rogue finished for him, both Dragon Slayers blinking several times over and stuck in their spots, lost.
"Fro..." Frosch mumbled uncertainly,
Rogue and Sting stiffened in the next second though, the little rush of air passed them with the blur finally hitting their noses and their hearts stopped. They both whipped around in unison, eyes wide and jaws dropping.
No way-!
"You're okay! I was so worried about you, Minerva didn't hurt you did she?! I am so sorry I wasn't there when she took you- I will never let her lay a finger on you ever again!"
Their eyes immediately locked to the bundle of red that was Lector, being hugged tightly against her chest, her arms locking him in place and having snatched him so quickly- and so out of the blue. Lector just stayed still, trapped in the hug, eyes wide, stunned, and not really sure he was seeing things right... For a moment or two Rogue and Sting weren't really sure they were seeing things right either, nor was Frosch. Even Gajeel and Erza had gone quite still, staring and lost for words as the woman stood there hugging Lector so tightly she was probably squishing him- and she certainly did not notice any of the incredulous looks she was getting, from anyone. All of her focus was on Lector, after only briefly having stood at the edge of the square in silence and watching the apology on SaberTooth's behalf unfold, and their earnest promise to do better.
Seeing the Guild all bowing like that and apologizing, vowing to change had been heart wrenching- and then a million times more when the other Guilds responded as they had... Sincere and seeing what she always hoped everyone else would. The SaberTooth she knew and loved, and had feared would never be out in the limelight as it should. Words could not begin to describe how much her heart both ached, and lifted with the scene- but her attention on it faded soon after as she caught sight of Lector among the many, and she was rushing forward toward him before she even realized what she was doing. And she certainly gave absolutely no thought to Doranbolt- who had Teleported them both here and was somewhere on the very edges of the Square, probably with Lahar and Ira- though she'd not actually seen either of them before she rushed off.
She pulled Lector up in front of her, holding him in her hands and releasing him from the hug a moment as she held him up eye level with her, a shaky, breathless, but no less relieved smile on her face as their eyes matched.
"I am so happy you're okay...!" She breathed, abandoning waiting for him to reply to any of her rushed words from before. Lector's stunned expression melted quickly after that, his ears falling and his eyes going wide, teary now and quickly shaking for it. Whatever little confidence he'd had to be all 'she'll be fine' a few moments before was shattered and he sniffed,
"A-Atia...?" He nearly squeaked, and she smiled a little more.
"Hora!"
She jumped, her attention on Lector snapping away from the shout of her voice- and she didn't notice how quickly Lector wriggled out of her hold either. Not before her feet were knocked out from under her and she got swallowed up in someone's else's grasp, both of them quickly falling backward and she couldn't stop herself.
They ended up on the ground, her back saved hitting the stone all the way because he was hugging her into him so closely, straddling her as he leaned over with her pinned to him and he buried his face into the crook of her shoulder. She blinked, stunned with the sudden embrace and how quickly it had come... But more so with how tight it was, while still being gentle, and how much he was shaking against her as he stayed right where he was, both of them locked together on the floor and not daring to move even an inch.
"... Y...you're back..." He hissed, his voice shaking just as much as he was, his arms around her tightening a little more, and her heart fluttered as his scent hit her nose, heavy and warm, and so achingly his.
"... Hora, I'm so happy to see you... I've b-been losing my mind... All day...!" He hissed, his voice breaking off in a stifled half-sob and so, so quiet... He was breathless, relieved, happy, scared- all at once, and it was nowhere near dead or cold... Not like the other one.
"... Y...you're back... You..."
He was crying, she could feel the way his breaths and body hitched with them, she could smell the salty tang of the tears and felt them against her shoulder. He was so happy, so much it was too much, his body and emotions a mess and now a hundred times more so at seeing her there so suddenly, the tension melting away and leaving him trembling like a leaf... And...
"... Please... Please don't scare me like this again... I can't take it... The thought of losing you, Hora..."
He broke off again, his voice strangled in a sob and she felt her heart break. Her breath got snatched away by it and she quickly returned the embrace, her fingers digging into his clothes and shaking herself.
This...
She grit her teeth against the way her eyes stung, her own tears threatening to come up and the well of hurt, relief, sadness, terror, happiness and everything else- all that she'd felt that day, and those before it... And especially that of which had shook her to the core when faced with the Future version of him, and how much it wasn't him at all.
She grabbed to the Shadow Dragon Slayer tightly, both of them locked now in eachothers arms and she didn't dare let go. She drank in his scent, reveled in the warmth of his body against hers and how gentle and comforting his arms around her were at that very moment.
... This... This is my Rogue...
Her fingers gripped harder into his shirt despite herself for the thought, and she held her breath against the way her heart hurt and warmed all at once.
... My Rogue... I don't what happened... To the other one... B... But...
"... Please don't ever change... Rogue..." Hora mumbled aloud, her voice barely above a whisper and so low Rogue barely heard it at all- but he did and his crying ceased for a few seconds in confusion.
What did she...?
She sniffed slightly and his eyes snapped open at the sound, his hold around her slackening just enough so he could try and get a look at her face, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the tears pecking at the corners of those dark blue eyes he knew so well. She smiled sadly as their gazes matched, her hold around him easing slightly too so they could be more face to face, and she wrapped her arms around his neck instead, pulling forward enough that their foreheads pressed together gently. He stared, both at the tears and the sudden closeness of their faces and the forehead touch, while Hora just let out a small breath, the tears spilling down her cheeks in a thin, quiet line.
"... Heh... Damn, now you've got me crying too..." She mumbled, and his expression softened at it, his eyes glittering further even despite his own tears, and Hora shook her heart slightly, their bangs mussing up and twining together in black and fiery orange. "... That's okay... I'm glad to see you too... I'm sorry for worrying you so much, I know I promised to try and do that less... I'm failing miserably though, please forgive me..." She mumbled softly, her breath washing against his face and he let his eyes fall. He straightened, pulling Hora with him so they were both sitting upright and she pulled her legs in, so he wasn't straddling her so much. And though they moved, their foreheads never separated as they adjusted, and Rogue moved his hands to hold either side of her face, his thumbs gently wiping away the tears as he met her eyes again.
"... There's nothing to forgive, Hora." He told her softly, and her eyes flashed, her hold around the back of his neck tightened and she swallowed hard at the words. She took in a deep breath and her hands moved to his face too, wiping away his tears. Their foreheads came apart finally as she pulled herself back to put space between them again, smiling faintly at him as she did so.
"... You're too good for me..." She mumbled quietly and he blinked in question, but she did not linger on it, instead her attention fixed to the bandage pulled across his face and nose and she tilted her head at it... Before her eyes dropped to the rest of him and she saw the bandages wrapped around his arms and chest, where the robe he was wearing let it show through. She faltered, her eyes narrowing at it all, "... Are you okay? You like you got the crap beaten out of you..." She asked quickly and he smiled wearily at her, his hands pulling hers back down from his face and holding on to them.
"Yes I am fine... It was a difficult battle between Gajeel and I, but it was a good one." He hummed, his eyes falling from her face now and instantly his smile shattered when he found the bandages around her chest, and the angry red marks stretching across the whole front of her body on her arms and neck, and he went rigid. He sucked in a sharp breath of air, his hands instantly fumbling for her arms and holding on to them gently as he looked the wounds up and down in rapidity, and Hora sighed silently at the immediate shift.
... And there goes the moment...
"O-oh my god, are you okay...?!" He hissed, his eyes raking over the lines and paling when it became clear they were continuous- they weren't broken apart, they were five huge lines torn through her, from her left to her right and he looked ready to pass out.
Because what the hell could have left wounds that stretched over her whole body in a continuous line like that?! And five of them no less?!
They weren't small wounds, they were big- serious even! And even if they looked closed, they were still raw and inflamed- and they had not been there this morning!
He let out a shaky, terrified breathe of air, the tears threatening to come back. "T-these look awful, H-Hora...!" He stammered and Hora caught his arms lightly in her hands, making him come to a halt with his suddenly panicked movements. His eyes snapped to her again, and she winced internally at the fear in his face, and so quickly.
"I'm okay." She told him calmly, "Really, Wendy healed me up as best she could- they don't even hurt much at all, they just sting a little. You don't need to freak out." She assured and he stared, his eyes falling to the wounds again and swallowing against it.
"... B...but... What happened...?" He stammered breathlessly and she grimaced despite herself.
She could not tell him the truth- not that it had been some version of himself from seven years in the future. She could not tell him, because she knew him, and he would never forgive himself for having hurt her, even if it hadn't been him. He would never be able to get over with the idea that any version or incarnation of himself had done something that awful to her, so she couldn't tell him. She would never tell him... But explaining this?
... Shit...
"... Not to interrupt, but we would very much like to know what happened as well."
Hora and Rogue's eyes snapped up at the voice, their eyes landing on Erza- who was the one who said something just then- and Gajeel beside her, with Sting, Lector and Frosch close by too. Erza let out a small sigh, her eyes flashing as she met Hora's eyes,
"What happened? You all must have run into trouble- but where is everyone else? Natsu, Lucy, Yukino and the others?" The redhead asked and Hora blinked, hesitating for half a second, and more so than anything to see the redhead was covered in wounds and bandages and the like... Gajeel too...
H...holy shit... How hard did they fight...?!
The Exceeds took that small bit of hesitation to jump forward and into Hora's arms with tearful mews, and Hora rushed to catch them as they did, her eyes widening slightly and not having been aware they'd been holding themselves back as long as they had. And because she was so busy hugging them to her, she failed to answer Erza's questions for a bit longer, to which the redhead stayed quiet, though she did sigh slightly under her breath.
"A-Atia we missed you...!" Frosch mewed,
"Are you sure you're okay, Atia...?!" Lector stammered, and Hora swallowed, hugging them still as they buried themselves in her arms and chest.
"... Uh yeah, I am fine, I promise... Please don't worry..." She mumbled quickly, patting their heads reassuringly and they nodded stiffly at it, but kept hugging her anyway. She let out a small breath at it and let it be, her eyes moving slowly back to Erza and swallowing slightly. "Uhm, yeah, sorry... They're all fine..." Hora told her quickly, "We found Lucy and Yukino pretty much right away, but we got dropped into some labyrinth under the Palace, and the Kingdom's Royal Executioners got set on us, so we ended up fighting..." She explained and Erza's eyes widened at the news, along with everyone else's.
... Well, they all ended up fighting- not me, since I got separated... But that's not important!
I'm not gonna talk about all the Ultear and the Current stuff, that'll just make things waaaaay too complicated right now...!
"... And then after fighting, it took a really long time to get out of the labyrinth at all, it was huge." Hora kept on, "Uhm... And then we ended up running into someone from the Future- who had seen what happens when the Dragons come and everything gets destroyed... She warned us what was coming and wanted to try and find a way to stop it..." Hora mumbled,
"... Someone from the future." Erza mumbled lowly, nodding slightly. "The King explained as much, though I'm surprised you all ran into them as well." The redhead murmured,
"S-so, you already know about the Dragons...?" Rogue stammered and Hora nodded stiffly,
"Yeah, I know." She murmured, "When I heard the King had asked all the Wizards to meet, I figured he was probably gonna tell you guys about what was coming, and the Eclipse Cannon and whatever." She told him, her eyes flashing. "I was actually on my way to find you all and warn you guys about the Dragons myself, but the King beat me to it I guess..."
"B-but what happened to you, was it the King's executioners that did this...?" Rogue stammered, his eyes finding the wounds again and she bit the inside of her cheek at it.
"... Uhm, no... There was someone else from the Future, a second person..." She started slowly and they all stiffened,
"A second person?" Was the collective murmur, "Who?" Was the next and Hora shook her head slightly.
"... I didn't recognize him." She mumbled, and it wasn't a total lie- that had not been a Rogue she recognized or knew, after all. "... He did this, we got in a fight... Because he was really convinced that things had to work out a certain way for the future to unfold in the way he wanted... He claimed that Lucy was gonna close the Eclipse Gate before the Cannon could be used, and that she was gonna destroy everything." Hora murmured tensely, her eyes dropping into her lap, and the top of Frosch's and Lectors heads.
She couldn't tell them about the Future Lucy, just like she couldn't tell them about the Future Rogue- she couldn't say the former had been killed by the latter, it was just... Too awful, and too complicated, and too much. So she omitted it, even when it was something of a lie and she hated herself for it- her intentions were good, but a lie it was still... Shit.
... I just... Don't wanna make this any harder... Than it already is...
"Lucy would never do such a thing." Erza grumbled hotly, and Hora nodded.
"... I know, but he was really convinced... I don't get it myself, even still... But... That guy, he went after her, I tried to get in the middle of it, but I ended up getting hurt for it." She mumbled, "That's where all this came from... But like I said, Wendy healed me up as best she could. And Lucy is okay too, I promise, we all got away... Minus Natsu, he stayed behind to keep the Future guy busy and away from Lucy." Hora explained, and the Fairy Tailers nodded tensely for the explanation.
"So where are they now?" Erza pressed,
"Lucy and Yukino went to the Eclipse Gate, since they're Keys combined are what opened it in the first place... They're kinda just waiting there now, in case anything happens." Hora mumbled, "I dunno how to explain it, but there's something not right about all of this that I don't get... And Lucy agreed with me on that, so she and Yukino headed off to the Gate, to be there, just in case... And everybody else is with them." Hora mumbled, "They should be there now, and they are fine- they were all okay when we split up, and they have each other, so I wouldn't worry about them too much... At least not more than we should worry about everything else." She sighed, and Erza and Gajeel nodded grimly.
"... I see." The redhead murmured quietly, "Thank you for coming to tell us what happened, Horatia. I am very glad to know you all made it out of the Castle, and mostly alright, even despite the complications that have arisen." She hummed, and Hora nodded slightly back.
"... Uh, yeah..." She mumbled, "O-oh, a-and thank you too, Erza...!" Hora added in quickly, straightening up as she faced Erza a little more directly and bent her head to the other woman in a half-bow... She would have gone all the way, it not for the Exceeds in her lap and arms.
Close enough-!
"... Thank you so much for beating Minerva...!" Hora told her, her head still bent. "... Thank you for keeping your promise, and defeating her... And helping make sure Lector was okay...!" Hora murmured, Lector, Frosch, Rogue and Sting all stiffening suddenly and blinking in question to the words- what did she mean, 'promise'...?
Had Hora... Asked Erza to beat Minerva...? To help... Get Lector back...?
Erza smiled faintly at the girl, nodding slightly and smiling a tad more for the incredulous looks that passed over the other Sabers- Sting especially, who had done nothing but stand there to the side, rigid and utterly quiet. But now his eyes went wide, staring at Hora with her head bent and something about his expression pulled, a mix between pained, disbelieving, and grateful- though he did his utmost to hide any shred of emotion from crossing his face at all.
"... Of course, you're very welcome." Erza hummed, "And thank you for keeping yours, I have no doubt how hard you worked to keep Lucy and Yukino safe today." She told the Saber lightly, and Hora jumped slightly, her head still bowed and biting the inside of both cheeks rather hard.
... But... I didn't really... Do anything at all, in the end...
... I hesitated... And for it... Tch...
Hora did not reply, and Erza was not sure why she failed to- but she did not linger on it long anyway, she uncrossed her arms and sighed. "Well now, I will relay to the Master and the rest of the Guild what you have said. I am sure they will be relieved to hear you all made it out in the end." Erza announced coolly, "In the meantime, you should have a little bit to settle things with the rest of your comrades." Erza murmured, tilting her head toward where the rest of the SaberTooth Guild was further from them, and to Rufus and Orga in particular who were aware of her sudden return, and had been waiting and listening rather patiently (less so in Orga's case). Hora followed the redhead's gesture and saw them there at last, her eyes widening slightly as she nodded a bit.
"O-Oh, alright..." Hora mumbled, and Erza smiled one last time, before turning and heading away, Gajeel following her slowly without ever having said a word at all.
Rufus and Orga moved up right off, Orga much faster than the blonde and Lector and Frosch quickly moved out of Hora's lap as he approached- and she smiled nervously at the large and incoming man.
Ah-
Orga picked her up off the ground and in his burly embrace with extreme ease, holding her tight and her feet not at all close to the ground. She smiled at it though, especially so when he hugged her, and then moved to holding her in one arm, his other raising as his hand found the top of her head, and then he promptly mussed her hair up- a lot. It was an affectionate gesture, and also a slightly exasperated one too, and he clicked his tongue at her as he did it.
"You are just getting into all the crazy stuff lately, huh?" He grumbled, "I'm surprised you're still keeping up- my head's spinning already at just what the King said, but your stuff is making it lot worse...!" He huffed, before letting out a small sigh and his rubbing her hair all the wrong directions ceased. "Well anyway, it's good to see you- even if you got banged up again. You sure you're all good?" He hummed and she smiled slightly, nodding.
"Yeah, I'm sure." She hummed, and he set her back down easily, his hands falling on his hips as Rufus stepped up beside him, smiling faintly as his hands found hers and held on.
"It is very good to see you back and safe, Horatia." The blonde hummed, squeezing her hands gently with his own and she smiled back.
"Thanks, it's good to be back." She hummed, glancing between him and Orga and her eyes shinning at the bandages on their person and the damage- just like with Rogue. "... Are you guys okay? You look like you got beat to hell..." Hora mumbled and they seemed to sigh at the mention, Orga gritting his teeth in agitation and looking away from her rather pointedly, while Rufus simply gave her a small, somewhat weary smile.
"We are alright." He told her softly, "Fairy Tail was full of surprises today, it was quite a spectacle to behold- today will remain imprinted in my Memory for all the years to come." He hummed and Hora blinked, her eyes falling from him for a moment as she bit the inside of her cheek and... hesitated.
"...so... he won, against you...?" She asked at length and Rufus tilted his head slightly in question, especially so when she failed to meet his eyes again as she asked, and her hands still in his trembled, ever so faintly. "... Gray... He won... you two fought... right...?" She asked quietly and Rufus' eyes flashed at the question, his expression falling slightly slack in intrigue, before he smiled just a tad, and nodded.
"Yes, it was a splendid battle." He murmured lightly, his eyes flashing as he dipped his head slightly to her, and his voice dropped to something quite low, "You needn't worry over either of us, we fared just fine in our battle." He added quietly, and Hora jumped slightly, her eyes snapping up toward him in shock, but Rufus only smiled, squeezing her hands one last time and pulling away entirely.
W-wait a minute... that look...?
Rufus crossed his arms behind his back, stepping back a pace as well and tilting his head toward his Guild-Mates around them, "At any rate, we may have taken a bit of a beating in the Games today, but we have had plenty of time to recuperate. We will face this incoming storm with the same strength and will befitting of the SaberTooth, to which our Guild is named." He murmured coolly, earning a stiff nod from Orga, Lector, Frosch, Sting and Rogue alike. Rufus smiled a touch more and tilted his head toward Sting and Orga, "I expect Sting and Orga are quite looking forward to the coming fight, given they did not get much a chance to expend their energy in the Games today." Rufus pointed out lightly,
"Tch, I'm gonna wreck those Dragons, don't you doubt it." Orga huffed,
"Yeah..." Sting mumbled, though he sounded much less enthused with the idea than Orga did. Hora paused only a moment more, her eyes trailing toward him for the first time, and tentatively so. He hadn't rushed to catch her up in his hold like Rogue, or the Exceeds, or even Rufus and Orga- and until that very moment he had not said a thing at all. He'd just been standing there rigid as can be, watching the whole thing unfold and listening to what she said and what everyone else said too, but never butting in. And he kept standing there even after Erza and Gajeel left, his arms crossed over his chest and utterly quiet.
Then just there, when she caught his eye for that first time, he seemed to stiffen, averting his gaze from her quickly as his lips pulled into a tight line, and Hora felt her heart wrench at it.
... He still... Won't look at me...
... a...and he hasn't said anything to me... or... or hugged me... like...
... he's still... pissed at me...?
...s..shit...
She swallowed hard at it, her eyes dropping to the ground and her hands wringing together slightly in front of her.
... he's... still angry... even...
... he's... never gonna forgive me... is he...?
'... do not let yourself believe that.' Lixue intoned softly, but she told him to shut it right off. She didn't want to hear it, she didn't want to be comforted or patronized- she couldn't, not right then. There was no time for it, or her issues, or whatever she'd screwed up between them, and maybe screwed up forever... she just couldn't handle that right now, not on top of everything else. She felt like she was barely holding on by a thread, and having to even think about that right now was gonna send her tipping over the edge.
So she sucked in a big breath of air and stuffed it all away, putting up a small smile and a brave face and hoping it was as reassuring as she meant it to be... And she never saw the way Sting's expression twisted when she put on that brave face, or how hurt she looked right then, and she never knew how much Sting's stomach flipped at it. He almost said something too, but guilt stopped him, and he looked away again, his fingers digging into his arms, and crosssing them tighter over his chest.
"... Well, I guess I probably ought to catch up with the rest of the Guild, huh?" Hora murmured, "Let them know Yukino is okay... And explain a few other things too..." She mumbled,
"... They already know, Atia. About all that stuff with Jiemma and the Possession Link, and that you went to go get Yukino and Lucy back." Lector piped in quickly and she jumped at the confirmation.
"W-what?!" She snapped, and Lector shrugged slightly, shooting her an apologetic look.
"Well... I kinda let it slip earlier, after the GMG ended..." He mumbled and she bristled, "I figured you'd told everyone else already... I didn't realize you hadn't..."
"How did you know?! You weren't even there when I told everyone...!" She hissed, and he paused, his ears falling slightly.
"Uh... Well, Minerva listened in on you guys last night, and she had me listen in too... You didn't put up a Silence Barrier on the room like you usually do, so we could hear you easily." Lector explained, and Hora's heart nearly stopped. "We heard everything you said about the Possession Link, and what happened with the Fairy Tailers, and how Lucy and Yukino got taken... And... About your family, too..." He mumbled softly, and Hora just stared. "... I heard everything you said and so did Minerva..." He mumbled,
"... S-so she knew... I was gonna go talk to Fairy Tail, last night...?" Hora stammered, and Lector nodded slowly. "B-but... If she knew I was gonna go talk to them, t-that I was working with them... W..why wouldn't she have... Confronted me, o-or said something...? Or tried to stop me...?" Hora stammered quickly, and the questions earned uneasy looks from the lot of them.
"... I don't know, Atia..." Lector mumbled, "... When she was listening... I don't know, something seemed different... She seemed really surprised to hear it all... Maybe... Maybe she had some kind of plan, but it fell through when she and Erza were fighting...?" He suggested and Hora's eyes narrowed.
"... What do you mean she was surprised about it all?" Hora asked lowly, and Lector blinked.
"... Just that... She seemed really shocked." He mumbled uncertainly, but Hora shook her head.
"She can't have been shocked, she knew about the Possession Link- there's no way she didn't. And why would she care enough about any of the rest of it to illicit shock?" Hora grumbled and Lector's eyes widened slightly, his paw tapping his chin slightly as he gave her a sort of uneasy look.
"... Atia, I don't really think she knew about any of it all... Especially not the Possession Link..." Lector mumbled, "... She looked... Like really shocked..." Lector told her, and Hora could only stare.
... But... That doesn't...?
... She... She knew... The whole time... Right...?
... How... Could she not have...?
She didn't get it, she couldn't fathom it- none of it. Not that she didn't know, not that she'd heard all that shit last night and didn't do anything- not a word about her going off to see Fairy Tail, not an attempt at spoiling Hora's plans with it, none of it. It didn't make any sense, how could Minerva not do anything- anything at all? How could she have not known all these years about her bastard of a father and the Possession Link he'd put on her?
Just what...?!
"... W... Where is Minerva now?" Hora said at length, and they all cast another round of unsure glances between themselves.
"... We do not know." Rufus murmured coolly, "She disappeared shortly after the Games concluded, and we have not seen her since."
"... Maybe she left...?" Frosch imputed quietly, and Hora grimaced slightly.
... Would she...?
... maybe, after getting beat by Erza... But hell, none of this makes sense...
... Shit, another thing I can't worry about right now... Ugh...
She let out a long sigh, her hands moving up to push her bangs from her face for a moment in exasperation, and she shook her head a few times.
"Alright... I just can't try to mull through all her crazy right now... we have bigger things to worry over..." She sighed lowly, her head tilting back in exasperation and her eyes closed for the moment, her hands coming to a halt on the top of her head. "... I just don't get it, and we don't have time... I guess it'll be easier to talk to everyone else now, since they pretty much know the gist of it all..." She mumbled, and they nodded stiffly to it, though she did not see it. Her hands fell and she tilted her head back down, her blue eyes glinting in the dim as she glanced toward the rest of SaberTooth, all of them still a little closed off and fidgety, but they were talking to some of the other Guilds now, and her eyes gleamed. She rolled her shoulders, linking her fingers together and cracking her knuckles as she forced another sigh, and tilted her head to the rest of the Sabers with a faint smile.
"Well, time to catch everybody else up, hmm?"
The amount of noise that rose up from SaberTooth the minute they realized Horatia was there in the clearing was even louder than the chorus of voices that had appeared when the Sabers had vowed to show their true selves to the rest of the Guilds. The other Guilds faltered for the sudden commotion, their eyes darting quickly over to see what was going on- and then either stalling in confusion and question, or smiling at the sudden elated moods from all the Sabers when they found her- Horatia... who was fairly well surrounded on all sides in about three seconds, and subjected to a round of hugs, yells, relieved words, apologies and quite a few tearful ramblings and disbelief to all they had been told about Jiemma and the Possession Link.
More than a few tearful faces and mumbles, shocked words and questioning things, actually... and Hora found herself quickly thankful that the Possession Link was the only super terrible thing Lector had 'let slip'. She couldn't imagine how much worse, how more hurt, and how much more worried they would have all been if they knew the rest of it... about her family, her village, and Deliora. She had a hard enough time reassuring them all she was fine and that the worst of the issues with the Possession Link were averted (for now), and that they needed worry so much, and how sorry she was for keeping it from them all for so long. With every breathless and shaking word she heard, every face twisted in worry and ache and concern, and every apology she heard about how they 'should have realized' or done something more, been better, been enough to help- she felt her heart aching all the worse with every second, and she had to fight hard against crumbling under it all. She felt her own guilt getting worse, the realization of how much she had hidden and how much it hurt them to know she'd been willing to suffer in silence for so long- and it all just reminded her how long she had been willing to let all of them be abused and hampered down by Jiemma and Minerva's cruelty, and she hated herself more for all of it.
She promised several dozen times over that she would do better, that she would lean on them more and never hide so many things ever again... she promised to try, and be more open- and she did mean it... it just wasn't any easy thing to be done, and still there was so much that everyone didn't know. And right then, she couldn't find a good enough reason to dump more of those hidden truths and crazy on their heads, they had been put through enough with what they'd already learned and had happened, and had more still to worry over with the looming threat. So like last night and yesterday, and so many times before... she kept her mouth shut and she didn't say all the things she knew now she needed to.
Not tonight
It took so long to calm them all and get over the initial rush of emotions, but they did get there (with no small amount of prompting on Hora's part). Eventually they were settled enough she was able to relay them what she had told Erza and the others about Yukino, Lucy, and everything else involving the Gate and whatnot. They had questions of course, naturally so- but Hora could not get too far into it, so she said what she could, and enough they understood what they needed. She then moved and counted up heads, making sure everyone was alright and making sure they were all ready and prepared for what was coming- and assured them herself that they had this in hand and some Dragons weren't going to take the SaberTooth Guild down so easily, and she meant it... and she meant it so much more when she told the whole of the Guild how proud she was they were standing so firm in all the chaos, and how determined and genuine they were in trying to better themselves, as they had vowed to the other Guilds.
She told them how proud she was at their resolve, and how much she knew they would be the people they really were- the strong, kind, determined people with so much to give and such drive to do good. She knew they would fight like hell, and she knew the other Guilds would see what she always had- a Guild full of people who were loyal, and steadfast, and genuine- and the whole of Crocus would know it tonight. This was the night SaberTooth would be seen in the way it should have always been, and they replied to her surety and her faith with wide grins and soaring spirits, their voices growing louder and more steady than ever. And she smiled at them and their fervor, her deep blue eyes gleaming at all the energy and the determination, and her heart soured with them. She truly did believe in them, and that they would show their true selves- she knew these people and always had, and like she had told Salamander;
"I'm defending them, no matter what happens- no matter how the SaberTooth Team Acts, and no matter what they do- what any of them in SaberTooth do, I am going to defend them. They are good people- regardless of everything."
And with the whole of the Guild's suddenly ignited drive, she felt a fire in her core that had been simmering quickly coming to life- a fire in her belly, and she smirked at them, her hands clenching into fists and head high.
"Alright, we're gonna kick ass tonight, yeah?!" She called out, and they smirked back- all of them, including Rufus, Orga, the Exceeds, Rogue and Sting- their hands raising and their voices loud enough the whole of Crocus could have heard them. It was quite the sight to see and hear, and the other Guilds smiled softly at the little spectacle.
"HELL YEAH!"
"SABERTOOTH!"
"LET'S KICK SOME DRAGON ASS!"
The noise died down but their fervor did not, they stayed pumped and all too ready for anything- and with the sudden hype the Sabers did break off a little more, start moving themselves among the other Wizards and gearing to go. A quick word between Master Makarov, Rufus and Horatia had them quickly splitting up between the other Guilds and getting ready to break off into different sections of the city- the Guilds would spread out, and place most of their Members in one strategic spot around Crocus, and station Wizards with other Guilds where needed.
"... We should spread the Dragon Slayers between the Guilds as well." The Fairy Tail Master murmured grimly, the Lamia, Blue Pegasus, Mermaid, and Cerberus Guild Masters (or the equivalent, in Kagura's case) listening in. "As we are to be facing Dragons, and their Magic is especially made for that, we should leave no Guild without one to lend a hand." Makarov explained, and they all (Hora and Rufus included) nodded in agreement.
"That makes sense." Hora mumbled,
"Indeed." Rufus mumbled beside her, his head tilting toward Sting and Rogue standing not far from them. "We should focus the Dragon Slayers in Guilds that do not have their own to help them."
"Gajeel will go with Mermaid Heel and fight with them." Makarov murmured with a nod to Kagura, who just dipped her head once in aknowledgement. "Laxus will stay here in the sqaure with the rest of Fairy Tail that hasn't split up."
"We shouldn't need one with Jura in our ranks!" Oobaba, Lamia's Master piped in, and Hora blinked at it.
... I suppose that's probably fair...
Hora glanced toward Rufus for a moment, and he dipped his head slightly at her, and she sighed, her hand waving Rogue and Sting a little closer. They obliged, quietly moving forward and Rogue stopping at Hora's shoulder, while Sting stopped at Rogue's.
"... Alright, I'm gonna have Rogue go with Quatro Cerberus, and help you guys out." Hora mumbled with a nod toward the Shadow Dragon Slayer and the Cerberus Master both, and Rogue blinked at her, looking like he wanted to protest, but he didn't. "And Sting... will go with Blue Pegasus, and help you." She went on, her voice dropping slightly as she tentatively caught Sting's eye, and his expression didn't change, but he nodded stiffly and she took just took what she got, and dipped her head to the Blue Pegasus Master, who smiled kindly at the offer. "Between Rufus, Orga and the rest of the Guild, we should be fine." Hora went on, "Even though Orga isn't a Dragon Slayer per say, he still uses a Slayer Magic, and combined with everyone else- I think it'll have to be enough... we're short on Dragon Slayers without Natsu and Wendy around, unfortunately..." She mumbled,
'Horatia-' Lixue imputed after a long while, and she paused, her eyes glinting at the sudden interrupt- but he got interrupted quite quickly too, and her attention snapped to a familiar voice not too far away.
"... actually Hora, you've got one more..."
Her attention snapped around quickly, her eyes widening to find Ira standing close by all of a sudden, and she blinked at him. Everyone else's eyes snapped his way quickly too, wide and glittering that the young boy all done up in Rune Knight attire- and poor Ira seemed to fidget under the stares, though he never looked at anyone other than Horatia.
"... Ira..." Hora mumbled in surprise, her head tilting. "... What do you mean we have one more..?" She asked, and he tapped his fingers together nervously as he quickly shuffled a little closer and seemed to avoid the stares he earned from Sting and Rogue like the plague- so he rounded them and stepped up on Hora's shoulder where Rufus was, the blonde stepping a pace to the side to allow him room without a word. Ira smiled nervously as he stopped beside her,
"... uh, well with all of this going on, and the threat of the Dragons... Someone suggested to Lahar that maybe we should get as many Dragon Slayers as possible..." Ira mumbled quickly, "So... he kinda ordered Doranbolt to go and get the only other Dragon Slayer we know of, and bring him here to help..." Ira told her and Hora's eyes narrowed, everyone else's doing the same, especially so when Ira let out a low, exasperated, and dry chuckle next. "... so I'm not the only one of us who's done some jail-breaking today..." Ira told her, and Hora's eyes went wide as her thoughts clicked together quite quickly after that- because who was the only other known Dragon Slayer and was in jail?
"... he went and broke Cobra out of jail?" Hora asked quickly, and Ira nodded slightly.
"Yeah..." Ira mumbled, "... he's already here... he went to go and join up with those in Blue Pegasus that already headed out into the city..." The young boy explained, and Hora could only stare.
"Oh my...!" Master Bob hummed, "I haven't heard anything from Cobra in awhile, what an unexpected turn..! It's wonderful to see him trying to turn over a new leaf and help us...!"
"... Quite." Master Makarov mumbled, and Hora let out a small breath.
"... alright, thank you for telling me, Ira. This does help out." Hora told Ira softly, and the young Knight nodded at her.
"Of course..!" He hummed, "Are you gonna be alright, Hora...? I'm sorry the Magic Council can't get more involved, I think the Chairman would be really, really mad with the King about all of this, so we can't really tell him right now... there's bigger things to worry about..." Ira mumbled, and Hora gave him a small smile.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. The rest of us will be too, thank you for doing what you can, with Cobra... tell Doranbolt and Lahar I said thanks too, will you?" She hummed, and Ira nodded again, his eyes shinning at her.
"I will!" Ira murmured, his eyes darting to the other Guild Masters and Mages breifly, and dipping his head respectfully to them all, "Thank you all for your promise to fight this, I wish you all luck...! Please, you and your Guilds, be careful...!" Ira told them quietly, and they nodded slowly in return. Ira straightened up again, and with a last nod, he disappeared in a haze and quickly heading back to wherever Lahar and Doranbolt were.
"... okay, so I guess with Cobra helping out Pegasus instead, Sting can stay here with SaberTooth..." Hora mumbled, rounding back to the topic at hand after the momentary distraction (and more or less skimping straight passed it). She caught a stiff nod of agreement from Sting from the side, though he didn't look her way this time and she just let it be. The Guild Masters and Kagura nodded to the words and she sighed, "... and I'll go with Lamia then." She mumbled, earning blinks of surprise from everyone and she just sighed. "... I don't doubt that Jura could probably take on a Dragon of course, but it's probably safer to split up the Slayers as much as we can anyway, even if we're not technically Dragon Slayers." Hora pointed out, and Oobaba seemed to grimace at the decision, her finger twirling in air in agitation, but the old lday huffed anyway.
"Fine, fine- but don't you go doubting us, our I'll spin ya!" She relented lowly, and Hora stiffened without meaning to, wary of actually being spun- but thankfully it didn't come.
"Alright, we should continue moving everyone out then." Makarov murmured, bringing the ittle discussion to a halt. The Guild Masters moved off to relay instructions where needed, and the other Sabers stayed where they were, Rogue immediately turning to Hora with concerned, glittering red eyes.
"Hora, are you gonna be okay fighting right now..?" He asked quickly, "I don't really wanna split up from you, you're hurt still from yesterday, and all that happened with Jiemma..." He mumbled tensely, and Hora gave him a small, weary smile.
"I'll be okay." She murmured, "There's not really much choice but to fight, and I'm not gonna leave you guys to do it all yourselves while I sit on the sidelines. This is an all hands on deck situation, and we need to help out wherever we can, alright?" She told him and he seemed to frown at it, still unsure, and her smile softened a tad at him. "... besides, I'll have everyone in Lamia with me- it's not like I'll be on my own. You need to focus on yourself, and everyone you'll be helping."
Rogue stayed quiet a few moments, before nodding stiffly- relenting, though he really, really did not feel good about it... at all. He did not want to let her out of his sight, not after a whole day of worrying constantly over her and being seperated- and Hora knew that. But she also knew this wasn't a situation where they could just choose whatever they wanted, and he knew it too, deep down.
"... alright." He mumbled tensely, "... But please, Hora, be careful? Don't put yourself at risk if you can help it, promise me?" He mumbled and she paused at the question, her stomach churning slightly, and she nodded stiffly.
"... yeah, I promise." She murmured, "I won't, not if I can help it... but you guys gotta do the same thing, okay..?" She asked, her eyes trailing over them all as she said it, and they nodded too, grim-faced.
They moved off slowly to their respective places, and the groups of people they'd been paired with. Hora watched them go quietly, her arms crossing over her chest and biting the inside of her cheek at the sting of pain that came with bumping the wounds, though she didn't react outwardly to it at all.
... please be okay...
"Horatia!"
She jumped slightly at the voice suddenly behind her, loud and a touch irritated(?), and she glanced over her shoulder quickly to see the fiery-haired Sherria suddenly there, the young girl's cheeks puffed up in agitation, and Lyon at her side (calm, as opposed to the girl). Hora blinked at them both, but mostly the annoyed look on the young God Slayer, and she turned slowly, her eyes gleaming as her heart picked up a bit.
"Sherria, Lyon-!" Hora hummed quickly, but cut off when Sherria stomped right up to her, fists clenched and almost steaming- though Hora hadn't a clue why...?
"Do you know how long I've been waiting to talk to you since you got here..?!" Sherria puffed, and Hora stalled.
"Uh..?"
"Ages! I haven't seen you at all this whole week, not even at the GMG Arena..!" Sherria grumbled, and Hora wilted slightly.
"Ah, I'm sorry... things have been really complicated..." Hora mumbled quickly and Sherria's cheeks puffed up further as she let out a little growl.
"No kidding! Why didn't you say anything about your Guild Master, and that thing he put on you...?!" Sherria grumbled hotly and Hora faltered a second time,
"... you... know about that...?" She mumbled,
"... forgive us, we were eavesdropping on you and your Guild a bit ago." Lyon murmured softly, stopping beside Sherria and shooting Hora a weary, slightly pained glance, and Hora swallowed at it. "And from what we overheard, and what the rest of Fairy Tail said... it seems things have been quite difficult for all of you in SaberTooth, but especially you, hmm? I can scarcely believe your own Guild Master would do such a thing..." Lyon grumbled and Hora's shoulders sank slightly, her hands twining together in front of her and eyes dropping.
"... oh..." Hora mumbled, "... I'm... sorry... for not saying anything, but it really was just... hard, to even begin to explain. And the whole thing with the Possession Link was just... impossible, really..." She murmured and Lyon and Sherria seemed to grimace at it.
"... you needn't apologize, we understand. I'm simply sorry you've had to endure so much." Lyon told her softly, "Are you alright though? You look a little worse for wear." He pointed out and Hora let out a small breath, a small smile on her face again as she nodded to him.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I'll be totally good to help you guys fight." She hummed and they both smiled slightly at it,
"Well, let me Heal you up a little bit beforehand, okay?" Sherria smiled and Hora blinked at it, but smiled a little more, nodding.
"Ah, yeah that would be great... thank you, Sherria." Hora murmured lightly and the younger girl stepped up brightly, reaching out for Hora with no hesitation and her Magic flaring. Hora stood still in her spot, watching quietly as the blue haze of Sherria's Magic enveloped her in it's cool, soothing embrace- and soon enough the sting and ache over her body lessened considerably, along with a new warmth and surge of energy and strength returning to her tired limbs. The scratches across her arms faded from the raw red hue and to something more pink and less irritated along with the newfound energy, and Hora let out a long, releived breath, before she smiled brightly. Sherria stepped back again, her hands clapping together in front of her.
"All done!" Sherria chirped,
"Thank you, I feel a lot better now." Hora told her. And though she did feel better- she knew better than to think she was fully healed. It wouldn't be that easy, there was too much damage still and lurking at her heels... She would be hurting, and quite badly once all of this was over, and Over-Drive had it's way, and she and Lixue finally hit their Limit. But even if she wasn't healed all the way, this would help give her a boost to keep going, and for long enough hopefully they got through all the crazy before she really hit a wall and just couldn't go on.
"I am happy to help!" Sherria told her, and Lyon nodded.
"Yes, and all the unpleasantness that has gone on aside- it is very good to see you again, Horatia." Lyon told her lightly, and her eyes flashed at him. "I am also excited to fight alongside you, I am curious to see your Magic firsthand." He added, and she chuckled slightly.
"Ahh, it's good to see you again too, Ice-Boy." She replied brightly, and he smiled slightly at the nickname, if a touch wearily. "And likewise! I wanna see your Maker Magic in action for myself! And your Magic too, Sherria- it was really interesting to see you and Wendy go at it in the GMG." Hora told them both, her hands clapping together in front of her slightly and mood significatnly lightened now- and why not?
She was actually quite happy to see them again, she'd enjoyed what little time they had been allowed together back when she was at Lamia, all that time ago now that felt like a million years... she'd even been instantly happy to see them both as they came up to her, though it'd gotten put on hold for mention of all the unpleasantness to start. But now the conversation steered from that entirely, and she found herself quite excited to fight alongside them, especially with the newfound energy and strength provided by Sherria's Healing Magic. And even better, now without Jiemma (and Minerva) around to lorde over and cause her worry for being found 'fraternizing' with other Guilds, she could be friendly and open with them without worrying about being punished- as it should be. It should have been like that from the start, she should never have had to worry about it- but now it was just a big burden off her shoulders, and that made seeing them again a little sweeter.
... Plus, she kinda needed something nice and good to feel about and look forward to just then- just a little something, under all the awful and crazy and insane that had gone on.
"This is gonna be so fun!" Sherria chirped, "I'm so excited to work with you too, Hora! I bet you're a splendid Mage..!" She hummed,
"Ah, I do alright." Hora replied somewhat modestly, and Lyon shook his head slightly at it.
"I have a feeling you are selling yourself short." He pointed out, and she smiled a touch flusterdly at it.
"Eh, maybe... I guess we'll find out soon enough, huh?" She chuckled, and he nodded at it, smiling coolly still.
"I suppose we will." Lyon murmured,
"Let's see between the three of us whose Ice Magic is king, yeah?"
Hora went absolutely rigid, her smile shattered in the span of a single second and her ears ringing with his voice just behind her- his voice. Her heart felt like it stopped and dropped into her feet all at once, and Lyon and Sherria both blinked at the words (more so than Hora's face just then).
"Gray-Sama will be the winner, Juvia is sure of it!" Juvia piped in right away, the bluenette standing beside Gray as they both drew up next to the little group of Hora, Sherria and Lyon, the two Fairies coming up behind Hora without warning. Hora went rigid, paralyzed even and stuck in her spot- she didn't even dare turn her head as they came up, and when she caught sight of both Juvia and Gray coming up on her left, she didn't let her eyes trail their way at all... She was afraid if she did she wouldn't be able to stop staring, just like last night.
"... Ice Magic...?" Lyon and Sherria murmured in question,
"Yeah, that Lacrima in you runs on Ice Magic, right?" Gray murmured with a glance toward Hora, and she kept staring at her hands folded together in front of her, and not him. Anywhere but him.
She stepped a pace or two to the side, bringing her closer to Lyon and Sherria and more sort of facing the two Fairies, though her eyes stayed glued on her hands regardless, and she just barely managed to nod a little.
"..u...uh... Yeah..." Hora mumbled softly, her eyes darting sideways toward Lyon and Sherria for half a second. "... That's the Magic in the Lacrima that... Jiemma put the Possession Link on..." She mumbled quietly and they both blinked.
"... So you use both Fire and Ice Magic?" Lyon asked, and Hora nodded stiffly.
Sherria's head tilted, her blue eyes narrowing at Hora curiously and the news, her nose twitching as she quickly went to pick up on Hora's scent and wondering how she had never noticed any scent of Ice Magic on the girl before now... Before pausing when Hora's scent hit her nose, and it was super familiar. In fact, it was eerily similar to someone else in their little group just then, and Sherria blinked several times in surprise, though she stayed quiet.
"I already know your Fire Magic ain't anything to sniff at, but what little of your Ice Magic I saw wasn't nearly enough to get a good gauge of it." Gray kept on, smirking slightly as he slammed his fist into his palm. "I don't intend to get shown up by either of you, just so you know." He chuckled, casting both Hora and Lyon a competitive stare, and Lyon smiled coolly at it.
"... Careful Gray, I do think Hora and I might just outpace you tonight." Lyon replied lightly, and Gray smirked some more.
"Don't go getting cocky now Lyon, or I'll have to wipe the floor with you for a second time today." Gray shot back, and Lyon let out a sigh.
"I do not intend to allow myself to be defeated by you a second time." Lyon replied evenly, Gray chuckled at it.
"What do you mean 'a second time'? I've been kicking your ass since we were kids!" Gray replied, and Lyon huffed slightly, his arms crossing over her chest a bit stubbornly.
"You are certainly exaggerating..." Lyon sighed, but Hora's eyes widened, her eyes darting toward Lyon in surprise at the little exchange, her heart skipping a beat.
Wait a minute... What did he say...?
"... You... Two have known each other, since you... Were kids...?" She mumbled reflexively, her voice quite low and Lyon blinked at the question, and how uneasy she sounded as she said it. His head tilted slightly as he caught her eye, confused- because why did she look... So tense...?
His eyes flashed, and he nodded very slowly. "... Yes, we trained under the same Master to learn our Maker Magic..." Lyon explained quietly and Hora seemed to stiffen a tad further at the answer, though he hadn't a clue why.
Hora's heart dropped at the words though, panic running through her all at once.
I d-didn't even think about, but they do use the same Magic...! A-and Lyon did tell me he trained under his Master with someone else, b-but that was... G-Gray...?!
His Master, Ur... She... She got killed defeating Deliora...
... I... I... Was... Supposed to do it, but she... She did and she... Died... ...t...their Master got killed, both Lyon's and Gray... Oh no...
...s...shit...
Her eyes darted quickly away from Lyon and he paused, his eyes narrowing further at her and how tightly her hands wrung together- she did look tense... Like extremely so, but why-?
"Shouldn't you have already figured that out by what Magic we use?" Gray grumbled, his hands on his hips and brow quirking at Hora, and she jumped quite noticeably this time, her eyes snapping up toward him before she could remind herself not too. Gray blinked at it, his eyes narrowing to slits and grumbling under his breath at the little jump, how stiff she was where she was standing, and just how unsettled she looked as she caught his eyes just then... It was all posture and behavior he had instantly noticed of course, but chose to ignore to start- and somewhat hoped maybe she'd just been startled by them walking up, and would get over it...?
But she didn't get over it, just like last night she was strangely uneasy with him there and talking- and even when Gray tried to work her into something of an easy-going conversation and the lure of a contest between them, it didn't do anything. She still seemed on edge, and he didn't get it, and it seemed to get ten times worse when he addressed her so bluntly like that. Gray huffed under his breath, agitation flaring anew, and impatience with it too. Lyon, Juvia and Sherria saw it just as easily as Gray did, and they watched in confused silence for a moment, just as unsure of Hora's behavior- but none of them moving to comment on it, not like Gray did.
"Geez, do you have a problem with me or something?" Gray muttered, and Hora flinched slightly at the question, her eyes going wide at it.
"N-no of course not..!" She replied quickly, waving her hands a bit in suddenly flustered animation and he grimaced further at it.
"Then what is your deal? You always act like I'm gonna murder you whenever I'm around. And then you either stare at me like I have three heads, or do everything you can not to look at me at all." He muttered hotly, earning curious looks from Lyon and Sherria while Juvia just huffed slightly. "It's not like I've ever done anything to you- we only just met a day ago. So why the hell are you so jumpy around me?" He huffed and Hora averted her eyes entirely, her fingers linking together tightly and putting up a small, not at all convincing smile.
"... A-ah, I'm sorry...! It... It's really not anything wrong with you, i-it's just... Uhm... Things have been crazy the last few days, yeah...? S-so I'm just jumpy in g-general...!" Hora stammered quickly and Gray just gave her a flat stare in return- which was fair... But fuck, what was she supposed to say...?!
I can't say anything, not right now...! It... Its just too much...
"You ain't been jumpy around anybody else." Gray replied flatly,
"... U-uhm, I'm sorry...? I really don't have an issue with you, I am sorry if I seem to have been..." Hora mumbled uncertainly,
Lyon and Sherria blinked, watching the exchange quietly and still quite confused with the behavior on Hora's part... Because she was really jumpy all of a sudden. Quite so, and it definitely seemed to be something about Gray that set her off- despite her being quick to say otherwise and explain it away (rather poorly).
"... That's weird..." Sherria mumbled under her breath, the little comment catching Lyon's attention and diverting him from Hora stammering a few more things that were meant to assure Gray that nothing was the matter between them.
"... What is...?" Lyon asked softly, Sherria shook her head a bit, tapping a finger to her cheek.
"Hora and Gray smell really similar." Sherria replied, Lyon paused.
"... Do they...?" He echoed, "... Could their scents seem similar because they have a similar Magic...?" He asked and Sherria pursed her lips slightly, her head tilting in thought... Meanwhile the little exchange between Gray and Hora kept on with Juvia jumping in now slightly annoyed, and the small diversion of Lyon and Sherria continued to go totally unnoticed.
"...mmmm... I guess that could be some of it, but they smell a lot alike..." Sherria murmured, "... I can't really put my finger on it, but it is really weird... Usually only people who are related smell that similar, you know?" Sherria hummed lightly and Lyon blinked,
Related...?
"... So weird..." Sherria shrugged, tossing the thought away with a sigh but Lyon paused a few seconds more, his eyes trailing from Sherria and toward Hora and Gray. He glanced between the two of them slowly, the slightly heated words being said by Juvia toward the Saber not really registering on his mind. He just looked between the nervous smile on Hora's face and the flat stare on Gray's for a few long moments, his eyes narrowing further in confusion.
He did not understand the suddenly uneasy behavior on Horatia's part, but clearly she was very uneasy- and very quick to try and change the subject. Lyon had not come to know Horatia as a nervous person- sure she'd been uneasy at first back in his Guild, but she'd relaxed quite soon afterward... This was quite unlike her, and the change was instant once Gray popped into the picture.
What about him would have her so suddenly (clearly) nervous...? Especially if they'd only just met, as Gray had mentioned...?
And why would they smell similar to Sherria..? Especially when their scents would only be that similar if they were... Related...?
Lyon faltered slightly, his eyes widening a tad as he glanced between the Saber and the Fairy once, twice, and then several times more.
Wait...
.:+:.
"... I understand, Lyon." She murmured, earning his gaze and surprised look. She smiled softly, "I understand how you feel... We just keep trying to be better, right? That's all we can do, and we do it. You're friends clearly care for you, so maybe you shouldn't worry too much." She smiled a little more, he stared, eyes a little wide and a little taken aback by her sudden understanding of what he said- and how easily she seemed to understand how he felt.
For a small moment he swore... He swore he saw pain and guilt in her eyes too, and haunting. A look he knew, from seeing it in himself.
He nodded, smiling slightly himself. He seemed to know... She did understand, almost too well.
"Right." He agreed, Hora nodded slightly.
"... You mentioned a creature." Hora murmured, suddenly realizing what he said. "A Demon of Zeref ...? One that... That destroyed your home? And your... Family?"
Lyon nodded to her a little gravely, "Yes, it's the same with Sherry, Tobi and Yuka as well." Lyon replied, "That Demon destroyed everything we had, we were left alone... I was fortunate enough to be taken in by the woman who taught me my Magic, others were less lucky." He sighed slightly, that haunted look coming back into his eyes a moment as memory seemed to flood his mind.
"... The Demon Deliora . It destroyed our lives, yes... But now it can no longer harm anyone, my Mentor- Ur, she defeated it."
Hora went rigid, her eyes widening and all sense of thought suddenly derailed as her heart began to race, and sudden true and utter panic and terror rushed through her body. She must have gone very pale, or at least something about her suddenly had Lyon looking stunned, and a little concerned. Her heart was racing, she was breathing in slightly panicked breaths, her head and eyes falling away from him and locking to the floor, her hands gripping her arms tightly and a large bead of sweat falling down her face.
Her eyes locked on to the long, jagged scar running up from her wrist, that curled up her arm and over her shoulder, and she gripped her arm tightly,
" Horatia ," Lyon's voice broke through the waves of echoing and ghostly screams of terror falling on her ears. He had moved closer, his hand resting gently on her shoulder, "... Are you alright?" Lyon asked, his voice serious as Hora took in a small breath, eyes closing as she lift her head a little, nodding once.
"... I'm ok..." She mumbled, one eye opening to cast a glance his way and the confused look he wore, as well as the sudden worry etched on to his face- which she had begun to realize, was mostly always nearly expressionless and neutral. "Sorry... I didn't... I guess I just wasn't expecting that to be your answer." She chuckled lowly, humorlessly and a little nervously.
"... Did... Are you...?" He started slowly, seeming to have a hard time piecing the words together as the look of utter shock took over his features, eyes glinting in sudden understanding and a faint look of recognition. He knew that haunted look that had passed over her face all too well... It was a look he saw in himself, in Sherry, Yuka, Tobi, and Gray.
"... Yeah." She mumbled lowly, smiling a little nervously with a small nod of her head. "... I was really, really young... When Deliora destroyed my village, and my family. I got out," her grip on her arm tightened a little, his eyes flicking toward the long and deep scar.
"... Barely."
Lyon's eyes glittered, sweatdropping a little as concern and a sudden softness took over his features a moment. He never imagined he'd ever run into anyone else whose life Deliora had managed to ravage, let alone someone who seemed... Young.
How old could she have even been? When Deliora ...? She was younger than he was, by quite a number of years.
Hora's eyes remained fixed on the bar counter, sweatdropping heavily as they passed into a small strained silence a moment.
"... I didn't know anybody else managed to survive in that Demon's quake..." She said quietly, eyes dulling a little. "... Especially... Not after knowing my entire village was killed... I thought I was the only one who managed to make it through..."
.:+:.
... She... Her Village was destroyed but Deliora ...
Lyon stiffened, the dodging of his eyes between her and his childhood friend growing a tad faster as he swallowed. He looked over them both, his eyes tracing over every detail of their faces, the shape of their jaws, the deep blue of their eyes- everything, and his heart skipped a beat.
No way-
.:+:.
Hora smiled shyly at Sherria, who still beamed about the small display like a child would. "Ah, it wasn't that cool..." She murmured,
"It totally was! Nearly as cool as love~"
Lyon's eyes narrowed, seeing Hora smile at Sherria softly, calmly... Again he was hit by the sense; she somehow seemed familiar. But still, he wasn't sure why.
.:+:.
"You seem to have relaxed."
Hora's eyes moved sideways toward Lyon, who had been sitting beside her in silence for some time now. Her attention and her eyes moved toward Lyon, having been faintly aware he was still sitting beside her, but thinking nothing of it as she was lost in her own thoughts. He gazed at her steadily, as she nodded a little.
"Yeah, I suppose I have." She smiled slightly, he blinked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"... You seem familiar somehow." He said suddenly, catching her slightly off guard. Her head tilted, blinking in question.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure... Its almost like I've seen you before. Just something about your face." He murmured and she sweatdropped slightly, shrugging a little.
"Hmm, well I wouldn't see why." She replied, "I think I would have remembered if we had met before."
"I suppose that's true." He relented, sighing slightly as he shook the thought off.
.:+:.
-He knew that face
That face in a boy he'd grown up with, trained with, fought with- and that same face echoed in a girl who he'd met only a few months ago, and had grown close to in near record time. He knew that face, he'd recognized it right away though it never clicked in his head until that very instant- and when it did, Lyon felt like his breath had been snatched away by the realization, the shock, the impossibility... And the absolute certainty that followed it, despite it not being rational, nor should it have even been possible.
He knew that face and he knew instantly why- his attention got fixed on her eyes and he found himself suddenly staring into the same ones he had known for years... They were exactly the same color, and he'd seen exactly the same fear, pain and grief in those eyes between both of them. When Deliora was mentioned, or their thoughts wandered to the horrors lived through at the Demon's claws... Horrors they both lived through, and in the exact same time and place.
There was no way, but there was no doubt in Lyon's mind either- just shock, and a rush of it as he looked between both Horatia and Gray and it all came crashing down on his head at once.
It all made sense, all those little moments of thinking she looked familiar, the way Sherria said they smelled the same, knowing about Deliora, the way Hora was acting nervous and on edge- all of it.
He saw it in an instant and he could not unsee it... Nor could he still his racing thoughts and all the questions, confusion, and shock that followed. Especially when he saw Gray huff and look away in agitation, ending the conversation abruptly and so terribly, terribly clueless-
"Tch, fine whatever... I'm not arguing anymore, it's a waste of time." Gray muttered, crossing his arms over his chest hotly. "Whatever the hell your problem is, I don't care. Just make sure it's not gonna be a problem when we're fighting, got it?" The Ice-Mage grumbled flatly and Hora nearly flinched again at the sternness of the tone, and the 'I don't care'. Her eyes dropped to her hands as she wrung them together tightly in front of her, nodding stiffly as her expression twisted, and Lyon swallowed hard at it.
"... Yeah, it won't be a problem, I swear..." Hora mumbled quietly, Gray paused half a second, before shaking his head and letting it be.
"Well, probably ought to start heading out then, yeah?" Gray hummed, his eyes turning toward Lyon next, and the Lamia Wizard paused half a second, before offering up a cool and placid smile.
"Yes, we probably should." Lyon hummed, "You ought to let the rest of your Guild know we'll be going." He murmured and Gray and Juvia nodded,
"Yeah, see you in a bit." Gray replied easily, smirking as he waved a hand at them and turned, Juvia at his heel. "When I get back I'll wipe the floor with you." Gray chuckled, and Lyon simply let out a breath at it.
"Sherria, will you please let everyone know we're about ready to start heading out?" Lyon said coolly, turning toward the young girl and earning a blink from her. "I'd like to have a quick word with Horatia before we go." He murmured, and Sherria and Hora both jumped a little in surprise.
"... You do..?" Hora mumbled, and Lyon smiled faintly at her.
"If you're willing." He hummed, and she paused, before nodding slowly.
"... Uh, sure..."
Sherria smiled slightly, nodding brightly toward Lyon and backing up a pace. "Okay! I'll let the Guild know!" She chirped, before turning on her heel and skipping away. She cast a sly glance over her shoulder back at the two, clapping her hands together in front of her a little gleefully.
"Ah, Love~!"
Hora glanced from Sherria skipping off (not hearing anything of the 'love' comment) and slowly toward Lyon, her hands still linked together in front of her and quite unsure with the 'quick word'. "... Ah, so what do you wanna talk about?" She asked softly, her head tilting at him and how quickly the smile he'd put up went away. Instead his expression fell flat, almost unreadable now, but she swore she saw... Tension...?
"... Let's move over here, alright?" He told her softly, gesturing in a direction off to the edges of the square and as far from everyone else as was possible. She faltered at it, but followed him anyway as he lead her there, and then drew up once he was sure they would not be eavesdropped on... With Hora fidgeting more by the second.
"... Uhm, Lyon...? You're acting a little weird now, is something wrong...?" She mumbled quickly and he seemed to bite his cheek, turning back to face her slowly and his eyes steady on her. "... Ah, if this is about me being okay to fight, I will be okay, I promise...!" She started quickly but he shook his head, and she cut off.
"... It's not that... At least not entirely." He murmured, his eyes dropping a way from her for a moment as if he wasn't sure what he meant to say next, and Hora swallowed a little.
... Okay something is definitely off-
He forced a small breath, the neutrality in his face being replaced with something like ache, and unease, and even sadness- and she stared, her thoughts stalling at the look.
"... Your name is not Horatia, is it?"
She froze, her breathing stopped, her heart did too, she just stopped- the question rang deafeningly on her ears and the world shuddered to a halt too. She went rigid, her fingers immediately latching together so tightly her knuckles turned white, and she almost felt like the ground dropped out from underneath her.
W- wha ...?
"... Forgive me being so forward, but I have to ask." Lyon went on carefully, oh so very aware of how quickly she went stiff, and the fright that ignited in those dark blue eyes of hers- the reaction was enough that he actually did not need an answer, and his stomach curled. He stepped closer to her by half a pace, his voice dropping slightly as she just stood there, rigid, paralyzed.
"... Your real name is Aida Fullbuster, you're Gray's younger sister, aren't you?"
She was wrong- this time the ground definitely fell out from under her.
She sucked in a shuddering gasp of air, the color draining from her face in an instant and the question leaving her feeling sick, and panicked.
She'd not heard that name in so long- she'd not even thought it, not in years, a lifetime.
She'd not heard it spoken aloud in a time too long to even remember, and now when she did it sounded foreign in her ears. Frighteningly so.
No
No, no
No, n-no...!
H-how... W...would he...?
He can't... K-know that...!
N-Nobody knows that..!
She was shaking now, trembling and scared, she stepped back from him and he grimaced at it, his hands reaching for her instinctively, only to falter when she recoiled at the gesture. His face fell when he saw the tears start to well at the corners of her eyes,
"... Are you alright...?" He mumbled quickly,
"...h...how... How do you... Even...?" She hissed shakily and he grimaced faintly,
"... Well, I didn't realize it until just now... Sherria mentioned your scents were quite similar..." Lyon explained quietly, "... When we first met I thought you looked familiar, do you remember...? It makes sense, your hair may be different than his, but your facial structure is so similar... And your eyes are exactly the same." He told her, "... And then knowing about how when you were young and your village was destroyed by Deliora... Well... with how you were acting around him, it just... Made sense... I've known Gray all the my life, I'm frankly a little shocked it took this long for me to... See it..." He mumbled, before trailing off a little when she stiffened further at the explanation, her eyes flashing and a shaky hiss escaping her.
"... B...but... He... Gray... T.. Told you... A...about me...?" She stammered, her voice barely above a whisper and Lyon faltered at the question,
What did she...?
"... O-of course he did..." He answered quickly, "... Why would he not...?" He mumbled and she dropped her eyes from him, her hands tightening together so hard she must have been bruising them.
"... T...tch... B... Because... What happened... Was just... Awful..." She hissed through gritted teeth, "... W...why would he... I-if it just... Brought back up... A-all the bad...?"
Lyon stared, his eyes widening a tad and feeling like something struck him straight through the chest.
She didn't mean-?
He swallowed, his hands moving forward again and this time not drawing up halfway through- he caught her hands up in his own, holding firmly to her but tenderly still, and she jumped slightly at the gesture. "Of course it... It's always been difficult for Gray to talk about what happened with Deliora, or his life before it... It was hard on him, as hard as it was on I or you... But none of the feelings or the fear, or anything else would ever make him try to ignore it happened, or forget it either." Lyon told her steadily, "For all the time I have known him, he mentioned you and your family very rarely- but he did speak of you. And I know he's always kept you and your parents in his thoughts all this time, even if the memory of you ached for him." He murmured, his hands around hers tightening slightly. "... You're his family, he would never forget you." Lyon told her quietly, and her shoulders hunched further at it. "... Why haven't you told him who you are? He'd be overjoyed to know you're alive, he deserves to know...! You need to tell him-!" Lyon murmured steadily and this time her eyes snapped up to him, all full of pain and fear, but suddenly steely too and he broke off.
"I can't!" She hissed, "I can't tell him that right now..! N-not with all the shit going on...!" She growled, "I... I didn't even know he was alive until last night!" She snapped, her voice cracking painfully and Lyon stiffened. "A-all this time I thought everybody died, and that I w-was the only o-one who got out..! I didn't know he was alive, or a Mage, or in Fairy Tail- I didn't know any of it..! I w-was out in the middle of Crocus with Jiemma t-trying to kill me, and then I woke up and he was there...! I couldn't fathom it... I... I wanted to tell him right then, b-but... But I can't...!" She snapped lowly, the tears still pecking at the corners of her eyes, and it was taking everything she had not to let them spill completely. "All of this has been so... So fucking insane...! The last few months have been awful, but the last week... W-with almost not coming back after North Wind, a-and Yukino getting kicked out, the Guild b-being stuck under Jiemma and Minerva... A...and then Lucy, and Lector, the P-Possession Link, the Eclipse Gate a...and... Fuck ... I... Everything has been spinning further and further out of control, and I am barely keeping up...!"
Her voice broke again and she had to stop for a few seconds to just breathe, Lyon's face pulling with every word and every shaky, painful gasp that broke those words apart.
"A-And... Now... We... We're about to be facing... 10,000 Dragons...! A-and trying... T...to divert a Future that's... That's already won before... H-how the hell could... Could I tell him about... M...me... R...right now...?! W-what good would it do...?! It'd j-just be dumping more c-crazy on top of all the r-rest of the insanity..!" She snapped hoarsely, her eyes scrunching closed against the stinging in her eyes and she let out a low growl at it. "... F...fuck... I... I'm barely keeping myself from falling apart completely... I... If I tell him now... I can't handle anymore... Not... Not tonight... I... I can't..." She stammered breathlessly, her head bowing slightly and the tears speckling the ground at her feet. Her knees were shaking so badly now they threatened to give out on her, and Lyon swallowed hard, his hands unfolding from around hers and instead catching her elbows in an attempt to steady her a little.
He hadn't anticipated this reaction at all, nor how quickly she was falling apart... He'd already known things had been crazy with what he'd managed to overhear, but this...? It was like she had the world crashing down over her head, and all he'd managed to do was make it fall over her head all the worse.
"... Ai... Horatia..." He started uncertainly and she sniffed, holding her breath for a few seconds as she seemed to fight to calm herself down again, and it was not an easy task. "... Forgive me I didn't realize talking about this would be so difficult for you... I wasn't intending to pressure you..." He mumbled softly, his eyes flashing. "... I understand why you wish to wait... and I will leave it be." He told her calmly, "... It's not my place to interfere... But you will tell him eventually, yes?" He asked softly, "Once things settle and you're ready...?"
Hora swallowed hard, nodding faintly as she took in a deep breath and held it, her trembling stilling slightly as she rubbed at her eyes rather roughly. When she glanced back up again the tears were gone and she let the breath she had been holding out, sniffing one more time as she let out a little sigh.
"... yeah... I will..." She mumbled quietly, "... Just... after we get through all this..." Lyon nodded slightly, and she shot him a slightly uneasy look. "... sorry... for getting so... worked up..." She apologized quickly,
"Don't worry about it." He mumbled, his hands leaving her elbows slowly and tilting his head at her. "Are you alright...?"
"Yeah." She murmured, her eyes closing as she took in one big, deep breath, and then her hands lift toward her face, smacking her cheeks twice and rather roughly- Lyon stiffened at the action, but Hora did not seem to care. She let the breath she was holding out again and her eyes flashed, a little bit of steadiness creeping back into her, and so quickly it was like all that pain and discomfort and fear hadn't been there at all... And Lyon wondered how long she'd had to practice to make it seem so easy to hide all that... turmoil.
Hora's hands closed into fists, her posture straightening and a small, only faintly weary smile crossing her face. "You ready for me to show you up, Ice-Boy?" She hummed and he smiled slightly, though it was a little more sad than he meant it to be. He dipped his head to her, his hands hooking behind his back.
"I look forward to it."
They headed back toward where the rest of Lamia Scale waited, Hora sticking close to Lyon and smiling faintly as they met back up with Sherria, and then a little less when Gray and Juvia came back up to their group, but she tried her best.
Both Lyon and Hora never saw the way Rogue and Sting were watching them intently across the square, both of them stiff in their spots and minds racing. They hadn't intended to tune into the conversation, but they couldn't help themselves when Hora walked away to the edge of the square alone with the Lamia Wizard. At first they just wanted to know it was nothing bad that Lyon wanted to talk about... and then when they heard the topic, they could not stop listening.
Not to every hitching breath, stammered word, every painful thing, and how quickly Hora seemed to be crumbling and how desperately she fought against it, and still ended up failing. They stood in stillness with their heads tilted toward the two and utterly fixed, their ears trained to nothing else and their hearts racing and dropping into their feet all at once. They couldn't believe it, they couldn't fathom it- they didn't know what to think, or feel really at all.
How could they not have known? How could they not have seen it themselves..? Their scents were a dead giveaway, they realized it the instant Lyon said Sherria had picked up on it.
And her name...? It wasn't the one they knew so well, and had known her by for so long...?
On top of everything else... she was still hiding this...? Forcing herself away from... from telling her own brother she was... alive...?
Because... it would only make the situation worse...?
And... she couldn't do it... without breaking...?
They grimaced to themselves, their eyes darting away from Hora and to the ground, their hands balling into fists at their sides.
... Hora...
Hello! everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, we're heading right into the fighting in the next one- and just that little bit closer to the big reveal! QwQ
Thank you all for sticking with me so long! There is a new image of Hora up on my Deviantart featuring the outfit she's got this chapter :D
<3
Chapter 32: Hardly-Baked
Chapter Text
Chapter 32
Hardly-Baked
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
There was the deep, solemn ringing of a bell that echoed over the silent figure of Crocus. The city and everyone in it stood quiet, waiting with baited breath, and bathed under a blood red moon.
"On this night July 7- ten thousand dragons will descend on Crocus, and the kingdom will be decimated."
Hora grimaced slightly, her blue eyes turned a muddy violet hue as they reflected the crimson glow overhead. She felt the dread still hanging over her head, a dark shadow that had not gone away even after finding the one that had lurked at the edges of her vision the last few days.
This is it... Time's almost up
10,000 Dragons on their way, ready to destroy everything... Like they've managed twice already
She bit the inside of her cheek, her hands clenching into fists at her sides and grumbling internally.
It had to be enough, right? That things hadn't gone the way they were supposed to? Enough that she was there now? Very much alive and not bending to the will of the Future, denying it her death even when it seemed to be trying so hard to snatch her life from her?
It had to be enough... but even still.
... This is gonna be bad, huh...?
She shook her head furiously at herself for the intrusive thought, gritting her teeth.
Shit, I shouldn't think that-
'-It's better than fooling yourself with unrealistic notions.' Lixue intoned dryly, and she grimaced at it. 'None of this will be 'good'- you and all the rest of the Wizards are planning to face the might of a horde of Dragons, and one of a number that is larger than what Mages you have on your side. Even a band of 50 or 100 Wizards against a single Dragon would have a difficult time- you are all at quite a disadvantage in this.'
... Well you're a ray of sunshine Lixue... Thanks for that...
'I'm simply being rational.'
She huffed lowly under her breath at him, her teeth gritting further at the words- but hell, he had a point.
I hate it when you're right though
'As do I, occasionally.'
Hmph
The conversation got stopped there (though Lixue did seem to grumble a bit in the back of her head for it), and Hora's attention diverted to her right, Lyon stepping up beside her. A few feet to their right and a bit behind them both was Juvia and Gray, the Fairies having been talking to Lyon quietly for a moment or two before he broke off- and Sherria was somewhere a few streets over now with Yuka, Tobi and Jura (Sherry had apparently decided to join her fiancé for the incoming fight and gone off with Blue Pegasus).
Lyon's eyes narrowed at the eerily red moon overhead as he paused beside her, his eyes trailing from the sky to catch her gaze from the side. He smiled faintly as their gazes matched, only just, and a little sadly too for a moment and she bit the inside of her cheek for it- but the look was gone soon enough and he let out a small sigh.
"... I suppose we'll be seeing which of the three of our Ice Magics compare soon here, hmm?" Lyon murmured lightly, and Hora smiled a touch nervously at it.
"... Ah, you two are totally gonna outclass me..." She mumbled quickly, her hand rubbing the back of her neck a bit. "I've not actually been able to use the Ice Magic half until... Well, a day ago actually..." She explained softly and Lyon blinked in surprise at it. "... It was kinda blocked off, while I had that Possession Link on me... So it came back, when the Link was gone... But I don't really have any experience with it, so I can't even begin to compare to you two. Especially not since you've been using your Maker Magic for as long as you have..." She mumbled, and Lyon tilted his head curiously.
"... Would you not have gained experience using it before the Possession Link was placed on you?" He mused, and Hora smiled nervously still.
"... Uhm... Not really...?" She mumbled, "... Ah, I'd only had this Magic for like a little over a year or so before Jiemma put the the Link on me... And I was mostly trying to figure out the Devil Slayer part, not the Ice portion... I figured out a few things with the Ice Magic... Like tiny, simple Spells... But nothing substantial really..." She mumbled, tapping her fingers together a bit pensively as her eyes fell from Lyon and toward her hands. "... It didn't really help anything that Lixue didn't really like me back then either, so it wasn't like he helped me out in trying to learn his Magic better... And then when he got caught off by the Possession Link... Well, any amount of using his Magic is just the little I figured out when I was a kid, and... I guess just forcing it, for all the rest." She murmured, her eyes flashing a little. "... I don't know it well enough to manage any fancy Spells, or anything with all that much control and precision, not like you or... Gray would be able to..." She added quietly, and Lyon blinked slowly.
"... Who is 'Lixue'...?" He mumbled, and Hora stiffened.
"O-oh, uhm... Well..." She murmured quickly, smiling nervously again and tapping her fingers together still. "... It's gonna sound crazy, but... The Lacrima in my chest, where the Ice Magic comes from...? It's not just a regular old Lacrima, it's actually got the LifeForce of a Creature that uses Ice Magic in it... And that Creature is Lixue... That's his name, and he's still... Kinda alive, even though he's in the Lacrima... And I can hear him in my head, since we're connected... And talk to him..." She mumbled, all too aware of the way his face fell at the information, and how unsure he seemed about it. "... Uhm... So since he's still technically alive... It... It is his Magic, and he has control over it along with me, so he can choose to some degree how much I'm allowed to use it... Or well... I could technically force it and use it whenever I want, without getting permission or whatever, but... it's generally better if we agree on everything and work together... Uhm..." She mumbled, trailing off again and smiling apologetically at him. "... I'm sorry, I know that sounds insane... But I'm telling the truth, its... Just kinda hard to explain, or... Wrap your head around... I swear I'm not crazy and hearing a voice that isn't real... He's definitely real... I just... Have no way to prove that... Ah... At all..."
Lyon just blinked once more, the confusion and unease on his face fading as a more neutral look overtook his expression, and he nodded slowly.
"... I can't say I understand it really, but... I know you're telling the truth, it's just... Unheard of to me, so it is hard to wrap my mind around." He murmured at length, and Hora smiled a little wearily at it. "But from what I think I'm gathering... You never learned much about using your Ice Magic because... Well I suppose if Lixue wasn't overly fond you back then, then he would not have allowed you much use of the Magic even before he was... Blocked off...? And that is why you have so little experience with it...?" He asked slowly, and she nodded.
"Ah, yeah that's pretty much the gist." She hummed, and he nodded a bit, looking thoughtful for a few moments, and Hora let him be.
To be fair, her lack of experience with Lixue's Magic wasn't so much an issue in the grand scheme of things, she was fairly well proficient with her Devil Slayer Magic, and it would be plenty enough on it's own- especially for all this... Or well, she hoped so. And besides, Lixue was still damaged after the Possession Link fiasco, so using any of his Magic wasn't really a good idea right now anyway- lest using it end up doing more harm than good, and make Over-Drive all the worse when it finally hit.
"... Are you and Lixue... On better terms now?" Lyon murmured next, and Hora paused, her eyes dropping a moment.
.:+:.
"So instead, I will make it simple, and I will only tell you what I know as truth." Lixue murmured softly. "You are not perfect. You are insecure, scared, haunted, and at the best of times- truly a mess. And you have made many, many mistakes in your short life- some of which could have been perhaps avoided, or handled better, that is true." He told her rather matter-of-factly, and Hora grimaced, her shoulders hunching. "You have hurt people, mostly without want to, and you do feel regret for it. But of anyone, you have hurt yourself the most- by far. You are not unendingly strong, and a large fraction of the time, your success's are drawn mostly from stubbornness and dumb luck. And you are certainly not the strongest human, or even close to it- and you are certainly not the brightest either. There are plenty more in this world stronger, more powerful, more intelligent, and more capable with Magic than you."
She hunched a little more, her hands falling from her head to holding her cheeks, hiding her face almost as she hissed, her breaths still raggedy and shallow. "Tch... If this is supposed... T...to be a pep talk... Lixue... It sucks..." She whispered, and Ultear looked like she agreed- but Lixue just sighed heavily at the comment.
"Let me finish." He grumbled. "All of what I have said is true... But none of it matters." He told her, and Hora paused, her mind stalling in confusion. "You do not have to be the strongest, or the most powerful, or the smartest, or even be the most capable Mage. You do not have to confident, or fearless, and you do not have to be incapable of making mistakes- all living beings make mistakes. It is a part of being alive." He rumbled lowly, "You do not have to be any of these things, and you do not need to be perfect... Because the simple truth is that you are enough, just as you are."
Hora blinked, her heart skipping a beat as the words seemed to ring on her ears for a moment or two.
W...what...?
"Despite all your shortfalls, and your mistakes, and the pain you carry with you always- you are enough. You always have been, and you always will be. You are enough, just as you are, and with every flaw included." Lixue rumbled, "You are enough... And you needn't be the answer for everything, you needn't be the key to stopping the destruction this world is fated for- you needn't be the hero of this story who slays the beast and saves the world all on your own. Your life spared does not make you the sole being capable of these things, and you shouldn't believe it does... You being alive is enough."
Hora swallowed hard, her eyes flashing and trembling still, locked in place and her ears ringing with every calm, steady, rumbling word.
"The simple fact that you are still live when you are not meant to be is all the proof needed to believe that fate can be changed- that is all that is needed. You do not need to be the hero, and you do not need to have all the answers. Things will happen as they do, it is not up to you to fix everything. The only thing you need do is be there, in any capacity you are able." Lixue rumbled softly, his head bending slightly as his nose pressed against the top of her head. Hora choked on the sob that hit her, her eyes flashing, and trembling under the gentleness of the touch.
"Just live."
.:+:.
I guess... We are on better terms now, aren't we Lixue?
'... Hmm, very much so. Of all those I have known before, and been bound with- you certainly rank as one who I am happy to be bound to... Regardless of your stubbornness.' Lixue murmured gently, his voice cool and soft, and she smiled a little for it, nodding a bit as her eyes glittered. A small, soft smile suddenly crossed her her face, and Lyon tilted his head at it.
... Me too, Lixue...
"... Yeah, we are." Hora murmured softly in reply to Lyon's question, her eyes still down as she said it and Lyon's head tilting a little more for how... Happy she seemed just then, before he smiled slightly himself for it, his expression softening.
"... That's great." He murmured softly, his hand falling on her shoulder lightly and Hora glanced up at him again, dark blue eyes gleaming as she nodded a little. "I am wondering though... How long have you had this Magic...? You would have gained both the Fire Devil Slaying Magic and Lixue at the same time, if the Ice Magic was meant to counter the other, as you explained to your Guild... Right? If you only had it for a year or so before meeting Jiemma, when did you learn it? And how, if you don't mind my asking...?" He murmured next, and she hesitated, the smile breaking a bit and he noticed it instantly. She seemed to swallow, her eyes darting away from him and her hands wringing together in front of her,
"... Uhm... I uh... Received both Lixue and the... Devil Slayer Magic from... A man I didn't know, really..." Hora mumbled quietly, tensely even and Lyon's eyes narrowed slightly. "... He... Passed the... 'mantel'... So to speak... To me... Uhm... That happened... W...when I was... Six... Almost seven..." She explained lowly, and Lyon stiffened in surprise at it.
She was that young? That couldn't have been much longer after-
She shifted a bit uncomfortably, her hands unlinking and her left one gripping tightly to her right arm, digging slightly into that deep, long scar that stretched down the arm from shoulder to wrist, and Lyon went rigid at the sight of it, and how his thoughts clicked together so quickly for it.
"... Uhm... It... It was... When... Y...you know..." She mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper as she said it and Lyon grimaced. She swallowed hard, her hold on her arm getting a little tighter for a moment and he instantly regretted asking at all. "... Ah... A...anyway... It's... Not really a pleasant... Story... But uh... I hope that... Answers your question...? I've had it... A long time..." She mumbled and he nodded,
"... Yes, it does... I am sorry for bringing it up, Horatia..." Lyon murmured quickly, his hand finding her shoulder again and looking quite uneasy now. "... I didn't mean to bring up further... unpleasant things..." He mumbled and she shook her head a bit,
"... It's okay, you didn't realize... You were just being curious..."
Gray bit the inside of his cheek a little, casting Lyon and Hora a glance over his shoulder and grumbling slightly under his breath. Juvia beside him was quiet too, and listening to the Lamia and Saber Wizard in sheer silence. Both Juivia and Gray had tuned in on Lyon and Horatia talking, eavesdropping sort of, but it wasn't like they were that far away so it was easy to hear... Not that either of them really got any of it, mind you.
Gray huffed, his eyes flashing as he shot them one more, lingering look. his eyes narrowing to slits.
He only caught the tail end of the thing about 'Lixue' (and decided quite quickly he wasn't gonna think about it, it was way too crazy for his taste)... but the ending bit about her getting her Magic and when was what caught his main focus. Because clearly there was something Lyon knew in that conversation Gray hadn't a clue about, and given how jumpy Horatia looked when it was mentioned- it only made him more curious about whatever the 'you know' was, as she had put it. But more so than that, what irked him most was how strangely close Lyon and the Saber seemed. They hadn't known each other that long at all, they'd only met a few months ago and not seen each other since, right? Sherria had mentioned what had prompted any of Lamia meeting Hora in the first place a bit earlier, and how they'd not seen her since that time- so what the hell?
Why did she and Lyon seem so... Chummy? It was really freaking weird- Gray knew Lyon, and that guy wasn't chummy with anyone.
Gray grit his teeth, huffing again at the thought and looking away from the two of them altogether.
Something about Horatia irked him still- she'd been irking him since he met her and it had not gone away... And he hated it, it was annoying as hell and he didn't get why- he especially did not get why she seemed so nervous around him, and for no good reason.
I ain't done anything to her, so what is her deal?
It is just with me too- she hasn't been acting weird around anyone else, not Lyon or Sherria- hell, she wasn't acting weird even with Erza .
She's all friendly with everyone else and she's not fidgety unless I pop up- it makes no sense.
Tch... She's definitely got some kind of screw loose or something...
He grumbled at the thought, shaking his head roughly and tossing it away as quickly as he could manage- he couldn't brood about it, he had to keep his head in the game.
Hmph... Her weirdness better not be an issue when we're fighting those Dragons, that's all I'm saying...
Hora forced a small breath, unlatching her hand from holding her arm and shaking herself out a bit as she did so. Lyon retracted his hand from her shoulder and gave her a moment to settle again, still looking faintly guilty for bringing up the subject even despite her assurance it was fine... He had more he wanted to ask of course, a great deal more, but he didn't wish to upset her again- she'd been upset enough when he confronted her earlier about her relation to Gray, and for tonight, that was all she needed (and could handle, as she said).
And besides, there was still that incoming disaster looming over their heads- it was probably best to end the distractions there and be ready for whatever may come.
Hora stiffened suddenly, her head snapping left, and turning slightly back toward the center of the city as her ears picked up on the distant sound of something heavy grinding. The earth under her feet rumbled faintly, imperceptibly so, but it definitely shook, and she bit the inside of her cheeks. Lyon, Gray and Juvia all noticed the reaction right off, their eyes narrowing at the Saber and instantly on edge as she was.
"What is it?" Lyon murmured lowly, Hora shook her head a bit.
"... I think they're activating the Eclipse Gate now." She mumbled lowly in reply, "I can hear the gears grinding, back in the direction where it's supposed to be... The ground is shaking a bit too." She murmured, and they all nodded a bit to the news.
"... It's starting then." Lyon murmured lowly, his eyes moving from having looked back where Hora was and out toward the edges of the capital, and the dark lands waiting beyond. "... 10,000 Dragons coming to this city, all tonight." He mumbled, Hora bit the inside of her cheeks a little further.
... Rogue... Sting... Natsu... Lucy.. Everybody... Please... Please be careful...
She stiffened a bit further when the grinding on the edge of her senses cut off with a loud clang, and then the feel of the shaking grew a bit firmer, and a bit more persistent. She growled under her breath at it, her eyes moving to the edges of the city too and the dark horizon along with all the rest- all the Mages waiting on the streets of Crocus, quiet, tense. Waiting and watchful for what deep, dark storm full of fierce, legendary, and oh-so dangerous creatures were to descend upon them with intent to wreak complete, and utter havoc.
It was deadly quiet. So much so it seemed incredibly unlikely that that amount of Dragons could so suddenly appear in the sky and cause what damage they were fated to bring about.
... Seriously, nobody's seen Dragons in more than an age, besides Sting and Rogue and the other 1st Gen. Dragon Slayers... And all of a sudden there's gonna be 10,000 of them? All at once?
'Unlikely' doesn't seem a good enough word... 'Impossible' either, really...
'... A good point.' Lixue murmured lowly, 'Especially so since I was under the impression the bulk of the Dragons had all perished long ago... I cannot imagine where they would have been all this time, to remain so hidden, and with such number.'
... Yeah, I can't think of where they'd have been all this time either...
Her eyes narrowed to slits as a shiver ran up her spine, that same lurking dread and shadow still persistent- and suddenly sharper with the thought.
There it was again- that feeling something still wasn't right.
Because it... Doesn't make any sense... Does it...?
... Lixue, are you really sure that the Dragons would all mostly dead by now...?
'I am a bit out of the loop certainly, having been not technically living for so long- but I had believed the time of the Dragons had come and gone, yes.' Lixue replied quietly, and she bit down on the insides of her cheeks even harder for it.
... Yeah... them having reached the end of their time makes more sense then... Them not being... Dead...
'... What are you thinking, Horatia...?' Lixue asked slowly, and she shook her head a little stiffly.
"... I don't know..." She mumbled under her breath, and earning a few curious glances from Juvia, Gray and Lyon alike at her sudden mumbling, but Hora paid them absolutely no mind. "... I just... Can't think of any reasonable explanation of why... They'd just... Pop up... With no warning..." She mumbled quietly still, her eyes narrowing at the eerie red moon overhead, her arms falling on her hips. "... Or why he was so convinced... Lucy closed the Gate... Even if it meant... Condemning... Everyone..."
The rumbling deep in the earth underneath her feet sharpened a bit, jumping almost, and she heard the low humming from the direction of the Eclipse Gate get a little louder- and then slowly followed by metal hinges grinding, and the hiss of air and pressure releasing.
"... Or why... I'd still have to... Be dead... For his plan... To... Work..." She mumbled quietly still, another chill running up her spine (and everyone else's too when they caught the words- because what?).
"... If it was just about... Diverting the disaster... Why would I... Have to die...?" She mumbled softly,
.:+:.
"... if any of them were as they are, where I am now, they would try and change what will come... but I cannot risk the future changing, the Dragon King Festival must go on... the Eclipse Gate must open."
Hora gulped, her mind racing her heart pounding like a drum.
Dragon King what...?! And what the hell is an 'Eclipse Gate'...?!
"... this must happen for the future to remain as I need it... even with you no longer at the Inn, when Jiemma acts, Rogue will understand what has happened... he will know why you never come back, Horatia." The voice went on lowly, every word of it making her heartrate pick up and the terror get worse-
N-never come back...? W-what... what is this... guy talking about...?
"... and he will know who to blame, and who it is who is responsible for killing you."
She felt her heart stop altogether, her breath snatched away and eyes wide- paralyzed, taken and blind, with someone whose breath still brushed against her neck- her world gone and empty and cold around her and her nose filled with a scent that was so close to being familiar, but that was so, so wrong... so twisted.
And a voice that was so cold and empty and still... s...still...
... w...why... why does it almost... s...sound like... R-Rogue's... voice...?
A-and... what does he mean... k.. kill me...?
"And his convictions will solidify when they find your body... when he realizes that you died alone... with your death, the future unfolds as it should... and the Eclipse Gate will open, the Dragon King Festival will go on- and I will still have what I came for."
W-wait... I.. i...?!
The hands moved, releasing her but her body still wouldn't listen- she couldn't see him, her Captor, everything was still too dark, they were still floating in a world of jet black- but she could feel that Stranger move, trailing around her until he was in front of her. They were so close she could feel their body against hers, their hands hooking behind her head and her neck as she felt their body-heat wash against her face... they... whoever it was, they were pressed so close... too close...!
"... hmm... alone and in agony... left to die on the streets without anyone near... destroyed by the actions of someone you and I once called friend." He hissed, his thumbs tracing across her cheeks as he held her face... gently.
"Forgive me, Horatia. But even I won't wait to see you die a second time."
.:+:.
... Was... It me dying... That turned him into... What that Future Version was...?
... The one willing... To kill me... And Lucy... And... Maybe more than just... Us...?
The creaking sound and grinding metal kept coming, the hissing with it getting a little less fervent and the rumbling in the earth kept bumping up a tiny bit... And then there was something heavier that shook the land, a singular thing, followed by another, and then another... Like...
... Heavy... Footfalls...
Her eyes snapped off the moon and she turned back toward the center of the city, her heart skipping a beat and muscles locking when she heard a low, rumbling roar- far off, muffled almost, but getting closer, and her blood turned to ice.
She knew what that sound was, instinctively, and she knew what made it, and Lixue did too.
'Tch... That thing's primary use was a Doorway through Time, was it not...?!' Lixue snapped lowly, instantly on edge, instantly alert- both them were, and they both reached the same conclusion in an instant.
All the Dragons are already supposed to be dead- so how would they just appear here, with no warning...?!
Why would Lucy have tried to close it at all..?! Lucy who was more trustworthy than whatever twisted version of Rogue that had been, and who was so hellbent about-
Another roar swept out over the capital, louder this time and rolling like thunder out from the center- Hora wasn't the only person to hear it this time, and everyone else around her went stiff as stone.
"... what was that..?" Juvia mumbled,
"... And why is it coming from the Direction of the Eclipse Gate...?" Gray hissed, and Hora started moving immediately.
"He wanted it open...!" She snapped tensely, the Saber whipping around all the way as she did it, heart pounding. Her arm swung forward as she turned, the inky black Markings swirling up her arm and orange and red flame springing up as she swept her hand up into the air, her eyes flashing.
"W-wait what are you doing-?!" They snapped quickly, but she didn't stop.
The spire of flame she shot off rose above their heads at breakneck speed and quickly took the form of some large, fiery bird. It's wings beat down, ruffling everyone below with a storm of hot, wild air as it climbed high up over the roofs of the buildings and into sky- blazing orange and red against the dark backdrop of the night and letting out a loud squawk. It left immediately, streaking across the city and in the direction of where the Gate stood, and where a louder, more rumbling roar came from and so loud the buildings rattled for it.
And then it was followed quickly by another, and more heavy footfalls- SHIT!
"What is going on-?!" Gray and Juvia snapped in unison, Lyon quick to ask it too and the Saber turned to face them again, grim-faced and ruffled.
"Those are Dragon roars!" She snapped back quickly and they froze under the assertion, "That guy from the future who went after Lucy and I said the Gates had to open because it was the only way to destroy the Dragons- but that had to be a lie! Those roars are coming from where the Eclipse Gate is opening, all of a sudden there are Dragons in that direction- the Dragons are supposed to be dead, so how are they just popping up out of nowhere?!" She hissed, blue eyes flashing and shaking her head hotly, and their expressions fell into panicked and serious in three seconds flat.
"The Eclipse Gate's main purpose is to be a door through Time- opening it wasn't meant to destroy the Dragons, it's letting Dragons through! Right here, right now into our time, from sometime in the past where Dragons were still around!" Hora snapped, "He lied about what the Gate does! And Lucy doesn't try and close the Gate to ruin everything- she tries to stop the Dragons from getting through!"
"They have to close the Gate before any Dragons make it all the way here!"
The bird born of fire soared over the city and on a beeline for that huge, looming Gate spilling forth dust and harsh light- the Kingdom Soldiers, the Princess, Arcadios, Yukino, Mirajane, Wendy and the Exceeds wide-eyed and stunned. Lucy stood before the door, the blonde having started toward it the minute it began to open, slow, trance-like, her voice low and urgent.
"Close the Gate... We have to close the Gate."
There was a Dragon already stepping through it, it's roar that shook the city pushed them all back, knocking them from their feet and snapping them all from their stunned state- Lucy too, the blonde quick to realize the very thing Hora did, and hissing as she struggled to get back to her feet. The Princess of Fiore looked on in horror, stuck in place and heart plummeting at the sight of such a massive, powerful beast coming through the very thing that was supposed to destroy it.
We were tricked
Horatia's FireBird screeched as it came up over their heads, ash and ember falling from it's body- and a loud, clear voice erupting from the creature made of fire and ringing on their ears heavily.
"Close the Gate!"
The Mages grit their teeth, Lucy the first on her feet and darting forward toward the massive doors she'd been thrown away from, and the Dragon walking through still with more behind. The Firebird was quick to follow Lucy's movement, Yukino not far behind the blonde, and the bird made of flame diving headfirst into the Dragon in a blaze of fire, keeping it's attention off anyone else and sending hot air to whip out around the area. The Dragon roared as the Firebird clashed with it head on, the Dragon skidding back into the gate only an inch or two, before it threw it's weight forward against the bird and plunged it's claws into the fire without hesitation- and then ripped the bird to shreds. The Firebird screeched as it was ripped in two, before cutting off abruptly and falling deadly quiet- nothing but wisps of flame and a spray of ember left of it, and then quickly blown away into oblivion when the Dragon roared in fury for the resistance.
The Dragon lurched forward then, jumping through the gate entirely and another quick to follow- their calls shaking all of Crocus to the very core and Hora hissed, instantly aware her bird had been ripped apart and stiffening against the sensation.
"...Shit..!" She hissed under her breath, the black markings swirling across her skin again as flame sprung off her hand, intent on making another bird.
"Oi, what just happened?!" Gray snapped behind her, and she stiffened further against it, but that was it.
No time to be twitchy about him-!
"My bird just got ripped to shreds!" She hissed back, her arm sweeping up again and another bird bursting to life above them. But that bird got ripped apart before it ever fully formed by a flurry of wind that swept through the city. Hora, Lyon, Gray, Juvia, and everyone else in the city stumbled back by the sheer power behind it, and shielded their faces against it. The ground rumbled, a line of destruction carving through the city and obliterating buildings and entire streets as it went- throwing up rubble and huge slabs of debris, stone, wood, what have you. The Mages whipped about, stumbling as they fought to keep their feet and many struggling to back off from the sudden wanton destruction out of nowhere- Hora went rigid for it, blue eyes glittering and a heavy lump falling into the pits of her stomach.
"... was that... from a Dragon..?!" Juvia stammered, all four of them narrowing their eyes and trying to blink away the dust that had been churned up. Hora's eyes never found the bluenette as she stammered the question, she heard the flapping of great wings overhead and her attention snapped upward- the eerie red light of the moon blotting out as a massive shadow fell across it... no, shadows.
Three shadows, and from the roars at the gate there were certainly already more through-
SHIIIIIIITTTTT!
Hora's head snapped back around in the direction of the Eclipse Gate, golden light glowing faintly passed the roofs blocking her line of sight, and she grit her teeth.
She knew what the gold light had to be from, or at least- she hoped it was the glow of Lucy and Yukino's Celestial Magic. She hoped they'd realized what was going on, taking her bird's warning, and were already rushing to shut the Gate before more Dragons got through- and hopefully long before there were too many of those great and powerful beasts to contend with... shit, even one Dragon was bad enough, and there were already three..!
She hissed lowly, her arms swinging forward and fire burning bright off her skin, three dozen streams breaking off and condensing down into birds again- these ones were smaller than the first two, but she needed quantity over quality or strength now.
"Warn the rest of the Wizards in the city what's going on, help those at the Gate if you can, and keep track of how many Dragons get through!" Hora ordered sharply, the birds letting out shrill calls in answer before taking off at breakneck speed in all directions.
"Horatia, how did you know the Gate is supposed to let the Dragons through?!" Lyon asked quickly, "And what were talking about beforehand?! Who wanted it open, who said you were supposed to be dead...?!"
"Yeah what the hell is going on?!" Gray snapped hotly, and Hora grit her teeth harder, her eyes breaking from the distant gold glow and the continual shaking, and roaring of more Dragons breaking into their time.
"The other person from the future that went after us... None of it made any sense, nothing he said made any sense... Him saying I had to die in order to make sure the future that he needed to happen came about did not make any sense." Hora hissed, her blue eyes glittering as her expression pulled, slightly pained for a minute and they stiffened at the look. "The Rogue I know wouldn't try to kill me, not even if it was somehow going to save the future." She hissed lowly, "But a Rogue that wouldn't hesitate to try, and who needed me dead... And needed my Rogue to know I had died, so things would work out the way he wanted- that Rogue is someone I don't recognize, someone I don't trust... He never cared about saving the future, because that Rogue can't care about anything other than himself. He was a Rogue that was dead set on a future I wasn't alive in, and where no one would interfere with that Gate opening." She told them quietly, and their eyes grew even wider, their minds reeling.
"... W...wait... The other person from the future was... Rogue...?" They stammered, and Hora swallowed hard, her eyes flashing.
"He wasn't my Rogue." She grumbled lowly, "My Rogue would never do any of this... But that future one... I died in the Future Rogue's version of history..." She hissed, her eyes breaking from them and to the Dragons circling over their heads- six now.
"... And in that timeline... He... Became this... Awful, twisted version... That's... Tricked the Kingdom onto... Opening the Gate... Letting the Dragons in... For what I don't exactly... But..." She said lowly under her breath, her voice shaking slightly as she broke off- because that next thought that came was one that ached terribly.
...I think... I might have been the reason he... He turned into someone... Who could do all this... When I-
"... T...this is insane...!" Gray hissed,
"... B-but... Horatia if you're dead in the Future Rogue's timeline... Shouldn't that timeline have been erased already...?!" Lyon snapped, "You are still alive, how can you still be alive and a Rogue still exist from a timeline where you are not?!"
"Yeah, that doesn't make any sense-!" Gray chimed in, but Hora's eyes narrowed to slits, the Saber woman shaking her head curtly and the turmoil in her expression turning into steadiness in an instant.
"That Future that the Other Rogue wants is trying everything it can to return to the way it wants to be- the one where I'm not alive!" She snapped hotly in return, cutting them all off. "I know it sounds crazy, but that is the truth! A woman named Ultear found me, she told me what was gonna happen, and she told I'm supposed to be dead- but since I'm not, the timeline is in turmoil and it's trying to right itself, by any means necessary!"
She hardly noticed it, but the mention of Ultear earned shocked and familiar looks from the Fairy Tailers- though Hora did not pause.
"I'm not dead, but that doesn't mean the timeline is gonna stop trying to correct itself- it wants to go back to the way it already unfolded before now. That future exists still, it has to, as long as Time is trying to go back to the way it wants- that means the Future Rogue will probably exist all the way up until the very instant the future has no chance to go the way it wants. Me being alive is a hiccup, but things can still go badly enough that Future Rogue's future comes about-!"
Her words got caught off, everything shaking again and another wash of air sweeping through the city with much more fervor than before, and this time they weren't able to keep their feet. The glow of gold in the Direction of the Gate reached an all time high, the air itself vibrating with the intensity of it and the stars overhead almost burning white hot with no warning whatsoever. It was like the heavens suddenly surged, specks of terrifying power and heat sweeping across the sky and converging in over where the Gate was like a funnel- and then pouring downward out of the sky, blindingly bright and suffocating with how much pressure it gave off.
The wave of force and air it sent off upon making contact with the Eclipse Gate was enough to topple a few more buildings around it, as well as knock the Wizards from their feet- Hora stumbled back and landed in a mess with everyone else, her ears ringing for the boom, and the thundering, explosive clap of sound that came with something slamming shut.
Most, if not all, of the birds she'd sent out hastily not two minutes beforehand were snuffed out by the wind- only two remained, stubborn and resistant. One shot up high into the sky and imploded, the flames of it's body forming into an 'O', and Hora's eyes gleamed from where she'd only picked herself up a little of the way from the ground.
"They closed it-!" She said breathlessly, but again, she got cut off.
The last bird followed the first, rising high into the sky to be visible from all sides, it's body melting into the figure of a number- harsh red and orange against a deep black sky now being overtaken by massive, much too fast beasts.
'8'
Her heart dropped into her feet, her blood running cold and panic racing through her in an instant.
"... E-eight Dragons got through...?!" She stammered, everyone else around her wide-eyed and fearful- especially so when the bit of flame got broken apart, a Dragon's body slamming straight through it and snuffing out the orange light.
"Tch, that many...?!" Gray hissed, "The Gate was only open for like five minutes...!"
"That's more Dragons than we even have Dragon Slayers...!" Lyon hissed breathlessly,
The Dragons swept out over the city, incoming fast in all corners and dropping down into the streets, decimating entire buildings in swift flyovers, the debris bouncing off their scales harmlessly- and cutting the distance between themselves and the edges of the Capital and everything else with every second.
"They're destroying everything so easily...!" Juvia stammered,
"Shit...!" Gray hissed, him, Juvia, Hora and Lyon staggering to their feet as quickly as they could. Hora stared, her eyes growing wide and her heart skipping a beat to see one of those massive, deadly, utterly powerful beasts getting closer with each frantic beat of her heart, the tops of buildings snapping off like twigs as it's belly ran into them. A Dragon, with deep blue-green scales, twisted horns, a long, lean, powerful body, and it was incoming fast. It's wings and claws were wickedly sharp, and it's emerald eyes glowed in the dim as they locked straight to where they were standing.
... No, not 'they'
The Dragon's green gaze locked with Hora's, and her breathing stalled, her mind wiped clean in an instant- frozen.
That Dragon-
"It's headed this way-!" Lyon barked, but she barely heard him at all.
'Move!'
In five minutes, things went from bad, to worse- to utter chaos.
Everything got torn up, the buildings, the street- in three seconds it looked nothing like the place they'd been standing, and in three seconds, Hora lost sight of everyone... In three seconds that Dragon swept down, overtaking them, the air suddenly heavy with moisture and smelling like deep ocean- the Dragon's maw open wide and hundreds of milky, almost translucent, and deadly sharp teeth headed straight for Horatia.
Lyon, Gray and Juvia saw the Saber in the path of the Dragon's maws for but a second, before they were suddenly thrown back in all directions and they lost sight of her entirely, their ears hounded with a sickening snap of the Dragon's jaw slamming shut.
"HORA!"
They bounced painfully against the ground, slabs of earth rolling up under them as the Dragon slammed down and it's weight cracked the ground underfoot, a ripple of destruction circling outward and throwing them a bit further. They coughed, their already battered bodies from the Games jostling painfully with the impact, but paying it little mind as they quickly scanned the space where the Saber was supposed to be.
"Horatia..?!"
"Where is she...?!"
"D-did she get swallowed by that thing...?!"
Their eyes locked to the center of the destruction, to where the Dragon stood, it's head lifting and whole sections of stone and cement crumbling between it's teeth to thud back into the ground, and hissing in what seemed like... anger...?
"... W...where is...?" Lyon stammered breathlessly,
"Tch... You idiot were you just gonna stand there and get eaten...?!"
Their eyes snapped away from the Dragon and toward the irritated voice, breathless and wide-eyed to see both Horatia and Doranbolt standing at the edge of the clearing of destruction that had been made- with Hora held tightly in the Rune Knight's arms. He'd Transported himself to Hora and her away with him just before the Dragon touched down all the way- he'd cut it close though, and he was ruffled, on edge, and instantly annoyed for it. Hora jumped slightly in his hold as he asked the question, a little winded herself with suddenly being there, before her eyes snapped to him and his irritated face, and then quickly back to the Dragon- who's head twitched the minute Doranbolt said anything.
"N-no I didn't mean to stand there, but-" Hora started quickly, panic getting clear across her face again as the Dragon moved, it's head swinging around in their direction and her hands snatched Doranbolt up tight enough he might have started bruising.
"Move us again, now!"
He did as she asked, the both of them disappearing from view- and not two seconds before the Dragon lunged forward with a terrible roar, it's jaws snapping shut on empty air and screeching in frustration.
Hora and Doranbolt reappeared on the opposite end of the clearing, the Dragon's ears swiveling back in their direction and Hora hissed. She broke free of the Doranbolt's hold and stumbled to the side, waving a hand back at him fiercely and blue eyes glittering.
"Get away from here!" She ordered sharply, and he stiffened, his eyes snapping from her and toward the Dragon- whose tail swung their way, spiny fins lining the end of the appendage and razor sharp. He hissed, disappearing from view and missing the tail by a centimeter only, leaving it still swinging hard and fast on a beeline for Horatia and she struggled to back off and dodge it. She staggered backward, the Markings across her skin swirling over her arms and fire spiraling up in front of her with a swipe of her hands.
"Fire Devil's Guardian Circle!"
The line of fire carved a path in the ground before her, the wall of flame springing up in blue and red- the Dragon's tail bounced off the wall with a awful boom. But the Spell faltered under the sheer force and Hora did too, causing her to lose her hasty footing a little more, her shoulder slamming into the earth as she lost her feet all the way. She wasted no time in rolling over and back on to her feet, stumbling back a few paces within the confines of the circle of fire. Her heart sank again to catch the Dragon's green eyes, the huge beast whipping around and Magic swirling around it's body- wild, rushing, powerful surges of water.
"Shit-!"
"Ice-Make: Wall!"
A huge torrent of water spun out toward her, a burst of it shooting forward as the Dragon opened it's mouth and let out a roar. Two massive walls of ice shot out on either side of the water and crashed into each other in the middle, blocking the attack for only a few seconds before the water and ice made contact- and the icy walls broke apart with an earsplitting shattering sound. The barrier the ice made was short lived, but it was long enough Doranbolt reappeared beside Hora and Transported them both of out the line of destruction born of the water- which overtook her Guardian Circle Spell completely, the flames hissing and obliterated in seconds.
They reappeared somewhere else, and Hora grit her teeth as she scanned the area quickly in search of the beast, only to find they were now somewhere completely away from the clearing of destruction the Dragon had created. She almost snapped at Doranbolt for grabbing her again, even when she'd pulled away two minutes beforehand- but no sign of the clearing immediately made her wary of seeing no sign of everyone else... But that little bit of worry died off when she caught sight of Gray, Juvia and Lyon standing with them, breathless and ruffled- very much like Doranbolt. He must have Transported everyone away with them, but how far were they-?
"Is it just me, or is that thing going after you specifically...?!" Doranbolt snapped hotly,
"Yeah, it didn't even look at us- it just kept after you!" Gray hissed,
"Why would it...?!" Lyon and Juvia questioned quickly, and Hora winced internally for the loudness of all their voices- it was a fucking Dragon, even if they'd moved a way away it could totally hear them...!
"Tch, don't yell...!" She ordered quickly, her eyes sweeping over the four and then darting between Gray and Doranbolt with a shake of her head, and then Lyon and Juvia after. "And yeah I kinda noticed it's locked on to me, but I don't have a fucking clue why-!"
'-she knows who you are.' Lixue imputed quickly, his sudden intervention causing Hora to break her words off, and her jaw to snap shut so quickly her teeth clacked together rather audibly- and everyone else stared in bewilderment.
'Or rather, she can smell my scent alongside yours- and she recognizes the scent of your Devil Slaying Magic too, I imagine.' Lixue went on, calm but straight to the point and Hora went completely still, her eyes locked ahead and onto nothing, and not even daring to breathe. 'Her name is Callan, and she is not overly fond of me- when I still had a body of my own we were something like... rivals, I suppose. And her disposition toward me did not improve when I allowed myself to he bound to a human in order to counteract the Fire Devil Magic. She was not at all pleased with my decision to do so, and was rather fervent in trying to kill both me, and the first human I'd bound myself to- for a number of years. I think she believes I robbed her of her chance to defeat me firsthand- she's clearly still holding a grudge.'
"... Y... You've gotta be... Fucking kidding me... Lixue..." Hora stammered breathlessly, earning even more incredulous looks from everyone else- not that she noticed.
'I wish I were, but I am not, unfortunately.' Was the all too steady reply, 'It is even more unfortunate Callan was one of the few to make it through the Gate... Though I suppose it's probably likely she caught a whiff of our scents from the other side, and she purposely made certain she got through before it was Sealed. She's a relentless personality, ill-tempered and stubborn- she will not stop trying to kill you. She was quite set on doing so in the past, and she seems quite set on it still, even now.'
"...tch no kidding...!" Hora snapped lowly, her blue eyes glittering and shoulders tensing as she grit her teeth. "What the hell am I supposed to do about that, huh Lixue...?! I can't dodge her forever-!"
'You will have to fight her.' He interrupted coolly, and she stiffened further,
"Fight her?!" She snapped. "I couldn't lay a finger on her, damn it! She's using some kind of crazy powerful water Magic, even my Guardian Circle Spell didn't hold up against her! I use Fire-Based Magic Lixue, against Water Magic I'm already at a disadvantage- but a Water Dragon...?! I don't stand a damn chance-!" She hissed furiously, but Lixue intoned again, steady as before, if a touch exasperated now too.
'You do have my Magic, need I remind you. Ice Magic against Water is a very good matchup.' He intoned,
"That doesn't do me any good Lixue, I dunno how to use your Magic on an level even close to being enough to take on a Dragon...!" Hora muttered hotly, "Even if I were to somehow manage complex Spells without having any idea what I'm doing, it isn't-!"
This time she cut off abruptly, her voice breaking and her small, agitated movements stalling too. She went stiff, and still, utterly unmoving as her eyes went wider than ever and she stared at the ground- while what Lixue said next rang in her head heavier and more pressing than ever before.
She went quiet for a few heartbeats and the sudden stillness was enough everyone else had a chance to bud into the seemingly one-sided conversation the Saber woman was having with herself- because of course they couldn't hear Lixue.
"Oi, what the hell are you talking about..?!" DoranBolt and Gray snapped in unison, while Juvia and Lyon just grit their teeth, uneasy and very, very lost. Hora heard them this time, though only just, her lips pulling into a tight line and swallowing hard. Her hand curled into fists at her sides, her eyes flashing as she shook her head a bit stiffly and spared them a fleeting, and very unnerved look.
"U-uhm, short version, that Dragon... Callan... She really hates Lixue..." She mumbled quickly, "... Which means she hates me too- she wants to kill us. That's why she's going after me none stop... Which means I don't have a choice but to fight her, not unless I wanna get-" Hora mumbled, one hand reflexively coming up to press against her chest, though her eyes darted away from them all in the next instant, and she stiffened.
Shit-!
She sucked in a sharp breath of air and her hand left her chest and swept backward in the direction of everyone else, the pitch black Markings swirling across her skin with a fervor and her eyes caught Doranbolt's from the side for only half a second. "Get everybody away from here, now!" She ordered sharply, and he really meant to do what she asked, but both he and Hora's warning were much too slow.
Everything shook, the buildings around them groaning and crumbling as something heavy bowled through them with an insane amount of force. They all lost their feet, stumbling and scrambling to try and avoid the rubble flying every which way and not get crushed- the bulky form of the Dragon so hellbent on Horatia roared as it rendered the street to dust and debris, just as easily as it had a few minutes before.
"Cease running you puny little child!" The Dragon roared, her voice clear, rumbling and full of fury. "Is this what it's come to, Lixue?! Letting yourself be bound to a human was already bad- but now you're stuck with a weak little girl?! You damned fool!!!!"
The beast's front feet slammed down on the ground and it shattered under it's weight, the air instantly heavy and humid and the smell of water overpowering- great torrents of foaming sea rose up under it's claws and rushed out over the area in a massive wave, the hearts of the Wizards still staggering and trying to regain their feet, dropped at the sight of it.
"Where's your Ice Magic now?! Can this girl not even manage a single Spell?! Can she conjure nothing but that wretched Devil Magic?!"
The water rushed outward, swallowing the Mages and the entire area whole. Gray and Lyon swung out and erected walls of ice to try and spare themselves the brunt of the attack, with Doranbolt disappearing from view, and Juvia quick to try and redirect the water herself. She managed it, for a few heartbeats- but it had too much force and violence behind it for even the Rainwoman to handle.
The water rushed over them, knocking them backwards and plunging them into chilly, dark depths with no end in sight for several, terrifying minutes. There was no sense of up or down the whole way through, and they had no idea where they were when their movement got stopped- Juvia managing to erect a dome inside the ocean of dark water and catch Lyon and Gray inside of it. Both Ice Mages sputtered, stumbling and barely keeping their feet once they were in, lungs aching from the lack of air and looking around quickly to try and see anything through the walls of black on all sides.
"Darling Gray, are you alright...?!" Juvia asked quickly,
"... I'm fine..."
"Where is Horatia and that other man..?!" Lyon murmured lowly, Gray shook his head a bit- they couldn't see anything through the water no matter how hard they tried.
"... Shit... This sucks..." Gray hissed,
The water receded after a few more moments, dropping in level and enough so Juvia could let her dome down without risking them getting pulled under. The buildings were in ruin, water-logged and barely standing where they hadn't been tumbled completely... They were several streets away from where they had started, and the line of destruction stretched that entire distance and more. The amount of power that Dragon had was... Unbelievable.
Shit, this was really bad- if just one Dragon was rendering whole blocks nothing but smithereens, and none of their attempts to defend against it were working- how screwed were they...?! There wasn't just one dragon, there was seven more scattered all through Crocus!
They stiffened, the water running away enough they caught sight of the Dragon again, perched up on a building turned into a pile of brick and stone and glaring down at the space they were in, lips pulled back in a snarl. It's head, and Lyon, Gray, and Juvia's all snapped around when the sound of coughing caught their attention- and they locked to the sight of Horatia and Doranbolt on the far side of the clearing. They were both on their knees and drenched, leaning into each other slightly as they coughed up what water they'd unintentionally sucked in. Doranbolt had managed to grab onto Hora just before the water swept them both up, and Transport them a few streets over- but a few streets was nowhere near far enough to be out of the reach of the water, and they got rammed into by the waves as soon as they finished the move.
The Dragon was moving already upon seeing them, and long before either Hora or Doranbolt were done sputtering for air- Lyon, Gray and Juvia didn't hesitate to move this time though.
"Ice-Make: Ice Cannon!"
"Water Nebula!"
"Ice-Make: Eagle!"
Water and Ice rushed out on a beeline for the Dragon, Lyon's ice-made Eagles spinning in tandem with Juvia's Magic while Gray's shot straight through it's center. All three attacks rammed into the Dragon's side with a loud boom... But the Dragon itself didn't even flinch under the attacks, or seem fazed- at all...!
All three of them faltered, their hearts sinking and swallowing hard as the Dragon paused, it's green eyes shifting their way and lips pulling in an even deeper snarl.
"... Our attacks did nothing...?!"
"S-shit...!"
"N-not good...!"
Hora hissed, hers and Doranbolt's attention snapping upward in the instant the two Fairies and Lyon sent off their attacks- and both of them frowned for what little good it did.
"... This is insane...!" Doranbolt hissed to her right, Hora grit her teeth, blue eyes flashing. She pushed herself forward and onto her feet in the next second, heart racing and mind too the instant the Dragon's eyes found that three on the far side of the clearing. Doing so ripped her from Doranbolt's hold and he snapped something at her she never heard.
Shit, shit, shit!
Hora stumbled forward only a few steps before planting her feet firmly, her aching lungs aching all the more as she forced herself to take in a big, big gulp of air- her cheeks puffing up in the midst of it and eyes flashing icy blue.
I've seen them do this a million times- it can't be that hard, right?! It can't be that different from my Devil's Rage attack, yeah...?!
Shit... Shit..! Please work!
The Dragon growled lowly, it's maw parting as it swung it's head around toward Lyon, Gray and Juvia, it's neck craning a bit as it did and hissing.
"You stupid little pests, bug off!" The Dragon snapped, it's mouth opening wider and water swirling violently in the depths of it's throat and stomach- and then shot out in one, massive, violently churning spire, straight toward them. It was way too big, and way too fast to dodge, or even think of guarding against- even when they instinctively moved to put up Ice Shields and Barriers of water both. The water was not ten feet from them in the matter of a few seconds, stretching far above their heads and roiling angrily.... before it got course corrected at a narrow, and yet rather abrupt angle.
The three standing there stared, eyes wide, stunned, and shaking slightly as the spire of water got swept up in a second spinning vortex made of chilly white. The air dropped several dozen degrees and sparkled with frost born from the tornado of ice that pushed the water to the side, growing as it connected with the liquid and creating several dozen spires and towers of ice that only just avoided them altogether. The attack, and subsequent second show of Magic, barely missed them entirely- and by only about an inch.
"W-what the hell...?" All three stammered, reeling- and remaining that way even as they watched the ice suddenly crack in front of them. It, and it's movement sideways broke off soon after making contact with the water, shattering all up it's length and clattering to the ground along with the leftover hundreds of pounds of water it hadn't managed to freeze. Gray, Lyon and Juvua stumbled as the water ran into them, catching them off guard for only a moment before Juvia redirected the now no longer raging water away from them- and the Dragon didn't pay it any mind.
No, the Dragon hissed, it's head snapping around in the direction of where Hora and Doranbolt were and looking none too pleased.
"That was the most pathetic excuse for a Breath Attack I've ever seen!" The Dragon- Callan- snapped furiously, before cutting off when her brief view of Horatia and DoranBolt ended when the man caught hold of the fiery-haired woman and they both disappeared in an instant. Callan's head swung around again for the other three humans, but they were gone as soon as she looked around too- and she reared up, tossing her head back and wings beating furiously as she let out a booming roar.
"I said stop running stupid HUMAN!!!"
The Dragon's roar and words were a distant drone when they touched down again, much farther away this time, and Doranbolt huffing slightly for the distance and the number of people he'd had to whisk away. He staggered when their feet hit the floor again, Gray, Juvia and Lyon reeling slightly and a little lost to see themselves someplace else once more. Hora stumbled forward a pace and nearly tipped over though, only to be saved from doing so as Doranbolt caught her in just enough time, but not enough to keep them from sinking hard onto their knees when Hora's gave out on her.
The Saber woman hunched, doubling over Doranbolt's arm a bit and sputtering, her breaths raggedy and quickly broken by several, harsh coughs that racked her body painfully. Her eyes shut tight against the icy pain rushing through her lungs with each one, and the faint metallic taste in the back of her throat- she couldn't breathe, her lungs felt like they were spasming and she couldn't even hold herself up for a few, very long heartbeats. It took everything she had to just try and quell the coughing and catch her breath again, and she couldn't right away.
"Hey, you okay...?!" Doranbolt hissed next to her ear, and she hissed, swallowing hard and managing to cease the coughing for only a second, before sputtering some more.
... That... That really sucked...
'... You took in much too big a breath.' Lixue intoned dryly, 'It is a similar Breath attack to that of your Fire Devil's Rage spell, but that was ice, not fire... Heat expands, but cold does the opposite- of course your lungs spasmed. The air and the Magic in your body chilling so abruptly had them contracting, and very much so on such a big intake of air.' He muttered matter-of-factly and Hora grimaced at it, her teeth gritting in agitation.
Fuck off, that was my first try-!
'I am aware. I would caution smaller breaths than that from here on is all, lest your lungs give out on you altogether.' Lixue interrupted coolly, 'This will be a large learning curve for you, but you have little choice.'
Tch... No kidding damn it-
"... Horatia, are you alright...?" Lyon was the next one to ask if she was fine, and not more than two seconds after Doranbolt had. The Lamia Wizard darted up to be on her other side, panicked slightly, and she frowned at it, and the fact she couldn't really manage talking just yet still... damn it.
"Yeah, and what the hell just happened...?!" Gray hissed quickly, "What was that attack you just sent off...?!"
"The Dragon said it was... A Breath attack...?" Juvia mumbled, and Hora coughed one last time, swallowing hard against it and forcing a heavy sigh. She leaned back out of Doranbolt's hold and nodded at him and Lyon,
".. Uh... Yeah I'm okay, I kinda... Executed that poorly... Apparently..." She mumbled, grumbling a bit and forcing herself up and onto her feet rather quickly- and so quickly so both Lyon and Doranbolt jumped at it, hovering a bit, but she seemed steady enough. She forced another breath once she was on her feet, which that breath hurt still in her lungs, but not enough she couldn't handle it. She paused, her lips pulling into a tight line and grumbling under her breath a moment.
'What the hell just happened'...?
I panicked... And sucked... I'm not... Tch...
... Callan is strong as hell, and there are seven others... Shit...
... Even if... We give it our all, and I somehow manage a miracle...
... Do we win this...?
... I don't know how to-
She bit down on her tongue hard, quiet still and trying her best to garner some response to those still waiting for it- but she didn't get to it before being interrupted again- this time not by Lixue, or Callan, but something else entirely.
A massive, looming shadow dropped over them and their heads snapped up to see an utterly huge Dragon blotting out the sky directly overhead- it was bigger than even the one coming after Hora now and they gulped at it. Each beat of it's wings to keep it aloft sent a flurry of wind over the city below, and as it got directly above them they had to steady themselves against it- for the moment forgetting all about what questions they had, and what they'd been talking about... And Hora went deathly still.
Her nose twitched, the wind bringing with it a scent that was all sorts of wrong and now forever imprinted on her mind- the Future Rogue, and from where it was coming... Is he up there, on that Dragon...?!
Her eyes flashed, heart skipping a beat as a flash of fear and uncertainty hit her straight in the chest.
... W...wait, wasn't he fighting Natsu...?! What happened to him, if the Other Rogue is up on that Dragon...?! Don't tell me-!
She stiffened again, a glare of red and orange up overhead and a bit to the left catching her instant attention. It was bright, burning and clashing with the dark sky overhead and it shot straight up off a building and into the air with some insane, almost impossible amount of speed and power. And she wasn't the only one that noticed it, everybody else did too- the streak of orange red arcing above the Dragon swallowing the sky whole, blazing like a beacon or some massive, wild star-fire.
Hora's eyes gleamed, her heart skipping a beat as another waft of air brought a new scent and she stared, wide-eyed.
Is that-?
The blaze of wildfire up above the Dragon suddenly changed direction, streaming straight downward toward the beast's back and fast as hell. The fire erupted as it made contact, spiraling out on all sides and booming- while also pushing the Dragon several dozen feet downward in air and earning a pained and angry roar from it, while it's body bent under the sheer force.
H-holy shit- what kind of power is that...?!
He actually moved the whole fucking Dragon...!
"Incredible..." Lyon mumbled, him and everyone else looking just as stunned as Hora did herself.
"...tch, is that Flame-Brain up there-?" Gray mumbled, only to get cut off.
"LISTEN UP!"
Hora flinched slightly for the shout that suddenly rang out overhead and what ridiculous amount of noise it was- it made her ears ring slightly, but even still she smiled breathlessly at it.
"... Definitely Natsu..." She mumbled under her breath, before flinching again when the Fire Dragon Slayer kept on, still just as loud.
"IT'S CALLED DRAGON SLAYING MAGIC FOR A REASON!" He snapped hotly, "THERE ARE EIGHT DRAGONS, AND EIGHT DRAGON SLAYERS- SO GET YOUR ASSES IN GEAR AND GET GOIN!"
"Eight...?" Juvia mumbled,
"... Can he not count...?" Doranbolt grumbled lowly,
"... Dumbass..." Gray muttered, but Hora just went stiff as a board, eyes wide and staring.
"THIS IS WHAT OUR MAGIC IS MADE FOR, THIS IS WHY DRAGON SLAYERS EXIST! SO LET'S DO THIS!" Natsu kept on, his voice loud and clear and the glow of his fire overhead burned all the brighter, explosive and wild as he rammed into the Dragon again- the beast roaring as it got pushed downward another dozen or two feet, it's entire back swimming in bright, furious flame.
"TIME FOR SOME DRAGON BBQ!"
"... Hmph, he's an idiot but he has a point." Gray mumbled,
"We have no choice but to fight." Lyon agreed, his eyes trailing toward Horatia. "And if this Dragon is after you, we won't leave you alone- we will fight it together."
"Yes, even if our Magic may not be suited for it, we will do our best." Juvia murmured steadily,
"... You people are crazy... Wouldn't it be easier to run...?" Doranbolt sighed, his eyes trailing toward Hora too and pausing- just like everybody else. Because the Saber Woman's eyes had fallen closed, a heavy sigh escaping her, and she was tapping her fingers together in front her, almost fidgety... She looked nervous, and uneasy, and even sort of exasperated- and they weren't sure why...?
"... Uhm... Yeah... Fighting or no isn't really an option... And I will really, really appreciate the help... She's gonna keep coming after me, and she'll find us pretty soon too... But uh... There's just one thing... Natsu kinda didn't count wrong... Though I don't even get how he... Knows... Or would know... But uh..." Hora mumbled, another heavy sigh escaping her and she glanced up at them all almost cautiously, a shaky, uncertain smile crossing her face now and they faltered.
"... Lixue is a Dragon." She mumbled and their faces fell utterly flat in an instant, which just made her all the more nervous, and her tapping fingers stumbled a bit- and instead her hand separated and one found the back of her neck. "So technically, since his Lifeforce and Magic both are in the Lacrima in my chest... I guess that technically, kinda... Makes me a 2nd Generation Dragon Slayer...?" She mumbled quietly, and their faces fell even flatter- if that was possible.
...
...
...
"... WHAT?!"
Hora flinched a little at the very loud, and very incredulous outbursts from all four as a whole, sweatdropping heavily for it while her nervous smile broke a bit.
"Are you serious?!" Gray hissed, wide-eyed along with everyone else.
"Y-you're a Dragon, and a Devil Slayer...?" Lyon stammered, "With two... Separate elements...?!"
"T-that's... That can't be possible, surely...?" Juvia mumbled, "How can anyone have multiple Slayer Magics...?!"
"No kidding! They only person I know who has more than one is a Wizard Saint!" Doranbolt hissed, before pausing half a second and rounding on Hora all the more. "Woah, woah- what the hell?! Why is the first we're hearing about it?!" Doranbolt snapped hotly, Hora wilting a bit under the rounds of questions and whatnot, and more so for the Rune Knight's. "Don't you think mentioning you're a Dragon Slayer might have been a good idea way earlier than this?!"
"W-well I didn't think about it like that at all...!" Hora replied quickly, "I mean I knew Lixue was a Dragon but... I've never considered that it would technically mean I'm kinda a Dragon Slayer too..!" She replied, but the answer just made Doranbolt puff up in further agitation.
"What are you, dumb?!" He snapped and she frowned at it, her hands balling into fists and looking agitated too- but not quite as angry, more exasperated.
"Shut up! It's not my fault, I have literally never learned how to use Lixue's Magic at all, least of all to a degree that would warrant Slayer Magic..! I haven't even been able to use any of it until last night, it's not something I've practiced with or had to consider before just now, damn it! Of course it didn't occur to me..!!" She snapped back, "I've never done anything with that part of my Magic, why would ever think of it in that way?!"
"Because you've got a Dragon talking to you in your head?!" Doranbolt snapped back, "That's who you said you were talking to, right?! Normal people would make the connection between a Dragon Lacrima and being a Dragon Slayer right off!"
"Enough, quit arguing damn it!" Gray interrupted quickly, breaking the bickering off in an instant. Hora and Doranbolt's heads snapped his way, looking ready to tell him to bud out- but they faltered when they caught sight of the Ice Mage, though Gray didn't pause.
"None of that matters right now- you've got a Dragon on your ass, and you're a Dragon Slayer, like it or not! Natsu's got a point that Dragon Slayers have the best chance to take a Dragon down, so you gotta focus!" Gray hissed, "Especially if what you're saying about never using that Dragon's Magic before is true! Lyon's right, we ain't gonna leave you to fight alone- but are you gonna even be able to do any damage against that thing..?!" He hissed, only to break off when he registered the sort of bewildered looks he was getting, ".. What?!" He hissed in annoyance,
"Why are you in your underwear...?!" Hora and Doranbolt mumbled in unison and Gray stiffened, his eyes snapping down to his person and looking annoyed.
"Damn it!"
Lyon sighed, stepping forward quickly and catching the conversation before it went too far off track again.
"Gray is right, we must focus...!" The Lamia Mage murmured quickly, catching Hora and Doranbolt's eyes as he stepped up. "Horatia, you yourself told me you have no experience with Lixue's Magic, and if you weren't even thinking of it in the way of it being Dragon Slaying Magic- how well do you expect you'll do now?" Lyon pressed, urgently so, and Hora swallowed at the question.
"I... I don't know, Lixue can help out a little but it's gonna mostly be luck and trial and error..." She replied with a small shake of her head. "But it's not like I have a choice, it's either try and fight or get killed... I can't just run and do nothing either, everybody else is gonna be fighting Dragons too, I have to do what I can...!" She hissed and he frowned a bit at the answer, looking just as uneasy and she did, but she was right- there was no option.
All they could do was try and fight- and hope all they could give would be enough.
"Right." Lyon murmured, "We will do whatever we can, and give it our all along with you." He told her, nodding stiffly and just once- the action mirrored by Juvia and Gray both, and Hora nodded back, though more tentatively than she meant to.
"Yeah, we're gonna kick ass, right?" Gray murmured, "Between three of us with Ice Magic and Juvia's Water Magic, that Dragon won't stand a chance." He huffed and Hora's eyes glittered a bit for the little show of confidence, where she had very little... Because honestly?
'Large learning curve' was putting it lightly... This wasn't a learning curve of any sort, all she could do right then was wing it. Utterly wing it.
"Tch... I still think you're crazy."
Hora's attention snapped toward Doranbolt as he grumbled the words just to her right, the Rune Knight huffing as he caught her eyes and looking not at all pleased- but he looked mostly calm despite that, and so much so she blinked at it. He forced a heavy sigh and shook his head,
"... But... Hell, you defeated a Demon of Zeref all on your own- how hard can a Dragon be?" He mumbled, and she stiffened a bit in surprise at the comment, and more so for the weary look on his face (while everyone else went utterly rigid). "... Grant you, you almost died doing it... But still, you did win." Doranbolt mumbled with another shake of his head, his expression calm and serious as he gave her a slightly pointed look. "Hmph... So go slay that Dragon, alright? And try not to get killed or nearly so in the process, got it?" He grumbled lowly and Hora blinked, her blue eyes flashing and stunned- before a small smile broke across her face and she nodded, and with much more surety this time around.
"Got it." She hummed and he huffed again,
"Fine... I ain't much for fighting, but I oughta get back to Lahar, and the rest of the Knights. It seems like all the Guilds could use a bit of help, so it's probably time we start in too." He grumbled, "And don't run off from these guys, okay? Ira ain't gonna be able to track you down like last time if you charge in ahead and handle everything yourself like you did in North Wind." He muttered with a gesture of his hand toward Lyon, Juvia and Gray- and Hora nodded again.
"I won't." She mumbled, "Don't go getting yourself killed either, okay? Same thing for Lahar and Ira, tell them for me, yeah?" She murmured and he seemed to grit his teeth at it, looking away pointedly.
"... Tch... Fine." He grumbled, his eyes casting toward the other three and shaking his head. "... Good luck... you're gonna need it." He muttered, before disappearing in a blur, and leaving the four of them alone again. Hora took in a big breath and caught everybody else's eyes, her hands curling into fists and resolution working it's way into her expression quickly... So quickly it didn't seem possible, and they faltered a bit for it, and the little exchange they didn't quite get.
But their attention on Hora diverted by the sudden roaring of the Dragon overhead, and then the subsequent bursts of light that dropped down from it and meteored toward the earth. The ground rumbled with the hundred or so heavy impacts that touched down around them, and a hundred more peppering the city- it had them all instantly alert and on edge, hissing and tense. Hora's head snapped left when the sound of cracking caught her ears and then it was quickly followed by roaring- less loud than Callan or the Dragon hovering over the city, but definitely dragon-like, and her heart along with everyone else's dropped.
"Don't tell me-" she hissed, her eyes catching what everyone else's did, and all the wizards around the city faced with the same sight too.
"-are those mini Dragons...?!"
There were dozens of them already rushing forward through the rubble, taller than a human all, all of them shining silver and metallic with beady, red eyes- and wicked sharp claws and teeth. Several darted forward without hesitation toward their little group, and they all shifted, readying themselves for the incoming (and completely unanticipated) wave of enemies. Hora drew herself into a defensive stance in the same heartbeat as everyone else, the roars of the Mini-Dragons shrill and high-pitched, but not enough to drown out the shouts and yells of dismay from the other wizards all over the city suddenly set upon too.
Shit, you gotta be kidding me- more Dragons...?! Even if they are little ones, why does there have to be more...?!
She flinched, her ears honing in on something other than the shrill calls of the little beasts, and she grit her teeth hard.
"YOU SHALL NOT RUN THIS TIME YOU LITTLE PEST!"
The words cut straight through all the other noise, and then were followed by the sound of earth shattering and rubble clattering- the earth bounced this time under their feet and they struggled against it. The hefty form of the Dragon Callan suddenly dropped down not a few dozen feet from them, utterly furious, and Lyon, Juvia, Hora, and Gray all collectively grimaced.
"Juvia thinks things just got a lot worse...!" Juvia mumbled,
"You have gotta be kidding me-" Gray muttered hotly,
"... We are outnumbered now." Lyon murmured grumpy, and Hora's eyes narrowed to slits.
"Tch... Shit." Hora hissed. She was quick to right herself after stumbling, her feet squaring on the badly battered stone and shaking her head once.
"Yeah, well there ain't nothing for it, we just gotta give it our all!" Gray hissed, starting forward with little to no hesitation as his arm swung out, Ice forming in his hands in a large sword. He swept it out and caught the first line of Mini-Dragon's in the blade's icy quake, Juvia at his heel with a wash of water to take the next. Gray cast a glance over his shoulder toward Hora and Lyon, deep blue eyes gleaming.
"We'll keep the smaller ones off you two, while you handle the big one, kay?!"
Hora and Lyon hesitated for only half a second at the words, before they nodded and shifted their attention in the opposite direction. They stepped up, shoulder to shoulder and instantly moving into defensive position in near perfect unison, ice and frost already sparking at Lyon's hands and Hora moving her arms up slightly to her sides.
"I'm right behind you, Horatia." Lyon cast the comment her way quickly, their eyes meeting for half a second as they tensed, prepared to start forward, and she smirked slightly at it.
"Thanks Ice-Boy- let's give her some hell, yeah?" She hummed, Lyon smirking faintly to it before her eyes shift from him and locked straight ahead to that Water Dragon who was seething, and ready to start forward into all-out battle.
Hora's eyes locked with Callan's, the she-dragon snarling as their eyes matched, and Hora's own lips curled as she bared her fangs a bit, her usually dark blue gaze flashing a chilly, icy blue- and the air dropped more than a dozen degrees between her, Lyon, and Gray all combined.
"You still looking to test yourself against Lixue's Magic, Callan? Let's go then!" Hora hissed lowly, her heels digging in as the she-dragon snarled lowly at the question- and then both Hora and Lyon started forward toward her, icy cold blazing at their hands and heels, steadfast and unflinching.
"One hardly-baked Ice Dragon Slayer at your service!"
Chapter 33: Not Again
Chapter Text
Chapter 33
Not Again
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
... This is bad...
Rogue huffed, stumbling back and barely keeping his feet, his body aching from the blunt, and yet brutal impact of the Dragon's tail slamming into his side and sending him skidding backwards. It hurt, and more so on his already battered body from his fight in the GMG- but it was not enough to do any serious damage... Really, none of his back and forth with this Dragon felt like it was anymore than a brawl- but why...? It made no sense, but it almost felt like this Dragon was holding back.
He grimaced at it, his feet skidding back a few inches in the rubble before he stilled again.
Everything around him was in ruin, the city crumbling and taking a beating with each second- he could hear battle all around, everyone fighting back fiercely either with the Dragons, or the seemingly endless hordes of smaller ones still raining from the Dragon in the sky. It was all complete chaos, and only getting worse the longer everyone kept fighting, and the more the Dragons, and the Mini-Dragons wrought havoc on every single thing.
He'd gotten split up from Quatro Cerberus, and he hadn't meant to be- but the minute the Dragon had landed he'd rushed to retaliate... And somewhere in all the countless attacks on his part that seemed to have little effect, and all the harsh, yet never fully brutal hits he'd taken from the beast- now they were here in some closed off section of the city he didn't recognize, and with no one else in sight, or even in earshot either. It was just him and the Dragon, and it was almost eerily quiet and still, which did nothing for his nerves.
He'd seen Hora's Magic not long before, and directly before everything went to hell- he saw the Firebird arc over the city and rush toward the Eclipse Gate, and even heard it's shrill call to close the Gate. He didn't know how, but she'd clearly seemed to know that the Dragons would be coming from it. So she'd sent that first bird off, and then so many others all over the city in seconds time, warning the Guilds and Wizards what was coming, before those birds got swept up in the savage wind and burned away. He didn't know how she knew, but it made his stomach curl- and it curled even worse when he realized she was out there somewhere in all this mess and he had no clue where, or if she was even okay. This entire thing was just pure insanity.
He'd felt sick to his stomach all day just knowing she was off trying to rescue Lucy and Yukino, and then it got worse when she hadn't made it back when she was supposed to. Seeing her in the square had quelled the nauseous sensation only a little before he'd seen she was hurt, and then he felt sick again when he'd had to split up... And heard what she'd said, and cried, when talking with that Lamia Wizard Lyon.
It was all so bad- it was a heavy, suffocating weight over his head and his heart, and it was not going anyway anytime soon. It just got worse, more heavy, more suffocating- and there was something else too... A sort of uneasy, unsettled feeling that had been lurking at his heels all day too, and one that wasn't entirely born of his worry for Hora... It was... An actual shadow, one clinging to him- a strange, unnatural thing that had twisted his thoughts and mind even today in the GMG, and against Gajeel.
Lingering shadows were not new, there was always some pull, some temptation into the pitch black pits- it was a dark, and heavily buried side of his Magic that he did his best not to sway under. And usually he could, it was easier with everyone with him, keeping him above the waves- Hora, Frosch, Sting... Everyone... but he had gone under today. And his worry did nothing to help of course, nor did the insanity of everything going on- but that shadow inside his own that had taken control of him earlier, and it hadn't just been some tempting phantom- it was something else, something worse, more powerful... More tangible, even.
But again, why? And what was it-?
"... Let us stop with this squabbling and end it at this, Rogue. You cannot hope to best a Dragon, not as you are."
Rogue went stiff as a board, rigid and eyes wide at the sudden rumbling voice- the Dragon now suddenly settling into sitting on it's haunches before him and addressing him, but wha-?!
"... H... How do you know my name...?" Rogue stammered, and the Dragon huffed.
"We have orders to spare you, and only you." The Dragon said simply, "You alone will live through this destruction and despair, and in the aftermath- become king."
Rogue hissed, a shiver running up his spine for the cryptic words and gritting his teeth. "What is that supposed to mean...?! I have no idea what you're talking about, and I have no desire to be 'king' of any sort..!" He snapped back lowly. "Who gave you these orders to spare me..?! What is all this about...?!" He growled, and the Dragon tilted it's head slightly, it's lips curling in what almost seemed a wry little smirk, and it let out a breath.
"Why... You gave me the orders, Rogue." It replied simply, and Rogue stiffened in confusion and surprise.
"...me..?"
"Well, you from seven years in the future, from this day." The Dragon elaborated slightly, and Rogue felt his heart skip a beat, his red eyes going wide and stuck in his place.
Me... From... Seven years in...?
The Dragon lift a clawed hand and gestured toward the surrounding area, "All of this going on, the destruction, the chaos, summoning us Dragons and bringing us here, making sure the Eclipse Gate was opened- and ordering us to lay waste to humankind... All of this, is done at your hand, and at your will." It rumbled, those claws moving slowly and pointing directly at the dark-haired man before it, Rogue utterly rigid in his place and mind reeling. "It is all part of your plan to become Dragon King, and rule us all from here on- in a world where Dragon's reign supreme, but where we will all still bow to you. It is a future you are working toward, at all costs."
Rogue shivered again, a terrible chill running rampant up his spine while that sick feeling in his core got about a hundred times worse.
"... N-no... That can't be true... I would never do anything like this, for any reason...!" Rogue stammered in reply, quick to deny it though he really didn't sound as sure as he wanted, and the Dragon only shook it's head once.
"You already have." Was the solemn response and Rogue flinched a little for it, red eyes glinting like mad and hands balling tightly into fists at his sides.
"No...! I would never do this, I would never try to destroy everything...! You are lying!" He hissed, his eyes flashing as he shook his head furiously, the Dragon just sighed.
"... Deny it all you wish, but you know yourself better than anyone- you must know there is Darkness in you." The Dragon grumbled, "You are a Shadow Dragon Slayer, you live and breathe in Darkness with your Element... Shadow Magic comes at a price, it stained you the moment you began to learn it, you know that. You've had demons and Darkness lurking at your heels all your life, no matter how much you resist or ignore them... This is an inevitability." It told him, "There are some Magics in this world that always lead to Darkness, and yours is one of them. You have been tainted, you know this- and that stain in you will only grow and fester, until eventually you are swallowed whole. The Evil in you will win out in the end, there is no escaping that, it is your fate."
Rogue grit his teeth hard, red eyes burning and hands shaking at his sides for the words. He glowered as hard as he could, but ended up looking increasingly more unsure under the intense look the beast gave him next.
"Is is your fate to fall to the evil inside of yourself, just as it is your fate to live through this, so you may become the man that brings about the fate of this world. You will become Dragon King, and everything will burn and crumble at your hands."
"I will not...!" Rogue retorted quickly, "I would never do any of this, nor for any reason...! I'm not going to fall into Darkness, I will not let the shadows consume me- ever! And... And even if for some insane reason, some future version of me was doing this... E... Even if somewhere down the line I do get swallowed up... Tch... No!" Rogue snapped, shaking his head hotly. "I won't fall into Darkness, I never could with Hora, and Sting and Frosch and everyone else around me and keeping me in the light..! They keep me above the dark, always, and I will never become anything that might be able to do all of these terrible things! Ah and even if there was some version of me doing all of this awful stuff- Hora would have said something..! She met both people here from the future, if it was me, she would have said something- so you're wrong! You are lying-!"
"... Would she though?"
Rogue cut off abruptly, his jaw snapping shut and a terrible chill overtaking every inch of him as the low, hissing voice echoed in his ears from behind him, and his heart felt like it dropped. He turned his head slowly, trembling as he saw his own shadow behind him, an awful, pitch black color and with a terribly twisted grin staring up at him. It was the same Shadow from earlier, in the GMG, that had pushed him into some wicked cold place and forced his hand against Gajeel. The one that had dragged him somewhere he didn't ever want to be again, and that Shadow was back now, right there as it just smiled blankly at him, it's edges jittering and distorted... Haunting.
"...w...what...?" Rogue mumbled breathlessly, and the Shadow's grin pulled wider, curling at the edges in a sickening way.
"Would she really tell you?" It pressed, hissing and cold, and Rogue gulped. "She's always keeping so many secrets, what's one more? And how would you know if she told the truth, when she said she didn't recognize that person from the future? That person from the future who tried to kill Lucy Heartfilia... and that person who attacked her too? Attacked Hora?"
Rogue froze, eyes wide and trembling now- the Shadow just grinned all the more, and Rogue's knees started to shake violently.
"You saw how she looked when she came back, you saw those wounds... Think about it Rogue." The Shadow pressed, "What could make wounds like that? Five of them, all continuous, straight across her body- almost looks like... Claw-marks, right?"
Rogue shivered, his breath shuddering with it and trembling all the more fervently, mind racing, reeling, and yet settling all at the same time, and realizing... N...no...
"... What has five claws? Or five... fingers, maybe...? With really long, dark, sharp... Claws... made of Shadow Magic...?"
He was shaking like a leaf, his breaths quickly growing shallow and panicky, his heart racing and sinking a hundred times over. His legs were shaking so much he was barely staying upright, but even despite that he felt like he was frozen in place, his hands falling from being balled into fists and red eyes dropping into his palms. His eyes locked to his shaky, terribly trembling fingers as the color drained from his face, and it felt like the world was crashing down on top of him.
T-there's... No way... I... I would never-
"-but why did she ask you to never change, huh?"
This time his heart stopped altogether, his blood turning to ice in his veins and terror striking him straight to the core.
.:+:.
"... Please don't ever change... Rogue..." Hora mumbled aloud, her voice barely above a whisper and so low Rogue barely heard it at all- but he did and his crying ceased for a few seconds in confusion.
What did she...?
She sniffed slightly and his eyes snapped open at the sound, his hold around her slackening just enough so he could try and get a look at her face, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the tears pecking at the corners of those dark blue eyes he knew so well. She smiled sadly as their gazes matched, her hold around him easing slightly too so they could be more face to face, and she wrapped her arms around his neck instead, pulling forward enough that their foreheads pressed together gently. He stared, both at the tears and the sudden closeness of their faces and the forehead touch, while Hora just let out a small breath, the tears spilling down her cheeks in a thin, quiet line.
She looked... So pained...
.:+:.
...n...no...
... I...
... I w...wouldn't...
His frantic breaths cut off, strangled and shuddering as his eyes went wide- his hands in front of him suddenly covered in blood and gore out of nowhere, and his legs gave out altogether. He was on the ground, crashing into it with his knees and not even feeling the pain of it- his eyes would not leave his bloodied hands, and his mind would not cease telling him what he didn't want to hear, or think, or... Or accept, even when... When he knew, somewhere... It was true.
It was true and his heart broke.
"... I... I did... That to... To her...?" He hissed breathlessly, his eyes flashing and shoulders hunching, his body following suit. The blood on his hands did not go away, he could feel the sticky warmth, smell the metallic tang of it- and smell Hora's scent laced with the awful scent.
Hora's blood was on his hands, and he... He...
He tilted forward, his posture breaking as he slammed his hands into the rubble, trying to hide the crimson stain and his fangs grits so hard they threatened to crack. He shut his eyes tight and a strangled gasp of air barely managed it's way passed his teeth, below him specks of moisture were falling freely and in rapidity to splash against the stone- streaming without end from his eyes and he could not stop the tears from coming.
... I... I hurt... Her...
... I... I... could have... K..killed her...
...H..Hora...
... I hurt... Hora... N...no... Please...
He gasped, a sob shaking him and forcing him to suck in a big gulp of air that only fueled the crying all the more. He bent over all the way until his forehead pressed against the stone, his fingers curling tightly into the rumble and so hard they turned white from the pressure.
"... N...no... I... I wouldn't... H...hurt her... E...ever... N...no... Please... I... Can't have... H.. How could I... D...do that...To... T-to... Hora...?" He sobbed, his voice hitching more and more harshly with every second.
He didn't want it to be true, he was scared at even the idea of it... And absolutely terrified because somewhere in his core, he knew it wasn't just a lie, or a bad dream, or anything like that- it was true... He knew it was true, and he couldn't stand it.
How could any version of himself have done something so terrible...? Be doing all these terrible things...? How could any version of himself have turned into... Into some monster that was awful enough... To leave those marks across her body...? They'd been healed and still they were deep, and still serious... He shuddered at what it had looked like in the moment, and his heart broke some more when an image of what it probably had looked like pushed it's way to the forefront of his mind.
The sound of flesh, muscle, and bone ripping- the wash of red it brought forth in a swipe of a hand and claws oozing wild, cold pitch black... A storm of sticky crimson ripped from her body torn five ways.
There... There was so much blood... S...shit...
He grit his teeth harder, his body curling in on itself and trembling fingers digging into the rubble tightly, holding fast to the earth and the world spinning out of control, and away from him.
"... I... I can't have... P...please... T...that can't be... T...true... I... I don't ever... W-wanna do... A...anything... L...like that... E...especially... N...not... Not... To her... P...please... I...it has to... Be a lie... Please..."
"Oi, this ain't no time to be sitting around..!"
Rogue jumped, startled and sucking in a sharp breath of air for it. He sat up only slightly, his arms shaking terribly as he used them to push himself up even the little bit, crimson eyes glittering and still so full of tears as he glanced backwards slowly.
"... S... Sting...?" Rogue stammered breathlessly, the blonde huffing as he rounded the corner and continued toward the Shadow Dragon Slayer in what seemed to be a sprint... Away from something...?
Sting faltered slightly in his running though when he caught Rogue's eyes and saw the tears, his face falling in shock and unease- though he did not stop running even still.
"W-Why the hell are you crying...?!" Sting hissed in between puffs of air, and Rogue swallowed hard for the question, his eyes dropping away from the blonde.
"... All of this... The person from the future who wanted the Gate open, and called the Dragons here... And... Who hurt... Hora..." Rogue stammered lowly, his voice breaking off at her name and he shook his head once, his hands shaking still. "... That person is me... A me from... Seven years in the future... I'm doing all of this... I... I hurt her... I..."
Sting stumbled to a halt as he reached the Shadow Dragon Slayer, panting slightly and expression immediately twisting at the reply- shocked and taken aback, as well as a little uneasy. "... S... Seriously...?" Sting mumbled reflexively, his blue eyes darting from the hunched figure of his friend and toward the Dragon sitting so quietly in front of them- to which the Dragon quirked a brow at him, seemingly questioning his sudden appearance- but Sting didn't linger on it.
"Ah... Okay... Shit... Well, I dunno about all that, but so what...? It don't really matter right now, you gotta pull yourself together...! We're supposed to be fighting, you heard Natsu, right-?" Sting mumbled urgently, and Rogue hissed.
"... I can't... Don't you get it...?" Rogue muttered, his voice hitching still with half-sobs that were so close to being full ones. Sting stiffened at it, eyes glinting and grimacing to himself for how shaky the other's voice was- hell, Rogue's whole body was shaking... He was a mess-
"... I did that to her... Sting... I attacked Hora... I ripped her apart with my Shadow Dragon's Claws... I... I hurt her... I could have... Killed her..." Rogue stammered, his voice breaking painfully again and Sting swallowed, his eyes narrowing and biting down on the inside of his cheek. The tears spilled anew from Rogue's eyes after having stalled briefly at Sting's sudden arrival, and the Shadow Dragon Slayer's head lowered between his badly hunched shoulders. "... How... how could do... A...any of this...? How... How could I do that to her...?" Rogue hissed, "... I... I become a monster... I'm... I am a monster... W...who could... H..hurt her like that... H...how... How could I do that...? S...she knew it was me... S..she had to... How... How could... H... Hora ever... F... Forgive me... F...for that...? O... Or stand to... B...be around me n-now...?" Rogue stammered hoarsely and Sting frowned even more, his eyes flashing and hands closing tightly into fists at his sides.
Forgive... Shit
Sting grit his teeth hard, shaking his head furiously at himself before stepping up. He grabbed roughly onto the front of Rogue's shirt and hoisted the dark-haired man up and nearly all the way on to his feet, the both of their faces barely apart. Rogue stared in bewilderment, not resisting the action out of shock while his still tear-filled eyes locked with Sting's gaze.
"Quit that!" Sting ordered sharply, "It don't matter if it's a future version of you or not- the person who did that to her, and who is doing all of this? He is not you! You and him are not the same person, got that?! It doesn't matter what he's done or is doing- his actions are totally separate from yours!" Sting snapped, "Dude, you would never hurt Hora for any reason- you know that! You're a mess even just imagining it, do you really think there's any chance you'd actually ever do it, or be able to?! No! You would never do that, that's the only thing that matters! And Hora definitely knows that!" Sting hissed, Rogue sucking in a quick breath of air and holding it as he just stared, silent.
"Seriously, do you think her being all happy to see you earlier in the square was just an act or something...?! She wasn't at all freaked out about what happened, or had something against you- there ain't no way she ever would! She's smart enough to know that you and whatever future version of you aren't the same people, got it?!" Sting kept on, pulling Rogue up again and forcing the Shadow Dragon Slayer all the way onto his feet this time, though he didn't release his grip on his shirt just yet. "I get you're worried about her, and I get this sucks- but we have shit to do, we got Dragons to fight, okay?! So let's finish this as quick as we can, so we can go find Hora and make sure everything is okay and works out, yeah?! We do that, we find her, we fix everything- you fight for everybody, and you fight for her, cause that's you. The real you...! " Sting hissed and Rogue blinked, red eyes glittering and stunned for half a second, before nodded stiffly and a bit of resolution replaced the heartache in his expression.
"Y-yeah... Let's finish this." He stammered breathlessly, the shaking in his body stilling slightly as he straightened up a bit more, and he nodded a bit more firmly too. Sting let out a breath, a small smirk crossing his face as he nodded back, and he let go of Rogue at last. Rogue faltered a bit, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he glanced back quickly. "-have you already defeated the Dragon you met...?" He mumbled and Sting grinned,
"Nope, I just brought it with me." He chuckled, his words nearly getting drowned out by the sudden booming and thundering of heavy footfalls- and then the buildings behind them got decimated as a second Dragon crashed through them, roaring in agitation. Rogue nearly jumped out of his skin for it, his eye twitching at the way Sting seemed all the more amused- and he grit his teeth... But it was very much like the White Dragon Slayer, he knew that. Even him snapping him out of the fear and terror too- that was just like him... A bright (if albeit harsh at times) light that kept the Darkness at bay... One of many bright lights in his life, but none of them, not even Sting's- quite compared to the brightest of the bunch.
The two Dragon Slayers stepped up, back to back and instantly in battle stances with perfect unison and grace owed to two people who had worked and fought countless battles together.
Finish this. Win and make sure all this chaos ended, so it would all be over and done with, and they could find her- that brightest light in both their lives... And the one they both had so much to clear up, say, apologize for.. and forgive.
"Let's show them the power of the Twin Dragons, yeah?" Sting smirked, and Rogue nodded solemnly, red eyes flashing.
"Let's go!"
.:+:.
"Tch, damn it...!" Hora hissed, eyes flashing as she staggered back as quickly as she could, putting as much distance between herself and the sudden rush of violently spinning water spiraling out toward her. The water roared, frothing and foaming, in a corkscrew shape directly aimed to sweep her up and shred her to pieces.
"Ice-Make: Water Serpent!"
The water gleamed, freezing in seconds and forming the lithe body of a massive, smooth serpent- which hissed and coiled itself around Hora instead of hitting her, before heading straight back the way it came and charging toward the Water Dragon who had unleashed the original attack. A rush of cold air overtook her as it changed course, and Hora found her feet again in an instant, blue eyes flashing pale blue and starting forward in tandem with the serpent.
'Pivot your heel, spin as tightly as you can, and careful not to lose your footing-' Lixue instructed quickly, and Hora nodded stiffly and only once. Her body followed the motions of the instructions, her ankle aching slightly for how harshly she spun on her heel next, her arms swinging around with her. Her breath came out in front of her in a haze, milky white frost and air sparking off her arms and hands and bursting up off her body in lightning-fast, quickly growing spires of ice.
'-strike out as if your reach is tenfold beyond yourself, and strike hard.'
"Ice Dragon Wing Attack!"
She spun tightly, her arms swiping up and then decisively downward as she finished the full turn, Ice shooting outward in the form of great wings and lunging forward alongside the Ice Serpent born of Lyon's Magic. They circled each other, crashing headfirst into the Dragon Callan and driving her massive form backwards more than a few dozen feet, her lean body skidding across the rubble and roaring in annoyance more so than pain. That attacks didn't bruise her, or crack any scales- and Hora grimaced a bit, because even if she managed the hit, and aimed correctly- it wasn't anywhere near good enough.
"Thanks for the save, Lyon..!" Hora called quickly, puffing slightly and very much out of breath as she finished through with the Spell. Lyon nodded, catching her eye only briefly as they both came to a little pause several dozen feet apart, both of them panting and ruffled, bruised, dirty- you name it.
"Of course." He replied quickly, and a little breathless. "You know- for someone with no experience with your Ice Magic, you are doing quite well, Horatia." He called quietly, and she smiled faintly, though she wanted to tear her hair out- he meant it, but really... She wasn't doing good enough at all.
"... I've got Lixue ordering me around in my head, so I better at least be decent..." She mumbled, and he smiled a little at it, but that was where the small side conversation ended. And then they were moving again, never getting a chance to stop for more than a few seconds before Callan was upon them- or they had to sidetrack slightly for some of the smaller Dragons dotted about that managed to slip passed Juvia and Gray.
This was hard, as hell- there was no time to breathe, and very little time to think. Between keeping an eye on herself, Lyon, Gray, Juvia, Callan, and all the other Mini-Dragons continually popping up- and of course herself- it was something of a miracle they hadn't gotten totally wiped out by now... And they were getting hurt, of course, each of them were all taking hits, continually. And with each successive one, the more they were getting worn down, and the next hit hurt just a bit more, and wore them down a bit further than all those before it. Each hit left every one of them battered, breathless, aching- they had all been battered before any of this, from either the GMG or just all the insanity, and they were all feeling it. None of them had any real idea of just how long they'd been fighting, Hora certainly didn't- it felt like hours already, and there was no end in sight... No end and no way of winning, which made her heart race and her stomach flip over and over- and then a million times more with each Spell she threw toward Callan and nothing made a dent.
All of the Spells Hora had managed hadn't been strong enough to do any damage, and most of them were hardly even focused enough to be considered real Spells- she'd actually missed her target several times already (much to Lixue and Callan's annoyance) because she overshot, or even undershot what she was doing. A few times more her Spell never got all the way to fruition because it was messy, too uncontrolled, or controlled too much.
She did not know what she was doing even remotely enough to have even thought about getting in an all out fight, let alone being smack in the middle of one. And even with Lixue directing her, and telling her what to do, she wasn't good enough- she needed to have had time to practice and really learn this, not just jump into it wildly like she'd been forced to. And she was doing her best, she was giving it everything she had and even pushing way passed what would have been wise- using Lixue's Magic at all was not a good idea, he'd warned her from it several times that day and the night before... But shit.
I don't have a choice
'... No, you don't.' Lixue mumbled lowly, he sounded as out of breath as she was- naturally. Every little bit of Ice Magic she managed was chipping away at him and his already damaged being, and the larger, more forceful the Spell- the more it hurt both him, and her.
Hora grimaced at the words, dodging back another couple of feet and narrowly missing the swipe of Callan's tail, only to stumble a few paces again and hiss when her feet slipped, and she only barely caught herself before hitting the ground.
No, she didn't have a choice. It was either fight and survive, or get killed- Callan was ridiculously set on the murder thing, all of her hits, Spells, everything- they were all hard as hell and ready to maim and murder... And like Lixue had said, she was really, really incessant.
Hora found it hard to imagine Callan and Lixue ever having breaks when they'd been alive and whole and rivals, oh so long ago (well, long ago for Lixue maybe). She couldn't imagine Callan would have ever let Lixue keep away from fighting for more than a few minutes, given how deadset she was here and now with this fight.
'... She rarely gave me more than a month between bouts of fighting, but only because she was too battered to try and start a fight one after the other.' Lixue intoned dryly, 'As I said, she never beat me... However each successive loss only seemed to make her more determined...' He sighed, and Hora frowned at it.
No kidding
She backed up again, darting between a few mountains of rubble and skidding as she only just sidestepped out of the way of another vortex of water, her hand swiping up in sheer reaction and bringing Ice with it in the form of a wall not unlike what Lyon and Gray had managed before. It was all she could think of, it was sheer reaction- and she had little to go off of, honestly. What she'd seen of Lyon and Gray's Ice Magic between stints of dodging about was all she had in the way of real-world demonstrations of Ice Magic of any kind, so she was kind of copying... Or maybe emulating- but what choice did she really have?
If she wasn't recreating Spells she'd seen from them, she was banging out Spells she had nothing but Lixue's verbal instructions on- and the rest of the time she was just throwing haphazard Ice attacks out, or falling back on her Devil Slaying Magic. Which, her Fire didn't do much against Callan, or her Water Magic... But it was better than nothing, and it was all Hora really had that was any semblance of good enough (even if her Fire Magic's version of 'good enough' did not do any good against a goddamn Water Dragon).
This just sucked... So, so bad.
The water crashed into her makeshift wall of ice and the barrier held- for two seconds, and it was barely enough for Hora to move out of the way and avoid getting swept away. The impact against her Ice Magic was painful too, she felt it rattle through every inch of her and both she and Lixue winced under the sensation- but she had to stumble to the side and had no time to wallow in the pain, not that it didn't follow her the whole movement through.
She skid on the rubble, the rush of water and now broken ice just barely missing her by a few inches, but the sheer pressure and air wafting out from the attack made her lose her footing altogether, and she ended up crashing onto her shoulder hard. She grit her teeth, hissing as she struggled to roll herself over and onto her feet as quickly as she could, and her body and lungs burned like fire for the sheer effort.
I don't have a choice... But...
She staggered as she got back up, stumbling forward a few paces and barely missing a swipe of Callan's tail and being blown backwards by it- but the spiny fins on the end did catch across the left side of her upper-torso, and over her ribs as she twisted to try and avoid them all the same. The fins cut straight through her coat, shirt, and skin like it was nothing, tearing into her an inch or two deep and scarlet welling instantly under the two separate tears- the follow through as the spines left her body painting a line of sticky crimson through the air like the swing of a paintbrush.
"Hora!" Lyon's voice reached her ears from somewhere she couldn't see, panicked and tense as he saw the blood spatter- and Juvia and Gray looked around quickly at it too, grimacing.
Hora hissed, her teeth gritting hard enough they threatened to crack and she staggered sideways, hunching in on herself for only a moment before she swept her arms up. The inky black Markings made a quick reappearance, swirling across her skin wildly like jet black flame as she formed her arms into an 'x' shape before her, eyes blazing golden-azure as she swept her arms apart and stepped back simultaneously. Golden-blue fire blazed to life in an instant, sparkling off the ice littered about, and all the runoff and lingering puddles of water and moisture.
"Fire Devil's: Phoenix Flame!"
Three huge birds of fire sprung up above Hora as she swept her arms out on either side of her, the sound of the wind being cut apart by the birds shrill calls, their wings beating fiercely and leaving embers in their quake as they shot up into the air. All three began spinning around another before converging together in a flash of eerie gold- turning into one, single, giant bird that rivaled the size of the Guild Hall. It was massive, and burned such a deep and brilliant mix of azure and gold- everyone there, several dozen streets over, and even those fighting overhead in the sky saw it, and their eyes gleamed. Lyon, Gray and Juvia faltered in their battles, wide-eyed as they watched the Phoenix take flight, brimming with Magic and so full of power.
Golden-azure fire... It was something they had never seen before, and in a way- it was beautiful.
Even the Dragon Callan seemed transfixed for a moment as the bird arched overhead, her green eyes reflecting the glow of the odd-colored flame. Callan had seen that golden-azure before, but she never anticipated it in that small little human girl- let alone in a size and caliber of the likes of that blazing bird... And she conjured it not two seconds after being wounded-
The Phoenix dropped down over Callan with a screech, fiery talons digging deep into her body and flapping madly as it dragged the Dragon backward and off her feet, water and fire clashing with hisses and a storm of steam as the two of them began to squabble.
Hora staggered back a few more steps, doubling over as she sank onto one knee and her hand moved up to cover the wounds, her fingers immediately sticky with blood and the underside of her left arm, and all down that side quickly getting matted with the crimson stuff too. She winced harshly, shaking for the stabs of pain rushing through her, and the added on strain and lightheadedness brought from both the intensity of that Spell, and the further blood she was losing now... You know, on top of all the blood she'd already lost earlier, after meeting the Other Rogue.
She doubled over a tad more, her body shaking more as she forced herself to let out the air she was holding in, and ended up swaying badly with how heavily she was panting for air.
That Spell was way too big to use out of nowhere, but she needed Callan to ease up long enough for her to get a grip, and get a handle on the blood seeping through her fingers much too quickly for comfort. The wounds weren't deep deep, but they were deep enough- and long enough- that it being across the side of her ribs wasn't great.
"...s...shit..." She hissed shakily, she could feel the burning sensation of the Markings quickly crawling down her body and moving over the wounds, steaming slightly as it tried to hold them closed and still the blood a little. It would help, but not enough- not with how much she was moving and dodging around. And she had no choice but to keep fighting, keep trying, keep moving and keep using Magic, and more and more bigger Spells, if she was gonna have even the slightest chance... But that didn't change the fact that the longer she kept doing any of that, the worse things were gonna get. She was gonna get hurt worse, she was gonna run out of Magic eventually, and the more Magic she used, the worse Over-Drive was gonna be. Every Spell was gonna make it worse. Every shred of Magic.
Everything
She shut her eyes tight, pressing her hand over the wounds a bit more firmly, even despite the pain it elicited.
... Shit... We can't keep this up forever... but even still...
Hora pressed down harder, biting down hard on her cheeks until she tasted blood. Frosty air came to life around the hand covering the wounds, the fiery sensation of the Markings increasing as it clashed the sudden chill, Ice creeping across the tears in her skin and coating it tightly- the blood stalled, but the searing agony it brought with freezing them over was enough to have her almost doubling over completely. She kept herself as upright as she could though, her other hand digging into her knee as she leaned against it, the pain throbbing but numbing soon after... Just not fast enough.
"... Are you alright...?!" Lyon hissed, making his way to her side as quickly as he could manage and grimacing deeply for the amount of red drenching her hand when she pulled it away from her side, trembling. He saw the ice freezing the wounds shut and swallowed hard against it, his hands reaching out for Hora and grabbing hold to steady her as she forced herself up off one knee and into standing with little warning. She leaned into him a little, holding her breath against the new wave of pain that followed with getting up- before letting it out, her breathing fast and heavy, and shaking still as she shot him a look.
Lyon looked awful, more so close up- covered in muck and blood and bruised and cut up to all hell... She didn't look much better mind you, but it hit harder seeing it so clearly on his person now- because if Lyon looked bad, then Juvia and Gray probably looked just as bad too. She hadn't been able to spare many looks back at the two Fairy Tailers the whole time, but she had been trying- and they were getting just as beat up as she and Lyon were.
... shit...
"... Yeah..." Hora replied breathlessly, pushing herself away from leaning into his hands and forcing a breath that was meant to steady her, but only managed it very little. Her eyes broke off from Lyon when her FireBird screeched, it's flight suspended as Callan dragged it down and slammed it into the ground, water surging up off her body and from her mouth as she bit down into the bird's throat, and the flames were swallowed whole by the water brought forth by the Dragon. The bird was rendered nothing with a terrible hiss of flame on water, Callan's head lifting from crunching into the fiery body and swinging toward Lyon and Hora- still relentless, still angry, and not at all deterred nor phased. Not even by what was honestly a huge, powerful, and brilliantly executed Spell on Hora's part.
That Spell had been enough against the Demon Neveleous now just over a week ago, but here, and against Callan?
It still just wasn't good enough
The water used to render her FireBird into nonexistence kept growing, quickly rising and rushing out toward Hora and Lyon, Callan's head and body swinging around pushing it forward all the faster and with tenfold force- a roiling, churning ocean now headed directly at them, and their hearts dropped.
There was no way to avoid that
Lyon and Hora stepped up instantaneously, their hands slamming into the ground and erecting a massive wall of ice in front of them- the greenish white hue of Lyon's Magic mixing with the milky white hue of Hora's own. They dug their heels in, grimacing and readying themselves for the blow- and when it hit, it was a million times more forceful than they could have anticipated. Hora lost sight of Lyon altogether, their wall of ice shattering into a million pieces and being swept up, and jolted backwards painfully along with both of them, by the ocean of water that overtook them with absolute ease.
The water ramming into her was enough to knock the breath from Hora, and once she did she had no more left in her lungs, and no chance to replace it. Her bones rattled from the initial impact, her body burning with it and more so around the wound across her ribs- and then continued to be battered further as the pitch black waters pushed and pulled her this way and that violently, keeping her stuck under the waves and with not even the slimmest chance to try and bring herself up to the surface for air.
'You must get out of this water quickly, before Callan brings you directly to her!' Lixue ordered sharply, though even his voice in her head was a little muffled by the booming and roaring of all the water surrounding her. 'If she gets ahold of you, we are done for!'
What do you want me to do...?! The waters pulling too hard Lixue, I can't make sense of anything- I can't breathe!
None of the Spells you've been directing me to use have made a dent, what Spell could you possibly try and explain to me know that will get me out of this...?! And I'd be able to manage before I fucking drown..?!
'Do whatever comes to mind then!' He snapped back curtly, 'Ignore me and just react- do whatever feels right, act on your own instincts, whatever they may be!' He ordered and she faltered a bit at the sudden 180- he'd been ordering her about with instruction after instruction, so to suddenly be told to... Wing it...?!
S-seriously...?!
'Don't question it, just do something!' Lixue snapped hotly, 'Anything at all- just do it quickly!'
Hora faltered again but let it be, mind racing and heart pounding painfully in her chest as she struggled against the viciously tugging waves. She saw something being pushed toward her even in all the dim, her eyes widening at the rather large block of ice shimmering faintly with a green-white hue headed straight for her. It wasn't her Ice Magic, so it was probably a leftover from that shield Lyon had tried to erect alongside her, and it was pretty big- and totally headed on a collision course to ram into her. Which was gonna hurt, so she reflexively started to try and avoid it, only to halt halfway through the action, blue eyes gleaming.
She grit her teeth, ignoring the pushing and pull of the water and throwing her arms open wide. The ice rammed into her body painfully and quite hard, enough it knocked the last of the breath from her, but she didn't let it make her falter. The minute the ice was in reach and connected, she wrapped her arms and legs around the chunk and held fast to it, her fingernails digging in and jaw clenching.
'What are you-?' Lixue mumbled quickly but he cut off, and she really didn't pay him much mind at all.
I've never done this before, I really hope it tastes okay-!
She opened her mouth, frowning for the water that hit her tongue instantly, but pushed through it filling her mouth, and chomped down hard on the ice in her grasp. The ice shattered under her fangs as she gulped down the mouthful of it and water quickly, then chomped down again, and again, and several times more all in rapidity. Her lungs ached for the lack of air, but her stomach and limbs quickly started loving the surge of extra Power that came with the munching- and better yet, it didn't actually taste bad at all!
She was done with it in moments, the ice glowing underneath her hands and condensing down into pure Magic that she swallowed whole. Hora swung her arms out in the water, orienting herself what she figured was the right way around even despite the constant pull of the water- her eyes flashed an icy blue and stayed that way, the water around her shuddering as a pale white glow began to build off her body.
Do whatever comes to mind huh?!
She swung her arms and hands downward roughly toward a ground she could not see, and only barely sensed. The water trembled violently as she did it, the deep black suddenly getting wrenched apart and ice shooting outward from her arms, arcing with the movement and trapping the water in it's quake. The ice amassed underneath her at breakneck speed and rammed into the ground, and then shot upward under own feet and kept growing skyward with her atop it. It pushed her through the waves with a fierceness, her knees ramming into the sheer white surface and palms doing the same, the Ice spreading out around her even as it shot up, and rendering the ocean of vicious churning water into a sudden chilly standstill in a diameter of several dozen feet.
Her head broke through the top of the waves in seconds, the ice rocketing her upward in a quickly stacking tower built up of Ice constantly growing off itself. The weight of the water resisting her momentum vanished, and then she was in midair, her Tower and platform underneath her ceasing it's upward struggle and propelling her high into the night sky over it.
Hora didn't dare suck in a breath of air even when she first broke out of the water, she didn't have time for it, because she was just gonna end up coughing. So she held it still, her body momentarily weightless as she hit the apex of launching herself upward, and her eyes locked with the green ones of Callan glaring up at her, the Dragon sitting amidst the deep sea of water that she'd broken free of, lips pulled in a snarl and absolutely seething. Hora glared back, teeth gritting and her few seconds of weightlessness quickly coming to a close, so she flipped herself over, arms swinging out on either side of her and Magic flaring all anew.
There was no time for some step by step instruction from Lixue, and he didn't even try to bud in. He'd told her to do whatever came to mind, hadn't he? And what was she really good at?
Fighting in that hotheaded, stumbling, stubborn, and entirely dumb-luck driven way- so no more fancy Spells, just wing it!
Hora swung down hard, ice shooting up off her arms and outward in spiky tendrils, spiraling around each other and clashing together with a boom- and one followed by a shrill cry from the winged beast made of ice now suddenly forming underneath her. Trails of chilly air and frost billowed behind it, and off it's wings and tail made up of a million feathers of sheer, smooth ice- cold blue shinning in its core and razor sharp talons extending as it arched downward. It was three times bigger than even the one born of flame that had come before it, the air for three blocks around them suddenly swept up in a bone-cold wind the flapping of it's wings created, bits of frost and snow flurrying along with it. It screeched again as it came into full form, Hora's blue eyes blazing and fangs bared as the ice-made beast began nosediving toward Callan at breakneck speed.
Wing it- and what's better at winging it then a giant freakin' bird?!
... Somewhere in the back of her mind Lixue sighed rather heavily
"Ice Phoenix!" Hora snapped, her voice furious and carrying along the shriek of the bird, and even when her voice broke the instant she'd said the words. She had no choice but to suck in air that time, and as she expected- she immediately ended up coughing, badly.
She sputtered, mouthfuls of red-tinged water rising up her throat and into the air to fall just like the rest of her was, the taste of it and the blood in it foul on her mouth, and her chest and arms burned for the show of Magic. Even with the boost from munching on Lyon's ice, that Ice Phoenix was about all she got from it, and her body and Lixue's damaged form hated her for the wanton use... But hell-
The bird rammed into Callan, driving her backwards and through several buildings, the both of them grappling with each other, claws flashing, teeth and beak snapping. They were hissing and squawking, tumbling things over and leaving a path of destruction in their quake- and this time there came the scarlet well of blood across Callan's neck where the bird's talons sliced through the scales.
For the first time since the fight had ensued, and in all the dodging about, struggling, and not making a dent at all- finally something was enough... But of course it had to be that one thing that actually made even the slightest bit of headway.
Hora coughed again, the last of the water gone from her lungs and this time all that came up was sticky crimson, her fleeting view of the Dragon and Bird blurring quickly as the pain in her chest, and across her ribs from the tear carved into her flesh, got all the more blinding. She felt gravity pulling her down, she knew the momentum she'd managed to throw herself upward was spent and now reversing- she knew she needed to save herself the fall, from the height she was at hitting the ground would be really bad... But she couldn't focus enough to even begin to figure out how she was gonna do that. Hell, she couldn't hardly move, let alone breathe- so of course it had to be that huge, massive, totally winging it move that managed something after so long. Because...
... I don't think... I'm gonna be able... To do it... Again...
She flipped over once more in air without wanting to, the follow-through of the move making it so she ended up staring at the sky overhead. The eerie red moon was blotted out by that Dragon still sending the Mini-Dragons hurting toward the earth, but it and the moon behind it was blurring terribly, and they were nothing more than a big blob behind a big dark shadow.
... Fuck I... Gotta stop myself... From falling...
She grit her teeth, hissing as she tried to so something, make a platform, right herself- anything. But any attempt at moving just then earned even more pain running through every inch of her, and she could hear Lixue hissing in pain too.
... Move... Damn it...
Her eyes dropped halfway, the icy blue color flickering, trying to keep up but failing almost all the way- but she fought it, pushing against the darkness invading the edges of her vision and still trying to muster up something.
Anything-!
She flinched, a shriek coming from her Ice Bird and the sensation of it getting ripped apart hit her full force, though she didn't see it. She didn't need to see it though, the sudden feeling like something get wrenched from her core was awful and she grit her teeth for it- knowing all too well the empty feeling of the Magic being rendered null and wasted was soon to follow.
Hora forced her hand in the general direction she knew her Ice Phoenix was being wrenched in half, the sound of it's solid body cracking loudly and shattering all up it's lengths heavy on her ears. Her fingers stretched out, still cached in her own blood from before even with all the brawling with the water, her teeth gritting so hard they threatened to crack. She forced her Magic up again, and forced her focus to hone in on all that Ice Magic being rendered into shards.
I am not letting all of that go to waste so quickly... not a chance...!
Pale white sparked off her hand, the flickering icy blue of her eyes ceasing for a moment and remaining clear and bright as the agony in her core sharpened- Lixue nearly yelping for it, but both she and he pushed at through it anyway.
The shards of ice the Phoenix got broken into glowed, remolding themselves even as they fell and were thrown away by a very furious Callan. They quickly started bending and shifting, some of them smashing together to form something new- and all of them stopping their momentum backwards and to the ground. Sharp wings made of ice sprouted outward from all of the pieces, along with heads, tails and beaks- leaving about 100 new, smaller birds, all entirely made up of all the ice and Magic it had taken to make the first.
And then in no time at all, every single one of those birds course-corrected and made a beeline for Callan, bombarding and surrounding her in all directions, and on all sides. They began pummeling her relentlessly, breaking scales off, earning bruises, tiny nicks where the scales had cracked- but that was all they managed, mostly they were a nuisance, and the Dragon screeched in fury as she did her best to render the new storm of birds nothing but dust.
Hora heard the bird's calls and Callan's roars blend into one another sickeningly, the icy blue her eyes had taken on fading to none, along with what little of the world hadn't been swallowed up by that black creeping in from the edges. She was still falling, she had intended to have one of those birds divert and head toward her, but it was all she could manage to get them to lock on to Callan, before her hand and her focus on them got spent. The pain in her center sharpened enough what little air she'd managed to get was cut off, and she cringed harshly, all of her mind getting consumed in the agony- and for a few seconds, she totally forgot all about falling at all.
D... damn it...
The smell of water hit her nose and she instinctively stiffened against it, even without really having mind enough to do anything about it. And she only faintly registered the smell of ice quickly following with it, before her back splashed into said water, and then quickly thudded against something more solid. The impact was softened by the water slowing her down briefly, but it hurt still as she landed on the high and sloping track of ice that had followed the waters upward motion toward her, and the initial impact of it had her coughing again. She slid downward quickly on the slide made up of ice, still sputtering halfway down it's length, and nearly all the way up until her motion backward halted rather abruptly. Her body slammed into something- someone- else, her back ramming into their chest as they tried to catch her in their arms. But she was sliding a little too fast and they smacked together a bit painfully, pushing them both back a few paces until they stopped all the way. Hora coughed as they connected, and then cringed harshly when a stab of agony rushed upward from the wound over her ribs where the hasty attempt to grab hold of her- ended with a rather painful thud of their arm against her torso, and directly against the wound. The wound of which was still covered in ice, though fracturing now after all the buffeting with the water and the slide alike, and had allowed a thin red trail of blood to get painted all the way down the track that saved her the fall.
Hora sputtered again, the pain subsiding enough she could focus more on the fact the breath had been driven from her, and she wheezed slightly, the taste of blood getting heavier on her tongue as a bit dribbled passed the edge of her lips. She grit her teeth against it, her body curling slightly in on itself even with whoever had caught her still having their arms wrapped around her. She heard them puff a little, her head just under their chin and their breath ruffling her hair- and then she felt them stiffen when she cringed in their hold and let loose a shaky hiss. They quickly tried to adjust in order to steady her more, help her sit up even- but she couldn't hold her own weight just then, or get her eyes open- and she ended up just leaning back into them heavily, battling for proper air.
"Horatia, are you alright...?!" Lyon's breathless voice sounded close to her ear, the Lamia Wizard having been the one to stop her movement, and to whom she was leaning into- while Gray and Juvia had been the ones to send up that water and ice to make that slide that brought her back down. They'd managed a break in fighting off the Mini-Dragons since Callan's water had dragged them off, which was good as it gave them time to pause and save the Saber Wizard falling all the way.
Hora swallowed hard, breathless still and forcing her eyes back open, her head tilting left enough to catch a little glimpse of Lyon's face, and she nodded slightly. "... S... Sorry I... Need a breather..." She panted quietly, dark blue eyes dropping closed again and groaning a bit under her breath, her hand moving shakily to bump his left arm, hissing. "... Y... You are kinda hurting me though..." She added, and Lyon stiffened, frowning as he quickly moved his arm from pressing against the wound over her ribs and blanching to see just how much blood was seeping passed the covering of frost and ice. Worse even, he saw the blood dripping passed the edge of her lips and it made his stomach flip- especially so at how awful her breathing was right then, and how pale she looked... She looked awful, and nearly spent- Gray and Juvia noticed it instantly too, both Fairy Tailers casting wary looks toward the Saber.
"That was a seriously huge Spell, and it worked pretty good, you actually managed to do some damage." Gray mumbled quietly, his eyes moving from Hora and toward where Callan was still batting at the smaller ice birds still left. "... But, you've got a thing with birds, huh...?" He added quietly, casting the panting Saber a sideways glance- but if Hora ever heard it, she didn't say anything to it... And honestly, he doubted she heard the comment at all, because she did look awful, and it was clear as day to all of them she wouldn't be able to do another Spell like that at all- which sucked, since it was the only thing that had made a dent so far. But they couldn't blame her for not being able to repeat it, she'd not really been at 100% even before all of this, and she was pretty much a newbie with her Ice Magic too.
Hell, to be entirely honest- what she'd been doing the whole time? Even already being injured, and drained, and not in the best of shape, or even really with any practice at all at being a Dragon Slayer?
"... Ya know, you're kinda kicking ass at the whole Ice Dragon Slayer thing, especially for being totally 'half-baked'." Gray murmured, shooting Hora a faint, and sort of weary smirk that she cracked an eye open for, her panting breaking off a second in surprise. He let out a breath, his eyes dropping closed and shaking his head a bit. "... Heh, you're kinda making the rest of us look bad, ya know...? You're just as worn out as we are, and even more so- but you're still firing off attacks like that... Totally kick ass." He mumbled, Juvia beside him nodding in agreement, while Hora blinked, her attention stuck on Gray and dark blue eyes gleaming.
Lyon swallowed a bit at the words, and the way Hora seemed stunned with it, and how instantly at attention she was. Naturally so, given what Gray saying any of that probably meant to her, and so much more than the Ice Mage knew- given Gray was still so painfully oblivious to who she actually was. Hora seemed to suck in a breath under his hold and hold it, Lyon biting the inside of his cheek when he saw the way her lips pulled into a tight line, ghosts of pain, and ache, and even yearning swimming in those familiar blue eyes of hers- and so easy to see. But Gray's own eyes were still closed, and he never saw any of it at all, and Lyon's heart twisted for it... and then twisted a million times more when Hora saw the new damage littering Juvia and Gray from the constant fighting with the Mini-Dragons, and how exhausted they were- just like Hora herself and Lyon... And probably everybody else scattered around Crocus, fighting for their lives.
... Shit...
Hora swallowed hard, hissing as she pushed herself up from leaning into Lyon and out of his hold, her hand curling over her torso and pressing against the wound over her ribs as she grit her teeth. Lyon jumped as she moved, Juvia and Gray too as their eyes found the Saber again, Lyon fidgeting and quick to let his hands find her back, holding her steady and adjusting to be at her shoulder.
"... Hora, you can barely move you need to sit still...!" Lyon muttered quickly, but she shook her head sharply,
"... Don't really have a choice, Ice-Boy... All of my birds are nearly gone, the fight isn't over..." She muttered through gritted teeth, "... besides, we're about to have company... And it's not like I'm gonna sit around while you guys keep fighting, so gotta keep moving." She mumbled, the words making everyone stiffen, and more so when Hora's eyes shift sideways narrowed and wary. All of their eyes moved to where she was looking, frowns appearing on their faces and instantly on edge again as another round of Mini-Dragons started to clamber over the rubble and in their direction.
"... Tch... Shit, they never stop..." Gray muttered,
"Juvia hoped Natsu's fighting on the mother Dragon would slow them at least a little..." Juvia murmured, Hora grimaced at it. She had been faintly aware of Fire and Shadow being thrown every which way over their heads from the showdown between the Flame-Brain and the Other Rogue, and it was still going- but with no end in sight... Just like their fight against the Mini-Dragons, and Callan alike.
"... Doesn't seem so." Hora mumbled, grumbling under her breath as she forced her feet under her and started to stand- Lyon quick to get up himself and give her a hand for support. She took it gratefully, her legs shaking terribly even once she was up all the way, and her chest ached a bit more- moving or breathing at all was unpleasant enough with the strain that came with using Lixue's Magic while he was damaged, but it was worse with that wound across her ribs... Seriously, this sucks.
But I still gotta keep going, we are far from done here... Geez, can I not catch a break...? Didn't I say I deserved some good luck after all the shit that's happened...?
'... You are due, though it seems likely your good luck has manifested itself in how well you are doing against Callan.' Lixue intoned dryly, '... Your brother is right, you are doing very well where you shouldn't be... And even then, I don't think it has much to do with luck at all. So I admit, I am impressed. With the little and rushed guidance I have been able to give you, you are using my Magic nearly like a Master- and mostly it is just you. Sheer stubbornness, dumb luck, whatever... You are a very capable Mage, Horatia.'
Hora's eyes flashed, swallowing at the words and a little taken back by the sudden, and rather unusual, vote of approval- and the admission of being impressed.
... You... You what...?
'You heard me.'
I... I mean yeah, but... Well... Now is a hell of a time to tell me that, Lixue...! After all of this, you choose now to say I'm... actually good at things...?!
'... Hmm, I suppose- though I apologize I haven't said it sooner.' Was the cool reply, 'And this is not a 'pep talk', I do mean it. Regardless of how reckless you are, you are strong- and you're certainly proving it now... I do think anyone but you would have passed out, and stayed that way a long time ago. But you are still going, despite everything, and even when this fight is far from over, and we are getting closer to hitting our limit- you are still going to push on, hmm?'
She bit the inside of her cheek slightly, blue eyes gleaming and her arm falling from holding her ribs. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and she nodded stiffly.
Yeah, I'm gonna keep going. I don't have a choice, as long as everyone else keep fighting, and even after they're too tired to keep on... I am not gonna stop, not until I know this is done and over with, and they're all safe. I am not gonna stop, not yet, not until I can't move anymore at all.
If I can move even a little, I can keep going, keep fighting- as long as it takes, until all of this is done, until everything is okay, and until it stops being so fucking insane... Damn it, I have shit to do after this, things to say- and I can't do that if Dragons destroy the whole goddamn kingdom.
So I have to keep going, no matter what.
'... Hmm, I don't think anyone else in the same situation could do it- but you?' Lixue rumbled lowly, 'If anyone is going to manage to get through this all the way to the end, and somehow manage to make sure the people you care for make it out... I do think it will be you.'
Hora took in a big breath of air and held it, nodding stiffly again and steadying herself as best she could, even when her legs kept trembling despite herself.
Hell yeah... But first-
She blinked, her eyes tracing over the slide made up of ice a few steps in front of her, ever aware of the Mini-Dragons getting closer and Callan smashing the last of her Birds to bits. Hora paused, casting a slightly nervous glance back toward Gray and he caught the look, diverting his attention from the Mini-Dragon's briefly and quirking a brow.
"... what?" He mumbled dryly and Hora stiffened, looking a bit more nervous. She gestured faintly toward the slide, smiling sheepishly for a moment.
"... ah, I just... would it be rude, if I ate your Ice...?" She mumbled and he blinked, his face falling slack at the rather unexpected (and totally unnecessary!) question. Even Juvia and Lyon's faces fell too, stunned, before they looked sort of amused and exasperated all at once- while Gray looked mostly just exasperated, clicking his tongue and waving a hand at her dismissively.
"Geez why are you even asking...? You're making it weird, just eat it already..." He sighed and Hora smiled a bit sheepishly at it, and a bit more when Lyon cast her an amused smile from the corner of her eye.
"Ah, r-right..."
She stepped up toward the sloping track of ice, cursing herself slightly in her head for the dumb question, but leaving it be. She hadn't time to waste in being a bumbling idiot, Callan was already whipping her head about looking for them, and the Mini-Dragons were closing in. Hora shook her head at herself a little roughly, sucking in another big breath of air and then chomping down on the side of the slide rather unceremoniously, her fangs shattering the ice with ease and starting to chew quickly. A few bites in the whole thing glowed pale white, condensing down quickly as she (still rather unceremoniously) tipped her head back and sucked it all up in one big gulp.
She sighed once she swallowed the last bit, her breath billowing out in a chilly fog before her as her hands met her knees for a moment. She felt the energy coursing through her limbs again just like it had when she'd snacked on Lyon's Magic a bit before, but it being a bit more all at once to eat had her feeling a little breathless for half a second, and her stomach churned a tiny bit too. Lyon stepped up to her shoulder, head tilted and looking a little unsure when she doubled over a bit. "... Are you alright?" He mumbled quickly, and Hora shot him a glance.
"... Yeah, I'm good... It's a nice boost... And kinda sorely needed... Ah... I'm just not super used to eating Ice, ya know...? And not that much at once..." She mumbled back, and he nodded slightly.
"I see..." He murmured and she straightened up, stifling the wince she nearly let slip as another stab of pain ran through the wound on her side. Her eyes found Callan as the Dragon leapt upward into air in their direction, snarling, scraped up, and absolutely livid now, and both Lyon and Hora stiffened- while Gray and Juvia started forward in the opposite direction behind them, starting in on the new wave of Mini-Dragons.
And just like that, the little bit of a breather and respite with it, was gone just as quickly as it came- and they all grimaced for it.
"... Alright time to get back to it...!" Hora hissed, breaking off from Lyon and going right, while he went left, Magics blazing, hearts racing, and still so deadset and resolute despite the abuse their bodies had already taken.
Keep fighting, do not let up!
The other Wizards, and the battalions of Rune Knights brought by Ira, Lahar and Doranbolt- all of them scattered around Crocus pushed forward still, fighting tooth and claw against waves of Mini-Dragons with no end, and dodging the terrible waves of destruction brought upon by the Dragon's, and the Slayers battling them.
This is on us to save the Kingdom, and everyone in it!
Natsu's fist slammed hard against the Other Rogue's jaw, the both of them dodging about, absolutely heated, relentless- and sparking in black, white, and brilliant orange flame speckled in golden lightning.
Those at the Eclipse Gate hissed, facing down the Jade Dragon with fury in their eyes, and utterly steadfast.
That Future of Destruction is not gonna happen, not a chance!
The brilliant glowing figure of the Dragon Atlas Flame rammed into the Dragon hovering in the sky that was producing the Mini ones without end- both Legendary Beasts screeching and roaring as they grappled with one another. Huge, bulky figures wrestling mid flight and fiercely- their battle not unlike the next few Ice and Flame Phoenix's Hora produced to combat Callan. The Birds kept the Dragon busy while she and Lyon sent off attack, after attack, in near perfect union with each other. The same sort of union echoed in Juvia and Gray, and one that continued even when a strange pink-haired woman named Meredy appeared from the Ruined City to aid the two.
Nobody else dying for this shit, no matter what!
Rogue and Sting hissed, stumbling to a brief standstill back to back with each other, panting and bodies aching as they faced those two Dragons down- now relentless in their attacks and not a thought spared to keeping the Shadow Dragon Slayer alive. The Twin Dragons broke off, Shadow and Light dancing and twisting with each other with practiced ease- fierce and never letting up, never pausing.
Keep fighting, keep everyone alive, and safe- stop this, as quick as you can!
Hora's lungs were on fire, her body feeling no better, and agony rushed through every inch of her on a repeat outward from the wound scoring over her ribs- which was now bleeding freer than ever, the ice that had frozen over it crumbling to bits and with no time to replace it. She couldn't stop, she had no time to, not even when her body needed her to cease, and was trying so hard to simply give out on her- I cannot stop
She didn't know how long it went on for, she had near to no idea about anything else going on- not the Dragons fighting overhead, not the clash of Rogue and Natsu, not the crowds of people fighting for their lives, and really not as much focus on Gray, Juvia and Meredy either. Hell, even her attention on Lyon was scattered, though she did everything to make sure he was fine, guard him where he needed, direct Callan's attacks away as the battering from the Dragon started to wear him down finally... And Lyon tried his best, he gave it everything he had because he would not let Hora fight alone, not on anything- and she knew that.
She knew Gray, Juvia, Lyon, and every single Wizard and person fighting in that city were hurt, and reeling, and starting to falter out of sheer exhaustion. She knew that, it was probably the most pressing thing in her mind, and it was the biggest drive too.
She could not let up, she had to keep going, no matter what. This insanity had to end, things had to go back to normal- that Future the Other Rogue wanted could not happen, and she was not about to let it.
The Dragons could not win.
Nobody else was going to die, not on her watch.
That Future that wanted her dead so badly- would not get what it wanted, not a chance in hell!
She would not lose, and she would not die, and nor would she relent- not even when it got increasingly harder to breathe properly, or when the pain her core got almost blinding and constant. And not even when the small dribble of blood passed her lips started to become a constant stream, broken only by coughing and wheezy panting. She did not stop even when she knew every shred of Ice Magic, and Devil Slaying Magic combined brought her that much closer to the Limit she and Lixue had. And that each second spent forcing both those Magics forward, and at what colossal levels she had to just to keep up with Callan- all of it was sharpening the deadly edge of Over-Drive when it finally took hold. But she still kept on, even knowing it would lead nowhere good- because there was no way she was gonna let herself lose.
So she kept going, and with so much more luck and power, and even skill, than should have been possible- she was winging it, she was sloppy, but she was fierce. And no one ever realized how fierce she could be until just then, and she wasn't even the most powerful, she was barely keeping up... but she kept going, no matter how much it was clearly taking out of her.
Even Callan had to admit, that puny child was fending her off and actually doing damage- small as it was... a girl that young, and that small, should not have lasted even half as long as this.
Hora kept pushing, kept moving, and fighting- and it didn't matter what happened in the meantime, or how far she pushed it, or how much it hurt- none of that mattered because she had absolutely no intention of dying. None whatsoever, and it was gonna take a lot more than fucking Callan, the Future wanting her dead, the Other Rogue, or anything else combined to manage to kill her- not now.
I have things to do, things to share, things to say with my friends, Guild and Family- I promised I would come back, I swore that!
And I promised Lyon I would tell Gray too, so I cannot die damn it! I will not die!
"Ice Dragon's-!" She hissed, Lixue's voice echoing in her head and uttering the words along with her, icy and firm. Hora spun tightly, arms stretched out on either side of her and Ice licking off her arms like giant, reaching wings. Callan snarled, her own body twisting and tail sweeping her way with a massive wave of water at it's back.
I have to fight, and I have to win..!
"-Wing Attack!"
The water and ice clashed head on with a deafening boom, half of the water freezing in it's place while the other half swallowed her attack entirely- both opposing sides sweeping passed each other and headed toward Callan and Hora. The Ice struck hard against Callan's hide and pushed her back a few feet, while Hora stumbled slightly, quickly trying to redirect and avoid the water still headed toward her. She hissed, twisting a little painfully and the inky black Markings stretching quickly along her arms, flame sparking off her form and erecting a wall of brilliant orange and red between herself and the water.
It wasn't going to hold, she knew that, but the fire was easier than the Ice to conjure up after the Wing Attack, and how much pain struck her straight through the core afterward. She couldn't stop and let herself get swallowed up by the pain, so she had to move, try something- even if it wasn't gonna work, shit..!
The flames hissed, spitting and steaming as the first of the water reached them and quickly swallowed them up- and she growled, pushing herself back a few more steps hastily, and body tensing in anticipation of being rammed into.
The water got pushed sideways and passed her though, a wall of ice rushing upward to slam into it and overtake it. Hora's eyes snapped toward the direction it came from, finding Lyon about three dozen feet that way, covered in muck now from all the fighting, and panting, his hands on the ground and giving life to the wall of ice that saved her. She swallowed, their eyes meeting for half a second before she stiffened, a shadow moving at the corner of her making her heart sink, and she hissed, her hand swiping up and fire following it's quake toward him.
"Watch it!" She snapped, her voice nearly getting drowned out as her flames swept passed him and rammed into the Mini-Dragon that had broken from the rest, and made a beeline for the Lamia Wizard. The flames sent the Mini flying, Lyon's eyes following the track of fire passed himself, hissing as he shot off a flurry of tigers made of ice to keep the next two off of him. He kept them back, but a flash of blue-green swept toward him, followed by the meaty thud of Lyon's body getting rammed into by Callan's tail, and the Lamia Wizard was thrown harshly back in the direction Gray, Juvia and Meredy were. He hit the ground hard, yelling as he rolled and smacked into a pile of rubble, the Fairy Tailers and Meredy whipping around and faltering in their constant back and forth as he skid passed them.
"Lyon!" Hora snapped,
"Oh no-!" Meredy gasped, Juvia beside her grimacing as she swept a wave of water around in Lyon's direction and fended off the few Mini-Dragons that immediately went for him while he was still down.
"Hey man, you okay...?!" Gray hissed, his attention darting quickly toward his childhood friend and grimacing as Lyon struggled to push himself back up and out of the rubble, coughing slightly and blood dripping down his arm from a new gash cut into his shoulder from where the spiny fins on Callan's tail had rammed into him.
"... I'm alright..." Lyon hissed through gritted teeth, Hora swallowing hard and hardly hearing the words as she stumbled back the few paces she'd retreated, puffing as she fought to regain her balance- and hastily started trying to pinpoint Callan again. The diversion brought from Lyon getting hit had lasted too long, even for the few seconds she gave herself to look, and looking that way was a huge mistake, on more ends than just her own.
Water rammed into her from behind hard enough to drive the air from her, and she hit the ground, skidding across it as the current pulled her roughly through the decimated space and slammed her into the half-crumbled wall of a building. She sputtered, pain racing up her spine from the impact with the stone, and she stumbled, doing her best to get back to her feet and move again before the next attack came. Her shoulder hit the wall as she struggled back onto her feet, the water still swirling about her knees running muddy red, the wound in her side bleeding faster as what little bits of ice that had kept it closed fell into the water with a splash.
Hora blinked furiously, trying to rid of her eyes of the water and the blurriness with it- and her heart skipped a beat when she saw a bulky shadow move to her left, and she reacted blindly. She jumped in the opposite direction, splashing through the water draining away slowly and throwing up a wall of ice between herself and whatever the shadow was, the pain in her side and her chest increasing instantly.
"Enough of this girl!"
She heard the ice shatter, felt the blow of it getting destroyed to her Magic Energy- though her vision was still bleary she couldn't make out much more than that, and she certainly didn't see whatever hit her next, or notice it, not until it was too late.
Callan's foot came down on top of Hora, pearly white claws pushing her backward into the ground so harshly it caved in and shattered underneath her, and the skin about her shoulders, arms, and torso got sliced into by the deadly sharp talons. Her body smashed against the unyielding stone, agony running through every rattling bone, every tendon, every nerve, and her lungs ceased functioning- the breathe driven from her, and no opportunity to replace it with Callan's heavy weight suffocating her. The back of her head smashed into the stone so hard her vision dotted in black, ears ringing, mind whirling, stunned, trapped... And somewhere in her very core, even around the awful crunch of the stone, the thud of her body against it, and the wheezing sound of her breath getting stripped from her lungs- Hora heard something crack, and Lixue roared in utter pain, his voice on her mind all she could make out for what seemed like forever.
"Hora!" Lyon, Juvia, and Gray snapped, their eyes along with Meredy's darting toward the massive figure of Callan as the Dragon pinned the Saber so violently, hearts racing and grim faces among the lot- and panic too.
Hora heard them only faintly, Lixue's roar of pain tapering off in her mind and some tiny fraction of clarity trickling back in even under the sheer brutality of it, coughing as some little bit of air made it's way into her lungs, but it wasn't near enough, Callan was putting to much weight on her to breathe properly... and honestly, even if she wasn't there, Hora wasn't sure her lungs would function enough anyway. She blinked hard, head whirling and Callan's face directly above her terribly unfocused, so much so she could only barely make out the green hue of her eyes, and only some semblance of the Dragon's lips parted in a snarl. She knew everyone else was somewhere to her left, she did hear the panic in their voices, she even figured it was her name they said- but the words were so muffled around everything else. She even figured she caught some glimpse of them from the corner of her eye, but it was only a guess, and couldn't turn her head enough to make sure just then.
...f...fuck...
"I am done with this back and forth, you little pest...!" Callan hissed furiously above her, her breath hot and smelling like salty ocean air as it washed down into Hora's face, and the Saber grit her teeth, her dark blue eyes gleaming and unfocused still, though she shot the blurry figure of the Dragon an exhausted glare. Callan just snarled at it, teeth bared and green eyes glinting in fury as she leaned her head back a bit, pushing Hora further back into the stone and the Saber yelped.
"This is over with, I am done with you- so it is time for your life to end, once and for all! You and Lixue!"
Water washed over Callan, followed closely by projectiles made of ice, and all of it shattered against the side of the Dragon's head- diverting her intention to snap down on Hora for a moment, and causing Callan to turn her attention toward the Fairy Tailers, Lyon and Meredy across the way, hissing.
Hora stiffened, one eye cracking open and turning her head enough to see them this time, her voice breaking a little when Callan shifted above her, "M-Move-!" Hora yelled, only for her voice to fail when Callan pushed down harder, cutting off any attempts of air, or warnings.
"Bug off!" Callan snapped impatiently, the Water Dragon's wings raising at her sides, and then flapping downward hard- erecting a flurry of wind and water both that rammed into the group standing across the way, and sending them flying. Every one of them- Lyon, Gray, Juvia and Meredy- slammed against the pavement with painful gasps and yelps, skidding backward and groaning, their badly battered bodies protesting them instantly trying to struggle back to their feet. They staggered, forcing themselves back into standing as quickly as they could manage, panting, out of breath, and hurting too- and Hora's eyes flashed, her face twisting at how easily they'd gotten thrown, and how all of their attention landed on her once more, still panicked, and ready to try to push forward again without hesitation.
And then Hora's heart skipped a beat, because while their eyes were on her and Callan- none of them noticed the Mini-Dragon's directly on their flank, already ready to send off a burst of hot, high-powered Magic directly for them, and the first- directly for Juvia. Juvia, who like near everyone else, her eyes had not left Hora, not for a second, and she had no idea of the danger suddenly aimed at her. None of them had any id- wait..!
Hora's heart dropped, her blood running cold and instinctively pushing up against Callan's hold, blue eyes full of panic and fear when she saw someone else move, someone other than herself who saw that Mini-Dragon at the last possible second, and moved even when there was no time to- NO!
"Watch it-!"
"DON'T!"
Hora screamed the word, her voice harsh and breathless, and still loud enough they heard it- but it didn't matter, he'd already moved, and the Mini-Dragon had already sent off it's Magic beam.
The world and time itself seemed to slow down in that instant, trudging by at a terrifying snails pace and every millisecond of it transpiring too fast to even fathom- and yet every single detail of it was impossible to miss.
It was burning into her mind- in all their minds- in what few seconds it occurred, clear as a bell, every little detail, all of it- and she could not move, or do anything about it.
Juvia stumbled to the side, pushed that way and out of the line of fire at the last possible second, and with it there was no time for him to move either- him pushing her out of the way just put him directly in the way, and that blast of Magic tore straight through his chest like it was nothing.
No-
The terror that raced through Hora was clear as day in Juvia's face, and Meredy's, and Lyon's too- all of them suspended in time as that sticky crimson splattered into the air, born from the fist sized hole suddenly torn through his body. His teeth grit as he coughed some of that scarlet liquid up, his face both stunned, confused, and pained all at once.
N-no-!
There were more Mini-Dragons than that one, they'd pulled themselves from the surrounding rubble and closed in as soon as the Mage's let up in their fighting even a little, crowding in and quick to jump in on the carnage- maws open wide and Magic bubbling in the pits of their stomachs long before the first shot ever got all the way through his body.
NO-!
A second shot went off, and a third, fourth, five, six- way to many too count, all of them in rapid succession, each one tearing through him just as easily as the first, ripping him to shreds and his body jerked with each one. And with each shot, the splatter of his blood on air and against the stone grew frighteningly more solid... and the look on his face...?
Still so... confused, and p-pained... n..no...
The last shot went off, blaringly loud, and it felt like she'd gotten shot too, directly through her very soul, while it... it went through the his... h...his... h...head...
He hit the ground with a heavy thud, limp, umoving, his body riddled in holes, skin slick with scarlet dripping fast from every wound... and utterly.. s..silent... n...no... no...!
The whole world stopped in that moment, her heart with it- and she felt like every part of her mind, body, soul- all of it got ripped in two, torn to shreds just like he- N-NO..!
"G-GRAY..!"
That wasn't her voice, it was someone else's- maybe many someones- and she meant to say it. She wanted to scream it, but her voice wouldn't come. Nothing came, she just froze, all the world around her, the chaos, the weight of Callan pinning her to the ground, the agony in her body from all the fighting- everything went deadly quiet in an instant. And all she could do was stare, the tears spilling from her eyes instantly, but even those were silent.
Everything stopped, nothing registered- the world was tipping on it's head around her and falling away in pieces. The million terrible things that had happened the last few days, months, years, none of it could compare with that- not even that night that Deliora had destroyed everything she'd ever known, and Arden had burned her alive a hundred times over.
That- having him drop back into her life out of nowhere, learn he'd been out there all this time, and then... now he was ripped away, in an instant... that... this wasn't...s..supposed...to...!
He wasn't supposed to- he couldn't just... just get taken away like that, not before she got a chance to... I...!
.. I was supposed to... to keep everybody safe..!
I... I was supposed to... t...tell him...!
... t..that... no... no, no...!
Gray no, he... he can't be...!
He can't have just... no...!
I just... I just found him... I.. I was supposed to-!
The sound of the shots were ringing in her ears, muffled and faraway- but they were there, and every iteration of them felt like she was getting shot too. Over and over again, her insides getting ripped to shreds, her soul breaking into a million pieces and her heart following suit. She grit her teeth, deep blue eyes glittering and filled with endless tears as she sucked in a sharp breath of air that broke in an awful, strangled sob. She shook her head, her gaze stuck on the quickly growing pool of scarlet around his broken body, the image of all those people in their village lying bloodied and broken in the snow overlapping reality, and she hissed.
N-no... please... no...
... he... he wasn't... s.. supposed to... n... not before I...
... I was s-supposed to... tell him...!
Hora shut her eyes tight, wrenching herself from looking at it, the tears spilling faster. She didn't feel Callan's weight on top of her anymore, she didn't feel the sting of pain of Callan's claws digging into her body, or the ache of her bones under all the brutality- even that fiery, stabbing pain in her center that had Lixue roaring in agony didn't register, or make a dent. Nothing made a dent just then, nothing but the sickening terror, and sense of loss... a...and...
... Please... n...no...
D... damn it... no...G..Gray...!
... B-Brother...!
Hora hissed, her fingers trembling as she curled them around Callan's claws, uncaring of the way her skin split instantly. She didn't feel that pain either, not around the emptiness, and the grief... and then quickly there came something else too- rage. Rage that was bubbling quickly even under the pain, and the sorrow- and especially so for how... how fucking cruel that was.
All of it was so goddamn cruel- what the hell...?!
How can he... come back into her life for one goddamn day, and then get ripped away like that...?!
After everything else she'd had to get through in all of this...?!
It... that's not fair, damn it..!
Her teeth grit so hard they threatened to crack, her hold on Callan's claws tightening so much her palms split open and the blood trickled through her fingers freely- and still she did not feel it. The only thing she felt just then was the burning in her soul, the heat so hot it was icy as it started to bubble outward from her core. The Markings came to life in an instant, crawling across her skin with a fury, stretching and reaching over her shoulders, slinking all the way up her neck, spinning wildly, consuming her faster than ever before- and she did not dare try and stop it.
Something in her had cracked when Callan pinned her down, and then her heart shattered at what had just gone on- but now?
Something snapped, and she ignored Lixue's quick warning in her head. She couldn't hear Lixue trying to talk her down, she didn't want to hear it- and the instant she decided not to listen, the fire became way too loud, and she let it go.
She hissed, low and animalistic, her deep blue eyes opening and staring straight up at Callan above her, the Dragon stiffening slightly when their gazes matched. There was pain in Hora's eyes, pain unlike anything Callan had ever seen, and unbridled grief too- the girl was crying still, the tears unending, never slowing... but there was fury there too.
Fiery, icy-cold rage
Callan jumped slightly, the Saber's blue eyes suddenly washing out in crimson-gold and the Markings swirled faster across her skin, covering every inch of her torso and arms, and stretching up and over her eye. In an instant there was heat sparking from the inky black, steam rising under Callan's hold and singing against her scales- and so hot she almost recoiled and let Hora go. But Callan stopped, her ears swiveling back as Hora bared her fangs up at the Dragon, a waft of heat rushing up all around them in an intense burst of wind, and the lingering moisture and water evaporated instantaneously.
Lyon shuddered, freezing the instant a quick wash of ice dispatched the swarm that had just turned the whole world on it's head, and he got stuck in his spot and unable to breathe. His eyes locked to that bloodied figure of the person he'd known for so long, tears dripping down his face and stomach flipping so violently he wanted to retch. Juvia was sobbing on her knees, Meredy behind her and trembling like a leaf. For a split few seconds, everything stopped, all the chaos, and the fighting, and even the panic and urgency of Hora getting trapped- all of it... And then he stiffened, his eyes snapped toward where the Saber woman was, still pinned by the Dragon's claws and both her and the beast in a sudden standstill- and then Lyon flinched back a step, eyes wide and gulping slightly for the sudden burst of stifling heat that swept out from where they were. He saw the inky black Markings swirling across Hora's skin like fire, and he saw the blood welling between her fingers where her hands had gripped the Dragon's claws, and he swallowed.
He could not imagine how she must have felt in that moment, to watch that like the rest of them, to see him get... to have her Brother just-
Callan bristled, a low hiss escaping her as the heat coming off the Saber woman increased tenfold again and her foot actually started to burn a little- and Hora snarled, the Markings crawling across her flesh filling in and quickly leaving her skin pitch black. Hora growled, her voice low and utterly dangerous-
"Get off of me."
Deep, bloody-crimson flame rose up quickly from around Hora, surging underneath Callan and the Dragon recoiled this time, but... her Fire... stopped...?
Hora stiffened, the anger breaking off for a second in confusion and shock- because her Fire did stop, before it could ever reach up all the way and ram into Callan like she wanted it to. And it didn't just stop growing, it stopped moving entirely. The flame itself wasn't flickering, or shifting, it had just frozen in air, wisps of red immobilized and stationary in the most unnatural way possible- like, in a way that shouldn't have been possible, and Hora faltered, eyes narrowing and... what the hell...?
Callan wasn't moving either, nothing was.
Hora looked around quickly and toward Lyon, Juvia, Meredy- none of them were moving, they'd seem to freeze in place just like her Fire, and Callan had... everything in the world around her seemed suddenly paralyzed, all except for her. And weirder still, everything seemed to suddenly be draining of any color- the bright blue of Juvia's hair was turning dull, the splash of red littering the stones was going grey, and the glow of her Fire even had started to fade to silver.
How has everything... frozen...?
And why... is all the color going away...?
What is going on...?!
Hora's eyes went wide, her heart skipping a beat and shock running through her fast as lightning- because this actually... why does the world suddenly look like how that place she had been..?! The place where she'd met Ultear, and seen Lixue..?! The Time place, what did he call it...?!
'- the Current.' Lixue intoned softly, his voice clear in her head now that she'd stopped in the sudden rage, and he sounded just as shocked as she did.
Hora froze again, the golden color her eyes had adopted fading back to blue and the inky black covering her skin receded a bit, patches of her skin color poking through again where'd she'd gotten swallowed up. Because even crazier than everything freezing, and losing color-?!
Her Fire was moving backward now, and so was everything else..!
Hora shivered, her eyes darting from the suddenly retreating Fire and toward Callan instead- the Dragon's body moving slowly back down from having recoiled, and then she saw Lyon's head turn, the bits of rubble that had fallen suddenly rising against gravity, the tears falling from everyone's eyes doing the same... then the Ice Magic Lyon had used to fend off the Mini-Dragon's went back again, the creatures where they were once more as they had been before getting hit. Everything was moving backwards again, sluggishly to start, and it was almost nauseating to watch- more so since her mind was whirling, and then nearly stalled when she saw the pool of blood start to shrink and recede... and Gray's body... lifting...?
N-no way... is... am I going crazy... o-or...?
... it looks like... t-time is... rewinding...?
That can't be right, right-?!
She broke off though, sucking in a sharp breath of air as the slow movement backward of her world began quickly gaining speed, the blood disappearing, his body upright again, the blasts of Magic moving in the direction opposite to how they'd been shot- the wounds closing up.
All of it was rewinding, all the damage, the death, the destruction- all of it
Hora shivered again, eyes glittering like mad and tears spilling anew, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing. And then there came a heart-wrenching sense of urgency setting in as everything began to reverse at nearly breakneck speed.
O-oh my god...
Callan's wings flapped, the action of her having thrown everyone near a minute beforehand undoing itself, the attacks sent off to distract her flashing above Hora and battering the Dragon's jaw again. All of it was going faster, undoing itself at nauseating, jarring speed, and Hora felt her heart pounding with it, the urgency getting heavier, blood racing and mind with it.
She didn't get it, she didn't know how, or why, or even why she wasn't getting rewound like everything else- she did not understand, but it did not matter if she got it or not. All that mattered was that it was being undone, that it had been reversed- that Gray getting killed had unwound, and now it hadn't happened yet.
Callan's hold on Hora's body lifted, the Dragon rearing up and her original movement to catch and pin her rescinding too. The weight off her chest was agonizing, as was the stinging sensation of her claws sliding back out of her flesh- and the wounds remained, even when everyone else's in the last minute seemed to fade... But again, she wasn't rewinding like everyone else, and she didn't want to be.
Hora gasped, sputtering for air and hissing as she forced herself up and staggered onto her feet, dragging herself into a stand on shaking legs. The water that had rammed into her and sent her slamming into that wall earlier rushed out in the same way it had- but this time there was no Hora for it to catch, and she wasn't planning to let any of what had happened to occur again- not for where it lead. Now suddenly, for whatever insanity driven reason, all of that was being undone, and she could not let the Current, the Future, or whatever the hell else try and stay the course to where it had lead. Not when what had happened here in so short a time had lead to that.
That in which she had a chance to stop from coming about again, a second chance to make good on what she'd intended from the start- and hell if she was gonna fail twice.
It will not happen again- never again!
She pushed herself forward, eyes blazing and the urgency fueling the movement her battered and badly broken body resisted adamantly. She forced herself across the world crawling backwards around her like some runaway rollercoaster, forcing her Magic up, all the stops out, no hesitation whatsoever- and she planted herself exactly where she wasn't supposed to be, but would not dare move from now.
Not again
The backwards movement ceased, the whirling of it and the speed cutting off abruptly and dumping everything exactly one minute previous to when the whole process had started. Everything dropped back on that minute, and everyone in the city, human, Wizard, Rune Knight, and Dragon alike- all of them faltered as some strange, almost vision-like recollection of the next minute of events played in their minds. The carnage, the destruction, the pain and the loss- the deaths, and of more than just Gray.
Gray stood there now, very much alive, no longer riddled with holes, and entirely stunned as he stared at where Lyon had just managed to get on his feet again from having been thrown by Callan's tail. He remembered it- they all did. Meredy, Lyon, and Juvia all remembered it, the way in which things had spiraled so quickly from bad to worse to downright deadly- but it felt little more than a bad dream, and for a split second, they couldn't move, nor process it... He was dead, wasn't he?
All of that... Had that actually happened...?
Lyon got thrown, then Hora got caught by Callan, and-
They stiffened, all of their heads snapping around, instantly on edge and searching for where Callan had just slammed her claws into the ground so hard the earth rumbled under their feet. They expected to see it again, the Saber slammed into the stone violently, pinned and trapped- the very thing that lead to them getting distracted, and then to the Mini-Dragons, and their blasts, and how it had ended Gray's life... But in that instant, there was no Hora under Callan's claws, or anywhere near it. No, time seemed to run suddenly slow again, and in near the same way it had when the shots had torn through Gray's body. The group of Meredy, Lyon, Juvia and Gray all stiffened, wide-eyed and stuck in their places when they felt Magical Pressure of a magnitude unlike anything they'd felt before suddenly wash over them.
And right there in front of them all, and directly between Gray, and Callan, and the space in which those Mini-Dragons had popped up to end his life- was Horatia.
The rewind of time and events ended abruptly, and she didn't stop for even a second. She put herself there in the same second Callan's claws sunk in on nothing but air, still moving swiftly, body ready, and Magic blazing. Hora's still tear-filled eyes locked onto Callan, and everything in between her and that raven-haired Ice Mage she would not let go, not a second time.
One of Hora's eyes was burning a brilliant gold, and the other had adopted that icy blue- her left arm covered in glittering frost and the other consumed in those pitch black Markings swirling like fire. She slammed her foot into the ground hard enough to crack it, ice and flame dancing off either arm with a sudden ire and she grit her teeth, Callan's eyes leveling with her own and the Dragon recoiled.
"Lixue-!" Hora hissed furiously, and the Ice Dragon's voice answered without hesitation.
'-Do it!'
Hora growled, the Magic sparking off her arms shooting up in wild force, spinning like mad and making the air tremble with the clash of deadly cold and unbridled heat all at once. She jumped, sweeping her arms back behind her and then lifting them up over her head, fingers curled and streams of ice and flame following the movement of her arms back and up- the Magic blazing ever higher as she reached the climax of the movement, gold and icy blue eyes blazing.
None of that will happen- not again!
I will not let anybody die- not a single person, not as long as I can move!
This shit needs to end!
"Fire Devil's-!" Hora hissed lowly,
'Ice Dragon's-!' Lixue growled,
Hora's arms swung down hard, the Ice and Flame arching over her head in two distinct lines, before she slammed back down, her hands shoving into the earth and the arch of Ice and Fire grew outward ahead of her in rapid time. They converged in on themselves, shattering the earth, splitting the air even- everything shook, and the sheer pressure and weight on their lungs and shoulders was immense.
"Arctic Hellfire!"
The earth shuddered, slabs of it lurching and uprooting as spires of brilliant white ice and explosive golden-azure flame tore out across the space in a beeline toward Callan, spreading forward and outward on both sides to create a massive, reaching, and ever growing storm of burning-hot and deadly-cold. Both Flame and Ice tore outward from the central point of Hora's hands and scattered at an incredibly wide angle, and even circled slightly behind her and in a half circle, surrounding those behind her and watching absolutely stunned. And then they were quickly reeling as they watched the Magic tear outward and at a distance that easily covered more than a two dozen city blocks.
Spires and spikes of ice broke up out of the shattering earth, flame sparking off the ice and washing out with it. Flame and frost danced on the air in harsh waves like some terrible hell-storm, cold and hot all at once and tumultuous as the two clashed. The buildings, rubble, streets, and everything in between got overtaken in a thick sheet of ice and tracks of red-hot embers burning like pyres. Where the fires raged and turned what they touched into nothing but smolders, the Ice quickly overtook it, the embers burning dimly under the shinning surface.
And where the Ice wrenched things apart, consumed, and struck hard and fast through them, the Fire danced across the smooth surfaces, the golden-blue glow refracting every which way and shinning bright in the darkness that had overtaken the whole of the city. The Mini-Dragons among the rubble, and the ones that had appeared and caused what heartbreak they did, and even more of the beasts in places they couldn't see- they all got rendered nothing but ash, or otherwise were frozen solid, their bodies cracking up their lengths and shattering... And Callan?
The Water Dragon flinched, green eyes going wide and bristling at the sudden and near unfathomable amount of sheer force was headed her way- and from that little human girl, all covered in blood, her legs shaking terribly, and with tears falling from her eyes still.
Callan beat her wings, taking to the sky in an attempt to avoid the sudden fiery ice storm headed her way, but the Magic popped up high into the air to follow the Dragon. A dozen spires of ice with flame spiraling around their lengths, struck hard and fast against Callan's underbelly, cracking scales and tearing huge holes through her wings- while the flames scorched her with a passion, and any amount of water she tried to conjure up turned to nothing but steam in seconds. Callan screeched, the ice continuing it's climb and consuming her as quick as can be, suspending the legendary beast in air and freezing her over, leaving her stationary at the top of that tower made of ice and golden-azure flame being fed life, and continuing to burn even on the slick surface.
Callan stopped, trapped in ice and unable to move for the time being, and rendered totally silent. She was alive, even under the ice, and she wasn't hurt enough it would stop her fighting just as fiercely as she had been when she broke free... But she could not break out, not right away, and even though she instantly tried it, the ice rumbling as she did- she could not break free immediately, she could not move, and that should not have been possible.
Everything went quiet, Callan's muffled roars making the earth and ice vibrate was only a low drone. It all went almost dead quiet, in their corner of the city- ash, frost, embers and snow falling and twirling on air sluggishly. In no more than a minute, everything around them had been rendered to a sudden standstill, the whole of the area and for a distance way too great around them- all of it was now unrecognizable.
Suddenly their world looked like a wasteland, made of Fire and Ice, and with both such naturally opposed Elements coexisting, and creating that wasteland in a way nobody had ever seen before, or could really fathom. It was, in the most literal sense- an Arctic Wasteland, dotted and joined in the blazing grips of Hellfire.
Hora had literally turned their corner of the massive city of Crocus, into some place born of an entirely different reality, and world. And all they could do, was stand there, and stare. And upon seeing the destruction, and sheer force, and even impossible amount of precision and reach of it, one of the very first things that raced across the minds of Lyon, Juvia, Meredy and Gray alike?
That was so much Power, and out of literally nowhere...!
And what was even more startling? All of that, just then?
That was Power fueled by little else than pure, unbridled, emotion.
"H-holy shit..."
Gray stammered the words out breathlessly, wide-eyed and stuck in his place as he looked around the Frost-Fire Wasteland quickly, eyes darting to every frozen or destroyed Mini-Dragon, every mountain of Ice and burning flame alike, and the suspended figure of the Dragon Callan, still rumbling from within the ice, but entirely unmoving for now. Lyon not far from him was doing the same thing, as was Juvia, Meredy- and everyone else in the city close enough to see the sudden show of Magic, and those standing in it's reach. Every human and Wizard caught in the sudden blaze of Magic was left untouched and unharmed by the overbearing Spell, as was the intent... but still- holy shit..!
"... that was... incredible..." Juvia stammered breathlessly, Lyon and Meredy nodding stiffly in agreement.
Gray swallowed hard, his eyes snapping off Callan and toward the Saber woman ahead of him- who only just then pushed herself to her feet, staggering slightly and her knees shaking quite badly, and so much so it almost looked like she barely got back up at all.
Hora winced lowly, panting now, her breaths slightly wheezy and quickly growing more so as she forced herself up and on to her feet after slamming her hands into the ground to send off the Spell. There was an awful sensation of agony racing through every inch of her, paired with an almost overwhelming numbness and lightheadedness too... it hurt, really bad- but the pain wasn't on the forefront of her mind just then, or even near it. All that really processed for her in that moment was that, for now, the fight had stopped. For just a little the rush was over, and the most pressing thing in that moment was making sure everybody else was fine... Making sure Gray was fine-
The Markings swirling up the one arm receded and disappeared from view, the frost on the other fading to none and the regular dark blue of her eyes returned again as any sense of that insane amount of Magic stopped rather abruptly. Hora turned, eyes glittering and vision hazy at the edges as she looked quickly for that raven hair, the world swimming almost, and her head whirling sickeningly with just the little action of turning and scanning the area. Moving even the little bit was dizzying, but still it didn't register ahead of the need to find him, and make sure that he... Gray... is he...?
Their eyes matched, Gray bristling slightly and immediately on edge to see the tears falling from the Saber woman's eyes still, her attention on him sort of dazed, and the way she was trembling like a leaf. He blinked, a bead of sweat dripping down his jaw and fidgeting slightly,
W-what the...? She's... she's crying...?
Gray stiffened in the next second though, his eyes widening and darting over her person quickly, and then grimacing when he noticed what everyone else behind him did almost right away- not just the tears, but also the fact that she was covered in blood. Scarlet was dropping continually from the wound over her ribs, and from several others that had definitely been put there by Callan pinning her down, right...? That hadn't actually... happened right...?
Wasn't it... just a Vision...? B-but then why is she... Actually hurt...? A-And actually crying...?
Gray shifted slightly, about to step forward though he couldn't actually get himself to move with how much his mind was whirling just then. Hora moved though, but all she managed was a single shaky step his way, a shuddering breath of air escaping her as her expression twisted faintly, and the tears spilled all the faster, sparkling as they splashed at her feet and he froze, eyes wide.
He... He's not... C-covered in blood... the... The Mini-Dragons... I got them all...
... It... It didn't happen again... I... I managed to... To stop then from... F...from him...
"G...Gray..." Hora stammered, her voice so very low and wispy, swallowing hard as she managed another small, extremely uneven step, before having to halt a moment, lest she topple over. Her eyes never left him though, not even as the tears kept coming, and Gray didn't look away either. He couldn't, because he didn't understand how she- a near complete stranger, and someone who had been so jumpy around him- could look so... So completely terrified, relieved, and anguished all at once... And over... Him...? Was he reading that right? Was he the reason...?
But why would she-?
"...Gray... P... Please... Please don't die again..." Hora stammered breathlessly, her voice breaking on the words and he stiffened further, his stomach flipping and a shiver running up his spine. Hora sucked in another shuddering breath of air, dark blue eyes all glassy and swimming in hurt, pain, fear, and so much pleading- and her voice was so full of all of that as she went on. "... P.. Please... Please don't die again... N...not before I get the chance to-" She whispered, before breaking off rather abruptly, her voice dying in the span of a second, and she went absolutely rigid.
'T...Tch... forgive me Horatia...' Lixue's pained and hissing voice echoed on her mind without warning, breaking into her thoughts and diverting her attention in an instant. Her heart skipped a beat, something in her core suddenly twisting unnaturally, and she heard Lixue's voice drop away, quiet and almost... Growing distant.
'... But that was our Limit...'
And then all she heard next, was nothing but an utterly clear and deafening sound- where something in her very center cracked
Hora's sudden stillness shattered immediately, tear filled eyes wide and expression getting washed over in pain, shock, and panic. Her heart sank as agony raced through every inch of her, and there came this intense icy-hot burning in her lungs that made her cringe. Her muscles locked and her lungs seized, all in the same instant that a wave of stifling heat came up off her body and swept over the immediate area- and all regardless of her wanting it to or not. She couldn't stop it, and she hadn't a chance, or the mind to try, it just... s...shit...!
She stiffened, folding in on herself slightly, the pain radiating quickly out from her center and through every inch of her, her legs shaking terribly and eyes quickly growing all the more blurry, the shadows at the edges of her vision incoming fast.
... d...damn it... not... not now...
She hissed, her breath coming out terribly wheezy and it burned all the more in her lungs- enough she faltered, the breath catching in her throat and she cringed in on herself even further, her legs shaking awfully now, and her body quickly following with it. The wave of heat that had come off her figure did not fade for even an instant, instead it just kept getting heavier, reaching further, and Gray, Lyon, Meredy and Juvia stiffened for it, eyes wide, and flinching slightly away. Then they stiffened more when Hora suddenly cut off, and she started to tremble, badly.
"Hey, are you okay-?" Gray mumbled quickly, fidgeting slightly and grimacing for the sudden waft of heat, his eyes narrowing at the way she'd started to shake, and look like she was in pain and... She's-
Gray jumped, heart sinking and racing all at once when the Saber woman suddenly started tilting, and then her legs gave out on her altogether, sending her crashing straight toward the ground, and quite quickly.
"-C-Crap...!" Gray hissed, teeth gritting as he started forward.
"Hora!" The others behind him yelled, panicked.
Gray growled, rushing slightly as he jolted forward and struggled to catch the woman before she fell all the way. He wasn't quite fast enough to stop her altogether, and he only barely managed to save her head slamming into the stone, though even managing that had him hitting the ground rather roughly, but he had no time to linger on it. Hora folded in on herself, her body curling and smearing blood underneath her from where a big portion of it was pooling now from the injury over her ribs. Gray felt her figure hitch under his hand, heard the way she sucked in a breath of air and it sounded awful.
He shuffled forward and up onto his knees as quickly as he could manage, eyes flashing and frowning deeply for the sound of that breath, and the sheer heat coming off her skin. The air itself was uncomfortable and heavy, and it had him instantly sweating all on it's own. He grimaced when he reached out though, wincing slightly for the way his hands stung, and even started to singe the instant he touched her, one finding her shoulder while the other stayed where it was under her cheek. He nearly recoiled, and pulled away, and he meant to- but even the sting of pain in his hands failed to register when Hora shuddered underneath his hands, her muscles tensing as she cringed again, and then she jerked underneath him. The breath she'd sucked in suddenly came back out, turning into several harsh coughs- and each one resulting in no small amount of sticky crimson rising up her throat and spattering against the stone, and creating a pool of scarlet way too big for anybody's liking.
Gray went rigid, his heart plummeting along with everybody else's who'd rushed up toward them. Lyon visibly paled, eyes wide and glittering like mad as he dropped down to sitting on his heels beside the downed Saber retching up blood, the coughing ceasing it's harshness only a little and turning into rapid, rushed breaths of air that were so raggedy, and utterly painful to hear. Lyon didn't flinch for the heat in the air, or the way it singed him when his hands found Hora too, and Gray's never pulled away either- instead both Ice Mages wordlessly let their Magics flare, clashing with the heat and saving them getting burned, and hopefully taking the edge off too. She was way too hot all of sudden, her Magic was going haywire- she collapsed, she was hurt, in so many places, and badly too. Her breathing was way too labored, she was shaking so bad, she... she was coughing up blood.
A lot of blood
And she didn't even seem to be awake anymore, her eyes were only open barely, glassy and unfocused- and quickly falling no matter what Lyon, Gray, or anybody else stammered quickly. Urging, and almost pleading with her to just stay awake.
Hora didn't really hear the words so much, they were badly disjointed and muffled, especially so under the harshness of her own struggling breaths. She couldn't see them either, they were fuzzy, and dark, and she couldn't get her eyes to stay open, or settle on them. She just ended up staring at that pool of crimson in front of her seeping into the stone and earth... There was something in it, almost impossible to make out in all the red, but definitely there.
Something tiny, fractured... A shattered bit of stone, icy blue in color, and glittering dimly in all the red... No, not a piece of stone- a piece of crystal... Lacrima.
... Something in her very center... t...that... Had cracked...... S... Shit...
She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move... Everything was falling away into a chasm with no bottom.
She couldn't hear Lixue anymore, he wasn't there- he'd fallen faster into a chasm of his own. And she could not hear him, not even if he'd had the strength to try... And he couldn't hear her now, either.
... She couldn't... She couldn't even feel the stickiness of her own blood on her skin, or taste it in her throat anymore. She couldn't feel the pain in her wounds, not around the fiery agony that had taken tight hold of her chest now and wouldn't let go... It just moved outward, through every nerve, bone, tendon and vein- burning white hot, and getting worse. She was suffocating... Burning.
... Over-Drive... Was... O... Oh... No...
...n...no... N...not... Now...
Her eyes dropped all the way, her mind quickly spiraling down into the depths of nowhere, and she couldn't stop it.
... B...but.. I... I...
... I was...s...sup...posed... T...o...
... She just kept falling....Down... down into... Pitch black... scorching... darkness... and she couldn't....
.... no.....
"... Ho...ra...!"
Hello everyone!
I do hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was a doozy to write ;3;
But I am looking forward to the next few.... cause lmao, you all know I love angst, and making you sad XD
Anyway, forgive me yet another cliffhanger, and for a lack of a reveal.... I do hope you look forward to the next few chapters, cause we are getting to the end of all this craziness (finally)!
Thank you all so much for your continued reading and your support, I appreciate you all so very much! <33
Chapter 34: Over-Drive
Chapter Text
Chapter 34
Over-Drive
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"... Get Sherria...!"
"... O...oh no..."
"... H...ora...! Hold... On...!"
"... She's... B...urning... U...p..."
"... We... Ave to... St...op the... B...eed... ing...!"
"... ay awake...!"
"... W...at... appened...?!"
"... ora... Pl...ease..."
"... is aw...ful..."
"... old... On... H...ora..."
... I...
... I can't... Hear... Them...
... W... What...?
... I... I can't... ... I... feel... ... N... No...
... E...everything is... On... On fire.. I...
... It... It hurts... I'm...
... I'm... Burning alive...n...no...
.:+:.
The Eclipse Gate shattered
A blaze of burning flame ignited the night sky as Natsu got propelled forward by the Fire Dragon Atlas Flame- sending the pinkette crashing headfirst into the Future Rogue. Natsu's fist swung down hard and heavy against the man's jaw, the hit never disconnecting again until they- along with the heavily battered form of the Dragon Motherglare- were meteored into that Gate through Time that had carried through so much destruction. The metal groaned, crumbling and snapping under the ball of flame and force surrounding both Dragon Slayers and Dragon as they rammed into it, the whole structure giving way under the brutality of that one, final, and utterly determined hit made by Natsu. And a hit backed by the fury and force of the Flame Dragon turned uncle to the Salamander.
Natsu stumbled slightly, panting and out of breath as he got back to his feet after the impact, while Motherglare and the Other Rogue stayed down, spent and unable to even try to get back up again. The Gate was crumbled, broken, in pieces- and with it gone now, all those it had brought through the paths of Time...?
For a second time that night Time began to step backwards, though at a snails pace compared to that one minute rewind that had changed the course of nearly all the lives of those fighting in that city. Gold began to glow off every Dragon, and nearly every destroyed building, road, and whatever else scattered about the city- and around the Other Rogue too, who puffed slightly, beaten and bloody, with Natsu standing above him and looking more so damaged. But still, he had won... Not that it felt much like a win right then though.
"Oi." Natsu grumbled lowly, his eyes locking with the Other Rogue below him, steady. "The Rogue I know isn't gonna turn into you, I don't care what you said. There's no way he's gonna change into you... And what you were saying about Frosch getting killed, that ain't gonna happen either. Hora will never let any of the things you said happen- she's still alive in this future, and in this Rogue's- so your future doesn't exist anymore." Natsu growled quietly, and the Other Rogue blinked, lips curling in a grimace as he huffed and looked away, his eyes finding the night sky and not the pinkette.
"... You're wrong, Hora is not in anyone's future. That part hasn't changed." The Other Rogue replied lowly and Natsu bristled,
"The hell it hasn't- you saw her earlier when we were in the air...! Even after what you did to her, she's still fighting, you didn't manage to stop her, or take away anything-!" Natsu hissed and the Other Rogue grit his teeth,
"You're wrong." The Other Rogue growled sharply, cutting Natsu off and the pinkette stiffened. "I understand what I did in the Palace did not manage to bring her life to an end... But it would have been better if it had, because regardless of her fighting still, or having survived me- Horatia will still die. She will not survive tonight, not even if she managed to avoid being killed by one of the Dragons, she will still die, and there's nothing any of you will be able to do about it... Over-Drive will kill her." The Other Rogue murmured lowly, grimly- and Natsu stiffened, his heart skipping a beat and eyes going wide.
Over-Drive...? Hora had mentioned that, but what did it-?
"... What the hell do you mean, 'Over-Drive'...?" Natsu asked quickly, and the other Rogue grimaced slightly, shaking his head faintly and red eyes fixed on the moon overhead that was losing the eerie crimson color slowly, while the world continued to rewind itself in the same sluggish pace.
"... She never told us what it was, not even after it happened, when Jiemma hurt her... And then when she died... We never knew. I asked hundreds of people afterwards, I asked dozens of the Dragons... But only the oldest of them had any clue." The Other Rogue mumbled quietly, "When humans first began to develop Magical Ability, and have it passed on to them from Dragons, Gods, Devils and other Beasts alike... Magic manifested too quickly for most humans to handle. Their bodies weren't able to contain Magic now suddenly in them, or adapt fast enough- so their Magic took over, grew quickly out of hand, surging inside them, and growing in strength... Their Magic turned wild, uncontrolled, unyielding... almost as if it had a mind of it's own..." The Other Rogue mumbled, red eyes flashing as small hints of... Unease managed it's way into his expression.
And that was the first time Natsu had seen any amount of discomfort, or unease in that unrecognizable version of Saber's Shadow Dragon Slayer the entire night-
"... The Magic became too much, it took total control, and it kept growing and growing... it grew to a point that was leagues beyond what any living thing could ever handle, and certainly not by the humans it was inside of... The Magic went into total, unchecked Over-Drive in their bodies, and it could not be stopped. The Magic ripped them apart, and consumed them entirely- from the inside out... There was no way to stop it, there is no cure... To even attempt would have meant stripping the humans of their Magic entirely, and that would kill them just as quickly as Over-Drive would."
Natsu froze, his heart dropping into his feet and ears ringing as he stared, and the Other Rogue never met his eyes- but the Shadow Dragon Slayer's face did twist, almost painted for just a second, and ever so faintly.
"... Hora told us Over-Drive got triggered for her, whenever she went through a large amount of physical or emotional strain. She said her Magic could get out of hand, and to the point it could kill her... that makes sense, Magic feeds off the state of our minds and bodies... So that is what Over-Drive is, that is what it feeds off of... And it ends with her Magic getting too wild, too hard to control- just as it did for those first Wizards... That is what it did, after Jiemma hurt her... After he nearly beat her to death, for helping Fairy Tail." The Other Rogue murmured lowly, Natsu swallowing hard and eyes flashing.
"B-But she got through it after that happened, right...? How can you be so sure she's not gonna get through it again-?!" Natsu interrupted quickly, only to break off when the Other Rogue's eyes moved finally to lock onto the pinkette, and his gaze was utterly steely.
"You fool, you don't get it." The Other Rogue hissed lowly, "When that happened she was deathly ill for an entire week- an entire week where her body raged with a fever far beyond what even a Fire Devil Slayer should be able to handle. Her Magic sent her health spiraling so far she got to the point where she stopped breathing."
Natsu flinched, his blood running cold and his heart nearly stalling too.
"She nearly died for what amount Over-Drive affected her after what Jiemma did, but do you think what he did even compares to what has happened to her in the last two days? The last two weeks, even?" The Other Rogue kept on lowly, his voice flinty. "She fought and nearly died defeating a Demon of Zeref two weeks from this day. Two days ago Jiemma tried to use the Possession Link to destroy the Lacrima in her chest- the very thing, that in my timeline that killed her. And then add on what I did? The wounds I gave her, the damage she has sustained since, and the sheer amount of Magic she has probably expended since then, fighting in all of this?" The Other Rogue hissed, "There is no way she avoided Jiemma's attempts to kill her with the Possession Link unscathed- she was wrenched apart, her body ripped to shreds from the inside by what he did. I do not care what amount of Healing Magic the Sky Dragon Slayer used, she was still wounded badly even before I attempted to end her life- her being and her Magic have been damaged severely, and rendered unstable with what Jiemma did, and it will have only gotten worse and worse every second she has kept fighting, and using her Magic in any way. Even if she's managed to keep going these last two days, and the rest of this night- she has been doing nothing but damaging herself further, and ensuring Over-Drive has all the fuel it needs to kill her this time around." The Other Rogue growled, red eyes flashing.
"She did not use any Magic when Jiemma hurt her, and Over-Drive hit the first time. She was wounded, but she did not use Magic at all- and it still nearly killed her. So what do you imagine the outcome could be now? Now that she's been wounded extensively, over and over again- and she's been using Magic at a caliber of the likes of that Spell she sent toward me earlier? And what level of Magic she would be forced to use against a Dragon?" The Other Rogue growled lowly, "Even if she manages not to get killed in all the fighting, Over-Drive is still going to hit her, if it hasn't already. There is no way to stop it, and when it does activate, she will die. Her body will not be able to able to handle it at what force it's going to get out of control this time... Her Magic is going to burn her alive from the inside out."
Natsu went stiff as a board, his face falling in shock, unease, and even terror as the Other Rogue held his eyes steadily for a few awful, heavy seconds- and then he shook his head, glaring up at the moon and his body fading to none as Time kept undoing itself.
"... She's going to die... And all those Shadows that have always lurked around me, vying to drag me under and down into the Abyss... They'll have all the leverage they need once she is gone... And so in a year from now... Rogue will Fall..." The Other Rogue sighed lowly, "... In a year... That last bit of light Rogue has left after she's dead will go out, as Frosch gets killed... And then all of this just happens all over again."
Natsu grit his teeth hard, expression turning both scared, and furious all at once and he stepped up toward the Other Rogue, eyes blazing.
"She ain't gonna die!" Natsu snapped, shaking his head rather hotly. "Tch, when Over-Drive hit her before, you took her to Lamia Scale and Sherria managed to Heal her, didn't she?! Even if it wasn't all the way, it made a difference! And we've got both her and Wendy now, they can help Hora out and make sure she doesn't get bad! Plus Porlyusica's a great doctor, she's gonna have some idea on what to do to help Hora!" Natsu hissed through gritted teeth, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "And if Hora's Fire Magic starts to get out of hand, that won't matter either! She was with Gray and Lyon earlier, if there's anybody who can keep her Magic under control enough and keep her from overheating too much- it's them!" Natsu added hotly, "Hora's not gonna die, not with everybody else around to help her! She's gonna be fine! The future you went through is never gonna come true- she's gonna be there in a year, and two years, ten, twenty- fifty years from now! She'll be there for everything, and she will never let Rogue get consumed by shadows, or let Frosch die! Not a chance! Her Future has changed, she's not dead and she won't end up that way- her Future ain't gonna be what you saw!" The pinkette hissed and the Other Rogue simply blinked, unfazed, and rather unmoved by the quick and fervent dispute... Before he looked away after a moment, a small sigh escaping him before he cut it off a bit, his lips pulling into a tight line and red eyes glinting.
Something about the Other Rogue's expression changed just then, in a small way, and it was so hard to see Natsu wasn't entirely sure it was there... But that dead, neutral, and nearly emotionless face of that man that had only changed to show rage- it was now, almost, faintly- hurting.
The Other Rogue shut his eyes tightly, his lips pulling a bit more at the edges and he stiffened, almost clenching his teeth. Natsu blinked, his own eyes widening when he saw the way the Shadow Dragon Slayer trembled a bit, his hands closing tightly into fists and digging slightly into the rubble of the gate he was laying amidst.
"... Tch... I... I don't think I can believe that... I don't see a way for her to... E-Even with all of that... Natsu Dragneel..." The Other Rogue hissed lowly, tensely so and Natsu stiffened, his eyes widening further and staring slightly when the black and white haired Dragon Slayer shuddered slightly, fangs gritting hard and Natsu faltered. "... Damn it... I shouldn't even care what you're muttering about but... Tch..." The man growled through gritted teeth, shaking his head at himself stiffly and grimacing- a hot, exasperated breath escaping him.
"... Hmph... I suppose it was foolish to think I could ever... Not feel anything... Even after all of this... And so long just... burying it... I... I wanted to feel nothing, I don't want to feel anything, or even consider, or... Or... Hope you might be right... Tch... I... I don't know if I can... I don't know if I want to...not... Not after all of this..." He hissed shakily and Natsu's eyes flashed, breathless and fixed to his spot.
This... This was a complete 180 from the person he'd spent the whole night battling back and forth with. The same person who had cut down the Future Lucy without remorse, or wounded Hora with absolutely no hesitation- the Other Rogue had not faltered the entire night on anything. Not on his plan, his actions, or his certainty that the Future would come about as he intended... But now? Now all of a sudden he was faltering, and maybe even...?
Natsu stepped forward half an inch, shoulders rigid and only eyes flashing in the low-light.
"Oi, why did you snatch Hora from your Inn and stick her on the other side of the city?" Natsu asked quickly and the Other Rogue went rigid at the question, red eyes snapping open and locking on the sky instead of the Fire Dragon Slayer, "In your timeline she wasn't out in the middle of Crocus the night Jiemma killed her, right? She was in the Inn with you guys, otherwise she would have run into us and Wendy would have saved her the first time around, right...? So why did you take her, and change that part of Rogue's Future?" Natsu pressed and the Other Rogue stiffened further, his eyes narrowing to slits and still staring at the sky and not the pinkette asking the questions.
He didn't say anything right away, and Natsu just watched, his face falling as the Other Rogue's expression broke a little with every second that ticked by- until eventually the Other Rogue hissed, his eyes scrunching closed furiously without warning, and Natsu's heart skipped a beat.
The strengthening white glow of the moon glittered off the single line of tears that suddenly managed their way passed the Other Rogue's tightly shut eyes, trickling down his cheeks as the man hunched slightly, his breathing hitching.
"... I... I thought it wouldn't matter if... If she died at the Inn or... Tch... I didn't..." The Other Rogue hissed shakily, his hand coming up and covering his eyes as he sucked in a trembling breath, the tears getting a little stronger and hitting the ground in sparkling drops. And with what he said next, his voice broke.
"... I... I didn't think... R... Rogue had to watch her get torn apart again... N... Not if he... D... Didn't have to... I thought... Maybe... Maybe it could work... W-Without having to see her... See her die... R-Right in front of us again..."
Natsu swallowed hard, frowning and his heart clenching terribly despite himself as he watched that utterly unrecognizable version of Rogue suddenly... Crumble
Crumble and cry, because of-
"... T...tch... I... I don't know if... You are right... Natsu... But... w-whatever happens... Please..." The Other Rogue stammered out, his voice shaking badly as his hand pulled away from shielding his face, and those glassy, grief-filled, and still so tearful red eyes locked with Natsu again. "... W... Whether she's there or... You have to warn them... W-warn Rogue... In a year... T-to protect Frosch... Warn him that in a year... F-Frosch gets killed by... By Gray Fullbuster..."
Natsu went rigid, his heart stopping and dropping into his feet all at once- a shiver running up his spine of near the same terrifying chill that had hit him when what Over-Drive had been explained... And his ears rang on that name, over and over.
Gray... Fullbuster...?
"... W...what...?"
.:+:.
"... M-Most of her ribs are... c-completely broken... A... And there's... There's so much internal damage... What... What the hell happened...?" Sherria stammered shakily, her hands trembling as they hovered above the downed Saber, her voice low and out of breath after her quick rush to get there and just... Just try and do anything.
Sherria was rushing still, her Magic mostly spent from all the fighting, but pushing it further and further with every second and every new bit of damage being revealed by her trailing hands, and she felt her stomach flip so hard she wanted to retch. There was just so much, and way more than earlier, and too much to have even really been possible- but still. It was wounds, on top of internal damage, on top of rapidly setting in sickness, and that out of control feel of her Magic- this was the same thing that she'd been brought to Lamia the first time for, and Sherria had been asked to fix... But this was fifteen times worse.
Most of her ribs were broken, there was layers of internal damage run across her chest, in her heart, and lungs, and quickly spreading outward along with the terrible rage and heat of wild, unbridled Magic rushing through her. The very same heat that was making the air stifling and heavy, and hard to breath- though Lyon and Gray were doing their best to keep it in check. There were also dozens of deep gashes and slashes littered about her body, all up her arms, her sides, shoulders- and a terrible wound dug across her ribs and that had not ceased bleeding... And that blood, on top of the blood she kept coughing up...?
Her heart isn't beating enough, she-
Sherria swallowed hard, blue eyes gleaming and shivering rather violently, her hands shaking worse.
- She's lost way too much blood...!
Sherria shook her head stiffly at herself, shaking off the hesitation and the terror as much as she was able, and moving her hands into pressing down firmly on the downed Saber's left side. Her hands cached in blood immediately from the stream of it still welling up under the haphazard tie made up of Lyon's jacket. She swallowed hard, Magic flaring around her hands and eyes darting up toward those huddled around them, or otherwise close but backed up enough to stay out of the heat as much they could- unlike Sherria, Lyon and Gray.
"Do any of you know her blood type...?!" Sherria asked quickly, her eyes darting among Lyon, Gray, Juvia, and Meredy quickly. They stiffened at the question, and Sherria grimaced. "She's lost too much blood, even if I try and Heal her other wounds o-or fix whatever else is wrong, it's not gonna matter unless she gets more blood... Her... Her body's already shutting down...!" Sherria explained quickly, her voice quavering badly at the end and they went rigid.
"... I.. I have no clue.." Gray stammered quickly, Juvia and Meredy shaking their heads and Lyon quick to do the same- but he faltered.
W-wait...
Lyon stiffened, his eyes darting from Sherria, to the Saber under his hands, and then to his childhood friend, eyes glittering and frowning deeply. His mind was racing, nerves on a high and terror running rampant through every inch of him. The constant pushing back and forcing of his own Magic to rise and clash with the heat was exhausting for Lyon, just as it was for Gray, and the strain of it paired with the fear was awful, and made his mind hard to settle and simply think... And least of all to try and remember- shit.
He knew they'd talked about it, so very long ago when they had been so young. They had talked about it, somewhere in his mind Lyon was sure of it- but it was a fleeting thing, a small, almost inconsequential thing- and a conversation of the like that had been so rare... and hell if that inconsequential thing wasn't so important now.
He knew they'd talked about it, the answer was somewhere in his mind, he knew that- but it wasn't coming fast enough. So much so he nearly just asked about it outright, but he stopped again.
How could he ask that without explaining why it mattered, and who Hora was? How could he ask that, and reveal that now... If... If she might not survive at all..? Even if she were to get...?
Lyon swallowed hard, eyes flashing and expression twisting painfully as he grit his teeth, his eyes stuck on Gray, and hesitating a few milliseconds more as he pleaded for his thoughts to come together and save him having to make that awful choice.
The choice to Tell Gray, and risk him finding out who Hora was to him- only for her to possibly get ripped away again? Just as Gray had a few minutes ago for her, before Time had gone in reverse?
Or keep it to himself, not get the answer- and just let her die, when it might be that revealing the truth could save her life?
How was he supposed to make that choice-?!
Lyon hissed, eyes narrowing to slits and eyes flicking away from Gray and to Hora's pale face, his stomach flipping.
He needed the answer to come to him. He needed his mind to settle on that wispy bit of the memory of the conversation still left in his head- so for the half a second, or whole second of him faltering and agonizing on what impossible choice that was- Lyon felt his heart getting ripped in two.
One way she might live, even if it meant revealing that very thing that- in another way- would break Gray's heart if he found out, and she died anyway... And either way, Lyon wasn't sure he could live with going through either of those outcomes. How could he do that to Gray- but also do that to Hora? How he could let her die and not try, even if that meant he risked shattering Gray in the process...?
Lyon stiffened, his eyes shutting tight and shaking his head at himself, before he looked up again, right at Gray- and he grit his teeth harder.
Shit I don't-
"... H-Hora...!"
... And then the single second of agonizing over that impossible choice, got shattered- and by her name being called by two new voices, now full of terror and anguish.
By Rogue and Sting's voices
The hearts of the two Dragon Slayer's nearly stopped, their stomachs flipping as they whipped around the corner in a mad-dash of searching. They didn't even give the several blocks of Flame-Frozen Wasteland a second thought, all they knew the minute they saw it was that something had gone awry- something bad enough to earn that level of Magic, and they knew it didn't spell good for that Fire Devil Slayer they were searching so desperately for now. They hadn't even waited for the Dragons they had been fighting to fully disappear before starting off- the minute Time seemed to rewind, and now seemed to be trying to put all the city back together again (and yet for some reason was leaving the whole of Hora's Magic Wasteland untouched)- they ran.
And the minute they rounded that last corner, they felt a waft of unbridled heat clashing with icy cold rush up to hit them in the face- which immediately set them further in edge. And Frosch and Lector nearly slammed into the two Dragon Slayers for how quickly the two came to a dead halt upon seeing it- the Exceed's barely stopping themselves, and upon seeing her too they immediately bristled, fur fluffing up, eyes wide, and instantly spilling in terrified, glittering tears.
Because there lying on the cobblestone surrounded by Gray, Lyon, Juvia, Sherria, Jura, and some woman they did not recognize- was that fiery head of hair belonging to Hora.
Hora who wasn't moving, covered in blood, her flesh torn and split in way too many places to count, and gasping for what little air she could manage- while a steady stream of sticky scarlet dripped passed the edge of her lips and down her chin.
N-no...
"Atia..!" The Exceed's tearful cries were heart-wrenching on everyone's ears, but Lyon's eyes snapped from Gray and quickly over to the group, heart racing.
The recollection of that memory and the answer Lyon had been searching so desperately for- it never came. But it didn't matter if it did, because without a doubt- if any body was gonna know that answer, it had to be one of those four Sabers.
And if they didn't? Well, then there would be no more time to waste debating, but just for right at that moment-
"-What is Hora's blood type?!" Lyon snapped hotly, startling the four Sabers from their horrified halt, and they jumped. For half a second they didn't seem to register the question, or what it meant, before terror caught up with them again and they were rushing forward, breathless.
"A... A negative...!" Rogue stammered between puffs for air and the beginnings of a strangled sob he barely held back, though the tears were already falling from his eyes as he and his companions staggered to a stop beside the group. Rogue's tears were echoed in his three cohorts already, and only got all the stronger when they got closer and saw all of the damage, blood- everything.
Sherria blanched slightly at the reply though, her heart skipping a beat and fear instantly racking up about five times more.
"A n-negative...? T-that's really rare in Fiore, I don't know anybody-" the Sky God Slayer stammered shakily, while Lyon's head snapped so quickly toward Gray it was almost startling. And more so, the raven-haired Ice Mage faltered, eyes widening at Rogue's reply, before grimacing.
"-That's the same as mine." Gray cut her off, and Sherria, as well as everyone else's heads snapped his way, wide-eyed, relieved, and shocked all at once.
"... R.. Really...?!" Sherria breathed, while Rogue and Sting swallowed hard, their eyes flashing and grimacing faintly- they were surprised, but not so much- though at that moment they hadn't time for surprise or anything else. "T-that's great, I have a Spell for Blood Transfusions, Juvia can help me with it-!" Sherria said quickly with a glance toward the Water Mage, who nodded stiffly, and then she looked back toward Gray. "W-will you be okay to do it and keep using your Magic at the same time...? I don't know if Lyon keeping her cool by himself will be enough..." Sherria asked tensely and Gray held her eyes steady, nodding firmly.
"I'll be fine." He replied lowly, "Do whatever you have to, Sherria, I'll do what I can... I kinda owe her." Gray mumbled quietly, earning tense frowns from those who had been around to see the whole ordeal, and blinks from everyone else- but no one questioned it just then.
Again, there was no time
Sherria started in quickly, directing Juvia, Gray, and just about everyone in between. Sting and Rogue dropped down onto their knees, pressing in close and swallowing back at the heavy dome of heat they entered and that instantly had them sweating- regardless of Lyon or Gray combating it. Lector and Froach hung back with Meredy and Jura watching from a few paces away, the two Exceeds sniffling and shaking from head to tail as they watched, terrified.
Sherria's hands came up off the wound that still refused to stop bleeding, the young girl directing Sting quickly to put pressure down instead and the blonde did as he was told, grim-faced and feeling absolutely nauseated for the slick and marred skin under his palms- so much so, that the way his skin singed didn't even register for him. Rogue put himself on Hora's other side, shoulder to shoulder with Lyon at her head and holding to her shoulder. The Shadow Dragon sniffed, shaking like a leaf and red eyes glittering like mad, tears falling in a steady stream to hit the stone- but none of them ever made it that far, they kept getting evaporated before they could get there. And just like Sting, Rogue didn't care about the way his hands stung and burned slightly when he touched her. One of his hands found a shaky, stomach churning place pressing against one of the other (many) wounds littering her figure and on her lower side, staunching the bleeding from that one as best he could. While his other hand found her lower arm, holding tightly to it and covering another wound that had been torn into her flesh... And not far from the leftover traces of those wounds that he-
Rogue shuddered, his grip around her arm and on top of her side getting a bit heavier, and he had to swallow hard against how violently his stomach flipped. He grit his teeth, his tears falling faster and he held his breath, afraid of letting it out lest he crumble- he couldn't afford to crumble right now, no matter how much terror was running rampant through him, or how knotted, and absolutely sick he felt... And the fact that Hora didn't move, or even flinch when his or Sting's hands pressed hard against the injuries did nothing to help with the sensation, or the fear.
She's not even... Shit... Shit...
Sherria, Gray and Juvia doing what they were doing was a low drone, and yet so painfully clear on his mind- he heard it all, and was aware or every single thing they did, but it was almost hazy and muddled, under that debilitating panic, and fear, and heartbreak. Rogue grit his teeth harder, while Sting's head bowed slightly, the blonde's shoulders hunching as he kept up the pressure and Rogue did the same, both their eyes gleaming and shaking without end- and feeling so utterly useless.
This wasn't supposed to happen, she was supposed to be careful- she'd promised to be careful, and to come back- shit...!
"... Please Hora... Hold on... You... You have to be okay...!" Sting hissed shakily, his eyes shutting tight and swallowing so hard it was painful. "Tch... Hora please...please... H... Hora..." The blonde hissed, his voice breaking on her name.
Rogue stiffened, his own head bowing and hunching in on himself too, enough so his tears had the chance to fall before getting ripped apart by the heat- and they splashed against the limp, bloodied, ripped apart palm of Hora's hand, smearing the crimson stain across her skin.
"... Hora... Please... You have to... Stay with us... D-Don't die... P-please...!" Rogue stammered, his voice barely above a whisper, and so shaky they were barely even words.
"... S.. Stay with us H-Hora... Please..!"
.:+:.
She couldn't breathe, she couldn't even fathom how to- she was breaking apart from the inside out and she felt her being being broken apart, the fire leaping at the sudden weakness and raging in all her pain, and confusion, and terror. The flame and furnace surged inside of her, burning and breaking as it washed across every inch of her- burning her again from the inside out, and threatening to break her body just as that Lacrima was splintering with every second that... t..that... That...
... The Black Markings burned across her skin, stretching with more speed and ferocity than it ever had, and consuming her just as the fire was eating her alive from the inside out. Her mind was unhinging, her thoughts rampant and fractured and she just... couldn't
She couldn't think, she couldn't even make sense of herself or anything- not if she was moving, or breathing, or screaming. She was just struggling, writhing and fighting and trying to just... just make it stop!
She lost it, every semblance of control or thought, or even any hold on reality- and the fire consumed it all, it took over- and she lost it.
She just wanted it to stop- anything to make it stop
She was pleading and begging, burning alive and being ripped apart from the inside out- her soul being crushed, and her life being destroyed by nothing but sheer, unrelenting inferno.
S..st...op... P...please...
She got wrenched downward into some place dark, a world made up of nothing but shadow and black, and still the pain just got worse. Her body was getting ripped apart by wild, volatile flame- shredded to bits, every bone, tendon, vein, and nerve set ablaze by hellfire from the deepest pits of hell.
S... St...stop...!
.:+:.
The stone was turning black, fissures and cracks opening up in the rigid surface as the heat got to a degree that not even the earth could handle.
The ice, and subsequent water made from the melting of the Wasteland around them was quickly rendered null. The wind picked up, violent and churning as the stifling heat whipped outward and rammed into everyone with a ferocity, and then rammed ever more violently against the deep cold born of Lyon and Gray's Magic. Both Ice Mages hissed with the effort of pushing against the heat, and against the painful stinging of burns managing passed the guard their Magic brought as they held tightly to the unconscious Saber. The Saber who was still fighting for proper air, her body jerking and squirming under their hands with the sudden upsurge in her own out of control Magic- and each violent surge of it under her skin brought another wild wash of stifling hot air, and another bout of coughing up sticky scarlet that was turning more dark and black. And with each one, even what amount of blood was being siphoned from Gray into her body was not gonna amount to much at all- not if they couldn't get a handle on her Magic tearing her apart like it was... Damn it, it was taking all they had to not get burned themselves- say nothing of actually keeping her from overheating to the point of being burned alive.
And it was just getting worse- even Sherria, Juvia, Sting, Rogue, the Exceeds, and everybody else had to back off or get risk getting hurt. Wendy, Yukino, Happy, Lily, Lucy and Carla had to back off too- though Wendy wanted to do nothing less. The six of them had rushed there after a dire warning from Natsu at the destroyed ruins of the Eclipse Gate- the pinkette relaying what the Other Rogue had said to him about what Over-Drive was in rapidity, and ushering Wendy to head that way. And Wendy obliged without hesitation or question, the young Slayer followed closely by the two Celestial Mages, while Natsu went off somewhere else in search of-
A blur of color and shapes popping into existence not far from the radius of heat caught the frantic, panicked attention of many. The figures of Natsu, a very worn and breathless Doranbolt, and a grim-faced, pink-haired old woman suddenly appearing there at the behest of the Rune Knight's Teleportation Magic, a heavy bag on her shoulder and grimacing.
"... N-Natsu...!" Lucy stammered,
"Granny...!" Wendy breathed, her attention finding the old woman and Porlyusica frowned deeply, her red eyes locking where Natsu and Doranbolt's had immediately, tense.
Natsu had explained what was likely to happen with 'Over-Drive', but this was much worse than even Porlyusica had anticipated- and so quickly too.
"Tch..." Porlyusica clicked her tongue lowly, ignoring the calls and questioning eyes of those who caught their sudden arrival, and instead looking left toward Natsu.
Natsu swallowed hard upon seeing (and feeling) all the wanton heat, and how hard a time Lyon and Gray were having contending with it- his heart dropping into his feet, and the panic that had followed him since the Other Rogue disappeared getting ten times worse now. For half a second Natsu didn't even register that Porlyusica looked his way, he sort of froze- just like Doranbolt did when they arrived- but Natsu was quick to snap himself from it and caught the Old Woman's eyes only briefly, before she looked away and started digging in the bag on her shoulder.
"We don't have time to waste on explanations, she won't survive much longer like this." Porlyusica grumbled lowly, bending down onto one knee and continuing her search in the bag, glass clinking from the inside as she produced two bottles- one of a shimmering milky white color, and the other a dark, muddy-green hue. She popped the corks off both, her narrowed eyes darting from them and toward the Saber covered in blood and squirming with the fierceness of the fire burning inside her and gaining speed, frowning to herself as Porlyusica paused a few tense moments, before her eyes went back to her hands. She carefully, and steadily, poured just under half of the green liquid into the white, turning the milky consistency into something more like a putrid algae color- the liquids glowing dimly as they touched, and then fading again once the Old Lady swirled it a few times. Then she handed the mixture off to Natsu without ever bothering to stand back up, her eyes steady on him, unflinching even- and oh so very grim. Natsu took the glass warily, frowning slightly as he caught the look and how intense it was.
"Get her to drink as much as that as you can, even if you have to force it down her throat." The Old Lady instructed lowly and Natsu (as well as everyone else in earshot) stiffened, "Do it quickly, and be careful not to get it on your skin, as much as you can manage." She grumbled and Natsu paused for a millisecond at it, before nodding stiffly, his grip on the glass growing firmer. He swallowed hard, especially for the whiff of the liquid itself that he caught upon grabbing it- but he started forward and into the heat with little more than a second of faltering when it first rammed into him.
Sting and Rogue swallowed hard too, watching Natsu head straight passed them with terrified eyes- but they recoiled slightly when the scent of the mixture hit their noses just as it did Natsu's, and Wendy and Sherria both went rigid when they caught it too.
T-that smells like-?
They had no time question it and no mind to, not right away- all eyes locked onto Natsu and watched in tense, terrified silence as the Fire Dragon Slayer hurried up to take a knee by the downed Saber, frowning deeply for the heat that had even him a little uncomfortable- and he couldn't imagine how Lyon and Gray were feeling.
Hora wasn't awake, or at least what little consciousness she kept bobbing in and out of seemed to be reserved only for pain, and the sheer and awful sensation of being burned alive from the inside out. Natsu grimaced, his teeth gritting hard and shaking himself out furiously after letting his eyes dart across all the damage littering the Saber's body, and in doing so it had him faltering for just half a second- but half a second was too long, there was no time.
Natsu reached forward, Gray shifting slightly and slackening his hold on the woman's shoulders just enough to give Natsu room- though he didn't let her go, or even dare to. Natsu gulped, his hand moving behind Hora's head and tangling in those fiery multi-color strands of hair, his stomach flipping to feel the streaks blood cached in it on the back of her head. But even then he didn't pause, he just pulled her up, his knee moving behind her shoulders to steady her further, while Natsu bit the insides of his cheeks hard, and he pressed the edge of the glass to her lips. He tilted it up, the putrid looking liquid with it's awful, sharp, bitter, and absolutely rancid scent dribbled down and into her mouth- and Hora recoiled instantly, even with her not being fully aware of what it was, or what was going on.
Natsu's hold on her head grew firmer, Lyon and Gray quick to do the same and hold her down as she started to struggle and squirm more.
"... I'm sorry Hora, but you gotta take it..." Natsu muttered tensely, gritting his teeth and still persistent in letting the liquid flow. His fingers curled into her hair more firmly, Natsu shaking his head stiffly when she continued to fight it, sputtering and almost gagging as he forced it into her throat, and she had little choice but to swallow- while the immediate way in which her face lit up in pain, and distaste, had his stomach churning all the more.
She sputtered again, and Natsu had no choice but to let up for a few seconds while she gasped, struggling for a gulp of air, and one that was so wheezy- and then he had to keep going. He tipped the glass up again, small streams of it breaking passed her lips and out of her mouth when Hora squirmed harder, Lyon and Gray's pinning holds on her body getting a bit more fervent and painful, and Natsu faltered a bit too when she jerked under his hold a bit more than he expected. Natsu readjusted quickly though, grimacing at the feel of her struggling so weakly and yet so fervently against it, and he knew it must have been an awful sensation for her- like she was drowning probably, and on something that was assuredly hardly even palatable, and immediately had her feeling... Well, awful.
"... Tch... Just a little more Hora, come on..." Natsu hissed under his breath, tipping the glass up the last of the way. As she continued to fight the last of the mouthfuls being forced down her throat, Hora's bloodied, ripped up hands dug into the crumbled ground so hard, that the since stalled bleeding from her palms started anew. And even when the glass was empty she didn't still right away, her breaths came in and out fast, ragged and shallow, and fighting for the air she couldn't get while being forced into drinking it- and then she started to squirm even worse, and almost right away.
Hora's face twisted, her teeth gritting, and her whole body growing rigid and shaking terribly. She fidgeted, gasping and hissing as she huffed out pained groans between the raggedy breaths that were just getting worse and more labored- and the heat coming off of her got worse too, more heavy, more suffocating- and Lyon, Gray, and even Natsu flinched at it, but they held her steady all the same. The liquid she'd been forced into swallowing did nothing but seem to make things worse for a few, awful minutes that stretched to a million years- and a million years where it just seemed to ramp up the pain she was already in... And then a few minutes in, she started to squirm less. Her body started losing it's will to fight it, though the discomfort and agony was still clear enough- but even still, the storms of wild, malicious heat whipping about and clashing with the Ice-Mage's Magic started to fade, slowly. And so did the intensity of how her skin boiled under their hands. It did not go away all the way, or even close to it- but it did settle out, just a bit... And then a little more when Hora went rigid under their hands, her whole body tensing under them, and then she shuddered, before curling in on herself slightly, her body spasming painfully. She retched up another mouthful of blood, but one that was smaller than those before it, and mixed with bits of that liquid she'd been forced into taking.
And then she went very still, almost terrifyingly so after all the squirming, and fidgeting, and shows of pain. Her body unwound, the rigidness melting into near limpness, though she was trembling still- and her breathing got a bit shallower, still rapid, and rushed, and hot- but shallower all the same, and her already pale face got a few shades whiter.
Natsu grimaced, trembling slightly himself for the rather rapid, and not at all comforting change- her breathing was still awful, her wounds were still bad, and bleeding. She was hurt still, and in terrible shape, even with the way in which the intensity of her Magic began to taper off to a level that allowed Lyon and Gray take a breath, and Wendy and Sherria to get close again without getting hurt. They could get close again, it eased- but she was still burning up, and to a degree most normal people couldn't have handled- and Hora wouldn't be able to handle it either, if not for the Ice Mages still doing as they had been, and trying to keep the heat at bay enough it wouldn't kill her.
S-shit...
Wendy and Sherria darted forward in the split instant they could do so without getting burned, immediately with their hands hovering and Magic flaring as they set to work again in rushed, panicked tenor. Porlyusica was not a step behind the girls, and Rogue, Sting, Frosch, Lector and Yukino were quick to follow- though they didn't crowd in too much, even if staying back at all was agonizing for them.
"Focus on the physical wounds and the internal injuries, and try to stabilize her as best you can." Porlyusica ordered sharply of Sherria and Wendy both, "Do not Dispel the poison, not unless her breathing starts to get too low- we need it to keep her Magic weakened enough it won't tear her apart." The Old Lady told them firmly, and the two young girls nodded, frowning and their hands shaking as they set to work without a word- but the orders had everyone else go deathly still, eyes wide and ears ringing.
"P-poison...?!" Yukino, Happy, Carla and Lucy stammered,
"You gave her poison...?!" Sting and Rogue snapped hotly, the heated question echoed a bit more breathlessly by Gray, Doranbolt, and Lyon alike- while Juvia, Meredy, Jura, the Exceeds, and everyone stayed quiet, rigid and hardly daring to think they heard it.
"What the hell...?!" Sting hissed,
"A-are you insane...?!" Rogue snapped, his voice cracking painfully and Porlyusica only barely cast them a look from having started pulling things from her bag and taking a knee beside the downed woman.
"From what Natsu relayed to me about what 'Over-Drive' is, her Magic is growing out of control and tearing her body to shreds- to the point it will kill her." The Old Woman replied lowly, "The only chance she has of surviving that is to either strip her Magic from her entirely- which the shock of doing so will assuredly kill her- or find a way to keep her Magic subdued enough it might not get to the point of burning her alive." The Old Lady told them lowly, her red eyes flashing. "There is no cure for this, all we can hope to do is manage it to a point of keeping it from becoming too severe- so yes, the only option I could think of was this. To give her dose of an Anti-Magic Poison that will hopefully weaken her Magic enough, that there is a chance for Over-Drive to run it's course without killing her." Porlyusica grumbled, the Sabers stiffening at the assertions and freezing under the utterly dire look and tone of voice from the pink-haired woman.
"It's not a cure, it's hardly a solution- but it's the only one there is. The Poison itself is lethal to Mages in high enough doses, and with how severe the injuries she has already are, and what havoc Over-Drive is probably going to wreak on her immune system... Even this smaller dose might kill her anyway. But it was either try this and perhaps have even the slightest chance it might help- or her Magic kills her anyway." Porlyusica explained lowly, and their breaths caught in their throats. "All we can do is try and keep her stable, try to keep her Magic from killing her, and hope we can do it long enough Over-Drive might fade on it's own." The Old Lady told them quietly, her eyes flashing as she moved her intense stare on the two Dragon Slayers and glanced back toward the gasping, blood-ridden woman still fighting for air under Wendy, Sherria, Gray and Lyon's hands.
Rogue and Sting shuddered, everyone did- the words sinking in heavy and cold, and their hearts felt ready to give out, especially at seeing the way Porlyusica's expression twisted next as her hands started moving again, and she started pulling out bandages and other things from her bag, and setting to work alongside the two Sky Wizards. She instructed Lyon and Gray tensely to keep up what they were doing, and gave orders to the two girls- while everyone else watched stiffly, tearful, holding their breaths, and their hearts sinking further and further when the seriousness and dire looks on Porlyusica, Wendy, and Sherria's faces became all the more clear... And then for what Porlyusica said next, their hearts felt ready to break.
"... I do not know if anything we do will work, she's in serious condition already, this... This is worse than I've ever seen... I cannot promise she'll survive no matter what we do, I am sorry... But we will try."
.:+:.
The whole village was in a complete state of panic, of destruction and disarray... Homes and buildings, all those structures she had come to know by heart- they lay in smoldering ruin around her, flames dancing, and rubble thrown all about.
It was a massacre
Her family, her brother, her village...
... Her eyes moved from the blackened ice and snow, upward as she felt a massive shadow loom over her. Her wide and terrified gaze moved up to see the Beast standing before her, so massive it was it blocked out the sky. Its cold eyes glittering in animalistic rage and malice, her heart stopping and ice running through her veins as she simply remained motionless. She was too terrified to move, or even cry out as one of its clawed hands lift- sharp talons glinting in the fire-light.
She was going to die...
It swiped downward, she lift her arms as her eyes shut tight in terror- the beasts hand catching her small body and tearing open her skin and muscle and bone with one of the wicked claws, her blood flying into the air and staining the snow- just as hundreds of different scarlet pools already were. The agony that swept through her was gut-wrenching, her vision went black and red at the pain of it tearing across her being, as she was sent flying- her scream of utter pain tearing at the air and her throat.
She fell abruptly silent as she slammed into the ground, bones cracking. She rolled, coming to a halt, unmoving, unbreathing... A large, deep pool of crimson surrounding her body, the wound deep, bone showing through the shredded skin.
My... Family... My brother... Dead...
... E...everybody... D...dead...
...wasn't... He... G...gray... He died...?
...n...no...
.:+:.
It was uncomfortably hot, the air heavy, damp, and humid. The constant evaporation of water and ice that was meant to keep the heat at bay had turned the room into something like a near boiling sauna, and one that was hard to breathe in, let alone keep focus... and Lyon and Gray were progressively having a harder time doing either of those as the hours stretched by, and their energy and strength to keep their Magic up as constantly as they were, began to waver.
They hadn't any real idea how long it had been since fighting with Callan, the terrible Vision (or reality?) of the Mini-Dragons and Gray's apparent death, the sheer destruction and power wrought by the Saber afterwards- or their immediate struggle to keep said Saber alive, and her Magic at bay enough she didn't get ripped apart by what sheer blistering heat had taken so firm hold of her. The whole thing had gone by in something of a rush and a blur, and the whole time both Lyon and Gray could do nothing but keep their Magic up, constant, persistent, and never daring let it waver. Not even when the harshness, and intensity of the fire trying so hard to become tangible kept battering away at them. They didn't know how long already they'd had to keep using their Magic and keep the room, the air, Hora, and the water in the tub she was now submerged in- trapped in a grip of icy cold. And icy cold of an intensity that was only enough to make it that uncomfortably hot, humid it was now... and only barely enough to keep Hora herself from burning out. It didn't matter how hard they pushed their Magic, or how potent they made it, it was never enough. And it was only barely enough to keep her like this, trapped with her body burning up from the inside out, and with a fever to a degree that should have killed any normal person long ago.
And honestly, she was so close to it still- her skin was on fire, her breathing raggedy and labored, the wheezy, shallow breaths coming out in a haze that only mixed with the conglomeration of steam and chilly vapor dancing, and clashing across the waters surface. She could hardly get any air, and what she managed was agony on her lungs and in her chest still full of several broken ribs- even despite Wendy and Sherria's efforts. And despite their attempts too, there was still a fair amount of other damage littering her body, soaked in the water and the wounds turning it muddy pink, and then darker when the Saber's body jerked with coughs that ended with sticky scarlet coming up her throat. The two Sky Wizards had tried so hard, but Over-Drive kept them from being able to help and heal her even half as much as they wanted. They hadn't any clue how long it had been since Porlyusica had arrived, and the rush to get her stable and here and somewhere where it would be easier to keep her cool had occurred- but it had been a long time.
It had been hours, hours that seemed endless and stretched to a million years, and they were exhausting as all hell. Lyon and Gray could only barely keep their focus and attention on what they were doing- and Wendy and Sherria were already exhausted to the point they'd had to take a break, and cease with their efforts. And all the hours were straining for both Ice Mages to a degree they'd never experienced before, it took everything not to let their minds slip, or their Magic to wane, and it took even more to just stay awake, and it was harder still for all the damage, wounds, and the beatings they'd taken while fighting Callan, and the Mini-Dragons weighing them down too. But they couldn't relent, or give in, or pass out- no matter how much their bodies wanted them too. Porlyusica had made it very clear they were the only thing keeping her Magic at bay, so they kept up, even when it was harder and harder to do. And they were intent to keep going, no matter how long it took, or how much it took out of them. Neither of them wanted to see her dead- unsurprisingly on Lyon's part, as he had come to think of the Saber as a friend, and cared for her further after everything he'd learned... But on Gray's?
Gray didn't want her dead, and he intended to do whatever he could regardless of everything else, because he wasn't heartless. Even if he didn't know her, he had a chance to help and he wasn't just gonna let her die without trying... But he was also set on it, because he did owe her after all that had happened.
The more he thought about what 'Vision' that was where he'd gotten killed, the more sure he was that it hadn't just been some kind of warning or phantom image- it had actually happened. It didn't feel real, and he couldn't say he recalled much more than the fleeting, blurred memory of it that was floating around in his head and, already fading. But it was a little too vivid in detail to surely have been just an image, and then upon seeing what happened afterwards- the way she'd looked so scared, pained, and covered in wounds that would have been there from Callan's actions in said Vision, and shouldn't have been there if it wasn't real... And the way Hora had...
Gray grimaced faintly, his eyes cracking open and narrowed to slits as he cast a glance left, his cheek resting in his arms crossed on top of the edge of the bathtub, and one hand dipped into the water- Lyon in a similar position on the opposite side, though his childhood friend's eyes were closed just then, his face buried in the crook of his elbow, and nothing but tense, grim, and exhausted.
Gray's eyes didn't find Lyon though, it landed on the gasping Saber trembling in the water, her body covered in bandages that did little good other than keep haphazard, loose hold on the wounds that hadn't healed- and of which unwound more with every tremor, cough, bit of fidgeting, and ripple of the water that had them soaked through. He bit the inside of his cheek, a heavy sigh escaping him as the memory of it came back. Just as it had been coming back on a repeat ever since things had sort of slowed out of a rush.
.:+:.
"G...Gray..." Hora stammered, her voice so very low and wispy, swallowing hard as she managed another small, extremely uneven step, before having to halt a moment, lest she topple over. Her eyes never left him though, not even as the tears kept coming, and Gray didn't look away either. He couldn't, because he didn't understand how she- a near complete stranger, and someone who had been so jumpy around him- could look so... So completely terrified, relieved, and anguished all at once... And over... Him...? Was he reading that right? Was he the reason...?
But why would she-?
"...Gray... P... Please... Please don't die again..." Hora stammered breathlessly, her voice breaking on the words and he stiffened further, his stomach flipping and a shiver running up his spine. Hora sucked in another shuddering breath of air, dark blue eyes all glassy and swimming in hurt, pain, fear, and so much pleading- and her voice was so full of all of that as she went on. "... P.. Please... Please don't die again... N...not before I get the chance to-" She whispered, before breaking off rather abruptly, her voice dying in the span of a second, and she went absolutely rigid.
.:+:.
Gray bit down on his cheek harder, dark blue eyes flashing as he let his gaze wander from the rapid, shuddering up and down of her chest, and up toward the pain and discomfort etched into her pale face, and clear as day.
It had been playing on a loop in his head the whole time, and each iteration of it left him all the more sure his death had happened, and then gotten rewound... And with each play through of the memory, he became a hundred times more uncertain and confused with it- with the way she'd been crying, and looked so genuinely scared, and sad. He didn't understand why she'd have gotten so worked about about him... And maybe it wasn't him in particular, but just the whole scenario in general that hit hard?
That would make sense right? Even if they hardly knew one another, and with her having been so jumpy around him- it was bound to be an awful experience to see anyone die, regardless of you knew them well or not, yeah..?
That made sense. He knew it made it sense, and he wanted to just chock it up to that and stop brooding over it again and again like he was- but he couldn't.
Because it didn't make enough sense. Not with that last part, the part about him not dying again before she 'got the chance to' do... something.
But... Do what...? And what did it have to do with him...?
Gray grumbled, his eyes dropping closed again and gritting his teeth.
Damn it... Something about her had irked him from the very start, and now? Now it just irked him worse, and he didn't understand it, at all.
... I don't... Get it...
He grimaced, his shoulders hunching slightly and grumbling again as he adjusted, his forehead setting atop his arm instead of his cheek, and blocking out the overhead lights and their glare on his tired eyes.
... And I might never get it... If she dies... I won't ever get to ask what the hell she meant... Tch...
.:+:.
... Scarlet red dripped into the dismal white snow and ice underfoot, his hands shaking and body heaving as he stumbled through that ruin- his blood mixing among the crimson spilt from countless more and ash black soot and smoke. Their bodies lay in heaps of mangled skin and bone and debris on all sides, fires burning low in what little remained of the buildings, everything toppled.
It was swimming in front of him, the world blurring and undistinguished on the edges and getting worse as he gasped and sputtered, his steps faltering as he drudged through the sticky, icy grey and white. His hands were shaking so badly he barely kept hold over the gaping hole in his torso, skin slick with his blood and feeling like he was barely holding his insides from spilling out. His lips twitched in a twisted, agonized smile. He laughed, but only ended up coughing and gasping, his eyes shutting tight at the pain that raced through every inch of him, his steps stumbling even more- until he tripped, and was sent sprawling into the bloodied snow.
He groaned, his breaths tasted of blood and his mouth filled with it as he curled in on himself, his blood spilling from his wounds faster... and he didn't try to curb it, he couldn't care anymore.
The man smiled wryly, pushing himself over stiffly, shaking violently as he did his best to push himself up onto his knees. His clothes were tattered and stained, his hair a mess and his skin torn and shredded in places too many to count. Blood dripped without end from every wound, from his mouth and from his nose and ears, smears of it running through his russet and copper hair.
Deliora was long gone... he was the only thing left... the only thing alive in a city full of death... and he was quickly going to join the masses. Pity the Beast hadn't finished him off, allowed him death without having to hear that damn voice again... pity
He hissed, dragging himself forward, his arms nearly buckling underneath him as he forced himself toward a mound of snow and rubble up ahead, his breaths shaky and wet as he laughed a bit more, his yellow eyes glinting wildly.
Arden growled, pushing himself up the mound as he left a smear of red and bits of gore behind him. His body was screaming, every inch of him threatening to snap and send him falling apart, his bone and skin and muscle all barely holding together and breaking fast.
He stopped, his arms giving out on him as he dragged himself up the lip of the mound, his body collapsing into the snow as it gave way underneath him and he was sent skidding and tumbling down the other side. He screamed, his body slamming into something hard at the bottom and his face burying itself in a sticky, clumped pool of dirt and blood, his breaths raged gasps and Lixue screaming with him at the sheer pain.
Arden came to a halt, his eyes blurred and quickly losing what little light and life was in them. He groaned as he struggled to lift his head from the blood soaked ice,
Arden coughed again, his chin splattered in scarlet and his breath hardly a cloud in the icy wasteland around him. His eyes were dull, the yellow fading fast to some ugly, brown color- before he stiffened, a little bit of light flashing in those eyes as they widened, weakly, looking across the blood soaked snow he lay in as his attention found what his body had smacked into so painfully. A child... her hair black as a raven's feathers and her skin pale, her body broken and bent as she lay there, and he lay with her in a pool of her blood. Her arm was mangled, the skin torn open and the bone poking though the gnarled bits of flesh and muscle, a thin trail of the sticky liquid falling past her thin lips.
... so many dead...
Arden coughed again, his chest felt like it was being torn open.
His fingers twitched, brushing against her thin little fingers, turning black and blue from the cold, her blood smothering against his skin from the wound that had broken her, someone so small-
Those dull eyes flashed, the yellow burning brighter as his felt her blood... warm.
Arden's head lifted ever so slightly off the snow as his heart jumped, a fire burning in his eyes as he tried and failed to get back up, struggling with a vengeance to push himself closer.
... she's...
Something wild lit up in his face, something twisted and frantic as Arden forced his falling apart body to move, forced himself just that little bit closer- close enough his hand clamped down tightly on her arm, uncaring of the way his fingers dug into the flesh and grazed across the fractured bone.
A wicked, tilted grin spread it's way across his face, his eyes flashing again as a wash of gold started up from his arm and toward her- what little life and energy left in him suddenly spurring to action, and the grin twisted more.
... the last... one...
'... what are you... Arden...?!' Lixue snapped, his voice faded and blurry in the man's head.
The skin around his hand and her arm started to singe, the chill air filling with the scent of burning flesh and blood as her arm began to blister, and the wash of gold spreading from his arm blazed brighter, bolder, turning an angry red and orange.
"...he..hehe... guess... y...you... gonna... b...be... wrong... heh...Lixue...!" Arden laughed, his blood dripping from his mouth and strangling the words though he never stopped. Not even as that small, mangled little girl flinched, not when she was drawn back from the icy cold claws of death and forced back to the world engulfed in agony and burning fire in her veins. His hand was turning ebony as his skin burned, smoke rising from her skin as a fire began to leap inside of her, searing the wound closed slowly and burning flesh back together in a wash of blazing white.
The girl whimpered, her blue eyes fluttering open and dazed, her limbs twitching and spasming as she struggled to pull away from what sheer tortuous agony was climbing up her arm and into the rest of her body. Ripped back into the world and with no clue what was happening, she didn't understand-
"... y... ya got...one more... bloody mistake... Lixue...!" Arden smiled, his eyes wild and his expression twisted in something no less than excitement that bordered on insanity and rage. The glow of red and orange got worse, Magic pulsing from him and pouring into her, the wound was melting together and she was struggling against him- no longer weak, her skin a sickly pallor and her eyes glazed in pain and terror. The glow of orange raced over her skin, charring along the inside of her body, singing bones, organs, engulfing everything and it was torture- that little child's voice broke as sobs and screams of pain rung on the air that had been so deathly silent just before.
She was screaming. Writhing and squirming in sheer, fiery agony searing across her body and her mind. Her wrist, arm, and all the way to her shoulder... Her skin was blistering from the insane heat- it felt as if she had dipped it in molten lava.
Someone was gripping her arm tightly, holding on to her, the grip never slipping- even as she tried so desperately to pull away. Her vision flashed black, red... The smell of burning filled her nose and lungs. She just kept screaming... The pain was blinding...
Arden never let up, he was laughing even as his life drained away and he forced that wild, insane Magic into her- forced it to burn the wound closed, forced it to mark across every inch of her body and her soul and claim her, the pain was enough to kill anyone, the Magic was too strong, too jagged and much too uncontrolled- it was burning her alive from the inside out. His copper and russet colored hair was fading into a dull, lifeless grey, his hand burned black and quickly moving up his arm as she thrashed and kicked up blood-colored snow, screamed and kicked and pleaded and cried, her voice breaking, shrieking even long after her throat filled with blood and the taste of something burning sour.
... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go.
She wanted to be let go
"STOP! PLEASE!" The girl's voice would have broken the heart of anyone, it was dripping in terror and fear and pain- but Arden couldn't care, he would never let go- he looked at her with the face of want, sheer lust and uncontrollable need. He watched in pleasure and delight as she started to burn, the black running up her body and strangling her- that dirty, blood matted raven hair turning orange and red and all colors it should never have been.
"S-STOOOOOPPPPP!"
"Not... not a chance!" Arden shrilled, his body shaking violently as he dragged her closer to him, pulling her through the snow as the rest of her body started to blister and break under the fire consuming her, eating her... killing her, and still she tried to pull away. Her mouth filled with blood and ash and fire and she felt her lungs burning away inside her chest,
Lixue was screaming, roaring and cursing and Arden still never stopped- he never listened.
The man had pulled himself up, his free hand curling in toward himself as his yellow eyes flashed, sickly and wicked- and yet... hopeful. Hopeful even as he watched that child cough up bits and pieces of her own charred insides right in front of him, black and scarlet pooling from her mouth.
Arden's free hand plunged straight into the center of his own chest, breaking past the damaged skin and shattering what ribs were in his way, a new stream of blood pouring free from the wound and his mouth- the grin never faded.
He ripped his hand free again, bloody and black as his fist remained clenched about a smooth, icy blue stone that seemed to glitter and spark with some unnatural light. The little girl was twitching, her body falling apart and melting from the inside out and all will to fight outwardly lost- if only her mind and her heart had failed so quickly, she still felt it... felt every single second of it.
His hand shot forward, the stone still gripped tightly as he plunged his hand through the center of her chest, ribs breaking and what charred mess of her lungs was left- they were forced apart as he stuck his entire fist inside her body, moving organs and bone and leaving a giant, nestled hole for that stone to set. Her skin, and her body, covered head to foot in pitch, jet black- a pulse of blue raced from where his hand remained lodged inside her chest, and she felt like her heart had been ripped in two.
Her body felt like it had been drowned in lava suddenly felt like it had been ripped in half, melted back together, then cut into hundreds of pieces... and then melted again, over and over it when from blinding burning pain to mind shattering cold, it lasted years, it lasted too long and she felt her mind breaking under it all just as her body shattered with it.
Arden ripped his hand back out from her body again, leaving the stone as his breaths shuddered to a close. His yellow eyes dulling to grey and all light gone as his hand fell limp from having been holding to her so tightly, his face falling as a ghost of smile remained etched into his face forever more.
She was writhing around in that blood soaked snow and ice, screaming and fidgeting for hours, her body destroying itself, burning itself, and then slapping itself back together- the flames raged and then died, and then raged again and it was a fate worse than death... she wanted to die, she screamed and pleaded and wished she would- begged even- but the pain still kept on.
Her skin was on fire, her veins lava, her heart sheer, agonizing, icy cold- all of it, absolute torture.
She was screaming. Writhing and squirming in sheer, fiery agony searing across her body and her mind. Her wrist, arm, and all the way to her shoulder... Her skin was blistering from the insane heat- it felt as if she had dipped it in molten lava. Her vision flashed black, red... The smell of burning filled her nose and lungs. She just kept screaming... The pain was blinding- someone was... Someone...
... Someone was gripping her arm tightly, holding on to her, the grip never slipping, even as she tried so desperately to pull away- but... This... This one... This hand it isn't... What... What...?
I... It's... C... Cold...?
It... It hurts... I..it...
N-no... No... L... Let go...!
... E...everything hurts... N..n...o...!
L-let go...!
"... S... Stop..!"
.:+:.
The silence got shattered abruptly by a sharp, gasping yelp from the Saber- and who jolted up rather violently in the water with no warning, outside the quickly steadying pace of her body twisting and squirming slightly in the midst of some awful, fever-driven nightmare. She jumped up into a sitting position that did little more than make everything hurt worse, and with the pain amping up, the confusion, fear, panic, and everything in between got a million times worse, and derailed her mind more than it already was. She wasn't aware of where she was, what was going on, none of it. All that ran through her fractured mind was the terror, and the agony, and it taking firm hold had her fighting instantly, moving too much, jostling her broken body way too much- and Over-Drive loved it.
The already uncomfortably hot air got to the point of stinging on Hora's lungs right away, and everyone else's too. The water that splashed with her frantic movements hissed off her skin, steaming more fervently- and as the heat increased, as did the pain, and so did the unhinged, unawares, and entirely delirious movements on the Saber woman's part.
Gray and Lyon were snapped from their own silence and lack of movement the instant she yelped, hearts racing and adrenaline paired with panic shattering the hundred pound blanket of exhaustion and strain hanging over them both. They scrambled, for the first few seconds a little ruffled and not sure what was going on- before they felt the harsh clash of their Magic against the heat suddenly intensify, and they grimaced, quick to push themselves up and try anything they could.
Hora's hands grasped the tub edge desperately, heaving and gasping as she fought to pull herself up, trying to escape the chilly grip of the water against her body. She couldn't get herself up all the way, the little she managed had crimson stains seeping through the bandages on her body- and though she dug her fingers in fiercely, and tried so hard to keep trying to escape the water- she couldn't get there, and nearly as soon as she'd pulled herself halfway up her grip slipped.
"S-shit..!" Gray hissed, shuffling up onto his knees and his hands shooting forward as quickly as he could manage to grab onto her shoulders, and save her slamming back down into the bottom of the tub. He halted her enough she didn't fall back, but even doing that just made her panic a little worse, and immediately she was trying to pull away from him, and he grit his teeth. He adjusted quickly, hooking his arms around hers tightly, and more or less pinning them to the top of the tub edge, stalling her swiping out at him in reaction- while Lyon scrambled into getting up and stepping into the tub to take a knee behind her. The Lamia Wizard's hands found her back and under her shoulder, resisting her attempts at pulling back from Gray's hold, or pulling back any other way either. He kept her as steady as could be managed while she squirmed still, even regardless of how fruitless it was... But she fought, and she was gonna hurt herself- and already her skin under their hands had ramped up way too many degrees, and they had their Magic following suit just to keep up.
"H-Hora calm down..!" Lyon murmured breathlessly,
"... Tch... You gotta quit...!" Gray hissed, grumbling as she jerked a bit more roughly in his hold and his grip slipped just a little.
She couldn't hear either of them, not around the harshness of her own breathing and certainly not around the low rumble of the Magic in her core surging. And even around that, she wasn't in any state of mind to register their voices anyway, and they knew it.
She pulled roughly again, and this time she managed herself out of Gray's hands enough her elbow jerked backwards into Lyon, ramming into the gash on his shoulder from fighting Callan that had yet to be healed, and he hunched a little despite himself. Gray grimaced, quick to catch her hand back and huffing as he (rather more roughly than he intended) pinned one of her arms under his, and caught her other one in the hand of that same arm- while his free hand grabbed to the back of her neck and held there tightly, stalling her movements a bit more. Gray's Magic flared under his hand and against the back of her neck, icy cold dancing on air and the chill that came with it quickly eliciting a shiver that ran down Hora's spine. The cold followed behind it, spreading outward across her shoulders and back too- and so abruptly she gasped for it. She tried to pull back from this like she had to everything else, and the heat racing under her skin immediately heightened to resist the frost- but Gray didn't let his hold, nor his Magic, waver- and the reaction he was hoping for followed a few moments after.
The stiffness in her body unwound slightly in Gray and Lyon's hold, the persistent pulling and fighting against their hands weakening quickly with the rapid intensity of the cold enveloping her- and with the relief it brought with it, and the stall in Over-Drive surging again- what little bit of delirious, fever-driven struggling she'd fallen into, faded. She slumped a bit, falling more heavily against the edge of the tub, and for a few seconds still resistant to the sudden heaviness pulling her down- before a shaky sigh escaped her, and her posture wilted even more. Her head bobbed, her body trembling and shuddering under the harshness of her breathing, and she leaned against the edge of the tub all the way, cheek falling wearily against the top of Gray's hand holding still tightly on top of hers. The last of the resistance of her trying to pull away from either of them melted away, Lyon shifting to let his hands find the center of her back, biting the inside of his cheek for how rapidly it moved up and down against his palms with her breathing- and like Gray, Lyon's Magic flared a bit more too, just trying to take the edge off and settle her as much as he could.
Gray's hand on the back of Hora's neck moved slowly and instead settled on her shoulder, trying to steady her (and the rather awkward position) a bit more too- and both Ice Mages let out shaky sighs of relief with the sudden rush and panic going away.
"... Geez..." Gray grumbled breathlessly, his eyes dropping closed. Lyon's shoulders fell rather heavily, and his head bowed, a low sigh escaping him.
And those who were standing in the doorway into the room- Sting, Rogue, Lector, Frosch- and who had rushed toward it upon hearing the sudden shout Hora let loose, they all shuddered, their bodies shaking and barely keeping their feet as the scrambling came to a close... And honestly, most of them felt like throwing up for how heavy the worry and fear was in their cores.
They couldn't go in, they'd been ordered to stay out so their body-heat wasn't something Gray and Lyon had to deal with- but not being able to go in and rush up was one of the worst things they'd ever had to do, and they swallowed hard, eyes shining.
H-Hora...
For a few minutes, neither Lyon nor Gray made a move, or any attempt to lay Hora back down into the water. They just stayed still, trying to settle again and unwind, and wait for the heat to drop down to what level they'd mostly been able to keep it... And after a few minutes Gray cracked an eye open, faltering a bit in question and surprise when... He felt Hora's hand underneath his shift...?
He blinked, his attention finding said hand, and the same hand her cheek was leaning into, as he just watched quietly. Her expression pulled faintly, and her fingers twitched as they curled around his weakly, holding on to him almost- and then she pressed her cheek a bit more against his hand, even when the cold of it against her skin made her shiver... And then Gray went rigid, eyes widening and his heart skipping a beat when her face pulled a little more, a little more pained- a little more aching... And then suddenly there trailed a few, quiet, glittering drops of moisture from her under her eyelids, mixing with the sweat and the water dripping from her hair- but without a doubt they were tears.
She's... Crying...?
And sure enough the awful and labored sounds of her breathing hitched ever so faintly in a sob that never reached full fruition, and Gray stalled, staring, confused, reeling- because why...?
Was it the nightmare that had jostled her out of unconsciousness? Or was it just tears of exhaustion, strain, or something along those lines...?
She couldn't have been aware of those tears surely, not with how out if it she'd been just moments before. He doubted she had any clue what was going on, or who was around her, or even whose hand she'd just grabbed on to... So was there even a reason for them, then? Maybe it was just strain and fever...?
He didn't know, and whatever reason, or non-reason there was for those little tears so suddenly, he didn't know... But even still he faltered again, and just like he did with wondering why she'd seemed so upset about him earlier, after him 'dying'. And this time he faltered not out of confusion, or question- but because for some reason, somewhere deep in his very core- something about her hand in his, the way she was shaking, the heat of her skin against his and the feverish gasps of air she was taking in- all of it felt, somehow... Familiar
It was the same sort of familiar that had hit him when he'd saw her do that weird hand pose/gesture when she'd started thinking, that night he'd first met her. And just like then, he couldn't place why.
Gray's eyes flashed, his face pulling ever so faintly in question and uncertainty with the sudden, and unexpected sensation he couldn't wrap his head around. He faltered in his confusion and question for a few seconds, quiet and pensive, and almost stiff too- and Lyon blinked, his own expression softening, and twisting all at once for the look on his childhood friend's face just when he looked at Hora.
Lyon could practically see the gears grinding in Gray's head, the confusion and uncertainty so clear on his face and swimming in his eyes too- and paired with the smallest hints of discomfort. And even more hints of things that were dancing just otr of reach too, things that were so close to realization, familiarity, and wisps of feelings and memories that he'd probably long since buried... Were they stirring now, even unconsciously? Thoughts of his old life, his village and his family before Deliora...? Was he remembering her, even if only faintly, in some far corner of his mind- and because right then, some part of Gray just... Knew...?
If he did, or even got sort of close to beginning to pull those pieces together, or to unraveling the strange sensation of familiarity- Lyon didn't know... He didn't think so, anyway. Lyon figured if he'd come to even the faintest inkling of who she was, he would have said or asked about it outright- and Gray never said a thing. He remained quiet, brooding about it still perhaps, but only that. Gray simply shook his head a bit to himself and stayed silent... But he did give Hora's hand a tiny, almost imperceptible squeeze- and Lyon swallowed hard.
Lyon wanted to say it, and he wanted it so badly after seeing the pause, the brooding, the bits of ache in Gray swirling beneath the surface, though the raven-haired Ice Mage didn't know why. It was agonizing, watching Gray teeter barely at the fringes of the truth and still be so painfully clueless- but again, Lyon hesitated, and a bit more firmly than the first time.
He couldn't tell Gray, not with Hora still in such awful condition- not without real certainty she would fine, and wouldn't slip away regardless of anyone's efforts. There was no use in telling Gray the truth if she was just going to get ripped away- Lyon couldn't do that to him, not after a lifetime of hurt, and the haunting of Deliora's destruction trailing after them both... It felt so much like a betrayal to stay quiet though, and watching it made the sensation worse- but Lyon kept his mouth shut still.
... Forgive me Gray, but I can't.... I'm sorry...
.:+:.
She felt cold and hot all at once, her body shaking without her consent. Her head was in a haze and her eyelids felt heavier than she could ever remember them being. She shuddered involuntarily, her breath catching in her throat as she coughed faintly.
The room was dim around her, and stagnant. She could scarcely see the ceiling above her, if not for the small, faint sliver of light that managed to make it past the edge of the curtains. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she knew she had. She'd been moving in and out of wakefulness for hours, flitting between feverish reality and swirling, nonsensical dreams.
She felt something squeeze around her fingers gently, her eyes trailing sideways from the roof toward that young little boy at the bedside.
G... Gray...
He was fast asleep, his head resting in his crossed arms on the bedtop- one hand extended just slightly so he could keep holding her hand in his. His fingers twined between hers and limp in his sleeping, yet they still kept locked together.
She blinked, her eyes falling halfway as the haze lifted just enough- she remembered waking up earlier too, and remembered hearing his voice mixed with that of their parents.
"..b-but... I wanna help..."
"... Love, the only thing we can do is let her sleep."
"... Once she rests, the fever will pass and she will be alright.."
"... I..."
"..hmm, I know you want to help her feel better, love..." That was her mother's voice, she sounded sympathetic, and warm.
"... You know what? Sit with her, keep her company. I'm sure that will help her feel better." And that was her Father, a bit louder, but no less warm.
"..y-yeah!" Her brother sounded a little happier with that, he liked that idea- mostly because then, he would be doing something. "... I-i can tell her a story, if she wants...! Or just stick around, so she's not all alone when she's sleeping..!"
"Great idea." Mother and Father said all in unison.
Her mind was slipping back into the deep, dark depths again as she heard feet move down the hallway outside the door.
She must have fallen asleep before he made it inside, but he'd stayed anyway.
She squeezed his hand back faintly, sighing as her eyes fell closed again.
It felt nice, his hand in hers, after so, so long... The fire raging in her bones even... Something cold came in, and it felt so nice.
For what seemed like a million years it was just, icy cold relief... A million years of time to settle- and then a million years later it ended, abruptly.
She coughed again, her eyes snapping shut when a sudden wash of pain ignited in her core where it hadn't been before.
Her hand held tight to his hand- only to find it wasn't there anymore. He wasn't, none of it was- not the bed, not the room, not the warmth, nor the familiarity.
She was floating in a chilly sea, the water gripping and cold as she saw her blood stain the water darker around her- her body littered in too many wounds and gashes to count, and agony racing though every inch of her being. The silence was crushing, even her own voice as she yelled at the pain was muffled and muted on her own ears. She couldn't make a sound, she couldn't move, or breathe.
For what felt a million years she was suffocating, burning and freezing all at once, and suspended in that vast ocean... And then she wasn't.
.:+:.
Hora slammed into something solid, the ocean disappearing around her without warning and sending her into rapid free-fall in some place new. Somewhere dim, and bobbing sickeningly, while still being firm enough she yelped when she smacked against the stone... No, not stone- ice
She cringed, curling in on herself and ears ringing at the heavy silence, and her head smacking painfully against the ice with the fall. Her body was on fire, pain running through every vein, bone, nerve- hot and boiling, and her lungs felt scorched from the inside out. It made it extremely hard to breathe, and then impossible when the fiery sensation intensified, and her body convulsed, foul-tasting metallic blood rising up her throat and spattering across the dim, glittering surface underneath her. Her blood was dark, thick- filled with ash and smoke that had turned it an awfully icky black brown, and one that clashed harshly with the... W... Wait...
Her eyes widened, vision blurry and struggling to focus on the sheer cold underneath her, and the fact that the ice was red
Her eyes trailed up slowly, passed the the inky black of her own blood mixing with the bright red crimson pooled over the ice, thick and reaching all the way out toward where she was, inching closer still and from it's center- where there lay the crumbled, bloodied, and burned body of some huge, barely breathing... D-Dragon...?
Hora froze, eyes wide and glittering as her gaze got locked on to it- the pearly white scales cracked and chipped away, whole sections of hide and flesh gouged out from it's body and spilling scarlet across it's form, and adding to the pool of blood it lay in. It's wings were littered in holes and blackened, jagged, scorched flesh climbing up along it's back and all down it's body, leaving dark marks and shattered scales all about it's figure. The Dragon lay on it's side, it's body rising and falling in slow labored breaths that had the blood rippling only faintly- it's head laying in the puddle of blood, crimson smeared across it's nose, and blood dripping slowly passed it's teeth to join the larger whole underneath. It was so still, so limp, barely breathing and nearly lifeless- there was near nowhere she could see the shimmering white it's body should have been under all the red, and the ash. Her eyes darted quickly among the downed and horribly wounded creature, locking to that dribble of blood out of it's mouth and then searching desperately for those icy blue eyes of his... But they were closed, and he hadn't even stirred the slightest bit when she'd gotten dropped into this cold, quiet, and dark place beside him.
Hora stiffened, panic and terror ramming straight through her core and cutting her struggling breaths off in a strangled gasp of fright, her eyes wide and instantly filling in tears. She recognized the barely breathing beast, and her heart felt like it shattered.
"... L-Lixue...?" She croaked, her voice rough and barely above a whisper, and even the simple action of saying his name had her coughing up more burned, rancid blood. But still there was no reaction from the Dragon, not even with the sound of his name, or the retching that followed.
Hora sputtered, holding what little breath she managed to take in and swallowing hard against the sour metallic taste in her throat. Her vision dotted black at the edges and steadily got all the darker, the pain running rampant through her body intensifying to the point it was blinding- but all that ran through her mind in that instant was terror, and guilt.
N...no... Lixue... he...
She hissed, her teeth gritting hard enough to crack, struggling and shaking terribly as she forced herself up just a little- only to have her hands slide out from under her in the slick of the blood she'd retched up, and Lixue's own. She yelped as the hit the ice again, the impact rattling her bones like an earthquake, but she pushed herself up again, fighting, and still struggling to pull herself forward- or more ended up dragging herself through the blood, than ever actually managing her feet. She coughed, sputtering for air the whole way through it, her body getting drenched in the sticky red and making movement forward all the harder, and near impossible- but still she tried. She tried and kept pulling herself forward, even when she kept slipping, each fall back against the ice making the pain more than blinding- and she tried still, even when her last few attempts hadn't managed to get her any closer.
She shuddered, the tears spilling from her eyes like a storm, and her throat and chest closing for the sobs that never managed to come up and hit the air. She coughed, choking on the tears and the blood alike as her crawl through the pool of crimson faded to none along with her quickly waning strength. Her limbs felt so heavy, every movement was torture, every breath agony, and her eyes stung with a fire worse than the one raging in her bones- the tears swirling in the blood and a wispy, shuddering sob escaping her between gasps.
... L..Lixue... no...no...
The tears grew heavier and more burning as she locked her attention straight ahead, Lixue's nose not more than a few inches away from her hand- but too far still, and his breath washed up over her face, wispy, faint. She felt her heart shatter again, and then a hundred times more for the realization that... this?
All this damage, all the wounds, gashes, burns, rendering him so still and lifeless, and barely holding on...?
I... I did this...
... I... I pushed it... t...too far, f-fighting... using Magic, a-and now...
Hora groaned, her eyes narrowing to slits and her view of Lixue getting all the more blurred, and darkened... shit, she could barely see him, or anything at all anymore. She couldn't keep her eyes open, it took everything she had to just try and stretch her hand forward, straining weakly for those last few inches, trying to reach out, touch him... anything.
...s..shit... Lixue... I... I didn't mean to... h...hurt you... I...
She stretched her hand forward so far it hurt, her fingers trembling and the blood soaking her skin dripping sluggishly back down into the pool they were both laying in. Her hand bobbed, almost thudding back down, but she stopped it, barely, and only just for a few moments. And then her hand faltered again, one last time- one last attempt at clearing the sparse few inches there was between her fingertips and his nose... And this time she felt the scales brush against her skin, for hardly half a second, before the last of her energy to fight and try failed her. Her hand splashed down into the thick, slimy pool of blood, and stayed there.
Hora's eyes fluttered, battling with them to stay open even when her world had blurred too much to make anything out. All she could see of Lixue in front of her was a big blob of red and white surrounded in a darkness that seemed to be closing in fast.
She could feel the ice under the blood, it's chill rising up and cooling the sticky liquid, and crawling further upward into her own body... And it was getting more intense, so much so it ached heavily, and just kept getting worse. Like the shadows, the cold was closing in on them both, swallowing them up, and she had no strength nor will left to resist it. Her body hitched one last time, the tears slowing up through sheer exhaustion, and the last of them dribbling down her cheeks just as her eyes closed all the way, and she couldn't get them open again. The breath she let out next was as painful as all those before it, but this time it felt biting, and agonizingly cold in her chest- just as cold as the chill from the ice seeping into her very bones, and holding tighter and tighter.
"... I'm... I'm sorry... Lixue... P...please... D...don't...d..ie..."
The cold kept sinking in, quicker and quicker, squashing the burning sensation under her skin and replacing it with a heavy, searing sensation like a million blades getting plunged through every inch of her. It was agonizing, like her body getting stabbed a million times over and shredding her to pieces from the inside out- she wanted to scream, or cry, or even just wince... But she couldn't even move anymore. It took everything she had to get her eyes to crack open again even just for a second, her mind fuzzy, derailing, and quickly spiraling away toward somewhere deep, and quiet, and empty- but she managed one eye open, for just a second, and Lixue wasn't there anymore.
In front of her, engulfing her on all sides, nearly burying her where she lay in it, and falling gently from a pitch black sky filled with smoke... Was snow.
Gentle, quiet, cold snow- glittering ghostly white with splashes of red still, her body limp, and quickly losing heat and feeling entirely.
I'm...?
She saw her arm mangled and ripped open by those deadly claws of the Demon of Zeref, her blood thick and oozing slowly to stain the pearly white powder. She saw the smoldering buildings too, the destruction, the mounds of fresh snow covering the bodies littered about- but there were no fires anymore, nor even embers. Everything was silent, and cold, and quickly getting buried and covered by a new blanket of snow falling endlessly from the sky, sinking into every stone, broken beam, and long since lifeless form. A whole world, massacre, and place once full of life- lost now to time, and cold, and ice, and... Snow...
... It's... So... Quiet...
... Am I... Back here again...?
... H...home...?
... Lying in... The snow... Getting numb... Where I was...
Her eye fell closed, the cold losing it's sharp sensation and ushering in numbness that had her feeling nothing at all, not even the chill. She was just... Falling.
Falling down, down, far below- and all alone, and quiet, with the sound of her own heart getting quickly more faraway. She was plummeting down into some empty oblivion, with no strength left to resist it- and no Arden now, to grab on and keep her from the shadowy depths.
No, this time... I'm... Back where... I was...
... Back where... I was... Supposed to... Die... I'm... Falling again...a...and...
... There's... Nobody... T...o...
... S...st...op... M...e...
.:+:.
The heat and fire boiling under Hora's skin had let up after way, way too long- and not a second too soon before Gray and Lyon had gone a dozen hours too many, and despite attempts not to, had worked themselves into the ground... But even when the fire burning through her body lessened enough not to be life-threatening, it had still remained blistering enough to keep her trapped in fever-driven delirium, and a fever much to high to put anybody at ease.
She was still gasping for air, her body racked by raggedy coughs and shaking without end as she lay in there in the bed, a damp cloth on her forehead. They'd moved her out of the bath once her fever had gone down enough (though it had taken awhile still for it to be safe enough to do so), and instead settled her down on the mattress, Porlyusica, Wendy, and Sherria starting once more in an attempt to heal some more of her injuries- but they could do little. Over-Drive resisted them managing anything that did much to help at all, the heat and movement of it battling against their Healing Magic at every turn, and keeping her wounds from closing, and her immune system still in such flux no matter how hard the Sky Wizards tried to Heal her. So they had to relent, and hold off on trying anymore for awhile, and hopefully long enough Over-Drive subsided some more and they could manage something better.
And that was what it turned into- and what it had been since the start, waiting... And hoping, desperately.
Rogue did not leave the room once the whole time, and Sting, Lector, and Frosch were much the same, scattering themselves in chairs and places around the (rather large) room, with many others in the Guild filtering in and out constantly- like Yukino, Rufus, Orga... And they were joined frequently by Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and a few other Fairy Tailers too- they'd even taken up residence in the other sections of the SaberTooth Inn, afraid to leave, and just as worried as the Sabers all were. Nobody dared go anywhere, and they certainly didn't dare falling asleep, though in some cases they had little choice and dozed off anyway- but they jerked back to wakefulness soon after and hated themselves for falling asleep at all. Because every time it happened, there was the instant fear and unease that something had gone wrong while their minds drifted, and that maybe it wasn't just 'gone wrong', but had become the thing they were most afraid of.
But the hours stretched on, and on, and eventually the unintentional dozing became less worrisome... Because eventually the fever burning through Hora's body and keeping her coughing up blood here and there did level out, and even seemed to be starting to reach near breaking. Eventually it got to the point where her breathing mellowed out, she stopped shaking so much, the fever and delirium hounding her unconscious mind seemed to fade too- and the feeling of her skin against Rogue's hand where he'd placed, and kept it on top of hers, wasn't as awful either.
It was slow going, the waiting for it mind-numbing... But it did bring with it some small, minuscule sense of relief and even hope that it would be fine. That she would be fine.
Nowhere in any of their minds did it occur to them that the fever dissipating would actually be leading to something much, much worse.
Rogue's head bobbed slightly, the Shadow Dragon Slayer jerked from the fringes of exhaustion-driven, uneasy sleep when he started to tilt without being aware of it. He caught himself, his mind lagging and doing his best to shake off the haze it had over his head- and for a few seconds, he didn't even register that it had gotten cold.
No, neither Rogue, nor anybody else in the room, had any attention on the sudden chill in the air until it sharpened to a fine point out of nowhere- the temperature plummeting at a breakneck speed, and those still dazed or dozing were snapped back into panicked wakefulness as chills shot up their spines.
Not once until that very instant had it occurred to anyone, not even Rogue- who had been there the first time, and felt the way her temperature had fluxed from hot to cold without end. Nobody gave it a thought, or a wonder, not once- and instantly they regretted such a terrible, terrible oversight at that fact they should never have overlooked at all;
Over-Drive goes both ways
Rogue's blood ran just as cold as the air suddenly turned, and near as cold as Hora's hand suddenly was in his- icy, limp, pale, and nearly so frozen her fingertips had started to turn blue. His red eyes snapped from her hand and toward her face, the Shadow Dragon Slayer on his feet in an instant and terror striking him straight to the core, along with panic, and all of which that had his mind whirling- just like everybody's else's was, all of them quickly moving on to their feet and at full attention.
The temperature dropped further, biting on their lungs, instantly having all of them shivering, and their breaths billowing out in hazes in front of them. The walls, desks, chairs, windows, and just about everything else in between- all of it was quickly getting engulfed in a layer of frost and ice crawling over every surface, and sending the temperature in the room nosediving dozens of degrees more, and in seconds.
One of Rogue's hands found Hora's shoulder, the simple contact making him shudder violently and his teeth chattering when the deadly cold her body had suddenly adopted sank into his own body, and stripped his hands, and then his arms soon after of nearly all body-heat. He sucked in a sharp breath of air, eyes growing wide and freezing as he saw one, tiny cloud of air made up of Hora's breath dance on the air- and then nothing.
Her chest stilled, her harsh gasping and shallow breaths that had gradually been getting fainter and fainter with no one the wiser- they stopped. There was no air swirling into her lungs any longer, no sign of life, and no movement whatsoever. She was still, deathly still- and Rogue's heart stopped in that same instant, time slowing down yet swirling past at unbelievable speed- seeing and hearing her breathing fade to utter silence, hearing his own heart thumping in his ears in a wave of sheer and utter terror.
She's... She's not b-breathing...
It was happening all over again, but this time it wasn't stillness brought on by stifling heat that had her body giving out on her. This time it was deathly cold that had it shutting down.
She wasn't breathing like last time, but this was worse. Because time caught up with him as his body began to move, terror running rampant through every inch of him, and he reached out for her, both of his trembling hands finding her shoulders and his stomach flipping when he realized in a few short moments that he couldn't hear her breathing- and he couldn't hear her heartbeat either.
N-no, no...!
"S..shit..." Sting stammered in the other side of the bed, his face paling and looking ready to throw up when he realized it too- and their worlds felt like they were tipping on their heads.
Her heart stopped
"H-Hora...!" Rogue hissed, tears welling in his eyes and shaking violently as his mind stalled and raced in unison- and Sting's did the same. There was a single second of both of them freezing, both of them paralyzed and hardly able to breathe under the crushing fear and horror of the situation ramming into them- and then not a single second later, they were rushing.
"Get Natsu!" Sting barked, his head snapping toward the door and Rufus and Orga standing there, the two having rushed in once the cold began to creep into the rest of the building- but it was Lector and Frosch who darted off and out of the room long before either of the men had started to turn.
The dim of the room, and the ice and frost creeping over everything in it glittered- bright white flaring off of Sting as he forced his Magic into fruition in a heartbeat- pulsing and heavy, and white-hot. It wasn't the same sort of heat born from the sun, or fire, it was less reaching, lighter even- but it was something.
Anything to try and fight the deadly cold consuming everything, and dragging Hora down into the pits of death with it- and Rogue had the same thought too.
Rogue paid Sting's order and his White Magic no mind, the Shadow Dragon Slayer pushed himself up on the bed and settled on his knees right beside Hora's still and unmoving figure, his hands leaving her shoulders (now freezing and already numb from the cold) and crossing over one another to press against her chest. He bit down hard on the inside of both his cheeks, stilling his shaking as much as he could and starting in with steady, deliberate rhythm- and blanching slightly for the thought that came as he started with the up and down pressure; that each force downward was probably jolting the many cracked and broken ribs in her chest in an excruciating way... But of course there was no show of pain from Hora, and that was worse.
Rogue started with the up and down rhythm against her chest for a few moments, his blood roaring in his ears the whole way through, and then he moved- Sting quick to take his place and put his hands where Rogue's had been, but stalling for a second while Rogue moved up to Hora's face. His shaking hands found her cheeks, tilting her head back before he leaned in, his lips meeting hers and forcing a few quick, shaky breaths into her lungs. Her chest rose faintly with each one under Sting's hovering hands, but as soon as Rogue paused to take a breath for himself, it stilled again.
Both Dragon Slayers swallowed hard, trembling violently, and it took everything they had not to crumble right then and there, and keep up. Sting started again, resuming the quick up and down compressions against Hora's chest for a few seconds- and then pausing again as Rogue's head bent once more, and he forced another few breaths into her lungs, desperately hoping that one of them would be the last he needed to do, and that dead-weight and limpness of her body under their hands would let up. They were both crying, the tears spilling from their eyes in silence, and biting back at the sobs and the way their bodies wanted to quit cooperating and give into the shakiness that would render them useless. They couldn't give into the fear, or the nauseous terror- they couldn't falter, they had to focus, they had to keep trying, and they had to work fast, or... O-or...
It must have been no more than a minute, but it felt like a lifetime for them, centuries even. And those minute-made centuries fell like tons of weights on their shoulders every millisecond their efforts earned no response, and the silence and sheer stillness of Hora's body shattered their hearts and souls over and over.
"... P...please Hora... C.. Come on..." Sting stammered breathlessly, his eyes shutting tight as he tried another few presses, his tears dropping onto his hands, and then turning to frost when his hands stilled again, and the moisture rolled off his skin and splashed against hers.
Rogue swallowed hard, sucking in a shuddering breath of air and leaning in again, his hands on her face trembling violently from fear and cold alike- he blew another few breaths out, her chest rising with each one, and for just as long as he puffed the air out- but still, nothing. Rogue didn't pull back this time, his lips didn't part with hers and he sucked in another breath of air through his nose- his tears dropping down and splashing against her cheeks as he blew out again, then twice, and three times more- and each one added another crack to his already breaking heart. The last of the air in his lungs left him and he pulled back, Sting sniffing as he started again, each press down shaking the bed, putting pressure on her already beaten and bruised form, and still there was nothing.
The room had gotten to a point where they were freezing, their movements getting harder to do as the cold gripped them tightly- but not near as tightly as the anguish in their souls did.
"... D... Damn it... Hora... You... You can't d... Die... P... Please... Just...j..just..." Rogue stammered breathlessly, his tears still splattering against her cold, pale face. The shaking on the bed ceased as Sting paused again, the White Dragon Slayer hunching in on himself slightly, while Rogue did the same- and it was the hardest thing for him to straighten up enough and steady himself to keep going, e-even when...
Rogue gulped, forcing himself another breath and trying again- even when none of the previous attempts had managed a single thing. He would keep going, keep trying, Sting too- all the way until there was without a doubt... T-Tch...
Rogue's lips met hers again, his eyes scrunching closed and heart pounding painfully in his chest as he forced another few breaths out, quick and as level as he could possibly manage in that instant, and still-
His eyes snapped open, a small, weak jerk of Hora's body underneath him stalling that last breath halfway through, and he pulled back just as her body lurched with a low, raspy cough. And one followed by ever lower, raspier, shallow breaths of air- but breaths nonetheless.
And quietly, faint, and weaker still- there was the slow, sluggish thumping of her heart after what felt like a millennia of sheer silence, and both Sting and Rogue nearly stopped breathing themselves for it.
But any amount of faltering, or relief that hit them in the next instant immediately got shattered. Because the first cough was followed by another, and then several more after Hora sucked in a sharp intake of air that was almost instantly cut off in the ragged, biting coughing fit that sent violent spasms running rampant through her broken body. Sticky crimson liquid rose up her throat and spattered against the sheets, Rogue and Sting quickly steadying her and tilting her head enough to keep her from choking on it anymore than she already was. When the coughing drew to a halt, it came with each successive one getting shallower, and weaker than the one before it- before settling back to that low, dreadfully slow pace that had them terrified it would lead back to her lungs and heart stalling again. And this time there was even slimmer chance of bringing her back.
The door slammed open into the room, the sound of it only faintly registering on their ears- and they didn't look up to see who had come in until they felt the air shift. The icy cold suddenly got swept up in a wash of wind made of nothing but warmth and unending heat- which was both welcoming against the way they were shivering, and jarring too. The Twin Dragon's heads snapped up, tear-filled eyes locking onto Natsu as the pinkette barged in without hesitation, Lector, Frosch, Rufus, and Orga on his tail- but only just reaching the door as Natsu swept up to the bedside.
Natsu's face fell the instant he got there, the panic in his expression instantly replaced with utter fear for the blood dripping passed her lips, the barely audible sound of her breaths and heart combined- and how clear it was in an instant what Rogue and Sting had been doing, and how close she was to slipping away again.
S-shit...
There was no time for questions, pausing, or whatever else- and Natsu didn't. He grit his teeth and moved up onto the bed, Rogue shuffling quickly to get out of his way, and the Fire Dragon Slayer's hands hooking underneath Hora's body. Natsu hissed lowly under his breath for how much deadweight she was as he pulled her up and into him, the pinkette taking a heavy, rather haphazard seat on the bed, his back slamming a bit painfully against the headboard in doing so, but ignoring it. He pulled Hora into his lap with little a word or pause, his arms wrapping around her figure tightly and pressing her close into him, and grimacing for the chill of her skin against his. She was ice cold, and so much so even Natsu shivered slightly against it.
Natsu frowned, hugging Hora a little more tightly into him, her head falling limply against his chest, and his hands on her skin and everywhere else he made contact with her steaming almost instantly- fighting back the harsh grip of the cold that was dragging her down to some place no one wanted her to go, and hopefully staving off what stillness came with the deadly chill. Tiny bits of flame sparked off Natsu's shoulders as he pushed his Magic forward enough to bring the heat of it up another dozen degrees, but he kept it from turning into full fire and flame as much as he could manage, lest he end up burning the bed, room, or worse, her.
Hora didn't move even as Natsu pulled her into him, she was limp and heavy in his hold, her breaths coming still shallow, and so low they were barely there- and it stayed that way for what seemed like forever. Rogue and Sting didn't move from where they were on the end of the bed, both Dragon Slayers shaking still from cold, and terror, and just about everything in between as they watched the two tensely, tears still in their eyes and fixed. Their gazes didn't move, not even while Lector and Frosch lighted down shakily beside the two, sniffing and crying quietly themselves... Nobody moved, not for half an hour, then a full, and coming on near two hours- and each second of it was absolute torture. And it was made all the more torturous as Sting, Rogue, and Natsu all strained to focus on the could of her quiet, so shallow breaths- followed with the even more soft and sluggish sound of her heart.
It took so long for either to pick up even the slightest bit, and at first they couldn't tell the pace and tenor had changed at all. The first thing any of them noticed, and Natsu especially, was the way she started to shiver after awhile. It was only a little, a small tremor in her shoulders here and there, a tiny, indistinguishable hitch in those shallow breaths for just half a second. They were so small, and so few and far between it was impossible to really tell- until the third hour crawled in. The cold in the room had never ceased even with Natsu there, nor for that amount of time, or how many wafts of heat kept radiating off of him. It was still chilly and biting on their shoulders regardless, broken by bursts of heat that were almost like breaths of relief, but always snatched back away in an icy grip soon after. And they'd almost given up thinking it was going to make any sort of difference... until the tiny, little imperceptible trembles in Hora's figure became more violent shivers rather quickly, and ones that gripped her battered body tight and had her face pulling in discomfort.
Natsu jumped slightly when she started to shiver harder, his eyes opening and pulling his chin off the top of her head briefly, biting the inside of cheek when her more elevated and shuddering breaths hitched a little in a quiet wince. She shivered again, her hands curling weakly into fists and almost recoiling from where his hands were- but he hugged her the tiniest bit more into him. He forced himself a small breath as he did so, his stomach churning for the entirely fruitless resistance she gave in refusal to the motion, though she hadn't the strength nor mind enough to really pull away, or cease the contact. Natsu grimaced to himself as Hora shuddered again, and this time there came small hiss from her- her shoulders hunching and her form tensing against him and the heat he gave off, and the cold running rampant in her own body that fought back at it even while it started to lose leverage.
"... I know this doesn't feel good, Hora, I'm sorry... but I have to..." Natsu mumbled quietly, his voice so low Rogue and Sting barely even heard him- and surely Hora didn't either, but it didn't stop Natsu from mumbling the apology regardless. She squirmed a little more, little, fleeting hints of resistance against his hold that never lasted more than half a second- and ones that grew weaker and weaker with the shivering intensifying, and what little strength she had to move at all got swallowed up by the tremors running through her. They were clearly painful, her breath hitched awfully at every one and the tautness of her body in Natsu's hands was painful in itself. He swallowed hard at it, his eyes falling closed and chin falling on the top of her head again, his lips pulling down at the edges in a faintly pained grimace.
Natsu mumbled something again, quietly- and this time so low nobody else heard him say it;
"Tch... I'm sorry... But... Stay alive okay...? I told him you could make it through this... I know you can... so just keep trying... Okay...?"
.:+:.
It... There's... N..no...
... It... It's hot... P... Please...
... No... Arden... D...don't...! Don't do it... Let... L-Let me go...!
I don't wanna burn again, n-no...!
I can't... B... Burn from the inside out again... I... I can't...!
I... It...
... Its... Hot... B...but...?
... It... It doesn't... Hurt... L-like when... Arden...?
W...what the...?
It's... It's...
... It's not... Burning me alive... But... What...?
... This fire its... Not Arden...? N..no... It's...
... It's warm...
... It's... Nice... It... ... It hurts... Less...
... W... Wait...
... N...now... S...something else hurts... ... E..everything is... Throbbing... I...
... My stomach... Hurts... M...my chest hurts... I...
... I don't... Feel... Go...goo..d...
.:+:.
"... I've been giving her medicine since the start to try and keep this from happening, but... Over-Drive, the amount of blood she's lost, as well as the Poison we used to keep her Magic in check- they have both weakened her body and her immune system so drastically, it didn't matter. And none of Wendy nor Sherria's efforts made a difference, nor will they at this point- they've exhausted themselves, they have nearly no Magic Energy left, and what little they do will not help. The infection has gotten too severe."
"... D-Don't you have anything to get rid of the infection now...? Something stronger...?"
"... I can make something stronger, and it might help... But she's extremely weak after everything, she might not have strength enough left to fight off the infection on her own now, even with more antibiotics... All I can do is try, and we will have to wait and see... She's lasted this long, much longer than she should have... But she's near spent..."
Rogue grit his teeth hard, his head bowing between his hunched shoulders and fingers digging tightly into the bedsheets, his knuckles white under the pressure and hands shaking terribly... Just as terribly as the bed was, and Hora's body lying atop it, littered with bandages, damage, or otherwise covered now with warm, damp cloths meant to ease the white-hot and throbbing intensity of wounds that were swollen, tender, and very, very infected. Those wounds that hadn't managed to get healed despite all efforts too- the tears in her sides, arms, ribs- all of them, they'd resisted healing the whole time. And now after all of it, and all that time waiting, and just trying to keep Over-Drive from killing her- the wounds had taken up a painful, burning with infection taking firm hold of the injuries, and then spread outward through every inch of her, raging through Hora's battered body, igniting fire in every cell and bringing her temperature to a boil again. The fever wasn't near as hot as when Over-Drive had been at its height, but it was high enough, and paired with feverish chills racking her body nonstop, and it was awful to simply see, let alone how it must have felt for her.
It was so bad, he knew it- Porlyusica had been clear about it, and almost brutally honest. She didn't give them any amount of false hope that wasn't justified but... but still...
Rogue grit his teeth harder, his whole body rigid and holding a shuddering breath of air mixed with a sob that wanted nothing more than to come up his throat, and quickly get followed by more. He didn't want to crumble, not more than he had over and over through all the constant waiting, rushing, worry, scares- all of it.
He didn't want to break down again now, he took everything he had not to... but hell... How could he not? After what momentary, fleeting sense of relief when Over-Drive settled to something less serious came- only for that little bit of hope it brought to get snatched away by this...? The reality of the fact that, after all of it- a constant back and forth just to keep Hora barely alive, and her slipping to and from oblivion- it had whittled down to this?
Her body being now gripped tightly by the cruel fingers of fever and sickness alike, white-hot and crawling through every tendon, muscle, nerve and bone. Burning through her and sapping away what little strength and energy she had left after all the hurt, until eventually she... She... s-shit...
Rogue swallowed hard, his breath hitching and sharp in the almost deadly quiet of the room. The sound of his breath melded with the trembling, uneven ones escaping Hora still... but getting slowly weaker over the hours, along with the rest of her. Her body starting to give in to sickness, the strain, and everything else- and there was nothing he nor anyone could do.
Sting and Lector were asleep on the other side of the bed from Rogue, the blonde slumped in a chair and his Exceed Partner curled up in his lap- while Yukino had pulled up her own chair not far from the two, her knees pulled into her chest and forehead resting against them, quiet, and Frosch had found a space curled up at the end of the bed. Rufus and Orga were on the far end at a table with benches surrounding, Orga sound asleep with Rufus seemingly the same- his hands clasped together on the table top and eyes closed. The rest of the Guild was outside, scattered in halls, the main foyer, or tucked in their rooms, tense and grim... the whole building was grim, a heavy black cloud of fear and sorrow weighing over everyone, and all for that Fire Devil Slayer the whole of the SaberTooth Guild loved so very much, and had known for so long.
And it wasn't just the Sabers feeling it, there were those in Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale that were just as wound up, nauseous, and afraid- those that had cycled in and out, without end. But now they had slowed in their back and forth, because there was nothing left to do but wait, and see what may come.
Even if what may come might be... The worst thing
Rogue flinched as the thought ran through his mind, as it had done over and over again, no matter how hard he tried to keep it from his head. Keeping it away was just about as fruitless an endeavor as stifling the sobs still rising, and ever persistent in the back of his throat, and trying hurt terribly. It felt like a stone in his airway suffocating him, paired with a fire burning in his lungs for every breath, and his stomach had been (and still was) churning, curling, and twisting itself so tightly he wanted to retch, though he had nothing in his stomach to expel. He'd been being crushed so heavily by an overwhelming, and debilitating fear and dread the whole time that he didn't even feel any soreness, or hurt in his own body from the fighting in the GMG and the Dragons combined. He was exhausted, his mind a haze of terrible thoughts, fears, and suffocating sleeplessness- but he could not feel the exhaustion around everything else, it just hung over his head, adding to the weight of the fear, and the deep, cutting sorrow.
He could not imagine a world where she wasn't there, but still that reality kept running through his head, chilling, agonizing- and backed with a sense of sheer emptiness and loss that came in the form of a sea of shadows, and one that was waiting to swallow him whole. And this time around there would be no coming back from it, and he wasn't sure he'd have the will or the want to resist that call into the Abyss either.
Not without her
Rogue's breathing hitched again, his shoulders hunching further and doubling over until his forehead pressed against the top of his shaking hands still clenched around the sheets.
D... Damn it...
He tilted his head up slowly, half of his face buried in his knuckles and red eyes gleaming in the dim as they found her again. And his red eyes glittered, nothing but pained and absolutely aching as he watched the rapid, trembling up and down of her chest paired with shivers rattling her battered body so, so harshly. He heard whimpers and hisses of pain escape her here and there, agony in wounds and injuries heightened to heavy throb with the infection setting on, and then heightened more with each shake, each breath, and each lingering bit of nightmare and delirium that remained, even as her mind slipped further and further away... She was slipping further and further away, and he could do nothing but watch it happen.
Rogue grimaced, the pricks of newfound tears emerging at the corners of his eyes again- and especially so for what sharp pang of guilt hit him when his gaze found the lines dug across her flesh. Five continuous ones, jagged, and still raw, and would have been so deep at the time she earned them... Wounds put there by him, or some version of him- and he wanted to retch all over again. He swallowed hard, holding his breath against the sensation and the sobs still fighting to come to fruition- and a sob that nearly managed to escape as he shifted, uncurling his hands from the sheets and reaching forward slowly, shakily. His hands curled around her bandaged one gently, cupping it between his own and swallowing back at how heavy, frail, and uncomfortably warm her hand was in his grasp. He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, pulling her hand only an inch or two closer to himself and holding on steadily. He wasn't likely to let go again, now that there was nothing to do but wait, and he would hold on for however long it took, and wherever it lead. But he did hope maybe... Maybe it might help, somehow, someway.
Maybe even with her mind so far from the waking world, and even having been leagues from it for so long- maybe she could feel it, and know there was someone there still, holding on. A small, faint little bit of contact that might help her stay tethered to the waking world, and help nudge her away from inescapable oblivion with a promise that he was still holding on to the hope that... That...
His hold on her tightened a bit despite himself, swallowing hard and his eyes locking to their hands, his lips a thin, tense line and the pricks of tears at the corners of his eyes got a little bigger, threatening to spill over for perhaps the millionth time now.
"... Hora... Please... you need to get better, okay...?" Rogue whispered, his voice rough and hoarse, and barely loud enough to be considered a whisper- but with the lump in his throat and the ache in his lungs, it was all he could manage. "I know... I know you're exhausted... I know everything... hurts... but... please... you have to keep fighting it... you have to come back, Hora... you promised... I... I know you meant it, a-and that you would be careful, and not do anything too dangerous... i... if you could help it... I understand why you...y...you pushed yourself so far... I... I get it... I'm not mad, Hora... I know why you kept trying, and pushing it... I understand, just please... keep fighting now too, okay...?" Rogue whispered, his voice quickly adopting the shakiness in his hands, and his body followed suit. "... I know it's... R... Really hard now, t-to keep... Fighting it, after everything... But... Please..." He hissed, breaking off as his voice cracked and he shut his eyes tight, the tears spilling over after his fight to keep them back failed at last.
"... I need you to come back, Hora... I... I can't handle losing you... I can't..." Rogue whispered breathlessly, the tears splashing against his hand atop hers, dribbling between his fingers and over her own, steadily soaking the bandages holding together the split flesh. "... P-please Hora... I can't take it i-if you... You d-die... P... Please... C-come back... W...wake up... Please... Y... You have to be okay... I c-can't lose you, Hora... I... I'm s-so sorry... I... I just can't... N-not if you're gone... Please... I... I can't do it if you... I..."
He bent over a bit more, his teeth gritting so hard they threatened to crack and his heart felt it was doing the same. His head lowered, his forehead brushing against their entwined hands. Murky moonlight filtering in passed the curtains glittered off the tears still falling from his eyes without end- quiet though, just like his voice was, and absolutely agonized too... His voice low and trembling, full of anguish- and with no one awake or conscious to hear it.
"... I love you, Hora... Please... P...please come back..."
Hello lovelies!
This chapter was a heck of a whirlwind, so much hurt, so much sorrow ;w;
I apologize for any tears or the like, but I do hope you enjoyed it nonetheless, and are looking forward to the next chapter..... I can't promise it's gonna be any less heartwrenching XD
Anyway, thank you all for your continued support! I appreciate you all so very much! <33
Chapter 35: Forgive
Chapter Text
Chapter 35
Forgive
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
She got wrenched underneath pitch black waves, her whole body dragged down rapidly into the depths with no end and no chance to even catch a breath or try and save herself. She gasped at the painful jerk of her body against the tension of the water, salty, foul-tasting liquid flooding her mouth and pooling into her lungs before she had any mind to stop herself- and then she was choking, and suffocating, and it hurt.
Her body burned cold and hot all at once, fire and ice searing through her veins and tacking on to the agony brought with the water crushing her lungs as brutally as it was. The waves and current wrenched her down harder into an unending depth, battering her constantly and adding on layers of damage, upon layers of damage to her already fractured form.
She wanted to fight it, she tried to fight it- struggling violently against the water, desperately searching for a way up to the surface she couldn't see, a way out of it's cruel grip- anything. She needed to get out, she needed to get free, stop getting hurled this way and that- she needed air, she couldn't breathe.
She got pulled downward again, her spine aching for the force of it and an awful splintering of the bone of her ribs crackling in her ears when she hit a wall of water so hard, it was almost solid. She coughed, water flooding her lungs all over again and settling in heavier, suffocating her all the more and putting pressure on her damaged ribcage.
She couldn't get out... But she had to get out.
It hurt to keep fighting it, it hurt so bad. It was way too hard, the water way too strong, and with her lungs filling with liquid and not the air she so badly needed- her attempts to struggle against it were quickly getting weaker. Her body didn't want to do what she needed, her limbs ached and were getting too heavy and painful to move at all. She could almost feel her muscle fibers and tendons snapping. Feel her bones fracturing, the harsh edges separating and grinding against each other in a chilling, agonizing way. Her body wanted nothing more than to just give in and cease it's resistance, if only to lessen the pain that came with trying... And quickly her mind wanted nothing more than to stop too, the agony was derailing any sense of rational or lucid train of thought, and she was losing grip on reality way, way too fast.
Hell, this couldn't have been reality- it had to be a dream right...?
... I... I don't know... It feels so... Real...
She couldn't remember anything, or what happened. There were fractured bits and pieces of things, visions and memory and images- all of them so real and vivid, but still she couldn't pick out what was real and what was made up of her mind being consumed and pulled apart. All of them were awful though, full of death and destruction, people she knew and couldn't place, getting ripped apart, burned alive, shredded to pieces... just like she was, being dragged through each round of too-real nightmare followed by this endless drowning, and it all kept coming on a never-ending loop. From a hundred years worth of fractured, whirling torment of ash and blood- to suffocating and getting battered by vicious waves. And each time she ended back here in the water, the darker it was getting, and the further down she fell.
Another bout of being rammed into had her lungs full up with water, and with nowhere for it to go even if she had the faculties to try and expend it again. And she certainly had no air to replace it, even if she could... And with every mile further she got sucked under, and each degree of the black around that became more like a lightless void- her conviction on that one thought kept slipping.
... I... I'm sinking... S...shit...
She had to get out. If she didn't, there'd be no end to the falling, and eventually there would be no coming back, no breathing, no feeling- nothing.
She couldn't sink all the way, she knew she couldn't. Even with everything being hazy, and unable to focus, and her mind and body in tatters- she knew she couldn't let herself hit the bottom, not for the finality that lurked there.
She couldn't drown, it was the one thing she was sure of... But fuck
T... This is torture...... E...everything...hurts... My entire body is... On fire...
The longer she spent in the water, the more the pain became less like something born of a beating- but more a deep, terrible ache in her very core. While that ache settled in, her mind couldn't pull together anymore, she couldn't focus- and trying to do so was steadily sapping away any amount of strength and will to try that she had.
It stripped it, all the way until she only barely managed to keep hold of that one single thought- and even that was quickly replaced with confusion and sheer uncertainty, making her mind battle between the two and struggle to keep herself grounded on not getting sucked into the depths. She just... J... Just... I...
... I feel like... I... I feel... S...sick...
... W...what the...? ...w... What... What happened...?
... Am... I...?... O...oh no...
... I'm... Getting pulled... U...under... I... Can... Can't...
She got wrenched down again, the world around her pitch black now and she couldn't see anything anymore. Not herself, not the water, nothing. Everything was just unending black, and it was closing in fast... But that last wrench downward in an ocean she couldn't see around her?
... W... Wait... T...there's...
The violent downward tugging of her body got halted for half a second, her figure stalled in the hungry waters while the creeping numbness in her limbs receded enough to realize that...?
... Someone's... Holding on to... My arm again... They... They won't...l...let...go... B...but...?
... It... Doesn't h...hurt...? ... It's not... B...burning or... Or cold...
... B...but... W...who...?
"... I need you... come back, Hora... I... I can't... losing you... I can't..."
... T...that... I can barely... Hear...it...b...but... That... That sounds like...?
"... I can't take it... You ...die... P... Please... W...wake up..."
... R... Rogue...?
...s..shit...
... He... He's... Crying... But I... I can h...hardly... Hear him...
... R...rogue... I... I'm... I'm sorry... ... I'm... T...trying... It... It's... J..just... H...ard... I...
"... Please... P...please come back..."
... Damn it... I... I... Can't... P...pull myself up... A...all the way...
... I'm sorry... I... I want... To... I'm... Just...
... I'm... Tired...
... P...please... I... I am...I a...am...T...try...ing... I'm... So...rry...
... D...don't... C...ry...
.:+:.
The sound of wheezy, painful coughing jerked him out of a roiling dark sea filled with nothing but heartbreak, sorrow, and nightmare. Rogue started slightly, red eyes snapping open while his head and vision whirled for a moment as the exhaustion that had dragged him to the fringes of that sea remained a million pounds on his mind still, and he had a hard time adjusting to the world again... It was filled with harsh orange light from the setting sun, the next day and night already come and gone- and he felt panic surge anew, hating himself for having dozed off again somewhere between before the sun was setting and now. And worse still was to be woken by the sound of coughing- to which would assuredly end with retching up thick scarlet liquid, and his heart picked up, tense and instantly on edge.
He leaned forward out of the chair, shaking hands fumbling instantly and the blurriness and dark spots on his vision receding slowly- and for now only enough he could sort of see Hora had rolled over halfway, her body shuddering with each cough that gripped her, curling in on herself slightly and agonized under each sputtering breath jostling her. One of Rogue's hands found her shoulder to steady her while the other pushed her bangs back from her face, her arms pulling into herself and sputtering a few seconds more, but only just- thankfully there came no spatter of red up her throat, though honestly Rogue wasn't paying that much mind either.
His eyes had locked to his hands, a pang of fear rushing through him to feel the slight cool of her skin under his hands, a cold sweat sticking to her flesh and clashing with the warmth of his own- and for a second he was terrified that it meant another bout of icy cold was going to grip her in the midst of Over-Drive, as it had before. His mind was five seconds from running away with him on a track filled with sheer fear, his hold on her shoulder and against her cheek shuddering as he sucked in a sharp breath of air- only for it to stall in his throat along with the rest of him when something caught his wrist in a trembling, shaky hold. And one that almost instantly got heavier when... when she failed to keep her own weight up, and ended up pulling his hand on her cheek away a bit with a small grumble, her hold on his wrist remaining only just.
Rogue froze, red eyes going wide as his attention snapped off his hand on her shoulder and toward her face, his heart leaping and stopping all at once when Hora's expression pulled faintly, another mumble escaping her as she rolled back off her side a bit and blinked her eyes open slowly. They only opened halfway, her dark blue gaze bleary and still with a feverish glaze clouding them. She was clearly having a hard time keeping her eyelids up, but she persisted regardless, looking up slowly to meet his red gaze, her breathing slowly leveling out of the panting the coughing brought on and she could catch her breath again.
"... R... Rouge...?" Hora stammered quietly, her voice wispy and rough- enough she had to swallow against it, her eyes dropping again for a second as she grumbled a bit under her breath, her hold on his wrist slipping slightly... And Rogue?
"... H... Hora..." He whispered, his face going from shocked and terrified to breathless, disbelieving, relieved- and utterly overjoyed in no time at all. And in less time than that, there were tears falling from his eyes, heavy, rapid, and with no intent to stop. His hand on her shoulder moved to her cheek, holding her face shakily and his other hand she had hold of shifted, forcing her to release her grip on his wrist and finding her face too. His hands brushed her cheeks, pushing her hair back a bit more and uncaring of the sticky sheen of sweat clinging to her skin and smearing against his- he was a bit too preoccupied with pushing himself out of his chair and onto the bed beside her.
"Y-Your... Your fever's gone d-down..." Rogue breathed, the tears spilling faster, his hands shaking terribly as he snaked his arm behind her head, pulling her up just a smidge and into him, his forehead bumping against hers and his tears splashing against her cheeks.
Hora blinked slowly at it, her hands fumbling slightly to find traction holding on to his shirt, her eyes falling closed as he shifted more still, his hands leaving her head and wrapping around her shoulders and neck, gently, but tightly too. It hurt a bit, honestly- her body felt heavy and ached terribly, with sharp bursts of pain flaring around her ribs and in her chest... But she didn't react to it, she hadn't the energy, nor did she really have the mind or faculties to... She... She couldn't focus, or pull her thoughts together. It was harder than hell to even focus on what he was saying... Or... Or just focus on Rogue at all.
Rogue, who was crying still... Sobbing really, and quite hard. His whole body was hitching against her, his arms shaking, the tears endless, and he was almost choking on them and the shuddering breaths escaping him. She could feel it, and hear it, even with her head whirling and her focus waning- and it hurt more in her center for it.
"... H...Hora... Y... You're awake... I... I've been s-so scared..." He whispered shakily, his breath washing against her face hot and shuddering on the air. Hora blinked again, still struggling to focus, her mind running terribly slow and it felt impossible to hone in on just about anything... she couldn't even make out where they were, or anything around them- and still Rogue was so out of focus.
... Everything is out of focus, my head won't... I can't... Think...
... I... I feel... So heavy... A...and out of it... ... I don't remember... Anything... What the hell... Did happen...?
... He's... Crying so hard...
... C... Crap... Over-Drive must have... G...gotten really bad... I...
Hora grit her teeth, sucking in a small, sharp breath of air and cringing slightly as a wash of deep, throbbing pain gripped her whole body a bit tighter than it already was. And it rode in on the back of a shiver that ran through every inch of her, rattling her very bones.
She was hot, and cold all at once- everything ached so badly. Her head kept whirling, and even Rogue's figure hitching as he cried and held on to her had her broken body jostling a bit too much, even with as faint as it was.
... F... Fucking... H... Hell... I feel... Like... crap...
"... I... I've been terrified the whole time... B...but... y-you're awake... you're awake, Hora..."
... D...damn it...
"... R... Rogue..." Her voice sounded awful. It was wispy, and it so ragged she nearly ended up sputtering and coughing again... Hell, it almost took everything she had to get his name out before her voice broke, another shiver running through her whole body and it was ridiculously painful. So much so she ended up hissing for it, her voice cracking a bit and her teeth gritting against it.
Rogue flinched a little when he felt her body go rigid against him, and the shaky hiss she let out in the quake of that shudder that ran through her was almost just as painful for him to feel in his arms. He pulled back a bit, his eyes full of tears and fear now too when he saw the pain and discomfort swimming in those fever-glazed blue eyes of hers. She wasn't focused on him really, her mind couldn't manage it just then and he saw more than just the pain and discomfort- he could see the confusion, and even little bits of fear all bundled together by sheer strain.
It was like a million pounds of pain and agony suffocating her, and all of that tripled by the infection and sickness still gripping tight. It was crushing her, sinking deep into her bones and her mind, weighing everything down and making it impossible to think- let alone simply breath. And with each second she spent barely awake, and quickly losing any small smidgen of focus or lucidity, it was crushing her further, the pain, sickness, confusion and delirium mashing and blurring all together in the most awful way imaginable.
Rogue could see Hora's attention on him quickly drifting away and getting overtaken by all of it- all the awful feelings, the discomfort, the confusion, and just how hard it was to try and stay focused at all. In mere moments she was getting totally crushed, and her fight against that suffocating weight was futile, and utterly exhausting. Then adding on that exhaustion to all the rest of it was just way more strain on an already much too strained mind, body, and soul- and she couldn't do it.
All of it just came crashing down over her all at once, and it was too much.
Rogue grimaced, his stomach knotting a million times more than it already was and eyes flashing as he watched the tears begin to slowly trickle down her cheeks. A low wince more like a moan escaped her, only to get broken by a half-sob as her eyes dropped halfway out of sheer exhaustion. Her body hitched again in a shaky sob that never got all the way to fruition, the tears spilling a bit faster and her hold on his shirt loosening as her senses were further and further buried underneath it all. And soon enough, that was all there was- nothing but the sensation of drowning, of being overcome, and her whole world hampered with emotion, pain, and a sense of struggling she couldn't escape or handle the pressure of.
She meant to ask what happened, with the Dragons, the Eclipse Gate, everyone- if everyone was safe, and okay... And she even meant to apologize and tell him she was sorry for however long she had been hurt, and how bad it probably had become. She wanted to apologize for making him worry, and cry, and a million other things- but all of that got flattened and ground into dust under the way she felt, and how harshly it all came to slam into her in an instant.
It was all too much- it was utterly overwhelming. All she could hone in on right in that moment, was how terrible she felt, and she couldn't deal with it in any reasonable, rational sense. It just took over, and her mind felt like it was bending and cracking underneath it... It just... She... I...
"... I... I don't... F...feel... Good..." Her voice came out hoarse, the whimper just barely loud enough to be considered words- but he heard them nonetheless, and he swallowed hard, his heart nearly breaking in two for the thousandth time.
"... I know..." Rogue murmured softly, forcing his voice to be as steady as he could, and shoving away the sobs still stuck in his throat. He managed to sound sort of calm as he did it, but his voice was still rather rough and he couldn't help it- it was something of a miracle he even managed steadiness at all with how tight his throat felt. He swallowed again against the sensation, pausing half a second more to do his best and stop his hands from shaking so much, and willing some level of calm to become reachable.
She felt awful enough on her own, and him freaking out was only going to affect her and make that awful all the worse. He didn't want to add on to the distress and whatever else, he needed to get ahold of himself, be as calm as he could. He needed to be that for her just then, even when it was harder than hell for him to manage even a smidge of collectedness.
Rogue let her go slowly, easing her back down the bit he'd pulled her up and back against the bed as gently. His hands glided faintly over her body as he pulled them out from under her, one of them finding a steady place on her shoulder for a moment, and the other moving up to her face. He gingerly brushed away the tears, and then a few stray tendrils of her hair sticking to her face from the sweat, before that hand found it's final place and came down lightly on the crown of her head. He started rubbing the top of her head gently, red eyes flashing as she sniffed a bit and seemed to hold her breath in pain, or just biting back a sob- he didn't know which. But he did his best not to let himself flinch or frown when she let out a hiss, and then another half-sob came and he had to force a breath.
"... Shhh... shhh... It's alright... just breathe, Hora..." Rogue hushed her softly, his one hand still rubbing the top of her head tenderly while his other reached down to grab hold of her hand. He held to it lightly, but he kept the grasp just firm enough that she could feel the weight of his hand in hers, and hopefully it would help ground her and calm her down just a little. He felt her fingers twitch in his, weakly so as her breath hitched again and her eyes fluttered, clearly fighting to keep them open but having a hard time managing it.
"... R... Rogue...?" Her voice came again, even wispier and rougher than before, and much more confused. She was sinking fast, way faster than he liked, and he swallowed against it, shaking his head once and giving her hand a tiny little squeeze.
"... shhh, shhhh... stop for now..." He hushed her, "... I know you don't feel good Hora... I'm sorry... but you're alright, I promise... this'll pass... you're gonna be okay..." He assured softly, and without really knowing for sure if it was true- he hoped so, anyway... but right at that moment, it was all he could think of to say just to get her to relax a bit.
Her breathing hitched again in a sob strangled by a wince of pain, and he bit the inside of his cheek, continuing with running his hand over her head and through her hair in constant, slow, steady rhythm.
"... you're alright, just breathe Hora..."
Her eyes fluttered shut again and this time they stayed that way, despite any attempts to get them open again. There were still little flecks and bits of tears left to roll slowly down her cheeks, but once they did none came to replace them... Though more for lack of energy to keep crying, as opposed to really calming down. She was shaking still, her breaths ragged and broken by the beginnings of sobs still swimming in the back of her throat, and she was fidgeting under his hands too- little things, involuntary, feverish twitches and jerks where her mind was struggling to keep her awake and away from drifting, but could only just manage it.
It hurt to see it, and just how fast she faded and fell into only barely conscious delirium hounded with a million terrible feelings and sensations. She was hot still in his hold, the fever still there even though it had gone down a little- but it was still high. And the sickness it was born from was still heavy enough to keep tormenting and chipping away at any scraps of lucidity she might have had. It was keeping her from sleep, trapping her in a state just barely on the edge of consciousness, tipping back and forth precariously on an unending loop. It made it impossible for her to get any amount of rest or peace- and she needed it, badly.
But true unconsciousness and the relief of that oblivion wasn't coming to claim her, so it just amped up the overwhelming feel of it all. And all Rogue could do was sit there and watch it happen, murmuring gentle words and assurances, but powerless otherwise.
"... It's okay... You're gonna be okay... I promise... You're alright Hora, just rest... I'm not going anywhere... It'll pass in time... You'll feel better eventually... I'm staying right here until this is over... You're alright..."
Hora didn't hear most of it, not really. She couldn't make out the words or what was going on, but the tone and gentleness of his voice and of his hands on her head holding on to her were warm, and soothing. Even around a storm of nothing but hurt, confusion, suffocating and whatever else- the sheer tenderness of his touch and his tone made it through, and helped to dull down everything else, at least a tiny bit. It didn't get rid of it all the way, but it was something to try and hone in on and focus away from the awful... Though she felt like she was still drowning and with no sense of anything for about a million years.
But he was still there a million years later, even as her mind kept being unable to settle- murmuring things, patting her head, hushing her. After awhile the words and the assurances came less frequently, making his voice quieter and a bit more far away for it... But he was still there, and with ever his hand around hers, never letting go.
"... You'll be okay, Hora... you'll get through this... I know you will... it'll be alright..."
Sting had jerked awake at the sound of Hora's coughing, just as Rogue had. And all through the brief bit of relief with seeing her actually sort of awake, and the ache that came with her being driven to tears and her mind clouding over- Sting had kept himself quiet, watching tensely as Rogue started to murmur those soft words to try and calm her down. He hardly dared move a muscle after coming to a stiff halt when he'd seen the tears falling from her eyes, and then he sank a little in his seat on the other side of the bed when Rogue started to say what he did... and he waited a few minutes to let the initial rush of her getting jerked into wakefulness dwindle, before the blonde slowly reached his hand forward across the bed and set it down lightly on Hora's lower left arm.
It was his own little show and attempt at grounding her, and trying to settle her too if his touch could manage such a thing, but it was small. He couldn't convince himself to do anymore than that, he didn't want to overload her, he didn't want to do anything that would overwhelm her further, and more so than that... well, he couldn't imagine his touch would be that comforting at all.
He swallowed hard at the thought, resigning himself to the small gesture and setting his head down on the bedtop and in his free arm. His blue eyes glittered in the dim as he watched Rogue, the Shadow Dragon Slayer sitting there and persistent in his soft words for one hour, then two- and twice more that, and maybe further. Eventually time started to melt into a blur, and with it ticking away any attempts on both Sting and Rogue's parts to stay altogether awake began to wane.
Rogue didn't move from sitting on the bed beside her, and his hands never moved either- but the gentle rubbing motion on her head slowed over time, and then eventually stilled altogether. And his constant (and perhaps repetitive) assurances and words of comfort got to the point of stilling too, allowing silence to fall over the room again. The quiet was broken only by the rapid feverish breaths from Hora, and the lower ones of everyone else scattered about and asleep- or near to it, in Rogue and Sting's cases- by the time the fourth hour rolled in. And by that time, Hora seemed to have mostly faded off and had stopped fidgeting so much, her mind finally tipping over the edge into some abyss that mimicked sleep for the most part- though really for Hora it felt like floating on the fringes of a never-ending doze. The doze itself wasn't all that pleasant, it was like being on a ship at sea, bobbing up and down with the waves without end, and on an utterly moonless night. She couldn't make anything out but darkness, not the roiling sea she was being buffeted by, and not the sky, nothing- it was just endless, constant motion... In fact it was almost nauseating at times, and her stomach flipped but there was nothing in it to expel, so it just knotted painfully over and over.
The more her stomach knotted the more the sick feeling hounding her got, and the worse the confusion and sense of drowning started to become. It progressed to the point where she forgot everything- the Eclipse Gate, the Other Rogue, the death, destruction, fighting- all of it. And not even that need and urgency to get out of the waves and stop herself from drowning was there anymore.
There was nothing left but pain and sick gripping tightly to her body, steadfast and with an iron hold... But this time it wasn't pulling her down, she was just in it, staying at the top and riding the waves as they came along- but not sinking.
... W... What...?
... I... I'm...
... F...loating...?
That didn't seem right, it couldn't be right... Right...? Wasn't she sinking before...?
... I... I don't remember...?
... I... I'm... Just... I'm so... Ti...red...
... I... I... I can't... St.. Stay awake...
She was drifting off again, and this time away from that bobbing ocean and toward somewhere different... But even as she felt herself getting lulled into that quiet abyss that made up the 'different' by the waves buffeting her body, there was still no downward motion to it.
No sinking, just something different. Quieter, calmer... And maybe even impossibly...?
Better
.:+:.
"Horatia! Hey!"
She turned about toward the voice calling behind her, seeing the bright and smiling figure of Sting running to catch up toward her on the top most rise of the hill she stood upon- Lector's smirking form beside the White Dragon Slayer as they continued forward. Behind Sting she caught sight of Rogue, smiling softly as he ran slower- but not enough to get left behind, Frosch beside him.
She smiled brightly, hands on her hips and hip cocked slightly as she waited for them to catch up- her teeth flashing in the warm sunlight overhead, her orange, red, pink and black hair shinning in the sunlight bathing over them- the small breeze dancing across her skin.
"Hey you four." She grinned as they caught up to her, her heart dancing slightly to see the excitement dazzling their eyes. "Come to join me on my mission?"
"You bet!" Sting smirked, fists clenching in excitement before him.
"I bet Sting-kun will do better than anyone else!" Lector smirked,
"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch lift a paw with an innocent smile,
"If you'd have us, that is." Rogue murmured, Hora chuckled.
"Of course, dumbass." She smirked, laughing a little at the stricken look she received from Rogue- noticing that Sting laughed along with her. She hooked an arm around Rogue's shoulders, pulling him to her and smiling all the way- pulling an arm around Sting's shoulders too, holding them both close, her smile never fading as Frosch and Lector looked on with smiles of their own.
Hora smiled at the two of them, her dark blue gaze sparkling in happiness and delight- the sort of which she hadn't had since before they joined SaberTooth alongside her. They made her happy, more than she could have ever hoped for- and it was her happiness with them beside her she cherished more than they could ever possibly know.
"What sort of mission would it be without my four favorite people?" She smiled, earning a bright beaming grin from Sting, and a softer, but none the less happy smile from Rogue.
...
She lightly tapped the card face, the words blinking away as the image appeared across it's surface, four faces she knew oh so well peering closely (maybe a bit too closely) up at her as they all crowded around it.
Her lips pulled at the edges, her heart fluttering.
"... It worked..." She breathed, her voice wispy in disbelief.
"Hora!" Sting and Lector snapped,
"Atia!" Frosch piped in,
"Hey! What's with the sudden letter?!" Sting questioned immediately,
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?!" Rogue asked, his voice feverish as he looked up from the screen, struggling for space as Sting pushed his face farther into view.
"Did something happen?!"
"It worked!" She exclaimed happily, too caught up in her own excitement to notice or even really register the questions they were asking in what seemed like an interrogation. Her hands shot up, holding the card between them as she beamed up at the screen, before she hugged it to her chest, grinning like an idiot maybe, but this- this was exciting for her.
She'd attempted an entirely new form of Magic and a new way of using her own, and got it on the first try!
She'd told Lucy before that she took pleasure in the small things- and this was one of those things.
Thank you Lucy, for showing me that Card! And thank you Cana for creating something so freaking cool!
She pulled the card back in front of her, still smiling in triumph and pleasure as she finally focused on them entirely, jabbing her thumb to her chest as she shot them a smirk through the screen.
"Am I good or what? I got these cards to work on the first try boys, you should be impressed!" She smirked still, chuckling. "I'd never even heard of Magic Items like this! Isn't it cool? They're like Communication Lacrima, only smaller and easier to carry around- it's a completely new kind of Magic for me, and an even newer type of Enchantment Picto Magic. And I did it on my first attempt- hehe, that is freakin' cool!" She smiled, her eyes glinting as she looked down at them and the utterly deadpan stares she was receiving. Her excitement and rambling slowed, she blinked a few times, her head tilting at them. "... What?"
"WE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, HORA!"
"..eh? Why?"
"You never send any letters while we're Training!" Rogue snapped,
"And Drille said it was important! And then disappeared right away!" Sting had pressed his face closer to the card, looking absolutely agitated and rather annoyed.
"We get an important letter out of nowhere, knowing you're out on some dangerous mission! What the hell were we supposed to think!?" They snapped in unison, Hora blinked once as she simply looked at them, they were all a little red in the face out of frustration- and it finally hit her how panicked they had looked when she answered the card. And despite herself, she smiled at them, a small, soft smile as she chuckled under her breath.
"Hehe... I'm sorry I freaked you out, but nothing's wrong." She replied softly, blue gaze glinting.
"I just wanted to see you guys, that's all, and I'll have a talk with Drille about defining 'important' between emergency and casual. I'm sorry you were worried for no reason."
...
... What...?
... Why is... All of this... Coming back now...?
... Playing... Over again...?
...
"Its was nice meeting you all, I had fun. I'd love to hang out again sometime too." She replied, honestly she would- being in Lamia... It hadn't been all that bad.
The sun had long set behind the roofs of the town as day drew to an end and night began to fall. Drille had returned a few hours ago with word that Sting and Rogue were on their way back, and should reach Margret town by nightfall. She'd been allowed the entire day with Lamia and it's members- and she had to admit it had been considerably enjoyable. She and Lyon, they were fast friends... The sort of fast friends she had become with Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch. You just sort of... Clicked.
Lyon took a step forward toward her, making Hora blink in slight confusion at his sudden movement. His dark eyes landed on her figure, a small, nearly unnoticeable smile pulling at his lips as he stepped up beside her.
"Allow me to escort you some of the way," he murmured, Hora blinked a few times, before smirking softly.
"If you wanted to walk with me that bad you could have just asked, Ice-boy." Hora chuckled softly, he sweatdropped, clearing his throat awkwardly and looking flustered at the teasing. Hora shook her head slightly and hooked her arm in his, a shiver running up her spine at how frosty he was to the touch, in contrast with her warm person.
"Come on."
...
Rufus and Orga moved up right off, Orga much faster than the blonde and Lector and Frosch quickly moved out of Hora's lap as he approached- and she smiled nervously at the large and incoming man.
Ah-
Orga picked her up off the ground and in his burly embrace with extreme ease, holding her tight and her feet not at all close to the ground. She smiled at it though, especially so when he hugged her, and then moved to holding her in one arm, his other raising as his hand found the top of her head, and then he promptly mussed her hair up- a lot. It was an affectionate gesture, and also a slightly exasperated one too, and he clicked his tongue at her as he did it.
"You are just getting into all the crazy stuff lately, huh?" He grumbled, "I'm surprised you're still keeping up- my head's spinning already at just what the King said, but your stuff is making it lot worse...!" He huffed, before letting out a small sigh and his rubbing her hair all the wrong directions ceased. "Well anyway, it's good to see you- even if you got banged up again. You sure you're all good?" He hummed and she smiled slightly, nodding.
"Yeah, I'm sure." She hummed, and he set her back down easily, his hands falling on his hips as Rufus stepped up beside him, smiling faintly as his hands found hers and held on.
"It is very good to see you back and safe, Horatia." The blonde hummed, squeezing her hands gently with his own and she smiled back.
"Thanks, it's good to be back."
...
"... to be honest... I didn't know you would be as worried as you are..." Hora mumbled,
"Of course I am!" Lucy snapped, catching Hora entirely off guard, and making her flinch backward at the sudden harshness in the blonde. "You're my friend! Of course I'm worried if you're feeling sick or getting hurt!"
"... friend...?" Hora breathed, the word appearing not on part of that damned voice, but in the blonde.
"Friends tell eachother when something's wrong, got it?!" Lucy hissed, looking agitated now. "Friend's keep an eye on eachother and always work to make sure the other is alright. Friends talk to eachother when something's bothering them, or isn't right, and friends always stick together- no matter what! And they don't keep secrets from eachother when those secrets can end up hurting you or someone else!" Lucy's brown gaze flashed, her expression pulling into something so steady and so serious. "Even if you're afraid of worrying someone else! Friends are supposed to worry about eachother, that keeps them alive! And if you let other people know how you're feeling that gives them a chance to help you! Friends are supposed to help eachother, no matter what, Hora!"
Hora blinked, her face falling slack in shock as she simply held that burning brown gaze from the blonde, how... well, passionate she was about what had become something of a lecture. Or even scolding, and it caught her completely off guard. Because in reality it came out of near nowhere.
What the...?
"Do you understand?" Lucy grumbled lowly, her eyes narrowed at Hora who let out a small, silent breath.
"She's right ya know."
Lucy and Hora both jumped, their heads snapping around toward the voice and eyes wide as they landed on the figure of Natsu, who had appeared beside them along with Cancer with absolutely no warning at all. Below them the North Wind Lieutenant was knocked out cold, Hora could see some from leaning over the edge of the balcony a little- but she'd been so focused on Lucy she'd missed Pinky and Cancer finishing it.
When the hell...?!
Natsu stood with his hands on his hips, his expression neutral as he glanced down toward Hora steadily. "Friends gotta stick together and trust eachother."
... they keep saying that word... like it's natural... like It should be... obvious...
"...heh...?" She huffed, words seemed apt to just fail.
He smirked slightly, "Ah, come on don't give me that face. We're all friends, yeah?" Her breathing caught in her throat this time around, her eyes gleaming as she saw Lucy smiled slightly her way.
... friends...
"... even if I'm Saber...?" Hora mumbled, it being the only response she managed. Honestly, hearing them say it so easily... they'd only known eachother a few days, and certainly not long enough... well...
"Of course!" Lucy said quickly,
"We got plenty of friends in other Guilds ya know, don't matter to us if your SaberTooth or not." Natsu smirked, "A Guild don't define what kind of person you are."
"That's right. We like you as a friend for who you are, not what Guild you're a part of." Lucy assured easily. They just kept smiling, so content and so serious about it all.
... Brother... I remember the last time... It felt like this...
... it... It happened just as quickly then as it did now... I knew how I felt... But that word never popped up so fast...
...
... Friends... huh...?
...
"Sorry to pull you away, but I'd figured you wouldn't mind-"
Hora broke off, her eyes widening as she flinched back a little- too late.
"Hora!"
They'd jumped at her all at once, beaming and worried at the same time- their bodies moving and arms thrown open as Hora felt her heart drop into the pits of her stomach.
Shit-
Lector and Frosch slammed into her, hugging close to her torso and tails wagging like crazy, burying their noses in her chest- she hissed, feeling them bump into her stomach rather hard and biting down on her tongue.
Rogue and Sting were no better, they threw themselves at her- their arms wrapping tightly around her shoulders and body, their momentum knocking the breath from her as she yelped a little- and they all fell back against the cobbled road with a painful thud in a mess of limbs and bodies. They bent over her, almost laying on top her and pressed close- their warmth against her, arms locked around her, faces pressed into either side of her neck, Hora's back pressed against the ground and only barely catching her head before she slammed it into the ground too.
She honestly couldn't tell where one person ended and one person began- they were twined together tightly and it really didn't feel like they were gonna let her go, maybe ever. They held tight to her as if she was going to slip away from them again, what personal space they usually adopted didn't matter for a damn thing- they were just happy to able to touch her, to hold her.
And all four of them, they were shaking- badly.
A shiver ran up her spine, a drop of something wet splashing against the inside of her neck and against her shoulder- followed quickly by another, and then more- she heard their breathing hitching and their bodies jumping as they cried.
"H.. Hora..."
"... Y... you're back..."
"..w..we... m-missed you... s-so much...!"
"... w-we've b-been... s...so... worried...!"
"...we... w-we thought... you'd..."
"... we thought... you weren't... c...coming... b-back... w-when..."
"... b...but you..."
"... y-you're... here... a-alive...!"
"... y... you came back..."
Hora's eyes fell closed, shutting tight as she bit back the sting of tears pricking at the edge of her own eyes.
They are sobbing, holding on to me so tightly... like they're afraid if they let go again, I'll be-
She hissed, her teeth gritting.
Her arms pulled up from being trapped underneath them, moving as she hooked them around all of them as well as she could manage- pulling them into her tightly as her shoulders hunched a little- her nose burying itself in Rogue's hair.
All that talk about being a better friend- and I still worried them this much..
She held them tighter, her hands clenching around their clothes.
"... I'm so sorry... I'm..."
She sucked in a shaky breath- Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch all felt her shudder underneath them. Hora's eyes shut harder, hissing as she felt the tears manage through, a single, thin trail falling down her cheeks and stinging slightly across the fresh scar over her nose. Her voice dropped away, shaking and hardly a whisper.
"... I'm so sorry..."
...
Do you feel that?
That warmth... Not fire, but warmth, slowly melting the numbness..?
That warmth... I always feel it when I'm with them...
... I'd almost forgotten what that feels like...
... Sting... Lector... Frosch... Rogue...
... You four gave me a reason to keep going, and you never knew it...
... Forgive me...
...
"Hora!"
She jumped, her attention on Lector snapping away from the shout of her voice- and she didn't notice how quickly Lector wriggled out of her hold either. Not before her feet were knocked out from under her and she got swallowed up in someone's else's grasp, both of them quickly falling backward and she couldn't stop herself.
They ended up on the ground, her back saved hitting the stone all the way because he was hugging her into him so closely, straddling her as he leaned over with her pinned to him and he buried his face into the crook of her shoulder. She blinked, stunned with the sudden embrace and how quickly it had come... But more so with how tight it was, while still being gentle, and how much he was shaking against her as he stayed right where he was, both of them locked together on the floor and not daring to move even an inch.
"... Y...you're back..." He hissed, his voice shaking just as much as he was, his arms around her tightening a little more, and her heart fluttered as his scent hit her nose, heavy and warm, and so achingly his.
"... Hora, I'm so happy to see you... I've b-been losing my mind... All day...!" He hissed, his voice breaking off in a stifled half-sob and so, so quiet... He was breathless, relieved, happy, scared- all at once, and it was nowhere near dead or cold... Not like the other one.
"... Y...you're back... You..."
He was crying, she could feel the way his breaths and body hitched with them, she could smell the salty tang of the tears and felt them against her shoulder. He was so happy, so much it was too much, his body and emotions a mess and now a hundred times more so at seeing her there so suddenly, the tension melting away and leaving him trembling like a leaf... And...
"... Please... Please don't scare me like this again... I can't take it... The thought of losing you, Hora..."
He broke off again, his voice strangled in a sob and she felt her heart break. Her breath got snatched away by it and she quickly returned the embrace, her fingers digging into his clothes and shaking herself.
This...
She grit her teeth against the way her eyes stung, her own tears threatening to come up and the well of hurt, relief, sadness, terror, happiness and everything else- all that she'd felt that day, and those before it... And especially that of which had shook her to the core when faced with the Future version of him, and how much it wasn't him at all.
She grabbed to the Shadow Dragon Slayer tightly, both of them locked now in eachothers arms and she didn't dare let go. She drank in his scent, reveled in the warmth of his body against hers and how gentle and comforting his arms around her were at that very moment.
... This... This is my Rogue...
Her fingers gripped harder into his shirt despite herself for the thought, and she held her breath against the way her heart hurt and warmed all at once.
... My Rogue... I don't what happened... To the other one... B... But...
"... Please don't ever change... Rogue..."
...
"That was a seriously huge Spell, and it worked pretty good, you actually managed to do some damage." Gray mumbled quietly, his eyes moving from Hora and toward where Callan was still batting at the smaller ice birds still left. "... But, you've got a thing with birds, huh...?" He added quietly, casting the panting Saber a sideways glance- but if Hora ever heard it, she didn't say anything to it... And honestly, he doubted she heard the comment at all, because she did look awful, and it was clear as day to all of them she wouldn't be able to do another Spell like that at all- which sucked, since it was the only thing that had made a dent so far. But they couldn't blame her for not being able to repeat it, she'd not really been at 100% even before all of this, and she was pretty much a newbie with her Ice Magic too.
Hell, to be entirely honest- what she'd been doing the whole time? Even already being injured, and drained, and not in the best of shape, or even really with any practice at all at being a Dragon Slayer?
"... Ya know, you're kinda kicking ass at the whole Ice Dragon Slayer thing, especially for being totally 'half-baked'." Gray murmured, shooting Hora a faint, and sort of weary smirk that she cracked an eye open for, her panting breaking off a second in surprise. He let out a breath, his eyes dropping closed and shaking his head a bit. "... Heh, you're kinda making the rest of us look bad, ya know...? You're just as worn out as we are, and even more so- but you're still firing off attacks like that... Totally kick ass." He mumbled, Juvia beside him nodding in agreement, while Hora blinked, her attention stuck on Gray and dark blue eyes gleaming.
...
Gray shifted slightly, about to step forward though he couldn't actually get himself to move with how much his mind was whirling just then. Hora moved though, but all she managed was a single shaky step his way, a shuddering breath of air escaping her as her expression twisted faintly, and the tears spilled all the faster, sparkling as they splashed at her feet and he froze, eyes wide.
He... He's not... C-covered in blood... the... The Mini-Dragons... I got them all...
... It... It didn't happen again... I... I managed to... To stop then from... F...from him...
"G...Gray..." Hora stammered, her voice so very low and wispy, swallowing hard as she managed another small, extremely uneven step, before having to halt a moment, lest she topple over. Her eyes never left him though, not even as the tears kept coming, and Gray didn't look away either. He couldn't, because he didn't understand how she- a near complete stranger, and someone who had been so jumpy around him- could look so... So completely terrified, relieved, and anguished all at once... And over... Him...? Was he reading that right? Was he the reason...?
But why would she-?
"...Gray... P... Please... Please don't die again..." Hora stammered breathlessly, her voice breaking on the words and he stiffened further, his stomach flipping and a shiver running up his spine. Hora sucked in another shuddering breath of air, dark blue eyes all glassy and swimming in hurt, pain, fear, and so much pleading- and her voice was so full of all of that as she went on. "... P.. Please... Please don't die again... N...not before I get the chance to-"
...
... S...shit... what happened after...?
... it... it's all so... fuzzy...
...
"... Please Hora... Hold on... You... You have to be okay...! Tch... Hora please...please... H... Hora..."
... I... Could barely... Hear them...?
"... Hora... Please... You have to... Stay with us... D-Don't die... P-please...!"
Those voices... Were...
"... S.. Stay with us H-Hora... Please..!"
... Sting and... Rogue... R... Right...?
...
"Tch... I'm sorry... But... Stay alive okay...? I told him you could make it through this... I know you can... so just keep trying... Okay...?"
... That's... I think that one... Was Natsu...
...
"... Hora... Please... you need to get better, okay...? I know... I know you're exhausted... but... please... you have to keep fighting it... you have to come back, Hora... you promised... I... I know you meant it.. i... I understand why you...y...you pushed yourself so far... I... I get it... I'm not mad, Hora... I know why you kept trying... please... keep fighting now too, okay...?"
... Wait... I heard this... Earlier right...?
B...but earlier... It was... So far off... And disjointed...
"... I know it's... R... Really hard now, t-to keep... Fighting it, after everything... But... Please... I need you to come back, Hora... I... I can't handle losing you... I can't..."
... Rogue... He was crying... A..and...
... He was crying still... I... I woke up didn't I...?
... I can't... Remember it... Clearly... But...
This... This is clearer this time...s... sort of...
... He... He said something... Didn't he...? Something I didn't... Catch...
"... P-please Hora... I can't take it i-if you... You d-die... P... Please... C-come back... W...wake up... Please... Y... You have to be okay... I c-can't lose you, Hora... I... I'm s-so sorry... I... I just can't... N-not if you're gone... Please... I... I can't do it if you... I... I-"
It broke off again, the recant of all those memories laying now, and all those snippets of things she had heard only barely at the time and remained now only as echoes of the words- all of it fell abruptly silent... And she got pulled again out of the ocean, but this time- she got pulled up.
.:+:.
... H...huh...? W... What the...?
Hora swallowed hard, the world trickling back in slowly- quiet, and dim... And this time, when the waking world managed its way back to her?
... I... I don't... Feel so... Awful anymore...?
And... I... I can think again...
It all came flooding back, almost all at once- just like whatever string of memory and recollection from before had. Months worth of things going from bad, to crazy, to impossibly insane- North Wind and Neveleous, the progression of the GMG, a confession of being trapped by Jiemma, and then all those she cared for either hurt, captured, threatened... killed...
She grimaced, pressing her eyelids shut tightly before even daring to open them up again, trying to quell the sting of tears that wanted to come to the surface at the thought of it.
She remembered everything, and most of it in awful, vivid detail. Especially the worst parts.
All the turmoil and struggle, the blood and carnage wrought onto herself, the Future Lucy, her Guild, friends, the Dragons laying waste to the city, all their fights against the beasts, and her Brother at the end... but it was at that end where everything became much less vivid, and then altogether too hazy and fractured to really recall much of anything. It was just voices, disjointed and faraway, with lots of gaps in them where words would have been, but she couldn't really call them up to the surface... Which was less than comforting, because with all that chaos coming back to the forefront of her mind, and riding in on the back of the vague memory of feeling so utterly overwhelmed before when she woke up with Rogue- all that those memories elicited in that moment was the need to figure out what the hell happened.
She didn't know how long she'd been out, or how long her bobbing in that ocean of awful sensations and memory lasted- and she didn't even really know when things had shifted from being awful, to simply remembering. She didn't have any sense of change or anything else, not until just in that moment where everything came back all at once and she actually had the faculties to handle and make sense of most of it.
She didn't feel as awful as she had when that had all gone on, but she still felt gross. Her whole body ached and felt like a million pounds, with sharper bursts of pain making their way intermittently through her very core from her lungs, and her sides too- but her chest was the worst of the lot. It stung to breathe at all, and hurt like hell to breathe too deeply-and when she did there was a faint, almost imperceptible sensation of bone grinding from time to time that made pain like fire rush through her... and she felt hot still too, and sweaty, and a bit nauseous and feverish all the same- but it wasn't as heavy nor as debilitating on her mind as it had been before.
Hora blinked her eyes slowly, biting back at another stab of pain running through her core and looking up to find a roof overhead, pale and streaked across by little snippets of grey light doing it's utmost to break passed the curtains covering some large windows on her left. The little light that managed through was harsh on her eyes, and made it difficult to really make out any of the rest of what was around- a room clearly, and a big one at that, with furniture and such littered about where she lay... but a lot of it refused to sharpen out of murky shadows, and she had to stop trying and focus on something closer if she was gonna have any luck of determining what it was.
But no sooner did her eyes flit away from the window at the edge of her vision and back toward herself, did she hone in on who was directly beside her- and the feeling of a hand holding to hers, and another on her right arm came into much sharper focus than anything.
Hora blinked slowly, her eyes falling back to her left and seeing a head a pale-blonde hair, Sting leaned over and resting in his arms crossed on the bedtop, his back rising and falling slowly as he slept... and one hand extended far enough to reach her, and was resting lightly atop her lower arm. She swallowed slightly before looking away to determine who it was that had their hand held around her right one- finding Rogue sitting on the bed beside her, one knee propped up and his elbow resting on it, and his chin in his hand. Like Sting his eyes were closed, and he seemed to be asleep... and hell, he looked terrible.
There were heavy dark circles under his eyes, his black hair was disheveled, sticking up everywhere and to his face in a complete mess. He was also covered in bandages and such, but they'd been applied haphazardly and bits of blood had seeped through a few, with awful dark bruising painting his skin in way too many places to count. And she could feel him trembling slightly, the tremors running through the bed and in her hand he had grabbed hold of- which was warm, and much warmer against her own than was really comfortable. He must not have been willing to let go for hours at least...... shit.
Hora's hand in his reflexively tightened without her meaning for it too, and he jumped right off- jerked almost from whatever doze he had been in and blinking rapidly as he tried to orient himself and focus. His red eyes darted quickly to find hers, glassy and so filled with exhaustion and ache it made her stomach twist painfully- which did nothing to help with how knotted and sore it already was.
"... Hora..." The Shadow Dragon Slayer mumbled softly, hesitating for a moment as if he wasn't quite sure if he was seeing her actually awake, or if it was just some sort of dream. She'd been so out of it for so long now, her mind clouded in a haze of fever and whatever else, with sleep eluding her for longer still. It had taken more hours than he could count before she'd seemed to drift off into something like sleep, and then longer still after that for the fidgeting and rapid breaths to mellow out too... He must have dozed off somewhere in there, though he tried not to- and just now his mind had a hard time processing anything. He couldn't quite tell if she was actually awake, if he was dreaming it, or if it was reality- was she awake awake? Or was this like it had been before, where she'd only managed to come to the fringes of consciousness and was swimming in a fever-driven delirium still?
Her eyes were clearer than they had been before, less glazed and brighter- like she was actually a lot more focused this time. And when their eyes matched he saw the concern make its way over her expression immediately, but there was no confusion there, or clear struggle to keep her eyes open at all- not like before.
Rogue swallowed slightly, adjusting slowly as he let his knee back down, his free hand hovering a bit as he blinked, still trying to fight off the terrible heavy haze lingering over his head and making his thoughts impossible to pull together... But she...?
She looks like she... S-She's actually awake... And lucid...?
He sucked in a little breath of air for the thought, the sort of dazed look on his face getting replaced quickly with shock and disbelief. Hora's attention darted from his face to his hand, her eyes flashing when she saw it trembling quite badly and she looked toward him not a second later.
"...A... are you okay...?" Hora asked quickly, her voice rough and grating- so much so she ended up coughing, which earned another round of sharp stab-like pains running through her chest. Rogue stiffened at it, quick to scoot himself a little closer and steady her as she cringed, folding in on herself ever so slightly and right hand moving up to hold her chest gingerly. She sputtered a few times as the coughing began to cease, her breaths coming quick and shallow as she willed her muscles to relax and stop putting pressure on what felt to be a number of fractured ribs and shredded lung tissue.
Rogue's hands found her shoulders, frowning as he let his palms run gently in circles over her form, stonily quiet while doing it for as long as it took for her to settle again. When she managed to catch a bigger breath that didn't hurt too much, and her rigid body under his hold unwound- he seemed to let out a shaky sigh, red eyes gleaming and shaking his head once. "... Please don't try to talk too much, Hora." The Shadow Dragon Slayer told her lowly.
Hora groaned a bit under her breath, hearing the words fine enough but not really happy with them. Not talking wasn't really something she wanted to do just then, but hell if her throat and lungs would let her.
T...tch... Damn it...
Rogue swallowed hard when he saw her expression twist again, both in discomfort and even little hints of agitation, his red eyes glinting as he shook his head a few more times, and just faintly.
"... I'm sorry, but you can't push yourself Hora, not right now." Rogue mumbled softly, "You're still in bad shape... you've been in bad shape a long while, Hora... I didn't... I..." The Shadow Dragon Slayer told her, his voice dropping slightly and almost gaining a hoarse tenor before it dropped away altogether, and Hora stiffened at it. Her eyes glimmered as she blinked them open and he seemed to swallow hard, his hands trembling terribly against her shoulders and then worse as he pulled them back slowly, and let go.
"... I am s... so relieved you're awake... Hora..." Rogue breathed, his voice shaking almost as bad as his hands were and he seemed to swallow hard again, bunching his hands into fists to try and still their trembling- though it did little. "... please... stay still okay...? I know you're probably confused... I know you don't know what happened but... please just rest some more for now...?" He murmured, pleading almost and Hora blinked slowly, her eyes narrowing in confusion and question both, while her stomach knotted so tightly she felt she wanted to retch.
Shit... He looks... terrified...
...w...what did I do...?
Something about her face must have given away the sudden surge of guilt that had her core wrenching so suddenly, because Rogue seemed to grimace, those exhausted red eyes of his gleaming as he shook his head quickly.
"... i-it's alright Hora, please... everything is fine..." He rushed to assure her, his voice a little hoarse still though he tried his best. "... just... please don't worry... just rest, okay...?" He murmured quietly, swallowing again as he seemed to fidget a little, his eyes flicking away for a moment and looking a little unsure now, as well as a touch panicked by the unease that had appeared in her so quickly. "... everything's alright, just... relax, okay...? I know you feel awful... I'm sorry..." He mumbled quickly and Hora swallowed hard, holding her breath for a moment to try and settle the ache in her lungs enough to allow her something.
"R... Rogue..." She started again, and with much better luck this time, but only just. Her voice was rough as hell and just saying the name was like daggers through her chest, and she had to cut off before she could say anything else, or risk coughing again. Rogue stiffened against the sound of her voice, shaking his head again as his eyes darted quickly back her way, frowning and instantly all the more nervous and uneasy.
"... Hush, Hora...!" He quieted her quickly, and a tad too curtly for her liking, not that he seemed to notice. His hands shook, hovering slightly in front of him like he intended to reach out, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, or didn't know if he should. He hesitated half a second further, grimacing a bit more to himself and looking a little more fidgety, before one hand came down gingerly on her hand and he gave it a small, somewhat reassuring squeeze. "... Please, just give it a rest, alright...?" He murmured lowly and Hora swallowed, hesitant for half a second- but shit.
He looked so freaked out
She nodded once, and just barely, and he seemed to wilt a little in relief, tiredness, or something else like those. Rogue let out a shaky sigh for it, his shoulders sinking slightly as he nodded once in reply, his hand on hers lingering a moment longer before he shifted. He offered up a small, utterly exhausted smile that only lasted half a second, and it wasn't much of a smile either- he couldn't manage a full one, but he tried, and his hand patted the back of hers lightly, and just twice.
"... Thank you..." He mumbled, his voice just above a whisper while his posture seemed to deflate a smidge more. He forced another breath that was just as shaky as the one before it, and Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes only halfway open for the heaviness of her eyelids, but her attention not wavering from him beside her even for a moment.
He did look terrible. She felt sick for it, her stomach knotting a million times more for every second she saw the exhaustion, fear, and everything else swimming in those dull, tired eyes of his.
How bad had this gotten...? How bad had she gotten, to make him look like that...? To have him fidgeting, and nervous, pleading with her almost... And like he didn't know what to do anymore...?
... Shit...
She wanted to ask, she needed to- to know what happened, what had gone on, how the Eclipse Gate ended, the Dragons, the rest of the Guild, everyone... Gray.
She needed to know, but... He was almost begging when he asked her to stop talking, and just rest.
She didn't want to stay quiet, she didn't want to keep from knowing, she didn't want to listen to him or pay any mind to the pain and struggle in her own body that made saying words near impossible. She didn't want to leave it be... But she didn't want to make him any more scared than he already was either. She'd clearly already scared him enough.
... Damn it... I'm so sorry...
Hora grit her teeth for the thought, a heavy, biting prick of pain racing through her center and amping up all the rest of the awful she already felt. She held her breath for a few seconds against it, earning a burning sensation in her lungs that was all too familiar a sensation, before slowly letting that breath back out, and carefully so. She shut her eyes while doing it, a small hiss working its way into the bit of air she tried hard to keep as level as possible, and Rogue watched her do it, his lips pulling into a thin line when he saw the pain and ache there- where it had been nonstop.
He swallowed against it, his eyes moving from her again and to the side as they had before- the door, actually, and he chewed the inside of his cheeks.
Rogue forced another breath that was no steadier than any of those before it, his hand pulling back from atop Hora's as he shifted in his seat, and more toward the edge of the bed. The simple action of him moving earned Hora's eyes opening again, and he shook his head faintly for her to stay still, or not worry, or... Something.
"... I'm gonna go get Porlyusica." Rogue explained softly, his eyes meeting Hora's only briefly from the side as he settled his feet on the floor, though he didn't push himself up right off. "... She'll want to know your fever's broken..." The Shadow Dragon Slayer mumbled, his eyes moving away from Hora again. He stood up slowly, almost sluggishly so, his hands lingering on the edge of the bed for extra support and leverage to push himself onto his feet- and it seemed an absolutely monumental feat just doing that.
Hora swallowed slightly, dark blue eyes gleaming in the dim as she watched him. The shakiness in Rogue's hands was immediately echoed in every other part of him the moment he began to get up, and grew all the worse once he finally straightened all the way. He grimaced, blinking a few times and in slow succession, shaking his head slightly as if to clear it of a daze- but even shaking his head seemed to just daze him further, and one of his hands reached back for the bed to try and right himself. He didn't lean back though, he forced himself to stay as straight as he could and he took a step to the side so he could turn all the way from the bed and toward the door, shooting Hora a glance that was not at all level, nor steady.
Hora stiffened, her pulse picking up quickly and concern flooding through her in no time at all as she watched Rogue's already pale face go about ten shades whiter, and the trembling in his figure hit a peak.
The next bit that Rogue mumbled was so low she barely heard it. His voice dropped ten decibels, and even more than that- and all not three seconds after standing all the way.
"... I... I'll be... Right... ba...ck..."
Rogue's voice died out with a shaky breath that broke the last word right in half, all the color gone from his face now and Hora hissed, her heart skipping a beat, panic and shock hitting her like a train. She shifted without even thinking about it, pulling her arm out from under Sting's hand and the blood roaring in her ears along with her suddenly pounding heartbeat.
S-shit...!
Rogue's eyes fluttered, his entire frame tilting dangerously as his vision clouded in black on the edges and crawled inward in rapid time. He had no mind nor thought to what it was, or what it was leading to, he didn't even really register saying the last bit, or the fact his legs were shaking so badly they couldn't hold him- he didn't realize he was tilting, even when the last bits of the room in front of him around the black had gained a rapid and perilous angle. There was some sickening sensation of all the weight in his body and the effort of forcing himself up suddenly vanishing, but that was so fleeting he really didn't feel it at all, and he certainly didn't feel anything afterward. Not when the black swallowed him whole, and not when it sent him falling at breakneck speed into some chasm of utter nothing.
Rogue swayed once, tilted badly, and then his knees gave out on him- Hora rushing to push herself up and reach out to grab hold of his arm out of sheer instinct and fear all rolled into one.
"R-Rogue...!"
Her voice was much louder than she anticipated, and much more than her lungs and throat could safely handle. Her voice broke painfully the instant she said anything, but the sound of it in the hush of the room did not compare to the strangled and sharp yelp of pain that rose up in her throat next... Nor the heavy thump of Rogue's body as he hit the floor.
Hora's left hand found his wrist only just before he was too far out of reach, but the weight of him was way too much for her to keep hold of, and trying just jerked her rather roughly forward and toward the edge of the bed before she lost her grip entirely. But the action of his weight wrenching her so violently had some awful, blinding, white-hot pain igniting across her whole left side in an instant, and the yelp that escaped her was immediate and absolutely agonizing. The pain of it was derailing to an extreme. It snatched her breath away, her lungs seizing and her mind getting crushed under the intensity of it- any thought of Rogue, or the way her lungs begged for air, or anything else was swallowed whole by that searing white-hot rushing through her.
A strangled gasp of air pushed it's way up her throat, her lungs aching all the more for it and adding to the agony. She curled in on herself, muscles locking on battered and cracked bones building up the pain even further, and all she could do was lay there, paralyzed by it and totally unable to function, let alone think. Her mind was run off any sensible track and now hurtling away toward somewhere else, everything now suddenly nonsensical. She lost track of where she was, she lost track of Rogue, and her vision and mostly all sound around her became clouded and hazy and so, so muddled.
Everything blurred together, some heavy sound, the harshness of her own breathing, the pounding of her heart in her ears... and some other things too, low and fractured- but voices she was fairly sure. And one of them was suddenly rather close, but she couldn't make out what it said at all.
I... I don't... w..wait there's...?
Her head whirled, her vision dotted by black and darkening quickly while the pain continued to stay heavy and hound her senses relentlessly... but under the nonsensical voices blurring overhead and belonging to people she couldn't see, or make out- she felt something sticky and warm trickling down her figure, and she smelled the metallic tang of blood too... my blood.
... w...what...? Why...?
"... it...! Ho...ra...!"
Something came down on her cheek and her arm, light, fleeting brushes against her skin and a shadow looming over her... but even the touches felt so far away, like they were ghostlike, and apt to just go straight through her.
... I... I don't... I... can't... who is... that...?
Everything whirled again, the phantom-sensations of hands and far-off voices wrenched away without warning, and she felt herself pulled down, fast.
S... Shit... I'm... falling again...
"... Ho...ra...!"
.:+:.
She was drifting again, and in that same bobbing ocean from before. The waves lapped at her in constant rhythm, slow, but not altogether gentle. Just sort of... consistent.
Unending, unyielding, in constant motion.
She remained there at the top buffeted by those waves in that endless ocean, completely at their mercy, pushed and pulled everywhere and anywhere the water wanted her to go. And even though the waves themselves weren't quite soft or gentle, they weren't painful or buffeting either- so she had no reason to try and fight against their direction, not just then.
... Well, she had no reason to try and resist it until her mind pulled together enough that she actually remembered the brief, and entirely unpleasant stint of waking up earlier. You know, the one that had ended in Rogue collapsing out of nowhere, and whatever awful pain had hit her on trying (failing) to catch him?
S-SHIT...!
.:+:.
She jumped a little, the ocean gone in an instant and the buffeting of the waves gone just as fast- dropping her back into reality and this time she felt a bit better, but it really didn't make much a dent around the panic.
Above her was the same dim roof, attached to the same room she hadn't been able to make anything out of beforehand, and the same bed too- but there was no Rogue sitting on the bedside, nor Rogue to her right when she turned her head quickly to look. She immediately went to look over the edge of the bed for the floor, pushing herself up to roll over that way in slightly frantic motion. But before she could even get a few inches off the bed someone's hands came down on her shoulders and pinned her rather firmly.
"D-Don't...!"
Hora stiffened, her attention snapping around for the frantic order and voice, and her heart skipping a beat in both surprise and unease for being pinned without warning. She might have instinctively tried to throw whoever it was off, if not for the panic and agitation both laced into their voice. But more than anything though, she actually froze- because that single order of 'don't' was rather sharp, and curt... And it was Sting's voice.
She glanced left, dark blue eyes glittering in the dim and her teeth gritting despite herself while her stomach churned all anew for the order- and one that was a tad agitated, and even heated almost. She swallowed hard as her attention found Sting above her, frowning and with his hands still holding rather firmly to her shoulders and keeping her from moving too much. He seemed to force a tiny breath when their eyes matched, his hold on her slackening just a tad, but only just, and he shook his head at her stiffly.
"Don't move Hora." Sting murmured firmly, and she flinched a little at the flinty-ness of it. He paused at that, the frown on his face lessening for half a second as he seemed to swallow hard and he almost looked guilty- but it was gone so fast Hora never really noticed it. But it was there, and instantly he did his best to just... Just stop.
Stop being whatever amount or harsh, or too angry looking, or anything else that had her flinch. Something he didn't want to do, or intend to make her do, but he had and he hated it. He'd heard and felt her jump suddenly after so long of stillness, and he just reacted- much like he had after hearing all she had said, about the Possession Link, her family, and everything else.
He reacted without thinking and it... It hurt her, more than he ever intended or wanted to, and he felt his heart twist painfully at how quick she was so stiffen and flinch away from him.
Sting grit his teeth, quickly trying to get rid of whatever bits of his expression had earned that- but even trying he couldn't get rid of the unease, or the frown. Just like he couldn't quite get rid of the almost agitated look, though it faded a smidge. He tried so hard to quit it, to unwind, to stop being so... So awful.
He tried. He really tried, but he couldn't get his muscles to unwind or his heart to stop pounding. And it was harder still when that realization of it all hit him- that he had been a bit too loud, a bit to quick to snap at her, and a bit too harsh... Harsh again, damn it.
He never meant to, he just- shit.
The pressure of his hands on her shoulders let up a little more, and the frown on his face softened further too, Hora watching him stiffly and not at all sure why his face seemed to twist and pull in a dozen different ways, and all in rapid time. She just lay there, completely still while Sting seemed to growl under his breath and his eyes dropped away from hers uneasily, and she heard him swallow hard.
"... Shit... I... Please just stay still, okay...?" He mumbled lowly, tensely still. Hora blinked once, utterly quiet.
Sting hesitated half a second, maybe seeing if she was gonna reply, before he forced himself a sigh, adjusting slightly where he was settled on his knees atop the very large bed and just beside her. He didn't move much other than to lower himself down into sitting on his heels, and his hands fell on top of his thighs, rigid, and his fingers digging tightly into his pants. His eyes didn't move up to meet hers again, instead they settled in his lap and his shoulders hunched, his lips pulling into a tight line. Hora swallowed hard for it, her eyes flashing and her stomach curling sickeningly.
S... Shit... He still... Won't look at me...?
"... Please don't move... You... You ripped open some of your wounds again earlier, Hora... Trying to grab Rogue... Wendy and Sherria did their best to close them again, but... You can't afford to lose anymore blood, Hora... You've... Lost so much... E-even with transfusions... You... You just can't lose anymore, okay...? So please just stay still." Sting mumbled slowly and at length, his eyes stuck still to his lap as he said it, and his voice so, so low. Hora blinked slowly at the words, swallowing again at the information, her eyes falling from his face and those eyes that wouldn't meet hers.
She took in a breath, her attention moving from Sting and in toward herself for a moment. She didn't feel much in the way of intense pain at that moment, and none like before... Which apparently had been from ripping things open. But that was gone now for the most part, aside from little bursts and prickles of pain running across her left side if she took in too big a breath- but her lungs hurt still, so she didn't do it much.
Most of what she felt like now was just a general, heavy throbbing throughout her entire figure born from damage littered over every inch of her. From Callan's claws, the Mini-Dragons, the Other Rogue, Over-Drive, you name it. She'd lost a lot of blood even before everything with the Dragons... And afterwards?
Hora swallowed, her eyes flashing as she lift her right hand slowly, and settled it on her chest rather gingerly. Her ribs ached for the little touch, her hand and arm too from the cuts littered over her flesh- but in particular a rather unpleasant ache of pain washed through her left side, and when held her breath against it. She could see bandages around her arm, hand, and chest- she could feel them too, wound about her person in way too many places to count, and she wilted a bit.
... Callan really did a number on me... But Over-Drive probably made it a million times worse... That last Spell too... I... I broke Lixue... I broke... Us...
So... I guess... It makes sense I lost a lot of blood... And more, if I did rip open some earlier when- Wait.
B-but what happened to Rogue-?
"... Rogue's fine... He just... He passed out." Sting murmured, almost as if he could read her mind, or seemed to have sensed the way her heart picked up when Rogue and trying to 'catch him' came up. Hora faltered a bit in the small surge of panic and question at that, her eyes widening for the reply and utterly rigid now. Sting frowned a bit more, his shoulders hunching a tad as his eyes dropped closed- while his head tilted slightly to his right, and back a bit. Hora's eyes moved quickly in the direction his head had tilted, her heart skipping a beat and eyes widening in surprise and concern when she found Rogue across the room aways.
The Shadow Dragon Slayer was laid out on a couch against the far wall, a blanket draped over his form, eyes shut, and very pale. She could see his chest rising and falling in slightly rushed tenor, Frosch's head bobbing up and down from the movement as the Exceed hugged to Rogue even while being asleep. Lector and Yukino were over that way too, the Celestial Mage curled up asleep in a chair beside the couch Rogue was on, and Lector similarly asleep in her arms.
A small survey of the rest of the room had Rufus and Orga there too, sitting at a table together and both asleep. Not a one of them moved, or even stirred in the faintest with Hora jolting awake or Sting's quick orders for her to stop- and Hora wasn't surprised. Even from the distance she was at, the slight haze over vision still, she could see how exhausted and worn they all were, and Rogue looked even more awful than he had when she'd woken before.
"... He's still out of it, and he probably will be for awhile... He pushed it too hard... He just... He hasn't eaten anything in days, or really slept..." Sting mumbled, Hora's stomach churning for the words and earning her eyes moving back toward Sting slowly. Sting shook his head a bit, his lips pulling into an even thinner line and his shoulders tensed too, his voice dropping suddenly lower. Hora stiffened, her eyes flashing in the dim and her stomach flipping on it's head when she saw his fingernails dig all the more harshly into his legs, and she realized that he-
"... Nobody has... We've all been too... S...shit Hora... You've been in such bad shape... For five days." He hissed lowly, his fingers digging so hard into his knees now he must have been hurting himself- but he just kept going, his voice growing even lower. "For five days we've just been... Trying to keep you alive damn it... Y... You... Hora you promised you'd be careful... But you still... You... You got so bad... B-between your wounds, a-all the Magic you used... A-and Over-Drive... Shit..." Sting kept on, his voice dropping even lower than it already had and he seemed to hunch in on himself a little too. His fingers digging into his knees was so harsh now it earned his knuckles turning white.
"... Y... You said you'd be careful... T...that you'd come back... B...but... Hora... Y... You died, a-and we... D...damn it..." Sting hissed, his voice breaking painfully on the weighty word; 'died'
"... Y... You stopped breathing... Y-Your heart stopped... We... We tried so hard to bring you back a-and it didn't... W-we lost you and we d-didn't know i-if... we thought y-you... s...shit...!" He kept on, his voice growing all the more uneven. "... H...Hora... it's j-just been one thing... a-after another... o-over and over... y-you just keep getting hurt, over and over... getting into things, f-fighting even though you... you were already in bad shape... p-pushing it so hard u-until you... you... fuck... y-you've been barely hanging on by a thread... t-this whole time... a...and you still just... kept going... all the way until... i...it killed you...!" He snapped hoarsely, his voice breaking painfully as he shook his head a bit hotly, the blonde folded in on himself a little more and his entire body trembling terribly.
Hora swallowed hard, her eyes locked to his hands and the harshness of his grip, the shaking in his body and voice, and the way his shoulders hunched- the near hissing of the words, and the barely contained hurt and ache swimming in his voice... Because... because she pushed things to the point... her heart stopped... s..shit... he's-
"...t...tch... y... you... you pushed everything...s..so far...e..even though you were... you... you kept going... kept fighting... trying so hard to... to... even when... tch, damn it..." He hissed next, his voice barely above a whisper now and Hora stiffened again when he cut off, and this time there was anger and agitation in his voice- hearing that felt like getting a sword run through her chest.
-he's still... he's angry... at me... f-for all of it...
Her chest tightened so badly at that she almost ended up in a coughing fit right then and there. But she kept it at bay, swallowing hard and her hand on her chest curling tightly around the sheets covering her. She shut her eyes too, her teeth gritting against the awful fire in her lungs now as she held her breath, and the way her entire core wrenched for the realization of that.
He's still mad at me... more mad now, after all of it- shit, shit... shit...
She sucked in a sharp, terribly uneven breath of air that just made the burning in her chest all the worse. She shut her eyes tighter for it, the sting of tears welling up even with her eyelids closed. She held tighter to the sheet, the deep cuts still littered across her palm stinging a little more than the threat of tears... but only just.
... I... I really fucked up...t..tch...
"... I... I'm so s...sorry..." Hora barely managed to hiss, her voice scarcely audible and so ragged she could only just get the three words out before she ended up sputtering. And she only just managed to keep herself from coughing at all.
Sting went utterly rigid for the apology though, his muscles locking and the shaking his body had adopted put on a sudden hold. His heart skipped a beat and dropped into the earth all in the same instant, and he couldn't breathe either- because she...?
He grit his teeth hard, the shaking in his limbs returning shortly after, and with a bit more fervor now. Sting bent over a bit more, his head bowing deeply and face hidden from all view.
"... Hora you... why are you sorry...?" Sting hissed lowly, and Hora stiffened at the question, her eyes snapping open and over toward him, blinking. Sting shook his head stiffly, bending over a bit more so his forehead almost brushed his hands on his knees, and she saw him shudder as he sucked in a quick, absolutely aching breath of air that almost choked him.
"..s..shit... you shouldn't be sorry... n-not when... I... I... I was... I was so awful to you... H-Hora..." He stammered breathlessly. Hora froze, her eyes flashing and stunned,
W..what...?
"...D-damn it... I... I was s-such an ass to you... a-after what happened with Jiemma.. a..and the Possession Link... y... you almost died f-from what he did, you were hurt, r-really bad a-and I just... I was such a bastard to you... I was... I shouldn't have b-been so terrible to you... I... I shouldn't have yelled, o-or said what I did... I... I shouldn't have acted like such... a..an asshole... n-not when you... you were hurt... hurting... a-and after telling us about... y-you're family... n...none of it..." Sting whispered, his voice choking off several times a word now and so very, very low. "... tch... damn it I... I shouldn't have... n...not to you... n-not after everything... I... I hate myself for... for treating you like that... I was so horrible t-to you... y-yelling and... and being so harsh... a..and not... not talking to you... e..even when you showed up at the Square...a...and you were hurt again... I... I should have... I should have s-said something... a-apologized... o-or even just... just..."
Sting's voice cracked painfully and Hora stared, her eyes widening and her heart stalling for a second when she saw something small, wet, and glittering fall into his lap- and quickly followed by several more.
"... I... I n-never meant to... I... I shouldn't have... s..shit Hora...t...this whole time... I... y... you died, a-and I thought... y... you wouldn't come back... you w-would have been gone forever... a-and the last thing I ever did... w...was be so... awful to you..." He hissed, bending further in on himself as the specks of moisture kept coming, faster and with more fervor- and his voice kept getting shakier with it.
"... i... if you died... a...after I... was such... such a... a monster t-to you... H..Hora... I... I could never forgive myself... I... I still don't think... I can forgive myself... e-even if you... d...don't... d...damn it... I... I am so s-sorry..." Sting choked out, his voice breaking again and he sucked in another gulp of air just as shaky and hushed as the last one. "... I... I was never mad at you, H-Hora... n...not really, I j-just... A-after finding out about the P-Possession Link, a-and what it was... w...what Jiemma did to you... because I had... because I had gone after him... s..shit... he... he tried to k-kill you... he almost k-killed you... because of... because of me..."
He broke off again, his voice shattering and he didn't even dare breathe for a heartbeat or two. He just hunched further, completely folded over now and his hands on his knees moving, his arms snaking around himself and holding tightly, the tears streaming from his eyes dribbling in constant rhythm atop his lap.
".. I... I'm s-so sorry Hora... I... I'm sorry... I can't... I never... I never wanted to hurt you... I didn't mean t-to... b..but I... I almost got you killed... I... I didn't know w-what... T...to do... I... I could have... G-gotten you killed... I... I was so... so horrible t-to you... I hurt you... a-and I... I w-wanted to... to stop... I w-wanted to... after... y... you got hurt again... t...trying to... g-get Yukino back... a-and you... you asked Erza to... to save L-Lector... b...but... I c...couldn't... I... I couldn't... n-not after what I did... I... I don't... shit... I.. I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." He sobbed, "... I'm s-so sorry... I... I didn't mean to hurt you... I never w-wanted to... b...but... Hora... I... didn't... sh..it... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm...s...sorry..."
Sting's voice faded to nothing but breathy whispers hitching with the sobs racking his whole body, a dozen and more frantic I'm sorry's stammered out- and each one more painful, guilt-ridden, and agonized than the last. He could barely breathe, but he kept mumbling the apologies over and over, and he could have done it for ten years, but it would still never be enough to make up for all of what he'd done to her.
Not after being so harsh, and snapping at her as he had right after what had happened with Jiemma. Not when he'd yelled at her and been so angry, even when she stood there, pale as hell, covered in blood, and had been being ripped to shreds minutes before because he'd attacked Jiemma blindly. Not after he'd refused to look at her, and let her run off to get hurt worse than she already had because of his own inability to face the fact that it was his fault she'd almost gotten killed. Not after he'd kept himself silent, and from apologizing even after she'd come back from the Palace in worse shape. Not after he stayed quiet even when he learned about her asking Erza to save Lector, and all manner of other things she'd done for him, for everyone else- even if that meant putting herself last.
He should never have done any of that, he should never have acted- reacted- that way. He should never have been so curt with her, or let her go off- he should have tried to stop her, keep an eye on her, showed some amount of care or concern for her and her safety. He should have done something, said something- maybe if he had... Maybe he could have prevented some of this, and some of what lead to her getting so bad she... she died.
He should never have done what he did, because it hurt her. A friend wouldn't have treated her like that, or have hurt her the way he had, and he could never take it back. He could apologize a million times and more, and it would never be enough. Not even days of sitting there, terrified of losing her and living with the reality that he might have hurt her even more badly with what he did than Jiemma ever had- that guilt and self-loathing could not make up for a damn thing. He could hate himself, and he did hate himself, but that didn't make up for a damn thing.
Not after he'd been nothing less than cold and cruel to her. Not after he'd been so terrible to her, done so much harm to her, with his scathing words, his rigidity, his inability to say anything, him not trying to stop her or do anything.
Not after he'd been nothing less than an absolute, and utter monst-
Sting jumped slightly, his breath hitching in his throat and his mind stuttering to a standstill in an instant- because all of the sudden there came the completely unexpected sensation of someone's hands coming down on his knees, shaky as hell as they seemed to lean into him rather heavily.
W-what the...?
His head snapped up, tear-filled eyes glittering like mad and his face falling in shock, panic, and worry all at once. In front of him was Hora, it was her hands on his knees, her entire body hunched over and shaking terribly as she struggled to keep herself sort of propped up. She'd pushed herself closer to him across the bed, pulling her legs up into her so she could gain a little traction and roll over slightly. She got herself up from laying on her back the little bit she'd managed, but it was barely anything, her body only a few inches off the bed itself and Hora shaking terribly for the sheer effort of just that little movement- and then quickly losing her struggle as her hands on his knees slid a bit, sending her sinking back down into him. Her upper half twisted in rather painful way as her arms and her head with them landed in his lap, laying sort of on her side with her legs tucked underneath her.
Hora let loose a shaky hiss as her arms failed to keep her up and send her falling against Sting, a surge of pain running across her ribs on her left side for the sort of awkward position she was in now. Sting bristled the instant she started to sink, his arms unhooking from having been clutching to his sides and struggling to try and steady or slow her before she was all the way down again. He didn't manage a thing before her full weight fell into him, and that along with the hiss of pain she let out as she went rigid against him made his heart plummet, icy-cold panic rushing though his veins in seconds.
"H-Hora...!" Sting hissed frantically, his hands hovering uncertainly above her and eyes darting frantically about her person and toward the length of bandages wrapped tightly about her torso- right across her ribs on her left side, and that same wound she'd ripped open before trying to catch Rogue. With the way she'd twisted herself now he'd not have been surprised to see scarlet already welling up under the bandages, and he grit his teeth in preparation for it, trembling slightly and frantic. He hadn't even been aware she moved until she'd reached him, and he hated he'd been so caught up in his own head to keep her from doing it at all.
Because she could not lose anymore blood by ripping things open again...!
"S-shit I told you not to move-!" Sting hissed quickly, only to break off slightly when she moved again, her arms snaking around his torso, her hands gripping tightly to him and bunching his shirt in her fingers almost... Desperately.
... W..wait... Is she... Hugging... Me...?
Sting faltered, his panic stalling as quickly as it emerged and being replaced with shock and unease when he felt her shake against him, her hands wavering even as she held on, and her entire figure hitched slightly- Hora sucking in a small, shallow breath of air that was less a breath of air, and more the beginnings of a sob... And then was followed by a few more, her hold around him tightening as her entire figure shuddered with each breathy, shallow breath as she... she...?
Sting blinked slowly, the tears falling from his own eyes never ceasing even for the sudden change in events, his hovering hands lowering a little uncertainly to fall on her shoulders ever so lightly. Hora sniffed, her body jerking a little under his hands as she did it, and then doing so a few more times as her breaths got a little more shaky, and broken apart. He smelled the salty tang of someone else's tears on the air only just before he felt the wet dripping down onto his legs, and he swallowed hard, blue gaze flashing in the dim and the tears falling a little faster from his eyes now.
She's... crying...
His hands shook a little, still hesitant in their place on her back and shoulders, a little unsure of the contact or even what really to do. She was holding on to him so tightly it was almost desperate, and maybe even a little pained and afraid. Like she was afraid he'd pull away, or maybe she just needed him there or risk falling hard back onto the bed she'd only barely managed to pull up from... Whatever the reason, Sting couldn't fathom why she would be holding to him, or crying, or any of it.
How could she stand to even be near him, or want to? After what he-?
"... I... I t..thought... y...you were never... gonna.. f..forgive me..."
Hora's voice came out breathless and so, so rough. It was grating and painful to hear, let alone how awful it must have felt to force those words up and passed her lips- but she forced them anyway, even when she nearly ended up sputtering and coughing for it, and Sting froze.
Hora hissed, her hands around him tightening even further, and shaking with even more fervor because of it. She buried her face into his lap and his shirt, her breath hitching again and so badly she had to pause, and Sting felt her stiffen for a heartbeat or two, holding her breath against whatever surge of pain followed that breath- and all he could do was stare, his mind struggling to process what she'd said.
What... what did she mean forgive her ...?
The rigidness in her body unwound after a moment or two, a shaky breath escaping her that sounded more awful than the last- but still, that didn't stop her from stammering out the next bit;
"... I... I t...thought... y... you wo...uld... h...hate me... f-forever for... for all... all t..he... s...secrets... and... m...mess...ing up... O..over and over... W... With everything I did... I...I... I th...ought... t...tch..." She stammered shakily, hugging him tighter, and just about as much as her body and the little strength she even had would allow.
Sting's heart dropped, the blood in his veins turning to ice as the words pierced him straight through his center- and worst was the blade born from that one word; hate
She... She thought he'd hated her-
"I... I don't care... t-that you y-yelled... I d..don't care... a...about any of it... I'm... I'm just... G...glad that... I... I didn't... S...screw everything up... F...forever..."
He was wrong, the worst and most cutting thing of all she said wasn't 'hate'. What hurt more than anything was how her voice was so full of pain, exhaustion, sadness, and relief when she said that. That she hadn't messed everything up, and in a way that might never have been fixed.
His heart broke at the idea that she ever could have thought she'd messed anything up. That she was the one in all of this who had done something wrong, broken things and might never have been able to put them back together again. That even after she had fought so hard to protect everyone else, and did everything she could to put on a brave face and keep going in all the chaos even when she was hurt, over and over... Even after she kept going trying to protect the Guild, her friends, everyone in the city and all those fighting with her- even after all of that, being selfless and steadfast in trying to stop all the madness, and fix the chaos brought from it- she'd still thought she'd ruined things, and made him hate her for all the secrets and whatever else. Even after having that hanging over her head, she still kept trying... She kept trying and fighting still.
And she thought it was all her fault
Sting sucked in a shuddering breath of air that burned in his chest, his heart breaking into a million pieces and the tears in his eyes hot and falling without end. He hunched, folding in on himself and his arms wrapping around her head and shoulders, burying his face into her hair. Guilt, regret, and a million other terrible things joined in with that agonizing sensation of his heart shattering, and all he could do was just hold onto her, and cry.
Cry just like she was, and hold on just as desperately to her as she was to him- and he would not let go, not for a thing. He wouldn't do that to her, not after all of it, not with her clinging to him and so relieved even after all the pain and wounds and how awful she must have been feeling just then. Not with her relieved and happy at the idea that he didn't hate her, that she hadn't screwed it all up- not when those thoughts should never have been on her mind or haunting her in the first place. In the whole of the world, she was the one person who shouldn't have had to feel like she messed up and failed, after all of it, and how hard she tried. The one person who kept trying and fighting so hard even when everything in her world had been turned completely and utterly upside down, and so much of it she kept locked up and buried in herself, suffocating and heavy.
Not her
"... I... I could never... Ever hate you... Hora... Never..." Sting stammered out between cries, "... I... I'm so sorry, Hora... I could never hate you... Ever...a...and... Y... You didn't mess anything u-up, okay...? N-not a thing... Y... You haven't... S..screwed anything up... I promise... N...none of this... None of it's your fault... N.. None of it... I... I'm so sorry... Y... You ever even t..thought... S... Shit... I'm so sorry... Atia... You d-didn't mess up... I s-swear... None of this... is o-on you... You didn't s-screw up... You... You fought so hard... You h-helped so many people... You didn't mess up... I d-don't hate you... I promise you, A-Atia... A-and there's nothing for me to... to f-forgive you for... I promise... I... I'm sorry..."
He felt her stiffen a little underneath him for the words, her crying picking up a bit and that hurt even more. He shut his eyes tight, his chin still settled atop her head and his arms around her body holding a bit more firmly, but not too much- lest he hurt her.
"... I... I'm sorry... I'm the o-one that needs forgiving... Not you... I can't e-ever... T...tch..." He hissed shakily, his voice sputtering to nothing as he grit his teeth hard for the guilt that swelled and rammed all anew into him. For all the awful things he'd said, done, not done- and everything else she'd ended up feeling, blaming, and afraid of. All the things he could never, ever, make up f-
"... T...there's... Nothing...to... F...forgive... Sting..." Hora stammered breathlessly, her voice so terribly low and ragged now from the crying- but it was steady all the same, and so sincere.
Sting choked on a sob that caught in his throat, his breath snatched away in no time at all and his heart breaking all over again in the same instant it leaped.
He didn't deserve that- but all the same she gave it.
All the same, she was there, alive, hurt, and still so ready to just... Forgive, forget it, and move on.
And in that moment it had never been so painfully clear how lucky he was to just have her. All these years, all those adventures, all those mishaps, all the mistakes, laughs, smiles, battles, fights, and heartaches... Years now he had known her, and it had never been clearer how lucky he was to have her as a friend- his best friend.
His best friend who was crying and barely awake she was still so hurt. And his best friend who was still so ready and willing to forgive him even when he'd been a terrible friend that last night, and she must have been in so much pain at that moment- her body all a mess and barely able to even breathe.
Because how could he ever deserve her?
He broke down all the way that time. No more words to stammer out, and no more apologies either. Just sobs that racked his body and kept him from any proper amount of air for so very long. After days of being utterly terrified she wouldn't come back, and that she'd slip through his fingers, and days of being at the beside and holding her hand so lightly and without any certainty he had a right to- days of turmoil festering and coming to a boil now suddenly spilled over, and he had no way of stopping it if even he had a mind to.
He crumbled, holding her and sobbing for what seemed like forever. And he kept crying, even as Hora's weight against him grew steadily heavier while her strength got sapped away by her own tears, and kept stripping away at her all the way until she had no energy left even to cry. It was miracle enough she didn't drift back into the throes of unconsciousness once they had, especially so when she lost her hold on Sting altogether, her fingers slipping on his shirt, trembling and with no strength left in them, just dead weight. But she stayed awake, or mostly so- her ears filled with the sound of his quiet sobs and the feeling of his body hitching underneath her a persistent lifeline that kept her anchored in the waking world... And it was all a small distraction from the heaviness, and deep ache in every inch of her own body. As well as the rather hot throbbing in her left side that seemed to have adopted the rhythm her own heart, each beat radiating through her very bones with a sharp, yet dull burst of pain.
The pain was... Well, awful really- but it had been there at the top of everything else for so long now, it sort of just faded into the background for now. Like something that had become so commonplace your mind started to shuffle it out of direct focus.
It took Sting a little longer than he liked to realize her grip on him had failed, and that her crying had stopped- leaving her breathing rather low, a little fast-paced, and quite shallow. His crying broke off as panic and worry drowned out all the rest, his hold around her slackening as he jerked up a bit, eyes darting frantically again to the bandages about her person and terrified of seeing red. Red that had started to pool and drip onto the bed, stripping away at her strength and life with it while he'd been so wrapped up in his own head and turmoil like an idiot.
His eyes swept over the bandages and over her person in rapidity, terrified and frantic still- but there was no red. And there was no fresh scent of blood on the air either, so he faltered.
Sting swallowed slightly, his eyes moving down and his head tilting a bit to try and get a better look at Hora's face from the rather tough angle he was at above her, and she in his lap. One of his hands came down shakily on her back, the faintly rapid rise and fall of it under his touch making his stomach curl, and especially so for the warmth of her skin against his. Too warm, fevered and sick still, but it wasn't super high... Not that that eased any of his panic and worry just then, mind you.
"... Hora...?" Sting mumbled quickly, his voice quiet, tense, and a little scared too. He wasn't even sure what possessed him to say it, he didn't have any hope for an answer since it had become quite clear she'd passed out again. But regardless, her name came passed his lips without consciously meaning for it to, and he grimaced a bit to himself soon afterwards- only for the frown to get washed away in surprise when she twitched a little.
Hora grumbled quietly under her breath, tilting her head sideways so she could look up at him wearily, those dark blue eyes of hers so glassy and exhausted- but more or less focused on him, and the fact he'd said her name. She'd heard him, she looked up waiting for him to continue his question or train of thought or whatever- she was awake still and lucid, even after crying, moving, and all else.
Sting blinked in shock, his eyes gleaming and lips pulling into a tight line. He sniffed, shaking his head slightly and his hand coming down shakily atop her head, rubbing her hair gently and swallowing back at the way his chest swelled and ached all at once.
This was the longest she'd been awake and not with her mind trapped in some sort of delirious haze in days. And while fear kept him from putting too much faith or stock in that, he couldn't help but hope that maybe... Maybe this time she was actually getting a little better. And he never wanted anything more than for that to be true.
Not even just wanted, but needed it, so so badly- him, and everyone else.
"... S...sorry... I just..." Sting mumbled hoarsely, his free hand moving up to rub at his face and try to wipe away the moisture still there. He sucked in a breath of air and held it, doing his best to steady himself even just a little. His head hurt, pounding and throbbing from all the crying, and the emotion and turmoil that had been eating him up for days only to spill over now- and not all of it was gone, it wouldn't be for a long time, but it was a little lighter now. And because of that, he needed to pull himself together and focus on her instead... And maybe start making up for how terrible a friend he'd been before all this, if making up for it were at all possible.
"... I didn't think you were still awake... Sorry..." Sting apologized quietly, his voice a bit steadier now and a little less hoarse. His hand patted the top of her head lightly and then pulling some trailing strands of her hair back from her face, Hora's eyes dropping closed again for the reply in a silent acknowledgement of what he said, and Sting paused a moment. His eyes flickered away from her face and down her person, scanning the rather awkward way she was positioned and the uneasy tenor of her breathing too... It looked like she was breathing rather shallowly, either because of the fever, or the wounds, or maybe because of the way she was laying. He wasn't sure which it was, but whatever way...?
He bit the inside of his cheek, hesitant for a moment, before he brushed his palm again her cheek, and the other found her shoulder, gently trying to earn her attention again. "... Hora... You can't be comfortable like this..." Sting mumbled, "... You should really lay down again... alright...?" He suggested softly, and for a moment Hora didn't do or say a thing... Until eventually she gave him a weary, almost imperceptible nod, and he swallowed a bit.
She moved only a little, attempting at first to push herself back up again all her own- but almost as soon as she started her body shook too much in protest, and her breathing picked up too. Sting grimaced, quick to snake his hands underneath and steady her, holding most, if not all her weight and his stomach churning all anew. She winced harshly as he helped her sit up again and up out of his lap, the sound of it making Sting flinch and his heart to pick up too- but he couldn't pause.
He swallowed back at the lump in his throat and held on to her steadily, easing her back against the bed as gingerly as was possible, her head falling against the pillow again and her expression full of nothing but tiredness and pain. Sting muttered another hushed apology, his hands trembling again as he adjusted the sheets and pulled them up, his eyes lingering worriedly on the rapid rise and fall of her chest now, her breaths raspy and awful in the quiet air- and it took several minutes for them to quiet and slow down again. Sting sat there beside her the whole time, mumbling another few more anxious apologies and reassurances for her that sounded less for her own good, than it did his. His eyes kept darting back and forth, afraid that moving her again had opened some wound somewhere- a fear that almost kept him from suggesting moving her at all, and he almost regretted it now with how ragged her breathing got... But that raggedness faded after a bit, and there was no awful stain of crimson that appeared in show of wounds getting ripped open again.
When she settled all the way and her breaths evened out a bit, Sting forced himself a breath, wilting a little with his hands finding his knees and shoulders hunching. He hung his head a bit, a million pounds of worry, exhaustion, unease, and strain tugging suddenly harder at his body, and he shivered a bit underneath it all. He willed his body to unwind a little, and the accelerated beating of his heart to taper off again after picking up so quickly- he needed to relax a little, his body couldn't take much more of being so tense on edge after having been that way for days on end.
But hell, relaxing even just smidge wasn't really in the realm of possibility right then. Not even if he might have dared to hope that she was maybe...
Sting forced himself a big sigh and shook his head, shaking himself out a little and straightening up again, eyes still closed.
... Please... Please let her be getting better.
Sting stiffened, his eyes snapping open and heart skipping a beat when Hora's hand bumped against his, her fingers curling around his sleeve and tugging tiredly at it. His gaze matched with hers, her dark blue eyes only barely open and glinting in the dim, and she tugged his sleeve one more time before her her hand got to heavy to hold up. She tilted her head ever so slightly in the direction away from him, and Sting faltered, a little unsure of the feature and what it meant... Before his expression softened, and he nodded stiffly.
He adjusted, moving himself closer and settling down into sitting just beside her. He adjusted the pillow she was laying on, snaking his arm over it and to her other side while Hora shifted enough to let her head lean into his shoulder. Doing so pressed their sides up together, destroying any amount of space or distance, and Sting stiffened a little- knowing full well he was probably grazing the wound over her ribs. But Hora didn't seem to feel it, or otherwise didn't care, she just pressed in against him as much as was possible, her left arm settling atop his chest and her other draping across her stomach to reach him. Sting chewed on the inside of his cheeks, pulling his arm a bit more around her to keep her steadier, and his left hand twining around her right one gently.
Hora's eyes fluttered closed as she sank a little further into him, her breathing slowing down some more as her mind got swallowed up by the exhaustion. She was drifting off fast, like really fast, but she didn't fight it. She just let herself fall freely into the sort of blissful warmth of Sting against her, the heat enveloping her entirely and lulling her mind down into some place empty, and calm, and so very far away.
Sting heard her let out one more small, almost wheezy breath- and then every one after it was low and slow, and a little more even as she fell asleep. He let out a small sigh, his eyes dropping closed and his head tilting to bump gently against the top of hers, his hand holding around her own tightening just a tad.
"... Please be okay, Hora..."
.:+:.
...mmmm... it's... cold again...?
Hora grumbled, her mind getting tugged away from someplace empty and warm without warning, and by a steady chill starting to creep up and seep into her bones slowly. The softness of the bed and the steady feel of Sting beside to her was gone now, replaced with something firmer and slick... icy.
She hissed, a shiver startling her out of a daze and forcing her eyes open. In front of her nose was sheer white, shimmering cold ground covered in sheets of ice and frost that were so thick there was no seeing the bottom, and she was laying on her side atop it. Around her the smooth surface was scratched and criss-crossed by deep grooves and wears, fractured sections where things had impacted hard enough to shatter the ice, and little spots here and there stained pinky-brown, and now covered in a new layer of frost and sleet... but the scent of ash and blood was still there, even underneath it, and Hora's heart skipped a beat.
Wait, this is-?
She scrambled, her body burning with dull fire the instant she moved and shaking in protest as she rushed to push herself off her side and sit up. She looked about quickly over the icy expanse, her blue eyes locking to the only other thing in the vastness beside herself- and her heart leapt and sank in unison, her core wrenching when in that moment she realized she had completely forgotten about him.
She'd not even wondered or anything in waking up- not with Rogue, or Sting, or anytime in between- she'd not thought or wondered since seeing him motionless, burned, and so terribly, terribly wounded- shit, how could I forget...?!
"L-Lixue...!" Hora stammered frantically, bristling and heart pounding when she found him and the horror of it all came flooding back.
The stark and vibrant red of the ice where blood had pooled in a massive circle underneath him, where he'd lay, burned, barely breathing, and covered in that vermilion red. She remembered just how many of the pearly white scales had cracked and chipped away, she remembered the whole sections of hide and flesh gouged out and spilling scarlet still. His wings that had been littered in holes and blackened, jagged, scorched flesh climbing up along his back and all down his body, leaving dark marks and shattered scales all in their quake. She remembered the awful sound of those labored breaths that had only been faintly there- the smear of crimson across his nose, and blood dripping slowly passed his teeth to join the larger whole underneath.
She remembered how still- how limp he had been. Nearly lifeless, and there had been no reaction from the Dragon, not even with the sound of his name, or with all her struggling to drag herself through the blood and reach him, crying and retching up blood, and pleading... Apologizing.
Because all that damage, all the wounds, gashes, burns, and everything else rendering him so still and lifeless, and barely holding on- it was all her fault.
Through all the fighting, and the constant pushing even when she'd already been hurt, and he'd already been damaged by the Possession Link, she'd still pushed harder. She kept pushing, using his Magic over and over in the fight with Callan, each time damaging him even more... And then that last time, that last massive, and grief-fueled attack after Time rewound?
She'd felt something in her center crack, felt the shattering pain all through the Spell, and she'd seen the piece of the Lacrima that was Lixue when she retched up blood afterward. She'd broken him, over and over, and he-
Hora shuddered, tears spilling from her eyes like a storm and in no time at all as she struggled to find some traction and her feet. Her limbs felt so heavy still, every movement and breath was agony still, but she had to get up, reach him, anything.
"L-Lixue...!" Hora snapped hoarsely, her feet sliding on the ice and sending her jolting forward to crash against it painfully. She'd not even moved more than a foot in his direction, or managed to stand all the way before crashing down again, and her voice broke in a yelp at the impact. She cringed, her attention on Lixue broken for half a second as the breath was driven from her, gritting her teeth and shaking as she quickly tried to force herself back up again, tears spattering against the new layer of frost underneath her, melting the crystals.
"... C-Crap I... I didn't... Lixue...!" Hora snapped, her voice cracking halfway through it and making her sputter, and the sputtering make it all the harder to get her feet under her and try again- but she did it anyway.
She didn't even manage three staggering steps before she hit the ground again though, this time the impact doing more than driving the breath from her and instead sending her lungs into a coughing fit. She hunched over on her knees and elbows sputtering and gasping for air she couldn't get, each jolt and spasm like lava in her core and sending sticky crimson to spatter across the ice underneath her in thin, watery dots. She almost tipped over, her head whirling and damn near suffocating by the time her lungs functioned enough to let her get even the tiniest bit of air. Her elbows slipped underneath her and she only barely managed to keep herself sort of straight, fingernails digging into the ice and her teeth gritting so hard they threatened to crack.
S...shit...
She sucked in a shallow breath of air and dug her fingernails in harder, pushing against her hands and forcing herself up from being hunched over, her arms shaking terribly for the effort of it and hissing as she went. She rocked back a bit onto the balls of her feet, stumbling a bit as she did her best to pull her legs underneath her and get steady enough to take her hands off the ice. She paused halfway through it, crouched on the balls of her feet and at something of an angle with one hand still down and being the only thing keeping her from toppling over.
"... s..shit... I... I didn't mean to..." She stammered breathlessly, her voice breaking off before she got to the rest of the apology, and she coughed again. Her lungs burned, rattling a little more and leaving her to sputter for a second or two again- and she couldn't stop it before it came.
... d..damn it... I... I didn't mean to do any of it... I never wanted to hurt Lixue... t...that much...
... he... he can't die... please...
Hora held her breath, muscles tensing and fangs grinding on each other as she started to force herself up no matter how much her legs didn't want to listen.
"... Lixu-" Hora hissed shakily,
"... you have shouted my name three times already... please do not... do it a fourth time..." A very tired, and quite clearly exasperated rumbling voice cut her off before she could finish, and the breath of air Hora sucked in in shock almost had her coughing again.
"... your voice is quite grating... Horatia... even more so... than usual..."
Hora shuddered, her head snapping up and eyes going wide, still tear-filled as she stared. Lixue and his nose were still several feet ahead of her, and too far still- but even so, his words and his breath washed out over the ice to meet her, wispy and faint, but there.
And when her eyes grew level with the icy blue of his gaze, she nearly forgot how to breathe at all- because wha...?
He... He's... Awake and... And scolding me...?!
She stared, her mind stuttering to a standstill and not really sure of what to do, or even really what she was seeing. Because there were gashes and burns and damage still littering every inch of him, still spots were the scales were cracked and missing, the skin sunken in and gashed- but there was no blood. Nothing fresh anyway, just little smears where it had cached and dried around raw wounds and blackened, burned flesh that had already started to curl in on itself... But no, there was no blood. No giant pool of it, no constant stream, no dribble passed his teeth, none of that.
He was laying on the ice as he had been, but this time in a position on his belly with his wings and tail curled in around him- with his neck stretched toward her and head settled down on the shinning surface wearily, and front legs tucked under his chest. She could see his sides rise and fall with his breaths, low, slow, and sort of rumbling- but stronger and more even than they had been before, and now just... Tired almost. Just as tired as his voice was.
Hora blinked, the trembling in her legs growing steadily more violent and moving up to take hold of the rest of her, tears still spilling silently from her eyes still as her mind continued to struggle to pull together and settle. She sucked in a quick breath of air and held it, the pace of the tears trailing down her cheeks quickening as her legs gave out on her. She stumbled back a pace, her feet sliding from underneath her and sending her falling hard on her ass, shaking like a leaf and absolutely fixed, frozen.
Lixue let out a low sigh at the rather stunned and tearful staring, his eyes dropping halfway and looking rather exasperated- and then more so when the tears just kept coming, and kept getting heavier and faster, even with her holding her breath and being rather (perhaps unnervingly) silent.
"... L...Lixue..." Hora stammered after a few heartbeats of nothing, her voice barely a whisper this time and halfway drowned in a sob that never got all the way to being all the way audible. "... Y... you're... alive...?" She whispered and the Dragon let out a rumbling breath that was definitely exasperated.
"... Of course..." He sighed, but Hora shook her head stiffly, shaking a few tears loose in the process as she leaned forward a tad.
"B-But I thought... Y... you were bleeding so much... y..you're so hurt... I... I tried to... to reach you before but... b-but you wouldn't w-wake up... a-and I thought... I t-thought..." She stammered quickly, her voice fading into nothing but a halfway shuddering breath of air, and Lixue blinked slowly.
"... you are alive, are you not...?" The Dragon asked softly, and Hora stiffened at the question, uncertainty flitting quickly across her face and Lixue sighed, his eyes dropping closed. "... hmmph... If I were not alive... you would not be either... which you should have already realized yourself... but you being so emotional seems to have... made that fact slip your mind... hmm...?" He grumbled softly, and Hora swallowed hard. Lixue shifted slightly, eyes still closed and his head shaking once or twice, though he didn't bother to lift his head off the ice to do so... or maybe he just didn't have the energy to.
"... apologies however, that I could not answer you... when you were here before... if I could, I would have... but as it was... I was rather spent..." He mumbled, and Hora stiffened a little at that, her eyes flashing and her stomach twisting itself into a tight knot.
"... I... I'm so s-sorry..." Hora stammered quickly. Lixue cracked on eye open at it, a slightly more weary and exasperated sigh rumbling up from deep in his chest, and this time when he shook his head, it was rather firm and decisive.
"... Do not apologize." He ordered quietly, "... I committed to whatever would come of you... using my Magic as extensively as you did... I was determined to see it through... and it mattered not to me what consequences would come... I was fully prepared to die if it came to that, just as you were, would there have been no other way... this was a choice on both our parts, you did not force me into anything I wasn't willing to go through with... we both walked willingly into danger and possible destruction, Horatia... so do not apologize..."
Hora sniffed, her breath hitching in her throat and the tears spilling still as she shook her head rather quickly, scrunching her eyes closed and bowing her head as she bent forward, her hands gripping tightly to her ankles.
"... b...but... Lixue... I broke you..." Hora hissed, her voice cracking painfully on the word. "... s...shit... a...after all the damage Jiemma did... I just... I kept chipping away at you... breaking you more... y... you're hurt all over... y-you almost died... a-and even if you were... were willing... o-or p-prepared for... tch..." She whispered, bending further in on herself and her lungs burning hotter and hotter with every breath- and every word breaking all the more because of it.
"... I... I should... I should n-never ha...have pushed s..so hard... k...kept pushing... ...t...to the po...int y...you... y...you're so h-hurt... I...d...amn i-it..."
Lixue let out another breath, a silent one this time, the Dragon watching quietly as Hora folded in on herself even further, her forehead almost to her feet now and absolutely gasping for air. She was likely to start into another coughing fit, and quickly so- which would have been rather inconvenient at that moment, and quite unpleasant... but it was also quite agitating. The tears, the guilt- and Lixue's lips curled slightly for a few seconds while Hora continued to sputter and sob.
Humans were rather emotional just in general, but she was more so than most... understandably perhaps, for the life she had lived. But Lixue was exhausted, and hurt, and he had very little patience or energy for it.
"... you foolish girl... do you not see yourself...?" The Dragon rumbled next, a touch irritated now and Hora stiffened at it, her gaze trailing back up toward him slowly and seeing the irritation clear in his eyes too. "... you are broken too, though you seem to have entirely looked over the fact... Your body is a mess, you have been torn to shreds, bled out, burned, frozen, had your heart stop- you have been wrenched apart, a dozen times over in all of this. Do not torture yourself over what has been done unto me, because what you've suffered is beyond what I had to endure... for once, worry about yourself..." Lixue grumbled lowly, huffing slightly and Hora blinked, her lips pulling into a tight line and quiet. "... You are in far worse shape than I, so spare me the apologies... and please, cease with the tears... lest you end up coughing up more blood..." He added, huffing again and Hora swallowed, her eyes dropping from him and into her lap uneasily.
It didn't matter what he said about it not being her fault, or about him being prepared for things to go badly for him... even if he had set himself to it, there was no overlooking the fact that she had forced them both to keep going. Even if he'd given her leave to do so, his permission, and worked with her the whole time, or any of that- he was still something of an unwilling passenger, and she had gone so far... too far.
It was her choice to keep going, to keep fighting and keep pushing it, even when she knew it was all gonna end badly. Even if Lixue had agreed to keep going, it was still her decision in the end and it was her who had pushed them both far beyond what they could handle, and had set them on that path toward death and destruction. She broke him, even if he didn't mind she had or care- she still broke him, hurt him, and almost killed him. And that was not something that could simply be waved away, or justified with the fact that she'd ended up just as badly off, or worse, than he had in the end.
She chose to push things way, way too far- and Lixue, Sting, Rogue, and everybody else were paying the price for that, all in their own ways. She'd hurt them all, so badly, and that... that was something she wasn't sure she could ever forgive herself for, or make up for.
Lixue could practically see all these thoughts running through her head, the doubt and the unwillingness to believe him, and the inability to listen, trust, and let go. He knew her too well, all these years of her bottling up guilt and self-hatred for herself and her mistakes, the fears that she'd never fix them... he knew her, much too well, and he growled.
Hora flinched slightly for the sound, her eyes flitting up toward the Dragon again and completely unsure of why he growled at all, but she had no time to really wonder on it. Because soon after looking up she got rather preoccupied with the fact that his tail had suddenly swept out and wrapped around her tightly, Lixue jerking her forward with it and dragging her across the ice toward his face with no warning and no hesitation- and Hora could do nothing but sputter a bit in surprise, completely at his mercy.
Her body got pushed easily over the slick surface and toward him in no time at all, her momentum only halting again when she rather unceremoniously collided with his nose and bounced back with a small hiss of pain. The impact would have sent her a kidding away from him again, but his tail curled behind her and kept her still.
His tail and his head both dwarfed her by quite a bit, the tip of his nose level with her chest where she was sitting, and their eyeline mostly level for it. Lixue's breath was warm and frosty as it billowed out over her, almost showering her, and Hora grit her teeth, confused, aching all over again from the impact, and even a little agitated now.
"... Tch... What the hell, Lixue...?" Hora muttered lowly, and the Dragon huffed again.
"You are making me repeat myself, and I am in no mood for it Horatia." Lixue muttered lowly, and she faltered a bit at the reply. "I told you this before- you have hurt people, mostly without want to, and you do feel regret for it. But of anyone, you have hurt yourself the most by far. You have hurt no one more than yourself, and that is because you have so little regard for your well-being over that of everyone else's. You will rip yourself to shreds and to the point you might kill yourself, if that means protecting the people you care for. You have done that time and time again, and you have done it again now- though this time to an extreme beyond any time before this, admittedly." Lixue grumbled, and Hora swallowed a bit. "And yes, you pushing things as hard as you did this time around did hurt others. Myself not included, seeing what happened to you and the effects of Over-Drive have surely hurt those you call your friends and family. Because seeing anyone you care about in such a bad way would be unpleasant, and painful- no matter who you are." Lixue told her lowly and Hora wilted a little under the words, her eyes dropping from his and to the ground as her stomach knotted even further, and the guilt already swirling in her core sharpened too.
She knew that she'd hurt them, scared them, worried them- of course she knew that, how could she not? After the way Sting had broken down sobbing earlier? Or Rogue had pushed himself to the point of collapse because he'd been so worried about her? Yukino, Lucy, Happy, Wendy, Lyon, Natsu and everyone else all frantic after what happened with the Possession Link and hearing about it? Or all the other times everyone she knew and loved had been crying and terrified the last few days on her behalf? The last few months even?
She hunched a little in front of him and Lixue blinked, the tip of his tail twitching a touch irritably, and he let out another big breath that sent frost raining down over her, and glittering pieces dusting her hair and shoulders.
"... it hurts them, because they care for you. And that is not a bad thing, Horatia." Lixue added lowly and she stiffened against it. "Nor is you pushing things so far necessarily bad either, given the situation. Things were chaotic, and the fervor in which you fought and what you did helped plenty of people, and even saved the lives of more than a few, do not forget that." He rumbled, his voice softening a tad and his nose inching forward enough to bump gently against the top of her bent head. "... Do not dwell on what hurt your actions might have caused, what you did and fought for is worth more than any guilt... And no one will hold any of it against you. They will perhaps scold you for how little you put your well-being above others, as I have already have, but that is all. From here all that will truly matter to any of them, is that you are alive, and that you recover. You being alive is enough." Lixue told her softly, and Hora sniffed, holding her breath for a moment when the sudden and totally uncharacteristically gentle tone of his voice had her heart feeling like it was breaking in two.
T..tch...
"... So please for now, focus on yourself... At least as much is possible for you, you stubborn girl." Lixue rumbled softly, nuzzling slightly under her chin to bring her head up a bit from being bent, and pushing his nose lightly against her jaw. He leaned into her to force her to straighten up a bit more, and Hora grit her teeth, eyes shut tight and her body resisting the motion faintly still... Stubborn indeed.
"... Hmph... You have things you still need to do and say, yes..? A lifetime of things unsaid... A brother you lost and found, and who still does not know you are his kin... You promised to tell them all, did you not...?" Lixue pressed softly, and Hora stiffened at it, her heart skipping a painful beat and her teeth gritting harder. She sucked in a shallow breath of air and it hitched in her throat, her heart and stomach curling so hard she wanted to retch, and she definitely couldn't breathe.
And then it all just got even harder with what Lixue said next, still in that unbearably soft and much too gentle tone she had heard seldom before, and much more often the last few days;
"... You cannot make good on those promises if you do not recover from what has happened, Horatia. You need to focus on healing, so that you can tell them all you wish to... Just live."
Hora shuddered, her voice breaking on the shaky breath she was forced to let out, and she crumbled all the way that time. Her arms moved up and circled about his muzzle, it being much too big to really get a good hold of so she just hugged him as best she could manage, her body leaning into his massive frame and Lixue let out a low breath at it.
Hora buried her face against him, pearly white scales covered in frost and cool against her forehead, hot tears spilling from her eyes and wearing tracks into the glittering blanket of cold. Lixue nudged his head further against and underneath her, holding her weight up entirely and his tail curling in around them to steady her all the further as she cried, his body encasing her on all sides now and so warm and cold all at once. Cold as ice and covered in chilly frost, but underneath it was this bright, steady warmth that glowed dimly like the embers of a fire. It felt so nice she ended up crying harder because of it- sadness, guilt, pain, exhaustion- just a million things all wrapped into one, building up like an ocean behind a barely holding wall, and his words broke that wall so, so easily. Broke it, and leaving her crumbling and sobbing all over again while holding on to him for dear life.
It was all just so much, the last few days of her world getting turned upside down. For finding out about Yukino getting thrown out of SaberTooth, and then Lucy, Lector getting taken, the Eclipse Gate, the Possession Link, her being supposed to have died, the Dragons, Other Rogue, Callan, Gray alive and then dead, then alive again- it was too much.
Everything had spiraled so far out of control and kept getting all the crazier, and she had had no time to think, process, or even breathe before something else turned completely insane. It had kept piling up, one thing after the other until it was a summit's height and weight hanging over her head- and now after struggling to hold that immense weight up and keep it at bay, her strength failed. She cried, and sobbed, and shattered- and like Sting before her, Hora muttered a thousand apologizes and choked 'I'm sorry's' that became more and more broken as time kept on. Lixue just tightened his tail around her, pulling her closer against him and his icy blue eyes falling shut.
She should have felt dwarfed and vulnerable for just how massive he was compared to her, but she didn't. Being engulfed by his sheer size was almost comforting, and she wanted nothing less than for it to leave her all alone again once this strange place somewhere in her mind, or whatever, was gone again.
"... rest, Horatia..." Lixue murmured at length once her cries had made her voice hoarse enough she ended up sputtering and coughing again after trying to stammer out yet another apology. He sounded weary, his voice barely above a whisper and rumbling deep in the back of his throat, the vibrations moving up through her trembling body and soul. Both the rumbling, and the exhaustion quickly started tugging her mind away from that vast, icy place and toward somewhere blissfully empty and calm.
"... sleep..."
.:+:.
One moment he was turning toward the door, and in the next moment he blinked and there was a roof straight ahead, and everything else was... sideways.
He blinked slowly, eyes narrowing in confusion and mind sluggish and slow as he glanced from the roof to his left, red eyes dull and tired as they traced along cushions.
... wait... no... I'm laying... on a... couch...?
He paused, his eyes narrowing a little further in confusion as they dropped down to find Frosch tucked in the crook of his elbow and with their head on his chest, fast asleep and letting out snores that sounded like little mews.
But... How did I get here...? I don't-
Rogue went rigid, the blood in his veins turning to ice quicker than his mind could finish the question and it all came flooding back in in rapid time.
He was a second away from jolting up off the cushions without a thought to how doing so would jostle Frosch awake, his eyes darting quickly to his left and scanning the room frantically searching for the center- but Yukino was sitting in a chair just beside him and blocked any hope of seeing what he was looking for. He went to try and sit up to see passed her, but Yukino's attention snapped to him the moment she heard him move even the little bit, and she leaned in, hands up and motioning for him to stop before he could get very far.
"H-Hold on, please don't move...!" The white-haired Mage murmured quickly, her voice hushed. "E-everything's fine Rogue, there's no need to jump up or anything, I promise...!" Yukino assured him quickly and Rogue stalled, grimacing slightly and looking unsure, which caused Yukino to force a breath. Her hovering hands lowered down into her lap slowly, and she shook her head one more time. "I promise, everything's alright for now Rogue... please just take it easy, okay...?" Yukino mumbled softly and Rogue hesitated a heartbeat more, before forcing himself to relax a tad, swallowing.
"... what happened...?" Rogue asked quickly, his own voice breathless and much too scratchy on his own ears, and he swallowed hard against the tickle that rose in his throat. He grit his teeth a second and shook his head, eyes still stuck steadily on Yukino and fear still so clear on his face. "W-what about Hora...? Is she-?" He asked next, and the uncertainty that made it's way into Yukino's expression had him cutting himself off, and paling. Yukino noticed the reaction right away and shook her head quickly, her hands coming out of her lap again and waving them in front of her a little nervously.
"N-no..! She's... she's okay... I think..." Yukino told him, before trailing off a bit herself and her eyes dropped to the floor a moment, biting the insides of her cheeks and her hands clasping together a little tightly in her lap. "... She's alive anyway, and her fever's gone down a lot... But some of her wounds are still infected... And reopened too..." Yukino mumbled softly with a sigh. "... Wendy and Sherria Healed her a bit more earlier... And I think maybe she was awake for a little with Sting... But she's out again..." The Celestial told him, her head tilting slightly to her left in a gesturing behind her. She shifted slightly in her seat to give Rogue a better view, his eyes dancing quickly passed her and locking where he'd been searching for moments before.
There to that massive bed in the center of the room and the familiar heads of pale blonde and multicolor orange, both messy and tangling with one another as Sting held Hora close to him. The White Dragon Slayer's arms were snaked around her, Hora's head leaning into his shoulder and both of them fast asleep, with no sign of stirring anytime soon. Curled up on Hora's other side and with his head tucked under her arm was Lector, similarly deep in sleep and tail curled around Hora's arm lightly.
Rogue swallowed hard as he gave them all a quick once over, his nose twitching and stomach churning when he caught the scent of blood and tears on the air- not fresh, but definitely there, and heavy enough that both had been shed in rather an abundance earlier.
"... Sting too... He's exhausted... Everyone is..." Yukino mumbled quietly, her eyes lingering on those on the bed for a heartbeat more, before she looked back toward Rogue, and he caught her eye again. "Speaking of, how are you feeling, Rogue...? You collapsed earlier, out of nowhere... You really gave everybody a scare you know..." Yukino said a tad anxiously, and Rogue stiffened at the words, his eyes widening a little in surprise.
Collapsed...?
He glanced away from her, swallowing slightly as he let his head fall back against the arm of the couch again, one hand moving up to brush his hair out of his face, his fingers staying stuck in and trembling faintly in his hair, and eyes falling closed. He let out an uneasy breath, and grimaced faintly too.
Some amount of tension and panic unwound from him just then, knowing at least nothing awful had happened while he'd been unawares ushering in a sudden feeling of dizziness... rather a lot of dizziness actually, and he bit the insides of his cheeks against it.
... Shit... I guess that makes sense I passed out... And why I don't... Remember anything...
"... Rogue...?" Yukino pressed after a few moments with no reply, and his hand fell slowly down his face again, a shaky breath escaping him.
"... Yeah I'm... just... I'm a bit dizzy... And tired..." He replied softly and Yukino swallowed slightly. She shifted forward to be on the edge of her seat, her hand reaching forward slowly and earning Rogue's halfway open eyes in weary question. The Celestial Mage let her hand come down tenderly on his forehead, grimacing a bit to herself and eyes glittering as she did so.
"... You're running a fever still... And you're very pale..." She mumbled, "... You really need to eat something, Rogue. And rest some more. You haven't really done either in days... You've pushed yourself too far, especially after all the fighting and getting hurt..." Yukino told him, her hand pulling back slowly and twining with her other in her lap, her shoulders hunching just a tad. "... I know you're worried about Hora, Rogue... We all are... But you have to worry about yourself for a little while now, you're going to make yourself worse than you already did if you don't try and take it easy." Yukino told him, her voice as firm and steady as she could make it- though she wavered a little on Hora's name despite herself. Rogue swallowed at the words, his eyes moving from her and dropping closed again with a small breath... and after a heartbeat or two he nodded stiffly in understanding, though it made his stomach curl to do so.
He didn't want to 'take it easy' or focus on anything else but Hora- but he had to relent anyway, he knew that. He knew he pushed it too far, he even sort of realized then that he'd been progressively feeling worse and worse earlier without a thought or care to what that meant, or why... he'd stuffed it all away all up until he'd ended up hitting the floor.
Rogue sighed, his hand shaking as he pinched the bridge of his nose and swallowed against the headache pounding at the back of his skull, and the slowly worsening sense of dizziness and nausea creeping up quickly. His stomach churned and he felt like retching at even the mention of 'eating something', and there came a sharper ache and dull pain flaring through every inch of him at the idea of even trying to get to his feet.
So no, he didn't really want to rest, or sit there, or focus on him- but he hadn't a choice...... and besides... I don't think I can get up right now anyway.
He swallowed, his hand falling again onto his chest wearily while his ears trained toward the center of the room and the slow rhythm of breaths coming from Hora, Sting and Lector over that way- slightly shallow and wheezy still in Hora's case, and he frowned a bit for it. But she was breathing, and it even sounded more level and even than it had the last time he'd heard it... so maybe though he didn't want to, and was afraid of doing so- going back to sleep was not so terrible of an idea.
He could live with what Yukino said and rest, and maybe when he woke up again nothing will have gone wrong, or gotten worse... maybe... maybe Hora will-
Rogue grit his teeth slightly, another twisting of his stomach and soul bringing the retching sensation back, heavier this time and he had to hold his breath against it.
Shit... please... please let me have that maybe.
Let her... be okay... I know I don't... I don't deserve to want that, n-not after what I did... what that Other Version of me did... but...
Please... Let her be okay.
Hello hello!
Here we are with another long, angsty, and not terribly eventful chapter- but hopefully you guys like it anyway? :D
Thank you all for your continued reading and support! I know it's been awhile, I'm sorry for the wait! But thank you for sticking with me, truly!
I do have to make a note though- this story was never intended to make it passed the Grand Magic Games Arc, so we have hit our FINAL chapters! We will get through probs 3-5 more planned chapters and stuff, but I never had any plans to write for anything passed the GMG ;w;
I will perhaps throw in some chapters that sort of wrap up the next few years and arcs in such, but I haven't really decided yet. I love this story with all my heart, but from the beginning it has always ended right around the party the king throws for the Guilds, and I have never considered anything afterward. So this is just a forewarning! (I really hope that doesn't turn any of you guys off from reading though, or make you too mad at me QwQ )
Anyhoo- next chapter please prepare for the RogueXHora content I know you have all been waiting for! And some stuffs with everybody else all hoping she's okay! QwQ
Chapter 36: Still Here
Chapter Text
Chapter 36
Still Here
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"... Sleep..."
Hora blinked slowly, the lingering remnants of Lixue's voice trailing after her even as he, and that vast ice-filled space was pulled away from her, and she got dropped in the waking world. Above her that roof from before was lighter, pale white and yellow light sneaking it's way passed the curtains, and completely quiet.
Like all times before it (of that she could clearly recall anyway), she felt heavy, a little dizzy and faint, and her body hurt- but this time at least, she could breathe much better, and the weight of her body wasn't all that bad... hell, she felt she might have even been able to sit up without it being ridiculously difficult doing just that simple thing.
She took in a slow, deep breath, her eyes falling closed again for half a second when she reached the limit of how much she could inhale before it hurt too much- and then she let the breath back out as slow as she had taken it in. It wasn't a huge breath by any means, but it was much bigger than what she'd managed before now, or really probably should have been able to manage just then, so she couldn't complain. And of course, the ache and sharp pain in her lungs that was common of Over-Drive was still there, but again- it wasn't bad, and it should have been.
... so that being said... why do I feel better than I really have any right to...?
She blinked her eyes open again, shifting slightly as she pulled her hands up and in front of her, tracing along the white lines of bandages wound about her hands, and surely there to cover the slices worn into her flesh from grabbing Callan's claws. She couldn't see the wounds themselves, but they hurt less, so she figured they were mostly closed now. There was also distinct lack of bandages that had been wound up her arms too- those slices and such they would have been covering now pink and white lines of their own, and only just healed and near gone, leaving only her hands still covered up.
... okay... that's... fast...?
Well, 'fast-ish' I guess. I don't know-
Hora's thoughts broke off, her eyes widening a little and instantly alert to the gentle laying of someone's hand on her right shoulder. Her attention on her hands failed and she looked that way quickly, dark blue eyes glinting in the low-light to find Rufus sitting there at the side of the bed, one hand holding a book open and the other being the one to find her shoulder. He was more dressed down than was usual for him, long blonde hair braided down his back and smiling faintly as their eyes matched, and her gave her shoulder a gentle pat.
"... Welcome back, Horatia." Rufus murmured softly, dipping his head slightly to her and his other hand closing the book he was holding with a soft tap. He set the book down in his lap and turned in his seat to face her more directly, his hand moving back from her shoulder and folding with the other in his lap atop the book- still smiling softly all the while and Hora blinked once, a little surprised still. "How are you feeling?" Rufus asked gently and Hora blinked one more time, before swallowing a little and giving him a small nod.
"Mostly okay... and better than I probably should be..." She mumbled, her voice rough to start and forcing her to break off and clear her throat a bit, her eyes shutting against the grating sensation. She forced a breath after doing so, sighing a little and her hand moving up to push her hair back from her face wearily, before glancing back his way, blue eyes flashing. "... How long have I been out...?" She asked slowly and his smile faded a little, a small breath of his own escaping him and betraying the exhaustion and concern in his eyes that he otherwise kept hidden rather well.
"It's been about eight days now." He replied levelly and Hora stiffened a little at the answer. Rufus shook his head faintly, his shoulders sinking a tad. "You've given us all quite a scare, Hora... Up until last night we still weren't completely sure you would pull through." He pointed out quietly and Hora grimaced a bit,
"... I'm sorry..." She murmured, but he shook his head at it.
"Please don't be." Rufus told her coolly, another smile making a reappearance on his face, and a much more steady one this time- and even sort of relieved too, though she wasn't sure why. Rufus straightened up a bit, some of his usual refined posture coming back and shaking off some of the weariness and worry that had had his shoulders sinking beforehand, tilting his head toward her a bit. "You needn't worry about scaring us, or anything of the like. Truthfully all that really matters is that you're doing better now, Hora." He told her lightly, his words echoing similar to those assurances Lixue had given her, and Hora bit the inside of her cheek for it.
Rufus smiled a little more at the way she seemed to hesitate though, "Our worry will be easily forgotten with you on the mend, and you having worried us at all is not an issue either. You are our friend, and family, it's natural we worry. And you needn't feel sorry, so please do not linger on it, hmm?" He pressed, and Hora hesitated a second longer, before nodding stiffly.
"... alright..." She relented, before forcing another breath and shaking her head at herself almost imperceptibly.
... I say that, but I'm still gonna feel awful about it all...
She cast the thought off and shifted, her hand falling onto the bed and gritting her teeth as she started to push herself up without warning. Rufus jumped faintly as she started, before the blonde wordlessly moved his book out of his lap and set it down on the nightstand beside him, before quickly climbing to his feet and reaching for her. He said nothing spare mumbling 'careful' under his breath while helping her sit up, stacking the pillows up behind her and so she could lean against them instead of keeping herself straight all on her own, once she was up all the way.
Sitting up at all hurt, unsurprisingly. All her muscles felt cramped and rigid, and they didn't wanna cooperate with her moving. Even her bones even seemed to groan under it too, but the worst of it was a sharp stab of pain running through her left side (which was still bandaged) and radiating through her chest. She even cringed slightly for it, before letting out a shaky sigh as it began to fade and just ended up throbbing.
Hora leaned heavily against the pillows and headboard with it, holding her breath a moment to try and ease the intensity of the throbbing... but hey, she was up, and stayed up without sputtering, or struggling to breathe to boot.
So that's kinda a plus, yeah...?
Rufus' hands hovered slightly as she settled again, watching her intently in silence as the little show of pain she let slip faded again. Once she seemed relatively steady enough on her own, his eyes moved away and his hands did too- reaching for a pitcher of water and a cup on the nightstand he'd set his book on. He filled the cup and handed it her way, Hora casting the glass a sort of uneasy look, before taking it from him in both hands and mumbling a small 'thanks'.
Drinking it didn't sound all that pleasant in that moment, her stomach was in knots and all tense just like her muscles felt- and she was sort of afraid she might retch the water up as soon as she drank it... but her throat was dry as hell, and she didn't need to end up coughing if she could help it, so she had to give it a go.
Hora took a few tentative sips, her eyes down on the water itself and not Rufus. The blonde settled slowly back into his seat while she took a few drinks, watching quietly all the way through and up until Hora lowered the cup and her hands into her lap.
She glanced around the space silently for a moment, taking it all in quickly and finding it was just her and Rufus in the room... the big room, clearly part of the Inn SaberTooth stayed at for the Games- and so big she thought it must have been the one Jiemma would have been in...?
She gave the air a sniff and recognized the man's scent, confirming the suspicion, and she huffed silently at thought of him, but otherwise just kept going on her once-over.
She smelled other people too, Rogue, Sting, Lector, Frosh, Yukino and Orga were rather heavy on the air still, though they were not in sight at the moment. There was the heavy scent of her own blood hanging on the air, frost, ash, and sickness too... And along with all those scents she also caught the familiar ones of Lyon, Wendy, Sherria, Natsu, and Gray too- that last one making her stomach curl, and she gave up looking the room over.
Her attention turned toward Rufus again and he blinked, unease and question both flitting across Hora's expression in no time at all, along with a sort of intense flare to the look she gave him.
"What happened?" She asked quickly, leaning in toward him ever so slightly and blue eyes flashing. "Is everybody okay? What went on with the Dragons, and the Eclipse Gate, and everything else? And the other Guilds too?" She rounded the questions off rapidly, before breaking off slightly, and her voice dropped too. "Is... Did anybody end up... Dead...?" She asked a little shakily, and Rufus' expression softened for the last question.
"You needn't worry, everyone is alright." He assured her quickly, "There is a fair share of injuries to go around certainly, but nothing fatal. Your condition has been the worst of everyone in both SaberTooth and all the other Guilds." He told her, and Hora let out a shaky breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, her posture wilting slightly.
... Oh thank goodness...
"... As for what happened, it's all rather complicated, in the grand scheme of things." Rufus went on coolly, "I will spare you the finer details, and give you the short version. That being that Natsu defeated the Other Rogue from the Future, and destroyed the Eclipse Gate as well. Doing so sent the Dragons back to their own Time, and even some of the damage the city sustained was undone too, though not all. Most of that destruction has been repaired the last week, however, and most everyone has recovered, or nearly so, from all the damage they took in the fight by now as well." Rufus told her, Hora stiffened.
"... Y-You guys know about... The Other...?" She asked quietly and Rufus nodded stiffly,
"Yes, and unfortunately our Rogue has taken it quite hard." Rufus replied, and Hora grimaced at it. "Upsetting as it is to find out some version of himself set into motion such destruction all aside... Realizing that that Future Version of him was the one to have attacked you at the Palace was even more so upsetting to him." Rufus explained and Hora grimaced a bit more, her eyes flashing as they fell into her lap and her stomach knotted.
Shit... She hadn't wanted him to know that, for that very reason. She knew it'd tear Rogue apart to find out that some other version of him had hurt her so badly, that's why she kept it to herself.
But he knew now, and 'upsetting' as Rufus had put it, was probably putting it lightly.
Shit... Shit shit shit-
"-I understand why you did not tell any of us who it was when we regrouped at the Square." Rufus broke into her thoughts. "It would have been better if Rogue had never known, but he does know... And while no one blames him, or thinks him capable of anything the Other Version did, our assurances have done nothing to reassure him thus far." Rufus murmured quietly and Hora swallowed at it, glancing back toward him warily. He sighed a little as their eyes met, looking uneasy now and Hora felt the same. "I think you will need to talk to him about it, Horatia." The blonde told her quietly, "I honestly doubt anyone but you will convince him of anything."
Hora nodded stiffly, her eyes falling into the water in the cup she was holding and her shoulders fell a little. "... Yeah... I'll talk to him..." She murmured softly, shaking her head slightly after a moment and casting Rufus a sideways glance. "... Is he okay other than that, though...? Sting said he'd passed out... I remember him falling over, he looked terrible." She asked, and Rufus nodded a bit.
"Mostly he is alright now, though he's nursing a mild fever still, and he's still rather exhausted as well." Rufus told her, and Hora's stomach churned at the words. "He slept for awhile after first collapsing, and now the others have managed to convince him to step out for some air and something to eat- so I suspect he'll be a bit better after that." He murmured with a tilt of his head toward the door out of the room, and Hora nodded.
"And everybody else?" She asked softly, earning a blink from Rufus. "You look tired as hell, and Sting did too- so how is everybody holding up, the wounds and whatever from fighting aside...?" She elaborated, and he paused, his shoulders sinking a tad.
"... Well, we are all exhausted." Rufus told her quietly, his eyes falling closed a moment while linking his hands together a bit more firmly in his lap. "No one in the Guild has slept much the last week, or hardly left the Building either, since we've been worried and looking after you. Many of the others in Lamia and Fairy Tail have done the same, and they are actually spread out in the spare rooms, since they stayed rather than returning to their own Inns. But as I said there are no fatal injuries to speak of, just some exhaustion and strain really..." The blonde murmured, trailing off for half a second and Hora's eyes narrowed at the pause.
"... There are a few others like Rogue who pushed themselves to the point of collapse too, though nothing quite as dramatic as he did. They simply got to the point where they couldn't continue with what they were doing, though most of them are rested again by now, for the most part." Rufus added after a moment and Hora turned to him all the way that time, her eyes flashing and frowning for the news. Rufus seemed quite aware of the look though his eyes were still closed, and he nodded slightly, leaning back a bit in his chair. "Explaining that will require going over what happened to you because of Over-Drive, however." He hummed, blinking his eyes open and matching her gaze steadily. "I don't suppose you remember much of anything, hmm?" He asked quietly and Hora frowned, shaking her head tensely.
"... No... Everything's more or less a big blank, or a blur after... That last Spell I did... After... Time Rewound and..." She trailed off, her eyes dropping despite herself at the memory surfacing again and Rufus blinked once, sympathy flitting across his face to see the fear and grief suddenly appear in hers.
Rufus let out a silent breath, one hand moving forward and coming down on her arm gently in a comforting gesture. Hora blinked, her eyes widening a tad at it and glancing up slowly, looking a little unsure for a moment and more so for the somewhat... knowing look he gave her...?
Hora stiffened, her eyes widening further and dark blue eyes flashing.
.:+:.
"... Are you guys okay? You look like you got beat to hell..." Hora mumbled and they seemed to sigh at the mention, Orga gritting his teeth in agitation and looking away from her rather pointedly, while Rufus simply gave her a small, somewhat weary smile.
"We are alright." He told her softly, "Fairy Tail was full of surprises today, it was quite a spectacle to behold- today will remain imprinted in my Memory for all the years to come." He hummed and Hora blinked, her eyes falling from him for a moment as she bit the inside of her cheek and... hesitated.
"...so... he won, against you...?" She asked at length and Rufus tilted his head slightly in question, especially so when she failed to meet his eyes again as she asked, and her hands still in his trembled, ever so faintly. "... Gray... He won... you two fought... right...?" She asked quietly and Rufus' eyes flashed at the question, his expression falling slightly slack in intrigue, before he smiled just a tad, and nodded.
"Yes, it was a splendid battle." He murmured lightly, his eyes flashing as he dipped his head slightly to her, and his voice dropped to something quite low, "You needn't worry over either of us, we fared just fine in our battle." He added quietly, and Hora jumped slightly, her eyes snapping up toward him in shock, but Rufus only smiled, squeezing her hands one last time and pulling away entirely.
W-wait a minute... that look...?
.:+:.
That's... that's the same look as... that night...?
"... I am sorry, I cannot imagine how awful any of that was for you." Rufus told her softly, Hora's mind racing and staggering to a halt all at once as he kept his hand where it was for a few seconds more. "From what everyone said of what happened at the end, when things rewound, well... you did not deserve to experience something so horrible, or watch that happen. Not after everything else, and not after having already lost him once before." Rufus told her softly, his eyes falling from her and to his hand as he gave her a small squeeze, and then pulled back again, and Hora just stared, stunned, reeling- because he...?
"... Y-You... do you know about...?" Hora stammered, and Rufus nodded just the once. Hora's eyes went even wider for it, her heart skipping a beat. "B-But how the hell do you know...?!" She asked quickly, and he blinked, his gaze moving up to match with hers levelly and letting out a quiet breath.
"There were a few memories I saw and recognized, while we fought one another during the GMG." Rufus explained quietly, "I didn't wish to delve too far into his mind at the time, I had only been hoping to find something to give me an edge in our battle- but I ended up stumbling upon some very old memories... and in them I recognized you, even as young as you were. After what you had told us about what happened to your Village and family, it was not hard to put the pieces together." Rufus told her softly, and Hora swallowed hard, her eyes darting away from him quickly and fidgeting slightly now.
"... I... I didn't realize... I... I didn't realize he was still alive until...tch... I haven't told anybody about him..." Hora mumbled, "... I... I was going to tell you guys, after all of this shit settled again, I swear, I just... I couldn't add that on top of everything else..." She hissed and Rufus blinked, nodding slightly.
"You don't need to explain." Rufus cut her off gently, "Is it after all, entirely up to you what you share with any of us, and when. And I do understand why you chose not to, things were quite hectic." He murmured and Hora nodded stiffly, her hands around the glass of water in her lap tightening as her shoulders hunched a bit. Rufus paused a moment with his gaze level on her, almost debating for a moment or two to himself, before shaking his head slightly, casting off whatever he'd been mulling over just before.
"Anyway, I am sure this will likely not comfort you, but Gray is one of those who pushed themselves too far." The blonde started again and Hora looked up quickly, worry and shock flitting quickly across her face again, and it made Rufus' stomach churn a bit for it. He held up a hand in a calming gesture, shaking his head once and as composed as ever, which was sorely needed with how quickly her heart felt it was gonna give out for the news.
"He is fine now, but in order to keep Over-Drive from killing you at the start, both he and Lyon had to use their Magic quite a bit just to keep the heat at a level that would not be fatal for you. They did so without pause for about a day and a half, and as you can probably imagine, that was a rather large strain on their energy. Especially so after all the fighting beforehand." Rufus explained and Hora swallowed hard at the information,
Shit... I mean it makes sense, but... they used their Magic for over a day straight...?
And it wouldn't have been a small amount of Magic either, not if Over-Drive really got so bad-
"-Though Gray did push things further than Lyon, as he had to give you several blood transfusions... since you had lost so much, and kept losing more." Rufus added in cautiously and Hora froze, her heart skipping a beat and eyes going wide.
W-What...?
"His was the only blood type that matched your own... As I'm sure is no surprise to you." Rufus murmured, and Hora swallowed hard. Rufus paused another heartbeat as she seemed to stiffen, her eyes darting away again and the blonde let out a quiet sigh. "Hmm... it's lucky he was here, else you would not have survived the first night. And you certainly wouldn't have survived the next few without him, or Lyon either- what everyone else did to help notwithstanding." He told her. Hora swallowed again, her eyes falling shut before nodding stiffly, and just once.
... shit... I didn't... I didn't mean to get so bad that anyone would have... that Gray would hav- tch.
"... I... I understand... but..." Hora mumbled tensely, her shoulders hunching a tad further as she asked the question. "... he is okay, right...?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper now and shaking slightly too- making Rufus wilt a little at it.
"Yes, he is alright. Tired, but alright." The blonde replied gently, and Hora swallowed.
"... and Lyon..?"
"He is fine as well."
Hora nodded a little, sucking in a breath of air and holding it as she kept her eyes shut a few moments more.
... damn it... get ahold of yourself, dumbass... you... you're not supposed to be getting all worked up about it, remember...?
Don't feel guilty... just live...? Isn't that what you said... Lixue...?
'... hmmph... quite...' Was all the reply she earned, a terribly exhausted and entirely flat reply- but an answer nonetheless.
He was still there, awake and not dead, and actually able to hear her- not like before.
She grit her teeth at the thought, shaking her head at herself and forcing the breath she was holding back out. She straightened up a tad, her head coming up from having bent a little and her shoulders sinking out of the hunched posture they had adopted too.
I won't stop feeling guilty, or bad about any of it... I don't think I can... but... I'm trying.
I'll try to not get... sucked up in it, anyway...
'... that would be best...'
She let out a breath at it and looked toward Rufus again, blue eyes glittering and her lips a thin line, but suddenly a little steadier, and he blinked.
"Who else pushed it too far?" Hora asked lowly, her eyes steady with Rufus'- clear, alert, and intent.
"Please, tell me all that's happened the last week. With Over-Drive, the fighting, everyone else- everything."
.:+:.
Her fears that Over-Drive would be worse when it hit this time around hadn't been big enough, apparently. Because this time, Over-Drive didn't just almost kill her- it had killed her- and would have done so a dozen times over if not for everyone else.
Of those Rufus had told her had pushed themselves too far, and much passed their own limit as Rogue, Gray, and Lyon had- there were three more people to add to the list.
Wendy and Sherria had pushed themselves too hard over and over again, on several repeats of trying to Heal her while Over-Drive had been tearing her to shreds, and her wounds had refused any amount of healing for it. They'd apparently tried for hours, several times a day, or at least as much as anyone would let them or they had the strength left to try... which wasn't much, given how much Magic Energy they expended without end. According to Rufus, both girls had come in to close her wounds up after a few had reopened in that stint to catch Rogue, and they'd come again a day later and done quite a lot of work- which was why a lot of the bandages were gone when she woke up, and she felt sort of okay.
The last person on that list of pushing it too far was Natsu, who had apparently sat with and kept hold of her while Over-Drive went on a nosedive from blistering heat to deadly cold... and that having been when her heart had stopped altogether. Natsu had been the one to keep her from freezing to death (again), and had kept at it the whole time Over-Drive remained locked in that icy-cold fervor, which had apparently lasted two full days, and a little over that. But he'd kept up the whole time, and once Over-Drive had tapered off again, Natsu was fairly well spent... especially after having been fighting as much as he had with the Other Rogue, the Dragon Motherglare, and all else.
Once Over-Drive had mellowed out and away from being at it's worst though, Rufus explained that her wounds had gotten pretty badly infected- either from just not healing, or from her immune system being damaged by Over-Drive and the Anti-Magic Poison (yes! Poison...!) she'd been given to try and combat it, it wasn't really clear which was the cause. Whatever had brought it on didn't really matter much though, all that mattered was that it had been bad.
Bad enough everyone had thought that was it. All the work, and effort, and days of worrying and trying to handle Over-Drive even a little had just lead to her body giving out because of infection and sickness she'd had little to no strength left to fight off. And that all made a lot of sense, given how out of it she'd felt, and how overwhelming everything had become- as well as all that floating and drowning in an endless ocean... The infection setting in and raging through her mind and body, pushing and pulling at her, holding her hostage in delirium and oblivion, and making it so...
"... I... I don't... F...feel... Good..."
Hora sighed heavily at the hazy memory of it, shaking the image away and shutting her eyes against it.
... Well anyway, she'd apparently worked through the worst of the sickness, infection, and whatnot- even if there'd seemed little hope of her doing so at all.
Her fever breaking had been when Rogue had collapsed, and then after that had been her wounds reopening, the conversation with Sting that had had them both crying, and then Lixue. She'd slept for about three days after that, and had woken up now to have this recanting of events by Rufus.
All in all?
This turned out... so... So bad... Tch...
It hurt to hear it all and really be forced to coming to terms with how awful she had gotten, and just what that had forced everyone else through. Because of course they'd been terrified and worried about her, but all the things they had to contend with, and do just trying to keep her alive? How hard they had tried to keep her alive...?
Wendy and Sherria exhausting themselves to the point they couldn't use their Magic anymore without resting a few hours, and trying again as soon as they could?
Rogue staying with her all through it, not eating or sleeping? All while living with the fact that it had been some version of himself that had caused so much chaos, and even tried to kill her? He and Sting rushing to try and revive her after her heart stopped? Sting hating himself for how he reacted the night Jiemma used the Possession Link, and blaming himself for hurting her? Being terrified she was gonna die and that was it, he'd never get a chance to apologize?
Lyon, Natsu and Gray using their Magic for days on end just barely keeping Over-Drive at bay? Gray having to do that, on top of multiple blood transfusions that kept her alive just as much as his Magic did?
A million things and people rushing, hoping, praying and struggling to do anything they could while she seemed to just slip further and further away...?
She... She never meant for any of that to happen. She never wanted to put them through any of that, and yet she had.
Shit- she knew she shouldn't have wavered on it, but how could she not doubt what Lixue had said? That none of that pain and suffering and fear they had felt the last week would mean anything, not as long as she got better, and stayed alive...?
How could she not doubt that they'd forgive her for all of it, hearing and learning about all that awful...?
Her lungs were starting to burn and she knew she was getting worked up way too much, and she really couldn't afford to let that happen. She heard Lixue mumble something about not letting it eat at her, and she knew he was right... but hell.
... I never meant... for any of this to happen... s..shit...
She shut her eyes tight, swallowing hard and holding her breath still as the fire in her chest continued to deepen, and she went rigid against it. Rufus stiffened slightly himself in his chair, the calm in his expression suddenly shifting toward unease when Hora went quiet after having been asking small questions and such through all his explanations. She'd asked only a little, but she'd been listening intently the whole time, mostly calm, and even drinking the rest of the water in that cup he'd given her- he'd been watchful and wary the whole time. He'd not started in on anything he wasn't sure she was alright to hear, he didn't wish to upset her too much, and she had seemed fine the whole time... but now she went deadly quiet, and he shifted forward slightly in his chair when she started to fold over a bit.
"... Horatia...?" The blonde started, but Hora didn't hear him, she just grit her teeth harder as the burning in her lungs moved rapidly toward a peak.
Stop... stop... you can't... get all w... wound up right now...
She tried to take in a breath of air that was meant to calm her down, but it was an instant mistake.
She choked on it, and it sent her quickly spinning into a coughing fit that felt like her lungs were getting shredded apart every second. She hunched over, Rufus on his feet in an instant and his hands falling on her shoulder and her back, holding her steady as her body lurched underneath him. He could do nothing but stay where he was, keeping her as steady as he could and from falling over entirely, his hand on her back moving in small circles while the coughing kept up, and waiting for it to stop on it's own.
The door into the room jerked open, Orga popping his head in quickly once he heard the coughing start from outside, and grimacing as he shouldered his way into the room, hands full with a tray with some cups and a teakettle. He cast one glance toward Hora and Rufus before heading quickly inside, setting the tray down on the nightstand beside Rufus and only earning a fleeting look from the blonde, both men grimacing. Orga spared no time in moving himself around to the other side of the bed, settling down on it next to Hora and his own hands moving forward to steady her a bit more- and with a little better luck than Rufus as Hora leaned more into the larger man as he curled his arm underneath her gently.
The coughing fit didn't let up for three minutes at least, the sound of the sputtering breaths rough and raspy. When the coughs themselves stopped it left her panting heavily, puffing for air in shallow, wheezy breaths and her whole body trembling badly. Her right hand fell from covering her mouth, the inside of her palm flecked in little dots of crimson and her jaw clenching hard for a moment against the pain now radiating through every inch of her, hot and throbbing, with her head whirling in a sudden bout of dizziness that made it hard to make sense of anything at all. She ended up leaning into Orga's arm rather heavily, her body tilting left a bit so her shoulder bumped up against his, and she curled her left hand around his forearm, hugging him into her- and him being just about the only reason she stayed sort of sitting up. Rufus pulled back once she did, hovering slightly at the edge of the bed and frowning as Orga took up his previous motion of tracing circles on Hora's back.
Both Rufus and Orga grimaced, casting one another uneasy glances while five minutes came and went, and Hora coughed one more time, low and shallow, before she swallowed hard and groaned a bit under her breath. Her head tilted up wearily, some of her weight against Orga letting up a bit as she glanced up, her eyes glittering slightly and still very much out of breath as she caught Orga's eyes.
"... Hey..." She mumbled breathlessly, and he paused at it, biting the inside of his cheek and sighing.
"Hmph, kind a lame 'hello'... But hey." He mumbled a little exasperatedly, and Hora smiled tiredly for half a second at it.
"... Kinda..." She admitted hoarsely and his eyes flashed, biting the inside of his cheek and head tilting slightly.
"You okay?" Orga asked slowly and Hora nodded once, pushing herself up a bit more and off from leaning into his arm, though she didn't unwrap her arm from around his right off, and he didn't move to pull back either, he wouldn't dare. Rufus shifted a bit uncomfortably where he was, frowning still as Hora did her best to compose herself again.
"... Yeah... I'm okay..." She replied softly, taking in a slightly bigger breath of air and holding it for a moment. She let it back out slowly and let go of Orga all the way as she leaned back against the headboard and pillows again, her hand closed into a fist and pressing lightly against her chest as she let out a small grumble. "... Sorry... I was trying not to... End up doing that..." She apologized softly with a small shake of her head.
... But of course I'm gonna keep ending up coughing my lungs out for awhile regardless of 'trying not to'... Damn Over-Drive.
It didn't stop bothering me even three months after last time... I'd be lucky if it only takes three months to mellow out again this time, tch.
"You don't gotta apologize." Orga told her, and Rufus nodded stiffly.
"Yes, he is right. There's no need, Hora." The blonde sighed. "... But are you sure you're alright?" He pressed a touch apprehensively, which was quite unlike him to be able to see it so clearly, and Hora felt her core knot.
Hora nodded faintly, forcing a weary smile up to the surface as she did. "I'm sure." She mumbled softly, and she hoped it sounded more convincing to them than it did to herself. But not wanting to see their faces and know either which way, she quickly diverted her eyes from Rufus and Orga both toward the tray that Orga had previously set down on the nightstand. There were a few cups and a teakettle, along with a glass filled with a greenish blue liquid near the edge that felt rather out of place with the other cups.
Hora's nose twitched, drinking in the scents off the tray out of sheer instinct and picking up a familiar whiff of tea, and then something stronger than that, bitter, quite sharp, and herb like- which was probably coming from the out of place potion glass she'd mentioned.
"Is that for me?" Hora asked quietly, glancing back toward Orga as she said it and tilting her head faintly toward the glass in question. He nodded once, letting out a breath.
"Yep. And you gotta drink the whole thing, Doctor's orders." He answered simply, a small slightly weary smirk making an appearance on his face as he leaned back a little. "You're gonna hate it." He added and Hora wilted slightly.
"Oh, lovely... thanks for the warning... I guess..." She sighed and he chuckled under his breath, Rufus smiling faintly in amusement himself.
"My pleasure." Orga told her a touch cheekily, and Hora smiled faintly for it, shaking her head once while a quiet chuckle escaped her- a small one only, since she didn't wanna end up coughing- but a chuckle nonetheless.
Looks of relief flashed across both Orga and Rufus' faces for the sound of it, the two men's still slightly stiff posture unwinding a little for it, while their heart's twisted and lift all at once.
It was a million times more heartening than could be described just to hear that tiny little laugh. To say things had been hard for her as of late would be to horribly understate what chaos and hardship had come to fall squarely on Hora's shoulders in the last few days, months, and even longer before then. She had been through so much, and not just physically- but mentally and emotionally too. Far more than she deserved to be put or suffer through, and more than most ever had to... So to hear her laugh, even the once, and to see her smile just then and for it not to be so forced or strained?
That was one of the most comforting things they had felt in much, much too long. And a sorely needed comfort, as well as bit of weight off their shoulders after so much constant bad to worse.
Maybe she actually was okay, like she said. And perhaps they could worry a little less that she would be truly alright in time, even after all the terrible things that had happened. Hopefully, and more than anything they really wanted that, for her sake more than anyone else's. No matter how long it might take, or how much time she may need, or how shaky things might be for awhile yet- eventually they hoped it would end up that way... and maybe even believed a little more in their heart's it would come to that.
She'll be alright
Orga pushed himself back a little and settled a little more comfortably on the bedside, sitting crosslegged and his hands finding his knees while Hora turned her attention off him, both her and the Lightning God Slayer watching Rufus quietly as he started to pour the tea. He handed a cup off to Orga and then Hora, smiling coolly as he handed it her way,
"It might be better to take some of this first, rather than take the medicine on a completely empty stomach." The blonde hummed lightly, and Hora nodded slightly, another sigh escaping her as she took the cup from him slowly.
"... That's probably a good idea..." She relented, her eyes dropping into the amber colored liquid in the cup, the scent of honey and a few other herbs rushing up to meet her full force and she let out another silent breath, before tentatively raising the cup to her lips and taking a few small sips to start. Rufus waited for her to take a few more, before taking a delicate start on his own cup, while Orga took a big gulp with much less refine and manners than the blonde.
The tea was warm, and while sort of bitter from the herbs themselves, the honey offset it pretty well. And the sensation of it running down Hora's rather ragged and dry throat was incredibly pleasant, and the warmth of it settling in her stomach should have been so as well, but it kind of made her feel a little queasy, if she were to be honest. But she swallowed hard against the sensation and kept up with the tea, doing her best to at least get through a quarter of it, before she had to take a break and let it fall into her lap.
... that's great. Even just tea makes me feel nauseous... ugh
'... you've been on death's door for near a week now, and poisoned with an Anti-Magic Toxin in order to keep your Magic in check... of course you will feel nauseous... and you will feel the same for more than just tea, surely... I expect solid food will be even less pleasurable than tea for some awhile yet...' Lixue intoned wearily, and Hora bit the inside of her cheek for it in faint annoyance- though he was not wrong, and definitely had a point.
She grimaced faintly, her eyes dropping closed and holding her breath a moment as her stomach churned a little more.
I mean yeah, but hell... don't make me think of food, Lixue... you're gonna make me throw up...
'... hmmph, apologies I will cease...'
She let the breath she was holding back out slowly, her eyes still closed a few moments longer as she sat in silence, before eventually taking another drink and hoping the more she did, maybe her stomach would actually settle.
I really don't look forward to drinking whatever is in that 'medicine'. Especially since I'm 'gonna hate it'... Way to make me dread it more, Orga.
But it's not like I have a choice. It's supposed to help, right? And I could definitely use it, after all of this.
... I'll have to say thank you to Porlyusica, and Wendy and Sherria too, huh...? And Natsu, Lyon... Gray...... I'll actually have to say it to pretty much everybody, huh...?
From what Rufus said, they all have been trying their best to help me... Keep me alive...
Hora's shoulders sank at the thought, her eyes opening halfway and settling on the tea in the cup as she held let it sink into her lap again.
... This must have been so awful on all of them... All of it was such a mess all on it's own, but I made it worse, hmm...? Sting was a mess, and Rogue is too, apparently... and that's not mentioning anyone else... shit.
I hate all of this
"Oi, you're zoning out there Hora."
Hora jumped slightly, her eyes snapping off the teacup she'd been staring rather broodily into, and up toward Orga, whose voice it was that caught her attention so suddenly. She blinked a few times as she caught Orga's eyes again and he quirked a brow at her, before she shook herself out a little.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to..." She mumbled quickly, and he tilted his head a bit, pausing for half a second as if he was gauging something, before shaking his head slightly, and nearly all to himself.
"Hmm, well anyway, what I was saying;" Orga started again, clearly retracting back to some point he'd been making while she was entirely unawares. Which made Hora wilt a little for the realization, but she made sure to listen intently this time, "Porlyusica'll probably be back in a hour to check on you, and Wendy and Sherria will probably be in tow." He told Hora, and she nodded slowly in understanding.
"Right, okay." She murmured, her hands around her cup adjusting slightly as she said it. "Porlyusica... I've not actually met her face to face yet, huh...?" She mused quietly, and Orga smiled a little.
"Nope. And just so ya know, she's kinda grumpy." He told her lightly, and Hora blinked, her head tilting.
"Grumpy...?" She echoed uncertainly and Orga nodded, smiling wearily for a moment while Rufus even seemed to wilt a little in exasperation for the thought.
"Oooh yeah." The Lightning God Slayer hummed, and Hora looked a little more unsure, her face falling slightly for it. Rufus shook his head, pausing in the drinking of his tea as his hand moved, and landed on her shoulder gently in a reassuring gesture.
"To clarify, she is not 'grumpy' with you personally, Horatia." Rufus assured her quickly, and seemingly quite aware that was where her mind had immediately started to wander. "She is simply a rather cross personality just naturally. But I wouldn't expect her to be too harsh with you, so please don't worry about that." He assured lightly,
"Ah, alright..." Hora mumbled softly and nodded again, smiling faintly in return though a touch nervously all the same. She really wasn't all that reassured, despite his efforts, and Rufus shot Orga a slightly scolding look that the larger man stiffened at. Orga swallowed, shaking himself out a little and waving a hand at Hora in a dismissive matter, the motion earning her eyes on him again.
"Don't sweat it so much." Orga told her, shaking his head once. "Seriously, she's just gonna be glad you're finally doing better." He murmured, and Rufus nodded once in agreement.
"Quite." The blonde hummed. Hora paused, still not looking 100% sure, but a little more so, so she nodded once.
I hope they're right, I really don't know if I can handle being scolded by a 'grumpy' doctor who's probably had her hands more than full with me the last week.
Hora dropped her eyes back into her cup as she brought it up slightly, a small sigh escaping her.
Not that I might not deserve to be scolded and lectured after all the trouble I caused, and worry I put everybody through
She bit the inside of her cheek a moment for the thought, before doing her best to toss it away and focus on drinking the rest of the tea.
She managed to get through finishing the cup without the sensation to retch getting too overwhelming, and after handing the empty cup Rufus' way, he uncorked the bottle the medicine was in and handed it to her slowly. She held it in her hands and went quite, chewing on the insides of her cheeks as she glared a little half-heartedly into the murky liquid.
"You good?" Orga asked after a moment, sounding both a little amused and a little weary at the same time, and Hora grumbled.
"I'm debating on whether or not I should down it all at once." Hora mumbled in reply, and he let out a sort of amused breath at it.
"Probably better not to, or you might end up coughing your lungs out again." He commented levelly, and Hora frowned a little more for the reply.
"He does have a point." Rufus intoned lightly, and she sighed heavily, her eyes dropping closed and her head tilting back a little in defeat.
They're right. I know they're right... but I really, really don't wanna drink this
'... But you must.'
I know, but I'm not gonna be happy about it.
'... You needn't be happy about it, Horatia. As long as it does you good, you can't afford not to take it.'
I know, I know... But I hate it when you're right though
'Hmph... I am well aware...'
Hora huffed slightly under her breath for the response, her head dropping back down and eyes opening to rest on the bottle once more.
Well, might as well start drinking it. Can't avoid it forever, and I don't need to give Porlyusica a reason to be more grumpy and at me specifically by not taking my medicine.
The first mouthful of it was just about as bad as she imagined it would be, after Orga commented about her hating it. She grimaced, her face twisting as she swallowed hard and almost shivered for the rather unpleasant and queasy sensation that followed as it settled into her stomach. She groaned slightly under her breath, the back of her hand pressing against her mouth while her posture folded a tad too.
"... That's... Disgusting..." Hora mumbled under her breath, the words muffled by her hand.
"Told you." Orga replied without missing a beat, "I saw her making the thing, the stuff she put in there didn't really look fun." He commented, and Rufus sighed.
"Orga." The blonde mumbled a touch warningly, and the larger man blinked.
"What? I'm just telling the truth." Orga mumbled,
"Yes, but you are not helping to make it easier for her to drink it." Rufus pointed out levelly, and Orga paused under the sort of steely stare the Memory-Make Mage settled on him as he said it, before wilting a little.
"Ah, right... Sorry Hora. I'll shut up about it." Orga mumbled, glancing back toward said woman and earning a small nod from her, though her eyes were still halfway closed and grimacing.
"Uh... Maybe we can just talk about something else...?" She suggested, her eyes trailing up off her lap and toward Orga and Rufus both, "Anything really, just... To maybe keep my mind off how awful this tastes a bit more...?" She mumbled, and the request earned slightly sympathetic smiles from both.
"Can do. I actually have plenty I wanna square away with you, after all the crazy." Orga smirked, leaning in a little and Hora blinked at it, her head tilting.
Square away...?
"Like for starters, the thing in that Lacrima of yours is a Dragon?" He kept on, one hand falling on his knee while the other held the teacup he'd already drained, but hadn't bothered to put down or refill. "Which makes you a Dragon Slayer, on top of being a Devil Slayer. And with two different elements too." He said, leaning in a little more, while Hora wilted slightly.
"Oh, that..." She mumbled softly, and he nodded firmly.
"Yeah that." Orga said, "We heard about the whole thing from the Ice Dudes; all about that Dragon you guys went head to head with, the fact that it was after you because of the Dragon in that Lacrima of yours, and all the details of the fight too! You really went all out on the Dragon Slayer thing, huh?" He smirked, a little bit of enthusiasm making it's way into his posture and voice. Hora faltered, shaking her head slightly and looking nervous now, and totally not sure why he seemed to... excited about it..?
"I wouldn't say that, I'm not even close to being a sort of fully-fledged Dragon Slayer. I've never learned how to use that Magic at all, I was just winging it the whole time..." She told him quickly, but he shook his head at her next, and she paused.
"Dude, do you not realize how badass you were? Even being a total newbie at the whole Dragon Slayer thing?" Orga asked and Hora's head tilted a little at it. To which, Orga noticed the sort of lost and unsure look she gave him right away, and he grew a little more energetic (and a touch exasperated now all at once).
"Hora, you totally rocked it." Orga smirked, "I already knew you were gonna fight like a boss even before hearing about that fight from everybody else, cause you are badass just on the regular. But after hearing about it, and seeing that last Spell you sent off? Total badass boss." He grinned, Rufus nodding faintly in agreement and smiling himself, though he was a little more composed than Orga- who now looked ready to jump up and start singing, as he was prone to.
But Hora was still rather lost, and totally unsure of the excitement and praise. And that bit about the Spell-?
"Wait, what do you mean?" She mumbled quickly, "How did you see the Spell? You weren't anywhere near where we were... were you?" She asked, and Orga paused for a moment, looking almost dumbfounded, before he smiled and looked way more exasperated this time.
"Heh, you really don't remember a lot of the end of fight, do you?" Orga asked next, completely skimping passed her own question and Hora hesitated.
Truthfully she actually remembered a lot of it, in terrible vivid detail. She would remember it as long as she lived probably, forever with it haunting her, regardless of that fact that what she had seen come to pass having been, thankfully, rewound and averted.
But Orga asking that now, and with her mostly remembering it all, it left her all the more confused- and that confusion was clear as day on her face.
Orga let out a small breath, smiling still as he suddenly pushed himself off the bed and to his feet. He abandoned his teacup on the nightstand and moved over toward the curtains drawn across the windows and glass doors that lead out onto a balcony. Hora's head tilted all the more than it already was as he did so, before she ended up having to squint and blink against what amount of light came in when he pulled the curtains back and let the sun in without warning. She frowned, scrunching her eyes closed hard against the stinging that followed with the (quite ridiculous level of) brightness, and rubbing the back of her hand against them a moment to try and dissipate the feeling.
"Oi, warn me next time before you do that." She muttered a touch irritably,
"Sorry, but I am trying to make a point." Orga replied lightly and Hora grumbled a bit under her breath, blinking her eyes back open slowly, another flash of rather dazzling light flitting across her vision and she paused.
Wait... That's not from the sun is it?
It's like a reflection off something... But what? And to reflect that much?
Her hand came up to try and block the light some, eyes narrowing against it.
"I wasn't anywhere near you when you sent that big ass Spell off, but I didn't have to be." Orga hummed, smirking faintly as he pushed the glass doors to the balcony open, a waft of fresh air rushing into the room in it's quake and washing over Hora with a million different scents. Most of it was just the regular smells from the city- people, food, open air and sky with plants and whatever mixed in- but the rather out of place scents of smoke, ash, and ice caught her a little off guard.
Smoke and ash made sense, after all the fighting that had gone on in the city- but Rufus said most of that had been undone when the Eclipse Gate got destroyed, hadn't he?
And what's with the ic- heh?
Orga smirked, stepping off to the side of the now open doors, his arms crossing over his chest,
"Nobody had to be near you to see that Spell. And I guarantee the whole freakin' city saw it." Orga told her simply, finishing his earlier thought while Hora's hand fell slightly from shielding her eyes, her jaw dropping.
HEH?!
The city of Crocus stretched out passed the balcony railing, shimmering in the early morning light and mostly intact even after all the trouble and destruction that had befallen it. Like Rufus had said, there was near to no hint of any of those destroyed buildings and blocks upon blocks that had been leveled and uprooted in the quake of the Dragon's wrath. It almost looked untouched, and like none of it had ever happened.
Almost
Scattered at an incredibly wide angle, almost in a half-circle like shape that covered a distance that was easily more than a two dozen city blocks, was an entire wasteland of ice and fire both. Spires and spikes of ice broke up out of the shattered earth, buildings, rubble, streets, and everything in between overtaken in a thick sheet of ice with tracks of red-hot embers burning like pyres. Where the fires had originally raged and turned what they touched into nothing but smolders, they'd dimmed to steadily burning flame in places, where otherwise it was cheer ice with embers still burning dimly under the shinning surface. Fire danced across the smooth surfaces, the golden-blue glow refracting every which way and shinning bright even against the light of the sunlight hitting the Ice and Fire Wasteland... but not even the sheer reach and persistence of all of that was the most shocking thing.
Still looming over the city in a tall, tower-like structure that cut high into the sky with a dozen spires of ice and flame burning in their depths, was the icy silhouette and mold of a seemingly suspended Dragon.
And not just any Dragon but Callan- the ice and fire both stuck in place and perfectly forming her shape where she had been trapped underneath it now a week passed. Where that Magic had remained and retained her shape even once Callan herself faded from this timeline, and nearly all other damage and traces of Magic mayhem the city had endured had vanished.
But Hora's Magic hadn't
Hora shivered involuntarily, her heart dropping into the pits of her stomach as shock, incredulity, and panic all at once rushed through her.
H-Holy shit...!
I didn't realize the Spell was that big?!
It's almost as wide as half of the fucking city!
W-WHAT?!
Orga smirked, looking rather amused with the incredibly dumbfounded look that overtook Hora's face at seeing it. He chuckled under his breath, stepping back a few paces toward the bed and catching her wide eyes off the towering Dragon and wasteland.
"Heh, like I said; total badass boss." He hummed as their eyes matched, "You're actually the only one out of all the other Dragon Slayers that got even sort of close to beating a Dragon. And you're definitely the only one who managed to stop one totally in it's tracks."
"Hmm, it is quite the sight." Rufus imputed lightly, "You are truly a powerful Mage Horatia, that is very clear. Even though you have never truly learned your Dragon Slayer Magic, you used it very well- and in a rather exemplary way, when combining your Devil Slaying Magic with it." The blonde told her, but Hora bristled, fumbling for proper words and the praise and whatnot totally going right over her head.
"B-But... it... I didn't think it was gonna be that big..!" She hissed shakily, "I-I didn't even really know what I was doing, I don't how I did that, I just... I just did it..! W-Without thinking about it, I just reacted..! A-And...! A-And why the hell is it still there...?! S-Shouldn't it have gone away with everything else...?!" She stammered quickly, and Rufus smiled faintly at the questions and rambling.
"Hmm, well I have to assume some amount of you're supposed to have not been alive, as the Other Rogue mentioned, probably has something to do with why your Magic wasn't unwound like all the rest." Rufus replied calmly, but Hora shook her head a little.
"I-it should still have faded, or... or broken or something after eight days..!" She hissed, "Especially with me so out of it because of Over-Drive, o-or even when I wasn't alive alive... it... it should have fallen apart-!"
'-it will not go anywhere, not until you purposely unwind the Spell yourself.' Lixue intoned coolly and out of nowhere, cutting Hora off rather abruptly to start with, before she bristled more.
"W-What the hell is that supposed to mean...?!" She snapped hotly, the rather surprised and confused looks she earned from Rufus and Orga going totally unnoticed by Hora. Lixue sighed heavily,
'That particular Spell is rather persistent. It's nature is to destroy anything it's path, or indefinitely trap and stall all living things in it's grasp that it cannot simply destroy so easily.' He elaborated calmly, 'It is one of the more tenacious and destructive Spells that any of those I have been bonded with have ever been able to use. As it is the nature of the Spell to trap and destroy, it is very hardy, and will not break nor weather by the passage of time, nor even your own death. The only way it will cease to exist is if you undo it yourself... Or I suppose a substantial Magical Force outside yourself may be able to get rid of it, but it would prove a difficult task.' Lixue told her, and Hora bit the inside of her cheek, a little bit of her panic settling as the listened.
'There was no time to divulge the finer details of this Spell at the time you cast it, Horatia, but now you know... And though it is a sore topic, I will mention this particular Spell was one of Arden's most popular. As is why it's name became his title.' Lixue went on, his voice dropping slightly and especially so at mention of Arden's name- and Hora grit her teeth, anger and hatred sparking in her core in no time at all.
Tch, that bastard-
'Quite. Arden used it indiscriminately, and caused great havoc and suffering with it. Most of the places that fell victim to his use of that Spell are likely still trapped in it's coil, even all these years since.' Lixue grumbled, 'However, please do know that your use of this Spell was much more refined. The only things that fell victim to it were the Miniature Dragon Clones, I assure you of that. No human, or any Wizard in the city was affected... Your control and precision in the sheer reach and strength of the Spell was exemplary, by all standards.'
Hora swallowed, her eyes flashing slightly at the praise even around the anger that flared and wilting for it. She forced herself a breath, nodding stiffly and her eyes falling into her lap.
Hmph... Thank you.
'... Of course.'
Hora looked back up again, her attention moving back toward Rufus and Orga, and for the first time registering they were watching her rather curiously.
Ah shit I talked to you out loud, Lixue-
"-sorry, I didn't mean to snap out loud." Hora apologized to both men quickly. Rufus tilted his head a little though, looking calm as ever even with what was a rather strange outburst on her part.
"No need to apologize, I assume you were speaking with 'Lixue', hmm?" The blonde replied coolly, Hora stiffening a little got the assertion, before nodding slightly.
"Ah, yeah actually..." She mumbled, and Rufus nodded once more in understanding.
"Oh? So what did your Dragon say then?" Orga asked, butting in slightly once he caught up again (albeit a bit slower on the uptake than Rufus was). Hora paused, her shoulders sinking at what was sort of an odd question, and glancing down into the barely drunk potion in her lap for a moment.
"Uhm, he was just saying that the Spell I used is still there because I have to undo it myself." Hora replied quietly, "Apparently it's not gonna go anywhere until I do, that's just how that particular Spell works... Though I didn't know that, when I used it..." She mumbled, before trailing off entirely.
Rufus and Orga paused at the answer though, a little of their calm and cool breaking off into small hints of unease ad they shot one another a silent glance. They seemed to hesitate, before Rufus dipped his head ever so faintly and Orga swallowed, one hand rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he slowly paced another step or two closer to Hora.
"Ah, that actually... Kinda tracks." Orga told her quietly, and Hora stiffened at the words, glancing up toward him with narrowed eyes.
"... 'Tracks'?" She echoed, and he nodded stiffly, still rubbing at the back of his neck and looking a little more uneasy now.
"Yeah... Please don't get all worked up about it, Hora, but some of the Old-Timers in the other Guilds recognized that Spell of yours." Orga told her quietly, and Hora instinctively stiffened for the words. "They knew it was the same Spell that that Arden guy you mentioned used to use a lot... ya know, while being a bad guy and everything." Orga mumbled, "We figured he must have been a less than good dude, since you said he forced you to take his Magic, but we didn't realize how awful that guy was until the Old-Timers told us about him, and what he did up in the Northern Territories way back when... and what Yukino said that Wolf Knight guy was talking about too, when you guys were in the Labyrinth thing under the castle."
Hora's eyes dropped, her shoulders hunching a tad and her face falling as she grit her teeth.
Shit... I didn't think there'd be so many people who'd recognize the sort of Magic Arden used... least of all recognize the exact same Spell he used to do so much damage, and kill so many people.
Damn it, I'm never gonna outlive all of the shit Arden did, am I...?
She grimaced further at the thought, her hands around the potion that was by now forgotten getting tight enough her knuckles turned white. Orga and Rufus wilted a little to see it and her posture go rather rigid all of a sudden, her head falling too and they fidgeted a little uncomfortably- because despite Orga asking her not to get worked up about it, she definitely did.
Not that they blamed her mind you, after all they had learned and heard of Arden once things had started to settle a little, and what Hora herself had said of him- even if she only really said little. Clearly Arden was a sore topic, she had told Yukino that and they understood why it was, and they'd even been wary of mentioning it in the first place- but they had to, because it was better to say it now than to let her be unprepared in case anyone else brought it up later.
Though seeing how tense she got the minute it was brought up did make them regret going into it, at least partly.
Orga let out a small sigh, shaking himself out a little and stepping up toward the bed, one hand on his hip while the other came down gently on Hora's sort of bowed head. She stiffened a little in surprise at the sudden and unexpected contact, stiff in her spot for a moment and making no move to glance up right off.
What is he..?
"We know you're nothing like that guy, alright?" Orga told her softly, the words making her swallow rather hard while her stomach churned more than it already was. "Everybody else knows that too. Even if you've got the same Magic as him, you aren't him, or even like him in any way. He was a bad dude for sure, but you aren't. You're about as far from being bad as anybody can get." Orga told her firmly, but gently all the same and Hora bit the insides of her cheeks at it, her eyes falling closed and holding her breath now.
How the hell could he say that after all the lies, secrets and constantly hiding things and mucking up? How he could he say that and mean it, after all the trouble and pain she had caused, and kept causing...?
Even if she wasn't Arden, or anything like him, she wasn't a good person, not entirely. She'd hurt too many people, made too many mistakes, kept so many things hidden from everyone- all the people she should have trusted and opened up to, and been a better friend for.
She'd been a terrible friend. She'd kept lying to them, never telling them the full thing, and always either hurting them, herself, or standing by and doing nothing and letting them be hurt. Or pushing things hard enough she ended up nearly dead and then actually dead, which hurt them so much more than maybe Jiemma or Minerva ever had.
You can't be as a terrible a friend as she had to all of them, and still be a 'good person'-
"Oi, are you listening to me?"
She jumped faintly, Orga's hand still on top of her head suddenly a little heavier as she ruffled her hair and somewhat forced her to tilt her head back and look at him again. She obliged, though her eyes were slow to move up and meet his even still- and he waited patiently for their gazes to match before continuing on, his expression as calm and as resolute as can be.
"Nobody thinks of you like Arden, okay? And I mean that, nobody does. And we never will." He told her levelly. "We know you better than anybody, and you're a million times better than that dude ever could be. You're our Family, and the most badass Devil Dragon Slayer ever." He smirked faintly, and Hora's eyes flashed faintly at it- especially that one word;
Family
"I didn't bring him up to say make you think we were like, thinking you did any of the sort of stuff he used to do, or anything like that. We know that ain't you, and it won't ever be you, period." Orga hummed, "We just wanted to make sure you knew that everybody's heard about the guy by now, so you wouldn't end up freakin' out if he got brought up. 'Cause we get it's a sore topic for you, okay? And nobody's gonna pester you about him, or force you into telling us the details. He's gone and we can leave him alone forever if that's what ya want." Orga told her, and Hora swallowed slightly, her eyes dropping again.
She couldn't leave Arden alone forever, regardless if everyone would have actually been okay with doing so... she appreciated it more than she could describe that they would all be willing to leave it be. But still, she couldn't.
She'd promised to tell them everything right? Explain it all, all those millions of things she'd kept hidden, and never should have, for as long as she did...?
She'd meant it, when she'd said she would tell them. She still meant it now, even if the idea of doing so still had her feeling sick to her stomach, afraid, and so very on edge.
But still-
Hora forced herself a small breath, nodding ever so faintly and glancing back up to meet Orga's eyes again, a tiny, almost imperceptible smile making it's way over her lips.
"I can't not explain it to you guys... I have to talk about Arden, and everything else, eventually... but thank you, for being willing to let it go." Hora told him quietly, "I promised I'd tell you all everything I should have told you a long time ago, and I'm gonna keep it... but please be patient with me for a little longer, yeah..?" She asked, and Orga paused, before nodding once.
"You got it." He hummed, smiling slightly himself and ruffling her hair again, and rather more playfully this time around before he pulled his hand back entirely. Rufus shifted, his hand coming down lightly on Hora's shoulder and earning her eyes, the blonde giving her a small smile as he nodded at her.
"Take your time, Hora. You can tell us whatever you wish, whenever you are ready." He murmured gently, a little bit of that knowing look making a reappearance in the man for just a second, and Hora let out a breath.
She smiled a little more, nodding once in return, her voice dropping to something shy of a whisper and dark blue eyes gleaming.
"Thank you."
.:+:.
"-they've been trying to deny anything happened, and for the most part everybody they evacuated from the city think it was some sort of hoax or something as part of the end of the GMG." Orga hummed, fiddling slightly with his cup on the nightstand beside him, the large man sitting now in a chair there that he'd pulled up with Rufus a bit behind him, stacking a tray with a now empty tea kettle, his own cup, a second one, and the empty medicine bottle Hora finally got all the way through finishing while Orga talked away. And Hora didn't mind him talking, it was nice to be able to listen to his own recant of the last week and what else had gone on she'd not been told about in full- namely the more sordid details of the last day of the GMG, and what an upset it had been.
Orga probably embellished a lot of the fights more than just a tad, especially since he'd apparently gotten knocked out not long into the whole thing by Jura (a fact which he seemed still a little touchy about), but Hora didn't mind him overselling any of it. It was a nice distraction, and a little more lighthearted and altogether thrilling to hear... She kinda wished she'd been able to see it for herself, but of course she had been rather busy.
After he got through the GMG he started in on the Dragon Attack and whatever, going over things Rufus had given her the quick version of and doing so in perhaps an even quicker pace. He didn't wanna linger too long on all that crazy, or upset her too much, so he skimmed it, and then skimmed the several days worth of her being on the edge of death or at it because of Over-Drive and whatever. Again, he didn't wanna work her up talking about all that, and she already knew how bad she had gotten- no use making her feel worse than she already did, yeah?
Now they were on the subject of the cleanup and whatever following the whole incident- which amounted to little actual cleanup, since Time rewinding or whatever had erased the bulk of the damage the city sustained. All that was really left of it all was a pile of rubble that used to be the Eclipse Gate, and the large chunk of the city trapped in Hora's own Magic... With what was sort of like a life-size ice state of a Dragon settled on a tower made of ice that was easily about as tall as the Castle itself.
But apparently even that was still seen by the people evacuated as part of the 'hoax'-
"All the townspeople think your stuff is cool, but a little overdone." Orga hummed, smirking faintly at the way Hora seemed to wilt slightly for it.
'Overdone' is sort of putting it kindly
"The Magic Council stepped in to try and clean it up too, but they've not been able to make a dent. So they've been trying to limit the amount of people walking all through your Magic Zone- but they aren't having great luck, since it's so big." Orga kept on, "Like I said, most everybody thinks it's kinda cool, even if you've frozen over a bunch of people's homes and shops and stuff, hehe." He chuckled, and Hora sighed.
"Right... I'll have to see about undoing the Spell..." She mumbled,
'... Quite.' Lixue agreed softly,
"Yeah, but there's no rush." Orga told her, Hora blinked.
"Right, no rush. It's just hundreds of people who can't get in their buildings and homes." She mumbled flatly and he paused for it, before smiling a little uncertainly.
"Ah, true... but nobody wants you to push yourself too soon, Hora." He replied slowly, and she bit the inside of her cheek.
"He is right, I don't believe trying to tackle that issue any time soon is wise, even if you're only unwinding a Spell, rather than casting one." Rufus imputed calmly, the blonde casting a glance over his shoulder toward her a moment and stalling his stacking of the tray.
"Yeah, doing any sort of Magic stuff isn't a great idea. You're still in rough shape ya know." Orga told her, and Hora sighed heavily, her eyes dropping.
"... I know..." Hora murmured quietly,
And I will be in rough shape for a long time too... ugh, fucking Over-Drive.
Rufus and Orga cast Hora sympathetic looks when she let out that sigh, the exasperation and even frustration clear in her posture and expression.
TAP TAP
Hora blinked, glancing up quickly and her attention (as well as Orga and Rufus') instantly diverted to the soft sound of knocking on the door into the room. And any thought to the conversation or the slightly looming need to undo the 'Arctic Hellfire' Spell was totally forgotten as the door started to open slowly, almost cautiously so.
"You guys can take a break, Porlyusica's gonna be here soon." A familiar voice started quietly before the door was even halfway open, "We can stay awhile until she gets here, and ther-"
Sting cut himself off abruptly, the door opening all the way and giving him a good view of the room, his attention settling on Hora almost instantly. He stalled, hand still on the doorknob, face falling slightly in shock while his eyes widened, and he just stood there for half a second in utter stillness, staring... Before something about his expression twisted and brightened all at the same time, the White Dragon Slayer swallowing hard.
"... Hey." He mumbled breathlessly in a quiet and almost out of place sort of greeting that sounded much too unsure and even awkward, and Hora wilted a little for it.
"... Hi..." She mumbled softly in return, and it sounded even more awkward- enough that Sting seemed to wince a little for it, a small sigh escaping him as he shook his head a little stiffly to himself, quickly pushing the door the rest of the way and stepping inside the doorway instead of standing in it. He cast her a slightly weary look as he did, pausing once he took a small step to the side and a tiny, very shaky smile pulling his lips upward at the corners.
"It's good to see you up, Hora." Sting told her softly, redoing the greeting a little less awkwardly this time around and Hora nodded in return, her blue eyes flashing. Sting held her eyes for only a second after she did so, before his face twisted a little anxiously all over again and his attention darted back toward the now open door beside him, Hora quick to follow where his eyes went and freezing soon after.
Yukino was there, standing stiff as a statue in the doorway and not even daring to move an inch or make her way into the room like Sting had. The minute she heard Sting say hello from where she'd been behind the blonde, she'd struggled to even look up from the floor, her heart pounding as he stepped inside and the shield of his body ahead of her was gone and replaced with nothing but the open doorway. And when she did get her eyes up, they landed on Hora just as quickly as Sting's had, and Yukino could not move.
Actually, she couldn't just not move, she couldn't really breathe either. Or think, or anything at all, she just stopped- heart pounding painfully in her chest and her body quickly adopting a faint tremble in no time at all, her brown eyes shinning and quickly growing glassy.
Hora stiffened at it, Sting doing the same as the blonde turned quickly back toward the Celestial Mage, his hand reaching out uncertainly and looking nervous and pained all at once for the sheer amount of ache in Yukino's face and posture just then- and just how quickly that faint trembling in the girl began to quicken, and grow stronger. Rufus and Orga even grimaced slightly themselves for the sight, while Hora swallowed hard, her heart dropping even further.
"Yukino..." Sting mumbled quietly, his hand falling gently on the Celestial Mage's shoulder and she jumped faintly for it, sucking in a sharp breath of that air she'd so suddenly been unable to catch. Her eyes dropped quickly from Hora and to the floor, her arms coming up quickly to hug tightly to herself and she sniffed slightly, shutting her eyes tight a moment.
"... S...sorry..." The Celestial Mage apologized quickly, her voice just shy of a whisper and Sting bit the inside of his cheek for it. His eyes flicked away from Yukino and toward Hora for a moment, grimacing further to see that Hora was looking quickly more uneasy and even a little guilty- which he hated, nearly as much as he hated to see how worked up Yukino was so suddenly, and he swallowed hard. Sting stepped closer to Yukino, his hand moving from her shoulder and falling on the small of her back instead, urging her forward gently out of the doorway, and then slowly up toward the bed. And Yukino stepped forward, stiffly so and not daring to break her eyes off the floor the whole while.
Yukino came to a stiff halt at the side of the bed, her hands clasped tightly together in front of her and eyes trained downward, Hora swallowing hard for what refusal there was from the Celestial Mage to even look at her.
Hora's lips pulled into a thin line, her stomach knotting itself so tightly she felt like she needed to retch, but she held her breath to keep the sensation as at bay as possible. Her eyes flashed, the breath she took in to hold a little shaky, and Sting shot her a halfway worried, and halfway sympathetic look when he heard it. And similarly Yukino sucked in a shaky breath of air too, the room deadly quiet for a few heartbeats too long, and it was very uncomfortable. The tension on air was heavy and almost suffocating, and quickly getting worse with each millisecond of nothing being said.
Sting shook himself out slightly, his hand coming up from hovering behind Yukino's back and instead landing gently on the top of her head, patting it once and breaking the Celestial Mage out of her rigid posture just a little. She glanced up his way uncertainly and he smiled gently, nodding his head toward Hora, and Yukino swallowed hard for the gesture. The Celestial Mage sniffed slightly, her already glassy eyes growing even more so as she fought to keep the tears back, and she turned her gaze slowly on Hora, her entire posture growing a million times more rigid.
"H... Hora... I..." Yukino started, her voice scarce above a whisper and shaking so, so badly. She broke off again, sucking in a sharp breath of air while her eyes dropped from Hora once more, the Celestial Mage's head suddenly dipping and her shoulders hunching as when did a sudden, trembling sort of half-bow.
"I a-am so sorry, Hora..." Yukino stammered out breathlessly, her voice breaking off in a sob she tried so hard to stifle- and Hora froze.
Her face fell flat in shock and confusion, blinking once and completely lost in an instant- because wha...?
"... s-sorry...?" Hora echoed uncertainly, and Yukino nodded stiffly, her body bending a little more in a bow.
"I... I am so sorry... F... For even thinking f-for a second that... That what that man in the Labrytth said about Arden m-might have been you... I... I should never have... e..ever..." Yukino hissed hoarsely, the words making Hora go stiff as a board all over again, and her heart to drop.
.:+:.
"... Ardendous...?" Several people, including Yukino, echoed uncertainly, their eyes flicking toward Hora once they realized she was the one being addressed. Even Arcadios looked up, his face twisting in shock and maybe even slight bits of fear- because unlike the Fairy Tailers and Yukino- he had heard that name before, and he knew what evil it spoke of.
"What the hell is that?" Natsu grumbled,
"A true monster." The scythe guy answered before Hora had a chance to, "True sin... a beast that swept through the northern continents, leaving murder and mayhem in it's quake. Hellfire so hot it was icy cold, destroyer of lives and slayer of humans... a monster and demon of which you can only imagine, and one that killed near two thousand people in only five years." He murmured and then everyone stiffened, their hearts skipping a beat and a cold chill falling over them at the words- and they turned their slightly horrified eyes on Hora, as the man dipped his head toward her,
"I recognize those Markings, those flames... you are Ardendous. The Arctic Hellfire."
Hora grit her teeth, all so aware of the looks she was getting from everyone and how quickly the thought crossed their minds; could that-?
"...w..what...?" Wendy stammered,
"... two thousand people...?" Lucy whispered,
"... Arctic... Hellfire...?" Natsu mumbled, his eyes locked to Hora and questioning.
"... there's... there's no way that was you... right Hora...?" Yukino asked quickly, Hora winced a bit, her eyes snapping toward Yukino and the words tearing her heart in half- did she really have to ask that..?!
"No of course not!" Hora hissed quickly with a sharp shake of her head, her eyes glittering and her expression pained for half a second as her voice seemed to break a bit at the end too.
.:+:.
Hora grimaced at the memory of it, her stomach churning all anew, and worse now to realize that Yukino was actually still hung up on it. And not just hung up, but guilty as hell, unable to look at Hora at all, and on the verge of crying as she stammered out that breathless apology.
Because of course it hurt to even be asked that, especially in the moment, but that was forever ago! It wasn't still an issue..!
Well... I mean, not a huge issue... A-And she doesn't need to apologize for it...!
Especially not after everything else that happened... Shit, I should be the one apologizing after all of this...!
"Y-Yukino, you don't have to apologize for that, I know you didn't really mean anything by it...!" Hora said quickly, her still bandaged hands waving a little in front of her in what was supposed to be a calming gesture, but it really did little good. Yukino even shook her head rather sharply, her hands wringing together all the harder and to the point her fingernails must have been digging into her skin. Hora broke off a little, eyes flashing.
"No, I do...!" The Celestial Mage hissed, "I... I saw how much it upset you after I a-asked it, Hora... I can't believe I did, I just... I was so shocked to h-hear any of it... b..but after what the other Guild Master's told us about... about Arden... a-and how awful a person he was... I..." Yukino trailed off, her body bending further and Hora stiffened, her attention locking to the spatter of tears hitting the floor at Yukino's feet now, grimacing. "H-Hora... I am so sorry... I s-should never have a-asked you that... I know... I know y-you aren't that person, Hora... I k-knew that even when I s-said it, and I... I'm so s-sorry... I should never have s-said it, ever... I... I know t-that isn't you... I do... I... I wanted to apologize the i-instant I did it, but... but then everything just... k-kept getting crazier, a-and you k-kept getting hurt... w-worse and worse... and... I should have s-said it right away, b-before we all got split up the first time... o-or before you l-left to go w-warn the Guilds... I..." Yukino kept up, her voice growing increasingly more broken and shaky, while the tears kept coming in multitudes, though she still never lifted her head.
"... I s-should have apologized... i... immediately... e-especially since... y... you got hurt again, k-kept getting hurt and you... you a-almost died again... d-did die... a-and... I couldn't live with myself... i-if we lost you and I never got to a-apologize for it... I... I couldn't take it... I'm so sorry... I... I don't mean to be so... so w-worked up Hora... I've just... I've been so scared..." Yukino stammered, her voice dropping away to something shy of a whisper and then breaking in a sob, and Hora swallowed, hard.
This was nearly exactly the same string of guilt and apologies she'd heard from Sting- albeit for a different reason than his had been. But all the same, it was still a bundle of fear and regret and guilt hanging over Yukino's shoulders for what she'd said and done, just as it had been with Sting, and it was just as agonizing as it had been with the White Dragon Slayer. And upon casting a quick glance Sting's way, Hora could see an echo of all that ache and guilt flash again in his eyes, the blonde grimacing as he watch Yukino in rigid silence, his heart twisting a million times over again.
Hora's own twisted painfully to see it in him, her eyes dancing off Sting and back toward Yukino, blue eyes flashing.
It was good Rufus and Orga had mentioned everyone finding out about that bastard, and it helped a little now- but only just. It still sucked having Arden brought up, and him and all his bullshit being the main reason Yukino was so wound up now.
Tch, even after all this time Arden continues to be a huge pain in my ass, and to screw my life up... shit
Hora swallowed slightly, a bit of heat and ache rising in her chest making her cringe faintly, and she had to stifle what amount of anger and annoyance had stirred with the thought.
Damn it, I can't get mad and worked up about him now, it's just gonna make me start coughing again
Hora took in a small, tentative breath to try and settle out some of the ache in her lungs again, tossing away the deep anger toward the man and glancing up toward Yukino again slowly.
"... I... I'm sorry... I..." Yukino whispered, continuing on with the very shaky and breathless apologies while the tears kept hitting the floor. Hora bit the inside of her cheek, holding her breath for a moment as she shifted, leaning forward as much as she could manage before the wound across her ribs started to ache a little too much, and just enough so her hand was able to come down lightly on Yukino's bent head- patting it once, just like Sting had done just moments before.
"Yukino, you really don't have to apologize." Hora assured softly, her hand shifting slightly to muss up the other girl's hair just a tad, before it glided down to just under her chin, gently pushing Yukino's head back up from being bent. Yukino's tear-filled brown eyes met Hora's blue ones hesitantly as she was directed to straighten a little, and Hora offered up a small, halfway reassuring, halfway sad smile for the Celestial Mage. "I don't blame you for asking about it back in then, it was kinda out of nowhere, so I do get it... and I really do know you didn't mean anything by it." Hora assured quietly, her eyes flashing as she tilted Yukino's chin just a little more, before pulling back again. Yukino swallowed, amber eyes glittering and her lips pulling into a thin line for the smile, her tears stalling for just a second as she listened, and Hora's smile softened a tad.
"Thank you for making it clear, though. I appreciate it." Hora hummed softly, hints of ache, sadness, guilt, and relief all bundled into one swimming in those blue eyes of hers so suddenly, and Yukino stiffened. Hora forced herself a breath, her eyes dropping slightly and her smile almost fading to none as her shoulders hunched ever so faintly, and she shook her head once. "And I am sorry for scaring you... for scaring any of you... I really didn't mean to push it to the point I got this bad." Hora mumbled quietly, her voice wavering despite herself on the hushed apology, and everyone else in the room grimaced for it, their hearts twisting. Rufus, Sting and Orga all wilted a little at the apology, especially Rufus- who had already assured her worrying them was not an issue.
But of course Hora still ended up saying sorry for it again, and likely would several times more.
Yukino on the other hand, her briefly stalled tears started all anew, and with a sudden vigor. The Celestial Mage sucked in a sharp breath of air, shaking like a leaf as she suddenly jolted forward, her arms lunging outward as she less than gracefully landed with her knees on the bedside and swept Hora up in an almost frantic, desperate embrace. Hora stiffened in surprise under it, Yukino's sudden weight against her pushing them both back against the headboard, Yukino holding tightly around her shoulders, burying her face into the crook of Hora's neck and her entire body shuddering against Hora's in sobs that weren't near as quiet or desperately stifled as they'd been before.
"Y-You... H-Hora it's... it's fine... y-you don't have to... s-say that...!" Yukino stammered, while the redhead paused at the words. "... A-After everything... I'm just... as long as you're getting better, t-that's all that matters... N-no matter what... you being okay is the most important thing... p-please don't apologize for anything...!" Yukino stammered breathlessly, her voice breaking in another sob and she held tighter, shaking her head a few times and trembling all the more. Her voice dropped terribly next, another sob breaking her voice painfully as it dropped into a hushed whisper.
"... Y-You're okay... I... I'm so happy you're okay..."
Hora's hands hovered a little uncertainly for about a second more, before she let out a silent breath and they wound around Yukino gently, returning the embrace as tightly and gently as she could manage, her nose bumping against the Celestial Mage's shoulder as her head dropped into it wearily.
... me too...
Yukino didn't stop crying, not for a rather long time. Hora didn't dare pull away or try and disrupt the hug, not even when her chest and ribs started to ache with being held on to. She just held on to the crying girl, Yukino mumbling a few more hushed words along the lines of being 'so relieved', and Hora stayed quiet, giving the Celestial Mage a small squeeze for each one that she hoped would help reassure her more than words ever could.
Thankfully Yukino seemed to realize after awhile she was leaning a little too heavily against Hora, and she collected herself enough to lean back and loosen her hold around the fiery-haired girl. Yukino settled onto her heels, sniffing as she fought to steady her breathing again and shaking her head once, shooting Hora a teary, and much too apologetic look.
"I-I'm sorry... I didn't hurt you did I...?" Yukino asked quickly, and Hora shook her head, her hand landing lightly on one of Yukino's reassuringly.
"No, don't worry about that." Hora replied softly- and lied, a little. It actually did hurt, though not badly, but hurt all the same.
Hora wasn't about to let Yukino feel any sort of guilt over that though, she was worked up enough already.
No use making her feel worse... Or anybody else either...
... Though that being said, I really don't think I'm gonna be able to handle much more of people rushing and hugging me like that... I'm sure there's gonna be plenty more of people trying it, once everyone else starts to come pop in and check up... Ahhhh...
Hora winced internally at the thought of it, but otherwise kept her face from showing any discomfort or aversion to what inevitable ache and pain was to come. She understood the hugging, and she would still understand it whenever it happened again, because she knew anybody grabbing on and holding to her like that was out of relief, fear, happiness, and whatever else... but still, oww.
Yukino seemed a little unsure with the answer of 'no' she earned to her question, but she nodded slightly anyway, her eyes dropping as she sucked in a shaky breath of air. The tears were still coming, and though they had slowed a tiny bit, they didn't seem likely to stop just yet.
Sting let out a quiet breath, moving forward to be just beside the bed and Yukino with it, his hand coming up and arm hooking gently around her head and shoulder, pulling her sideways into him so she bumped against his chest. Yukino stiffened in surprise to start, before she sank a little into him and sniffed again, the crying picking up slightly- though a little quieter now. Sting smiled sadly at it, rubbing her hair a bit as she buried half her face in his chest, her hand shifting in Hora's and holding tightly even as she continued to cry for a little longer.
Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes flashing as she glanced up from Yukino and caught Sting's eye, the blonde shooting her a somewhat somber, and altogether appreciative look she swallowed back at. She knew what it meant, even if he never said anything aloud; thank you
Hora nodded faintly and Sting nodded once in turn, his free hand coming up and patting Hora's head in a similar manner as he had with Yukino, though a touch gentler.
It took Yukino a bit longer to settle all the way, her crying stilling finally as she pulled slowly back from Sting and rubbed at her eyes. The Celestial Mage shot Hora a fleeting, still sort of sad smile before adjusting, her hand unlinking from the Fire Devil Slayers. Yukino took in a big breath of air as she pushed herself off the bed and stood up, Sting shifting to the side to give her room, with Rufus stepping up not longer, handing a handkerchief Yukino's way that she took gratefully.
"... Thank you Rufus..."
Hora's shoulders sank a little, her eyes lingering on Yukino for half a second before her attention got snatched away by someone's hand tapping her shoulder ever so lightly. Her attention snapped to her left, Orga standing there after moving a bit closer and tilting his head her way.
"You good?" He asked quietly, and Hora hesitated for half a second, looking a little unsure as to the question so suddenly, before nodding slowly.
"Yeah." She mumbled and he nodded once, his eyes leaving her and skipping straight over toward the door with a weary smile.
"Cool, 'cause you're about to be fussed over a lot more." Orga hummed and Hora blinked at it, brow quirking and still very confused-?
TAP TAP TAP
Hora's attention left Orga, who was already headed off, and landed on the door for a second time in so short a span, everyone else in the room glancing that way expectantly, while Orga was two steps ahead of all of them. The Lightning God Slayer drew up at the door, opening it slowly from this side before whoever knocked had a chance to do it themselves. He stepped to the side as he pulled it open, revealing the slightly surprised pair of Wendy and Sherria standing there, Wendy's hand hovering slightly still from having knocked, and a very grim looking pink-haired old woman behind the pair with Carla floating at her shoulder.
Orga popped his head passed the edge of the door as he shot the two girls a small smirk, his head nodding inward away from them toward the center of the room. "Come on in." He murmured lightly, Wendy and Sherria seemingly a little stunned with such a quick invite, before their eyes darted from Orga and found Hora instead, and they both seemed to almost have their breath snatched away... and nearly just as quickly there came specks of tears at the corners of both Sky Wizard's eyes.
Hora swallowed, her face shifting from surprise to a small smile- a sad, nervous, and exasperated one all at once.
Oh, that's what he meant-
"H-Hora...!"
Unlike Yukino, who had to be prompted to even enter the room, both Sherria and Wendy could not rush in fast enough. One second they were in the doorway, and then in the next they'd darted across the threshold, jumping up onto the bed on either side of Hora and all nerves, relief, ache, and tears... lots and lots of tears.
They were sitting in front of her on their hands and knees, bawling their eyes out with breathless and shaky smiles across their faces as they trembled just in front of her. They refrained from actually throwing themselves immediately into hugging her, which was very much appreciated, but the tears still made Hora wince internally, and had her heart to twisting rather painfully too.
"Y-You're awake!" Wendy stammered, her voice much more hushed than she probably meant for it to be.
"W-We've been so worried about you..!" Sherria gasped out with a trembling shake of her head, "W-We were trying so hard, but n-nothing worked for so long...!" She hissed, her hands curling tightly around the bed sheet's while Wendy's did the same, her head bending slightly.
"E-Even after everything, a-and you got so sick... w.. we didn't know what to do...!" Wendy stammered shakily, swallowing hard and shaking her head once. "B-But... y-you're awake now, Hora... we..."
Both girl's heads snapped back up from having bent a little, teary eyes glittering like mad as those shaky smiles broke across their faces even wider, both of them leaning in a little on their hands.
"W-We're so happy you're doing better, A-Atia..!" Both girls told her in unison, their voices nearly breaking on her name, and Hora swallowed, blue eyes flashing.
They looked so relieved... shit.
Hora nodded stiffly, swallowing back at the lump in her throat and the stinging in the back of her eyes, keeping both at bay with everything she had. Her hands moved up out of her lap, reaching out toward both girls and hooking behind their heads softly, pulling them gently forward into her where they'd not dared get too close. Wendy and Sherria resisted the motion at first, before they seemed to tremble a little worse and gave in, pressing into Hora on either side and their arms snaking around the older girl, while Hora's own arms wrapped around both of them, their heads pressing into either side of her chest and crying a little more fervently for the embrace. Hora let out a quiet breath, nuzzling her face into the top of both Sky Wizard's heads as their bodies and breaths hitched.
"Thank you both, for everything you did." Hora murmured quietly, smiling faintly as she nudged their faces up just enough she could press her lips against the crown of both girl's heads lightly. "I really owe you two, so much." She whispered and they trembled, hugging her a little closer and gasping too much to really garner a verbal response, but they nodded stiffly anyway.
Hora's eyes lifted off the two Sky Wizards and toward the rest of the room, moving slowly among everybody else in the room, most of them smiling sadly as the two girls kept crying, while others (like Porlyusica and Yukino) just watched quietly and remained mostly calm. But all of them still had a million traces of ache, pain, and ghosts of fear still in their eyes regardless... even with the relief, and happiness trickling back in, the hurt was still there.
It's always gonna be there
Everyone... They all tried so hard, just trying to do anything to make sure that- tch.
Hora's eyes dropped closed, holding her breath against the sensation of her heart cracking and willing it to fade, and take the fiery sensation of tears that so wanted to spill, to go away.
... shit... I am so sorry... to all of you... I don't know if I can ever make up for all of this, but... ... Thank you so much, all of you... Without any of you... I would be dead, a hundred times over... so just...
Hora swallowed hard, forcing herself a small breath and shaking her head once, and all to herself.
"... Thank you... all of you."
.:+:.
Later-
"... She was awake...?"
Sting and Yukino jumped slightly, the quiet mumbling between them, Rufus, and Orga breaking off at the sound of Rogue's voice from up the hallway. Their heads turned, locking to the still pale-faced Rogue standing a bit up the way from them, Lector and Frosch hovering on either side of the Shadow Dragon Slayer.
Rogue's red eyes flashed, dark lines still running under them and his posture faintly titled, though he was for the moment rather intent on the group ahead of them- and specifically what he'd heard them talking about just before. Lector and Frosch's ears perked too, though they cast the Shadow Dragon Slayer wary glances when he took a few tentative steps forward, and Sting grimaced slightly himself, immediately aware of what the Exceeds were looking so worried over.
"Yeah, for a bit." Sting mumbled, turning more up the hallway and walking Rogue's way, Yukino quick to tag along behind him with Rufus and Orga trailing at the back. "Sherria, Wendy and Porlyusica checked in, and did some work on her a little while ago. But Hora's nodded off again, and she'll probably be out of it for awhile too. The medicine Porlyusica gave her made her pretty drowsy." Sting explained quietly, coming to a stop in front of Rogue, who's eyes shown at the confirmation of Hora actually being up- Lector and Frosch perking too and looking happy as can be, though they stayed quiet for now. Rogue looked happy too, but it was brief, and quickly replaced with exhaustion as the Shadow Dragon Slayer nodded stiffly, his eyes dropping to the floor.
"... I see..." Rogue mumbled lowly, and Sting bit the inside of his cheek, blue eyes flashing.
"You should be asleep too, ya know." The blonde grumbled flatly, and Rogue stiffened faintly at the assertion, though he didn't lift his eyes. "You still look like crap man." Sting grumbled, Yukino beside him frowning faintly for the assertion, though she nodded in agreement.
"Sting is right, you need to get more sleep." She piped in softly, and Rogue's eyes fell closed, not replying even still.
Lector at his shoulder let out a heavy, and very exasperated sigh, his paws falling on his hips and tail flicking behind him wearily. "We tried to tell him the same thing, but he wouldn't listen." The tomcat told them, Frosch nodding slightly with a small, worried little mew.
"... But Rogue-Kun did eat, a little." Frosch murmured softly, earning blinks from the others at the confirmation.
"Well that's something, I guess." Sting murmured with a sigh, Yukino looking a little relieved with it, but only barely. Rogue grit his teeth at the comment though, his hands at his sides balling into fists and red eyes flashing as she stared at his feet, rigid.
"... Is she okay?" Rogue asked lowly after a moment, the question earning weary looks from Yukino and Sting both, while the Exceeds cast each other uneasy looks got how terribly tense Rogue's voice was. Rufus and Orga grimaced faintly for it too, they all did, because they could all hear fear and guilt buried in the dark-haired man's voice, where they had remained ever since learning of the Other Rogue.
"Yes she is fine, for the most part anyway." Rufus murmured coolly, the blonde the first to to push passed the way their stomachs churned just then. Rufus stepped up and passed Sting and Yukino, stopping just before Rogue and smiling faintly. "She is still hurt of course, a few of the more serious wounds are still persistent, and the effects of Over-Drive will take awhile yet to fade entirely- but she is in much better condition. She even seemed in better spirits than I anticipated as well." Rufus explained lightly, Rogue glancing up slowly at the words, red eyes gleaming, while Rufus seemed to let out a small sigh. "Her fever has also gone down significantly." Rufus went on calmly, his hands unhooking from being behind his back and one raising toward Rogue wordlessly. Rogue flinched away a tiny bit, but Rufus persisted regardless, his palm meeting Rogue's forehead lightly and the blonde grimaced faintly, another small sigh escaping him. "... I'd venture to say yours might be higher than hers at this point." Rufus mumbled and Rogue grimaced, separating himself from the blonde by taking a single step backward, shaking his head once.
"I'm fine." Rogue mumbled lowly,
"No dude, you're not." Orga piped in rather flatly, his arms crossing over his chest and eyes glinting. "Ya know, if you keep being all stubborn about it I might have to knock you out just to make you catch a few Zs." The larger man told him, and Rogue's face fell, his posture growing ever so faintly defensive.
"Don't even try it." Rogue muttered lowly,
"Don't make me have to do it." Was the instant reply Orga gave, shaking his head once. "Seriously, I don't wanna do it, but I will. And it won't even be hard, you look like you can barely stay on your feet, so you sure as hell ain't gonna be able to stop me." Orga told him, and Rogue frowned rather indignantly at the words, but Orga wasn't quite done. "Besides, you can't go in and see Hora once she's up looking like crap. You'll give her a freakin' heart attack." Orga pointed out, and Rogue went rigid for it.
"He's got a point, she was already worked up over you after you passed out, and she tried to stop you hitting the floor." Sting grumbled, the blonde and everyone else wincing a little at the mention of it, and what memory of her wounds ripping open because of it surfacing too.
"... It's probably better to try and not scare her, or upset her too much..." Yukino pitched in quietly, shifting uncomfortably on her feet and eyes down as she wrung her hands together. "... Even if she's doing better, she can't get too worked up, or Over-Drive might start effecting her more, right...?" The Celestial Mage mumbled, the words making everyone frown a little. Yukino sighed, her shoulders sinking and lips pulling into a thin line.
That being said, Yukino herself probably didn't help with not upsetting Hora, considering how fast she'd ended up crying- even regardless of Hora handling the tears rather well.
Yukino frowned a little more at the idea, her hands winding more tightly together, and Sting shot her a sympathetic look, his hand coming down lightly on her shoulder in a quiet gesture of reassurance, and nothing else.
Rogue's eyes dropped from them all and back to the floor, his shoulders hunching slightly and a small bit of trembling in his hands at his sides starting up.
Some part of him wanted nothing more than to see Hora, just to be able to see her up, to know with his own eyes she was actually doing better like Rufus said- hell, a large part of him yearned for it. So badly.
But... another part of him didn't know if he could see her, not after what the other version of himself had done to her. What right had he to see her, after the damage that Rogue had done? Would she even really want to see him? Could she stand seeing his face? The same face of the person who had tried to kill her, and so brutally?
She'd not seemed to have any sort of aversion to him any of those brief moments she'd woken up, but all those times her mind had been trapped in a haze and she'd been nothing but delirious. He couldn't trust any lack of aversion when she'd been so sick... and the fear that if he were to walk into that room, with her awake and clear-minded, and she might flinch from him?
His heart felt like it was cracking at the simple thought of it, and if it were to be a reality he was sure he'd shatter into a million pieces and never recover.
He wasn't sure he wanted to see her and risk that. Risk losing her in a way that might have been just as bad as losing her, should her life getting snatched away would have been... had been, for those few awful minutes where her heart stalled.
Rogue's hand clenched harder at his sides, his shoulders hunching faintly as the trembling in his hands slowly moved up along his arms and into the rest of him, the Shadow Dragon Slayer holding his breath and shutting his eyes tight.
How could he even think of facing her, when she might... when she might hate the sight of him...?
H-How do I even look at her... i...if she might...?
"Oi."
Rogue started, a stinging sensation flaring across the center of his forehead as someone's fingers flicked him rather harshly, snapping him out of his own head. His red eyes quickly lifted to try and pinpoint what the hell just-?
Sting was staring him down, blue eyes steady and almost flinty, his hand still raised between them after having been the one to flick him. Rogue blinked, eyes glittering in shock and confusion both, and Sting huffed.
"Quit with whatever you're thinking." The blonde mumbled lowly, and sounding suddenly exhausted.
Sting shifted slightly to the side, his head tilting back down the hallway from the direction he and everyone else had come from, and Rogue stiffened at the gesture, and what it meant.
"Go." Sting murmured levelly, and Rogue went rigid, red eyes flashing and uncertainty so, so clear in his face... fear too, and so much guilt. The same fear and guilt he'd seen in Rogue that night with the Dragons, after he'd found out about the Other Rogue, what he'd done, all of it.
Sting's posture wilted at the sight, a low breath escaping him and shaking his head once.
"Go." Sting said again, his voice softening a tad. "Sit with her, okay? And try to get some sleep while you do, for both your sakes." Sting mumbled and still Rogue hesitated, which was so painful for every one of them to see.
He couldn't move his feet, he meant to, he both wanted and did not want to- but shit.
"Go, Rogue-kun."
Rogue stiffened at the sensation of tiny hands falling on the back of his shoulder and nudging him forward. He glanced up, his eyes landing on Frosch as the Exceed smiled softly at him, and pushed him a little harder forward.
"Go see Atia, Rogue-kun." Frosch mewed softly, nodding slightly and eyes glimmering. "Atia will be happy to see you, but Rogue-kun needs to rest first, okay?" The Exceed hummed and Rogue swallowed hard, his core twisting so painfully for how easily the Exceed said that;
'She'll be happy to see you'
And words could not describe how much he needed that to be true.
Rogue hesitated half a second more, red eyes glittering like mad as he sucked in a small breath of air, and nodded stiffly.
".. Al... Alright..."
The trek down the hallway and to that room he had spent days in, falling apart and so afraid, was one of the longest walks he'd ever had. The corridor stretched in front of him three times it's actual length, his heart pounding loudly in his ears as he traveled it, and then grew to a boom as his hand hit the doorknob... the booming in his head still so heavy as he pushed inside, hesitantly so, and did everything he could to try and keep his eyes off the bed straight ahead.
She was asleep, he knew she was, but that fear she'd see him and be afraid of him kept his eyes on the floor all the way through settling into a seat on a couch near the wall. And his heart kept pounding, drumming... though not as heavy and overbearing as the thought that followed him all the way down that hall, all the way in the door, and all the way to that couch;
Please... please let what Frosch said be true
.:+:.
"... What has five claws? Or five... fingers, maybe...? With really long, dark, sharp... Claws... made of Shadow Magic...?"
The blood on his hands did not go away, he could feel the sticky warmth, smell the metallic tang of it- and smell her scent laced with the awful scent.
He was already swiping out, Magic blazing, steady, and deadset.
No hesitation, whatsoever
The Magic around his hand condensed, fingers bent and the shadows forming claws from every finger, long and wicked sharp. He swiped up, the claws slicing across her body in one quick motion, tearing through the flesh of her stomach, her ribs, her chest, both arms, and almost across her neck too- wearing scarlet lines through her body and blood splashing up into the air in five huge streams.
She stared, the world shuddering to slow motion as she watched her blood stream passed her, and he did the same. Her flesh split as easily as paper, the Shadow Magic hissing and spinning as it tore through her.
And all that blood
Hora's blood was on his hands, and he... He...
The sound of flesh, muscle, and bone ripping- the wash of red it brought forth in a swipe of a hand and claws oozing wild, cold pitch black... A storm of sticky crimson ripped from her body torn five ways.
There... There was so much blood... S...shit...
She was staring at him, paralyzed as her lifeblood painted the air between them, horrified and betrayed .
Her mouth fell open, soundless as his name trembling on her lips, so pained and haunting as the light and life faded from those deep blue eyes of hers.
'R... Rogue...?'
His name... His name the last thing on her last breath fleeing her body... Her body and flesh rendered as ribbons in the quake of his hand-
'R... Rogue...'
Her voice was breaking, echoing ghostly, over and over... Over and over he swiped out, shadowy claws tearing through her body with utter ease, the stain of red never ceasing-
'Ro...gue...!'
His hands were littered in crimson, over and over, never clear, never stopping, never not dirtied, never not lashing out and killing her without hesitation -
'... Rogue...!'
Why... Why couldn't he stop himself...? Why couldn't he stop... Stop killing her...?
P-please... Please stop...!
Flesh ripped, muscle snapping and bone scraping, another wave of red between him and her, springing up in the quake of his utter brutality -
-P-Please... I want to stop...!
I... I don't want to do this...!
He felt the skin of her throat split under his movement like it was nothing -
S-Stop-! I c-can't... I can't do this, n-not to her...!
Please STOP-!
"Rogue!"
.:+:.
He started, the world whirling and spinning around him in sickening manner and he could make no sense of any of it- save a sudden weightless feeling that came and went in the matter of a frantic heartbeat, and then his body slammed painfully into something rigid, and unrelenting.
It knocked the breath from him- what little of it he actually had to begin with- and he sputtered, lungs seizing, gasping and almost suffocating. Which was a terrible sensation made worse on an already confused and terrified mind, the horrors and carnage of his own actions still chasing him fervently, and he could not escape them. They kept coming, the slick and warm wet of her blood on his hands still as heavy as ever, the want and need to stop himself and the utterly heartbreaking realization that he could not stop still hounding him, making it all so, so much worse.
He coughed, his bones rattling all the more with every new one tearing at his throat, and each more raspy and breathless than the last. His lungs burned like a fire with each one, that same fire and heat racing outward from his center and through every inch of him, amping up the haze clouding his mind and making it impossible to try and settle. It was just heat and fire laced with pain and terror and guilt, all on a terrible repeat while he struggled to breathe even the slightest bit.
He curled in on himself, shaking violently and with not an inch of strength nor the mental capacity to even try and pick himself up. And even if he did, his body would have refused him with every wheeze layered in a shaky sob.
He barely registered the floor, though some corner of his mind knew that's what he fallen onto, even though he could not make out his surroundings- his vision was blurred and spotted dark in all the corners, swimming nauseatingly, eyes stinging with tears that could not, and would not cease... and he only barely registered someone's hands against him, trying to steady him, one on his back as he kept sputtering and another curled underneath his head- where it had been there from the start, stopping his skull slamming into the floor like the rest of him.
There were muffled words that only barely reached him, his ears ringing too much to make out what they were saying, or even who it was. Around the coughing it would have been impossible to discern it, and then it was still a monumental feat once the sputtering ended, his breathing harsh as hell on his own ears, and the sobs still racking him even worse a sound in his own ears than that. He couldn't stop the sobs or the tears, and for the longest time he couldn't even begin to settle and ease out of the fractured state brought by the visions of carnage on repeat... and when it did finally get there, it took so, so long.
Years it felt like before his mind only barely stopped spinning as fast as it was, the harshness of his own breathing making his ears ring a little less, and his bleary, tear-filled eyes managing to focus just enough to make out the floor in front of his nose... his head pounding terribly, breath ragged as he panted, the raspy bouts of air just as uncomfortably warm in his lungs as the rest of him felt- strung out, shaking, every inch of him aching something fierce, but no worse than his heart hurt. He shuddered, one of the last of the sobs that had started to die away sticking in his throat and his body hitching against it- but this time he had mind enough to hold his breath, the short stall in the frantic tenor of his breathing making his head pound a little worse, but the panic and rush of it all lessened a bit more for it. He hissed, the breath coming back out harshly and cringing a little as he tried to push himself up a bit, palms sweaty and slipping slightly against the floor- and almost sending him tumbling back down.
But those hands he'd only barely been aware of suddenly held tighter, steadying him while stalling his movement all at once, pulling him backward a tad and forcing him to quit with trying to get up for a moment... their hands gentle yet firm under his arm and against his jaw, his skin sticky with a cold sweat that soaked almost immediately into the lengths of... white bandages wrapped around... Their hands...?
"... S-Shit, slow down Rogue... please..."
His heart skipped a painful beat, glassy red eyes moving up slowly and lungs stalling, the hand against his jaw shifting, trailing along his cheek and pushing his bangs back from sticking against his forehead as his head tilted up to look so, so slowly. He heard them let out a shaky hiss, the breath washing against his face and their hand trembling faintly as they pushed his hair back all the way. The back of that hand pressed gingerly against his forehead, their other hand around his arm (and more or less holding him up now) tightening slightly, while her face twisted- worried, afraid, and a little panicked all at once.
She hissed under her breath, her hand trembling a little more against his head for how warm he was compared to her- her, who was always warm as hell and running a fever of her own. But he was hotter than she was and her stomach flipped, dark blue eyes flicking from where her hand was and downward, searching his own gaze for any sort of recognition or clarity. Their gazes locked, him staring and stunned in a sudden stillness along with the tears rolling down his cheeks, and she swallowed, hard.
"Crap... Rogue, can you hear me...?" She asked shakily, her hand on his forehead falling slightly and pressing gently against his cheek again, searching still, and he just kept staring, not moving, not breathing, his mind just... faltered. It was much too shredded, way too clouded and hazed over, and lagging badly.
He hadn't heard her at all before then, not once- not as she struggled to save his head smashing against the hardwood, or when she'd tried to stammer out something reassuring while his body lurched and shook beneath her in his coughing. He was shaking like a leaf, he could barely hold himself up, he was burning up, crying, and absolutely terrified as he struggled to come out of whatever nightmare that had held so tight to him.
She trembled a little more, heart pounding in her chest and nerves on high as she waited for any sort of response or sign he heard what she asked, even barely. And when he failed to even react to it, and even stopped breathing for a few seconds too long, she felt her pulse quicken more than it already had, fear settling in quickly into her core and making her feel sick.
"... Rogue, please... please breathe, okay...?" She stammered shakily, almost pleading now, blue eyes glittering like mad and quickly about to be on the verge of tears herself, though she was fighting so hard not to freak out too much or crumble.
He blinked, the tears that had stilled for but a second starting anew as his mind finally managed to make sense of any of it, his voice shaking badly and so hoarse.
".. H-Hora..?" He whispered and she stiffened at it, eyes flashing and nodding stiffly, and a perhaps little too quickly. She leaned into him a little, pushing up under his arm a tad more and trying to steady him further, her arms still shaking faintly as she did it, and he just kept staring, the tears silently streaming from his eyes.
"Are you okay...?" Hora asked quickly, grimacing faintly and shaking her head stiffly. "You were thrashing around so much you fell off the fucking couch...! A-And you're running a fever worse than mine, Rogue... you... You look awful...!" She hissed, and he blinked one more time, his lips pulling into a thin line when he saw small hints of moisture peck at the corners of her eyes, and her hand around his arm got so tight it shook more than just a little.
This time his mind caught up with the situation, for the most part. The shock and whirl of it all mixing with the shock of seeing her there just before him, holding on to him, and nearly about to cry finally snapped him from the daze, and he jerked backward away from her in an instant.
Rogue ripped himself out of her hands, staggering slightly in his movement from how badly he was shaking, but he persisted even when his body nearly gave out on him to send him hitting the floor. He scrambled away from her, his shoulder slamming into the edge of the couch he'd fallen off of with his thrashing, panting again for the rush, even small a movement it was, and his posture bending. He leaned heavily against the couch he ran into with an arm, fingers gripping tightly to the seat to keep himself from tipping over as he hissed, shaking violently while his head whirled and the color drained from his already pale face, head bending to fall against his arm and shuddering as he fought to settle again.
He didn't end up putting much space between himself and her, given the couch was basically right there. There was little more than a handful of inches between them, a small distance by all accounts- but distance all the same.
Hora went still, her hands hovering slightly and nearly paralyzed as she stared, the tears at the corners of her eyes glittering in the dim of the room and her heart sinking into the earth.
Did he just... Flinch back from me...?
Something heavy and cold fell into the pits of her core, a shiver running up her spine in reaction to it. Her hovering hands trembled, pulling in back toward herself slowly as her eyes dropped from Rogue and toward them, swallowing hard.
... I knew he was all worked up about what happened with the other version of him, and he's clearly all freaked out from whatever that dream was, but... Why... Why would he... Back off from me like that...?
Like he... Doesn't want me anywhere near him...?
Her hands closed tightly around each other, the ripped flesh beneath the bandages stinging for the pressure, though she didn't really feel it around the way her heart and stomach had suddenly knotted.
Shit
Her shoulders hunched slightly, closing her eyes tight for a moment and shaking her head at herself faintly.
... No... No... Just... He's freaking out, he looks like hell and is feeling like hell too. It makes sense he'd be jumpy or whatever, so just... Just...
She grimaced, her teeth gritting faintly and her hands clenching harder into fists, before she forced them slowly down into her lap, and kept them there.
... Just let him calm down a little, Hora... Maybe he just needs a second... T.. Tch...
Her chest burned a little, stalling her breath for a second as she bit back at the pain quickly rising in her lungs.
... Fuck, I hope that's all it is... Just... Needing a minute...
Hora grit her teeth a little harder at the thought before she blinked hard, shaking her head again and casting off the specks of moisture lingering at the edges of her eyes, forcing a breath and trying to steady herself as best she could.
But either way, I have to calm down... me freaking out too is not gonna make anything any better.
Hell if it wasn't harder than anything to actually force herself into being some semblance of calm, though.
But she did it anyway, even when every part of her wanted nothing more than to reach out and try and make sure he was okay... Fuck, he was definitely not okay- he looked ready to pass out, he was shaking so bad, and his breathing was awful too. It took everything she had not to try and move closer, it hurt more than she thought to not move, but she wouldn't dare. He pulled back for a reason, and she wasn't about to make him freak out any worse than he already was.
So she stayed still in her place there on the floor, hands in her lap and sitting with her legs tucked under her, only a few inches away from the Shadow Dragon Slayer shaking and pressed against the couch. Her eyes flashed in the dim of the room, deep shadow surrounding them and the room on all sides, spare a glow of the moon trickling in from the glass balcony doors, everything utterly silent beside the sound of Rogue's harsh breaths persisting for what felt like way, way too long... But they slowed eventually, his shaking did too, and a little bit of the color worked its way back into his face half-hidden in his arms and against the seat cushion. Hora bit the inside of her cheek once a few more minutes ticked passed and he seemed to have finally fallen out of the climax of all the franticness and whatever.
"... Rogue...?" She tried again, her voice quiet and so unsure- he stiffened against it, his shoulders hunching and burying his face further behind his arms.
"... tch... I'm so sorry, Hora..." Rogue hissed, his voice breaking, and Hora went rigid, her eyes widening a little.
Sorry...?
"... I never... I n-never wanted to hurt anybody... e..everything that happened... t-that was all me... so... so many people got hurt... and I never w-wanted that... I never wanted to hurt you... I... I can't believe I c-could do something so awful... t...to you... I... I tried to kill you..." Rogue hissed, his voice quavering so badly the words barely formed together, but they did and Hora's eyes went even wider, glinting in the dim. Rogue folded in on himself a little more, legs pulling into him as he hunched against the couch all the more, the harshness of his breathing picking up again after briefly mellowing out.
"... W...when the shadow told me... that... that it was all might fault... tch... I wanted so badly for it to be a lie..." He stammered, "... I... I c-couldn't believe that... that I would do that t-to you, e-ever... but... but I knew it was true... I knew it in an instant... t...that... it was me.... T-tch... I hurt you... I almost k-killed you.. I tried to tear you to s-shreds with my... my o-own hands... my hands... how... h-how could I ever do that...? H-How could I ever t-touch you... harm you l-like that...? H-how could I d-do that... a...and... l-live with that...? O-or... m-make you live with the f-fact that I... I tried to m-murder you...?" He hissed, his hands closing into fists so tightly his fingernails started to cut through even the fabric of the cushion and prick at his palms. "H-How c-could you ever even... s-stand to be anywhere n-near me... after that...? I... I h-hurt you, a-and I... I can't... y... your blood... w-was on my hands... a..and I... I c-can't get it off..." He whispered, his voice nearly strangled at the end and Hora stiffened, eyes gleaming and throat running terribly, terribly dry.
That's... why he backed away from me...? Because he... he's afraid I don't want to be near him...?
She swallowed hard, lips pulling into a thin line and her eyes dropping from Rogue and to the floor a moment.
This... This was exactly why she never wanted him to find out about the Other Rogue. Because she knew instantly he would not take it well, it'd haunt him, hurt him, maybe even destroy him- and he did not deserve that.
"... t..tch... I... I can't get the blood off..." Rogue whispered, or more really whimpered, and Hora felt like she wanted to throw up for how badly her stomach flipped at it.
Shit
Rogue stiffened, his breaths and stifled sobs with them hitching when he felt something suddenly tug at his shirt, and rather roughly too- pulling him from leaning against the couch and to the side before he had a mind to resist it or even understand what was going on. And then just as quickly as he got pulled sideways he was forced into facing forward when her hands came down firmly on his arms, holding him steady in place directly back in front of her, and where he'd scrambled to get away from before.
But she didn't stop there, her hands left his arms the moment he was facing her and grabbed firm hold of both his instead, pulling them forward and stopping with their hands equidistant between the two of them- both of them now face to face, their knees touching, hands linked, and Hora's dark blue eyes steady on him, so utterly calm and even steely.
"There is no blood there." Hora told him lowly, forcing his hands open with her own and leaving his palms facing up, her hands hovering under them. Moonlight spilled in from the window over them, the white of the bandages around her hands glowing dimly even under the shadow his own hands cast down, the silvery light turning his skin a paler white than it already was- but they were clean, utterly so, and Hora shook her head once, eyes still locked on him and not wavering for even an instant. "There's not even a single drop, and do you know why?" Hora went on, Rogue's eyes flicking quickly between their hands and then up toward her face, breathless and reeling- and not able to understand at all how she could look so... So steady just then. Unflinching, her voice almost flinty, and so, so resolute;
"There's no blood there because it wasn't you."
Rogue froze, his heart skipping a beat, fixed.
"None of what happened was you- not the Eclipse Gate, not the Dragons, not me getting hurt- none of it." Hora kept on, dark blue eyes gleaming as their gazes remained locked, and her hands around his stayed exactly same. "Whoever he was, he wasn't you- you would never do any of what he did. Ever. I know that, and so does everybody else. He was not you, Rogue." She nearly growled the last bit, a sudden spark of fire and light igniting in those blue eyes of hers, and he almost flinched at it. "I didn't tell you who he was because I knew you'd end up blaming yourself for all of it, and you cannot do that." Hora hissed, her voice dropping slightly once she realized her voice got a little harsher than she meant it to. "You can't, because it is not your fault. Not a single thing he did is your fault, don't blame yourself for something you didn't do. Especially when it's something you would never do, not in a million years." She told him and Rogue sucked in a shallow breath of air, red eyes glassy and a line of tears starting down his cheeks, his lips pulling painfully downward at the edges and stiffening slightly in her hold.
"... B... But... He was me, he turned into that... I c-could too, I... I could fall into Darkness j-just like he did... E-Eventually it might happen, I'd be... That..." Rogue stammered breathlessly and Hora frowned faintly as his eyes finally broke from her, his hands in hers pulling back a little despite her still holding on.
Hora fell quiet for a minute then, frowning faintly as Rogue slowly but surely hunching further in on himself as the tears got a little stronger, and he was right.
He wasn't wrong saying that. At some point that unrecognizable version of the Rogue she knew so well- this one crying and broken and so guilt ridden before her- he and the Other had been one in the same, once upon a time. Somewhere her Rogue had turned toward the Abyss and became that brutal and cold one who had caused so much destruction, and that she had faced in the Palace, when she'd been hurt by him... Him, who she'd not been able to react against, even knowing he was not her Rogue.
Somewhere, somehow, for some reason that Rogue had been hers before he had fallen... And why did he turn into that?
She'd come to that answer and reason why when she'd figured out that the Eclipse Gate opening was a trap... Though she really had no proof to say it was the correct reason, she still had a feeling she was right. And then seeing how torn up he was now about all of it, she was even more certain of it.
Hell... Even just thinking right then about how she'd not been able to react back at the castle against the Other Rogue, even after he'd killed Lucy, and was about to kill her- she was ten times more sure of the why.
Because... If its that way for me... Would it be too much to think it's the same for him...?
Hora swallowed, her heart twisting at the thought and her eyes dropping closed, the steeliness fading and turning to something... Somber.
She wasn't sure if it was 'too much', but she hadn't a chance to try and ask, or broach that particular subject and realization on her part just then- she had something else to say, and make clear, first.
"You won't become him, Rogue." Hora murmured, breaking the silence after a few tense heartbeats of nothing. And unlike before, this time her voice had dropped, it was no longer that steely sort from before, now it was so gentle.
"I understand what you mean, I know... I know you're afraid that might happen eventually, but I promise you, it won't." Hora went on softly, and Rogue faltered, not for the first time, his eyes snapping open to stare directly at the floor and not at her, "... I... I don't know for sure what happened to him, that caused him to become like he was, but... But I do think part of it was the fact that, in his timeline, he had to watch Jiemma kill me with the Possession Link that night."
And then Rogue froze, again. And he felt so, so very cold at just the thought of it-
"... I... I can't imagine how awful that was... And it might not have been the whole tipping point for him, but... it definitely didn't help anything." Hora mumbled quietly, her hands still holding under his tightening ever so faintly, and Rogue blinked, his eyes moving toward them, holding his breath. Hora broke off a moment, the Devil Slayer taking in a slightly shaky breath of air, and then letting it back out before she kept on. "... I realize with everything that happened, and how bad I ended up getting... I know I really worried everybody, and I am sorry. I really didn't mean to." Hora apologized suddenly, her voice wavering a bit and Rogue stiffened against it, which Hora was all too aware of. "I am sorry for all of it, for scaring any of you... For what seeing me die must have been like for him... And how much it must have hurt, and how much it might have driven him to change like he did... Truly... But... I do mean it, when I say you're not going to become him. I know you won't because.. I..." She mumbled, her voice trailing off to nothing, silence settling between them for a heartbeat or two, not a one of them moving, or daring to in Rogue's case... Not until Hora did move.
Her hands underneath Rogue's shifted, cupping around his and slowly pulling them up and in toward herself. She didn't pull too hard, she went slow, she was almost unbearably gentle in the direction, and Rogue could do nothing but let her lead him. His head and gaze snapped up in surprise the moment it started, leaving him watching in breathless silence all the way until their hands stalled again- and where she stopped them had his mind stuttering to a standstill.
She pulled his hands apart much like she had before, flattening his palms as she pressed them against her chest and just above her heart, Rogue easily feeling the rhythmic beating of the organ under his touch, and the sheer warmth of her skin against his. Hora's eyes lift from having been down and matched with his steadily, a million different things and emotions swimming in those dark blue depths, and so many he could not even begin to place them all... But he recognized one among the many, and instantly.
"I'm still here." Hora whispered, "I'm still alive, and I am not going anywhere, I swear... What happened with him is not going to happen with you, because I am never gonna leave. I will never leave you alone, and I will never let you fall that far Rogue, not as long as I am still here." She breathed, her hands atop his trembling slightly, but her voice... Everything she said, it was said with nothing other than complete and utter sincerity.
Rogue's eyes flashed, his heart skipping a beat and picking up, quickly.
No, it wasn't just sincerity- it was more than that.
What she'd said... It was everything he'd already heard from everyone else- from Sting, Frosch, Yukino, Rufus, Orga, Lector- everyone. A Guild full of people saying a thousand times over that it wasn't him, it wasn't his fault- and even more people scattered among other Guilds repeating the same things too.
A hundred times of saying it all, over when over, and it never made a dent. They could have spent a thousand years saying it, but it would never have mattered. Because of all those people, there was only one person he needed to hear it from, and actually be able to know and believe it with all his heart.
Just one person.... That one person, with those million things swirling in that dark blue gaze of, too many to place- but one he did.
A Promise... A Vow
And then there came a second thing that flashed in Hora he wasn't sure he did see- just one he hoped he might have. But still, he couldn't be sure, and he had no mind to wonder or hope on it just then.... because that vow?
It was the answer he'd asked for- the thing he had pleaded for, sitting at the bedside and holding her hand, begging for her to come back and not lea-
"I promised you I'd come back, Rogue... And I swear, I am never going to leave you." Hora told him steadily, gently, and so genuinely- his breath caught in his throat.
She couldn't have heard him ask it. She'd been too far gone, too far drowned in some place between life and death... So how...?
How could she do it? Say the very thing he'd begged for...? Say all of that, mean it, be able to make him believe it... with all his heart...? Just by... Saying those words...?
Weeks now of fear, worry, sorrow, grief, guilt, pain and all manner of things- months of it, starting from when she'd been so hurt by Jiemma, sent off to North Wind, and all the insanity that ensued after it... Mayhem and chaos that had a dozen times already broken him, torn him down, and hurt so badly. Months now where all the heartbreaks and fears had been bottled up and pounding at the walls so violently- that was it.
That was the last of any amount of keeping it all together Rogue had, and he finally crumbled completely.
His hand against her chest shook, the rest of him quickly following suit and taking over with a fervor, destroying any amount of posture he had or strength to keep himself up- and he didn't even try. He fell forward into her, hands fumbling as he hugged to her desperately, sinking into her lap and Hora quickly moving to catch him in her arms as he did. His head fell into her lap, hugging around her stomach and crying harder than any time previous, Hora's hands coming down gently on his back and the top of his head, quiet... All while doing her best to keep her own tears back, and her own emotions in check.
She couldn't let herself crumble too, or get worked up, lest that dull burn deep in her lungs sharpen into flames and send her sputtering and coughing. Not right then, not with him sobbing and already hurt and worked up enough. She needed to stay as composed as she possibly could, and just be there... just like he'd been for her, that night she'd broken down after finally fessing up about the Possession Link.
Though of course, it didn't help anything to staying calm when he started mumbling apologies and words in between hitching breaths, most of them barely anything more than just rambling, and rambling driven along by heartache and a still slightly whirling and clouded mind. He was exhausted, mind and soul both shredded every which way, and she understood the feeling all too well.
".. t...tch... I thought... I thought I was gonna lose you forever, Hora..." Rogue stammered breathlessly, holding to her a little tighter, "... I... I c-can't lose you... thank you... f-for coming back..."
Hora stiffened against the words, her hands around him trembling faintly despite herself, shutting her eyes tightly against the way her heart felt like it broke in half.
S-Shit... he... he's making it r-really freakin' hard to... n-not fall apart too... damn it...
She bent over a bit, her ribs hating her the posture, but she didn't really care about it. Her nose bumped against the top of his head lightly, her hand falling to hold the back of it, fingers twining around the jet black strands of hair. She forced herself to take in a breath and settle a bit, his scent washing over her senses... so familiar, so achingly his, and so right.
The breath escaped her, stirring his hair faintly and warm as it traveled down the back of his neck and his spine. And when her voice came next it just as quiet as his, quivering faintly even when she did her best to keep it steady, and so achingly hers.
"Always...... I always will, Rogue... I promise."
Heeeey!!
Ooooh man! We finally got around to some good reunion stuff (though perhaps not the reunion you all want ;w; )
This chapter is long and full of a lot of 'happy's to see you' and crying, and lots of assurances, but little else XD
I do hope you enjoyed it, even if not all that much really happened- and I do hope you look forward to the next one!
Next chapter is gonna have some good fluff stuff with Hora and Rogue, and we'll get back in touch with lots of other people too!
We are now working down to the last few chapters until the story ends! I do oh so appreciate all the patience my lovely readers, and all the support you have given me and this story! As we near the end I do hope you continue to enjoy the story, and I encourage you to check out some of my other fics if you have time!
Because this story is so close to it's finish I am gonna do my best to settle in and write it all in quick succession, so forgive me if my other fics get updated a lot slower for a bit!
Anyhoo, thank you all! Love you lots! <33
Chapter 37: Why
Chapter Text
Chapter 37
Why
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"I'm still here." Hora whispered, "I'm still alive, and I am not going anywhere, I swear... What happened with him is not going to happen with you, because I am never gonna leave. I will never leave you alone, and I will never let you fall that far Rogue, not as long as I am still here." She breathed, her hands atop his trembling slightly, but her voice... Everything she said, it was said with nothing other than complete and utter sincerity.
Rogue's eyes flashed, his heart skipping a beat and picking up, quickly.
No, it wasn't just sincerity- it was more than that.
A Promise... A Vow
It was the answer he'd asked for- the thing he had pleaded for, sitting at the bedside and holding her hand, begging for her to come back and not lea-
"I promised you I'd come back, Rogue... And I swear, I am never going to leave you." Hora told him steadily, gently, and so genuinely- his breath caught in his throat.
His hand against her chest shook, the rest of him quickly following suit and taking over with a fervor, destroying any amount of posture he had or strength to keep himself up- and he didn't even try. He fell forward into her, hands fumbling as he hugged to her desperately, sinking into her lap and Hora quickly moving to catch him in her arms as he did. His head fell into her lap, hugging around her stomach and crying harder than any time previous, Hora's hands coming down gently on his back and the top of his head, quiet.
".. t...tch... I thought... I thought I was gonna lose you forever, Hora..." Rogue stammered breathlessly, holding to her a little tighter, "... I... I c-can't lose you... thank you... f-for coming back..."
Hora stiffened against the words, her hands around him trembling faintly despite herself, shutting her eyes tightly against the way her heart felt like it broke in half. She bent over a bit, her ribs hating her the posture, but she didn't really care about it. Her nose bumped against the top of his head lightly, her hand falling to hold the back of it, fingers twining around the jet black strands of hair. She forced herself to take in a breath and settle a bit, his scent washing over her senses... so familiar, so achingly his, and so right.
The breath escaped her, stirring his hair faintly and warm as it traveled down the back of his neck and his spine. And when her voice came next it just as quiet as his, quivering faintly even when she did her best to keep it steady, and so achingly hers.
"Always... I always will, Rogue... I promise."
...
It had gotten very quiet some time ago, Rogue's hitching breaths and sobs dying into raspy breathing that mellowed out to small, slow, and still only slightly wheezy intakes and outtakes of air. His weight in her lap got a touch heavier as the tension and rigidness in his muscles melted away along with his consciousness, the desperate clinging and hugging of his arms about her middle loosening, while her own arms remained still on his back, a small breath escaping her and eyes dropping closed.
She sat there without even thinking of moving or rousing him. She didn't consider it at all, not for about an hour or two... Well, she wasn't really altogether sure how long she'd sat in that silence, only that her legs had started to ache quite a bit before now. In fact they'd actually seemed to have fallen asleep- just like Rogue.
Hora shifted slightly, leaning a little to the right only to cringe when doing so pulled rather painfully at the wound across her ribs. She grumbled under her breath, leaning the other way and a bit more warily than the first time, her hands across Rogue's back shifting as she settled one against his cheek, brushing his hair back from his face.
"... Rogue...?" Hora mumbled softly, the Shadow Dragon Slayer twitching slightly under her touch, a small grumble rising in the back of his throat as he snuggled a little closer into her lap, avoiding the hand trying to tug him into wakefulness. She smiled faintly, and a little sadly, her hand moving closer again and patting his cheek faintly, while her other moved to his shoulder, nudging him a bit more firmly.
"Rogue." Hora murmured again, her voice a little louder this time and he sighed heavily, his arms lying limply around her legs moving back up and twining around her. He shook his head faintly, burying his face against her stomach as he snuggled into her even closer, still resisting her gentle prodding. Hora felt her face heat up when he pulled himself and her closer together, her heart skipping a faintly flustered beat despite herself, but she let out a faintly amused breath all the same. "Hmm, I'm sorry I really don't want to wake you up..." She mumbled, leaning back a little and her hands holding either side of his face lightly, trying to tilt his head back from her to get a better look at his face. He grumbled lowly, red eyes fluttering open halfway and very bleary- but hey, he was sort of awake and listening, so that's a plus?
She drew her thumbs lightly over his cheeks, wiping away what moisture was still left from the crying, her eyes flashing for how warm he was under her touch, and what dark lines persisted under those glassy, tired eyes of his... And the feel of the raised skin of a scar running across the bridge of his nose she did not remember being there.
He still looks awful
She let out a quiet breath for the thought, her smile fading to nothing and her shoulders sinking too.
"I'll let you go back to sleep, I promise. But before that we should at least get off the floor." Hora murmured and he blinked slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly like he was trying to process what she said for a few seconds too long... And then when he did, his eyes went wide and he pushed herself up off her way, way too quickly. He almost stumbled too, but he was a little steadier this time around and got up into sitting on his heels just before her, his hands pressed against the floor in front of him to keep him upright while Hora's own hands hovered a little worriedly for how quickly he moved.
"... Slow down a little Rogue..." Hora mumbled tensely, but he didn't seem to hear the warning at all. He was staring, eyes going a little wider as they flicked up and down her person in rapidity, leaning into his hands and sucking in a shaky breath of air as he did it- shock and little bits on unease wiping away the exhaustion that had been there moments before. Hora paused at the look, Rogue swallowing hard as his eyes flicked away from her and then toward somewhere passed her, the Shadow Dragon Slayer growing a tad more panicked looking.
"O-Oh my, you're... you're out of bed...!" Rogue hissed, red eyes flashing and hands moving off the floor, hovering as he looked back to her, and Hora let out a breath, her face falling a little in exasperation.
"You just now noticed that?" She sighed, but he shook his head quickly,
"Y-You shouldn't be out of bed...!" Rogue stammered, his hands reaching out toward her shakily, but only barely brushing against her arms, red eyes gleaming like mad in the dim and grimacing. "A-Are you alright...?! How are you feeling...?! Are you feeling sick or... You didn't rip any of your wounds open getting up did you...? Are... Are you okay...?!" He hissed quickly, nerves rising ultra-fast. Hora let out a breath, her hands coming up lightly underneath is arms, stilling a little of the trembling they'd adopted and cutting the line of questions off.
"I'm alright." Hora hummed softly with a small shake of her head. "I didn't rip anything open either. There's not much left to rip open after Wendy and Sherria were in here." She assured, "And I don't feel sick really, just kinda tired, and sore..." She kept on, before training off a little, her eyes falling from him a moment while her hands underneath his arms fell too. Hora suddenly looked a little uneasy, and Rogue noticed the change all too quickly-
"... And I'm maybe a little dizzy, especially when I first got up. I kinda twisted my ankle..." Hora admitted quietly, the words making Rogue bristle and his face to fall, his hands on her arms stiffening slightly along with the rest of him. He swallowed hard, lips pulling into a tight line as his attention dropped from her face and toward her lap, his hands moving slowly away from her arms and hovering slightly above her knees for a moment.
"Let me see." He murmured softly and Hora hesitated half a second, before letting out a small sigh, and shifting slowly from sitting on her heels... And rather stiffly at that, which he noted immediately.
She leaned to her left, shifting most of her weight onto her hip as she pulled her legs from under her, and the small wince she let slip upon straightening even a little bit made him swallow hard. But she did it anyway, hesitantly so and gritting her teeth a little as she adjusted all the way, shifting her right foot forward a little to let him see as he'd asked, and Rogue frowned.
There were bruises already forming all around her ankle, pale black and blue that would surely deepen later on, and she was clearly stiff as hell and hurting when she extended it. His fingers brushed lightly over the skin, biting the inside of his cheek as he did it and delicately directing her to move it a little- and only a little, since she stiffened against him right away, and he wouldn't dare push it too far. It was bruised clearly, but it might also be sprained, and he wilted a little at it, red eyes flashing in the dim as he pulled his hands back slowly.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled tensely, Hora's eyes flashed at the apology.
"It's not your fault." Hora told him quickly, but he shook his head.
"The only reason you got up was because of the nightmare I was having, and you were trying to pull me out of it." He mumbled, "You did it trying to help me, Hora, so it is my fault." He told her, and Hora let out a sigh.
"It's not your fault you had a nightmare, and this isn't your fault either, I mean it. It's more on me than it is on you." She told him, tilting her head toward her ankle, before setting her hands atop her bent knee and her chin in them, smiling a little nervously. Rogue blinked at it, not looking sure if she meant that or if she was just trying to comfort him...?
Hora didn't linger long on it though, she just kept going;
"Besides, the only reason I'm even bringing it up is because I'm probably gonna need your help getting up... And maybe with a little more than that too. But for right now;" Hora went on, her smile softening a tad while she tilted her head ever so slightly, her eyes narrowing in concern and question. "You really don't look great, Rogue. So are you alright...?" She asked, and he paused, the small smile she had had moments before gone now as she watched him carefully. "You could barely sit up a bit ago, let alone actually seem to hear me for awhile... You really gave me a heart attack, ya know." She mumbled and he grimaced, his eyes falling again and nodding stiffly.
"... Yes, I'm sorry for worrying you, but I'm fine." He mumbled, Hora paused for a moment at the answer.
"... You sure...?" She murmured, and he smiled a little sadly, nodding one more time and a little less stiffly, his eyes trailing back up and glittering slightly in the dim.
"Hmm, I have a headache, and I'm a bit tired too, but I am okay now. It helps I've calmed down, and got a little more rest... As well as everything you said." He told her softly, "What you said, just... Thank you." He whispered and Hora nodded slightly,
"Of course." Hora breathed. Rogue nodded once, his eyes falling into his lap and shoulders sinking as his expression softened suddenly, a smile pulling at his lips that was so small, and yet so happy all at once.
"You starting to heal now and getting better also helps tremendously." He added softly, voice almost near as wispy as the smile, but just as happy.
Hora flushed slightly despite herself, pulling her chin off her hand and hiding her face halfway behind it and her knee while her heart skipped a beat, and a small twinge of fire started to rise deep in her chest as a wash of flusteredness hit her. She diverted her eyes, swallowing back at the sensation and biting the inside of her cheek a moment.
I'm gonna end up coughing if he does anymore of that... Shit
That's not going to help with me asking this next part
Hora bit the inside of her cheek a little harder, shaking her head at herself faintly and stuffing away as much of the surge of nervousness as she could... Which wasn't as much as she hoped, but the heat in her face went away enough she was sure it wasn't noticeable anymore.
Rogue looked up after a moment of the silence that had suddenly fallen, his smile fading to a look of realization when some of what she said before seemed to finally click all the way in his mind.
"Ah, I'll help you up of course." He murmured, quickly rounding back to why she'd mentioned her twisting her ankle 'at all', as she'd put it. Hora paused, her eyes trailing back toward him,
"... Will you be okay to?" She mumbled and he blinked, before nodding once.
"Yes." He murmured, shifting a little to sitting more on his heels while his hands met his knees a moment. Hora nodded slowly and only once after seemingly gauging the answer, a small breath escaping her while she pulled her chin away from being pressed into her knee and hand.
"Alright... But I was actually hoping to skip going back to bed for now." She murmured, her eyes falling from him again, almost nervously. Rogue blinked, his head tilting.
Skip...?
"... I need a bath." Hora mumbled, her eyes down on her hand still atop her knee and not on him, "I feel gross, and after everything a bath is kinda sorely needed." She told him quietly, and Rogue paused half a second more, before nodding slightly.
"Alright, I understand that." He murmured, "I can go get Yukino to help you-" he started, but Hora shaking her head rather stiffly cut him off, her eyes snapping back up to him.
"No, please don't." Hora told him quickly, her eyes stuck on him for but a second at saying it, before they dodged away yet again. "It... It's like 2 in the morning, she's probably asleep, I don't wanna wake her up." She explained, Rogue's head tilting a little as she seemed to fidget, her eyes still away from him, and now suddenly looking even more nervous.
But why-?
"... I... I was actually hoping maybe you'd help me out instead...?" Hora mumbled quietly and at length- Rogue froze.
H-Him- ?!
"-If you don't mind." She added in quickly, completely unaware of how still he'd gone, her eyes down on her hands as they started to wring together a bit nervously. "You don't have to, of course, not if it makes you too uncomfortable or anything... but... I would appreciate it, and honestly... You could probably use one too, yeah...?" She mumbled, shifting a little uncomfortably and eyes still down, while Rogue- whose face had already gone red at being ask if he could help- his face turned even more scarlet, a stuttering breath of air catching in his throat as he sucked it in.
"Y-You... Y-You really want m-my help...?!" He stammered out quickly, his voice much more breathless and even high-pitched than he intended, but he could not help himself. Because was he hearing what she saying right...?!
Surely not... R-Right...?!
"B-but... Are... Are you not worried about.. W-Well... W-would it not make you uncomfortable...?" He asked uncertainly and Hora bit the insides of her cheeks, her eyes shifting his way slowly, a small half-sigh, half-grumble escaping her.
"... I wouldn't be asking if it did... Plus it really wouldn't be all that different from you and everybody else did for me, because of all of this shit with Over-Drive, yeah...?" She mumbled lowly, shaking her head slightly as she looked away again- and despite her saying otherwise, she did blush a little. Rogue blinked, wide-eyed while her shoulders hunched a bit, "... You are making me feel weird for asking it at all now though..." She nearly whispered that part, and Rogue stiffened faintly for the comment, watching tensely as Hora seemed to pull in a little on herself, uncertainty clear as day in her face and posture.
He paused, still red-faced and with his heart still in the picked up, much too nervous pace it had adopted- but seeing her so quickly seem to almost regret asking it at all...? And to even sort of pull away from him too, even faintly...?
He hadn't meant to- shit
Rogue swallowed, hard, his stomach still churning and fluttering all at once, face on fire and flustered. His hovering hands came down stiffly on his knees, face tilting downward so his bangs hid his eyes for a moment, the Shadow Dragon Slayer nearly steaming from the head now as he nodded stiffly, and once.
"I... I'll h-help." He stammered softly, Hora jumped faintly for the sudden agreement. "It doesn't b-bother me, Hora. I'll help you with everything you need, always." Rogue told her softly and Hora glanced up quickly at it, her eyes gleaming in the dim while her heart skipped a tiny beat. Rogue sucked in a big breath of air and shook himself out a bit, glancing back up slowly and one hand coming up off his knee to press against his mouth as he cleared his throat (awkwardly), face still more than a little flushed and red eyes dancing nervously toward her for just a second. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it weird... You j-just caught me off guard..." He apologized quickly, trying his best to sound as calm and collected as possible- but his voice was still a little more high-pitched than he meant... And Hora couldn't help but smile faintly in amusement.
Rogue had always been a nervous person, and much more than most people realized. He was rather good at keeping up that cool and collected persona of his... But even still, he usually got pretty easily flustered, and very much so.
That's how he is... It's nice he's acting more like him now, and not all wound up and guilty.
"Thank you." Hora hummed softly, Rogue glancing back her way for the words, his face going a few shades redder for the smile she had now, before diverting his gaze yet again. For a moment he didn't move or say anything further, and Hora didn't either- she simply let silence settle between them while Rogue cleared his throat once more, seemingly trying so hard to collect himself again... He nodded a little and mostly to himself after he'd done so, his hand moving away from his chin and face once it was finally a more acceptable tinge of red to it. He shifted, pushing himself slowly back onto the balls of his feet, a hand finding the couch behind him to gain a little extra leverage and staying there a moment while he made sure he was steady enough, before cautiously pulling it back. His eyes found Hora and she blinked, the smile she'd been wearing faded now after having been watching him closely in case he seemed to get dizzy or anything- but he seemed relatively stable.
Rogue held his hands out toward her quietly, red eyes flashing in the dim as he hesitated for a second, his hands not all the way forward, before letting out a small breath. "Here." He mumbled softly, inching his hands forward the rest of the way and Hora went to reach out for him too- but faltered when Rogue suddenly stepped a single pace closer and he did not link their hands together as she expected he would.
No, he hooked one arm under her legs and the other behind her back, pulling her easily across the floor and all the way to him. Then just as easily as he did that he pulled her up, holding her against his chest bridal style and getting to his feet with little a word, Hora stiff in stunned silence in his arms and now with her face nearly as bright red as his had been minutes before. For half a second she couldn't even think, let alone react, her face feeling like a furnace and her heart skipping a beat in shock and flusterdness both... Before she sucked in a sharp breath of air and her hands pulled into her person nervously, shooting Rogue a glance.
"Y-You don't have to carry me, I would have been fine with you just giving me a hand up...!" She stammered quickly and he paused, blinking once and shoulders sinking slightly.
"You said you got dizzy getting up." Rogue mumbled, "And your ankle is hurting you too, Hora. This is easier." He told her and she paused, her mouth snapping shut- because he was right.
B-But shit, I wasn't expecting to be carried in..!
The faint burning in the base of her lungs sharpened a tad and she held her breath against it, her eyes darting off Rogue and nodding stiffly, her cheeks still near to scarlet despite herself.
Damn it get ahold of yourself, before you start coughing...!
"... R... Right..." She mumbled, her voice hushed, and Rogue paused half a second, before nodding slightly himself. He shifted, moving slowly across the dark confines of the room toward the bathroom door with Hora in his arms, the Devil Slayer still blushing even by the time they reached it, and Rogue's cheeks faintly dusted pink too... Which she was aware of, but not as aware as she was of the warmth of him against her, or the gentleness of his hands, or the way his scent was wrapping about her too-
Hora shut her eyes tight a moment as they moved, her hands pulled into her center and very much resisting the urge to hide her face in them.
Hora you've gotta calm down and get your shit together dumbass- this was your idea!
She bit down on her tongue, cracking her eyes open again and her hands coming up to hold her cheeks, the heat of them under her palms making her grumble internally.
Shit, this might have been a bad idea... But too late now.
The light coming on in the bathroom after Rogue nudged the switch with his shoulder made her shut her eyes again, tilting her head away from the roof to try and avoid the light. Her nose bumped against Rogue's shoulder as she did, Hora grumbling slightly under her breath at it- and Rogue felt much the same. The light stung his eyes badly and made his already slightly aching head hurt a little more, causing him to pause in his walking a moment to try and let the initial unpleasantness of it to fade... Before he nudged the door shut behind him and started slowly toward the edge of the (very large) tub in the room, and the same one she'd spent days in while Over-Drive had raged with fire.
Rogue drew up beside it, Hora blinking her eyes open slowly once he got there. He bent over a little, shifting her in his hands and slowly setting her down into sitting on the tub's edge. Hora mumbled a small 'thanks' as he pulled his hands away, her own falling on the tub edge and watching quietly for a moment as he busied himself with turning the water on and starting in on filling it, then pulling some supplies (bandages and stuff for afterward) and towels out to set them nearby.
Hora glanced from him and back toward the water after a minute, shifting slightly in her seat and pulling one knee up onto the edge with her, blinking slowly as she watched the water ripple in the tub basin.
Rogue paused beside her after a moment or two more, bending to turn the faucet off before glancing her way slowly, earning Hora's eyes off the water. He shifted, settling down into sitting on the tub edge beside her, their knees brushing as he nodded toward her hands. "Here, let me help you get these off." He murmured,
Hora reached her hands slowly toward him and let them fall into his, so he could start unwinding the bandages from around them, revealing the pink lines running across her palms where the flesh was still not quite healed. Rogue bit the inside of his cheek at the sight of it, red eyes stuck on the wounds for a few tense seconds, before he shut his eyes against it and shook his head, looking away as he bundled up the dirty bandages to throw them out.
He paused before he finished all the way though, looking a little uncertain for a moment though he tried not to, and Hora blinked, her head tilting. After a small pause his eyes moved nervously off the bandages his hands were hovering over, before pulling them back in toward himself as he seemed to swallow. "Do you need any help with... the rest of the bandages...?" He asked softly, his eyes falling from her own and more toward her center for just a second, and Hora hesitated, before smiling a little nervously.
"Uhm... yeah, if you could." She murmured, the already nervous smile growing a little more embarrassed now as she seemed to let out a slightly exasperated sigh. "I'm actually gonna need your help taking my shirt off... I don't think I can lift my arms high enough to do it myself- tch." She mumbled, her left arm lifting slightly as she said it only to get about halfway up and she cut off in a wince, the wound across her ribs on that side pulling painfully with the movement. Rogue grimaced for it, nodding stiffly and his hands waving a little in a gesture to get her to quit.
"A-Alright, I understand... Please don't hurt yourself, Hora..." He stammered quickly and she lowered her arm a little, still smiling faintly, though a little apologetically this time.
"Right, sorry." She murmured and he let out a breath, his hands falling again and stalling a moment as his face went from concerned to embarrassed in no time at all when it sank in what helping her with her shirt actually meant.
His face went red all over again and Hora's shoulders sank slightly, her smile softening a little for the rather abrupt turn.
Again, such an easily flustered dude
Hora hummed a bit under her breath, turning from him to face the other way and casting a small glance over her shoulder.
"... Will this help?" She asked softly, Rogue flushing a little further in embarrassment, his face tilting downward to hide it from her- but nodding quickly anyway.
"... Y-Yes... Ah... I'm sorry... I don't mean to be so... uhm..."
Hora chuckled faintly under her breath, looking ahead again and shaking her head once.
"Breathe Rogue, it's fine."
He shifted behind her, sitting up a little straighter and moving into leaning on one knee on the tub's edge, his hands shaking slightly as he reached for the bottom of the shirt, and hesitated. She felt him lean over her a bit, his breath washing against the back of her neck and sending a shiver down her spine, which in turn made Hora blush slightly despite herself, and she forced herself a silent breath.
She heard Rogue swallow audibly, his hands shaking a little more before he started to lift the fabric slowly. Hora bit the inside of her cheek as she worked to thread her arms back out of the sleeves with Rogue's help, and all the way up over her head until it was off, leaving her with nothing but the bandages wrapped about her torso to cover up. Hora pulled her arms in toward herself a little, sitting quietly while Rogue did his best to stumble through getting the bandages unwound and all the way off, revealing the angry red line running across her ribs, and he did everything he could not to let his eyes linger too long on that, or the bare skin of her back facing him, or anything at all.
He bundled up the shirt and the bandages in his arms hastily, clearing his throat a little awkwardly and so quick to turn his back on her too, face still scarlet as can be and looking ready to pass out. Hora hugged herself slightly as he started toward the door, pausing briefly just beside it, the Shadow Dragon sweating up a storm and fidgeting.
"I-I'll be back with a change of clothes for you in a bit... U-Unless you need something else before I go...?" He stammered over his shoulder, eyes stuck down on the floor while Hora cast him her own small glance over her shoulder, smiling faintly.
"No, I'm okay." She hummed and he nodded stiffly, stepping up to the door and his hand reaching out for it... Only to stall just before reaching it.
Hora blinked, and then blinked again when his hand inched forward, then drew back, and he seemed to fidget in place for a heartbeat or two.
"... Are you alright..?" Hora asked softly, and he jumped at the sound of her voice, his hand snapping onto the doorknob it had avoided (and rather harshly too).
"I-I'm fine...!" He answered quickly, jerking the door open and almost skittering out of it, "I'll be back in a little Hora..!"
The door shut with a slightly muffled, slightly sharp tap- leaving Hora in silence in the bathroom and quite lost.
Oookay...?
She glanced away from the door, shaking her head and letting out a small sigh, deciding it better not to brood about it.
As opposed to the shirt, getting the rest of the way undressed wasn't near as difficult, and when she'd managed to strip all the way she nudged her clothes off the side before adjusting. She turned, pulling her knees up and over the tub edge before lowering her feet back down into the warm water- the bruising already accumulated on her ankle stinging slightly for the warmth, but it wasn't so bad. And it was definitely nothing compared to the sharp stinging pain that ignited when she lowered herself the rest of the way and submerged the wound running across her ribs entirely.
Hora grit her teeth against it, fighting back the wince of pain she almost let slip and stiff for a few heartbeats waiting for the initial intensity of it to whittle down into a throb. Once it did she let out a breath, moving her hands off the edge of the tub and lowering them too- which had the cuts on her hands burning a little too as she set them under the surface, but only for a moment.
Ahh, that wasn't that bad at all.... Way better than I expected actually.
Hora's eyes dropped halfway, a heavy (and somewhat relieved) sigh escaping her for the thought. She adjusted, sitting down all the way and propping her knees up slightly as she let herself sink into the water even further, and all the way until it reached just below her nose.
The water was warm, but not too much- Rogue probably purposely didn't make it much too hot just to be careful. She didn't mind it though, it was more than enough to just be in the water and be able to start getting all the grime and sweat and whatnot off... And the tiny bit of lessened weight and comforting embrace owed to the water was welcoming on her battered body, and mind.
Hora only let herself stay motionless for a few heartbeats before adjusting again, her hands trailing over her person and scrubbing slightly with her fingers in a first attempt to start and wear away some of sweat, leftover blood, etc. She was careful with doing it around the places her skin was still raw and broken, and even more so careful since she was trying not to make her hands bleed or anything. Once she'd scrubbed her skin down to a level she was okay with for now she paused, her eyes dropping all the way closed as her hands stalled, and she sank all the way into the tub, submerging her head under the water. She lifted her arms enough so she could run them through her hair and shake it all out- and rather firmly too, even despite the way her palms stung for doing it. She stopped with her hands and shook her head a few times for a little extra oomph with getting her hair thoroughly soaked through, before coming back up for air again.
She leaned back against the wall of the tub, her head bumping lightly against the top and edge as she pulled her knees in a little again. She brought her hands up in front of her and let out a small grumble to see thin, watery trails of red starting to seep up from some of the cuts.
Ugh, I gotta wash my hair at least, but using any soap is gonna sting like a bitch- and I'll probably end up making them bleed a lot more too... Damn it.
Hora's attention shifted off her hands and toward the tub edge near the faucet, trailing over a few bottles of shampoo, soap, and whatever else that Rogue had set out in his getting everything ready. Her nose twitched, taking a tentative sniff at the air to see if she could pick out anything specific from them- mostly as a way to gauge which might sting less on her cuts. But they all smelled like something that was gonna hurt and she grumbled a bit, eyes narrowed to slits as she read through some of the labels, chewing on the inside of her cheeks as she did.
"... Are you okay?"
Hora jumped faintly at the question, her head snapping left to see Rogue standing rather uncertainly near the door where she hadn't even heard him come back in, his arms full up with clothes now and fidgeting slightly. He fidgeted a little more once her eyes were on him again, looking unsure of himself and self-consciously hugging the clothes a little closer to his chest as his eyes darted quickly away from her and toward the floor.
"... You're glaring at those..." Rogue mumbled, Hora blinked, smiling a tad nervously and nodding quickly.
"Ah, sorry I didn't mean to." She hummed, "I'm fine, I was just trying to figure out which one will sting less on my hands is all." She explained, Rogue stiffening slightly for the explanation though his eyes didn't come off the floor even so. In fact he seemed all the more nervous, fidgeting a little more on his feet and almost... hesitant?
Hora's head tilted a little in question, her eyes narrowing at him as she slowly adjusted to face the bathtub edge and him a little more directly, her chin and mouth hidden behind the edge of it as her fingers curled over the top.
"... are you sure you're okay...?" She asked after a moment, and his fidgeting ceased entirely as he went rigid. "You're being really weird... and all fidgety..." She pointed out softly, dark blue eyes flashing as she shifted a little uneasily herself, shoulders hunching a tad. "... If you're really uncomfortable you don't have to force yourself to be in here, or help out or anything ya know..." She mumbled.
At that Rogue's eyes snapped up way too fast, and he shook his head just as fast too. "N-No..! It's not an issue Hora, I m-meant it, I'll help you, it's not t-too much or something I have to f-force myself to do!" He told her quickly and very shakily, which had Hora looking little convinced with any of what he said, her face falling slightly further behind the tub edge till he could barely see the tip of her nose anymore. Rogue faltered at it, stalling again for a second or two and looking almost guilty, before a heavy sigh escaped him and he suddenly sank into crouching on the balls of his feet, still hugging the clothes into him and head hanging.
"... I'm sorry... I'm not trying to make this so awkward..." Rogue apologized quietly, his voice muffled as he buried his face into his knees and the clothes both. Hora blinked, her eyes flashing as she watched him shake his head a little, black hair mussing up and tangling as he did it, and she heard him growl a few things under his breath that sounded like words, but she couldn't quite make them out. Well, most of them anyway- she did think she heard 'idiot' and 'quit' mixed in there somewhere, and it was definitely aimed at himself.
... but what is he...?
"Did... Were you actually serious about... what you said about me needing a bath too...?" Rogue mumbled after his short pause there, and much quieter than before when he'd tried to assure her and everything. Hora perked at the question, eyes widening slightly while Rogue cautiously lift his head off his knees, and just enough to peek passed them and toward her... most of his face was hidden from her view, but she need only see what little of it she did to notice just how hard he seemed to be blushing. And he went ten times redder as he mumbled out the next bit of his question;
"T-The way you said it... you... you sounded like you were suggesting we take one... together...?"
It was Hora's turn to hesitate now, the fiery-haired Mage blinking once before her eyes darted away from him sheepishly, a faint dusting of her own blush crawling over her cheeks.
Oh, that.
Hora swallowed back at the small twinge of an ache and flame that rose in her chest in an instant, before cautiously forcing herself a small breath afterward.
... Well... I guess no going back now...
"... uh... yeah." She started slowly, and Rogue went stiff as a board, eyes wide as hell and face bright crimson now. "... I mean you could use one, you look rough and you kinda smell like you haven't showered in a week... so I figured if you might already be helping me out, it might be easier to just get in too...? As long as that wasn't too weird or didn't make you feel too uncomfortable or anything... and there is lots of room in here, so we wouldn't be cramped or anything..." She explained softly, her eyes dropping closed and biting the insides of both cheeks. Rogue stared for a second or two, head nearly steaming now and mind whirling to try and keep up with the explanation and implications, and just about everything else in between.
He'd hadn't wanted to assume she actually meant anything by her comment of 'you could probably use one too' earlier, he honestly didn't think she actually did mean anything at first- that's what had caused him to halt before heading out to grab some clothes. Because why would he ever assume she meant that seriously? Like ever?
They'd never ever been in a situation where he'd be around while she bathed, or anywhere close to it before now. He'd never imagined such a situation would ever occur, and he hadn't expected it now, even if it made practical sense with her still being injured and very much on the mend. So to bump up from that first unimaginable situation to an even more unimaginable one like taking a bath together?
Rogue felt another wash of heat rush through every inch of him again, the Shadow dragon Slayer quickly burying his face back in his knees, holding his breath against it as his heart continued to pound even harder than it already was.
How was he supposed to even react to a suggestion like that? Hell not even just a suggestion, but an offer like that...?!
It... It wasn't that he really didn't want to- of course not. It was just so sudden, and out of nowhere, and super fast, close, out of the ordinary, and really really nerve-racking.
Taking a bath together... in the same tub... both of us... w-without any clothes on... in the same water, the same space... aaaaahhhhhhh...!
He buried his face in his knees hard enough his nose ached a little as it knocked against them, every inch of his person hot and burning more than it ever had with a heat of flusterdness and nerves he had never felt before.
How the hell as I supposed to respond to that...?!
S-Scratch that, w-what the hell am I supposed to do...?!
I already told her I'd help her, a-and I definitely meant that...! I want to help her, and the idea of taking a bath together isn't something I hate, I just feel like my heart's gonna give out...!
A-And what's with her all of a sudden...?! She's never brought up anything like this before...! So why now all of a sudden...?!
Rogue swallowed hard, peeking up passed his knees again back toward Hora. She was quiet still in the tub, she hadn't moved an inch nor opened her eyes again... and she was still blushing a little, but she looked more weary and even rueful now than she looked nervous or anything. Rogue blinked, his heart breaking it's fast pace for half a second as it twisted at the look.
This was out of nowhere, and really unusual between the two of them... but even if it had seemed impossible, and had never happened before, or been brought up- she did mean it.
She did mean to suggest and even offer that, and she'd already told him it wouldn't bother her, even if he didn't really understand why it wouldn't, or why it came up all of a sudden... and if she meant it, and even if he was a nervous wreck about it- he didn't not want to.
Rogue forced himself a deep breath, the Shadow Dragon Slayer stiffly standing up straight again before clearing the few steps between him and the tub edge. Hora glanced up as he did so, her head lifting slightly passed the tub's edge again as she watched Rogue come up and finally set the clothes down not far from where the towels were. Then he paused half a second more, before he dropped down slowly on to his knees just in front of her, the bath walls between them and Rogue still blushing rather hard- though he seemed to have calmed down and collected himself some regardless. He even managed for meet her gaze quite steadily, hands on his knees as he nodded stiffly, and just once.
"Alright." He told her, Hora's eyes went wide. "It would be just as easy if I get in too, plus I could use it... A-and it's not too weird, or too uncomfortable either. I don't mind, Hora, really... You just surprised me is all..." He mumbled softly, his head bowing a bit at the last part in what looked almost like he was trying to apologize.
Of which, the apology and the agreement had Hora's eyes gleaming, and her heart skipping a beat in no time at all- because he actually looked like he did mean that.
She couldn't help but smile slightly despite herself, nodding a little to him and shifting away a bit from where she was leaning against the tub wall. Her head tilted slightly to the side, dark blue eyes flashing.
"Would you like me to turn around?" Hora asked lightly and Rogue paused, before flushing a little more and nodding his head sheepishly once or twice.
"Y-yes, if you could... thank you."
Hora hummed a bit to herself and pulled her arms in toward her center before she turned her back on him, leaning into the the bathtub wall where the faucet and soaps were so he could get situated without her eyes on him. She set her chin down on the edge, eyes falling closed as she heard Rogue start to shuffle behind her a bit- and then eventually the water rippled as he stepped in, and she felt her heart pick up instantly... only to sigh silently when the water splashed a little when Rogue dropped himself into being submerged a little too quickly.
Understandable though, she could practically feel the heat coming off of him still from being all flustered and nervous.
"... U-Uhm... you can turn around now if you want to..." Rogue mumbled after a moment, and Hora obliged, turning just enough to glance at him over her shoulder, smiling faintly.
He'd kept a good amount of space between them even as he got in, his posture somewhat bent over a bit so the water- of which easily reached Hora's shoulders even if she sat up straight- was all the way up his chest to just below his collarbone instead. His eyes stayed glue to the water in front of him, cheeks still tinged red and stiff as a board- Hora let out a quiet breath for it.
He's such a nervous wreck... granted this is kinda nerve-wracking for me too, though I'm apparently much better at navigating it.
Her eyes fell from Rogue's still red face and down toward where the waterline was against his chest, her heart picking up again out of nowhere and her face flushing too. She quickly averted her eyes, holding her breath and grumbling internally.
... well, kinda better anyway.
It's not like I have much a choice, since I have to not get worked up too much- or otherwise risk Over-Drive acting up.
Her eyes moved from him and back toward the line of soaps in front of her, shaking her head slightly and moving a hand up out of the water to grab one.
So anyway, on that note- let's just try and get through this without coughing my lungs out, or either of us getting too worked up, hmm?
'... Hmmph, humans...' Lixue muttered flatly,
Shut up Lixue
"So... would you mind helping me out with this? Cause of my hands...?" Hora hummed, glancing over her shoulder toward Rogue again and holding the bottle up as she did. Rogue's red eyes moved up off the water's surface and toward her at the question, blinking once while Hora cast him a sheepish smile, her other hand moving up out of the water so her palm could face him- and subsequently the cuts running across her skin were in clear view. Rogue seemed to frown faintly for sight of them, before he nodded slowly.
"O-Of course."
He moved closer, slowly so and cautiously while Hora looked ahead again, waiting patiently for him to settle in just behind her. She felt his breath wash up against the back of her neck and she shut her eyes against it, while Rogue did his utmost to actually get close enough to work without being too close... and once he was he mumbled for her to hand the soap over, and she did in silence.
He was so gentle with it, his hands and fingers finding the top of her head so lightly it was like he was afraid to touch her at all- and the faintness and nearly ghostly sensation of the contact had shivers running up and down her spine on a repeat. She bit down on the insides of her cheeks for it, silent the whole while through him slowly working the shampoo into the multicolor strands of her hair, and Rogue was just as quiet as he did it too. At first his hands were a little fumbling and unsure, but after he got into the rhythm of it he found himself getting a little lost in the motion, and the feel of her hair gliding between his fingers and he gently pulled out knots and worked the soap in all the way.
His eyes flashed, the motion of his hands and fingers slowing to a halt after awhile and he had to pull himself out of the sort of trance he'd suddenly started to fall into. Rogue swallowed, shaking himself out slightly as his hands fell slowly from her hair and hovered just above her shoulders for half a second- intent on letting them actually make contact, but he hesitated, and quickly abandoned the idea.
Rogue pulled his hands back in toward himself and dropped them into the water instead, washing them free of the residual bits of soap before starting in on rising the soap out of her hair in small cupfuls of water... and if it was possible, Rogue ended up being even more gentle with this part than he had the first. Hora forced herself to stop holding her breath as he started with it, her eyes still closed as the water cascaded over her head in small bursts. She tilted her head back halfway through, sparing more water from falling over her face for a bit and allowing her eyes to open halfway, blinking slowly. Rogue's last bout of water came and went, stripping the soap entirely and straightening her hair with it, the multicolor strands smooth and glistening with a bright sheen it hadn't been afforded in way too long.
Hora let out a heavy and relieved sigh once Rogue came to a full stop, his hands failing to return to his work for a minute and she took that as queue he was done. She leaned back a bit more into him, tilting her head back all the way so she could see him above her as she did it, and he blinked in surprise as their eyes matched all of a sudden.
"Thank you." Hora smiled softly, Rogue flushed a little at it, nodding stiffly.
"Y-Yeah, of course." He mumbled.
Hora blinked, not moving to lean forward and away from him right off- which Rogue was very aware of. And the Shadow Dragon Slayer flushed a little more when Hora ended up leaning backwards into him just a little more, dark blue eyes glinting as she seemed to peer up at him for a heartbeat or two, before smiling faintly.
"Hmm, guess what?" She hummed out of nowhere, Rogue blinked.
"... Uh.. What...?" He mumbled breathlessly, and mostly reflexively too- he was a little more preoccupied with the way she leaned in so close he could feel her breath wash up against his face, and only barely aware of her hand moving up out the water to tap lightly against her nose and the scar running across it.
"We match now." She told him brightly, Rogue stiffened in surprise, red eyes flashing as her hand moved passed her own face and up toward his, her fingers brushing lightly across the fresh scar worn into his own face- and the one that did rather match hers almost perfectly. Hora's smile faded a little as she let her fingertips trail ever so lightly over the raised skin and across his cheek, for half a second her expression turning suddenly a little somber, before she seemed to shake it off. The brightness of her smile returned as she poked him lightly on the center of his forehead instead, and Rogue flushed a little more at the gesture, looking entirely unsure of it.
"I can't really return the favor for you and the soap, but I can dunk you to get your hair soaked if you'd like." Hora told him, her voice suddenly a little teasing, and Rogue swallowed, smiling nervously.
"Ah, no I think I got it, Hora." He mumbled quickly and she smirked a little, but shrugged and leaned forward again, her back to him once more and humming under her breath.
"Alright." She hummed, pulling her knees into her chest and wrapping her arms around them as she cast him a small glance over her shoulder, smirking slightly. "But you better hurry up and do it, or I'll just dunk you anyway." She chuckled and he stiffened, looking a little more nervous all over again as she let out a sigh and looked ahead again. "You can't leave me being the only one soaking wet." She hummed lightly, her tone clearly teasing and Rogue paused for it, red eyes glinting.
She was trying her best to lighten the mood, clearly so. Though it wasn't just to lighten the mood- it was also her trying to put him a little more at ease too, cecause clearly he was still all stiff and uneasy. Exceptionally so actually, and she was doing her best to make him feel a little less like that... and maybe even her teasing like that was a subtle way for her to let him know he hadn't any reason to feel as nervous as he did, because she didn't feel that way herself.
(She did though, not that Rogue knew it or could tell mind you. Years of hiding how she really felt and all manner of other secrets made it much easier to hide her own flusteredness with the situation than she anticipated- though Hora was internally glad for that unexpected amount of self control and cool.)
Rogue swallowed, his eyes falling from Hora toward the water between them for a moment in stiff silence... before he forced himself a breath and nodded, doing his best to garner even half the composure Hora seemed to have right then.
Rogue pushed himself back a bit, turning slightly and sending ripples out through the water in his quake as he busied himself with turning away from facing Hora, so they were back to back now and with a fair distance between them again. Hora glanced back briefly as he moved, blue eyes glinting as he busied himself with letting his head go below the water, little bubbles popping on the surface the few heartbeats he was under. He came back up not long after though, hands running through his hair to push it back out of his face with a small sigh, and Hora looked away again with a silent sigh of her own.
... Hopefully the water will help with bringing his fever down a little, he was still really warm when I touched him a minute ago...
Hora sighed again at the thought, the hand she'd used to reach out toward Rogue's face and new scar coming up off her knee as she gave it a quiet look, tracing the tears in her palms as she did and following them up her arm toward where there still remained the raised flesh of lines from the wounds the Other Rogue had inflicted. They weren't near as noticeable as they had been the night she earned them, but they were still there, and she sorely hoped they would fade away completely with time. She certainly didn't need them leaving scars for Rogue to constantly be reminded by after this... Plus one big scar all up her right arm was plenty enough a reminder of one awful event, without having half a dozen more across both arms and chest being added to the mix.
Speaking of that awful event though... I do still have to talk to Gray, huh...?
Her shoulders hunched at the thought without her meaning for them to, her stomach knotting in no time too.
Shit... I have no idea what I'm even gonna say to him... Or how to start explaining any of it, or apologize...
Rogue paused, little bits of bubbles and soap dripping out of his hair with a last dunk under the water after washing it. He spared a glance back toward Hora, finding her rather stiff in place with hunched shoulders as she stared rather pensively at the tracks marked over her flesh... The scars left there by some other version of him.
His stomach curled for it, red eyes flashing as his lips pulled down at the corners a bit painfully. Even with her assurances otherwise, and her forgiveness for something she didn't even see him at fault for- a part of him was still guilty over it, and would likely forever be. And again, even if she said otherwise he would still be a little worried in some deep corner of his mind that maybe she did still feel a little uneasy toward the person whose hands had hurt her so.
Surely even if she meant it, she would still need time to fully feel as she said she did, right? Anybody would need time to work through being hurt as badly as that.
Rogue grit his teeth slightly, looking away from her again, head bowing and fingers digging into his knees.
"... I'm sorry, Hora..." Rogue mumbled tensely, breaking the bit of silence that had fallen between them and rather abruptly snapping Hora from her own thoughts. Her head turned around toward him in surprise, very lost with the sudden apology and her face clearly expressing so- but Rogue was turned away so he didn't see it, and he didn't really pause either.
"I... I know you don't blame me for what the Other did... Or think it was my fault, and I know you mean that... But... I'm still sorry regardless, that you were so hurt by...tch..." Rogue hissed, breaking himself off a bit tensely at the end. Hora blinked, eyes widening as she caught up quickly with the situation, and winced internally.
Aahhh , you shouldn't have been glaring at those stupid scars while you got lost in your own head, Hora you dumbass.
"Don't feel bad Rogue, you have nothing to feel sorry for, I swear." Hora assured the Shadow Dragon Slayer quickly after a shake of her head at herself. He stiffened against the words and she sighed silently, resisting the urge to mutter a few more curses toward herself, and doing her best to keep her voice calm and not at all bothered or anything. "I'm serious, it's not on you. And I wasn't actually even thinking about any of that just now anyway, my mind was somewhere else entirely. So please don't get all hung up on that, okay?" She hummed,
Yeah, cause I was actually brooding about what the hell I'm gonna say to Gray- but anyways...!
"These don't bother me or anything, so don't worry about that either." Hora kept on, gesturing slightly toward the marks with a hand- though he still hadn't turned around. She faltered at it, because clearly she wasn't being very reassuring at all.
Hora swallowed, her hand falling a little as her gesturing stalled along with the rest of her. Her eyes fell away from Rogue and she turned away from him again too, a small sigh escaping her as her shoulders sank.
Shit, even after everything I said earlier, he's still not totally there on not blaming himself... of course not, but...
Hora frowned, her eyes dropping closed as her posture wilted a tad more.
"... Look, the thing with the Other guy... Well, it's kinda my fault that I got hit at all." Hora mumbled slowly after a pause, Rogue's eyes snapped open.
H-Her fault...?
"... I didn't... I wasn't really sure about mentioning it, because I don't want you taking it the wrong way Rogue... But after what happened with the Future Lucy getting... Killed... I had enough time to... To just do something- anything- after that, and when he went after me, but I... I couldn't do it." Hora mumbled, Rogue turning back her way slowly and blinking in surprise. Hora didn't turn his way again though, she just linked her arms around her knees and set her chin down atop them with a small sigh, dark blue eyes glinting.
"I know that probably doesn't make any sense to you, but that's what happened. Even after what he did, and knowing he was going to hurt me and try to kill me, and even though he was so different... I knew it was you, and I couldn't do it. I couldn't react, or fight back, or..." Hora told him softly, her voice trailing away with a heavy sigh as her eyes dropped closed a moment.
.:+:.
"... I... I am so happy... I got to see you guys... one last time..."
The Future Lucy's hand fell, smacking against the floor and into the puddle of blood underneath her, her body falling limp and heavy in the other Lucy's hold as one last breath shuddered passed her lips, and then nothing.
Hora couldn't move, she could only stare, her eyes breaking from the dying blonde and toward the bit of movement from the Future Rogue, the man turning toward her now for the first time and their eyes locked, his devoid of any light and hers still spilling in silent tears.
Lixue said something, his voice urgent and curt on her mind, but she couldn't make out the words. She was stuck still, staring into a face she didn't recognize and still the same one she knew so well- the one she'd known for years, seen through pain, and joy, and heartbreak, and loss, longing and fear... the same face from the same person who had been pleading for her to be okay, to not die, to trust him, to tell him what was wrong... pleading for her to... not go...
"... h...how could you... Rogue...?" Hora stammered breathlessly, he glowered, his fists blazing in Magic and eyes hard.
"Easily, even if she does not remember closing the Gate- she did. And she will still do so, no matter what... but now-"
He had cleared the space between himself and her in the blink of an eye, Hora stiffening and still glued to her spot as he came up just in front of her, Magic swirling around his hands wildly and teeth bared. Her eyes widened slowly, paralyzed still and not a single thought to move or retaliate moving across her mind, not even when rationally she knew something should have.
She had to do something, move, try to defend herself- she should have been livid, angry... she should have been ready to throw him across the room, burn him to ash for what he just did, get payback for it, retribution- he just killed Lucy, her friend, and it was unforgivable.
She should have swung out, reacted, tried to inflict some amount of pain- teach him a lesson, even. She told herself to, to fight back, to attack, but... But she couldn't.
She looked at him and knew it was Rogue and she couldn't do it
'MOVE!' Lixue snapped louder this time, a touch panicked, but it was much too late, Rogue was already swiping out, Magic blazing, steady, and deadset.
No hesitation, whatsoever
Natsu had moved finally, face twisted in rage and tears falling from his eyes- he moved, the instant Rogue did, he knew where his attention went next but like before- he was too slow... And worse even, he expected something from Hora, but he saw the look on her face and the rigidness of her body as she stood there, frozen, her expression filled with pain and disbelief, and heartbreak.
She was supposed to move, he expected her to- he was used to her fast reaction times, her almost impossible reaction times- but she did not move, and Natsu knew instantly she couldn't do it too.
And he was too slow, twice
"-Now to seal your fate as it was meant to be!"
"HORA!"
The Magic around the Future Rogue's hand condensed, his fingers bent and the shadows forming claws from every finger, long and wicked sharp. He swiped up, the claws slicing across her body in one quick motion, tearing through the flesh of her stomach, her ribs, her chest, both arms, and almost across her neck too- wearing scarlet lines through her body and blood splashing up into the air in five huge streams.
Hora stared, shaking and silent as fiery pain raced through every inch of her, the world shuddering to slow motion as she watched her blood stream passed her. Her flesh split as easily as paper, the Shadow Magic hissing and spinning as it tore through her- but hitched in more than a few places, though the movement of the attack didn't slow very much at all. The inky black Markings had moved even when her body hadn't, basic instinct for survival driving them forward to crawl across her skin and down her body and try to cover her in a thick layer of jet black. Something to try and guard against the wicked claws, to try and hold against it, keep her from being sliced apart too much. But they were not quick enough, not nearly enough- what little the Markings managed was to keep the claws from slicing her neck open completely, and in few places the skin was covered by the pitch black, the skin tore less than everywhere else- bit it tore regardless.
And all that blood
The pain didn't make a dent, not right away. She felt suspended, a storm of her own blood falling between herself and Rogue, their eyes locked still and time moving so, so slow. She saw his hand pull back, his Magic disappearing and getting ready to hit her again, and she could not move.
... He isn't... The Rogue... I know but...
... I still... Couldn't... Do it...
... He...
.:+:.
Hora's arms around her knees tightened as the memory came flooding back into the forefront of her mind, her shoulders hunching a little more despite herself and biting down hard on the inside of her cheeks. Rogue swallowed, red eyes glinting as she seemed to grow ever more rigid for a heartbeat or two there- but Hora was quick to force herself a big breath and shake herself out a little, a small grumble escaping her.
"... Even after all of it, and when he came at me I knew he was trying to kill me, but... I saw him, knew in some way that he was you once upon a time, and I couldn't bring myself to fight back or react. I couldn't do it, because I couldn't hurt you." Hora mumbled quietly, her shoulders sinking as she shook her head slightly at herself- and remained totally unaware of how Rogue kinda stopped breathing behind her.
Hora sighed again, her head tilting back as she shot the roof a slightly weary glare, "Hell, even after I got hurt I did manage to get between him and everyone else, because I had to try and protect them. But even then I still didn't want to hurt him- you- both of you... I don't know, it's crazy given him trying to kill me and everything else... but that is what ran through my head, and what kept me from dodging or whatever..." She mumbled, grimacing faintly. She sighed again and shifted, turning slowly back toward Rogue, dark blue eyes glinting. "I froze, and that's on me. It was my fault for not getting out of the way or trying to move Rogue, so please don't apologize or anything, okay...?" She murmured softly as she turned halfway back toward him, only to end up freezing, her eyes going wide and heart skipping a beat to see Rogue looking nearly on the verge of tears.
Hora bristled, her hands moving up quickly and waving at him in nervous rapidity, the Devil Slayer instantly sweating up a storm.
"W-Wait, I said I didn't mean- shit I told you I didn't want to mention it and you getting the wrong idea about it...!" Hora stammered, "I k-know you and him aren't the same person Rogue, I w-wasn't trying to imply you were or anything, I knew- eh, know you're two different people...! It was just in the moment I knew he had been you at some point before whatever awful happened to him that turned him down the wrong path, a-and whether he and you were the same any more didn't matter, it just mattered you were the same at one point and I... Well i-it turns out that for me it doesn't really matter if it was one version of you o-or the real you, because all versions of you are still you, even if only in some tiny way- but that tiny part is enough that it made me freeze, cause I'd never want to hurt you in anyway, even if the you I know isn't 100% you..!" She rambled off quickly, but Rogue just stayed utterly quiet, lips pulled into a thin line, absolutely motionless and still with little bits of moisture pecking at the corners of his eyes. Hora stalled, her hands doing the same in air before her as she sweat up even more of a storm.
Ah shit shit shit I am NOT explaining this well at all..!
Hora hissed, quickly turning all he way around to face him directly and leaning in toward him a little as she did, blue eyes flashing. "Damn it, I-I'm sorry, I'm really not saying you were, I just- I don't know how to explain this any better! I just don't want you to think any of it was your fault, me freezing, the other version of you doing any of that, o-or anything at all...!" Hora stammered, "It was on me, I'm the one that failed to react, it was my feelings that had me hesitate in the first place, a-and... and I don't care that those feelings or thoughts got me hurt at all either, by the way!" She kept on, and suddenly a touch firmly there at the end- so much so Rogue stiffened in surprise for it, blinking once.
Hora's hands fell from in front of her and back down into the water, her dark blue eyes glimmering as she leaned in a little more and the nervousness on her face suddenly became nearly as firm and steady as her voice had.
She'd avoided it earlier- all things tying into why she failed to fight back against the Other Rogue back at the Palace. It was a same reason why she thought about how, somewhere, somehow, and for some reason that Other Rogue had been hers before he had fallen. That same why he'd turned into what he had, and that sort of hope that she was right about what the reason for him changing so much, was what she had come up with... hope that maybe the reason why he was so torn up about any version of himself having hurt her was the very same reason she'd not been able to bring herself to hurting that Other Rogue even when her life was on the line.
Because if its that way for me, would it be too much to think it's the same for him?
Hora swallowed, her heart twisting a little at the repeat of the thought, though her expression didn't waver even for it, and nor did her steady gaze on Rogue either.
She wasn't sure if it was 'too much', and she hadn't had a chance to try and ask, or broach that particular subject and realization before when he'd been freaking out and a general mess. And he wasn't less of a mess now, since this whole bath thing had made him as even more a flustered and nervous wreck- but she was making it worse with her rambling and scrambling to make sure what she'd said and meant wasn't taken the wrong way... hell she was making it worse by this dancing around what she actually meant, and not actually voicing that why right out.
Hora's eyes flashed, nodding her head once and all to herself a she took in a deep breath, her eyes falling closed for half a second while she did- before she let the breath back out, blinking her eyes open to lock with Rogue's, steady and unwavering.
... Though even despite her being able to keep eye-contact with him, she couldn't quite keep her heart rate from picking up, or keep at bay the heat that she could feel creeping into her cheeks before she even started talking.
I'm already here, I've already done enough rambling, and if I don't just say it outright I am gonna end up making things even worse- so now might as well be the time to just come out and say it, yeah?
After all of this crazy, what's a little more crazy and unexpected thrown in?
Hora swallowed, resisting the urge to shake her head at herself.
Ah hell, I really really hope this doesn't make things worse-
"I don't regret that I froze and couldn't force myself to fight back. Not even when it got me hurt." Hora started in as steadily as could be, the rushed nervousness her voice had had in the midst of all her rambling gone entirely now and not apt to be coming back anytime soon. "I don't regret any of it, because all the craziness and going up against the Other you made me realize that I could never hurt you intentionally, and I would never want to because you're important to me." She murmured, her voice getting a touch softer at the end and a little slower too- though it was no less sincere.
Rogue blinked, eyes widening a tad more and heart skipping a beat on that last bit; 'you're important to me'
I'm...?
"I realize this is gonna kinda come out of nowhere for you, but it kinda came out of nowhere for me too during all the insanity." Hora murmured, "I told you I am not going anywhere, and that what happened with the Other you is not going to happen to you because I am never gonna leave. I will never leave you alone, and I will never let you fall that far, not as long as I am still here- I promise you that and I will keep it no matter what because of how important you are to me." She told him softly, her eyes falling from him for the first time and a bit of nervousness breaking across her face in place of being steady, and her cheeks reddened a little more too, which had Rogue's own face heating up in reaction to it- and at the whole subject and what she was saying in general, really.
Because was he actually following where she was going with this...?
"And that's why I feel so awful about worrying all of you so much too, and how terrible it must have been on all of you that I got so bad, and even... died... I know how badly it would hurt me if any of that happened to any of you guys, especially you... I really... I hate to think about what it must have been like for the Other Rogue in his timeline. I don't know if I'm right about it, or that me dying was one of the reasons he turned the way he did, but... even if it wasn't, it still must have been awful for him." Hora mumbled, her voice dropping a little, before she seemed to catch herself and glanced up toward Rogue again quickly. The sudden bit of unease for the words got instantly replaced with nervousness and even a little panic, a bit of her rushing from before flaring to life as she continued on in a little more of a rush next;
"B-But that being said, I'm not trying to assume it'd be the same way for you, or even if you feel that same way for me as I do for you- I just wanted to make sure you didn't get the wrong idea about why I wasn't able to fight back against the Other Rogue, or that I blamed you for it or anything..! None of it was your fault, and how I feel about you being related to it doesn't make it your responsibility or anything either, I just wanted to make it clear that's how I feel, a-and what I've realized I feel after all of this, and... And, uh..." Hora stammered quickly, before breaking off when she realized she'd just ended up doing exactly the same thing as she had before.
Rambling
Hora swallowed, gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes a little haughtily, her cheeks puffing up in frustration and nervousness all bundled into one big pile of sheer exasperation.
Damn it this should not be this hard, Hora.
You spent the last few months going against an entire Dark Guild alone, defeated a Demon of Zeref on your own, and then made it through all the crazy afterwards with the GMG, the Eclipse Gate, the Dragons, and the Possession Link combined- and you survived .
You've been dealing with literal insanity and managed it, so why is this so goddamn hard to just say...?!
She growled under her breath at the thought, her hands coming up out of the water slowly and forcing out a breath that sounded more like a huff.
Tch, you know what?
This is just gonna get even more weird and awkward and tense the longer I keep up, so might as well just say it- no explaining, no rambling, no nothing.
Just say it
CLAP
Rogue jumped, stiffening in shock against the sudden way in which Hora's hands smacked down against her cheeks, the Fire Devil Slayer forcing herself a big intake of air as her eyes shut against the stinging sensation for but a moment. Then her hands fell from her face and her eyes locked with Rogue's, steady, intent, and glinting with a million different emotions all at once- but one in particular.
One he had, briefly, thought he'd seen beforehand when she'd made him that vow never to leave- but he'd not been sure. He'd not really been in a headspace to process it, and he really wasn't sure if he could ever even imagine or believe that could be there.
So seeing that sort of impossible to believe thing there again... Well, his mouth started moving before his mind could tell him not to, or even really mull over what he was about to say. It ended up as a response to what that look in her eyes was, but more a sort of question too. It was like him voicing it aloud to check if he was right, and actually following this (or rather, recognizing and seeing this) correctly.
It was a question, and a response, even a repeat, while all at once it was also a statement and truth too- and it just came out.
"I love you."
Hora went rigid in an instant, her mouth snapping shut audibly and her face flushing a deep scarlet in no time when Rogue murmured the three words a little breathlessly, and out of nowhere.
She sucked in a startled breath of air that had been meant for words, nearly sputtering and choking on it, but she kept herself from starting into a coughing fit at least as well as she could manage... which wasn't very well. A cough did manage it's way passed her gritted teeth and she hunched a bit, her eyes shutting tight against it and a hand quickly moving to cover her mouth to stifle anymore and stop them escaping- though one or two more of those stifled coughs made her entire body hitch even so, which had Rogue instantly bristling and looking frantic as all hell.
"O-Oh no Hora I wasn't trying to- shit I'm sorry...!" He apologized quickly, but Hora just hissed a little, forcing out a breath instead of a choked-off cough, shaking her head furiously at both herself, and him.
Because fucking hell, are you kidding me...?!
"You idiot, you can't just derail someone else's confession like that!" Hora snapped, and a tad hotly- though the heat behind it wasn't really out of anger, just mostly flusteredness on her part.
Rogue's sudden bout of being frantic stuttered to a standstill at the words though, his own face burning a deeper red that nearly outmatched Hora's own blush, the man stuttering instantly.
"W-Wait you... C-Confession...? Y-You mean that you... That you do... Too...?!" He stumbled out breathlessly and Hora grumbled internally, frowning and still red-faced as he struggled to even get the words out, all wide-eyed and looking nearly incredulous at the idea of that 'too'. Hora frowned some more, her cheeks reddening deeper and puffing up in embarrassment and frustration both.
"Of course I do, what the hell else did you think I was going to say? Or that I've even been trying to say this whole time?" She grumbled a little, and Rogue looked like he nearly stopped breathing for it- but Hora kept on. "All of this craziness and everything made me realize how important you are to me. And in realizing that, it made me realize how I actually feel about you. That's what I was trying to get at- what I was trying to say before..." Hora mumbled, her voice trailing off with a slightly disgruntled breath as her cheeks puffed up a little more. She shook her head a little, her eyes dropping from Rogue entirely for a moment,
... before he totally beat me to it- shit.
She swallowed, her chest tightening suddenly on the thought and amping up what heat and heaviness that had flared with those three words of his, and was definitely getting progressively worse.
... tch... damn it... so much for not getting all worked up...
Rogue blinked, some of the shock wearing off again as Hora went quiet all of a sudden, the Shadow Dragon Slayer's red eyes gleaming as he watched the embarrassment wash over her face, paired with little bits of frustration that almost looked like... pouting.
Pouting, definitely all wound up, blushing hard as hell, and almost fidgeting now too as she glared daggers down at the water and not at him... His heart skipped a beat at it, and the edges of his lips pulled upward at the corners despite himself too. It wasn't at all appropriate in that moment- but her looking like that?
It was cute as hell... even her rambling from before and everything else about her being a nervous wreck was cute in a way too- despite some of the unpleasant topics woven in.
Rogue smiled faintly for a second, eyes gleaming and his own blush letting up a few degrees as he shifted where he was.
Hell... He could not help, nor stop himself for a second time around.
His body moved all it's own, the whirling thoughts and emotions stilling so easily for just a second, his hands reaching out to grab gentle hold of her face, cutting the distance between them to absolutely nothing in seconds- it just happened.
Hora barely had time to register the fact his hands had caught her in their grasp before he'd forced her face up, his own suddenly just in front of her and the rest of him closer than it had been three seconds ago- before she felt his breath wash up against her face for but a second, and then his lips met hers not a heartbeat later. She stiffened against it out of surprise for half a second afterward, before her mind quickly caught up with it all, and she melted into the kiss without a single thought to it.
It was warm, and new, foreign and strange- it was something that before now had never crossed either their minds to risk, try, or do. Things between them had always been close, a closeness and comfort owed to friends and family they had been for as long as they had- but never this close.
They'd touched each other before, with a hand held out, a hug, a brush of a shoulder- but never anything like this.
Never this, never in a million years, and never had a thing like this had ever even been considered- but even so, right then and actually doing it, it was so strangely familiar, and so right.
Impossibly right- and even more impossibly there seemed to be some section of both their souls that suddenly filled with the same gentle warmth of their pressed together lips. A space in both of them they had never known had been empty before now, and in that moment a space they couldn't imagine they'd ever managed to live with being unfilled.
All the words, apologies, rambling, and everything still left not quite said up until that moment felt wrapped up into one by the kiss- all of that filling that unknown empty space in their centers every millisecond the contact lasted... and it felt like years before either of them made a move to pull back and catch their breath.
Hora was the one to prompt it, though more out of necessity, and not a want- she didn't really want to let it end at all, actually. But Over-Drive was not about to let that keep going without throwing a wrench in the whole moment... It was actually lucky enough it lasted as long as it already had.
But her heart had basically jumped into her throat for the kiss, and her emotions were all whirling and on a high- a good high, but a high nonetheless. And she knew where a high like that of any kind was gonna lead all too quickly.
Her hands came up and grabbed around his wrists, lightly coaxing him to release the grip of his hands cupping either side of her face. Rogue obliged to the silent gesture without any resistance to it, their lips parting again as he pulled back from her and Hora did the same- but the both of them moved only enough to put just a few centimeters between them again, and little else. A shaky breath left Hora once they did, her eyes gleaming as she cracked them open halfway and cut the breath off shortly after, holding it and swallowing hard as she let her head tilt forward so her forehead bumped lightly against his chest, the top of her head just under his chin. Rogue blinked in surprise, stalling for half a second with Hora's hands still wrapped about his wrists and looking a little lost- before a little bit of the pleasant haze of the moment wore off, and he realized she wasn't breathing at all.
He swallowed at it, eyes flashing and looking instantly a little on edge, his hands in her hold shifting slightly as he unconsciously reached out and let them fall on her shoulders apprehensively.
"Hora, are you okay..?" He asked quickly, his breath ruffling the strands of hair on the top of her head that had already started to dry. Hora nodded stiffly in reply to it, though she didn't lift her head off his chest as she did, or move at all really. She stayed right where she was and even leaned a little more heavily into him, the weight of her hands around his wrists growing a little heavier as she let them slide down his arms and stop at the crook of his elbows instead. Rogue heard her take in a shallow breath of air after a moment,
"... Y... yeah... I'm okay..." Hora whispered in reply, her voice bordering on raspy suddenly and he frowned at it, though she didn't pause. Instead she swallowed rather audibly, shaking her head slightly and ruffling her bangs against his chest as she did, another shaky breath escaping her in what sounded like a sigh... and sort of a slightly bemused one at that.
"Heh... that was... great actually... and I'm totally good with you doing it... and doing it again if you want... but maybe... in a bit...? I'd really hate to end up... coughing my lungs out... in the middle of one... or at all..." She mumbled breathlessly, before she took in another breath of air that sounded a little too raspy for Rogue's liking, and Hora's too. She seemed to grumble a bit for it, but she managed not to end up coughing even so and she sighed a little, her shoulders sinking a little under his hands in a bit of weariness and exasperation now. "... sorry... Over-Drive is a real mood-killer..." She mumbled, a sort of exasperated and joking tone working it's way in to her voice suddenly.
Rogue blinked at it, the sound of that sort of light hint in her voice making him relax a little and unwind from the tension that had wedged itself into the tail end of the whole moment. He let out a sigh himself, his eyes dropping closed and his head tilting forward to bury his chin and nose into the top of her head, the scent of the shampoo he'd rinsed from the multicolor strands mixing with her scent hitting his senses in an even more calming way than her voice had.
"A little." Rogue replied quietly, pausing half a second as if he was choosing his words, and then going on;
"... I... I would like to do it again, Hora." Rogue admitted a touch sheepishly, his voice dropping a little and Hora felt her heart skip a beat at the confirmation. Rogue swallowed, pausing half a second more before shifting, his hands gliding lightly over her shoulders and slowly over her back instead, pulling her a little more into him and more into a hug- and Hora didn't protest, though it did make her cheeks burn a little hotter when their chests ended up pressed together pretty tightly. Rogue blushed more too, but that didn't stop him, he just pulled her all the way into him, holding her tightly and gently in his embrace. "I do, but I don't want you to end up coughing either, or getting too worked up, so... So this will have to do for now, okay..?" He nearly whispered that part, his voice hushed and so shaky from nerves and all else.
Hora's eyes gleamed at the words and the gesture both though, her expression softening as her heart ached in several ways all at once, while her answer to that question from before got answered in no uncertain terms;
Apparently it was not too much to think it's the same for him, if it's that way for me.
Hora let out a small breath, her lips pulling upward in a small smile at the thought, still blushing slightly as she nuzzled her face a little further into his chest. She could easily hear the slightly elevated rhythm of his heart against her ear as she did, her own most definitely mirroring the pace- but she ignored that and sank into the so pleasant sensation that came when his oh so familiar scent flooded her nose all anew, and in a way that had never been so intoxicating before.
His scent, the one she knew so well and always would- the one that was his, as it always had been, and always would be as long as she had a say in it. Where she would always be there, right with him, and he would always be him.
My Rogue
Hora smiled a little softer, her hands moving to curl around his back and return the embrace, nodding once.
"Works for me."
Heyo! Are you guys ready?!
CAUSE HERE WE GOOOOO!
Haha, this is it! I have the story all written out, so from here on out- ya'll are getting a new chapter every week until it's all done! Yay!
And to start it off- LOOK AT THAT FLUFF GUYS! QwQ
Gosh it was nice to write something a lil more lighthearted after so much angst, I do hope you enjoyed it! We have plenty more interactions and things to go as we head to the end, I so hope you look forward to it! :D
Thank you all so much for sticking with me this long- and thank you for sticking to the end too! I know it's been a long time coming, and you've all been waiting so patiently for the big reveal! It is coming, I promise!
Anyhoo, thank you all again! I will see you next week! <33
Chapter 38: Her
Chapter Text
Chapter 38
Her
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
Two Days Earlier-
"... She... You were serious about that...?"
Everything went deadly quiet following the words, all those sitting in attendance around the table wide-eyed and stunned for the confirmation to something most of them would never have considered the truth... And nobody looking any more shocked and even unnerved than the band of Sherry, Toby, Yuka, Lyon and Gray.
Naturally so, given the subject of said confirmation... and how terribly close to their own hearts it all hit.
Doranbolt frowned, looking slowly away from the window he'd been staring out of, rigid in place and just about as grim-faced as a person could be. His expression was mirrored in basically everyone else, Fairy Tailers, Sabers, and Lamia alike, all of them strained and tired- but for now listening tensely to what had started as an innocent inquiry, and one only made now that, after days, things seemed to have settled and that Saber Wizard they had all been so focused on seemed to be finally reaching a point where she might actually be fine... And the question?
"You said something about Hora and a Demon of Zeref when we were fighting... What was that about?"
However none of them had really expected the answer they earned- save those in SaberTooth who had already known, and those in Fairy Tail who had been told too, like Lucy, Mirajane, and PantherLily. But those who hadn't? Like Erza, the Lamia Wizards, Gray, Juvia, and Gajeel even?
Complete shock
Doranbolt's attention landed on Gray, who had asked it, and now the Ice Wizard looked about three shades paler than he already had, Juvia beside him stiff as a board and wide-eyed just like he was, Lyon too.
"Why would I make that up...?" Doranbolt grumbled lowly, his arms crossed over his chest. Gray swallowed, hard.
"... I... None of us assumed you did, but that... That's hard to wrap our minds around..." Lyon mumbled tensely, answering in the place of Gray- who's voice seemed to fail him, and his voice was not the only one. The other Lamia Wizards who had all had their lives forever changed by Deliora could not have found words just then either, and Lyon only barely did before his voice died out, and his eyes dropped onto his hands on the table as they wound together tightly.
"... No kidding..." Gray hissed under his breath, Juvia casting the Ice Wizard a wary look.
Doranbolt paused, Ira beside him looking a little uneasy for the sudden subject and the memory of the whole thing, and for a few moments no one really said anything... Until Doranbolt broke the silence, shifting a little on his feet and letting out a heavy sigh.
"Yeah, I get that." The Rune Knight mumbled, leaning back against the wall beside the window slightly and shaking his head once. "Hell, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it, and I saw it with my own eyes, once we managed to get back to her again." He mumbled, Ira nodding stiffly in agreement, his eyes trailing down toward the floor and stiff in his space- though his shoulders hunched at the memory of it, and naturally so.
Lyon paused at the words though, his head tilting back up again and eyes narrowing. "... Get back to her...?" He asked slowly, and Doranbolt grimaced at it, Ira too.
"She ordered everybody out of North Wind's Guild Hall, so we wouldn't get caught in the crossfire of the fight." The Rune Knight explained lowly, "The place was huge to start with, but once she really got into fighting the Demon a lot of the hallways in and out were messed up and caved in. It was harder than hell to get passed all that and to her, even with Ira tracking her location." He explained, Ira grimacing for the memory.
"... We almost didn't get to her in time at all..." The younger Rune Knight mumbled tensely, and Doranbolt stiffened against the words, his eyes falling closed and frowning deeply.
"... tch, yeah... Like I keep saying, she's crazy." Doranbolt grumbled,
"You shouldn't call her that." Ira muttered lowly and without skipping a beat, and Doranbolt stiffened a little at the scathing tone, but nodded stiffly.
"... Yeah... But how the hell else am I supposed to describe all the shit she does, and keeps doing?" Doranbolt mumbled, "No normal person rushes in and gets themselves nearly killed against a Demon of Zeref, is out for an entire week because of it, and then immediately jumps back into more fights and situations where they nearly get killed over and over again." He mumbled and Ira grimaced at it, his eyes dropping from Doranbolt and to his feet. Everyone else looked just as pained as Ira did for the words, though some more than others... plus a look of confusion and wonder that passed over Juvia's face, her head tilting faintly.
"How long ago was that fight with the Demon...?" The bluenette asked slowly,
"About two weeks ago... well, actually almost three weeks now." Doranbolt mumbled, and everyone went stiff as a board.
"What?" Lyon hissed, "You... You mean she went against the Demon not a week before the Games even started?" He asked tensely, and Doranbolt nodded just once.
"Yeah, like I said- immediately jumping into things and getting almost killed." The man grumbled a touch irritably, but everyone else just stared, their hearts dropping further into their stomachs than they already had, or had continued to do the more they learned about just how much had gone on.
Between the abuse from Jiemma and Minerva alike, the Possession Link, her supposed fate to end up dead, and the fighting in the Palace and with the Dragon's all, and then Over-Drive on top of it- how could there have been that too? How could she have even kept up with all that insanity, and all that getting hurt...? How could she have kept getting back up and kept going at all, and without end? And for what..?
For... For more everyone else's sake, other than her own...?
Her Guild's, her friends, Yukino and Lucy, and then eventually them? Juvia, Meredy, Lyon, and Gray, who she fought so hard beside against Callan, and then nearly decimated when at the end there so many people had lost their lives, before Time had gone in reverse?
Everyone sitting there all around the table in the quiet of the Inn- they all went rigid, shoulders hunching and swallowing hard against the thoughts, and the realization... A realization they had all come to before now, but for so many of them it never really hit that hard until right in that instant.
SaberTooth as a whole had been so oppressed, terrified, and abused- and not a one of the other Guilds had ever known it... But one Saber out of the lot seemed to have gotten the short end of just about every possible stick.
"... tch... she's really had a rough go of it, huh...?" Gray grumbled quietly, blue eyes flashing as he grit his teeth a little, and the comment made so many people hunch, and even flinch.
Lyon shot his childhood friend a tense glance from the side, his lips pulling into a thin line and swallowing, hard.
He was right, but Gray didn't even know the full of it... he was still so painfully unaware and so painfully clueless as to who she actually was, and what extra layer of horror and hardship there was to the story of all Horatia had been through, and how tightly her own hurt wound with Gray's. Hell, Gray still hadn't a real clue why what had happened with the Mini-Dragons and his apparent 'death' had hit Hora so hard- and hard enough to warrant such a colossal Spell as she had sent loose right after it.
An attack and surge of Magic born of nothing but pure emotion- pure heartbreak- and the need to protect something she had lost not once, but twice.
Lyon grit his teeth, forcing his eyes off Gray and shutting them tight, his hands on the table top lifting as his head bent, and he pressed his chin into them firmly.
He hadn't been able to tell Gray about it, not with all those days with Hora not getting any better and only going from bad to worse- he couldn't say it. Not if she might end up dead and gone, he could not do it... and still, even now with Hora seemingly starting to be on the mend- Lyon hesitated.
He wanted to say it, and he wanted it so badly and so much right then that words could not describe it. It felt so much like a betrayal to stay quiet, it had felt like so all this time, and it was eating at him constantly. Not once in a week now had it not been tearing up at his insides and weighing on his mind, and it only got worse each time he saw Gray fall quiet and start brooding.
Every time he saw little bits of ache in Gray swirling beneath the surface, even while the raven-haired Ice Mage didn't know why, or what for. It was agonizing watching Gray so many times the last few days and all those hours trying to help her as he teetered barely at the fringes of the truth, and still never get there. To see small seconds where Lyon swore Gray felt something, anything- something deep down where some part of him just knew, but still not know.
To see Gray grimace, everything about him worked up and uneasy, and even aching for that realization of how awful things had been for Hora all these years, and feel for her... but not feel the full weight of it, not even close. To feel for her but avoid what an even more awful blow and hurt it would be for Gray if he actually realized that it wasn't just this woman he'd met and been helped by that was in such a bad way, and had been for so long- but that she was actually his sister who had suffered that much.
It hurt Lyon a hundred times more than it would have knowing who she was, than if he hadn't- and it hurt worse to know that it would be a million times worse for Gray when he did realize it.
Lyon wanted to say it, tell him, stop this incessant state of not knowing and being eaten up by the decision to stay quiet- he almost did say it, because now his reasoning for keeping his mouth shut was losing weight... but another reason to not do it popped in, and he stalled.
Even if Hora might not die now, and might be okay, and get better... what right did he have to tell Gray that, before she did? What right did he have to reveal that truth for her?
Lyon hissed under his breath, his head bending a little more and his forehead pressing against his hands instead, shoulders hunching more than a tad and stomach churning painfully.
I don't have that right... this is between her and Gray.
He knew that, but it was still one of the hardest things he had ever had to do, and he felt sick for it, his posture folding a little more in on itself and rigid as can possibly be.
Gray glanced right, Sherry, Yuka and Toby doing much the same as they all caught the way Lyon seemed to hunch over in the corner of their eyes. They could see the way his hands trembled, and practically felt the sudden upsurge in unease and even turmoil in him just then- and where usually it would have been near impossible to see such a thing in the usually calm and reserved Lyon at all.
Gray swallowed, eyes flashing as they narrowed at the white-haired man, quiet. He'd seen the same thing in Lyon several times already the last few days, and no small amount of concern too- which he understood... because as Gray had already noted that night just before the Dragons showed up, Lyon and Horatia were strangely close. Strangely because they hadn't known each other that long at all, they'd only met a few months ago and not seen each other until that night- but all the same they were still that, close. And they way more than the 'chummy' Gray had described it as, because Horatia getting as hurt as she had had clearly worn on Lyon much more than Gray would have thought possible.
He didn't get it, he got the feeling there was something more between the two of them than he had a clue about- and Gray let out a small breath for the thought.
"... you really like her, don't you?" Gray mumbled quietly and out of nowhere, the inquiry causing Lyon to jump a little in surprise, his eyes snapping open and glancing Gray's way warily. "I've never seen you this worked up about anybody, ever... so you've gotta like her, and a lot." Gray pointed out quietly, and Lyon seemed to swallow, something about his expression twisting at the comment, and what was meant by it- but not twisting in the way Gray expected.
It wasn't nervousness, or embarrassment, or anything of the like... it was pained, and almost frustrated.
"Yes, I care about her, but not in the way you're thinking." Lyon replied lowly, and Gray blinked, his eyes narrowing further at the reply, but Lyon looked away again, shaking his head stiffly and letting out a very exasperated sigh.
"... You really have no idea what you just tried to imply... Or how inappropriate it is... I would never..." Lyon mumbled wearily, Gray looking quite confused, though Lyon never elaborated.
... And more than that... you really don't have any idea how much its killing me that you haven't seen it for yourself already, or realized it, Gray... Damn it.
.:+:.
Present-
He's totally out
Hora smiled sadly as she glanced down at Rogue, the Shadow Dragon Slayer deep asleep and completely dead to the world where he was on the bed and lying on his side to her right- close enough to have his arm bud up against against her hip and reach her, but not close enough to really let their body heat mingle... Which was for the best, seeing as how he was still rather warm from having a fever, and it wouldn't do them any good for him to overheat Hora by keeping close. She still had her own fever to worry about, and let run it's course all the way.
Hora had hoped the bath would help Rogue's fever taper off, though. And maybe it did a little, but it still persisted, and likely wouldn't let up until he caught up on all that sleep he'd clearly lost.
They'd finished up with getting all cleaned in the bath, having their injuries wrapped up again (both of them, though Hora more than Rogue), changed into clean clothes, and whatever else about two hours ago... During all of which they'd both still been a little nervous and fidgety with each other, even after all the confessions, getting things out in the air, and the kiss combined. They likely would be kinda awkward and easily flustered with one another for a bit to come, given the sudden shift in things between them, and all that had been laid out in the open- which wasn't a bad thing per say. It was just new, and something they'd have to go slow with and find a bit of balance and comfort in.
In essence, they'd have to give it some time. And hopefully now with all the insanity having to with the GMG, the Eclipse Gate, and everything else- they might actually have some time for at least a little bit now before something else went all totally screwy again.
Hora glanced away from Rogue's sleeping face and toward the half-curtained balcony doors to the left of the bed, the city dark aside from spare lights dotted among the shadows, and the silvery blue of moonlight. Her eyes flashed, frowning a little too herself and shoulders sinking.
... well, barring any amount of crazy that might crop up when I actually get around to... everything else I still haven't finished.
Hora bit the insides of her cheeks, her eyes moving off the balcony doors and back toward Rogue a moment, mulling, before she slowly started to shift toward the edge of the bed away from him as carefully as she could, and quietly too. It'd probably take a lot more than just her moving to actually wake him up with him being fairly out cold, but she wasn't gonna risk it, and besides- she had to be careful getting up for her sake too. Since she'd ended up twisting (and from what it still felt like, spraining) her ankle trying to get up and get to Rogue while he was having his nightmare, she didn't want to repeat the process getting up now.
She was less dizzy by now after having been up for awhile and shaking off some of the heaviness that came from sleeping. But even as she pushed herself slowly off the bed and onto her feet she felt a wave of lightheadedness hit her right off, forcing her to pause just next to it and lean against the edge with her hands for support until it tapered off again... eventually.
Hora forced herself a sigh, straightening up all the way and taking a tentative step back from the bed and in the direction of the balcony doors. It was slow going getting all the way across the room and reaching the doors, though mostly because she was doing her best to not make any noise or put too much weight on her right ankle in the process. She managed it all the way to the doors and opened one quietly and only halfway, slipping through the open space out into the cool night air, and then shut the door softly behind her.
She paused a moment, leaning back against the door and taking in a deep breath, cool night air flooding her senses with a million faint and faroff scent mixed in. One scent in particular that wasn't at all faint was that of ash and ice combined... You know, from the giant wasteland of fire and ice both, and the even more giant dragon shaped tower hovering over the city- courtesy of her.
She sighed as she glanced passed the balcony railing out toward the persistent remnants of her Magic, shoulders sinking faintly as her eyes traced along the icy white glow of moonlight filtering through the glistening ice so far off.
Speaking of things still unfinished- I do have to figure out how to undo all of that, hmm...?
'Yes, eventually.' Lixue murmured wearily,
She sighed again, shaking her head slightly and moving forward to the bench lining the railing on all sides, settling down slowly onto the cushions and tugging slightly at the shirt she had on as she went. All of the clothes she had herself were destroyed or dirty as hell, between North Wind, the Possession Link getting destroyed, the Dragons, and everything in between- so Rogue had brought her some clothes of Yukino's that the Celestial Mage had offered up for her. The clothes themselves were simple enough, some loose black pants and a light blue shirt striped in darker blue that was both sleeveless and backless- but being Yukino's it was likely a little looser than it was meant to be around the top.
Well anyway, it just feels better to be cleaned up, and in some clean clothes.
The fresh air feels great too, the smell of fire and whatever else aside... anything's better than a stuffy room still smelling of blood, sweat, medicine, and whatever else.
She settled in a bit in her seat, pulling her legs up onto the bench with her and leaning against the stone railing, propping her elbow up and settling her cheek in her hand wearily. Her eyes ended up wandering back over the city and toward where the ghostly statue of Callan was again, the moonlight fracturing and bending through the ice lazily while small bursts of pale blue flame glowed dimly down in dark streets trapped under heavy sheets of ice... and somewhere in the midst of all that Magic was the space in which it had started, where Callan had pinned her to the ground and she could nothing but watch while her Brother got ripped to shreds.
She grit her teeth slightly at the thought of it, trying hard to keep the memory at bay and from playing over again. She forced her eyes off the buried streets and away toward a different part of the city, one intact and filled with lights and evidence of life, people, and where any amount of destruction that might have been there before was long gone... Rewound and put back into place by Time fixing itself a second time, after it had jumped back one precious minute that allowed her to keep her Brother from being ripped away once more.
Shit... there's one more thing I still haven't finished yet. One last secret of all the many I've had to spill the last few months, or had spilled for me.
Everybody knows about Arden now, even if they don't all the details- what they do know and what little bits I actually told anybody is enough to get the basic picture... Same thing with Deliora too, though that one isn't even half a picture just yet.
Everybody knows about me being a Devil Slayer, and how it drives me insane, and is a pain in the ass, and about you being a Dragon Lixue, which kinda makes me a Dragon Slayer... and they all know about the craziness involving me supposed to have died in the Other Rogue's future, and all that too. Which with all of that, they know what Over-Drive is now too, because it was the Other Rogue who explained it instead of me.
And everybody knows about SaberTooth, and Jiemma and Minerva, and all their bullshit too... and the whole Possession Link thing on top of that.
So much shit I kept a secret from everyone or most everyone my whole life... All of it out now in the course of just a few weeks, or a few days... Hours even.
Hora's eyes dropped closed with a heavy sigh, chewing on the insides of her cheeks pensively.
There really is just one more secret left, huh...? Maybe the biggest one of the lot... Shit.
How the hell am I even supposed to go about explaining that though...? Or just saying it...? To him...?
'Hey, I know I've kinda popped up out of nowhere and been in your life for a week straight now, and I know I never said anything but... Well, kinda a funny story? Cause it's me, your little sister...? The one you've thought was dead most of your life and probably forgot all about by now..?'
Her heart twisted painfully with the hypothetical, forcing her to swallow back at that and what lump suddenly worked it's way into the back of her throat too.
That last bit was definitely spurred by an ever nagging (and rather dark) thought that maybe Gray would have by now pushed anything and everything having to do with her from his mind, and never wanted to touch it again. That maybe any memory or mention of her was something too painful for him to face, and he'd buried it with the intention of never bringing it back up under any circumstances... that idea he might not want to remember her, or know her now, because it would hurt too much.
Lixue had already told her not to think such things, and assured her that would not be the case- and in some part of her mind she kind of believed him- or at least wanted to believe him. But wanting that didn't stop the thought from still lurking, and the fear with it deep in her core. And it definitely didn't help anything that Gray himself hadn't even put any of it together himself- he didn't recognize her, or show any sign to knowing her in the slightest.
She couldn't expect him to of course, there was no way he could logically recognize her or even guess at who she was- she was not the person he remembered, if he remembered her at all. There was nothing to recognize, or realize, because the sister in his mind had been buried and dead a long, long time. He wouldn't, he couldn't- she knew that.
But hell if him not seeing it didn't still scare the hell out of her though
Hora hissed slightly, holding her breath against the way that fear and ache sharpened to a fine point suddenly, quickly trying to toss all thoughts related to it away and to stop pestering so much.
Please... just stop for now.
She forced a long and heavy breath, her eyes opening again as she did and shaking her head at herself faintly. Her attention moved back toward where the silhouette of the GMG Arena stood overlooking Crocus, dark and silent now and likely to stay that way until next year.
Huh... with Jiemma gone now, maybe we can join the GMG next year and actually have fun...?
Her expression softened slightly at the thought, dark blue eyes flashing in the dim and humming quietly to herself.
Maybe by next year I might actually have a chance to play in the Games myself, and not be such a mess with our Magic, huh?
'Hmmph... yes, surely in the span of a year you'll have a handle on it.' Lixue commented dryly, and Hora sighed, a small breath escaping her that sounded like a faintly exasperated chuckle.
Yeah, but hopefully it doesn't take me a whole year.
Hora paused, her attention on Lixue breaking off when something moved at the corner of her eye near the other side of the balcony. Her eyes quickly moved that way, her cheek pulling out of her hand and blinking once or twice in surprise as both she and the sudden (and very unexpected) visitor both went quite still for more than a few heartbeats, their eyes locked and utterly quiet.
He'd thought he must have been hearing things when he caught the sound of the door on the balcony above him open, and then thought maybe he was losing his mind when her scent filtered down toward him. Because she couldn't possibly be up and about right? Or at least she shouldn't be, even if she was getting better like Wendy and everybody else had said earlier- but there she definitely was.
He was stalled on the flat top of the railing, crouching on the balls of his feet after pulling himself up and stuck there once he actually laid eyes on Hora sitting there. Sitting there comfortably, skin still marred by scars and lines of damage, with bandages scattered about her person too- but there was no blood, no bruises. She didn't even look all that tired, she was just... kinda calm, and she looked almost totally okay.
But both 'calm' and 'okay' had been nowhere in reach for a week now, so it being there all of a sudden had him stuttering to a standstill without meaning to. She didn't even notice him being there right off the bat since he'd gone so still, and he hadn't a mind to say anything either. So he ended up sitting there staring without any plan or thought to not doing so, both of them quiet and in their own heads for the moment in the darkness, and everything around them swallowed up in deep bluish tinge owed from the starry night sky overhead, and the moonlight fracturing through ice so far off. She didn't move at all for a few heartbeats, since she seemed sort of lost in thought- but then she did, and it was so slight. Just a little bit, a little shift in her posture and her hair that caught the light differently for but a second- and in just one second the familiar red and orange got washed out in blue in so strange a way it looked almost... raven.
And for just that second it happened, he swore he'd seen that color hair somewhere else- swore that she was familiar in some way outside of having known her a few months now.
But Horatia finally seemed to notice he was there and turned, the light refracting again and her hair went straight back to being fiery, and he wasn't altogether sure he'd seen any of it at all. She blinked in surprise as her dark blue eyes matched with his onyx ones, and some fraction of that strange sensation of seeing them somewhere else stayed with him even as the split second came and went.
"... Salamander... Hey... I didn't realize you were here, you're up late..." Hora mumbled quietly (and maybe a little lamely), her voice breaking him back into the present, and Natsu stiffened a little against it, quickly trying to shake the strange sensations off entirely. He swallowed, hard, his eyes breaking away from hers a moment and he stiffly pushed himself up and off the railing, his feet making little a noise as they touched down and he stepped closer to where she was, while Hora reflexively shifted in her seat to face him more directly, pulling her knees in underneath her a bit. He got close enough to bring himself directly in front of her, and with perhaps a little too close than what was normal- which Hora noted immediately, but didn't really question it so much as the look on his face.
He looked almost... annoyed, for lack of a better word.
His face was mostly flat, and it didn't change at all as she said her little hello or addressed him. He just kept quiet, lips a thin line and almost expressionless, if not for the slight furrow in his brow, the way his eyes were glittering like mad, and the absolute rigidity of his entire body and posture. His hands were clenched into fists as his sides, and he hadn't actually looked back up to meet her eye after looking away and stepping down from the railing too... And when he did look up again it was slowly, tensely, his lips pulling slightly down at the edges as his fists balled a tad tighter.
Hora hesitated for half a second, a little unsure for a moment at the rather lackluster and not really normal behavior. This wasn't exactly the reaction she would have expected from the Flame-Brain for this being the first time they'd seen one another since she'd been conscious, and him not being the relieved, or at least happy to see her, that she anticipated from him had Hora growing quickly nervous.
Because is he actually like mad at me or something...?
Shit, I... I don't know, I can't tell...?
"Ah, are you... okay...?" Hora mumbled uncertainly, Natsu stiffened a little further at the question, his shoulders hunching a tad and she felt her stomach churn a little more for it, hesitating half a second more. She fidgeted a little in her seat, her arms pulling in toward her center nervously as a bead of sweat trailed down her cheek and she began looking increasingly uneasy- with Natsu looking much the same.
From the instant she asked the question to three seconds following it, the expression on the pinkette's face went from expressionless and sort of annoyed, to tense, uneasy, and then pained.
He sucked in a sharp breath of air out of nowhere, his shoulders hunching more than just a tad this time around while his entire posture seemed to fold in on itself just slightly. Hora stalled, wide-eyed and her heart skipping several beats in a row when tears suddenly came to life at the corners of his eyes and spilled down his cheeks not a moment later.
Tears
Hora bristled, her heartrate skyrocketing and all panicky and reeling in an instant.
O-OH MY GOD HE'S CRYING...?!
NATSU OF ALL PEOPLE...?!
Hora's hands shot up, waving back and forth frantically in a rushed, not at all calming or reassuring gesture, the Saber sweating up a storm.
"W-Wait, did I say something..?! N-Natsu please... Please don't cry...! N-Nothing's wrong, and e-everything's fine now I promise..! Everybody's fine- I'm fine..! I swear...!" She stammered quickly, but he just stiffened against the words. His eyes broke off her quickly, the pinkette tilting his head down so his hair hid his face from her view- and then he went down too.
Natsu dropped into crouching on the balls of his feet without warning, hunched over slightly with his elbows on his knees and trembling as the tears continued to splash against the stone beneath him. Hora jumped at the sudden loss in posture on the pinkette's part, her blood running cold and panicking way more.
S-SHIT WHAT DO I DO?!
H-HE'S LIKE REALLY REALLY CRYING..!
HOW THE HELL- I MADE NATSU OF ALL PEOPLE CRY...?!
She was two seconds away from her panic and nerves running away with her, but that train got stalled for half a second when Natsu sniffed a little, the pinkette shaking his head stiffly. Hora faltered as a shaky breath escaped him, the Dragon Slayer rubbing at his face with his arms as he wiped away some of the moisture tracking down his cheeks, bringing a sudden slow to the tears just about as quickly as they had started.
"... Sorry Hora, I didn't... I just..." He mumbled quietly and then trailed off, shaking his head again and rubbing a little more aggressively at his eyes. He forced himself a big breath after that, his hands falling from his face wearily as one of them dropped down into his lap, and the other came up toward her instead.
Hora went still, her eyes flashing as Natsu bumped his fist gently against her knee, his head tilting back up slowly to glance up at her, specks of moisture still at the corners of his eyes even as he gave her a shaky, but still genuinely happy smile.
"You didn't say anything wrong, or any of that, and I didn't mean to end up cryin' either." He mumbled, sniffing one more time and blinking, the last bits of liquid in his eyes glittering as they were shaken loose, while his smile grew a little softer, and a little brighter all at once. "I knew you were gonna be okay, Hora. I said that and I meant it, but I am really really glad you're gettin' better now." Natsu told her, Hora felt her heart clench a little at the words and the smile both, dark blue eyes glittering like mad. Natsu just smiled a little more though,
"So thanks for proving me right. You're pretty great, ya know?" He grinned, a toothy sort of smile that was a touch somber even still- but it was that same bright and cheerful he was oh so good at being, and she swallowed.
.:+:.
Hora couldn't look away from him, her gaze riveted as she held her arms lightly, her heart fluttering and uncaring of what stream of tears fell from her eyes, glittering in the faint moonlight and what little light glittered from the town below them. Her core felt warm, gently warm, not a raging fire, it was pleasant warm, that same warm she felt when she was with Sting and Rogue and Frosch and Lector... but this warmth was brighter, lighter.
But she had never felt this, and she couldn't really place the feeling either... It was like relief, and shock, and sadness, and happiness , all at once.
"H-huh..?" Natsu stammered, looking entirely unsure on what to do when he saw the tears falling from her eyes. His eyes flashed, his hands moving up slightly as he stumbled for something to say or do. "W-what? What did I say? I wasn't tryin' to-!"
He went rigid, Hora head falling as her arm moved out toward him, her fist lightly pressing against his chest as she stood in stillness, he blinked rapidly, unsure what the gesture was or what it even meant.
She lightly tapped her fist against his chest once more, ever so softly as she shook her head, her eyes moving back up toward him as she smiled, her tears having already come to a halt.
"... you didn't say anything wrong, Salamander." She said softly, her eyes glinting. He blinked, sweatdropping. "... It's just... no one's ever separated who I was from what my Magic is... I've never... but in your own weird way... You said everything right." She smiled a little more, he stared, seeing the gentleness appear in her features, the relief. She chuckled a little, her tears coming to a complete halt as she grinned at him slightly.
"I thought you were a little clueless before Salamander... But you're actually pretty great."
.:+:.
Hora's eyes flashed, a tiny breath of air halfway a chuckle escaping her despite herself for the grin, the gesture, the words, the memory of her doing this exact same thing to him before now- all of it.
This Flame-Brain I swear
"... Heh, well I'm glad I could live up to your expectations." Hora hummed, shaking her head a little in exasperation, though she smiled anyway. Natsu smirked for it, eyes glinting as he pushed himself up from crouching, his hand leaving her knee and instead landing on top of her head to ruffle her hair affectionately. Hora smiled a little more at the gesture, Natsu's hand pulling back after a sufficient amount of ruffling to let that hand land on his hips with his other one, the pinkette tilting his head at her.
"That said though, how are you feeling?" He asked lightly, "I wasn't expecting you up and about ya know." He commented, Hora nodded a bit.
"I'm fine Salamander, don't worry about it." She hummed, "And I needed some fresh air, so 'should' be up or not I didn't think a little stroll out here would hurt anything... Plus I couldn't really get back to sleep either, I'm a little tapped out on that by now." She murmured and he nodded a little.
"I guess that's fair." He murmured, shifting on his feet and stepping to her left, settling down on the bench beside her crosslegged, his hands on his knees.
Hora shifted a little herself to face him a bit more directly, "Hey, I actually wanted to ask you about what you said when the Dragons popped up." She told him and Natsu blinked,
"Yeah? What about it?"
"You said there were eight Dragons, and eight Dragon Slayers." Hora murmured, "Everybody else thought you didn't know how to count, and I get why they would- because to anybody else there was only seven Dragon Slayers... so how in the hell did you know I technically was too?" Hora asked and Natsu paused, looking a little unsure of the question for a heartbeat or two, before smirking faintly.
"Oh that? I saw that Breath Attack you let loose at the Dragon you were fighting when I was brawling with the Other Rogue." Natsu replied easily, "It was pretty big, so it would have been pretty hard not to see it- and I know a Dragon Roar when I see one." He chuckled lightly, Hora letting out a quiet breath for the explanation.
"... Right..."
"Hehe, plus that kind of explains your scent too ya know." Natsu kept on and Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly in question.
"My scent?"
"Yeah, you smell like fire and stuff because of your Devil Slayer Magic, and you smell like ice too because of your Dragon- but there was always something really familiar about it at the same time I couldn't really put my finger on." Natsu told her brightly, while Hora instinctively stiffened for the word 'familiar', though Natsu didn't pause nor seem to notice, he just kept on. "But I get it know, there's a sweet sort of smell to you that all the other Dragon Slayers have too. It makes sense." He chirped and Hora let out a silent sigh of relief for the fact that he'd actually avoided any mention of her and Gray smelling the same like Wendy had.
Apparently he hasn't noticed that at all, or at least he's decided not to question it- and I am not complaining either way.
"Hmm, well you were right... though you did come to the conclusion of me being a Dragon Slayer faster than I did." Hora sighed, and he chuckled a little at it.
"Yeah, everybody said something about that. Kinda slow of you Hora, having a Dragon talking to you in your head all the time, being able to use his Magic, and not realizing what that makes you." The pinkette smirked, his tone very clearly teasing and Hora let out a slightly exasperated sigh, her head tilting back.
"Yeah yeah I know, I am very slow..."
"Nah, just a little slow."
"Hmph, shut it Flame-Brain."
Natsu chuckled again at the reply but let it be, a small section of silence falling between them for a moment. Hora's head tilted back down slowly, her eyes glinting slightly as she looked back toward Natsu, her face falling a little flat now as she sort of hesitated.
She knew what she wanted to ask next now that he was here and she had a chance to, but she wasn't so sure bringing it up would do either of them any good, or if... if she really wanted to know.
Her eyes dropped from Natsu, chewing on the insides of her cheeks ad stomach churning anew now with a sudden fervor and ache.
I... I don't know... I feel like I need to ask, but...
Natsu blinked, his eyes glinting as he noticed the shift in Hora's mood nearly immediately. He saw the way her shoulders hunched and her posture got a little rigid, and his own shoulders sagged a little because he was pretty sure of what was running through her head now to earn her looking so tense.
"What happened to that other guy is never gonna happen to this Rogue, you know that right? It can't happen, because even though everything went all wrong for him, all the stuff that happened to him hasn't happened to us." Natsu murmured, his voice causing Hora to jump and her eyes to snap quickly back up toward him. She swallowed, eyes glinting and her hands in her lap wringing together a little at the words, her eyes dropping from him again with a half-nod, but she seemed to cut it off.
"Everything... Did he... tell you what went wrong for him?" Hora asked quietly, tensely. "Why he ended up the way he was, and doing everything he did..?"
Natsu paused for half a second, his shoulders sinking a little more than they already as he grit his teeth a bit, while his hands on top of his knees got a little tighter too.
Why did he end up that way? What happened to that Rogue, that ended up breaking him...?
.:+:.
"... She's going to die... And all those Shadows that have always lurked around me, vying to drag me under and down into the Abyss... They'll have all the leverage they need once she is gone... And so in a year from now... Rogue will Fall..." The Other Rogue sighed lowly, "... In a year... That last bit of light Rogue has left after she's dead will go out, as Frosch gets killed... And then all of this just happens all over again."
Natsu grit his teeth hard, expression turning both scared, and furious all at once and he stepped up toward the Other Rogue, eyes blazing.
"She ain't gonna die!" Natsu snapped, shaking his head rather hotly. "Tch, when Over-Drive hit her before, you took her to Lamia Scale and Sherria managed to Heal her, didn't she?! Even if it wasn't all the way, it made a difference! And we've got both her and Wendy now, they can help Hora out and make sure she doesn't get bad! Plus Porlyusica's a great doctor, she's gonna have some idea on what to do to help Hora!" Natsu hissed through gritted teeth, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "And if Hora's Fire Magic starts to get out of hand, that won't matter either! She was with Gray and Lyon earlier, if there's anybody who can keep her Magic under control enough and keep her from overheating too much- it's them!" Natsu added hotly, "Hora's not gonna die, not with everybody else around to help her! She's gonna be fine! The future you went through is never gonna come true- she's gonna be there in a year, and two years, ten, twenty- fifty years from now! She'll be there for everything, and she will never let Rogue get consumed by shadows, or let Frosch die! Not a chance! Her Future has changed, she's not dead and she won't end up that way- her Future ain't gonna be what you saw!" The pinkette hissed and the Other Rogue simply blinked, unfazed, and rather unmoved by the quick and fervent dispute... Before he looked away after a moment, a small sigh escaping him before he cut it off a bit, his lips pulling into a tight line and red eyes glinting.
Something about the Other Rogue's expression changed just then, in a small way, and it was so hard to see Natsu wasn't entirely sure it was there... But that dead, neutral, and nearly emotionless face of that man that had only changed to show rage- it was now, almost, faintly- hurting.
The Other Rogue shut his eyes tightly, his lips pulling a bit more at the edges and he stiffened, almost clenching his teeth. Natsu blinked, his own eyes widening when he saw the way the Shadow Dragon Slayer trembled a bit, his hands closing tightly into fists and digging slightly into the rubble of the gate he was laying amidst.
"... Tch... I... I don't think I can believe that... I don't see a way for her to... E-Even with all of that... Natsu Dragneel..." The Other Rogue hissed lowly, tensely so and Natsu stiffened, his eyes widening further and staring slightly when the black and white haired Dragon Slayer shuddered slightly, fangs gritting hard and Natsu faltered. "... Damn it... I shouldn't even care what you're muttering about but... Tch..." The man growled through gritted teeth, shaking his head at himself stiffly and grimacing- a hot, exasperated breath escaping him.
"... Hmph... I suppose it was foolish to think I could ever... Not feel anything... Even after all of this... And so long just... burying it... I... I wanted to feel nothing, I don't want to feel anything, or even consider, or... Or... Hope you might be right... Tch... I... I don't know if I can... I don't know if I want to...not... Not after all of this..." He hissed shakily and Natsu's eyes flashed, breathless and fixed to his spot.
This... This was a complete 180 from the person he'd spent the whole night battling back and forth with. The same person who had cut down the Future Lucy without remorse, or wounded Hora with absolutely no hesitation- the Other Rogue had not faltered the entire night on anything. Not on his plan, his actions, or his certainty that the Future would come about as he intended... But now? Now all of a sudden he was faltering, and maybe even...?
Natsu stepped forward half an inch, shoulders rigid and only eyes flashing in the low-light.
"Oi, why did you snatch Hora from your Inn and stick her on the other side of the city?" Natsu asked quickly and the Other Rogue went rigid at the question, red eyes snapping open and locking on the sky instead of the Fire Dragon Slayer, "In your timeline she wasn't out in the middle of Crocus the night Jiemma killed her, right? She was in the Inn with you guys, otherwise she would have run into us and Wendy would have saved her the first time around, right...? So why did you take her, and change that part of Rogue's Future?" Natsu pressed and the Other Rogue stiffened further, his eyes narrowing to slits and still staring at the sky and not the pinkette asking the questions.
He didn't say anything right away, and Natsu just watched, his face falling as the Other Rogue's expression broke a little with every second that ticked by- until eventually the Other Rogue hissed, his eyes scrunching closed furiously without warning, and Natsu's heart skipped a beat.
The strengthening white glow of the moon glittered off the single line of tears that suddenly managed their way passed the Other Rogue's tightly shut eyes, trickling down his cheeks as the man hunched slightly, his breathing hitching.
"... I... I thought it wouldn't matter if... If she died at the Inn or... Tch... I didn't..." The Other Rogue hissed shakily, his hand coming up and covering his eyes as he sucked in a trembling breath, the tears getting a little stronger and hitting the ground in sparkling drops. And with what he said next, his voice broke.
"... I... I didn't think... R... Rogue had to watch her get torn apart again... N... Not if he... D... Didn't have to... I thought... Maybe... Maybe it could work... W-Without having to see her... See her die... R-Right in front of us again..."
Natsu swallowed hard, frowning and his heart clenching terribly despite himself as he watched that utterly unrecognizable version of Rogue suddenly... Crumble
Crumble and cry, because of-
"... T...tch... I... I don't know if... You are right... Natsu... But... w-whatever happens... Please..." The Other Rogue stammered out, his voice shaking badly as his hand pulled away from shielding his face, and those glassy, grief-filled, and still so tearful red eyes locked with Natsu again. "... W... Whether she's there or... You have to warn them... W-warn Rogue... In a year... T-to protect Frosch... Warn him that in a year... F-Frosch gets killed by... By Gray Fullbuster..."
Natsu went rigid, his heart stopping and dropping into his feet all at once- a shiver running up his spine of near the same terrifying chill that had hit him when what Over-Drive had been explained... And his ears rang on that name, over and over.
Gray... Fullbuster...?
"... W...what...?"
.:+:.
Natsu's fingers dug into his knees harder, the pinkette shutting his eyes tight against the memory of it and all that came with it.
So, what happened to break the Other Rogue, and turn him into something unrecognizable?
It could have been a hundred things, all stacking on and piling one after the other- but it started with one thing in particular, and one thing at the end. The first being what they'd all been trying to avoid for a week now- Hora ending up dead, be it from Jiemma, the Possession Link, a Dragon, Over-Drive, whatever... and Natsu was fairly sure Hora must have already come to the conclusion that her death had a part to play in the Other Rogue going down the wrong path.
But what she didn't know was that last and very particular reason at the end there- nobody knew it, because Natsu hadn't repeated it.
Gray kills Frosch
He'd had that one sentence running through his head on a repeat since being told, and it was still just as unbelievable and shocking, and maddening as it had been the first time around. It didn't make any sense, because there wasn't any reason Natsu could ever imagine Gray doing such a thing, or why.
Sure the Popsicle got on his nerves, but murder? And of someone innocent, and who Gray hardly knew at all? There was no justification for killing Frosch in any way that Natsu looked at it, and even trying to imagine a scenario where it might happen and did was just... no.
Natsu grimaced, growling silently under his breath.
He didn't want to believe it, but he couldn't write it off either. When the Other Rogue said it it wasn't a lie, it was the truth, so it had happened even if Natsu himself could not imagine how it could. It happened, and if Time wanting to stay it's course like Hora had said was any indication- then in one year, somehow, for some reason, Gray will kill Frosch.
But... Maybe now that the Other Rogue's Timeline had gone all screwy with Hora surviving, would that last bit ever happen at all?
He didn't know for sure and that made him uneasy, and he definitely didn't want to add that unease to anybody else's shoulders by telling them. And definitely not Hora's shoulders, she already had enough to deal with and had dealt with the last few months, he didn't think hanging something that wouldn't happen for a year over her head was worth it.
Natsu sighed, the tension in his hands on his knees lifting as he glanced back up again toward Hora- her own hands still clasped together tightly in her lap as she waited rigidly for his reply.
No, he wasn't gonna tell her that, or anybody else. And it didn't matter if he did, 'cause he was gonna be there in a year and do what the Other Rogue had asked; to make sure none of that ever happened.
He let out another small breath, shaking himself out a bit and expression softening slightly.
"You were gone, Hora." Natsu started quietly, and Hora stiffened slightly against the very straight to the point answer.
So it really was what happened to me- shit.
I knew it... But hearing it doesn't make me feel any better about it...
... D... Damn it...
Something about her face must have given away how painfully her stomach and heart twisted for the confirmation, because Natsu seemed to deflate a little, the pinkette biting on the inside of his cheek for a second.
"Look, it doesn't matter what happened to him or whatever went wrong- 'cause none of that's happened for us." Natsu told her levelly, breaking into her thoughts and causing her to pause.
She looked back up toward him slowly, their eyes matching again as Natsu have her a small, entirely calm smile.
"Nothing's going wrong for us in our Time. Nobody died, everybody got out of the Dragon Fight alive and you did too on top of getting through Over-Drive. That Other Rogue lost you, and nothing went right after that- but this Rogue hasn't lost you." Natsu told her steadily, his onyx eyes glinting and with a sudden small sort of fire in them- and when he smiled a little more, that smile was all the more steady.
All the more certain
"None of that stuff that happened with that other future is ever gonna happen to us, because we're gonna make sure everything goes right from here on out, yeah?" He told her, his voice just as steady and certain as his eyes were, impossibly so.
There was no way he could sound or seem so sure of that- that everything was gonna be just fine. That they would make it just fine and it would be that easy... But he did, and damned if it didn't have her feeling a few pounds lighter for his sheer unending optimism.
And about a hundred times more sure of it herself, as well as more certain that it would be that easy to make it all fine, as she had already promised to Rogue before.
I'm still here, and we are gonna make for damned sure that none of what happened to the Other Rogue, the Other Lucy, or anybody else from that screwy future ever comes about. Not a damn chance.
Hora let out a small breath, her eyes flashing in the dim with a little fire of her own as she smiled back at him, her expression and gaze steady as can be as she gave Natsu one firm nod.
"Hell yeah."
Natsu grinned toothily, chuckling a little for the reply and nodding firmly back.
"There's that fire in your belly, huh?" He smirked, and Hora let out an amused breath.
"Guess so."
After that they ended up talking for some time, their conversation staying clear of anything tense and uneasy for the remainder it lasted. Natsu really did most of the talking, and a good portion of it was something of a repeat from the rundown Orga had given her earlier- but Hora didn't mind. It was nice to just listen and have a normal conversation after all the insanity, and Natsu seemed to be enjoying talking her ear off too.
We could probably both use something nice after all this
Once he wound down to the end of all his talking Hora smiled faintly, her expression softening for a moment.
"By the way Salamander, I have to say thank you." She murmured softly, Natsu blinked, looking lost a moment.
"For what?"
"For helping me." Hora murmured, "With the Over-Drive, and the other Rogue, and just... Basically everything." She murmured, eyes flashing as she gave him a small, almost sad smile for a moment. "Just thank you, really."
Natsu nodded slightly, offering up a smile in return and letting out a breath.
"You got it, that's what friends are for." He replied easily, and Hora nodded slightly back to it, but nothing else. Which was just fine, because Natsu was pretty quick to start up again and steer the conversation in a different direction.
He let out a big sigh and stretched his arms up above his head, before shifting off the bench and to his feet with a tilt of his head toward the far horizon.
"Well it'll be morning pretty soon, and if you're still not tired enough to hit they hay- how about some breakfast?" He asked lightly, Hora blinked. "You hungry?" He murmured, and Hora paused, her eyes dropping from him a moment and biting the inside of her cheek.
"Mmm... kinda." She mumbled, smiling a touch nervously. "The idea of food sounds great, but actually eating it might not be so fun... Either way though I wouldn't mind tagging along." She told him softly, and Natsu nodded, holding a hand out toward her in an offer to help her up,
"Cool, then let's go."
Hora took his hand gratefully and he pulled her up onto her feet with absolute ease, the pinkette hesitating to let her go right off even as she found her balance, and they headed toward the balcony doors. Hora took the lead in with Natsu close behind and watching her carefully as she went, but Hora seemed steady enough- though she was limping ever so slightly.
Hora didn't head straight across the room and toward the door leading out into the hallway, she sidetracked off toward the bed where Rogue was still fast asleep while Natsu drew up at the door and waited for her. The Fire Dragon Slayer leaned quietly against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest, while Hora leaned onto the bed's edge with a knee and gently shook Rogue's shoulder trying to rouse him. It took a few tries, given how out of it he still was, but eventually he twitched a little, a weary sigh escaped him before his eyes fluttered open halfway, glassy and struggling way too hard to focus.
Hora bit the inside of her cheek, her expression softening for just how exhausted he looked as he tried hard to pull himself out of sleep and make sense of her above him. Then she bit down on her cheek harder when the bleary confusion in his eyes turned quickly into tired bits of panic and unease, the Shadow Dragon Slayer lurching slightly under her hand and instantly trying to get himself up and focus all the way.
"H-Hora, are you okay, is something-?" He stammered out in a rush, Hora shook her head quickly, her hand on his shoulder pushing him back down the little bit he'd started to push himself up.
"I'm fine Rogue, relax." She assured quietly, "I'm sorry, I didn't really wanna wake you up, but I didn't wanna leave without letting you know." She explained softly, his eyes narrowing a little in question and confusion both. "We're gonna go and get some breakfast, I just didn't want you to wake up and me being gone without knowing why."
"... O.. Oh..." Rogue stammered, nodding slightly as his mind and the fog hanging over it seemed to sync up a little. "Okay... I'll come with you, just let me get up..." He mumbled, his shoulder pushing up against her hand again- and again Hora forced him back as gently as she could manage.
"No, you're still feeling like hell, you need to sleep." Hora murmured softly with a small shake of her head, "I'll be fine, I've got Salamander to keep an eye on me, and everybody else will too once they're up."
Rogue hesitated, worry clear as day on his face despite the exhaustion still lurking there. His red eyes glittered feverishly in the dim, the Shadow Dragon Slayer fidgeting slightly under her touch and searching, before swallowing rather hard.
"... Are you sure you'll be alright..?" He asked, his voice shaking just a tad and so, so concerned.
Hora's heart ached for it and warmed a little all at once, a somber sort of smile passing over her face a moment before it was gone, and she just looked calm.
"Yeah I'll be okay, I promise." She hummed softly, her hand leaving his shoulder and coming down gently on the crest of his forehead, her stomach twisting at the warmth of his skin still against hers, though she didn't let her face change in reaction to it. She simply brushed his hair back a bit from his face and smiled at him reassuringly, her eyes glittering in the dim. "Go back to sleep, I'll come back to check on you later."
Rogue nodded faintly, his eyes dropping halfway as a small sigh escaped him, his own hand moving off the bed to land on the back of hers for a moment.
"Alright... please be careful, will you...?" He mumbled, Hora nodded slightly.
"I will."
Natsu smiled slightly to himself in his space at the door, his eyes flashing as he watched the little exchange, his heart warming a little for it while it clenched a tad painfully at the same time.
He'd seen just how heartbroken the Other Rogue was when Hora got brought up, how terrified and haunted he'd been for the memory of having watched his Hora die when Jiemma destroyed the Possession Link. It shattered him in more ways than Natsu could probably imagine, and the horror of that had been enough to make someone so hellbent on destruction deviate from his plan in just the slightest way... one thing the Other Rogue allowed himself to waver on, because even after everything and all he'd done and turned into- he'd not wanted this timeline's Rogue to be forced to watch her die right in front of him.
Natsu's expression softened at the thought of it, his shoulders sinking slightly.
He'd wanted to spare this version of himself the pain of seeing her ripped away right in front of them- wanted that, even though he'd been trying so hard right up until the very end not to believe in any kind of hope that she might be okay. That maybe the way things went in his Time didn't have to happen, maybe she could live, somehow.
For someone who tried so fervently to deny any hope in that... that one decision on the Other Rogue's part to take Hora out of the SaberTooth Inn that night?
That ended up being the very thing that gave Hora any chance of living, and a hope to survive everything else that had come.
Natsu let out a silent sigh, his eyes moving away from Rogue and Hora and toward the balcony doors, his attention landing on the ghostly visage of Callan still looming over the city for a moment.
With just that one little thing... he ended up saving her, and he never knew it before Time undid him, and everything else he'd brought with him, and done.
Natsu glanced back toward the pair of Sabers, smiling slightly to himself at the way Rogue's hand lingered on top of Hora's, and she in turn lingered a few heartbeats more from pulling away.
Well, everything undone but her.
Her and all that came with her one life still burning brilliant and bright.
.:+:.
"... Manf this isf good!" Natsu smirked, the words muffled around the mouthful of food in his mouth and that he kept adding too without pause.
"Aye sir!" Happy trilled around a fish he was chomping down on, similarly to his Partner the Exceed had started chowing down not long after a very tearful, and very happy reunion with Hora a few minutes beforehand.
Happy was never really far behind Natsu as it was, so once he and Hora had made it away from the room she'd spent the last week in and down toward an eating hall (with Natsu mostly glued to her side as they went, worried and watchful the whole way)- Happy had popped back into the picture. And with that being the first time the tomcat had seen Hora up and okay, he'd thrown himself at her all tears and grins, and hadn't calmed down for quite a bit even with Hora patting his head and reassuring him several times over. Hora didn't fight against the fuss though, she just gave him all the time he needed to calm down and simultaneously prepped herself mentally for what more amount of fuss she was likely going to earn as more people woke up and headed in.
Hora let out a quiet breath, smiling faintly in amusement at the two boys stuffing their faces, before looking back toward her own meal in front of her and the smile faded a tad.
If only I could stuff my faces like them... Just looking at my food is making me feel queasy- that's to say nothing of actually eating it.
Hora grumbled a bit under her breath, staring moodily into the bowl of soup before her and twirling her spoon in the liquid half-heartedly a few times.
She had to eat though, she hadn't in way too long, and food was the quickest and surest way to get stronger after being sick and everything. Plus it'd probably do wonders for her in getting rid of being all dizzy and faint feeling, but she was afraid of really starting in, lest she end up sick to her stomach and throwing it back up.
That would seriously suck
Her eyes moved off the soup and around the hall a moment, scanning several empty tables lined up all over the space with similarly empty chairs accompanying them. The walls on one side were lined with windows and glass doors leading to several separate terraces and balconies overlooking the city, pale grey light filtering in as morning crept in slowly, and the sun kept fighting to break the horizon it hadn't quite made it passed yet. On the other side of the room sat some hallways leading to other spaces in the Inn, and a view of the next floor up where a few doors and rooms sat- all closed and quiet too.
Nobody besides Natsu, Happy, and herself were out and about just yet and here looking for food- spare Rufus, who had been here already when they came in and had been quick to get them sat down and with some food from the kitchens. Now the blonde was busying himself with setting out more plates, food, and whatnot, Orga close behind him and helping out with it- though the Lightning God Slayer seemed still half asleep.
"Mm... Mornin' Hora."
Horatia glanced away from staring at the far end of the room and to her right, Orga popping in beside her with a heavy yawn. He set a pitcher of water down on the table a bit in front of her, smiling tiredly at her as their eyes matched, and his hand coming down atop her head to ruffle her hair a moment. Hora let out a small breath at the gesture, but otherwise smiled and nodded to him,
"Morning." She replied quietly, Orga's hand pulling back from her head again as he shifted the stack of plates he had balanced in his other hand to being held with both instead.
"You're up early, trying to get a jump on everybody fussing over you?" He asked, smirking slightly, "You definitely look better, all cleaned up and everything. That'll put everybody in a much better mood, and maybe even help with there being less crying to go around." He told her lightly, and Hora let out a small sigh,
"Mm, hopefully... though it probably won't help much." She mumbled wearily and he chuckled at it,
"Probably not." He relented, shifting slightly on his feet to turn away from the table. "Well, try and eat a little before everybody else starts coming in, kay?" He hummed with a nod of his head toward her food, and Hora nodded, though slowly. He took that as answer enough and headed off again with his plates, rejoining Rufus at another table to continue setting up, leaving Hora where she was with Natsu and Happy still happily invested in their meals, and Hora staring back into her bowl still none too thrilled.
Well, gotta try at least
She took in a big breath and started in, slowly so and being careful to keep taking deep breaths between each spoonful of the soup she got through. The first few almost made her want to gag, but she pushed through it and all those spoonfuls after weren't nearly as bad... Well, until she got about halfway done with the bowl and everything really started to settle into the pits of her very empty stomach. As soon as it did the slightly nauseous sensation bumped up to a totally nauseous one, and she held her breath, letting go of the spoon and leaving it alone in the bowl, her arms pulling in toward her person and grumbling lowly as she dropped her cheeks into her hands.
Ah hell.. don't throw up... don't throw up... please...
Her stomach churned and she sucked in a small breath of air just to hold it again, burying her head in her arms while her forehead pressed against the tabletop, closing her eyes.
... ugh... it's just soup... soup shouldn't make me this queasy...
... tch... stupid Over-Drive... stupid Anti-Magic Poison... stupid being sick... grahhhh...
Natsu and Happy paused in their eating, both boys shooting Hora sympathetic glances as she buried her face further in her arms and let out a quiet, and very exasperated grumble that was only sort of muffled.
"That bad huh?" Natsu hummed, Hora just huffed a little.
"It's fine... I'm fine... just... gimme a minute..." She grumbled lowly, before trailing off again, her arm arms around her head tightening a little while she seemed to hunch over a tad further too. "...ugh... kill me please..."
Happy purred slightly in faint amusement, one of his paws coming down on Hora's back to pat her gently a few times while Natsu let out a small breath for the comment.
"There there Hora, I'm sure it'll get better before ya know it." Happy hummed lightly,
"Yeah, just take it slow." Natsu murmured, "And you don't gotta eat anymore than you feel like... Though you're gonna feel better the more you eat in the long run." He told her, "Gotta have fuel for that fire in your belly to get all strong and healthy again." He smirked, though Hora didn't actually see it, she could hear the grin in his voice, and sighed.
"... I know..."
They let her be after that, the two boys striking up a casual conversation between them in an attempt to take Hora's mind off her stomach for a bit. Which worked, she tuned into their voices and what they were talking about, and got invested in their conversation fairly quickly too- and did wonders on taking her mind off the nauseous feeling in her core.
Hora pulled her face up out of her arms slowly, settling her chin against the back of her hands as she propped her elbows up and glanced toward them, and just listened. Listened and watched not unlike that night when they'd come back after defeating the Dark Guild in the fake Jeihel, where both she, Happy, Natsu and Lucy had settled in, and simply talked and enjoyed eachother's company... Hora even felt herself getting a little drowsy again too, but she wasn't about to let herself nod off like she had back then.
She just smiled faintly after awhile, content as she kept listening to the two of them, completely calm and at ease. Which was kinda sorely needed, because even though she couldn't complain about what she and Rogue had done or talked about earlier, she couldn't really say it had been at ease during it.
Like she'd already said, she and Rogue would need time to get over being a little awkward and fumbling with one another. But even with that, and getting flustered... well, she was happy it'd happened, and everything had been put out in the open regardless of all the getting worked up, and nervous.
She smiled a little more at the thought of it, her attention on Happy and Natsu fading for a few seconds as her mind wandered. She tried to focus again, but she had no real chance to hone in on them before something else diverted her attention even more.
"... Horatia."
Hora blinked, glancing around quickly to the sound of her name and eyes widening a tad when she lay eyes on it's owner standing just beside her and the bench she was on, though she'd been totally unaware of him approaching or being there at all before he said something. Her dark blue eyes matched with his, both of them coming to a bit of an uneasy pause for a heartbeat or two, before Hora's shoulders sank a bit. She swallowed, hard, turning more in her seat toward him and elbows coming off the table as she drew her arms more into her center.
"Lyon." Hora murmured, the Fire Devil Slayer doing her best to sound cheerful and happy to see him- which she was, even if she instantly felt uneasy, But even just the sound of her voice had his usually neutral face pulling into something borderline pained. His shoulders hunched a tad and the rest of him went utterly rigid, his eyes glittering and filled with a million different things all at once- but most of them hurt, relief, strain, and all things in between- her heart dropped.
Shit
She leaned in a little, her hands coming up a little in something of a semi-panicked, semi-halting gesture, blue eyes glimmering and all nerves.
"Ah, please don't cry, okay..? I don't think I can handle someone else doing it I'd never expect to, and l-least of all you..." She stammered quickly, the Ice Wizard pausing at the words with a blink of surprise- while Natsu broke off in his and Happy's conversation rather abruptly, the pinkette glancing to the side and away from everyone with a bit of an embarrassed grimace when he caught the comment.
Lyon hesitated half a moment or two more, his face falling slightly flat again as he seemed to process the words, before his shoulders sank a little and he almost seemed to smile wryly, and for just a millisecond. His hand came up toward his face, palm covering his eyes for a moment as a tiny breath of air escaped him, shaking his head once.
"Heh... I won't, I promise." He mumbled, his hand moving up off his eyes and pushing his hair back a bit as he glanced back down toward her, the smile fading just as quickly as it came and being replaced with sheer ache. Hora nearly winced to see it, her expression twisting faintly and hands dropping a little in air before her. Lyon didn't linger long on standing there though, he shifted on his feet, bringing himself closer to her without warning.
"Forgive me, I can forego tears, but after everything else... I would be remiss if I didn't do this." The Ice Mage told her softly, settling down with one knee onto the bench just in front of her- and without a further word he leaned in, his arms suddenly engulfing her as he pulled her into him, trapping her in a firm, and completely unexpected embrace.
Incredibly unexpected actually, because this was Lyon. Even in the short time Hora had come to know him, she knew he wasn't really a touchy-feely person, he was too reserved for that kind of thing. Hugging was not something that was really in his repertoire, so to have him doing it now all of a sudden had her kinda lost... and then more lost when his hold around her grew even tighter, the Ice Wizard burying his face deep into the crook of her neck while his entire body bent over more, pulling her just about as close as was humanely possible.
Almost... desperately so. Like he was holding on and wasn't sure she was actually there in his hold.
Hora stalled, her breath catching in her throat when she felt the faintest tremor run through his body pressed up against her, her heart that had already dropped into her feet clenching itself into a million knots when it hit her.
He... He must have been so stressed out this entire time.
Gray didn't know about her still, that'd been made clear by Rufus when he had talked with her, so that meant that Lyon hadn't told him. Even through everything that had gone on, her reaction to him being killed by the Mini-Dragons, her pleading him not to die again, both Gray and Lyon helping keep her alive while Over-Drive raged with fire, and then further while Gray kept having to siphon over his blood to replace all she'd lost- Lyon had said nothing about her, or who she was to Gray.
Somewhere in all that chaos, panic, fear and uncertainty that revolved around just trying to keep her life intact, Lyon had made that decision to not say a thing. He kept what he knew to himself and he didn't tell Gray, even when likely everything in him wanted nothing more than to do just that. He said nothing. He kept her secret for her the whole time.
Hora swallowed, hard, her hands winding around him in turn and fingers gripping tightly to the fabric of his shirt.
I never wanted to leave him with that hanging over his head for so long... tch, shit.
Hora shut her eyes tight, hugging him back near as tightly as he was, her arms shaking a little for it and biting down hard on the insides of her cheeks.
"... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to force you to have to keep... that to yourself, Lyon..." Hora mumbled quietly, her voice scarce above a whisper and shaking faintly. "E-Especially when you had to... help keep me alive... shit I am so sorry..."
Lyon let out a small breath, the Ice Wizard giving her a small squeeze in reply to the words, his head shaking slightly against her neck.
"Don't apologize." He murmured, pulling back slightly and releasing the hug enough so they could be face to face again, his hands coming down gently on her shoulders as he smiled, just a little. "You're alright now, that's all that matters. Everything else will come in it's own time, when you're ready for it." He hummed and Hora hesitated a moment, before she nodded slightly, and offered up a small smile in return for him.
"... Yeah..." She mumbled, her eyes flashing as Lyon leaned back and settled into sitting on the bench instead of leaning on it, Hora's hands retracting in toward herself as he did it, but lingering a little. "Thank you Lyon, for everything."
"Of course." He murmured,
"... Since when are you two so buddy-buddy?"
Hora and Lyon both jumped slightly, their attentions turning toward Natsu as he asked the question, the words slightly muffled as he kept chewing his current bite of food. Both he and Happy were looking at the pair, watching the whole exchange rather curiously and looking lost- naturally since they had had dealings with Lyon before now, and he'd never been all that friendly with anyone. Plus they'd not really known much about him and Hora interacting at all before now, so the hug and everything was a surprise.
Lyon and Hora both paused, exchanging glances with one another for half a second, before they both looked back toward the Fairy Tailers with smiles on their faces- faint and cool in Lyon's case, while Hora's was a little softer.
"Pretty much since we met." Hora replied lightly, and rather vaguely, while Lyon just nodded once in confirmation. Natsu and Happy blinked, looking a little more unsure of the answer, but they never got a chance to question it any further.
"Oh, there you are Lyon- ah! Hora, you're up!"
Sherria popped in beside Hora and Lyon without warning, Sherry, Toby, Yuka and Jura trailing into the room not far behind the Sky God Slayer. The young girl beamed, blue eyes glinting as she locked gazes with Hora, smiling brightly as she gave the Saber a quick once-over.
"You look much better this morning!" The girl chirped,
"Yes, you are looking well." Sherry hummed, stopping beside the younger and crossing her arms over her chest. Hora smiled slightly at the comments, nodding a little.
"Yeah, I feel better." She hummed, and their eyes seemed to gleam a bit.
"That's wonderful to hear." Yuka murmured politely, Toby nodding vigorously in agreement.
"Yes! Yes!"
"Indeed. It's quite a relief to see you up, Horatia." Jura told her coolly, Hora stiffening in surprise at the words. Jura smiled faintly, a small chuckle escaping him and he linked his hands together in his sleeves. "And might I say, you truly are a splendid Mage. The show you made of your Magic was spectacular." He told her with a small dip of his head toward her. Hora went rigid, her eyes going wide and heart jumping at the compliment- from a Wizard Saint- her cheeks flushing slightly in no time at all. She averted her eyes from him quickly and rather sheepishly, clearing her throat a little nervously.
"Ah, t-thank you..." She just managed to stammer out a might breathlessly, which earned several amused smiles from basically everyone.
"Ah, you're so modest."
Hora jumped again, her head snapping up and around for yet another new voice to pipe in without warning or knowledge of it's owner being in the room. She didn't have any time to turn all the way around before someone's hand came up and found the side of her head, pulling her sideways into them for something of a hug. Hora's breath caught in her throat as her head bumped against Erza's chest, the Devil Slayer's face going about as red as Titania's hair was as she was pinned there in place with no room or opportunity to pull away from the firmness and finality of the woman's hold on her. Hora froze, her face burning like fire and her heart skipping several beats in a row, Erza smiling down at her as she kept the Saber pulled against her chest.
O-Oh my god is... is Titania Erza hugging me...?!
"Hmm, your modesty it's quite cute though, even if it's a bit unnecessary. Jura is right, you are a wonderful Mage." Erza hummed lightly, the words making Hora flush even further- if that was possible.
H-Holy shit, d-did I just have a Wizard Saint AND Titania say that...?! A-About me...?!
"He is also right about it being a relief to see you." Erza kept on, her hand shifting off Hora's cheek and finding the top of her head instead, rubbing her hair a bit. Erza tilted her head down a bit to get a better look at Hora's face, their eyes matching fully for the first time as her smile softened a little. "I am very glad to see you doing better." Erza murmured, her voice dropping to something a little quieter for a moment and Hora blinked, stunned into stillness for a second at the words... before she seemed to relax a little, nodding once.
"Thank you, Erza." The Saber hummed, smiling faintly in return even despite the blush not letting up. This time Erza paused though, her eyes glinting at such a sweet face and smile from the younger, her own smile fading for half a second in faint surprise when a tiny pang of familiarity hit Erza straight in the core without warning.
Something about that smile, her face... Erza had seen it somewhere before, but she wasn't sure where.
She shook it off quickly though, instead letting herself get swept up in how adorable Hora looked just then. The redhead grinned, her free hand moving up off her hip and forward to pull the Saber even closer, sweeping her up in a full hug instead of a half one- which nearly pulled Hora off her chair, not that Erza seemed to notice.
"You are too cute!" The redhead sighed, Hora's hands reaching for one of her arms and the edge of the table at the same time- which she missed the table. But thankfully Lyon reached a hand out and caught hers to steady her without a word, looking amused while Hora let out a tiny sigh of relief, letting herself stay trapped in the hug and smiling nervously still- but smiling nonetheless.
Uh... huh... okay... this is weird... but kinda nice too I guess...?
"Careful Erza, you're going to knock her over." Mirajane hummed lightly, the white-haired woman coming up on Erza's shoulder and stopping between her and Sherria.
Woah wait, when did Mira get here-?
Erza blinked at the words, before seemingly realizing what she was doing and quickly loosening her grip around Hora, releasing the Saber and her hand lingering on Hora's shoulder just long enough to make sure she was steady again and wasn't going to fall. Lyon's hand didn't leave Hora's until she was fine again too, the Devil Slayer shooting both him and Erza a thankful smile once she was situated again.
"Apologies, I got a little caught up." Erza told her, Hora shook her head a little.
"N-No, it's fine..!" She assured quickly, her hands waving a little in front of her in what was supposed to be a reassuring gesture... but they ended stuttering slightly when her eyes moved off Erza to glance toward Mirajane, and then she realized the Take-Over Mage was not the only person who had popped up all of a sudden.
It was actually like... a lot of people all of sudden, and still walking in from either hallway, ushered in by the noise and the smell of food awaiting them, only to draw up in surprise when they noticed her there amidst a steadily growing crowd of people all bunching in. Among them Hora's eyes snapped to the familiar faces of Sting, Frosch and Lector with Yukino in tow and a few others in the Guild- Dobengal, Othan, Keiyye, and so many more she had known for so long. And walking in with them were members of the other Guilds, Lamia, Blue Pegasus, Fairy Tail- you name it.
Hora's eyes flashed, her gaze locking with Lector and Frosch as they came into the room first, the Exceed's stuttering slightly in their walking when they saw her- and then they'd sprouted wings and taken to the air not a second later. And with their rush across the room, a bunch of the others got caught up in their stride and pace too- namely there was a head of blonde hair that broke off from Wendy and Carla coming in, and then someone smaller and who Hora didn't quite recognize right away (not that she had much time to try).
Hora stiffened, her heart skipping a small beat and smiling nervously at the several people moving super super fast in a beeline toward her.
Ah crap-
"Hora!"
She got swallowed up in several pairs of arms, all of them whisking her up in their grasp and sort of fighting for space to hold on to her. But even with overlapping arms and whatever else, and not really enough space between any of them at all- they still held on. Hugging her tight in all different directions, trembling, their bodies hitching as breathless sobs made their way up their throats, tears spilling from their eyes- either grinning from ear to ear as they did, or just burying their face into their body and never wanting to let go.
Frosch, Lector and Lucy were those hugging on to her know that she'd been able to pick out before getting (almost) tackled- the Exceeds in her lap and pressed against her stomach, while Lucy had hooked her arms around Hora's shoulders and had her cheek pressed up against the side of Hora's head as she cried. But the last one?
Hora stiffened, her eyes widening when ashy-blonde hair tickled her cheek and the familiar scent of Ira hit her nose, the young Rune Knight hugging her arm tightly, tears at the corners of those green eyes of his. He smiled shakily up at her, the tears spilling down his cheeks and looking both pained and thrilled all at once- while Hora kinda stalled, both out of surprise that he was there at all, and at the fact that he was not at all in uniform. Seriously, she'd never seen him in anything other than his Council clothes, and that was 90% of the reason she hadn't recognized who he was as he was rushing over here.
"... Ira..." She mumbled, and he nodded a little,
"I'm so glad you're okay, Hora..!" The young boy told her breathlessly, Lector and Frosch letting out little mews and shaky words of agreement what Ira said, while Lucy nodded a little, her blonde hair mixing with Hora's as she did.
"W-We've been so worried about you...!" Lucy stammered, her hold around Hora's shoulders getting tighter. "I'm so happy you're alright, Hora... I was so scared we were gonna lose you..." The blonde hissed shakily, Hora swallowed, her eyes flashing.
She snaked her free arm around Lector and Frosch both, while she pulled the arm Ira was holding on to closer to herself and him closer into her, while Hora adjusted her head enough to nuzzle her nose against Lucy's hair and cheek, smiling sadly.
"I know, I'm sorry I worried you guys." Hora murmured softly, "But I'm okay now, everything's fine." She murmured, dark blue eyes glimmering as she looked from Ira, to the Exceeds, toward Lucy and then out toward everybody else- Lyon, Sherria, Natsu, Erza, all the other Fairies, all of Lamia, and all of SaberTooth too as they continued to crowd in and migrate her way. Hora smiled faintly, her eyes meeting all of theirs in her sweep, even if only for a few seconds- and though there were a few missing, she didn't let the idea of it linger long at all. It was enough to see the smiles, and even see some smiles appear after their eyes matched just briefly- Hora let out a small breath, nodding faintly to them all as a whole, her voice soft and steady.
"I'm alright, everything's gonna be okay from here on out, I promise."
Man did the mood of the entire inn lighten after that.
She heard near everyone say something, some light, happy comment- some heartfelt exclamation, a murmur of how good it was to see her, how happy and relieved they all were that she was up and that she was starting to get better. She hadn't any time to garner a response to all of the comments, nor the questions, but she tried her best to give everyone some part of her attention, some smidge of a connection and acknowledgement to help put them all the more at ease.
She kept her smile up the whole time, dark blue eyes glittering as she glanced around all those smiling and expectant faces, all pushed together, shoulder to shoulder and all bright, shinning eyes on her- and she didn't have any issue keeping a smile that time. The pleasant humm of all their voices and gentle calls of greetings and well-wishes had any amount of exhaustion she felt far from her mind. Their warmth of happiness and the cool relief on their faces, and sheer glee even had the guilt she felt for worrying them all dulling down a bit too.
This... this was so nice.
Just everybody being there, all happy, all content- even if some of them were crying, it didn't matter. They were there and they were so comfortable, even when being all together where most of these people would never have dreamed of being 'together' in any sense of the word a week prior.
SaberTooth, Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel- everyone.
So, so many people you would never have seen even in the same room together without being at each other's throats, or shooting dirty looks at one another. People you would never see waking up in the morning together, enjoying a meal together, talking with one another, or just genuinely being happy and content to be in the company of each other.
But there was none of that tension or unease that had always been hanging over SaberTooth because of the face they had to put up with Jiemma around. With that gone now, they could just be themselves- which helped tremendously, but even that hadn't solved everything right away.
SaberTooth had been uneasy and awkward when all the Guilds had been called by the King to discuss the Dragon's invasion, which was understandable. All the rest of the Guilds hadn't exactly been receptive to them to start, but after Erza vouching for them the Sabers seemed to buck up a bit, and definitely fought hard to prove themselves to everyone else when chaos broke out. But even with that, this was a little odd to see, because this level of being content and happy between all of the Guilds seemed to have happened a little fast... and normally it would have been fast, but after a week of everybody being all worried over one person in particular, and people from all different Guilds working together to help her- fast made sense.
And even being fast, and sort of unexpected, and spurred by something as painful as it had been- this?
This was... kind of amazing, actually.
There was no hesitation or apprehension in any of them as they walked in tandem, or bunched in together shoulder to shoulder, all of them finding her in the room and immediately all breathless smiles and relieved faces as they crowded in- all of them just genuinely happy.
And the biggest part of that happiness was a collective joy at seeing her
Gray let out a small sigh, his arms crossing over his chest and leaning against a beam attached to the second floor railing with his shoulder, watching quietly the commotion going down on the floor below. He'd ventured out around the same time most everyone else had, though he had no want of food at the moment, so he'd stayed on the upper floors instead of heading down. Which ended up being the better thing just then, since he didn't really wanna bandwagon on the whole 'pile in and see Hora' thing going on down there.
He was fine to watch though, and it was definitely something to see... though he had to wonder if Hora herself even realized how central she was to all this coming together.
Sure, everyone had made their connections with SaberTooth and the other Guilds in their own ways without her being involved- but most of those 'connections' had to do with rivalry and anger spurred from the Sabers actions and behaviors against everyone else in the Grand Magic Games. It wasn't a great way to establish a relationship and familiarity, and it would likely have stayed as anger, resentment, and unease if not for the common link between all of them; Hora.
It was Hora's friendship with Natsu, Happy and Lucy that paved the way for her friendships with Wendy, Carla, Erza, and Mira- and through them what made it all the easier for the rest of Fairy Tail to warm up to SaberTooth as a whole.
It was Hora's friendship with Lyon, Sherria and the other's in Lamia Scale that cemented SaberTooth further into the other Guild's focus, and care, once she got hurt and needed help.
It was Hora's relationship with the Magic Council- and DoranBolt, Lahar, and Ira in particular- that made fighting the Dragons all the easier, because for once the Wizards actually had the Rune Knights on their side and at their backs.
It was even in many ways Hora's influence that gave SaberTooth some extra push to try and be better, and show who they truly were- people who were worth getting to know, and forming relationships and connections with. Because she was the standard they wanted to live by; someone who had already been being herself around everyone else and all the Guilds, even when it was dangerous for her to do so under Jiemma and Minerva's rule.
So this? Everyone together, everyone working to know each other, and getting to know one another and be comfortable?
It all started and revolved around just one person.....
Gray let out a heavy sigh, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he watched DoranBolt pop up next to Hora, the Rune Knight bonking the fiery-haired girl on the head lightly, looking agitated and a little scolding all at once- but just so. Mostly he looked tired, and neither the bonk on the head nor his voice had much bite behind it as he grumbled something along the lines of 'I told you not to go getting yourself killed, didn't I?' to her.
Gray swallowed, his eyes flashing.
... Hell, everyone being together and alive was owed to her too. Because he very well could not have been here and alive if not for her, that fact had been drilling further and further into his head every day since that night. And he could not stop the whole ordeal from running over and over on a repeat in his mind either.
It had been playing on a loop in his head the whole time, each iteration of it leaving him all the more sure his death had happened, and then gotten rewound. With each play through of the memory, he became a hundred times more uncertain and confused with it because of the way she'd been crying, and looked so genuinely scared, and sad. He didn't understand why she'd have gotten so worked about about him, and he definitely did not understand the part about him not dying again before she 'got the chance to' do... something.
A something he didn't know, and still after a week of brooding on it, still hadn't figured out. And with not getting it, that other something about her that had irked him from the very start was irking him a little worse, and now making him wary and reluctant to even be around her, or approach her.
He'd wanted to know what that thing was that she needed the 'chance to do', and he'd wanted to understand her better to get to the root of why she irked him, and why she'd been acting so weird... but with the days winding down and all those questions and memories hounding him, he was getting more uneasy about the whole thing in general, and now he wasn't all that sure he did want to know.
It was crazy, but the idea of actually asking about it made his stomach churn so much he felt queasy... and then he felt like he wanted to throw up when a ghost of that sensation that'd hit him when he'd been sitting with her in that tub came to the surface again and again, and all at the strangest times.
The feeling of her hand in his, heavy and warm from fever that stirred something deep down inside him that hadn't been touched in so long he didn't know what it was, or where it came from... But still some other part of him felt he should have known.
It was maddening, and nerve-wracking, and didn't at all help that growing sense of not wanting to know or find out, or even talk to her about any of it.
Gray let out a heavy, slightly agitated sigh, turning from leaning against his shoulder and instead leaning with his back pressed to the railing.
He had to ask about it though, there was no avoiding it forever... Because even if he didn't want to know, he needed to. And he had to thank her for what she did to save his life at the end there, regardless of anything else.
He had to talk to her
Gray cast a glance over his shoulder toward the commotion below one more time, where everyone was talking and calling things out, bunching in close together, looking happy and more at ease than anyone had been in a week, and even longer for some. His shoulders sank as a long, low sigh escaped him, his eyes dropping closed as he looked away again.
Eventually... he had to talk to her eventually, but right now?
Right now everybody just needed a break and chance to be happy after having been the complete opposite of that all week.
Right now everyone just needed to... have a day.
Gray sighed again, shaking his head slightly and push himself away from leaning into the railing. Juvia glanced up from where she was standing a few paces down from him, the bluenette's head tilting in question as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, and his shoulders seemed to sag in clear exhaustion.
"Gray-sama...?" She mumbled quickly, Gray pausing half a second at the sound of her voice and casting her a small glance from the side. Juvia wrung her hands together in front of her a bit apprehensively, blue eyes glittering as she gave him a worried and questioning look- naturally so, since he'd been basically drained and damn near anemic the last few days from all the blood transfusions and whatever else. He hid it well but he'd definitely been feeling weak and unsteady, especially when he got up too fast, and Juvia of course worried like none other.
"Are you alright?" Juvia asked softly, Gray nodded once, his expression softening for just half a second.
"Yeah I'm good, don't worry about it." He murmured, the Ice Mage taking a small step forward and tilting his head up the hallway in the opposite direction of where Juvia stood. "I'm gonna head out for a walk, I'll be back later." He told her, and Juvia stiffened.
"Juvia can come with you-" She started quickly but Gray shook his head,
"No, I'm good on my own." He murmured, turning slightly from her and starting away, waving a hand as he went.
"See you later, Juvia."
Juvia swallowed, her fingers twining together a bit more tightly as she watched Gray walk away all until she couldn't see him any longer. Once he was out of sight her eyes dropped, shoulders hunching a bit while her core churned worriedly.
Gray had been acting off since everything had happened... and Juvia understood it, she really did, after that terrible vision of him dying (which actually had happened before Time stepped backward), and all the rush and effort afterward trying to stop Over-Drive. A lot had happened, a lot of bad... but usually he bounced back faster than this.
Juvia's gaze trailed slowly toward the railing and the floor below, her attention landing on the fiery-haired figure of Horatia among the many.
It had something to do with her, Juvia was certain about that. About Hora and her weirdly tense behavior around Gray with no reason behind it. About her steadfastness in saving his life, about the pain she'd had in her face when he had died, and about all the trying to save Hora's life through blood and ice both... about whatever it was that irked Gray and Juvia both about the Saber, and had been irking them from the start.
Juvia grumbled, her eyes narrowing to slits as they locked with Hora, a small huff of air escaping her as her cheeks puffed up a bit in frustration, her eyes flashing in the shadow of the railing's overhang above her.
Love Rival
Hora stiffened, a shiver suddenly racing down her spine out of nowhere and putting a little hitch in what was otherwise a very at ease and buzzing atmosphere and mood from everyone around her. Her attention on Yukino and Lucy in front of her broke off for a moment as she glanced around the room quickly just out of sheer reaction, trying to pinpoint what the sudden spine-chilling sensation came from, but finding nothing. And it came and went in about a heartbeat, leaving her confused and a slight bit unnerved.
Ooookay
Any memory or recollection of the little hiccup in the mood got pretty quickly forgotten after that though. There was just too any people and too much going on, everyone getting in their fifteen minutes, hugs, tears, what have you. She felt a little exasperated after awhile with the crying in particular, but honestly it was so nice to see everybody smiling, and just genuinely relieved and with their moods lifting. And she had fun seeing everyone again too, and also felt relieved herself to get a good look at them all and see for herself that they had all come out fine in the end, and that she was the one who'd gotten the worst of the lot in all the craziness.
(Even though some part of her ached a little for a lack of a certain Ice Wizard from Fairy Tail... but that was fine, she wasn't sure what she'd even say or do if he popped up right now)
It took a bit, but the rushing from the start wound down after awhile and people got to a point of settling in and getting comfortable, while also giving Hora herself a little more space. They gave up on bunching in altogether and started spreading out, taking up residence at tables all around the room and digging in to the food that had been waiting patiently to be eaten while everyone got their greetings and whatnot out of the way. There wasn't enough room at the table Hora was at for everyone to sit at eat, even as big as it was, but there was some shuffling of chairs and pulling of the other tables in a bit closer and out of their preordained spaced before everyone really took their seats and settled down all the way.
Lyon didn't move from sitting on her right even as people began to shuffle around, and Natsu and Happy mostly stayed where they had been- though they moved a bit to let Lucy and Yukino find room to sit down with him, and Sting sat down on Yukino's opposite shoulder from Lucy, with Lector on the table in front of them while Frosch hopped out to go check on Rogue.
Erza, Kagura, Milliana, and Mira sat close together with Gajeel, PantherLily, and a bluenette Hora didn't recognize, while Wendy and Carla took up a comfortable place with Sherria and the other Lamia Wizards a bit further down, Rufus and Orga sliding in with that little group and looking content as can be. Ira and DoranBolt stuck a closer to Hora on account of the sort of rocky relationship the Council had with the Guilds, and Hora didn't mind.
Everyone else in Fairy Tail, SaberTooth, Blue Pegasus, Quatro, Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale combined spread out, sitting at all the other available spaces, the clink of silverware on plates mixing with pleasant conversation being struck up and held steady regardless of Guild or affiliation.
The clamor from before of people calling out toward her and crying dulled down, but only a bit. More so it shifted, the attention diverting from her and finding other places to settle, spurring up conversations and to start forming connections that would grow and last even once all of this was over with, and everyone headed home again.
Hora smiled faintly, her arms crossing on the table top and falling so easily into listening to them all, chatting here and there and genuinely enjoying herself- even with something so simple as just sitting down for a meal and talking- something so normal that she'd had so little opportunity to do as of late, and she'd not realized how much she really needed it.
This really was so nice... So perfect even.
She ended up losing track of time since she was so content where she was, and she did eventually manage to get through the rest of her soup and a few little things on top, her stomach settling the more time went by and she could really let herself sink into the calm and pleasantness of the mood and atmosphere... and it didn't really occur to her that a few hours had passed before someone's hands came down lightly on her shoulders and disrupted her attention on Sting and Natsu butting heads (playfully) over who would be winning an eventual rematch one day.
Hora jumped faintly, her head turning and tilting up toward the newcomer in surprise in question, her dark blue eyes matching on red as her face lit up in surprise and faint hints of relief.
"Rogue, you're up." Hora hummed brightly, before faltering not a second later and she seemed to grimace. "Ah shit, I was supposed to go check on you, I'm sorry-" She mumbled quickly, but Rogue shook his head a little, smiling faintly.
"Don't worry about it Hora." The Shadow Dragon Slayer told her softly, his hands shifting as one of them came up and landed lightly on the top of her head instead. "Frosch came to keep an eye on me in the meantime." He explained, said Exceed popping up from behind Rogue's shoulder and waving a paw her way with a grin.
"Fro!"
Hora nodded a little toward both Rogue and Frosch, "Oh, alright- then thank you Frosch." She murmured, and the Exceed nodded happily in return. Hora let out a breath at it and met Rogue's eyes again, her head tilting under his hand a bit and searching a moment. "Well anyway, how are you? Are you feeling any better?" She asked of him, and Rogue nodded once.
"Yes, much." He admitted softly, and she smiled a little for it, eyes flashing.
"I'm glad."
Ira on Hora's left shifted in his seat a bit, prodding DoranBolt as he got to his feet and ushered the man up after him. The young Rune Knight caught Hora's attention briefly for a moment then, earning her eyes off Rogue with a smile cast her way.
"We should probably be heading back, Hora." Ira told her quietly with a nod of his head toward DoranBolt, who just kinda huffed but nodded in affirmation anyway. "I'll tell Lahar you're doing better and that you said hi, alright?" He murmured, Hora nodded slowly, offering up a smile for him too.
"Alright, thank you."
"Yep."
The Rune Knights broke off and headed out, Hora catching Rogue's eyes again as they did and motioning toward the now empty seat beside her. He took it without a word, his hands coming off her shoulder and head as he settled in, Frosch hopping off the Dragon Slayer's shoulder and onto the table with ease. Hora waited patiently for Rogue to sit all the way down before tilting her head toward the food set out on the table ahead of him.
"You should probably try and eat something." She told him and he paused, nodding once in affirmation of the words, but pausing for a moment in actually starting in.
"Alright... but did you eat anything?" He asked quietly and Hora smiled a little at the concern that made it's way into his voice as he asked the question, nodding lightly.
"Yeah I got plenty, don't worry." She assured, and he hesitated half a second more, before slowly turning his attention on actually eating something as she'd asked.
His arrival earned calls and greetings from a few people- Sting and Yukino in particular- where the latter was more than quick to make a comment on Rogue's appearance and how he looked better now, with sleep and actually taking a bath, and everything else. Rogue seemed to bite his cheeks a little with it being pointed out, but he kept his cool and simply nodded to the comments, mumbling a 'yes I do feel better now' in return, and only that.
(Though Orga did call out something about being glad he didn't have to 'end up knocking Rogue out' after all, and Hora glanced between them both looking confused and a little concerned all at once... Not that anybody elaborated on it, and Rogue ignored the Lightning God Slayer and his comment entirely- so Hora had to kind of stay quiet and let it go.)
The conversations from before started up again, and with just as much ease as they had had starting in the first place. Hora kept mostly to herself, her attention divided between everyone talking and Rogue as he got through with his meal- and much faster than she herself had been with her own food, unsurprisingly. Once he was done Rogue got talking too, though only a bit and here and there, since he had always been the more quiet and reserved one between him, Sting, and Hora combined- even when they had been altogether and alone. But he did talk a bit, and he seemed to be enjoying himself too, which put Hora all the more at ease. It was great to see him lightening up and quit being all guilty and tense, even if it was just for a bit.
Hora's shoulders sank, her eyes dropping halfway too and she leaned into her elbows on the table just watching them all, keeping up with each little side conversation, but always constantly moving to the next... and the more she did, the more the actual content of the conversations started to blur, and their voices seemed to be kinda melding together into one big drone.
She jumped faintly after awhile, her head bobbing before she snapped herself back, taking in a deep breath and stifling a yawn forming in the back of her throat. She could feel the exhaustion lurking from earlier creeping up now, even when it'd refrained from taking over before and forcing her back to sleep after the bath- it was making it's move now, swallowing her up and quickly so on the back of that pleasant drone of their voices in her ears, and the sensation of a full stomach.
She probably ought to have called it quits and gone back to the room and the bed there... but hell, she really didn't wanna leave.
It's too nice here to leave, even if I am tired... Just being able to hear everybody talk, smell them... I don't want it to end just yet.
Hora blinked, her eyes shifting slowly toward Rogue on her left, pausing a moment as she watched him watching everyone else talking for a second or two- before shaking herself out slightly and adjusting.
She inched closer to Rogue on the bench beside her without a word, her arms uncrossing on the table's surface and reaching toward him silently, hooking one arm under and around his to hug it slightly to her, her other hand finding the same arm. Rogue stiffened faintly in surprise at the sudden contact and closeness, his head turning quickly her way and blinking several times in question- though Hora didn't pause. She just hugged his arm a little tighter, her head falling lightly against his shoulder, eyes already half closed, and her weight sinking a little further against him as she let out a low, deep breath.
Rogue hesitated half a second or two after that in surprise, before his mind seemed to catch up with him again and he relaxed. He adjusted slightly, positioning himself in a way that would make it easier for her to lean her weight against him all the way, and more comfortably too. He did it without saying a thing, and Hora said nothing to it either- she simply nuzzled closer into him, her dark blue eyes dropping fast, and Rogue's free arm reaching across the table in front of him to land gently atop her interlocked hands.
She was asleep within minutes, her breathing easing into something low and slow, Rogue watching her quietly for a long time afterward as his attention on everything but her faded to none. He figured she must still have been tired, but she was so quick to fade off he wondered if she'd actually gotten any sleep while he had...?
He didn't know, and he had very little time to wonder on it before he realized that the drone of all the voices in the room, and specifically the ones around where they were, had suddenly died out to near nothing. And with the sudden silence came the very distinct feeling of eyes on him- many eyes.
Rogue glanced up slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly to find that basically everyone at the table around them were now staring- all of them with smiles on their faces, both weary for seeing Hora had actually fallen asleep, and altogether amused at who she'd decided to nod off on, and the rather adorable position it actually was.
Sting and Lector in particular looked very entertained with it, both of them smirking as they caught Rogue's eyes- though Lector said nothing. Sting on the other hand leaned in a bit across the table, chuckling quietly under his breath with a certain glint in his eyes that was echoed in several others, like Lector, Happy, Orga, and even Erza and Gajeel too.
"Heh, look at you two." Sting chuckled lowly, his eyes flashing. "You finally stop pinning after her?" He asked quietly, and very bluntly at that, while also earning snickers from Happy and Lector both. Rogue stiffened against the question, his lips pulling into a thin line and face flushing slightly red all without him wanting it to, or meaning for it too. The Shadow Dragon Slayer grit his teeth slightly, looking away from Sting a bit haughtily and nervously all at once, growling a bit under his breath as a little flare of annoyance and embarrassment sparked in his core- because Sting was clearly teasing him, and Rogue did not at all care for it in that moment.
So Rogue huffed, his eyes shutting and pointedly not looking back at the blonde for even a second, while his voice dropped to something low enough only someone with Sting's hearing could hear what Rogue said next;
"Tch, I don't know- have you stopped pining after Yukino yet?"
Sting's jaw snapped shut so hard the clack of his teeth against each other was audible, and Rogue did not need to see the blonde's face to know it'd gone beet red. The retort also earned Natsu, Orga and Gajeel to burst out laughing, the three of them easily picking up on the words even as low as they were- and Sting whipped around on them all, flustered and red-faced still... while Yukino and everybody else looked between them, completely lost.
"S-Shut up...!" Sting snapped hotly, but the laughing just kept up, and Rogue huffed once more, and all to himself.
That's what I thought
Rogue shook his head once, tuning out the sudden commotion and cracking his eyes open again to glance down toward Hora still fast asleep even despite the noise, and increase of it. The faintly agitated look on his face softened as he did, the blush remaining as his eyes glimmered, and he smiled a little.
But yes, there was no more pining. Just... Her
Ahhhhhh so much good and happy stuff this chapter! Things are settling finally ;w;
I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to the one coming next monday! We are getting closer and closer to the end, and to the thing you've all been waiting for! XD
Anyhoo, thank you for reading!
See you next week~! <3
Chapter 39: Stay
Chapter Text
Chapter 39
Stay
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"Hora, we need to talk to you about something."
Hora stiffened a little at the words, her eyes flashing as she froze midway through tying the red ribbon from Ira around her wrist again.
The room was quiet, so the click of the door latch in the frame as Lector closed it was easy enough to hear- and a little ominous, since it came right after such a vague 'we need to talk' uttered by Sting, who also sounded a little tense and unsure on top of it.
Hora turned slowly, the ribbon coming loose on her wrist as she tugged it off again and put a pause on tying it. She blinked, dark blue eyes narrowing at the group of Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue ahead of her, all four of them hovering slightly not far from where she was over by the balcony doors in that room that had basically been claimed as her own with Over-Drive and everything.
It was just them now, though Wendy, Sherria and Porlyusica had been in a bit earlier to give her one last round of healing and whatnot- you know, after she'd ended up falling asleep in the dining hall yesterday and hadn't woken up again till very early this morning. They'd stopped by to put some more work into healing her wounds and things, and it was the last round of Healing Magic she was gonna get. Her wounds were basically closed up and on the mend/near to the end of it now after them working. Her sprained ankle from the day before was all good, the cuts on her hands too, and the slashes running across her arms and body from the Other Rogue's claws had been rendered little but faint scars now that might (and hopefully would) fade all the way given time. Even the slash running across her ribs from Callan's tail had closed up- though that had left a scar about as big and noticeable as the one running the length of her right arm, and was unlikely to fade at all, not that Hora minded. All in all though?
The bandages that had been holding her body together were all gone now, and she had no more open wounds to speak of... Which was awesome, and made moving much easier- but she was definitely not 100% healed and all okay, even with all that.
There were still some internal things that'd persisted, though they didn't bother her too much if she was careful, and Over-Drive was definitely still hanging over her head. Even with all the Healing Magic in the world, Over-Drive was a stubborn bastard and would not be leaving her be for a long, long time now. She'd likely still be risking coughing her lungs out at every little emotional upset long after this. And given Over-Drive hadn't even managed to fade all the way from when Jiemma beat the shit out of her to three months following, she was in for a very, very long span of much more than three months before Over-Drive went all the way away. Which sucked, but hey- she wasn't all cut to shreds anymore, and she could at least walk around without getting too dizzy (for the most part).
I survived a million things I shouldn't have been able to survive, so I'm not complaining.
However when she turned just now, and saw how every single one of the Exceeds and Dragon Slayers both were fidgeting and uneasy- any amount of not wanting to complain, and kinda feeling like she'd finally managed to get herself a better track got a little deflated.
Hora swallowed, her own posture instantly mirroring their own, albeit a tiny bit less fidgety and a little more confused.
"Talk about what...?" She asked slowly, the four of them exchanging quick and uncertain looks between them as they hesitated half a second or two more, and Hora felt her stomach begin to churn.
This is... Really weird...?
What the hell could we have to talk about that I haven't already hashed out with them? Did I forget something...?
And why do they look worse freakin' nervous...? It's making me nervous-
"We... we need to talk about you, and Gray." Sting mumbled quietly, his shoulders hunching a little and looking increasingly unsure of himself- Hora felt her heart skip a beat.
"About... About you and your brother." Rogue elaborated a little more, Hora froze.
Her heart did more than skip a beat, it felt like it stopped- and her breathing certainly did the same. She went rigid, eyes going wide as an icy chill of shock and panic raced through every inch of her veins, her hold on the ribbon in her hand failing and sending the crimson red fabric fluttering down to hit the floor. She could hear her blood roaring in her ears, a ghostly echo of their voices mixed in with it, repeating over and over those three words;
Gray
Your brother
The color drained from her fast way, way too quickly, her hands trembling just faintly in front of her while her expression twisted- afraid, uneasy and reeling all at once.
They couldn't have known that- they can't know that...!
She shivered, swallowing hard and taking a shaky step backward, her legs quickly starting to tremble just as much as her hands were, while her mind just kept racing.
H-How... How the hell do they...?!
Rogue took a tiny step toward her across the room, red eyes flashing slightly and looking instantly concerned as he reached a hand uncertainly out toward her. But Hora reflexively backed up another pace when he approached, causing him to stall, the dark-haired man grimacing and looking even a tiny bit hurt for it, but only just.
Mostly he was worried with how quickly she seemed to start freaking out. The trembling in her body and the pale face aside, she wasn't breathing at all. And any amount of her emotions running wild or being panicked was bound to make Over-Dive act up- which they'd been afraid of when even considering bringing this up, but they had to. They had to talk about this, because the implications that came with it was not something they could just ignore.
"... Hora..." Rogue mumbled softly and she seemed to jump a little at the sound of her own name(?), the Fire Devil Slayer sucking in a sharp breath of air that caught a little in her throat, and made her cringe. She bent over half an inch, eyes snapping shut tightly and her arms pulling into her center as she cut the breath off short, going rigid against the sudden fiery flare in her chest and not daring to move an inch. Everyone else jumped, instantly on high alert and bristling slightly, the four of them collectively starting forward out of sheer instinct- only to draw up again not a second later, Hora hissing under her breath and raising a hand out toward them in a signal to stop.
They obliged the silent order, though every part of their beings told them not to. But even still they stayed where they were, fidgeting a little more than they had been before and watching her like hawks.
Hora could tell they were, but it meant more that they had stopped as she asked. She needed to be able to get over freaking out on her own, she needed to quit, and just... Just stop.
Get a hold of yourself dumbass... You can't freak out and let Over-Drive wreck your lungs every time this is brought up... Shit, how are you gonna be able to handle this conversation with Gray if you can't have it with them?
Tch... Damn it damn it damn it damn i-
'-Give it a moment Horatia, you'll be alright.' Lixue told her coolly, interrupting the string of curses with absolute ease and bringing them to a halt. 'This is a difficult subject surely, but I am confident you can handle it... Just take it slow, and at your own pace.' He hummed, and Hora paused, her eyes cracking open to stare at the floor and gritting her teeth, hard.
'... And please do try to breathe if you can.' Lixue added quietly, Hora grumbled internally.
She shut her eyes again, sinking slowly down into crouching on the balls of her feet, her elbows meeting her knees while she pressed her forehead into the back of her hands. Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch grimaced slightly when she sank further toward the floor, but they didn't move from their spaces even still, because she did seem steady enough in the position. Plus she did manage to take in another breath of air that was significantly less shaky and strained than that first one, and that came without her cringing at all- though it did still hurt a bit in her chest, it was manageable.
... alright... just stop... calm down... take it slow...
She forced herself another few slow breaths in and out, the burning sensation in her core fading with each one while she fought to settle her nerves, heart rate, mind... everything.
... ugh... I wish I was as confident as you were about me 'handling this', Lixue... I still feel like I'm gonna end up sputtering...
... and I have no idea how to even talk about this... I wasn't ready to talk about this, and definitely not with them... shit...
Hora swallowed, her head tilting up slightly from leaning into the back of her hands- her hands that were still shaking slightly in front of her nose, and she grit her teeth.
First thing's first-
She looked up passed her hands just enough her eyes could find the four standing stiff in their spaces ahead of her, all of them looking tense and worried, and she felt her stomach curl.
"... How the hell do you know about that...?" Hora asked, her voice scarcely above a whisper and shaking slightly despite her attempts not to let it. They stiffened against the question, Rogue and Sting in particular as both Dragon Slayers exchanged nervous glances with one another, and audibly swallowed.
"We... We heard you and Lyon talking back at the square..." Sting replied quietly, Hora frowned, her eyes flashing.
"... You eavesdropped on us?" She grumbled lowly and they flinched a little at the affirmation, their heads bowing slightly in guilt.
"Y-Yes... well..." Rogue mumbled, before they both dipped their heads a bit lower in something of a bow, shoulders stiff. "... We're sorry, we didn't mean to, we were just worried when you went of with him all of a sudden."
"Yeah... and then when we heard him ask you about your name we just... shit, we didn't mean to listen in..." Sting mumbled, Lector and Frosch's ears falling against their heads as they shot their Partner's uneasy looks.
Hora's eyes narrowed at the answers in clear agitation, before her gaze dropped back down to the floor in front of her, a bead of sweat falling down her jaw and shoulders hunching a little.
Damn it
There was a bit of a heavy pause after that, Hora halfway glaring at the floor while everyone else shifted uncomfortably in the silence... well, until they couldn't handle the prickling quiet any longer, and decided to break it themselves.
"Look Hora, you can be mad at us for listening in, that was our bad. And we know that... that that wasn't the way you would have wanted us to find out, i-if you were planning to tell us at all- which would have been totally up to you...!" Sting told her, Rogue nodding stiffly beside him.
"Yes, it was yours to tell and we didn't mean to get in the way or anything. Truly." The Shadow Dragon Slayer murmured, his eyes lingering on Hora for a moment, and she didn't look up, so his eyes dropped slowly and his shoulders sank. "But... the fact of the matter is we do know." Rogue murmured, Hora's shoulders hunching a tad more for it, her eyes narrowing to slits while her teeth grit harder.
Yeah, where I wasn't ready to-
"But even so, we don't want to force you into talking about it or telling us any of the details." Rogue kept on, the words putting a stop in her thoughts and earning her eyes widening a little. "We're not asking for that, you don't have to explain any of it to us, or talk about it at all if you don't want to. We didn't bring it up with the intention of forcing anything out of you." He murmured softly, Hora blinked.
Wait, what...?
"Yeah, the only reason we're bringing it up at all is cause we just... We wanted to make it clear that you don't owe us anything." Sting told her, his voice steadying a bit near the end there, and Hora stiffened a little more in surprise, again.
W-What..? What the hell does that mean-?
"We know everything's been really crazy lately, for you especially, and that all that's happened has been a lot... a-and that you're still trying to deal with it all, and figure things out. We get it, it's hard and we... We want you to do what's best for you now, okay...?" Sting mumbled, the steadiness of his voice wavering a little this time around.
"You've spent so long looking after all of us, even when it meant putting yourself last." Rogue murmured softly, his hands wringing together in front of him a little. "We know how far you're willing to go for all of us, helping keep us safe, and happy, and... We can't ever repay you for all you've done, and sacrificed for us, Hora... You have been the most loyal friend we could ever hope for, and we never asked for anything you did, you just did it... So... So..." Rogue trailed off, his hands tightening around each other while his shoulders hunched all the more- a reaction and posture echoed in everybody else.
"... So... If you needed to leave the Guild, or wanted to... In order to be with Gray again... W-We would understand..." Rogue murmured, his voice growing shaky and damn near husky without him meaning for it to, but his throat tightened on the words and he could hardly get them out. It was a miracle he even managed it, Sting didn't think he could have, and the Exceeds surely not- though those last three did manage to nod solemnly in agreement to the statement, even though it looked like it pained them more than words could describe to do so... and it did.
None of them had any want for her to leave, the idea of her doing so came with the sensation of being stabbed by a hundred swords all at once. But even so they had to say it, make it clear that it was okay for her to do it, and that she wasn't locked in the Guild or to them out of obligation or anything like that. Because she had always done everything for them, she kept herself as a prisoner to Jiemma for years just to keep them safe and keep an eye on them. She kept how scared and trapped she felt to herself and focused on always making sure they were okay and happy. She put herself in danger over and over again on their behalf, and she never hesitated in any of it.
A million things she had done for them and their well-beings, and a million things she had hidden and carried all alone, and sacrificed- and she did it all without ever having to be asked. She did it because she was a good person- the best, really- and she had given them so much... So they had to give her this, they had to let her go, even if losing her would break them in so many ways.
For a few heartbeats nobody moved. The Dragon Slayers and Exceeds bother stayed still in their spots, eyes on the floor and stuck there, hunched shoulders and eyes glittering like mad as they held their breaths against that feeling of getting stabbed in their souls... And held their breaths for what felt like years- until the movement of Hora in the fringes of their vision brought their eyes off the floor again.
Hora said nothing, she stayed utterly quiet, her head tilted down far enough her hair cast a shadow over her face and kept it from all view as her hand moved slowly forward to pick the ribbon she'd dropped. Then she started to push herself up into standing, stiffly so and with her face still tilted down all the way, hands down at her sides and... Clenching tightly around themselves, and the ribbon she had picked up. And when she lift her head to match gazes with them?
All four stiffened, eyes widening and their hearts skipping a beat to see Hora's expression twisted, her lips a tight line and furrowed brows over dark blue eyes that were both flinty, and tear-filled at the corners.
She... She looked angry-?
"Tch... You idiots...!" Hora snapped, breaking the silence rather abruptly and causing them to jump. She hissed, shaking her head furiously and sending those specks of tears in the corner of her eyes out into the air, glittering as they fell, and she clenched her fists harder at her sides. "I'm not leaving! I can't even believe you ever think I would!" She snapped hotly, her voice turning a slight bit hoarse as she said it, her shoulders hunching a bit too. "Regardless of all the shit that's gone on or anything else, none of that matters! This Guild is my home, you're all my family, I wouldn't ever just leave and abandon you like that...!" She hissed, and they all blinked, grimacing faintly.
"But... He's your family too, Atia..." Lector mumbled uncertainly, Hora stiffened.
"I know that." She mumbled tensely, her voice dropping suddenly out of the agitated tone it had been in, her head dropping a little too as she stared at the floor under her feet. "I know... but... even still... I wouldn't ever leave you, ever." She hissed, her voice quavering a little while they stared, their hearts skipping a few beats and fixed as they saw a few glittering drops of moisture speckle the hardwood, but only a few.
Hora sniffed, the hand clenched tightly about the ribbon she was holding coming up and rubbing at her eyes, the Fire Devil Slayer shaking her head slightly as she did and letting out a heavy breath.
"Damn it... look, there's a lot of shit I have to figure out with all of this, and with... with him... and... things are gonna be different, once I get around to telling him, and everybody else... but... but I was already planning to come clean about everything eventually anyway." Hora mumbled, the back of her hand moving up to push her bangs from her face, eyes falling closed again. "... I wasn't anticipating you guys already knowing... I've still been trying to come up with how to even start talking about this at all, and I have no idea what I'm going to say to... to Gray... but no matter what happens, or however he takes it, or I end up talking about it... nothing is going to change enough that I would ever even consider leaving the Guild. Never."
Her hand fell slowly from her face, her eyes lifting up again and meeting them, glimmering and a little glassy still, but suddenly much more steady and sure... though there was some sense of somberness hidden there too, just faintly.
"He is my family, but so is SaberTooth. You are all my family, and I can't leave one family for another. I wouldn't." She told them firmly, a small breath escaping her while her eyes flashed, and her shoulders seemed to sink ever so slightly. "I still have to figure things out, and to figure out how to explain everything... But I am not going anywhere. Not a chance." She murmured levelly, and they nearly swelled, their hearts aching and soaring all at once.
Words could not describe how much it meant to them for her to say that, and actually mean it like she did. They could tell she meant it, it was all genuine and she didn't waver at all when she said it.
I wouldn't leave you, ever.
They felt they shouldn't have been as overjoyed as they were to hear it, not when it meant she might potentially be missing something when it came to her blood and flesh family she had just now gotten back. Not when she promised to stay and did mean it, even when realistically she might not have much a choice but to go, or separate herself from the Guild in some amount in order to make room for Gray in her life again.
They shouldn't have been happy and relieved to hear her promise to stay, not when it felt like she was sacrificing something else for them in doing so... but they were happy, and they couldn't help it. Not even when that sense of joy and relief got paired with little inklings of guilt, and anxiety for what might come with all her 'figuring things out'. All they could really do was accept what she said, and had decided... and then accept whatever she would decide as time came and went. That, and hope that it would all be okay eventually.
If there was anybody who ever deserved things to be okay and to work out just right, it was her.
Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue all swallowed, hard. Their eyes gleamed as they stayed stuck in their spots for a few seconds, silence falling in the room again, and their hearts ached for the thought.
Please, let everything be okay, and work out... for her.
Rogue was the first one to break the silence and stillness, the Shadow Dragon Slayer shifting slightly on his feet and taking a tentative step toward Hora, his red eyes stuck on her and watching for any sort of reaction on her part, or attempt to back off. But she didn't flinch away or motion for him to halt again, she just stayed exactly where she was even as he got closer, and he took that as all the answer he needed to close the distance between each other completely- and quickly at that.
He caught Hora up in a gentle hug, pulling her forward against him and pinning her in place before she realized that was what he'd been intending to do from the start. She didn't fight it though, she relaxed slightly into the embrace soon after it started, a small sigh escaping her that was a slight bit resigned, but only just... and then she felt a little more resigned and exasperated when Sting, Lector and Frosch took Rogue's cue to hug her as leave to do so themselves.
You know, all at once.
They darted across the room and ran into her and Rogue both, a mess of limbs and bodies all pressing into one big bundle around her. Unlike several of the times before it, this dog-pile with hugging her all at once didn't come with any tears or anything (thankfully), but their holds on her were just as tight and almost as desperate, and she swore she felt their hands tremble here and there just a bit.
This wasn't how she'd intended them to find out about her and Gray, and now definitely wasn't the moment she'd anticipated it coming up, like at all.
As she'd said, she still hadn't any clue how she was gonna even start talking about this, or explaining anything- so being tossed into the thick of it with them already knowing and bringing it up was staggering, to say the least. She was also a little miffed still about them listening in on her and Lyon still, which made her being tossed into having to talk about it now a little more agitating too, along with it being staggering. This just all around wasn't how she expected things to go, and she didn't really like that she hadn't gotten the chance to decide when this conversation was gonna happen with them... and it was happening now, even if they'd already told her they didn't bring it up to get to any details or anything.
Hora let out a silent breath, her eyes dropping closed from having been open halfway and taking in a long, deep breath. The familiar scents of all four of them washed over her senses, instinctively making her relax a tad more- even despite the agitation, and all else.
They let go slowly, their hold on her loosening once they seemed to have gotten their fill of the embrace and settled themselves enough to release her. They didn't put much distance between them even as they did however, the four of them only backing off a pace or two to stand in front of her again, a little uneasy and uncertain as they caught her eyes- clearly not sure what to say now, what to do, or even really where the conversation or whatever was supposed to steer. They didn't want to ask anything, they'd already set themselves up not to, but that was when they'd been anticipating their understanding of her possibly having to leave the Guild turning into a conversation about her actually leaving... Which she wasn't gonna do, as she said, so now they were kinda lost on where to go from here.
Hora let out a heavy sigh at the uncertain looks from all four of them, her arms crossing over her chest and cocking a hip.
"... Just ask." She mumbled lowly and they blinked, looking startled.
"A-Ask...?" They all mumbled in unison and she nodded, stiffly.
"Yeah. You already opened this can of worms, and I know you have questions... So just ask." She mumbled, her shoulders sinking slightly as she took a small step back and to the side, her eyes dropping closed with another heavy sigh. "... I guess you guys can be something like a 'test run' on trying to figure out how I'm gonna talk about it with everyone else... " She added softly, while the rest of them hesitated even further, exchanging very uneasy glances with each other.
"Hora we... Uh..." Sting started, before breaking off pretty quickly and swallowing, hard. "Are you sure...?" He mumbled, blue eyes glimmering and insure still- she was too, but she nodded anyway, and just once.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
They seemed to falter for a heartbeat or two more even despite the assurance, before Lector seemed to buck up enough, a paw raising slightly like someone raising a hand in class, his tail tip twitching behind him.
"Well Atia, we think we understand the gist of it all, with everything you told us about your Village, and Deliora." The tomcat started slowly, his ears dropping a little when Hora stiffened faintly for the mention of it, though she didn't react any further than that. "We get why you never said anything about it before now, or anything about having a Brother too, but... Well we're kinda wondering how it is that Lyon figured out who you were, but Gray didn't...?" He mumbled, Hora paused.
"Yeah, I mean we totally see it." Sting chipped in quietly, "I get that he can't tell how similar your scents are because he doesn't have our noses, but how can he not notice anything else?" He mumbled, his arms crossing over his chest and head cocking slightly. "You guys have basically the same facial structure, and your eyes are exactly the same. Since we heard about it we can't really unsee the resemblance, ya know...?"
Hora's lips pulled into a tight line got the comments, her eyes opening only slightly to cast a slightly agitated look to the side, while a small breath more like a huff escaped her.
"... There's really no reason he should recognize me at all, or even could, regardless of all that." She mumbled, the words earning blinks of surprise from everyone else. Hora grumbled a bit under her breath, shaking her head once or twice as her eyes slowly trailed up and toward the roof overhead, her head tilting back a bit wearily.
"I'm not the person he knew, or remembers, I've changed in a lot of ways... I'm a lot older than the last time he saw me, I changed my name from what he knew it as, and I never talked about my Village or Deliora or any of that until just recently, and I never really planned to." She murmured slowly, "What little he does know of me now isn't enough to make that connection, even with me looking different and being older... Hell, it isn't even just that I look a little different- I look a lot different." She sighed, her eyes dropping closed and her shoulders sinking slightly in defeat and exasperation all bundled into one.
"... And the biggest part of looking different, outside of being older, is my hair..." She added in quietly, almost like an afterthought or a comment said all to herself- but everybody else of course heard it, and their heads all tilted in question.
"... Your hair...?" Was the collective mumble from all four, Hora blinked, her eyes leaving the roof and glancing their way slowly. They all had very confused faces now, and she sighed.
"Yeah, my hair." She mumbled, shifting slightly on her feet to face them a little more directly again, her arms unhooking from over her chest a bit to point slightly at her hair. "This isn't my natural hair color, not even close." She told them, and their eyes went wide.
"W-Wha...?"
"Seriously..?!"
"N-No way..!"
Hora sighed again, her shoulders sinking while her hand wilted a bit in air for the incredulous comments and faces both.
"Yes way." She replied evenly, but they still looked unconvinced.
"B-But we've never seen you dye it or anything..! Or seen it fade out either...!" Lector argued a bit, Frosch nodding firmly in agreement.
"Fro thinks so too!" Hora let out a slightly aggravated groan,
"Well yeah, it's not this way because I dye it or anything like that. When I got the Devil Slaying Magic from Arden it turned my hair this color, I didn't have a choice. It happened automatically, and I couldn't change it afterward." She mumbled, shaking her head a bit in exasperation. "And I did try to change it back- but none of those Magic Items meant to change your hair and clothes colors ever did anything. I even tried to dye it back to the way it was, but my Magic just burned the dye off after and hour and stripped it... it actually got all flakey and fell out, it was kinda gross." She mumbled, and with each word everyone else looked even more shocked.
Because what..?!
"W-Wait, if your hair looks like that because of your Magic, what did it look like before...?!" Sting and Lector pressed quickly (and perhaps a bit too fervently than was appropriate). Hora blinked at the question, her face falling a bit.
"Same color as Gray's." She replied evenly, and they faltered, which made her a touch more exasperated. "What's with the faces? We're siblings, why wouldn't our hair be similar?" She mumbled, but they shook their heads a bit (and quickly so in Sting and Lector's cases).
"B-But... We can't even imagine that...!" Sting and Lector nearly snapped, the pair of them looking a touch unnerved now, which made Hora's eye twitch a bit irritably. Rogue could clearly tell she was getting a little agitated and stepped up a bit, earning her eyes and doing his best to stay as calm and levelheaded as one could with the news, albeit if it was a little shocking. Naturally, as they'd known Hora for over a decade now and it had never once occurred to them her hair wasn't that way just normally by any means.
"But Hora, surely even with your name being different, and your hair too- they can't really be enough to keep Gray from recognizing who you are...?" He murmured, trying to act as a voice of reason... but upon seeing the way her face fell further at the question he stiffened, looking instantly unsure.
"... Uh... Right...?" Rogue mumbled uneasily, Hora looked away.
"... It makes a huge difference..." Hora sighed, before she suddenly backed up a pace and took a seat on the edge of the bed, her hands linking together in her lap. Everyone else paused as she did, looking unsure of why she sat down so suddenly- but Hora didn't give them much time to wonder at all, or even a chance to ask;
"If I concentrate hard enough I can get the Fire Devil Magic to recede to a point where my hair will go back the way it was." Hora told them levelly, "I can't keep it that way forever, because the second I lose concentration it goes right back to being this... But I can give it a go and let you see, if you want." She murmured, the four of then hesitating a second as the words did their best to settle in their minds... Before they nodded slowly.
Hora nodded once back, her eyes falling from them and into her hands for a moment, before she closed them all the way. She took in a deep breath, forcing her attention on them, and basically everything else in the waking world to fade to nothing, and instead let her hone in on some faint and rumbling roar of fire deep, deep down in her very core... Somewhere where that fire that raged whenever she used her Magic or got angry always stayed, though only as a low drone when she was calm, or happy. Down where the heart of the Devil Slayer Magic rested, always a tiny flame oh so ready to turn into a raging inferno- tracks of simmering heat snaking tendrils through the rest of her body, and being a trigger and spark for that flame to fight its way out of her body, out into the air, and paint those only black Markings across her flesh.
She'd not tried to focus in on the center of the Magic itself for so long, so doing so now felt almost foreign... But she got to the core faster than she expected, which was both shocking and a little uneasy feeling.
Maybe it was faster to find it because Over-Drive has my Magic on a constant standby...?
I guess it could go the other way around though. Maybe it was just easier to get all the way there because of all the Anti-Magic Poison made my Magic weaker, and less able to resist me honing in on it...?
She wasn't sure which way it was, or if either- but it didn't really matter in the long run anyway. She got there and that was what she needed.
Well, that and actually taking a hold of that small little simmer of a flame and pulling back at those tendrils it had stretched through her body- to pull back at them just enough to get rid of it's affect on her outward appearance for a moment or two.
Tugging at those tracks however was... Uncomfortable.
Hora stiffened faintly without meaning to, her hands in her lap folding together a bit more tightly.
It wasn't really painful, it just wasn't really fun. Even starting at reigning them in made her center kinda prickle and itch, and that sensation got a little more maddening, and a touch bit more like burning, as she reigned it in even further. Not burning burning, but an uncomfortable bit of warmth even she was not used to or really okay with- and most of it centered in her shoulders and arms. She wanted to shake herself out and try to shake the feeling off, but she refrained, and just focused on keeping a good hold on the Magic.
Rogue, Lector, Sting and Frosch didn't move an inch, nor even as one minute passed into two, and Hora seemed to have frozen in her place. They kept their eyes on her and stayed absolutely quiet- they of course couldn't really tell what she was doing, but they weren't going to interrupt or distract her. She said she needed full concentration right?
Two minutes turned to three, and their stint of staying absolutely still ended with them bristling, their eyes going wide as a sudden dim flash of light across Hora's hair came to life... And it shifted.
The bright fiery orange and red they had always known was receding, moving backward toward her roots in a steady pace, leaving behind that color they had grown used to being there only on the very ends of her hair- not the whole thing. But it did end up as her whole head, every inch and strand of hair quickly becoming overtaken in a deep shade of raven that was an exact match for Gray's own hair, but a color that... that looked so odd on her.
Like really REALLY odd... Almost insanely so, like she was- EH?!
The Dragon Slayers and Exceeds both bristled, their eyes going about as wide as the moon and sweating up storms, their jaws dropping and stuttering wordlessly in their shock.
H-Holy shit she almost looked like a totally different person...?!
"N-NO WAY, IT CAN'T MAKE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE...! IT... IT SHOULDN'T RIGHT..!?" Lector found his voice first, the words loud and very incredulous- while Sting was hot on his tail and shaking his head fiercely, but looking just about as incredulous as his Exceed Partner's.
"IT SHOULDN'T BUT IT TOTALLY DOES...!" The blonde said much, much too loudly- they both did, and Hora jumped at the intensity of their voices, her eyes snapping open and another flash of the overhead lights bouncing off her hair, the orange streaking back through the black like a waft of flame in the night sky.
Hora grit her teeth a bit at the loudness of their voices and the sort of abrupt way in which they snapped her from her own head- and rather shattered what amount of concentration she'd been trying her best to have and keep. With her concentration broken that heat in her shoulders and arms surged a moment along with the flame in her core she'd been trying to dampen, which was less uncomfortable and a bit more jolting than she liked.
She hissed a bit under her breath for it, as well as at the very disturbed and disbelieving looks she got from all four, and just the whole thing in general.
"I told you." She grumbled lowly to the lot of them, their voices having by now sputtered into nothing but stammered bursts of air and non-words. They were staring, still all wound up and kind of trembling too in their disbelief with the whole thing, while the image of Hora- but not the Hora they knew- stayed burned into their mind's eye even as they stared at her in front of them, and she looked like she always had.
"B-But... we didn't expect that it could... ah..." Rogue stumbled for a proper sort of response, and failed, which made Hora sigh a bit, her eyes dropping closed. She leaned back onto her hands on the bed,
"I know, but I did warn you guys." She mumbled softly, her eyes cracking open halfway and shaking her head a bit. "I get it's kinda weird, and a little bit of a shock... all of this is, and I know you're not asking for me to explain anything right now- but I will have to eventually, regardless of that." She mumbled, her eyes raising a little to meet them again, flashing slightly. "But for right now I have to figure out what I'm gonna say to him, about all of this, before I even think about explaining it to all of you, so... Can you guys keep all of this to yourselves a little longer...?" She asked softly, almost uncertainly so, and they all paused, blinking in tandem with one another and the request putting an abrupt halt in their freaking out, shock, or whatever.
They were quiet and paused for only about three seconds, before they seemed to shake themselves out and settle a bit too. They nodded solemnly, all eyes steady on her and expressions nothing but calm and cool now, and their voices were so much the same.
"You got it." Sting hummed, giving her a nod while Lector gave her a thumbs up in agreement to it.
"You have our word, we will say nothing." Rogue promised, Frosch humming a bit along with it.
"Fro!"
Hora blinked slowly at the responses, her shoulders sinking faintly and eyes gleaming at how readily they promised to not say anything. There was no hesitation there, and they meant it too, she could see it all too easily.
All of this had been insane, and she had messed up so many times over and over again, keeping secrets and not telling them the things they deserved and needed to know... but she asked them to stay quiet about this secret that uprooted so much of her life, and they didn't even think about it.
Hell, they'd already been willing to let her go and leave the Guild if she needed to, for the brother and Family she had lost and found- something that must have killed them to even consider doing, but they still did it. Because they knew this meant so much to her, and that was all the mattered- regardless of secrets, her leaving, or whatever else.
Hora smiled faintly, nodding back toward them a little, while her heart ached and warmed all at once.
"Thank you." She whispered, her voice dropping suddenly and without her meaning it to. They nodded again to the thanks, their expressions softening for how much her voice had dropped with it, though they said nothing about it.
Lector and Frosch moved then, placing themselves on the bed on either aide and paws landing on Hora's knees as they peered up at her, heads cocked.
"We do have one more question about this." Lector hummed, Frosch nodding.
"Yeah, we were wondering what you wanted us to call you?" Frosch asked, Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly in question.
"Call me...?"
"Yeah, do you still want us to call you Hora, or would you rather we use your real name now?" Lector hummed, before pausing a bit. "Well, use your real name after you square everything away with your Bro anyway." He added quickly, but Hora faltered a little, her face falling in surprise.
They... Want to know if they should call me Hora or...?
Rogue shifted on his feet after a heartbeat, earning her eyes off Lector instantly while the Shadow Dragon Slayer forced himself a little breath and red eyes glinting.
"We understand why you would have wished to change your name, and why you kept it and everything else to yourself for so long... But now that we know, and everything is coming out- if you wanted to go back to using your real name, we'd understand that too. And we'll do our best to refer to you that way from now on if you wish." Rogue told her softly,
"Yeah, though you might need to give us a bit to get used to it." Sting added softly, one hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck a bit wearily. "We might slip up a few times in the beginning, since we're so used to calling you Hora, but we'll try our best." He murmured, the Exceeds letting out little mews of agreement.
Hora paused, her expression softening slightly as she shook her head slowly.
"No." She replied quietly, the answer earning blinks of surprise from all four of them. "You guys have always known me as Horatia, that's who I've been for over half of my life, I don't want you calling me something else... Not when that name belongs to someone who hasn't really existed in a long time." She mumbled quietly, "I'm Hora to you, I always have been, and nothing about what's gone on or you've learned is ever gonna change that. Horatia is the person I have been every step of the way with all of you, so please don't call me anything else, alright?" She murmured, dark blue eyes moving between every single one of them and steady as can be- while all at the same time she seemed to be searching, and maybe almost hoping they really understood what she meant, and why.
And why wouldn't she be sure they understood it? It probably didn't make much sense for her not to want to go back to the name she'd had originally- most people would, wouldn't they? It was your name, the one you had since you came to be in this earth, the one you were given by those who had brought you into the world and made you.
But for her it was a name that belonged to two people who were no longer there, and in a place that had been wiped from all existence by Deliora. Hell, it was a name that all those who had known her by it were dead and gone (or at least all of them had been dead and gone before she realized Gray was still alive). So it did make sense to them why she would have changed it in the first place, and even why she didn't want to go back. They did get it, truly, but they'd still wanted to give her the choice and chance to use that name again... Just like they'd wanted to give her the choice to leave and be with her long lost Brother if she truly wanted to.
The four of them nodded a little, faces as steady as can be while Hora blinked, dark blue eyes gleaming slightly at the silent reply that somehow said much more than it did. She let out a small (slightly relieved) breath of air, her eyes falling from Sting and Rogue to the Exceeds in her lap, smiling faintly as she patted both their heads gently.
"Thank you for asking though. I appreciate it." She told them, and the Exceeds purred a little under her hands as she rubbed between their ears, grinning.
"Yep!" Lector replied brightly,
"Of course Atia!" Frosch mewed,
"You got it." Sting smirked, the blonde piping in with a little thumbs up cast her way, while Rogue just gave her a smile and said nothing. Hora's eyes flitted up toward both boys once Sting said something, her eyes rolling slightly at the thumbs up and chuckling softly under her breath for it... But hey, the mood lightened, and that was definitely what Sting had been going for with the kind of out of place gesture.
"So, I heard something earlier about some party the King's going to be throwing tomorrow?" Hora hummed, changing the subject with absolute ease, and earning quick nods from the Exceeds.
"Yeah! Since everybody's all okay now and you're doing lots better, the King wants to thank all the Wizard Guilds for their help against the Dragons." Lector told her, "Everybody's invited, and he promised there will be lots of food!"
"And it's gonna be in the castle! Like a Ball!" Frosch chirped, Hora blinked.
"A Ball?" She echoed while small hints of nervousness crept her face. "Sounds like something you'd have to dress up for..." She mumbled, the Exceeds nodded eagerly.
"Yep! Invitation said formal attire!" They replied in union, Hora wilted a little.
"Ah... Right..." She mumbled,
... Though that's gonna be an issue- I am totally out of clothes. I'm living on borrowing Yukino's right now, and there's no way she's miraculously got a dress to fit me... Clothes are easy enough to get by on, but a dress?
We are totally different body shapes... Oi
"Do you wanna go Hora?" Lector asked, earning her attention away from her thoughts and a blink of surprise from her for the question- cause why wouldn't she? (Other than a lack of an outfit of course)
Lector noticed the look of confusion and smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck a little awkwardly a moment while his eyes danced away. "Well I mean... are you gonna be okay to go?" He rephrased a bit, "I know you're doing a lot better and all, but you're still not at 100%. A party might be a lot... and there's gonna be a lot of people there too." He mumbled, Hora's shoulders sinking slightly at the words, and small sigh escaping her.
"I'll be fine. I'm not gonna go crazy or anything, but showing up for a bit and eating some food isn't gonna kill me." She answered levelly, before shaking her head a little. "Plus I don't want any of you missing out on the party because you're worried about me... 'Cause I know you would definitely skip it if I couldn't go." She pointed out softly, the words earning slightly nervous looks from everyone else- because she was right about that. They had been completely prepared to not go in order to keep her company, and not make her feel left out.
"Are you sure?" Sting asked after a moment, and Hora nodded, smiling slightly.
"Yeah I'm sure." She hummed, before pausing, a bead of sweat falling down her cheek in exasperation. "I will need to find a store or something in the city for something to wear though..."
"Oh yeah, you're totally out of clothes huh?" Lector purred,
"... Yeah..."
"Well... we need something to wear too." Sting pointed out, though he looked a little less than thrilled with the idea of 'dressing up'. "We can all go out together and find something, and maybe we'll rope some of the others in the Guild for it too. Might as well if we're all gonna need to look fancy and stuff." He shrugged,
"Sound good!" Lector purred,
"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch piped in brightly, Hora nodded.
"That's good with me."
Rogue blinked slowly, his eyes trailing sideways toward Sting for the suggestion of a shopping trip, the Shadow Dragon Slayer's face mostly unreadable, if a tad tense for a moment... But he forced himself a sigh and nodded too, though only just the once.
"I suppose if we must." Rogue mumbled softly, before giving Sting a slightly pointed look. "But let's not make too big an outing of it, we shouldn't be out for too long, or go too far." Rogue murmured, Sting paused a little at the words and the look both, a little bit of wariness flitting across his expression for but a second, before it was gone and he nodded firmly in reply. Rogue let out a silent breath at it and looked away, his eyes dropping closed a moment as he tilted his head toward the door. "Alright, I think Yukino will want to come at the least, but check with everyone else and see if they want to tag along too."
"Got it, let's go guys." Sting hummed, gesturing toward the Exceeds with a little smirk on his face.
"Yep!"
"Fro!"
The Exceeds both gave Hora a little hug before they clambered off her lap and took to the air, following Sting out of the room to do the round up, and leaving Hora and Rogue alone for the moment. Hora watched them go for a moment before glancing Rogue's way, blinking once or twice as he stepped up to be directly at her side. He reached his hands out slowly, red eyes glittering faintly as he caught her eyes for half a second, before he gestured toward her hand still holding to the red ribbon from Ira.
"Let me." He murmured, Hora paused for half a second, before handing the ribbon over and holding her left wrist out for him. He wound the ribbon around her arm gently, his fingers working deftly to tie and secure it- tight enough to stay, but not near enough to be too tight, or pinch her. When he was done his hands pulled away slowly, and Hora shot him a soft smile.
"Thanks." She hummed, and though he nodded in reply to it, he seemed much less at ease than he should have... he actually looked a bit tense now, staring at the ribbon instead of meeting her eyes, and Hora's smile faltered a little, her head tilting in question. "Rogue, is something wrong?" She pressed quietly, and he seemed to bite his cheek at it, shaking his head a little and looking up to match gazes with her slowly.
"No, just... Are you sure you'll be alright to go out?" He asked quietly, red eyes glittering and swimming with no small amount of worry. "I realize you're healed about as much as you can be now, but you're still not in great shape. Going out and about so soon might not be a great idea." He mumbled, Hora's shoulders sank a little, her smile fading into something a little more softer, and somber all at once.
"I'll be okay." She murmured gently, "I get why you're worried, but I promise I will be alright. I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't feel good enough to go out." She pointed out, and he seemed to pause at it, looking not all that reassured... but he seemed to give in, nodding slightly in a silent reply.
His hands hovering a little uncertainly in air between them for a moment, before he seemed to shake himself out a bit and reached toward her instead. He held them out, palms facing her and waiting to give her a hand up. Hora accepted his hands, her own falling into his lightly before he easily pulled her onto her feet, but his hands didn't let go of hers right away. Instead he held on to her a few moments, pulling her slightly more into him as his red eyes matched with her blue ones, steady, intent.
"Alright, but if you start feeling dizzy, or in pain, or anything at all while we're out... Please... Please tell me." Rogue murmured slowly, his voice wavering a little on the 'please', almost as if he was verging on pleading, and Hora's heart twisted slightly for it. "I know you're really good at keeping yourself going even when you don't feel right, especially for everyone else's sake... But please don't hide how you're feeling so much anymore. Especially when it comes to your health, alright...? Please, with me... Let me help you, okay?"
Geez he sounded so worried about her- he was worried about her, extremely so. And she couldn't blame him for being, after everything that had gone on... But him asking that?
Don't hide, don't pretend- not with me.
Lean on me, let me see it, and let me help.
Hora's eyes flashed, her heart aching slightly while her stomach felt like it had a few butterflies in it all of a sudden... It was something of an uncomfortable combo, but only just so.
Her lips twitched upward in the corners for but a moment, before her eyes fell from him. She leaned forward, her forehead bumping against his chest, while she twined her fingers with his, their hands between them locking together a bit more tightly. Rogue seemed to hesitate a moment for the movement, before he relaxed into the sudden closeness, his chin finding a comfortable place on top of her head, his breath ruffling her hair as she gave his hands an affirmative squeeze.
"You'll be the first to know if anything comes up... I promise." Hora told him softly, her voice barely above a whisper, but he heard it easily enough. Rogue eyes fell closed for it, a bit of the knot in his core unwinding for the words, and he shifted, pressing his lips into the crown of her head for a tiny, fleeting kiss- a thank you.
A thank you for the promise to tell him, and to try and be a bit more open... While all at once a silent thank you for her promise to stay, to not leave the Guild, or him.
Selfish as it may be, just... Thank you.
.:+:.
The shopping trip went just about as you might have expected it would... Well, if you were anticipating the attempts at collecting people to go out ending up with basically half of SaberTooth in tow, and no small amount of Fairy Tailers, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Quatro Cerberus, and Mermaid Heel too. Basically everybody needed something to wear, and most people were more than happy for the simple opportunity to go out and relax a little after all the doom, gloom, and general terror-filled time spent the past week trying to keep Hora alive.
There had been a very noticeable lack of Lyon and Gray when they'd been rounding everyone up to head out, though. Hora had not seen either of them before leaving, and when she asked Sherria about Lyon she'd only been told he'd headed out for a 'walk'... Which was something Gray had apparently gone out to do the night before, as Wendy had mentioned, and not come back. Both of them being out and away in such a vague manner made Hora's stomach churn slightly, but she trusted Lyon wasn't going to say anything, and had to do her best to hope whatever they were up to wasn't bad, and focus on the shopping for the moment instead.
So anyway- lots of people joined in, most of them tagging along for the initial trek into the city before breaking off into several groups and spreading out. Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue made every effort to make sure they didn't get split up from Hora in the meantime- though seeing as how she got swept up by a lot of the other girls to go try on outfits and such, sticking close by wasn't all that easy. They kinda got pushed out, though it wasn't intentional on the girls part, they were just a little too excited to pick out things to wear and whatever.
Yukino stuck close to keep an eye on Hora in their place for the most part, and it was fairly easy for her to do- given the girls who swept up Hora also swept the Celestial Mage up along with her. And those doing the 'sweeping'?
Lucy, Mirajane, Erza, Wendy, Sherria, Sherry, Jenny were the main sweepers- while Kagura and several of the woman from Mermaid joined in, and several other girls from SaberTooth itself were not far behind.
To their credit, even though they were very excited to be out and dressing up, they were careful with Hora all the same. And though it may not have seemed like it, they were all keeping careful eye on the Fire Devil Slayer throughout the whole of the outing, as well as making sure she didn't strain herself too much, or get too overwhelmed with anything.
In fact the whole excursion went by without a hitch, and before Hora even knew it she'd been set up with an outfit for the party at the castle, and even a few other clothes to make up for her very lacking wardrobe. Hora ended up sitting by and watching while everyone else continued their own shopping for a bit, content in her seat and happy enough to watch, listen, and put her own input in here and there.
Not long after that the girls left the store with Hora bunched between them, the Fire Devil Slayer carrying a few bags in her hands with her new clothes- while everyone else was much the same, all smiles. They also looked very pleased with themselves for their input and choices in what would be Hora's Ball attire- but saying nothing of it other than it should be a 'surprise' when they brought her back out. They did smile and giggle a bit to themselves for the way Rogue took no time in slipping through the crowd of them back to Hora's side near right away, the Shadow Dragon Slayer looking a bit disgruntled for being pushed out to the edges in the first place, but also instantly focused on Hora and alert.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah. I'm okay Rogue, don't look so worried."
"Alright... But here, let me carry some of these for you."
"Thanks... Did you guys find something to wear too?"
"More or less."
... Which was more a less, since Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch had thus far been a little more preoccupied with trying to keep Hora in their sights. Hora didn't mind though, she simply smiled at them and ushered them off to make sure their shopping trip was as productive as hers (already) had been. And they were happy to go along with it, Yukino tagging close behind while she and Hora made sure the boys ended up with something decent.
The day was whittling down to an end by the time they ended up back at Saber's Inn, everyone breaking off again to put their things away and settle in for the night again- tomorrow was sure to be full of getting ready and excitement for the Ball to be held, so they needed to rest up before then.
Hora paused in one of the meeting Halls of the Inn, Yukino offering to take the things from her hands- which Hora agreed too, though she felt it unnecessary. Either way though she handed off the bags, and no sooner than she did, did Rogue's voice catch her attention off the Celestial Mage, and the little bit of shuffling she had started with Sting and the Exceeds with the rest of the bags and whatnot.
"Please sit down." Rogue's voice broke her eyes off Yukino instantly, Hora glancing around quickly to see the Shadow Dragon Slayer motioning toward one of the nearby benches in the hall, his expression mostly calm- but there were little hints of that concern she'd seen several times throughout the day. He'd never not looked a little worried, or hadn't been doing his utmost to keep an eye on her- always ever alert and wary for even the faintest sign that she wasn't feeling alright, or something was wrong. Because despite her promising to tell him such things and to open up a bit more, he knew her, and she was likely to be hesitant to do so right off the bat- so he was worried, and cautious, and watchful... and she couldn't blame him, but some part of her ached for the fact she'd given him so many reasons the last few months, weeks, days and whatever else to doubt her at her word to do better, and open up more.
No, she couldn't blame him. That was all on her and her not telling him (or anyone) any of those many things she should have come clean about long before now. It was her bad, she put herself in this situation where he and everyone else could, and likely should, doubt her willingness to be upfront with how she actually felt... still though, it did make her stomach knot. And it knotted a little more when her little bit of hesitation had his red eyes glinting with concern even more fervently than it had a second before- Rogue stepping half an inch closer to her while his voice got a bit quieter, and he held a hand out her way.
"I know you've said you're fine Hora, but you have been up and about today a lot more than you have in a week. I realize you might not feel tired, but... But please sit down and take a break for a bit, alright?" Rogue told her softly, his eyes flashing as her shoulders hunched more for the fact, and the way his voice wavered almost imperceptibly there at the end. He moved his outstretched hand closer, palm up and waiting patiently while their gazes locked, eyes flashing and expression softening a bit more along with his voice. "For me, please?" He added, his voice nearly a whisper that time, and she swallowed hard while her heart fluttered and twisted into a knot all at once.
"Alright." She murmured, her hand falling lightly in his. He smiled a little for it, little bits of relief washing over his face for half a second at how easily she relented to what he was asking, before he tugged her forward gently, leading her to the bench and holding on still all the way till she was down and settled. Hora let out a small sigh once she was sitting, her eyes glittering faintly as she watched Rogue fuss a little with the bags alongside Sting, Yukino, and the Exceeds now. He helped bundle them up, and hand them off, leaving the four previously mentioned to head off toward the rooms and put it all away eventually... While in the meantime Rogue never moved far from where Hora was sitting for more than a few minutes at most, and that was fine.
She was mostly content to watch for most part, though she would have rather helped them- but of course she had no choice but to stay sitting like Rogue asked. So she watched, and then (thankfully) got her attention broken off that by some others in the Guild approaching her with small smiles, and then small easy conversation started up between them. She quickly got caught up in the talking, and rather enjoyed it more than watching Rogue and everyone else with the shopping bags- you know, since it kept her occupied and her mind off the fact she wasn't allowed to get up or help or anything.
Eventually Lector and Frosch popped back in and joined the conversation keeping Hora occupied, and Sting and Yukino made their way back from the rooms not long after that too- though they didn't interject, much like Rogue who had taken a place near one end of Hora's seat and had started listening silently.
Hora got so caught up in the talking and everything that it didn't register for her for quite some time that more of SaberTooth kept making their way into that one Hall and bunching in... Well, like all of the Guild showed up actually. And anybody in the other Guilds cast the assembling Sabers glances, before heading off quickly and leaving them all alone. It took her longer than it likely should have to notice the sudden bulking up of her Guildmates in that single Hall, and longer still to take note of the fact that some of them seemed a little wary.
Her eyes shifted from Dobengal (who she was talking to) and swept quickly among those who had already lined up behind him- all of whom seemed to have subconsciously begun lining up in those neat rows they had grown so used to with Jiemma. Though most of them seemed to have caught themselves in the midst of it, and attempted to shift a little back and forth to not be in such a linear fashion, but it was still slightly there, they couldn't break the habit quite that fast. And as her eyes danced across the masses for that little moment she earned a few small smiles and waves from those who had elected not to go out on the shopping excursion mostly- but Ira cast her a sort of nervous wave too, and she'd not been aware he was there until that moment. Even more weird was when she suddenly picked up on DoranBolt standing beside the young Rune Knight too, the man looking tense and uneasy from where the both of them were standing sort of along the wall off to Rufus and Orga's left, while still being a fair bit away from the rest of the Sabers all the same.
Oookay...? What the hell is-?
"Ahem."
Hora's attention snapped over toward Orga for the rather loud way he cleared his throat suddenly, and Dobengal's voice died off instantly in reaction to it and what queue it was- and it was definitely a queue, because every other little rumble of conversation scattered through everyone else died off too, sending the Hall into a near dead quiet... Though she did hear Rogue let out a small sigh under his breath beside her, and the few seconds she dared break her eyes off Orga toward the Shadow Dragon Slayer let her see he was looking a little weary now, and a touch uneasy too. Which was totally out of nowhere, as was the subtle way he unhooked his arms from over his chest and one lingered not far behind her shoulder, though he did not directly touch her.
But again, what the hell-?
"Okay, here we go I guess." Orga murmured, earning Hora's eyes again after diverting to Rogue, the Fire Devil Slayer blinking several times over in confusion. Orga's eyes moved off the rest of the Guild ahead of them and over toward her instead, the Lightning God Slayer stepping a few paces forward to bring himself nearly directly between her, and everyone else, his arms crossing over his chest.
"Sorry, not to put a damper or anything, or dump more on for the day- but we've been holding off on this for the last week and we can't keep that up anymore. The Council won't let us." Orga told her, though his voice was loud enough it was more like he was announcing everything- and he jerked his head slightly to the right in the direction of Ira and DoranBolt for mention of the 'Council'. Both Rune Knights looked a little uneasy at being called out, not that Orga's voice had any sort of edge or malcontent to it, but Hora?
She faltered, blinking several more times and looking increasingly more confused and uneasy with such a vague explanation, that really wasn't any sort of explanation at all for what the hell was going-
"Short and fast version; we don't have a Guild Master anymore, and we really need one. We gotta pick one soon, or we end up getting forced to disband by the Council for breaking the rules and whatever." Orga kept on, getting straight to the point and with no hesitation about it whatsoever- and absolutely no hesitation with the next, his eyes locked with hers and determined to stay exactly there, and steady.
"We've all been talking about it, and we wanna pick you Hora."
Hora bristled, her heart skipping a beat and then stopping for another immediately following that, her eyes going wide and panic and shock rushing through her veins like lightning.
"W-WHAT?!"
Her voice was very, very loud in the near quiet of the hall, and so loud she wouldn't have been shocked if the rest of the Inn heard it- but she didn't care, or even think about it. Any amount of self control over her voice or care about it (and the way her lungs instantly burned too) got swallowed up with that one single statement- that one very insane statement!
Her?! As Guild Master?!
She hissed, bristling further as she leaned forward in her chair and shook her head quickly and more than a few times, dark blue eyes glittering like mad.
"N-No way!" She hissed, "You guys can't be serious! Why the hell would you ever think me being Guild Master is the way to go..?! I'm not cut out for being in charge of everybody! A-And why would you even want me in charge?! I was lying to all of you for years!" She snapped, shaking her head a little more curtly at the end there while her expression grew a little less panicked and a little more frustrated and uneasy- and every one of the other Sabers looked instantly a little uneasy themselves for the words, and the reaction on Hora's part... not that most of them hadn't been expecting it in some way.
Hora's hands clenched into fists, her teeth gritting as she let out an aggravated breath, her eyes flashing.
"I never told you anything about Jiemma or the Possession Link! I kept my mouth shut the whole time no matter what happened or how terrible things got! I never did anything to stop Jiemma or Minerva, I just let you stay here trapped and constantly in danger and getting hurt! Constantly being blackmailed and afraid and hurt, and I never did anything!" She snapped, her voice breaking ever so faintly at the end and everyone stiffened against it, swallowing hard. "Tch, you can't ask someone who's sat back and let everything happen that did and want them to be Guild Master! Guild Masters aren't people who lie to their Guilds, or keep secrets and let them get hurt! Guild Masters don't just sit back and let any of that happen!" She hissed, her eyes flashing as she shook her head furiously one more time.
"So why the hell would ever want me to be that person, when I'm nowhere close to being Guild Master material?!" Hora snapped, the words cutting on the tense silence over the entire hall, and even ringing in the quiet... and it did that for a few seconds that seemed heavy and even a tad suffocating, everyone casting slightly anxious glances between them and shifting nervously on their feet before they worked themselves up to reply to the heated (and aching) words.
"But Hora... you only kept all that stuff about the Possession Link a secret to protect us, yeah?" Dobengal mumbled quietly, Hora faltered a little at it, her lips pulling into a thin line.
"Yeah, you never told us about it because you knew we wouldn't have let Jiemma keep you trapped like that, and you didn't want us to get hurt trying to get involved." Kyye inputted lowly, his arms crossing over his chest and grimacing faintly. "Or risk you getting hurt because of us, we would never have been able to get over that... and you knew it." He mumbled, the words earning a few stiff nods of agreement.
"And we know you would have done whatever you could to stop all the shit that Jiemma and Minerva were doing if you could have." Juno chimed in, Hensy beside her nodding affirmatively.
"You totally would, but you didn't have any options. If you tried to stop them and help us out you'd have been risking getting killed. We'd never want or expect you to die for us, Hora." Verrik told her levelly, green eyes flashing along with many others, all of them looking increasingly more steady in their words and their resolves- and increasingly louder with their voices too. There seemed to be a ripple that swept out among the lot of them, everyone adjusting, standing a little straighter, their eyes suddenly gleaming with a little more fire, and a fire that got brighter and more resolute as they started to call things out left and right.
"We would have never wanted you to put yourself in danger on our behalf, Hora...!"
"We wouldn't have wanted you to get yourself killed trying to protect us...!"
"No way! We want you alive...! We want you to stay here, and in the Guild...!"
Hora swallowed at that one, the breath catching in her throat while Lector and Frosch in the bench beside her tensed, with Rogue and Sting doing the same where they were standing.
"Even though you kept the Possession Link thing a secret, why the hell wouldn't we want you as Guild Master? You're our friend Hora, and you've always been looking out for all of us without ever being asked to- you've been doing everything a Guild Master should the whole time and without ever having the job."
"Yeah! You're always checking up on everyone and making sure we're all okay and get back from jobs safe and sound!"
"And you made sure to check in with all of us and make sure we were good before heading off to fight the Dragons! Plus you coordinated with all the other Guild Masters about splitting us up to help out too! Just like a Guild Master would!"
"You always make sure to get to know everybody who joins the Guild and take care of us whenever we need it! Especially when it came to Minerva and Jiemma!"
"Whenever they did something crazy you were always the person we counted on to know what to do Hora!"
"It's always been you we've gone to to figure out what to do when things got bad!"
Hora bit the insides of her cheeks hard, dark blue eyes flashing at the sudden wash of voices and people calling out... All of them loud, clear, and steady- so genuine and sure of what they were saying and telling her, and really meaning all of it with all their hearts.... But... But that doesn't make any sense...!
I lied for years, I kept so many secrets, and it shouldn't matter why I did it or what for- I still did it!
Nobody, let alone a friend or a goddamn Guild Master should ever lie to their Guild for as long as I did-!
"You're the one person we all know and trust without a doubt!"
Hora stiffened, a shiver running down her spine for that last one, her ears ringing slightly on it- trust.
Trust without a doubt
"We've always trusted you! You're the one we've been depending on this whole time, and we never had to ask you for it! You just let us, and helped us, because that's who you are!"
"You've been acting like a Guild Master should the whole time any of us have been in the Guild!"
"You care about all of us and you're willing to do anything to keep the Guild safe! You've been doing everything you could to keep us safe this whole time Hora!"
"We can't think of anybody better to take over as Master!"
They shifted, bunching in a little as they took one, two, several steps closer to where she was, all shinning eyes and bubbling with anticipation, emotion, and whatever else- but more than anything, hopeful.
Hora stiffened a little as they closed in, her hands still clenched into fists at her sides shifting to be in her lap instead, twisting a little apprehensively now.
"... Sting would be a good Guild Master." Hora mumbled quietly, the words earning small jumps of surprise from several people- and the White Dragon Slayer in particular.
"W-Wait, what...?!" He stammered in shock, his head snapping around in her direction, wide eyed and bristling faintly. Hora's didn't glance his way as he asked it, she just stared at her feet, letting out a small sigh.
"Minerva suggested him to take over after Jiemma, and while I don't think she did it for the same reasons I am- she wasn't wrong." Hora kept on quietly, "Sting cares about this Guild just as much as I do, and he'd protect you all with everything he has- he's the one who actually stepped up and fought back against Jiemma, where I never did. He's loyal as hell to this Guild, you all trust him too, and so do I." She murmured, her eyes trailing slowly off her feet and toward Sting, blue eyes glittering.
"You'd be good at it, and you would be a good leader, just given the chance... You've just never had the chance to prove it, not till now." She told him directly that time, Sting swallowing slightly for the affirmation, and the way the words echoed as faintly familiar- familiar from a time that seemed a million years ago now, and not the three or so months it had been since then.
.:+:.
"... Sting." She murmured, hand reaching forward to land lightly on top of his head, her fingers threading through his blonde hair gently as she felt him shake under her. "... You are one of the most loyal people I have ever known, you know." She smiled slightly, eyes falling closed. "And I have known a lot of people, and yet no one has been more loyal than you. And I can't say anyone could be a better friend to anyone than you can." She took in a breath, "You're kind, and cheerful, and you light up whatever room you go into. You care for people more deeply than most ever can, and you're brave and protective- you'll do anything to protect the people you love. Anything at all. And that is one of the best things about you."
She felt him shake a little under her touch, but she heard his sudden harsh breathing ease just slightly.
"You haven't been given any real chance to prove how loyal and caring you are, not with how SaberTooth is now. But I've seen you around our friends. Yukino, Orga, Rufus... You're a much better friend than you realize. I'm the one who hasn't given you the chance to be as good a friend as you strive to be toward me. That's my fault, not yours."
She pulled him toward her, holding his head to her chest as she wrapped her arms around his back and shoulders.
"... Don't let Jiemma destroy the pure light and good I see in you. And don't let anyone keep you from being who you really are." She smiled gently, "You and Rogue, you two are the best of us. And you always have been."
.:+:.
Sting swallowed, gritting his teeth slightly as he held Hora's eyes for just half a second before looking away, his expression twisting and uneasy in a million different ways. He hesitated half a second, shifting anxiously on his feet as his hands clenched at his sides while the whole room and Guild went utterly quiet... before Sting shook his head stiffly, eyes glinting.
"I... I do care about this Guild, I really do... but being Master isn't me, Hora." He mumbled quietly, before shifting a little uncomfortably on his feet, Yukino near to him shooting the blonde and uneasy and sympathetic look. "I can't see myself like that, but... But if you really don't want to take over, I'd be willing to step up and do it, if you really think I'd be good at it... I'm not sure I would be, but I trust you enough I'd be willing to do it." Sting told went on, his eyes locked with Hora's and he sounded about as steady as he could- which was mostly all the way, but not quite. Hora felt her stomach churn a little for it, and how quick he was to offer taking it when... When he definitely did not want it.
But he'd do it, even though he didn't want to, just for her-
"Look Hora, we'd never force you to take over if you don't want to." Orga piped in suddenly after having been quiet while the rest of the Guild said their piece, and Sting too.
"We are not intending to pressure you into a role you do not wish to fill." Rufus chipped in coolly from beside the Lightning God Slayer,
"Yeah...! We weren't trying to push you or anything...!"
"I-It's totally up to you Hora...! We were just... We wanted you to know that's how we feel is all...!"
"But if you want someone else or Sting to take over, and he's fine with it, we will be too..!"
Sting seemed to bite the inside of his cheek at that last one, though he nodded a little more firmly than stiffly this time in affirmation to it... And hell if seeing him do that didn't make Hora's stomach churn all the more. And then it churned enough to make her feel sick at seeing everybody else so quick to backtrack on all their words, and see the hopefulness previously in their faces turn into guilt and apprehension in literally no time at all.
Her eyes fell from Sting and everyone else, landing in her lap and focusing on her hands and nothing else at all. Her fingernails dug slightly into the backs of her hands as she clasped them together all the more tightly, and her shoulders hunched a little too.
She did mean it when she said Sting would be a good Master, she wasn't just saying and suggesting it to get out of it herself- she believed he would be with all her heart. Sure he could be an idiot, and a bit of a goofball, but he was loyal as all hell and she knew he'd go to any lengths to protect everyone here. Everyone else in the Guild loved him, and trusted him, and given time he'd definitely get over the initial shock of being in charge and be a good Master... A non-traditional Master, and definitely a young one- but none of that meant he'd be bad at it. It would even be better to have somebody like Sting who was bright and cheerful and a little carefree after so long of having someone so strict and oppressive as Jiemma had been.
He could do it, even if he didn't believe that himself right now- she knew he'd be a good leader. He really would, and more so he was willing to trust her judgement on the matter and actually do it... But she also knew he didn't want to, even if he kept himself from saying so out loud.
But... But he'll do it for me , and he didn't even hesitate about it. He's willing to put himself in a position he's not comfortable with as long as it saves me from the same thing... And it's probably not all about me trusting him at all.
Some of it probably has to do with not wanting to back me into a corner, because of how bad he still feels about being mad at me, or hurting me, and what he knows about Gray and- tch.
Her hands trembled faintly as she clenched them harder, a dull prick of pain prodding at the very back of her mind where her fingernails dug into her skin further.
He doesn't want it, but he's willing to force himself into doing it, if it saves me from getting pressured into it myself... The Guild doesn't want to force me into either, and they're willing to push aside what they... What they were hoping for, and just... settle. Even if doing that puts more pressure on Sting- the exact thing they're trying not to do to me.
Sting doesn't want it... The Guild doesn't really want that either but... But what if I really don't want it either...?
I... I've screwed up too much, I've kept too many secrets, I didn't do enough to protect everybody, regardless of what they said... Them even suggesting me is fucking crazy...!
I don't understand how they could even justify everything and look passed it, even if they do believe that... That... S.. Shit...
Hora grit her teeth slightly, her eyes shutting tightly as she held her breath, even when it burned.
W.. What if I don't...?
W-What if they're... They're wrong about...?
She hissed under her breath, her heart twisting into a hundred different knots along with her stomach, and every inch of her body and soul ached. Tense, uneasy, and hesitant as a hundred thoughts and worries swirled in her mind, and all those voices of her Guild and all they had said bombarded her, mixing and tangling, and making it so she wavered.
Damn it... What do I do...?
'Take the job.'
Hora went rigid, Lixue's voice invading the whirling thoughts in her head and cutting straight through the clamor of it like it was nothing.
W-What...?
'Take the job.' Lixue repeated again, and just as steadily and straight to the point as the first time. 'You are hesitating not simply because you are worried about landing the White Dragon Slayer in a role he does not wish to be in, but also because you don't know for certain you truly do not wish to be the Master of this Guild. A part of you worries you have no right to it, but despite your own fears and reservations- another part of you believes them and what they've said, yes? Or at least wants to believe them?'
She blinked, her eyes opening again and locked to her hands, quiet.
'This is what you were most afraid of, is it not? That you would never be forgiven for all the secrets, lies, and whatever else?' Lixue rumbled softly, 'They all know about the Possession Link now, and the situation with Jiemma- they understand why you did what you did, and they have accepted it. Better even, they understand that you did all of it trying to keep them safe.' He murmured, 'You were in a terrible situation and you did your best, and they know that. All that's gone on has not changed how they feel about you, or how much they care and trust you. They still trust you, and they trust you so much they want you to be their Guild Master- they trust you to lead them, and keep an eye on them, and continue working to protect and care for them as you always have.'
'They want you to lead them, and trust you to do it with all their hearts... and you know you would do your utmost to be the best leader for them as you possibly can be.' Lixue murmured softly, 'You are nothing like Jiemma, and you will be much better than he ever was. This is a chance to help this Guild be what you know it can be, a safe place, a place where everyone can come when things are hard, and connect with those they call friends. A chance for it to be a home.'
'You meant it when you said you weren't going to leave. This Guild and it's people are your family just as much as your Brother is. Things are complicated, and you've had little time to process any of what's happened- but this Guild is your constant, and whether you believe it or not, you are an integral part to it. You must be, lest they would not be so eager to place you in the center of it like they are.'
Hora's eyes flashed, her stomach churning a little more at it, but more like... fluttering this time, rather than queasiness.
"We wouldn't have wanted you to get yourself killed trying to protect us...!"
"No way! We want you alive...! We want you to stay here, and in the Guild...!"
"It's always been you we've gone to to figure out what to do in crazy situations!"
"Even though you kept the Possession Link thing a secret, why the hell wouldn't we want you as Guild Master? You're our friend Hora, and you've always been looking out for all of us without ever being asked to- you've been doing everything a Guild Master should the whole time and without ever having the job."
"You're the one person we all know and trust without a doubt!"
"You've been acting like a Guild Master should the whole time any of us have been in the Guild!"
"You care about all of us and you're willing to do anything to keep the Guild safe! You've been doing everything you could to keep us safe this whole time Hora!"
"We can't think of anybody better to take over as Master!"
Hora bit the insides of her cheeks, her hands fidgeting slightly in her lap while her stomach fluttered again.
... a chance to be better, do better, and... be what they believe, huh...?
She chewed on the insides of her cheeks pensively, her eyes dropping closed as a quiet sigh escaped her, and her shoulders sank a little too.
'Hmph... there you are, still hesitating.'
Hora wilted a little at the comment, her head bowing slightly as her shoulders sank all the way, and her posture followed.
... Ugh... I do really hate it sometimes when you're right, ya know...
'Hmm, I know.'
Hora let out a very audible, very heavy sigh at that, her head tilting up again after falling and dark blue eyes gleaming as she looked up slowly.
"... Hora...?" Rogue murmured softly to her right, the Shadow Dragon Slayer looking a little uneasy for the sigh, and the way she seemed to deflate all of a sudden. She cast him a small, incredibly fleeting glance from the side and saw him looking worried, which made her sigh again before she forced herself to straighten up and gain back a bit of better posture, her hands falling on her knees steadily with a single, decisive nod.
"Alright." She murmured and everyone paused, blinking several times over while everything went quiet and they all went still, almost waiting for her to continue the thought...?
But she didn't continue the thought, two heartbeats went by and the patient silence quickly nosedived into incredulous noise.
" 'A-Alright'...?"
"W-Wait, do you mean...?!"
"You mean yes...?!"
"You'll be Master, s-seriously...?!"
Hora nodded one more time, and with that little action all eyes went wide and the whole room seemed to erupt with hardly contained nervous energy.
"R-Really?!"
"H-Holy crap, seriously!?"
"A-Are you sure...?!"
"Yeah! I mean we don't want you to feel like you have to or anything...!"
"I was serious, I will do it if you won't want to Hora." Sting told her quickly,
"You needn't if you aren't up for it." Rogue mumbled quietly, leaning down slightly to be more eye level with her. Hora caught his eyes and shook her head once, offering up a slightly weary smile for half a second.
"No I'm okay. I'm good to do it." She replied softly, Rogue blinking at the answer, though she looked away from him before he had time to question it. Her attention landed back on Sting, Yukino, Orga, Rufus, and everybody else in the Guild instead, the smile disappearing as her expression grew a tad more firm, and steady- and out of nowhere.
"I'll do it, but I have a few conditions." She told them, earning blinks of surprise and question from them all.
Conditions...?
"First being; nobody calls me 'Master'." Hora murmured lowly,
"Hmm? But if you're gonna be in charge we gotta call you somethin'." Orga piped in immediately, Hora shot him a low look.
"No, just call me by my name like you always have." She mumbled and he paused, shrugging faintly but nodding anyway.
"Mmmkay." He hummed and Hora paused on him for a second or two more, before letting out a silent sigh and glancing toward Sting and Rufus instead.
"Second thing; you two are gonna have to help me out if I'm doing this." Hora went on, and both men blinked in surprise and question for the words. "I don't wanna make all the decisions on my own, I wanna check with everyone and be able to talk things out. I don't want everything to be all on me all the time." She murmured toward them both, but more Sting in particular, before turning to Rufus instead. "And I'm definitely not smart enough to handle all the the paperwork and stuff that comes with being in charge of a Guild, so you're gonna have to help me out with all of that." She told the Minstrel. Both Rufus and Sting seemed to hesitate a moment at the words, before Sting nodded solemnly in agreement and Rufus smiled faintly, before nodding as well.
"Yeah definitely, you got it Hora." Sting told her,
"It would be my pleasure to help." Rufus hummed coolly,
"The rest of us will chip in whenever you need it too Atia!" Lector piped in suddenly in her lap, Frosch nodding eagerly to the words.
"Fro thinks so too!"
"Yeah, you don't gotta do it all your own. We'll pitch in with whatever you need." Orga added,
"Definitely!"
"Whatever you need!"
"Yes, we're all here for you." Yukino smiled gently,
"Always." Rogue murmured quietly at her shoulder, and Hora smiled faintly at the words, and the rounds of assurances they all called out.
"Thank you." Hora murmured softly, dark blue eyes glimmering as she said it and looked out around all of them. "Those were the two main things, but also... please be patient with me okay? I'll do my best for all of you, but there's things that are gonna need to be figured out- that I still have to figure out- and I'm probably gonna mess up a lot in the beginning, and afterwards sometimes... but I swear I'm gonna try my hardest to be a good leader, and the sort of one you all deserve." She said- and promised- steadily, her eyes matching with every single one of then individually as she did.
They all seemed to pause a moment, quiet hanging on the air in the quake of such a serious and genuine vow... Before slowly they all nodded to her, vigorously in many cases, their eyes shinning and smiles breaking across their faces- relieved, excited, touched, and all else.
"We know you're gonna do your best! And we know you're gonna do great Hora!"
"Yeah! And you don't gotta worry, we're never gonna pressure you or nothing!"
"We'll give you all the time you need, we swear!"
"You're gonna be a great Guild Master, we don't doubt it for a second!"
"Things are gonna be different now, and it's gonna be great! You're gonna help make it great!"
"We believe in you Hora, so please don't worry about messing up or anything like that!"
"You're gonna do awesome, you'll see!"
"You can count on us whenever you need! We're friends yeah?"
"Yeah, we're a family! We can lean on each other, always and no matter what!"
Hora's expression softened for the rounds of voices, excitement, and everything else, her stomach fluttering a bit more fervently for the sheer excitement and glee she could see- and her heart warming and aching all at once for how happy they were, and hopeful, and how much they really did see and believe in that better future. The future with her at the head of the Guild, where she never would have imagined herself being, and still couldn't really... But she wanted to.
She wanted to be what they believed and saw in her, so so badly- she would be that person, even if she had to work for it, and for a long time. She wanted to be whatever version of herself they saw that could be a good Guild Master, and she wanted what Lixue said to be true- that she was somewhere in the heart of this Guild.
This Guild and this family of hers- this home made up of all these people she loved so very much, would do anything for, and never ever leave or abandon. Never.
SaberTooth
Aaaaand another!
We're getting closer boys and girls! Like- NEXT CHAPTER CLOSER?!
OMG how exciting XD
Anyhoo, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter in the meantime! It was simple and sweet, things are getting better for dear Hora, and she's finding a bit of resolution too!
Thank you all for reading, and all these years of sticking with me and this story!
<33
Chapter 40: Say It
Chapter Text
Chapter 40
Say It
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
"So, uh... how does it look?"
Rogue blinked, glancing around quickly to the sound of Hora's voice behind him and breaking his attention off fiddling with the clothes he had on- which were nothing like what he was used to or normal, but dressing up was kind of required for this event at the Castle (even if he might have rather not).
"Hmm?" He mumbled reflexively in question as he turned, only to break off and go absolutely still once he was all the way around. His eyes went wide as they landed on Hora standing (perhaps a tad nervously) a few steps away in the doorway, and in an outfit that was clearly the subject of 'how it looked'.
She was in a dress, one that fit her figure nicely around the top with a cool blue color, before the bottom fanned out slightly and fell loosely with pure white folds of fabric for the skirt- a white that matched the ruffled collar tied about her neck with a dark blue ribbon. On both her arms she had white sleeves tied at the top with more blue ribbon, and that left her shoulders and lower arms exposed, while two long strands of ribbon attached to the back and front of her dress on both sides and tied into knots near her knees. Underneath she wore knee-high stockings of the same blue as the top of the dress, trimmed in white, and simple white flats to go with it... It, well- it was a dress.
A dress and a whole outfit that was surprising, and foreign on her, especially so the color as it was more blue, as opposed to the red she usually sported. But she did have a clash of scarlet breaking against the cool blue, from where her hair had been coiled into a braided bun and tied off with that red ribbon given to her by Ira. Which helped a little with it being foreign and unusual, but not much.
Rogue blinked once, stunned into stillness after his eyes quickly darted about her person, and then things fell quiet for a few seconds too long- but he couldn't help himself. Not even when Hora shifted a little uncomfortably in the bit of silence, her arms hooked behind her back a little unconsciously and eyes darting from him and to the side, her cheeks flushed faintly in embarrassment.
"The other girls picked it out for me." Hora murmured quietly, filling the silence herself rather than sitting in it too long. "I don't really do dresses... or dressing up at all really... Uh, but it's not like I had much choice in the matter, and I didn't think it was the worst thing they could have chosen... I mean it can't be awful right...? Not when they all agreed on it... And they kinda seemed pleased with it while Lucy and Cancer were doing my hair at any rate, so... Uhm..." She continued on, drawing dangerously close to being about to ramble- but thankfully Rogue seemed to start shaking himself out of his sudden stupor, and saved her from it by suddenly finding his voice;
"You look amazing." He murmured, and sounding almost breathless as he did. Hora stiffened, her face quickly turning red while Rogue's cheeks earned the pink dusting she had had just a heartbeat beforehand. She looked away from him hastily after her head snapped back toward him for the words, eyes dancing over the floor as she held her breath a moment for the sudden lurching of her heart and stomach, before nodding once or twice sheepishly.
"Ah... T-Thank you." She stammered softly, her eyes darting back over to him and smiling a little, if still a bit flusteredly. She shifted, taking a few steps forward in his direction, dark blue eyes glinting as she stopped just a pace or two short of where he stood, hands still linked behind her back. "You look great too, by the way." She told him lightly and he blinked, flushing a little more despite himself, but dipping his head a bit in thanks nonetheless. Hora smiled a little more for the rather shy reply- not that she'd been much better in her own (stammering) reply, mind you.
But anyway-
"Are you all ready to go then?" She asked, changing gears slightly and steering the conversation somewhere less flustering. He nodded again, his hands returning to fiddling with his collar for a moment or two after diverting his attention to her.
"Nearly." He murmured, Hora smiled as she watched his hands fumble a little more, before letting out a quiet sigh.
"You're failing." She chuckled quietly, unhooking her hands from behind her back and reaching up for him. "Let me." She hummed, and he hesitated half a second, before pulling his hands back to allow her room. He leaned over faintly while Hora pushed herself a bit onto her toes to get a better height, her eyes and Rogue's stuck to her own hands as she fumbled with the collar in his stead- and with much better luck.
Rogue's attention trailed off Hora's hands after a moment and found her face, his expression growing a little somber suddenly as she kept at it, and Hora certainly didn't notice the shift in mood... Well, not until he spoke up;
"Are you going to be alright?" Rogue asked softly. Hora's hands faltered a little, blinking a few times as she stalled and glanced up to catch his eyes.
"Hmm..?" She mumbled, before quickly offering up a small smile and looking back to what she was doing, her hands moving again. "I'm fine, don't look so worried. A party isn't gonna kill me, and I'm not gonna go crazy or anything. I'll find a nice good table to sit at, enjoy the food and the music..." She hummed, her hands slowing up and finished with adjusting the shirt, and her voice seemed to drop along with the smile she'd thrown on so quickly. Her shoulders sank a little despite herself and she dropped slowly back down from standing on her toes, dark blue eyes flashing as a small sigh escaped her. "... and brood, and argue with myself, and other-think everything while I'm doing it... probably..." She finished quietly and Rogue's lips pulled into a thin line at how quickly her mood seemed to deflate- though he couldn't say he was surprised. He had asked for a reason, because he anticipated that she wasn't really okay, and she wasn't gonna be much better even at the party.
She'd seemed incredibly downcast and on edge after having a quick word with Lyon a bit earlier, though Rogue hadn't had time to ask what they'd talked about before they both got caught up in the rush to get ready once the sun was setting. But now they had a small moment to themselves, since they both got ready faster than everyone else usually did, so he asked, because he was worried and he had to check in... even when the subject might have been a bit touchy.
"... Hora..." He mumbled and she seemed to chew on the insides of her cheeks at it, her eyes dropping closed as her hands ceased moving entirely and fell away from his shoulders, pausing on his chest instead and catching lightly around his shirt.
"... Gray hasn't come back." Hora mumbled quietly, "Lyon said Juvia told him he went out for a walk, and he didn't come back yesterday, or today." She murmured, shaking her head a bit, though her grip around Rogue's shirt got a little tighter without her meaning for it too. "Erza and Lyon did manage to track him down a few hours ago in the city, and tell him about the party tonight... he said he's planning to go, but he's not gonna come back here before then. Apparently he does this every once in awhile, just... goes off to be by himself... and I get it, he used to do the same thing when we were kids sometimes. And Lyon said it wasn't anything specific that's got him off and about, but..." She mumbled, swallowing slightly while Rogue listened quietly, his eyes glimmering while Hora's shoulders hunched just a tad.
"... But I'm pretty sure he's avoiding me." Hora sighed, her head bowing a bit in defeat as she said it, Rogue frowned slightly. "Hell, I don't even blame him... I'd avoid me too after how weird and awkward I was acting around him the whole time." She muttered, Rogue shook his head a little.
"I'm sure it's not that." He assured softly, "But I am sorry you haven't had a chance to talk to him yet, I know you've been hoping to get a chance all day." He told her, Hora nodded stiffly, a heavy sigh escaping her.
"Yeah..." She mumbled, her shoulders sinking even further and her voice dropping to a whisper. "... But it's not all bad, I guess... cause I... I still have no idea what I'm gonna say... Or even... What he'll... Do..." She admitted tensely, her voice wavering despite herself and Rogue felt his heart twist at it.
He shifted, stepping as close to her as possible and his hands moving up to catch either side of her face, gently tilting her head up again as he leaned down enough to let his forehead bump gently against her own. Hora's eyes opened halfway as he did it, their gazes matching as he held her steady, his thumbs brushing gingerly against her cheeks.
"Everything will be fine." Rogue promised her quietly, "You'll know what to do when the time comes, and it'll all be fine. You needn't worry about what he'll do, Hora... All he's going to be is happy to see you. Truly." He murmured, Hora swallowed again, her eyes gleaming and her soul aching and warming all at once for how certain he was.
She really really wished she could be that sure... But it helped to hear it, nonetheless. And it meant more to her that he said it- and knew it was exactly what she needed to hear- than she could ever express aloud.
Hora leaned into him a bit more, bits of her multicolor hair mixing with his jet black, their noses brushing faintly as the distance between them became near nonexistent. She forced herself a small breath, the warmth of it mixing with his own as her eyes dropped closed.
"Thank you."
.:+:.
"Ahh! Atia you look so pretty!" Lector said very (very) loudly, the red tomcat whipping around in air the moment he caught sight of Hora and Rogue headed down the hallway toward where he was- with Sting, Frosch, Yukino, Lucy, Carla, Wendy, Sherria, Rufus, and Orga nearby. All of who looked around quickly too, and the glee, surprise, and excitement in Lector's face was quickly echoed in everyone else's too.
"Oh my gosh, you do!" Lucy nearly squealed, Wendy and Sherria barely containing themselves as they bounced a little on their feet, and Yukino beamed, her hands clapping together in front of her excitedly.
"You look amazing!" Yukino chirped,
"Yeah, you look awesome." Sting smirked a little toothily,
"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch purred,
"That outfit looks so good on you!" Wendy and Sherria said in unison,
"Indeed, you look lovely Horatia." Rufus chimed in lightly,
Hora blushed at the calls and praises, both she and Rogue coming to a stop in front of the group as Hora ducked her head in a small, shy little half-nod.
"Ah, t-thank you guys... You all look great too." She murmured nervously and they all seemed to smile slightly in amusement at the clear embarrassment in her expression and voice, and the rather not so subtle attempt to divert the attention off herself too- not that it lasted long.
"Heh, you really do clean up nice Boss!" Orga smirked, the large man's hands finding his hips as he said it, a glint in his eye and especially so for the way Hora stiffened near immediately.
Hora rounded him, hissing slightly and instantly annoyed, her hands clenching at her sides and heated- not that Orga seemed bothered by it in the least, he just smirked some more.
"Damn it I told you not to call me that! You're supposed to keep using my name!" She snapped toward the God Slayer hotly, Orga shook his head.
"Nah, you said we can't call you 'Master'." He corrected easily, "So we're goin' with Boss instead. You never vetoed that one, so you're stuck with it." He said rather matter-of-factly.
Hora grit her fangs rather hard, her eye twitching a little and looking none too pleased-
"Oh that's right! You're Guild Master for SaberTooth now, right Hora?" Sherria popped in out of nowhere, breaking Hora's heated attention of Orga before it for any further than heated.
"That's amazing! You're probably the youngest person ever to be in charge of a Guild!" Wendy grinned,
"I suppose we should say congrats, huh?" Lucy smiled sweetly, Hora bit the insides of her cheeks, her irritation deflating and being replaced with little hints of nervousness all over again.
"Thank you... Though I'm not technically in charge just yet." Hora told them quietly, and they blinked in question at it. "Ira, DoranBolt and Lahar helped me fill out the paperwork for the Council yesterday and took it to Era, but it still needs to be approved by the Council before anything's official."
"Yeah, but as far as the Guild's concerned you're in charge." Sting told her, smiling faintly. "We don't need the Council's seal of approval to make it official or whatever, Hora." He hummed, Hora just cast him a fleeting look and then looked away entirely, a breath a bit like a huff escaping her as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Hmph, well anyway- are you guys ready to head out?" Hora asked, changing the subject entirely and earning eager nods.
"Yep!"
"Cool, then let's go."
Wendy and Sherria took the lead with Lucy and Carla close behind, followed by Lector and Frosch and then Sting and Yukino. Orga paused just long enough to offer his arm up for Rufus, the Minstrel smiling as he linked his arm in the God Slayers with ease before the both of them started off too.
Hora was quick to follow their lead but drew up when Rogue shifted a little on her right, but didn't start walking like she anticipated. She blinked, glancing his way quickly and a little confused, while Rogue seemed to fidget a little, red eyes glimmering as he hesitated, and then lift his left elbow up slightly, holding his arm out toward her in a silent, little gesture for her to... Take it.
Hora's eyes flashed, her mind quickly catching up with what he was doing, what he meant with it, and why he seemed embarrassed, and so unsure as he did it.
His cheeks had a tiny hint of blush to them and his eyes darted back and forth between her, the floor, and just about everywhere in between for those few seconds it took her to register the action- and then his cheeks flushed a little harder when Hora smiled, and linked her arm in his without a word, nor any further pause. Her shoulder bumped his lightly, linking her hands together around his arm and effectively locking herself into his hold. Rogue's eyes darting up off the floor to meet her own as she took him up on his silent offer, and she smiled a little more when she caught his eye... Which in turn earned a slightly nervous smile from Rogue, but a happy one all the same.
They started forward in perfect tandem with one another, quiet and content as they began to follow everyone else, and staying that way the whole time. They did earn a few glances over shoulders from everyone else ahead of them though, which earned plenty of smiles too, and looks of amusement.
"They're so cute." Yukino murmured softly under her breath as she cast a look over her shoulder toward the two, her hands twining together in front of her and expression softening at the sight. Sting let out a small breath at the words, nodding slightly as he shot his two friends a quick glance for only a moment, before his eyes trailed toward Yukino instead, and more importantly the way her hands were sort of wringing together as she looked back. Sting seemed to bite the inside of his cheek as he did, mulling for a few long heartbeats, before eventually, and hesitantly, stepping just a little to the side so he was walking closer at the Celestial Mage's shoulder.
His elbow brushed against hers as he held his arm out a bit for her, chewing on his cheeks pensively and looking unsure of himself- nearly awkward, actually. Especially when Yukino looked up at him in wonder and confusion for a moment, all wide-eyed and lost...?
She seemed to catch on after a bit though, her face going bright red and instantly all flustered and rushing as she tried to break the awkward pause, and linked her arm in Sting's a little stiffly... Not that she didn't want to do it, she was just caught off guard, and it took a few minutes for both her and Sting to stop being a little stiff and uneasy, and just relax after that.
Hora smirked a little as she watched the exchange between the two, Rogue beside her tuned in too and letting out a quiet, faintly amused breath at the sight.
Hehe, adorable~
Hora shook her head a bit and diverted her attention off Sting and Yukino for a moment, her attention landing on the blonde hair of Fairy Tail's Celestial Mage instead.
"Ah, Lucy- where's Salamander anyway?" Hora called lightly, Lucy glancing back at the question while Hora tilted her head a bit. "I thought he'd be with you?" She murmured, and Lucy seemed to wilt a little at the mention, a heavy sigh escaping her.
"I don't know, he ran off." The blonde muttered in exasperation, shrugging a little with a shake of her head. "I think he said something about wanting to get his hands on something... He probably headed off early to go stuff his face with all the food there's gonna be, knowing him." Lucy sighed, Hora smiled a little at the words, humming a bit in amusement.
"Heh, probably."
.:+:.
"This place is huge...!"
"Look at all the decorations! And the food!"
"The King really went all out in this, huh?"
"Everyone looks so nice all dressed up..!"
"This is so fancy, ah..!"
"Oh, there's Kagura and Erza! Come on Yukino!"
"A-Alright..."
"Come with me Wendy, let's see what else the King set up for us!"
"Okay!"
"Hey, let's go and get some grub, huh?!"
"Heck yeah!"
Hora blinked, her and Rogue paused off to the side not far from the entrance into the ballroom (and what long corridor they'd traveled down to get here). Neither she nor Rogue moved, not even when everyone else they'd come with were quick to wander off and start enjoying their own preferred aspects of the party.
To be honest though, both Hora and Rogue subconsciously stalled, their eyes wandering the (very!) large ballroom packed all up with tables, expensive chandeliers, flowers, marble pillars, and stacks upon stacks of similarly expensive and lavish food and drink... Oh, and packed with people too.
Hora swallowed slightly, her eyes flashing as she gave the crowds of people a quick look over and found many she did recognize- like the others in SaberTooth who had headed out separately from her, some others from Fairy Tail, Lamia, Mermaid Heel, Quatro Cerberus and Blue Pegasus too. But there was a ton more people she hadn't a clue who they were, what Guild they belonged to, or that she had ever seen before.
Lots and lots of people
She bit the insides of her cheeks as she gave the ballroom that quick scan and saw so many she knew, many more she didn't, and one in particular she did know and did not see at all.
Gray's not here...
Her eyes dropped a little at the realization, her heart clenching despite herself.
... Damn it.
Hora shook her head faintly at herself and glanced up toward Rogue instead, blinking slowly to see him sort of standing a little stiffly in his spot, red eyes narrowed slightly and looking a little wary at all the people and whatnot. She felt him stiffen a little unconsciously in her arm, her expression pulling a bit away from her own disappointment and turning sympathetic instead.
Rogue really wasn't much of a social butterfly. Even around the Guild he wasn't really talkative, or prone to jump into conversations, or anything like that, he never had been. Outside of that stony face he'd learned to put up under Jiemma's rule, he had always been a genuinely quiet and reserved person at heart, and he wasn't quick to relax around new people or those he didn't know for at least quite some time. Hell, the last week of having everyone from all the other Guilds around would probably have been pretty nerve-wracking for him, if he hadn't been so consumed in worrying over her and if she would survive the whole time... Hora forced herself a silent breath, her eyes flashing.
Either way, there was a lot of people here. It was pretty crowded already and she knew there'd be more still making their way in after them- which meant they ought to at least try and move away from the entrance.
Hora tugged her arm a bit in Rogue's hold, earning the Shadow Dragon Slayer's eyes almost immediately. He blinked in surprise and question as Hora offered him up a small, slightly weary smile, her head tilting left away from the entrance.
"Come on, let's go and find someplace to settle in, okay?" She hummed quietly, Rogue paused, looking a little unsure with the suggestion before nodding a little.
"Alright."
Hora pulled him gently along with her as they left the entrance behind, skirting the edges of the room as they headed a bit deeper in and Hora did her best to find a corner where there weren't as many people all flocked together, and where they might manage to relax a little without being caught up in a conversation right away.
They managed to get near the far end of the ballroom and not far off from a wall of doors leading to many different balconies without getting stopped, and Hora drew them up near a table that was a little separate from the rest and empty of other people. The other tables that were nearest to them were much the same, or had only a handful of people all content to talk amongst themselves and give neither Hora nor Rogue any mind. Which was perfect, it was a good place to give Rogue a chance to settle in to the whole Party thing, and Hora herself wasn't keen to get locked into a conversation or some interaction she might end up getting flustered or worked up over... She still had to be careful not to let her emotions get too far out of hand, lest Over-Drive act up and have her coughing. That would not be fun, especially not here.
And especially not before she ever even got around to the one conversation that was more than likely going to work her up no matter what she did- tch.
Well. Away from that for now-
Hora un-linked her arm from inside Rogue's, her attention falling on the small line of glasses stacked neatly on the table top in front of them and bending over a bit to give them a curious sniff.
Hmm... Champagne, sparkling water, cider, and wine.
She cast Rogue a sideways glance and straightened up, smiling slightly as she tilted toward the glasses.
"Any preference?" She asked lightly, he paused.
"Ah... wine." He murmured and Hora nodded once, handing him a glass. He took it with a small dip of his head toward her, his eyes landing in the cup as he held it for a few moments, staring at the scarlet liquid... before glancing up slowly, his attention trailing over their immediate area and the relative quiet of it compared to everywhere else. Rogue blinked, hints of realization and surprise dawning on his face as he did before his attention moved toward Hora again.
Did... Did she bring us over here to get away from all the crowds...?
Rogue's eyes flashed, his expression softening while his lips twitched slightly at the edges in a faint, appreciative smile.
"Thank you." He told her softly, breaking Hora off her debate of her own drink for a second. She shot him a sideways glance, her own expression softening for the smile on his face and the gentleness of his voice, nodding once.
"You're welcome."
Hora and Rogue stuck mostly to themselves for about fifteen minutes or so, the two of them getting caught up in quiet conversation between themselves. It was content that way, they'd not had many opportunities to just talk to one another in a normal sense, not after the last few days of apologies, ache, worry, confessions, and trying to settle everything in the Guild combined. But this wasn't that, this was relaxing and not at all uneasy or the like- it wasn't even hampered by nervousness or embarrassment either. Their conversation didn't end up spurring any awkward or flustered feelings, not like how they'd constantly managed to do around each other the last few days.
This was simple, and so nice, and it helped both Hora and Rogue to unwind a little from their own worries and uncertainties. After awhile Rogue seemed to start to forget about all the people and the commotion going on around them, and Hora started to worry less about not seeing that one particular person in the room. It was a bit of a nice reprieve from that, and those nagging unpleasant thoughts, stress, and worries connected to it... At least for a little while.
Rufus and Orga made their way over to where Hora and Rogue were at the twenty minute mark, picking up the conversation with Rogue in Hora's stead and she didn't mind. She was happy to simply sit by and listen to them, and a little happier to be able to tune in when Gajeel popped into the picture too, and Rogue seemed rather happy to be able to talk to the Iron Dragon Slayer he had thought so highly of since he was a child. Plus with Gajeel coming in- PantherLily was not far behind, and Hora ended up chatting with the Exceed quite contentedly for a few minutes just by themselves, before falling quiet and listening to everyone else some more.
It was a nice reprieve, and a good way to start off the uneasy notion of this party and what would come with it in general... But it did only last that little while.
"Horatia."
Hora glanced up and around, turning slightly from the rest of everyone else to the sound of her name. Her eyes found Lyon a few paces back from the table, the Ice Wizard's eyes darting quickly over her person now that he got a full look at her, and he seemed surprised- before smiling slightly, dipping his head toward her.
"You look wonderful." He told her softly and without skipping near a beat after seeing her in full. Hora blinked in surprise at it, before smiling a little sheepishly, hooking her arms behind her back and stepping away from the table and everyone else toward Lyon instead.
"Ah, thanks... You look good too, Ice-Boy." She hummed, he smiled a little more at the nickname, but simply nodded in response to the compliment before moving on-
"Have you been here long?" He asked next, Hora shook her head a bit.
"Not too long. Maybe like half an hour so, I think." She replied, "You?"
"Near the same." He murmured, "It took me a bit to find you, after wading through everyone else." He admitted, Hora nodded a little to it before she paused, her eyes flashing while her expression turned slightly uneasy.
"Have you seen Gray yet...?" She asked, her voice dropping significantly as she said it and Lyon seemed to sigh, shaking his head once or twice.
"No, not yet." He replied quietly, Hora's face fell slightly, her eyes dropping from Lyon and to the floor a moment.
"... Right..." She mumbled softly, Lyon grimaced a bit at it.
"He'll be here, I promise." The Lamia Mage assured her quickly, Hora swallowed, glancing back up from the ground and nodding stiffly, and only once.
"Yeah well... If you run into him first, maybe you can let him know I wanna talk to him..?" She asked quietly, her voice wavering slightly though she tried not to let it. Lyon's expression turned a little more sympathetic and a little more aching for it, though he stayed as calm as can be and nodded firmly.
"I will." He promised steadily, the Ice Wizard offering up a smile for her that was more gentle than most would ever dream of earning from him. It was meant to be reassuring, and to try to settle what clear nerves and worry she had about Gray not being there, the conversation she was set to have with him, and everything in between... And she couldn't help but smile slightly back- mostly because she did know it was a rare thing to earn from the Lamia Wizard, and a little because it made her feel a little better for a moment or two.
But only a moment or two- and hell if she didn't stay stressed, or continually grow more and more stressed as the minutes ticked by afterward.
She felt like her heart was beating too fast, her nerves ramping up as time ticked on and she remained on high alert for any sign of that Brother she lost so long ago (and lost again not too long ago as well). She did her best to give everyone else around her some amount of attention, and focus on what they were talking about and whatnot- especially if she were to be suddenly prompted- but her attention was severely divided, and she could not help it. Rogue seemed to grow acutely aware of her being increasingly on edge because his own attention on the conversations he'd been a part of got diverted several times when he cast Hora slightly concerned looks she was utterly oblivious to, which only made him a little more concerned.
She couldn't risk getting worked up before ever even having a conversation with Gray. Her nerves would be on a high no matter what, but stressing herself out beforehand was not going to help anything. Worse, it might even make the talking harder, and make her all the more prone to having Over-Drive act up again. Which would be awful-
Hora stiffened, the anxious shifting back and forth on her feet that had started a few minutes beforehand stalling, her entire posture growing suddenly rigid and eyes fixed out across the room she'd scanned for the thousandth time- only to draw up, finally. Rogue blinked, his gaze quickly following where hers had landed, and swallowing.
It was easy enough to pick out that head of raven hair among the crowds, even if Hora hadn't been rather obsessively searching for it. And now it was there, he was there, half-hidden by other people as he wound his way rather lazily through a few different crowds, eyes stuck straight ahead and headed toward what seemed like nowhere in particular... And totally unaware of Hora's dark blue gaze stuck to the Ice Wizard with the same eyes.
And perhaps unsurprisingly, Hora ended up freezing.
She couldn't move, her feet stuck in place to the floor and she faltered- but she shouldn't have faltered. This is what she'd been waiting for, he was there now, right there all ready for her to walk up to him and start that conversation. All ready to come clean on that last secret and lie of all the many she had kept to herself for so long, and been dropped into spilling and getting laid out in the open during all the insanity of the last few months, weeks, and days. He was right there, this was it.
Time to do it, go up to him, talk to him, tell him.
Hora shifted, her feet fidgeting slightly on the floor and earning half an inch forward before they stalled on her again.
Shit... Just... Just go .
She willed her feet to move but they wouldn't do as she asked, no matter how hard she tried. And the more she tried the louder the sound of her heart beating started to get in her ears, drowning out all the other chatter and noise of the party... The noise was getting way louder, and faster too-
"Hey, look at me a minute."
Hora jumped slightly, her eyes snapping sideways and off Gray while the sudden voice managed to cut straight through the thumping of her heart. Rogue was there next to her now, the Shadow Dragon Slayer stepping a few paces back from the table and everyone else as silent and inconspicuous as can be, and without even a hitch working its way into all their conversations for him ducking out so quickly.
Rogue's hand landed gently on Hora's shoulder as he called her attention to him, the dark-haired man leaning down slightly to murmur the words in her ear. When she looked up toward him he backed up some, though not much, his red eyes glimmering as they matched with her dark blue ones, and he could so easily see the anxiety and tension swimming in them. He stayed calm though, his face mimicking none of his own sudden worry and concern for how worked up she was getting- him being visibly stressed out about her was not going to help anything. So he remained cool and collected, because that's what she needed, and he offered up a gentle, reassuring smile too.
"It'll be alright, just take a breath." He told her steadily, Hora blinked, the words breaking her a bit out of her stiff posture while she did as she was told and took him a quick, and rather big breath of air... So big it actually hurt a little, and she felt a sudden upping in her chest and lungs of that feeling of beginning to simmer and burn, but swallowed back at it.
Damn it no .
You cannot freak out, or get worked up- not right now.
Fuck you Over-Drive you are not screwing this up right now, no damn way..!
She shut her eyes a moment, forcing herself another breath in and out, her hands linking together in front of her a bit tightly as she did it- but hey, the burning sensation in her lungs tapered out a bit, and the thumping of her heart in her ears didn't get to be as booming as it was before either.
Get ahold of yourself Hora you dumbass
She took in another big breath of air and seemed to shake herself out a bit, Rogue's hand leaving her shoulder slowly and the Shadow Dragon Slayer's expression softening slightly as a bit of his tension faded when she seemed to manage to settle herself again. She blinked her eyes open and shot him a glance, nodding stiffly and only once, her eyes flashing.
"Yeah, okay... I'm okay." She murmured quickly, and perhaps a tad breathlessly too- though only just. She smiled faintly at him and for half a second, "Thank you." She added softly, Rogue smiled a little back, nodding once.
"Of course." He murmured, red eyes glinting as he pulled back the rest of the way from her and tilted his head toward that raven head of hair across the room. "Good luck." He whispered, Hora swallowed, before nodding a little, her eyes breaking off Rogue and moving back across the way, her hands wringing around each other a little still- but when she went to take that first step forward, this time her feet did as she asked (even if her feet felt like dead weight).
The walk felt like a million miles, and not the fifty or so feet it actually was as she wound her way slowly around people and groups, giving none of them any mind as she went and never letting her eyes break from Gray for even a second. She couldn't lose sight of him in all the people, or let him slip away, and she couldn't stop or falter in her walking either... She was a little afraid if she did get stopped by someone in her path for too long, or paused even just a little, that she might not get her feet to start moving again. And if that happened there was no Rogue just next to her to snap her out of her own head, so she had to keep going.
Keep walking... You got this... Just get there, talk to him, say... shit, what do I say...?
Her hands tightened around each other, stalling in the constant wringing they'd been involved in the whole walk over till now.
Ah... Uhm, just... Just ask him if you can pull him aside or something, so you can talk for a bit. So you can... So you can tell him, and say it.
She wove quietly around the last person between her and him, and that was it. Her eyes locked on to his back and her feet stopped at last, her hands tightening around each other as her eyes glittered, and the thumping of her heart in her ears amped up in volume all over again.
Three feet, that was it. Just three feet of nothing between her and him, with nobody else really all that close by, and nobody paying her or him any mind. For a small brief moment everything seemed to close in on them, and it was just them in that giant hall filled with so many... Just him right there in front of her, and so close. This was it.
You have to say it
She swallowed, hard, dark blue eyes glinting and her throat and chest suddenly feeling like they tightened- while her heart raced and skipped a beat all at once.
"Ah... G... Gray...?"
It was a miracle his name even made it passed her lips with how feeble her voice ended up sounding just then, and she hated she couldn't stop it quivering, or even manage to speak the hell up. But despite the near whispered tone and whatever else, he did hear it, because the instant his name hit the air he stiffened ahead of her, shoulders hunching slightly and instantly sliding from nonchalance and near boredom into being on edge and tense. He didn't turn toward her right off, and when he did it was slowly, his hands in his pants pockets and gaze latching warily onto where she was standing. He must have recognized her voice, which was why he was so instantly on edge, but when his eyes landed on her the tension got broken by a little bit of surprise.
Surprise not because he didn't realize it was her who had called him, he definitely knew it was her- but surprise because of the way she looked. The dress was definitely a bit of a shock, but more so was the fact that she looked... Well, she looked fine.
A stupid thing to be surprised with of course, because he'd already known she was doing alright and had been healed up fairly well by now. But even so she did look okay, and way better than he had anticipated.
He saw no open wounds, no bruises, no blood, and no amount of that terrible sickly pallor and pale skin she'd had when things had been at their worst. She looked totally okay, and nearly perfectly healthy... Which even if it shouldn't have been surprising, it still was- and it was a bit of a relief too.
Gray's shoulders sank out of the little hunched posture they'd adopted to start, a fraction of his unease getting melted away as that sense of relief made a sudden and kind of unexpected appearance in his core. It felt a little strange to have felt that relieved with her being alright, since he really hardly knew her, but he wasn't heartless- and maybe it made at least a little sense. He'd been trying hard to help keep her alive, so being invested in her well-being and happy she was okay wouldn't be too far from understandable, right?
A small sigh escaped him for the thought, his shoulders sinking the rest of the way and dark blue eyes glinting faintly, the tension previously on his face giving way to something a little softer, and more at ease.
Right
"Hey." He murmured softly, shifting slightly on his feet to turn the rest of the way and face her more directly. "You look good." He told her lightly, Hora went rigid, eyes widening and her heart skipping a startled beat for the sudden and totally unexpected compliment(?)..!
Her face must have given away her shock or nervousness, because Gray shook his head faintly, a small sigh escaping him.
"You look better." He said instead, and Hora faltered, her shock breaking off again at the correction. "You seem like you're back on your feet for the most part, huh?" He hummed, and Hora faltered half a second more, before nodding stiffly.
"U-Uh, yeah." She mumbled, and he seemed to smile for just a half a second at the answer, before it was gone again and he just nodded a little back. Hora took a tiny step forward though, her eyes flashing as she pulled her linked together hands in toward herself a bit, "Ah, t-thank you for that by the way, and everything you did for me." She told him quickly, Gray tensing slightly at the mention of it though she didn't quite pause just yet. "I mean it, really. Thank you for everything, I wouldn't have survived at all if not for... All you did..." She mumbled before trailing off, her voice dropping and her words dying out as Gray seemed to grow even more uneasy with the thanks, his eyes darting off her and to the side as he seemed to grimace faintly.
"Don't." He mumbled, and a little abruptly too, which caused Hora to jump at the sudden words, her shoulders hunching slightly against the order. Gray seemed to catch himself soon after saying it though, his eyes flitting back toward Hora in time to see her almost flinch.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to... I just... Shit..." He apologized quickly before cutting himself off again. He bit the inside of his cheek, shifting uncomfortably for a moment while one hand came out of his pocket and rubbed at the back of his neck a tad uncertainly. For a second or two he didn't say anything further, and neither he nor Hora moved at all- not until the Ice Mage shook his head a few times, and let out a sigh.
"... Look, you don't gotta thank me for anything. It's fine." Gray started again at length, Hora blinked in surprise. "There's no reason for it, or anything else. After everything that happened I... I couldn't do nothing, not after what you... Tch." He mumbled quietly, his shoulders hunching a little despite himself as he cut off, while Hora stalled, her eyes flashing.
After what I...?
"... I don't get it all, it's crazy and weird, but... I know most everybody thinks that when we saw things happen, and people get hurt, and... And people die, and all that- that it was just sort of 'Vision' or something of what was gonna happen, but hadn't yet." Gray mumbled lowly, his voice dropping slightly on the word 'die' despite himself, while Hora swallowed against it.
"But crazy as it is, it did actually happen, it wasn't just an image or whatever... Time ended up rewinding at the last second, so none of it stuck, but it happened." He murmured lowly, "Even if it was only for a little bit before it got undone... All of that we saw, it was real." He murmured quietly, tensely, his eyes stuck on the floor and grimacing faintly as he said it, and remembered it.
Hora felt her heart twist along with her stomach as the memory of it came flooding back for her all over again too, and though she tried so hard not to let the images invade her mind, trying was mostly useless.
.:+:.
Hora's heart skipped a beat, because while their eyes were on her and Callan- none of them noticed the Mini-Dragon's directly on their flank, already ready to send off a burst of hot, high-powered Magic directly for them, and the first- directly for Juvia. Juvia, who like near everyone else, her eyes had not left Hora, not for a second, and she had no idea of the danger suddenly aimed at her. None of them had any id- wait..!
Hora's heart dropped, her blood running cold and instinctively pushing up against Callan's hold, blue eyes full of panic and fear when she saw someone else move, someone other than herself who saw that Mini-Dragon at the last possible second, and moved even when there was no time to- NO!
"Watch it-!"
"DON'T!"
Hora screamed the word, her voice harsh and breathless, and still loud enough they heard it- but it didn't matter, he'd already moved, and the Mini-Dragon had already sent off it's Magic beam.
The world and time itself seemed to slow down in that instant, trudging by at a terrifying snails pace and every millisecond of it transpiring too fast to even fathom- and yet every single detail of it was impossible to miss.
It was burning into her mind- in all their minds- in what few seconds it occurred, clear as a bell, every little detail, all of it- and she could not move, or do anything about it.
Juvia stumbled to the side, pushed that way and out of the line of fire at the last possible second, and with it there was no time for him to move either- him pushing her out of the way just put him directly in the way, and that blast of Magic tore straight through his chest like it was nothing.
No-
The terror that raced through Hora was clear as day in Juvia's face, and Meredy's, and Lyon's too- all of them suspended in time as that sticky crimson splattered into the air, born from the fist sized hole suddenly torn through his body. His teeth grit as he coughed some of that scarlet liquid up, his face both stunned, confused, and pained all at once.
N-no-!
There were more Mini-Dragons than that one, they'd pulled themselves from the surrounding rubble and closed in as soon as the Mage's let up in their fighting even a little, crowding in and quick to jump in on the carnage- maws open wide and Magic bubbling in the pits of their stomachs long before the first shot ever got all the way through his body.
NO-!
A second shot went off, and a third, fourth, five, six- way to many too count, all of them in rapid succession, each one tearing through him just as easily as the first, ripping him to shreds and his body jerked with each one. And with each shot, the splatter of his blood on air and against the stone grew frighteningly more solid... and the look on his face...?
Still so... confused, and p-pained... n..no...
The last shot went off, blaringly loud, and it felt like she'd gotten shot too, directly through her very soul, while it... it went through the his... h...his... h...head...
He hit the ground with a heavy thud, limp, umoving, his body riddled in holes, skin slick with scarlet dripping fast from every wound... and utterly.. s..silent... n...no... no...!
The whole world stopped in that moment, her heart with it- and she felt like every part of her mind, body, soul- all of it got ripped in two, torn to shreds just like he-
.:+:.
Hora hissed under her breath, her eyes dropping from Gray and to the floor, her hands gripping so tightly about one another her fingernails nearly pierced flesh- but that small prickle of pain was enough to snap her from the midst of the memory. She shut her eyes against it for a moment, holding her breath,
Damn it... don't get sucked up in that...tch...
Gray frowned deeply, a shiver running up his own spine when the already blurry recollection of being shot and then everything going black at the end rammed into him, and made his stomach churn. His own hands ended up clenching as Hora's had, though he surely didn't notice her sudden tension over his own, and he didn't look up from the floor either. He did pause a moment though- the pause something uneasy, heavy- before shaking his head slightly and continuing on, his voice even lower than it had been but heartbeats before.
"It was real, and it could have happened all over again... but you didn't let it." Gray murmured softly, Hora stiffened, her eyes snapping open again. He didn't look up though even when she did, his hand came off his neck slowly and buried itself back in his pants pocket like the other was, the Ice Mage's shoulders hunched a tad while his eyes dropped closed. "Even though you were beat to hell and you getting hurt in the middle of it didn't go away like it did with the rest of us- you were the only one who reacted at all. You're the one who took out all of the Mini Dragons, and even a bunch of them that were nowhere near us and bothering other people in the rest of the city. You probably helped out a bunch of other people with that huge Spell of yours, and... Well..." He murmured, a small breath escaping him as he seemed to hesitate a moment, before he shook his head once.
"... You definitely saved me... I kinda owe you my life for that, ya know." He added softly, tensely so, and Hora swallowed. But Gray didn't linger long on it, he just forced himself to glance up and shook his head one more time, dark blue eyes glinting as he caught her gaze for the first time since starting on the topic. "So don't thank me for anything. I had to start repaying you somehow." He told her levelly, his tone bordering on something like finality- Hora's heart sped up a bit, panic creeping in fast because that being the final word and end of the conversation was the very last thing she wanted.
"Y-You don't owe me anything..!" She said quickly (and perhaps a tad too loudly, but she couldn't help it, she was rushing). She took a tiny step forward toward him as she said it too, and mostly out of an unconscious need to anchor him in the conversation she was so afraid was going to sputter into an end before it had even started.
"I mean it, you don't owe me for any of that! I didn't do it so you'd have to pay off a debt or anything, I did it because I wanted- because I had to..!" She told him, her voice a little rushed and shaky, but no less genuine all the same, even as she corrected herself mid-sentence. She took another half step closer and stopped, shaking her head firmly while Gray blinked, his eyes narrowing slightly and looking a bit wary for the words, but Hora didn't dare pause. "I c-couldn't let you die, not on anything..! I'd never be able to sit still and not try to at least do something, regardless of being hurt or whatever else! I had to do something, anything...! A-And I'd do it again, as many times as I had to, and I'd never expect you to owe me anything or even want you to feel like you should..! B-Because me doing that is not something you should ever have to owe me for, it's not a favor, it's... It's your life, and I don't want you to lose it..!" She kept on, her pace getting a little quicker and a little more desperate with each word- while Gray looked increasingly more shocked, confused and uneasy with every single bit of it.
Hora didn't really register any of that though, least of all enough to stall what had nosedived into semi-rambling on her part. And certainly not enough to stop her from blurting out the next bit, or how painfully honest it ended up being;
"You don't owe me anything! I did it because I couldn't risk losing you again, I... I can't lose you again!"
Gray went rigid, Hora doing the same not a moment after the words left her mouth, and she snapped it shut so hard her teeth clacked.
O-Oh my god, did I really just-?!
Gray's face fell, the Ice Mage shifting a little on his feet away from her, grimacing faintly and looking extremely confused and unnerved. Hell, he looked downright uncomfortable, and Hora's heart dropped into her feet in both panic, disbelief, and horror with herself.
Because seriously- DID I REALLY JUST BLURT THAT OUT?!
Her hands snapped up and covered her mouth instinctively, her heart dropping through her feet and into the very pits of the earth as Gray's posture seemed to turn just a little defensive and guarded, the Ice Mage looking completely unsure of what to do, or even what that was.
FUCK I TOTALLY DID JUST SAY THAT! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME!?
HE LOOKS SO WEIRDED OUT- OF COURSE HE'S WEIRDED OUT!
I'M A TOTAL STRANGER THAT JUST SAID SOMETHING A STRANGER NEVER SHOULD!
Hora's hands fell from covering her mouth, the Fire Devil Slayer about to take a frantic step toward Gray only to halt herself at the last second, since she was afraid getting closer might just unnerve him further than she already had.
Shiiiiiiiit what do I do?! How do I make me saying that not be so weird..?!
I mean I could just tell him who I am and then it would make sense- right...?!
B-But I wasn't planning to just blurt that out here...! I w-wanted to pull him aside somewhere else and- AND WHY DIDN'T JUST DO THAT IMMEDIATELY-?!
Gray seemed to grow increasingly more wary in the rather heavy silence that followed, both of them rooted in their places and stuck there, neither sure what to do or how to react and... Move on-
"Ah, Horatia! I have been looking for you!"
Hora's attention snapped off of Gray, the Fire Devil Slayer jumping more than a little at the sudden voice sounding off to their left and a little behind her. Hora's eyes matched with Erza's, the redhead all dressed up prim and proper, a drink in hand and smiling as she made her way deliberately through all the other people and straight toward Hora in no time at all. At Titania's heels was Mirajane, and at the call of her name on the air several other people all around the room suddenly set their sights on the Fire Devil Slayer too... Like more than several people actually, and more like a lot of people.
A lot of people instantly with their eyes trained to her, guided by Erza's voice cutting through the rabble with absolute ease, and all of them intent, curious, and entirely locked on her.
And why?
"It seems congratulations are in order, hmm?" Erza smiled, the redhead stopping beside Hora with gleaming eyes. "You may be a bit young to be a Guild Master, but I don't think that will matter. I am sure you'll do splendidly." Erza told her brightly, Mirajane nodding in agreement with a sweet smile of her own.
"You'll be a wonderful leader, Hora." Mirajane murmured, Hora blinked a few times, her mind stuttering at the sudden interruption and struggling to come to terms with what they were saying, and not letting her attention divert for too long.
"U-uhm, thank you... But I uh-" Hora mumbled reflexively while her eyes darted quickly off the two woman (as well as the sudden influx of people shifting closer to where they were all of a sudden) and back around toward where Gray-
She stiffened, her voice dying off abruptly when her eyes landed on an empty spot where her Brother should have been. And now there were three new people stepping into that hole that had been left there, smiling and murmuring things like congratulations and whatever, but Hora didn't hear any of it. Her eyes flitted straight passed them, rushed and searching the sudden crowds of people pressing in on all sides for any sight of him, her eyes flashing when she caught a tiny glimpse of his raven hair between all the people. He cast an uneasy look back as he slid between two people, and for just a split second their eyes matched, dark blue on identical blue as they both faltered for a moment, before he seemed to grimace faintly and look away again, a hand rubbing the back of his neck somewhat awkwardly before dipping out of sight behind someone too tall for Hora too see him around.
Hora's heart felt like it dropped into her feet, the organ twisting painfully as it went and then slamming down with an excruciating thump that reverberated through every inch of her, and left her feeling cold. Her eyes dropped from the crowds and all the people's who's faces seemed unnaturally blurred now, her hands clenching tightly around one another to the point her knuckles turned white, and she surely must have been hurting herself... but her hands felt numb in that sudden wave of cold, and she couldn't feel anything.
Three feet, that was it. There had been just three feet of nothing between her and him, and then less than that not long after. He'd been there, right there- that was it... but it was gone now, so so quickly.
Hora's eyes dropped closed, holding her breath a moment against the icy-cold burning in her very soul.
You should have said it
Gray stepped passed a few more people, bringing himself quietly through the gathering crowd to the edge and eventually away. He felt a little bad for leaving like that, but he'd been a bit unsure of what even to say or do after her little outburst- and when Erza suddenly interrupted and stalled the conversation, it seemed a good break to step away and just try to... settle.
He grimaced, stepping out to the edge at last and swallowing hard as the words ran on a repeat again, and continued in a ghostly echo on his mind.
I can't lose you again
He grit his teeth slightly, the hand on the back of his neck tightening a little while his stomach churned.
That whole thing was weird, she was weird, but that part?
That part was a lot more than just weird, it was nerve-racking, unsettling- awkward.
Gray suppressed a groan in the back of his throat, his hand falling off his neck with a heavy sigh.
I can't lose you again... What the hell is that even supposed to mean...?
Damn it, not just that, but what the hell did she mean when she said had to tell me something too? I didn't get a chance to ask her about it around the rambling and whatever else- tch.
I have to talk to her, but maybe for now it'd be better to let all this excitement about her being Saber's Guild Master blow over... Maybe by the time it does all of these... These feelings from what she said will go away too.
He sighed again, sweatdropping slightly at the thought.
I hope so anyway
Gray shook his head and stepped around the crowd, starting to bring himself past it and away to garner that space and time he hoped would help him settle. His eyes shift back toward the crowd slowly, biting the inside of his cheek as he gave one last attempt at looking back and catching sight of her fiery hair around all the others- which he managed, just for a moment. Passed everyone else and in a small break that allowed him a line of sight toward her, his attention landed on that Saber who had done nothing but irk him, confuse him, and just generally make him wary and not at all at ease- the next step he planned to take and bring him away further away stalled, and so did the rest of him.
Because just in that small second he caught a glimpse of her, he saw her eyes down and on the floor, her lips pulled into a thin line as her expression twisted, so... So crestfallen.
Gray stiffened at it, eyes widening and his heart skipping a half a beat in shock for the sudden look, and how heavy it seemed on her shoulders all of a sudden. His stomach clenched that time instead of just churning, swallowing hard against a lump that had found its way into his throat in reaction to it, and the small pang of guilt that hit him.
Hora seemed to force herself up and shake off a bit of that weight hanging over though, her eyes moving up and on to everyone else. A small smile made it's way on to her face, washing away the ache that had been there just a moment before- and so fast.
Gray faltered further for it, his shoulders sinking for a moment while his face fell instead, and his soul ended up aching as much as hers seemed to before she wiped it away so quickly it was like all that pain and discomfort and fear hadn't been there at all... And he had to wonder how long she'd had to practice to make it seem so easy to hide all that turmoil.
Hora kept up the smile, her attention diverting back to the crowds and people all around her, calling out congratulations for her new appointment as Guild Head, and well wishes for her in doing so. Many of the other Guilds who had yet to see her since the decision was made, and the others who hadn't quite been aware of Saber's new leader, but definitely heard it now, they all bunched in too. Which ended up for a lot of people, and a big buzz of anticipation and excitement on the air too- Hora couldn't quite share those feelings at that moment, but she tried.
She tried to shake off the coldness that had crept in and replace it with appreciation for all the good lucks and affirmations that she would do well- and she did appreciate them all, even if it didn't quite hit home just then. But unfortunately when the cold began to wear off it was not that appreciation that took the forefront- it was nervousness, and flusterdness, and all the like. She felt flustered with the attention mostly, but it got worse when people like Jura, Makarov, Bob, and the other Guild Masters tossed over their own words of them being sure she would do well... which lead to a quick downward spiral of getting worked up, and sort of getting rather overwhelmed with all the people all around, crowding in, talking to her, paying attention to her, and everything else.
Her nerves were quickly rising to a high all over again, and though she did her best to stay upbeat, polite, and entertain everyone's attention- it was a lot. And it only made how worked up and twisty she felt about losing sight of Gray even worse- and then it got even worse than that the several times she spared a quick look around at all the people to try and spot him, and never could.
He left
She could hear her heart pounding in her ears again, her chest tightening as a heat in the base of her lungs kept gradually strengthening, and it took everything to keep it at bay and keep herself from starting to crack under the pressure of it. The first chance she got to pull herself from the crowd (that had thankfully already started to thin from the rush to start), and step away without it seeming too weird or like she was running off- she did. She offered up a slightly shaky smile to the people she wound her way through, murmuring her thanks again for all the words she'd been given as she went, promising to catch up with some of them later, and then working her way out toward somewhere with less people, and preferably nobody at all. The first clear path out of the crowd was in the direction opposite of where she'd left Rogue, and though part of her would have maybe liked to catch up with him again, she was more focused on just being somewhere else, and fast.
She found an open balcony door leading to a garden-covered terrace ahead of her and made a beeline for it, Rogue on the other side of the room instantly alert to her leaving (after having been gritting his teeth at being stuck on the edges of the crowd moments before), and seeing her go that way. The Shadow Dragon Slayer went to follow her quickly, stopping short of tossing the people in his way out of his path, and instead melting into shadow and circling the walls to bypass them with ease, and follow. Sting, Lector and Frosch shifted from their spaces and started to work their way after Hora too- the three of them having been watching the pile-in around Hora, after having already tuned in warily when they'd seen her approach Gray at the start.
Hora didn't notice them following though, and she certainly didn't smell or hear them- her heartbeat was roaring in her ears, and she was holding her breath as she walked in an attempt to stifle what coughing she knew was fighting so hard to rear it's head. She was almost there, only with half a dozen feet left to go before the door, and already she could feel a bit of the air from outside wafting in, the sky a deep scarlet with the sun dipped past the horizon and already out of sight-
Hora stumbled, her heart skipping a beat in surprise when someone suddenly slid into her path, blocking her hasty retreat and stalling her rather abruptly. Further behind her Sting, Lector, Frosch and even Rogue staggered to a halt too- though neither Hora nor the sudden surprise someone noticed those four in the slightest.
Hora blinked several times, her eyes going wide in surprise as she ended up halting and was forced to take a good look at who it was that had quite deliberately stepped in her way- before stiffening a little, her shock shifting to unease and confusion when she registered the look on the bluenette's face, and it was... Intense and almost daunting...?
U-Uhm...?
Hora swallowed, hesitant for a moment before allowing herself a cautious, shallow breath- which thankfully was small enough she managed to intake some air, and not end up coughing for now.
"Ah... Juvia...? Is something... Wrong...?" Hora asked slowly, her voice teetering on breathless and almost wheezy- not that Juvia seemed to notice it. The Water Mage seemed to huff, her cheeks puffed up and a certain glint in her eye as she took several (very fast!) steps toward Hora, cutting the distance between them to near none and planting herself right before the Devil Slayer, while Hora fought the instinctual urge to lean back for a moment. She stayed still though, her hands being the only thing to move as they grasped to one another a tad apprehensively, and Juvia's eyes narrowed at the Saber.
"Juvia doesn't know what your intentions are with Gray-sama, but Juvia will not stand by and let you- Love Rival- win over my Darling Gray's affections!" The Water Mage muttered curtly, getting straight to the point and very heated- like in a simmering, three seconds away from boiling over kind of way. Hora went still though, the words causing her eyes to go wide, bristling a little in sheer shock.
L-Love Rival...?!
"W-Wait I'm not-!" Hora stammered out quickly, but Juvia glowered, leaning in a bit and staring straight into Hora's eyes with an intensity that set the Fire Devil Slayer on edge, her words breaking off nervously.
"Juvia will do anything to win Gray-sama's heart, even if that means Juvia must destroy all other Love Rivals! E-Even ones who have saved her Darling Gray's life...!" Juvia went on without pause for Hora's interjection, and Hora herself faltered a bit at the words, her eyes flashing when Juvia's voice wavered a bit, and seemed to drop imperceptibly at the end there. In fact Juvia's glowering lessened a little too, the daunting look turning faintly aching and uneasy now, though no less intense- Hora swallowed.
"Juvia is thankful for what you did to protect Gray-sama, truly... But Juvia cannot sit by and let you steal Gray-sama, or anything else..!" Juvia mumbled, her eyes glittering as her shoulders hunched, and her eyes dropped off Hora and to her hands clenching to the fabric of her dress, balling it slightly. "Gray-sama has been so tense the last week, and Juvia knows some of it is because of what happened, but the rest of it has something to do with you." Juvia mumbled quietly, Hora stiffened.
"Juvia doesn't understand it, but Gray-sama has been acting off. He's not been around the Guild, he's constantly going off by himself, he won't talk to Juvia or anyone else, and... and Juvia is worried...! Juvia just doesn't want Gray-sama to get hurt, or be lead on, or anything like that...!" Juvia kept on, while Hora's heart dropped into the pits of her feet at the words, her eyes flashing as she swallowed, hard.
He's.. he's really been acting that off...? B-Because of me...? That's why she's worried I'm... gonna hurt him...?
Juvia shook her head stiffly after pausing a moment, the Water Mage steadying herself again and earning back some of her steadiness and daunting from the start. Her hands tightened around her dress, the bluenette finding her voice once more as she looked up toward Hora again;
"Juvia would never want Gray-sama to be hurt by anyone, and Juvia will not allow i-!" Juvia started firmly, only for her voice and the intensity of her expression to get broken in surprise and shock when their eyes matched, and Hora looked suddenly so somber.
The Fire Devil Slayer seemed to have wilted a little, her eyes glittering as they swam with a million different emotions all at once- but of the many Juvia could see pain, and heartache there. Two things she had not anticipated to see in the Saber just now, at all.
Juvia's voice failed her, the Water Mage reeling and entirely confused- then further more confused and stunned when Hora's eyes dropped from her a moment, the Saber's lips twitching at the edges in a shaky, even more somber sort of smile.
"... You really care about him, don't you...?" Hora asked softly, her voice wavering a little and hushed, but Juvia heard her well enough, and blinked. Hora shook her head a little, her gaze moving back up to match with Juvia's again, the Fire Devil Slayer seemingly taking the silence as answer enough- and really she didn't need any answer at all. Juvia confronting her at all about this was proof enough, and proof further was just how uneasy and concerned the Water Mage truly was as she said what she did... plus;
.:+:.
"G-GRAY..!"
That wasn't her voice, it was someone else's- maybe many someones- and she meant to say it. She wanted to scream it, but her voice wouldn't come. Nothing came, she just froze, all the world around her, the chaos, the weight of Callan pinning her to the ground, the agony in her body from all the fighting- everything went deadly quiet in an instant. And all she could do was stare, the tears spilling from her eyes instantly, but even those were silent.
.:+:.
... that was Juvia's voice back then. I couldn't register it at the time, but it definitely was her.
Hora paused another heartbeat as the memory came and went, her eyes dropping closed a moment while she gave herself another moment or two to steady herself again, and push away the lurking heat and sting in her chest for just a bit longer... and for the very least, long enough to let her get through this, without getting thrown into a coughing fit.
Hora's eyes opened again after a minute, her gaze settling with Juvia's still slightly stunned one, the Fire Devil's expression pulling faintly- uneasy, sad, and even faintly scared.
"I don't want to hurt him, Juvia. I really don't, I'd never want to... And... And I don't intend to hurt him, or mean to, I promise. I'm not looking to steal his affection or anything either, I just... I need to talk to him, and it's complicated, but I don't intend for anything I say or do to... to hurt him, I really don't." Hora told the Water Mage, her voice tense and shaking imperceptibly. "I'm sorry everything's that's been going on has given you any reason to worry about him at all... I didn't mean to make him so uneasy, or tense, or do anything that'd affect him that way... I am sorry, Juvia." Hora murmured, her voice getting slightly hoarse on the apology- and an apology that Juvia's face fell flat for, her mind racing.
A dozen different ways that Juvia could have anticipated Hora's reaction to be to this confrontation, her actually apologizing, genuinely meaning it, and looking as sad as she did was not one of the scenarios the Water Mage could have ever-
"But I am really glad that Gray has somebody who cares for him as much as you seem to." Hora went on, her voice growing a little more wispy as Juvia went as stiff as a board, her eyes flashing at the words. Hora's somber smile got a little less so, becoming suddenly a little softer- gentler even- as the Fire Devil Slayer's dark blue eyes gleamed, and Juvia's breath caught in her throat, her heart skipping a beat.
She-?
"Thank you for looking out for him, Juvia." Hora told the (now not breathing) Water Mage quietly, her voice barely above a whisper and definitely bordering raspy now. The Fire Devil Slayer shifted on her feet at last, stepping passed Juvia, her smile fading to near nothing again as she did, one hand raising toward the bluenette in something of a tired wave. "... Maybe I'll see you later, okay...?" Hora mumbled, her voice scratching at her throat enough she had to hold her breath the minute she finished talking, and she averted her eyes from Juvia quickly too.
Hora started off again and Juvia hardly moved an inch at first, bluenette suddenly seeming to have been rooted to her spot as her mind struggled to understand... Well all of that, but mostly-
Juvia swallowed hard, turning stiffly and just enough to cast a look back after Hora's retreating form, her heart suddenly in a picked up and startled pace, her mind a storm and reeling, because just then? When that Devil Slayer smiled like that, and thanked her? With their eyes matched like that...?
Juvia recognized something in that Saber she never had before, something familiar- almost hauntingly so, and she could not place it. She couldn't place it, she didn't know why she felt it just then, she only knew that's what the feeling was, or something close to it;
I know that face
Juvia swallowed hard, her eyes gleaming as her hands clenched tighter to her dress, and her heart skipped another uncertain beat. She didn't even register the four figures of Lector, Sting, Frosch and Rogue quickly passing her by- her eyes stayed stuck to Horatia's back as the girl made her way out the terrace doors, and out sight.
I recognize her... But why...?
.:+:.
... He's been so uneasy, everybody's worried... Not just Juvia, I know Lyon has been too...
Her feet hit the stone of the balcony, leaving the marble floors, the grand hall, and all the people far behind, her eyes stuck down and not even registering each step. She just kept going.
... He's been acting off because of everything... Because of me, and all the shit that happened... How I was acting... How I've still been acting, all weird and... Shit.
She snapped her eyes shut, her hand coming up quickly to cover her mouth and keep it shut- keeping herself from taking in any breaths of air, just as she'd refrained since walking off all the way up to know. And she still refused, her eyes shut tight and her feet still taking her further out onto the terrace filled with plants, further toward the railing and farther out of direct view of the doors she had come through to get there.
She's afraid I'm gonna hurt him... I don't want to, I don't mean to- but me telling him anything is gonna affect him no matter what...? E-Even if it doesn't hurt him, it could right...?
It doesn't matter if he'll be happy to see me, or not, or anything else- because this is all really really hard ...!
A-And I already made it worse by blurting all of that out earlier, and I didn't get a chance to explain or... Or anything, he left... I... Don't blame him for leaving, I made that whole situation really uncomfortable, but-
The heat and burning sensation in her lungs was rising, spreading out through her whole chest and making the urge to try and breathe all the worse, but she couldn't.
-but I... I didn't mean to...!
I just... I wanted to talk to him, I have to talk to him, and tell him... But what if telling him makes things harder...? O-Or worse...?
What if he really doesn't remember me at all, and it's not just that he doesn't recognize me? I-It makes sense he doesn't recognize me, I know that but... But what if he's blocked any memory of me out after all?
I know Lyon said he didn't, I know he talked about me- that's why Lyon knew who I was, but that was when they were kids..! When they were with their Master, Ur who... Who Deliora killed, and I was the one who was supposed to defeat it- that was the whole point of Arden giving me this Magic in the first place...!
Shit, shit- what if he doesn't wanna remember me? Or won't want to, if he ever realizes that I was the one supposed to kill Deliora, but his Master got killed doing it instead...? I know I was just a kid, but... But-
Her steps fumbled slightly on a rise in the stone she couldn't see with her eyes shut as tightly as she had them. Her eyes snapped open when she tripped, and she staggered a few paces forward before managing to catch herself, her one free hand finding leverage on the terrace railing she hadn't realized sheds reached yet, and saving her ending up on the ground. She paused for the first time in her walking then, her posture hunching slightly while the burning in her chest reached a new sharp point when one single, awful, and terribly invasive thought wormed it's way passed all the others and settled right in the forefront of her mind.
What if... What if telling him who I am is a mistake...? What if he won't want to know it's me..?
'None of that is true.' Lixue broke in steadily and without hesitation, his voice cutting through the sudden whirlwind wreaking havoc on her brain. And Hora could tell he was telling the truth- or at least she knew this was just her worries and fears running away with her after having been lurking for so long. Some part of her knew this was just anxiety and fear ramping her up and pushing her toward freaking out when she really could not afford to get freaked out- but hell.
Even knowing that did not keep the intrusive thoughts from hounding her, and it did nothing to lessen the pounding of her heart in her ears, the low roar of all the voices of everyone else and the music from inside, or the feeling of her chest on fire, or like she was suffocating-
She sucked in a sharp breath of air, the hand she had over her mouth no longer managing to help keep it shut, and she choked on it.
Hora's body folded instantly, the Devil Slayer dropping quickly into sitting on the balls of her feet and leaning heavily into the railing in front of her. Her fingers on the one hand dug into the stone edge of the top of the railing, while her other hand stayed covering her mouth as she started coughing. Each one felt like it was rattling her bones, and every scratchy breath of air jerking in and out of her lungs sent a fiery-hot stabbing sensation rushing through her... She almost missed the numbing cold she'd felt earlier when Gray left so suddenly.
"Shit, Hora..!"
"H-Hey..!?"
"Atia..!"
Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch faltered in their quick following after Hora when she suddenly bent over, and then the instant they heard the coughing start they darted straight across what distance still separated them right to her side. They hovered, Sting and Rogue bending down on either side of her while the Exceeds squeezed in by their knees, all of their eyes glinting like mad as their hearts picked up into a slightly panicked, fearful pace in no time at all. Rogue's hand caught under Hora's elbow to try and steady her while Sting's own hand found a place on her shoulder, their other hands landing on her back while the Exceed's paws landing on her knees, fur puffed up and tails twitching nervously as she jerked under their touch with each cough. And there came several of them, all of them faintly wheezy as they left her lungs and throat in short, jolting bursts... but the little fit of coughing lasted only a minute or two, the coughs slowing to slightly panting breaths in less time than any of them could ever hope- not that the short span of it made their knotted cores unwind all that much at all.
"Hora, are you okay..?" Rogue asked, his voice hushed and so clearly fearful. Hora grimaced, her hand falling from covering her mouth and head bending forward wearily, a small groan escaping her.
"... yeah... yeah I'm just... having a little mental breakdown... it's fine... I'm fine..." She replied breathlessly, the words making everyone stiffen and looking incredibly wary- not that she noticed, or cared much in the moment. Rogue swallowed rather audibly though, his hands on her person tensing a little despite himself.
This is exactly what he'd been afraid was gonna happen when she got around to talking to Gray, or about any of it- she was getting worked up just thinking about it, and then it got worse when she started to try getting to it, only to grow even worse than that when Gray dipped out of sight and she got surrounded by so many people all at once. And then Juvia popping up out of nowhere like that, and saying all of that stuff- shit.
She's coughing already, if she gets any more worked up she might... tch.
He swallowed hard again, the same fear and thoughts in his mind easy enough to see in Sting, Lector and Frosch too. They knew how much talking to Gray meant to her, they knew she had to do it, but if she got too stressed out and Over-Drive started to act up again, that would be awful. Worse than her not getting a chance to talk to Gray at all, even.
"Hora-" Rogue started, his tone dropping suddenly low, but Hora shook her head stiffly and cut him off.
"... No seriously, I'm fine." She murmured, her voice growing suddenly less breathless and more steady. She tilted her head up, but her eyes didn't find Rogue or anybody else, she just looked straight ahead passed the railing in front of her and out to the dark city far off twinkling with lights as the sun kept sinking. "... I'm not trying to freak out, but... I'm ramping myself up, my head keeps coming up with these terrible things and I know they aren't true, and I can't believe them... I know that, I just..." She trailed off, forcing herself a big breath of air that sounded a little more uneven than anybody liked- but hey, she didn't end up sputtering for it nonetheless.
She shook her head a bit, her eyes dropping closed again while her shoulders sank, her stomach still a huge knot and lungs still burning slightly... but it was getting less hot, the more she tried to quell it and all the whirling things in her head, and the longer she got to sit there and just try. She had to make it settle down, she had no choice, she could not let herself get this worked up... but...
"... I need a bit, okay?" Hora murmured softly after a small pause, her eyes opening again and casting Rogue a sideways glance, their eyes matching for a brief moment before she looked away again, and suddenly moved. Hora pushed herself stiffly up out of the crouch and on to her feet, her hand on the railing shaking faintly as she used it for leverage to get herself up all the way, and everyone else around her scrambled a bit- their hands hovering nervously and holding on to her the whole way, even when she didn't use them for any sort of support.
"H-Hold on a moment, don't push it-!" Rogue stammered quickly in the midst of it, Sting clicked his tongue.
"Hora slow up-!" Sting hissed too, but Hora shook her head again, pulling herself gently out of their hold as she turned, stepping back to lean into the railing behind her and sighing.
"I'm fine." She repeated, again, her expression softening as she saw the fear and uncertainty on their faces, and the way their hands still tried reaching out even when she pulled herself away. Her arms crossed over her chest slowly, shaking her head at them as they hesitated, looking still unconvinced. "... I mean it... I need a little to calm down again, but I am okay... I'm not gonna let myself get so worked up that Over-Drive starts to act up again, I promise... I didn't mean to get worked up at all, it was just... a lot... and a lot of people, and it's..." Her voice trailed off and her eyes fell to her feet, glinting faintly as her shoulders seemed to hunch.
"... I don't mean to worry you guys, or scare you... I'm sorry, I didn't know it'd be this hard or... or overwhelming... and I... I'm sorry..." Hora told them, her voice trembling faintly as it dropped to something just short of a whisper, and all four of them stiffened at it, bristling.
"Don't be sorry, Hora..!" Sting told her quickly with a curt shake of his head,
"Yeah Atia, we get it!" Lector said, his paws clenching into fists at his side wile Frosch nodded firmly, the little Exceed's eyes glinting.
"You don't gotta be sorry Atia!"
"We understand how difficult a situation this is for you, you needn't apologize for anything..!" Rogue added in too, red eyes flashing. "We are worried of course, but that's because we don't want to see you hurt, or have Over-Drive start to act up again- but none of that, or any of this is your fault or something you should feel guilty over..! We'll worry no matter what, because we care about you, but it's nothing for you to apologize for!" He hissed,
"What he said!" Sting murmured with a firm nod of his head toward Rogue, his eyes glinting as he seemed to force a small breath before going on. "Look Hora, we knew this shit was gonna be hard as hell, we know it's gonna take time and adjusting- we know you're trying as hard as you can not to get all bent out of shape about it, or worry us, or any of that. But you gotta quit worrying about us and how we feel about all of this, and focus on you instead!"
Hora blinked, her eyes moving up off her feet and up to them, her expression pulling in surprise and confusion all at once. They all shifted a pace closer though, leaning in a little and the Exceeds springing up into the air, their wings flaring as they brought themselves eye-level with everyone else... and they all looked so firm and steady now...?
"... What do you mean... focus on me...?" Hora mumbled uncertainly, and they seemed to bristle a little more at it, the fear and worry in their faces from just before getting overwritten with little bits of exasperation now.
"Hora you've been constantly putting yourself on the back burner and focusing more on worrying about us and trying to keep us safe and happy!" Sting told her, "Everything you do is for somebody else, even when you're all hurt and got your own stuff to deal with..! You put us ahead of everything even when Jiemma had you trapped, you pushed yourself harder and harder trying to protect and help everybody during the whole Dragon fiasco, even when you were barely on your feet and kept getting hurt worse!" He told her quickly, Rogue and the Exceeds nodding stiffly in agreement.
"You kept going and kept trying to take care of everyone, and save Yukino and Lucy, and everything else even after Jiemma tried to destroy the Possession Link, and you found out about your Brother in the first place." Rogue mumbled lowly, "You pushed away everything you were feeling about finding him alive and what you'd just gone through in order to get back to the Guild and make sure we were fine. And you kept pushing all of what you were feeling for the rest of it too- it's always somebody else before you, even when you're on death's door and your life is turning upside down!"
"Hell, I know part of the reason you said yes to bein' Guild Master was because you were worried about sticking it on me!" Sting added in, "I know some part of you wanted to do it because you care about the Guild, and you wanna make up for all the stuff that's gone on, and make things better for us- but that's still putting us ahead of you!"
"You've done so much for us your whole life, but after all of this it's way passed time you worry more about yourself than everyone else." Rogue told her firmly, "It's our turn to worry about you instead Hora, while you try and work out everything you need to. Let us worry and try to take care of you, so you can have time to focus on yourself and what you need."
"Yeah, that was what we were trying to get you to understand when we said you could leave the Guild Atia...!" Lector piped in, Hora stiffened slightly at the mention of it, her eyes going wide. "We know you care about us, but you have to worry about yourself too! You can't always be focused on taking care of everyone else, you have stuff that you gotta worry about figuring out for yourself!"
"We'd never have wanted you to leave, Atia, but we wanted you to have time to work through everything that's happening to you without having to keep all of us first!" Frosch mewed, "You just found out your Brother is alive after so long! We want you to have a chance to figure everything out that you need to with him, and what'll happen now without worrying about how it affects us over you!"
"Taking care of yourself isn't something you should ever apologize for!" Sting grumbled, Rogue shook his head hotly.
"You have to do whatever you need to Hora, even if it means we end up worrying." Rogue told her steadily, "Do what's best for you for awhile, not what's best for everyone else. We don't need you to worry so much about the rest of us right now, we're more focused on making sure you're alright."
"Yeah, all we want is for you to be okay, and for everything you got going on to work itself out okay too- no matter what it takes." Sting murmured, a small sigh escaping him. "Which means anything by the way. You've been holding the rest of us for a real long time and carrying everything all by yourself, but you don't have to do that anymore. We're here for you, whatever you need." He promised, the Exceeds nodding firmly as their tails lashed a bit behind them.
"Always." Rogue told her softly, his eyes glittering and burning an amber in the light of the setting sun.
Hora blinked, her eyes trailing over each and every one of them slowly, stunned into silence for a moment while her mind struggled to catch up with what they were saying, and how much they meant it.
She had always put everybody ahead of herself, but she'd never seen it as a bad thing... but maybe...?
Her eyes dropped from them and back toward her feet, her face falling slightly as her arms over her chest tightened a bit.
She'd never been one for leaning on other people, she had always been so secretive and reserved, and she likely would have remained that way if everything hadn't gotten so crazy and she'd been forced into revealing all she had. Sharing any of it had sucked, and it still sucked in many regards, so some part of her did just instinctively push it all away and find other things to focus on outside of herself, her own problems, and her own fucked up life. As long as everybody else was fine, and she could make sure it was fine- that always came first, and she never thought on it... But... are they right...? That I need to worry about myself for awhile...?
She bit the insides of her cheeks for the thought, dark blue eyes narrowing as her shoulders hunched a little.
Would I even know how to..?
She'd never done it, not really. Sure she could worry about herself in a fight enough to keep from getting hurt, but any notion of that always got thrown straight out the window when someone else came around, and she had to keep an eye on them, or try to protect them. Even just worrying about them being sad, or happy, or anything else always stayed at the top of her mind, and thoughts on her own feelings and emotions had always been left to stew in the back... Only to build up and fester inside of her, creating all these horrible thoughts and fears that had her soul churning, heart breaking, and lungs burning. All of it always getting heavier, hurting more, and tearing her up inside just like Over-Drive.
Hora's eyes dropped closed, her stomach flipping a little for how unpleasant a thought it was, and her core aching a little too. She grit her teeth faintly, her fingers digging into her arms and swallowing, hard.
... Shit... they are right, aren't they...?
I've been trying to do everything, carry it all this time all by myself... let it tear me apart from the inside out while I shifted my focus on anything but me- instead of trying to find a way to figure out and settle all the crazy shit in my life...
She held her breath a moment, her shoulders hunching a little more while her heart twisted.
Tch... and me trying to do all of it and not care about myself is just... worrying them even more. And I didn't mean to... I just... I got so used to living that way I-
Hora cut the thought off, her eyes blinking open slowly and lifting her head back up the little bit it'd fallen. Her gaze matched with theirs, shinning in the orange light, little specks of tears pecking at the corners of her eyes now, and their own eyes widened at seeing it.
"H-Hora, we weren't trying to-" Rogue started quickly,
"Y-You don't gotta cry-!" Sting stammered too, the Exceed's fur puffing up and looking instantly frantic,
"A-Atia..!"
Hora blinked, shaking her head slightly and glancing off to the side and away from them, the back of her hand coming up to wipe away the moisture hurriedly. She sucked in a quick breath of air that almost hitched in her throat, but she kept it from bothering her too much and instead sniffed a little.
"You're all so dumb... why didn't you just say any of that plain yesterday, instead of suggesting I wanted to leave..?" She mumbled softly, shaking her head a little more, her hand falling from her eyes slowly. "I wouldn't have been so mad at you if you'd said it like you did just now, ya know." She murmured, they paused, looking a little unsure of what to do. Hora forced herself another breath, her arms crossing over her chest again, eyes still down and face suddenly... somber.
"Look, I get what you're saying, I understand... I've never really thought about it before, that it might not be good to put everybody ahead of me all the time... but I can see why it's not great." She murmured quietly, "I am sorry for how long it's been taking me to work around to being different... to being more honest and open with all of you... I wanna do better on that end, I wanna be more comfortable with leaning on you guys more, I know you'll help me however you can... I want... I want all of that, I don't wanna give you reason to worry, I don't wanna keep being so strung out all the time, or hide so much... I wanna try." She whispered, her voice shaking faintly- but even despite the little waver, she meant it.
Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch paused, their faces falling and eyes gleaming, while Hora seemed to hesitate half a second, before looking back up again, blue eyes shining- nervous, aching, and almost pleading.
"I'm gonna do better, just... Just be patient with me please...?" She asked softly, tensely. "I'm not... I'm not used to being like that, at all... I am gonna try, but I'm not good at it yet, I need time to do better... Please, give me a chance to get around to being that, okay...? I know I've been super slow so far on a lot of things in all the mess, but I am trying... And I've started to get there at least a little here and there, yeah...?" She whispered, her eyes flashing as she offered them up a shaky little smile that wavered so badly on being rueful for a moment, their hearts ached at it.
... Hora...
They couldn't find the words, or even knew what to say for a moment- Hora didn't really mind though. Her smile got a tad stronger and a little more aching in the next moment, the Fire Devil Slayer's head tilting faintly as her eyes gleamed.
"And thank you... Thank you so much. For everything." She told them, her voice hushed as a few glittering drops of moisture appeared at the corners of her eyes all over again.
The four of them swallowed, their expressions softening as their hearts seemed to knot, and melt all at the same time. They nodded stiffly, tiny smiles taking appearances on their faces for a moment in reaction to hers, though they looked nearly on the verge of tears themselves for a moment too.
"You got it." Sting told her brightly,
"Yeah, whatever you need Atia, we're with you!" Lector purred,
"We promise!" Frosch mewed,
"We'll be here, always, and through whatever comes." Rogue murmured softly, nodding once more to her as he did, Hora let out a small breath.
She looked away from them again, both her hands moving up to rub at her eyes while she took in a big gulp of air and held it a few moments, her hands adjusting after getting rid of the tears and pressing against her cheeks instead. She was silent for a few heartbeats as she did that, still holding her breath the whole way with her eyes closed as she tried to... Settle.
Everyone else waited patiently, quiet themselves as they watched her and gave her as much time as she needed- like they promised they would. Eventually Hora let the breath she held back out, her eyes opening as she did so, and her hands talking slowly from her face. She shot them an uncertain look then, shifting nervously as she pushed herself away from leaning into the railing.
"Ah... So please don't take it the wrong way it anything, but... I think I need a bit, by myself." She murmured cautiously, and they all blinked, eyes widening in surprise. She swallowed, hooking her hands behind her back nervously, her eyes dropping from them and to the ground again. "... It's just... This is a lot, with everything and all the people, everybody paying attention to me, asking things, and... And with Gray... I need a bit to just be alone, so I can try and... Calm down enough I don't end up freaking out all the way." She mumbled, the words- or rather the request- earning wary and uneasy looks from all four in front of her.
And why not? They had no real want to let her out of their sights, especially not after everything, and knowing how shaky her health still was.
Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch exchanged uneasy glances between themselves for a heartbeat or two, before they seemed to swallow, their gazes turning on Hora again.
"Alright." Rogue relented softly, Hora stiffened, her eyes snapping back up in surprise.
Seriously, they gave in that fast-?!
"You've had everybody hovering over you for over a week Hora, we get you wanting to be left alone for a bit." Sting told her, a hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck nervously. "It's kinda impressive you haven't lost your patience yet..." He admitted, Lector nodding slightly with a small smile.
"Yeah Atia, you've let us fuss over you a bunch. It makes sense that you need a break from everyone." The red Exceed hummed,
"Yeah, you need space! We understand...!" Frosch agreed,
"Quite... Though please be careful in your own, will you?" Rogue asked, his red eyes glinting in what was clear concern. "You're doing a lot better Hora, but you are still hurt... I know you're trying to keep from having Over-Drive act up, so if you need some time by yourself, we'll give it to you. Just... Just be careful, alright...?" He murmured softly, shifting a tad anxiously on his feet as he said it and his hands wrung together in front of him nervously too. Hora's expression softened a little at it, their relent, and all else, nodding solemnly.
"I'll be careful, I promise." She told them all, but her eyes matched with Rogue's in particular. He hesitated half a second more for the vow, before nodding a little back, his eyes dropping from her a moment and adjusting.
"Okay." Rogue mumbled, his hands unlinking from each other and one of then falling in his coat pocket to dig in it. Hora's head tilted in question as he did, before her eyes widened when he pulled his hand back out and reached out for her, a card in his fingers...?
"Take this with you, please." Rogue murmured, "I had the Calling Card you made for us on me when Gajeel and I fought, and it got destroyed in all the mess." Rogue admitted softly, "Cana from Fairy Tail offered to make us replacements, so this one is for you to keep. We each have Cards of our own now that can connect to yours, and each others." Rogue explained, Lector, Sting and Frosch nodding as they pulled similar cards out from their pockets, smiling faintly.
"They aren't as pretty as the Cards you made Atia, but at least this way we can stay in touch." Frosch purred,
"Yep, and do stay in touch yeah?" Sting murmured, "If ya need anything at all, call us and we'll come running."
"Yes, we'll be there right away." Rogue told her steadily.
Hora paused, her eyes glimmering as she glanced between the four of them and then fell to the Calling Card Rogue was still holding out to her. Her shoulders sank slightly, both her hands unhooking from behind her back and reaching out to take it slowly, a tiny and appreciative smile pulling at her lips as her heart warmed.
"I will... Thank you, all of you."
(This chapter is split into two so you all don't have to read 40,000 words at once... enjoy the 'double' update >w<)
Chapter 41: Birds
Chapter Text
Chapter 41
Birds
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
Hora let out a heavy sigh, her eyes downcast and stuck to the Calling Card she held in her hands still, even after having left everyone behind... Well, more left everything behind actually.
She'd broken off from Rogue, Lector, Sting and Frosch and walked out along some empty portions of the terrace at first, avoiding everyone she could and just trying to quell what nagging thoughts were still pecking at her mind. All those fears and worries that had her coughing in the first place, and all of them stemming from, and winding back around to the the very worst one of the lot;
What if telling him does end up hurting him, and is a mistake?
Her hold on the Calling Card tightened, her eyes flashing in the pinky-violet light of the sky overhead, the sun set behind the horizon and night coming in fast.
She didn't want that, she didn't want to hurt him, but it still stayed in her head no matter how hard she tried to get rid of it, or the several other assurances on Lixue's part that it would not come to pass.
It kept nagging, kept drudging up all the other invasive thoughts she knew she shouldn't let have any time in her mind. But knowing she shouldn't let them be there did not help in making them go away, like at all. In fact they'd started swirling around in her brain so fast she'd started to get just as overwhelmed as she had been when she'd left Juvia behind, and that huge crowd that had bunched in and interrupted her and Gray. Her heart had started to pound in her ears again, her chest tightening as a heat in the base of her lungs started to burn brighter, the sound and sights and smells of the Party inside the ballroom suddenly intensifying and overtaking everything- muddying her senses, making it harder to breathe, making her pulse pick up and her heart to race while all manner of fears and levels of anxiety started to build up on her shoulders. She went from being uneasy to straight on edge, everything got too loud, there were too many people, too many worries she was gonna get mobbed again- and pure fear that she'd end up bumping into Gray again and she would be so frazzled and stressed out that their second run in would end up going even more terrible than the first one had.
She had to get away from all of it and be far away from anyone and everyone until she got a hold of herself. She had to stop, calm down, keep herself from ending up coughing her lungs out and letting Over-Drive have a go at her. She had to leave, and she had to leave fast.
She made her way off the terrace and skirted the edges of the Ballroom, quick-paced and with her eyes stuck down the whole way through until she found a side-hallway to dodge into. She didn't slow down even as she left the Ballroom behind, and the booming of her heart in her ears and her chest didn't even begin to let up until she'd wound her way through a few corridors that ended more like a maze, and then eventually out of the Palace entirely. And the rush of her blood in her veins and the painful thrumming of her heart against her chest remained on a high the whole time she made her way through the Palace Gardens, the hedges, tress, flowers and vegetation of all kinds lost on her entirely, the journey to and from nothing but a blur... She didn't even realize where she was going, or notice how far she'd walked until the thundering of her heart started to fade to none, and when the world sharpened back into focus she saw the Palace too far off, and the street she was on dark and quiet. And up ahead of her passed buildings that were shut up and empty for now, the street glowed with a strange blue-red hue, the wind washing up to hit her in the face and bringing with it the heavy scent of ice and ash.
Hora's walking stopped, the Calling Card in both hands and held close to her chest as she looked away from it and back ahead, dark blue eyes glinting in the quickly deepening night all around as she stood there, only half a dozen feet away from the edge of what Icy Wasteland she'd brought to life, and had been persistent in remaining there even while her life was nearly lost.
Shit, was I really so worked up that I walked all the way out here without even realizing it...?
She turned slightly, casting a glance over her shoulder toward the tall figure of the Palace behind her, glittering in the darkening light.
Damn it... I didn't mean to go this far... I hope Rogue and everybody else aren't trying to look for me where I'm not.
She turned away from the Palace and cast another look at the Calling Card, her shoulders sinking heavily.
They'd told her not to worry about worrying them, and focus on herself, but even then that didn't stop her stomach from churning a little for the thought they might be looking for her, and possibly freaking out. Or even how annoyed and panicked they would get to realize how far she had gone at all... I mean they weren't even really thrilled with me going out shopping, and that was when I had a bunch of people around to keep an eye on me. As opposed to now, where I am totally by myself, super far away, and in the dark.
She sighed, her shoulders sinking a little further as her gaze trailed up off the card and back to that defined split ahead of her- the stone cut clean by shimmering ice and glowing ember in a distinct line that separated what it was supposed to be, from what she had turned it into.
All alone, super far away in the dark... and right here.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, chewing on the insides of her cheeks as her eyes left the start of the Wasteland and lift above the surrounding buildings, tracing along the looming tower of Ice and statue of Callan still standing tall further in, purple and pink light from the dying sun sparkling against the sheer surface.
... Why the hell did my feet unconsciously take me here of all places..?
She grumbled a bit under her breath, looking away from the Dragon high above and shifting focus to the Calling Card again. For a brief moment she considered using it to call and tell everyone else where she was, to spare them that likely freak out they'd have when they tried to find her at the Palace and couldn't... but she hesitated.
She'd wanted to be alone, and while she loved them with all her heart- Sting had been right. Everybody fussing over her and hovering had been wearing on her nerves, even if she didn't admit it or show it outwardly. And right then she really didn't wanna be hovered over more, she didn't think her nerves could handle it- she was still on edge, even after having calmed down enough to make sense of where she was finally. So, she shook her head at herself and tucked the Calling Card away in one of the pockets sewed into the skirt of the dress she was wearing.
But she ended up hesitating further after that, her attention casting up the street toward the ice and fire alike, quiet in her spot and brooding... before she forced herself a sigh that sounded more like a huff, and started walking again. She made her way straight up the street and passed what line of Runes the Magic Council had painted on the perimeter to warn people to stay out, uncaring of the faint glow they gave off as she walked through, and only heading deeper into the deadly quiet of the Ice and Ember-ridden wastes. She walked slowly, yet deliberately, careful not to slip or trip on anything as she turned her sights on that looming tower of hanging over everything, winding her way through streets and eventually toward where the base of it stood.
"... Lixue, you said I had to undo this myself, or it'd never go away right?" Hora murmured softly after turning a corner, her voice bouncing eerily off the elements and the sheer silence.
'Are you intending to try Unraveling this Spell now?' Was the immediate and rather wary question in answer, Hora shook her head slightly.
"No, I'm not dumb. I can't go using Magic right now, I'm not asking because I wanna muck around with it this instant." She answered quietly,
'Then why are you asking?' He deadpanned, and Hora swallowed, her hands finding a slightly tense grip on her arms as she held to them, and kept walking.
"I'm asking because... because I need you to talk to me, and keep my mind off all those awful thoughts and things that made me end up all the way out here in the first place." Hora replied lowly, her shoulders hunching despite herself. "I know you keep telling me they aren't true, and I know I'm just freaking myself out and thinking the worst of everything, and probably for no reason... but I can't get them to stop, and that's what your job is supposed to be right? To be there and keep me from losing my mind...? So could you just... talk to me about that, and distract me so I don't keep freaking out...? Please...?" She mumbled, her voice wavering and almost pleading for a moment at the end.
Lixue paused for a moment at the request, his silence near as deafening in her thoughts as the outward silence was on her ears... before Lixue seemed to let out a weary sigh.
'... As you wish.'
.:+:.
"I haven't seen Horatia around for awhile."
Gray faltered, his ears ringing on the name and the sip he'd been about to take from the glass of wine in hand halting halfway without him meaning for it to. His hand fell and the glass with it, eyes narrowed and shooting a sideways glance toward the one who'd said the name, his attention landing on Sherry where the woman was standing a little further down the table Gray himself had stopped beside, with Yuka and Toby pressed in around her.
The Ballroom was still lively, conversation and music floating on the air as the Wizards from all the Guilds continued to mingle, eat, drink, and just generally enjoy themselves in the much deserved rest from all the crazy. Everyone seemed content, and most everyone actually was- there was little to not enjoy, and nobody seemed to mind nor notice time ticking by, or the way the sun had already set and the night sky outside kept deepening.
In fact they were all fairly well involved in their festivities that they hardly batted an eye at the still yet to happen appearance from the King, and Gray surely didn't notice it nor care either. He'd been doing his best to stick to himself and try to be that content everyone else seemed to be- and he was failing at it, not that he let it show outwardly though.
He just kept trying to distract himself, keep his mind off the things that were bothering and still irking him. Hell, he'd even tried to strike up conversations here and there with people he knew, and Juvia too- who was always ever at his side and had been glued there for the majority of the night, save her disappearing early on. But Juvia seemed less content than she should be, and since she'd found him she'd seemed a little on the tense side herself- which Gray noted immediately, but he hadn't a clue what seemed to be bothering her, and his own tension and issues kept him from trying to pry the Water Mage on the subject.
However even with him doing what he could to keep his mind off everything, and one thing in particular- the instant that name came into earshot he couldn't help but hone in, and his stomach churned all over again too. And why not? He had been intending to find the woman to which that named belonged again on his own eventually, even if the conversation that would follow made him even more uneasy... But as Sherry said, there had been no sign of Saber's new Guild Master for a long while now- or at least no sight of her that Gray himself had caught anyway.
Gray bit the inside of his cheek at the thought, casting them off as he diverted his attention to Sherry and Juvia beside him did the same, the Rain Woman swallowing slightly at the name and still hampered by what unsettling sensation of familiarity had hit her after she'd confronted the Saber earlier that night.
"I haven't either." Yuka commented coolly, Toby shook his head furiously in that much too animated way he was so prone too.
"Nope nope noopee! Me neither!" Toby huffed,
"Hmm... I haven't seen Lyon in a bit either." Sherry mumbled, her hands crossed over her chest and scanning the crowds slowly. Yuka quirked a brow at the comment, before letting out a little breath and picking up his glass nonchalantly, gesturing faintly off toward the right, indicating a general direction but nowhere in particular as he did it.
"I believe he was looking for the Twin Dragons." The Wave-User told Sherry evenly, "He noticed Horatia's absence awhile ago, and I think he planned to ask Rogue and Sting about where she may be." Yuka explained lightly, and Sherry seemed to let out a little breath at it, nodding her once.
"... I see..." She mumbled, Gray frowned faintly.
"Oi, what the hell is up with him and her?" Gray asked bluntly and out of nowhere. The question made Sherry, Yuka and Toby all jump- Juvia a little too- and they all turned their eyes on him, surprised at the sudden break into the conversation.
"Hmm? What's that supposed to mean?" Sherry mumbled, Gray huffed.
"I mean what is going on with them?" Gray replied lowly, "Lyon's real chummy with her, but you guys and him haven't even known her that long, right? But he's super in her business, about everything, and they act like they've been friends forever. But Lyon's never warmed up to anybody the fast, so what gives?" Gray grumbled, voicing one of the things that had been irking him near as much as the rest of it for the first time now.
Sherry, Yuka and Toby paused though, their eyes darting off Gray to glance between themselves a little uncertainly for a moment or two- Gray's eyes narrowed further for it, and Juvia looked a little wary herself as the silence settled for a few seconds too long.
"I don't believe there's anything really going on, I think they just... clicked." Sherry started slowly, cocking her hip a a little and eyes falling closed a moment in thought. "When she got brought to the Guild we were all wary because she was from SaberTooth, Lyon too- but he ended up talking to her when she woke up, and fairly soon after that they were comfortable with one another, just automatically. They've been friendly since." The pink-haired woman said, Yuka and Toby nodding in agreement. Gray frowned a little more, looking irritated with the rather vague answer.
"Yeah, but why do they get along so well?" The Ice Wizard pressed, "And you can't just call it friendly, he was way too stressed out over her getting hurt. There's gotta be more going on between them." Gray pointed out lowly, and the other three seemed to shift a little uncomfortably for a moment, their eyes on the floor, the table, and basically not on him- which was weird.
"Well... I think a lot of it has to do with how hard of a time she seems to have had." Sherry mumbled, Yuka nodded once.
"Yes, between all the abuse SaberTooth as a whole suffered- Horatia particularly- and all the way to how badly she ended up hurt during the Dragon fight, it's rather clear her life has been nothing but tumultuous." Yuka murmured, "If you add in all of that, plus all that happened when she fought North Wind and Neveleous- it would be somewhat strange not to feel sorry for her, or worry in some way because she's gone through so much. Even without hardly knowing her, or for very long." Yuka pointed out evenly. Gray's eyes fell for a moment at the mention of it though, because it was fair enough he supposed.
She had been through a lot of shit, and anybody with a heart or conscience would care at least a little-
"Mhmm, but I think for Lyon- knowing all of that stuff happened to her on top of what happened with Deliora just... really hit hard." Sherry added quietly, her eyes moving off everyone around her and in the direction Yuka had gestured a bit before, one hand moving up to press against her cheek.
Gray stiffened, his heart skipping a beat at the name of the Beast appearing so suddenly, a shiver running down his spine as it did Juvia's, both of their attentions snapping back toward Sherry, rigid and wide-eyed. Gray felt his breath catch in his throat, a cold chill falling over him that made even the Ice Wizard shudder, violently.
Deliora-?!
"W-What..?" Juvia stammered quickly, Sherry seemed to wilt a little, her eyes dropping closed along with Yuka and Toby's as they grimaced.
"Lyon found out about it when she was at our Guild, and told us after she'd left." Sherry murmured softly, "He'd mentioned it while they were talking, and the way she reacted to Deliora's name... well, it was easy enough to guess that she'd been in the same situation the rest of us had been. And she confirmed it for him, when he asked."
"We all have our own awful experiences with that Demon, but for her with everything else she's had to deal with- Lyon's gotten a little protective of her, and I cannot say I blame him." Yuka murmured lowly, Toby grumbling a bit and fidgeting with the sock attached to the necklace on his chest. Juvia swallowed hard at the words, blue eyes glittering and her face paling for the information, while Sherry forced a heavy sigh, shaking her head a bit.
"No, I don't blame him either, and I understand it." Sherry murmured, her eyes flashing. "... I mean can you even imagine how young she must have been when Deliora came? She's young still now, and that was so long ago... We were all children, but she must have so small..." the woman mumbled, Juvia, Toby and Yuka all stiffening slightly against the assertion, their eyes down and stiff-shouldered as Sherry kept on, wispily;
"... She lived through that and so many more terrible things since then... it's incredible that's she's even alive, let alone as strong and well put together as she seems to b-"
CRASH
Sherry broke off abruptly, everyone in the area jumping as the sound of glass shattering cut through the air and through all the surrounding voices, the splash of liquid following soon after with the patter of glass bits against the marble floor. Several heads snapped around, and no one's head twisting faster nor more abruptly than Juvia's- who felt shards of glass pepper her shoes, the bluenette not a foot away from the wine glass now in pieces on the floor after having dropped out of a hand that had gone suddenly so cold it was too numb to keep hold of the glass.
All of him felt cold, a sort of cold that seeped into the very essence of his soul and his resistance against all things icy wasn't worth a damn. It was a deathly chill, one that snatched his breath away, turned his blood to ice, his heart stopped.
It stopped in the same instant his whirling mind stuttered to a grinding halt- a block and piece missing from the whole now suddenly falling into place with a heavy thud that reverberated through every inch of him, deafening. The color drained from his face faster than the wine spread out across the floor, his heart sinking straight from his chest and into the very pits of the earth when it all just came rushing in, snapping together- clicking.
He was shaking in an instant, his mind fighting with him on the fact, denying the realization even when every section of his being knew, and his thoughts began to come in a frenzied rush beating the truth of it in harder and harder with each painful, panicked boom of his heart that sounded so muffled.
N-No fucking way-
Juvia's face fell when she saw the way he'd paled, concern appearing in the bluenette at seeing him begin the tremble, the shaking of his hand that had lost glass, the sheer panic and fear in his face then- terror.
-there's no way, n-no way... she-
"Gray-sama...?" Juvia whispered, the Water Mage stiffening when he suddenly took a shaky step back from her, a breath escaping him that was rushed, shallow, frantic. His eyes dropped from staring straight ahead and found that hand the glass had slipped from, deep blue eyes glittering like mad-
.:+:.
For a few minutes, neither Lyon nor Gray made a move, or any attempt to lay Hora back down into the water. They just stayed still, trying to settle again and unwind, and wait for the heat to drop down to what level they'd mostly been able to keep it... And after a few minutes Gray cracked an eye open, faltering a bit in question and surprise when... He felt Hora's hand underneath his shift...?
He blinked, his attention finding said hand, and the same hand her cheek was leaning into, as he just watched quietly. Her expression pulled faintly, and her fingers twitched as they curled around his weakly, holding on to him almost- and then she pressed her cheek a bit more against his hand, even when the cold of it against her skin made her shiver... And then Gray went rigid, eyes widening and his heart skipping a beat when her face pulled a little more, a little more pained- a little more aching... And then suddenly there trailed a few, quiet, glittering drops of moisture from her under her eyelids, mixing with the sweat and the water dripping from her hair- but without a doubt they were tears.
She's... Crying...?
And sure enough the awful and labored sounds of her breathing hitched ever so faintly in a sob that never reached full fruition, and Gray stalled, staring, confused, reeling- because why...?
Was it the nightmare that had jostled her out of unconsciousness? Or was it just tears of exhaustion, strain, or something along those lines...?
She couldn't have been aware of those tears surely, not with how out if it she'd been just moments before. He doubted she had any clue what was going on, or who was around her, or even whose hand she'd just grabbed on to... So was there even a reason for them, then? Maybe it was just strain and fever...?
He didn't know, and whatever reason, or non-reason there was for those little tears so suddenly, he didn't know... But even still he faltered again, and just like he did with wondering why she'd seemed so upset about him earlier, after him 'dying'. And this time he faltered not out of confusion, or question- but because for some reason, somewhere deep in his very core- something about her hand in his, the way she was shaking, the heat of her skin against his and the feverish gasps of air she was taking in- all of it felt, somehow... Familiar
It was the same sort of familiar that had hit him when he'd saw her do that weird hand pose/gesture when she'd started thinking, that night he'd first met her. And just like then, he couldn't place why- he couldn't, he... he...
.:+:.
"....b-but... I wanna help..." His voice shook more than he meant for it too, eyes wide and posture rigid as he stood there, hands clasped anxiously around the bottom of his shirt and deep blue eyes so wide and fearful as he gazed up at his parents, almost pleading. Both his mother and his father seemed to stiffen a little at the look and the words, their shoulders sinking and what hints of worry and fear in their eyes getting a little brighter for just a moment- he saw it, and it made him all the more afraid.
"... Love, the only thing we can do is let her sleep." Mother murmured gently, Father nodding a little and putting up a face as steady as he always could- the worry there gone again as he let out a breath and caught Gray's eyes.
"Once she rests, the fever will pass and she will be alright." Father promised steadily, Gray hesitated, his eyes dropping to his feet. He sounded sure of it, when he said it, but he'd heard how much Mother and Father's voices had dropped when the Doctor came in earlier- the both of them talking more quietly and tensely than Gray had ever heard them before. He saw the looks on their faces as he peered through the barely open door, and though they hid it fast when they came out and the Doctor left- he had seen it, and he couldn't bring himself to being reassured by that promise Father gave just then.
He didn't really believe it, even if he wanted to- and more than anything he just wanted to... to...
"... I..." Gray started, the thought trying to make it into words but never actually getting there before trailing off, his shoulders hunching and his teeth gritting as his stomach knotted tight.
They'd been out in the yard, messing around, making snow-animals, laughing the whole while as they pound the powdery white into shape, digging up stones and plucking things from the house to make eyes, add legs, whatever. They'd been doing it for hours, the whole time having fun, laughing, teasing each other and running around, and he never noticed anything wrong. Sure she started to seem a little less energetic, but they'd been at it a long time, and he didn't think about it at all- he didn't notice at all. Not before they'd started playing, not when she woke up, not in the middle of it, nothing.
He didn't notice anything wrong until... until she'd just dropped.
She hit the snow, tilting over into the chilly mounds and she didn't get up, not even when he'd tried to nudge her. She wouldn't move, she wouldn't wake up- and the panic on Father and Mother's faces when he started yelling for help would never leave his head. Ever.
The Doctor came and they all talked, his parents said she'd be fine but they were worried and he knew it... He should have noticed something was off, should have done something- he wanted to do something, anything.
Gray sucked in a sharp breath of air and held it, his shoulders hunching as he grit his teeth.
But... he was useless... t...tch...
He didn't see the sympathy in his parent's eyes, the both of them so clearly able to see how much this had scared their little boy- and why not? As much as he and his younger sister got on each other's nerves, she was his little sister, and he was her big brother. He wanted to do what Big Brother's are supposed to do, but he couldn't do much of anything now.
"I know you want to help her feel better, love-" Mother started, her voice sympathetic and warm- but she broke off, Father's hand landing on her shoulder making her pause while the man shot her a quiet look, and she nodded a little. Father looked from her and back toward the young boy ahead of them, smiling faintly as he dropped into sitting on the balls of his feet just before the younger.
"You know what? Go sit with her, keep her company." Father told him coolly, Gray stiffened at the suggestion, his eyes peeling off the floor cautiously to that smile from the man now at his level- and a smile that got a little gentler as the man lift a hand and it landed on Gray's head, ruffling his raven hair gently. "If you do I'm sure that will help her feel better." The man told him, and Gray perked at the words, his eyes flashing and nodding stiffly near right away- because it was something.
"Y-Yeah!" He said quickly, his hands letting go of his shirt and coming up a bit, fists clenched as determination started to take hold in place of some of the worry. "I-I can tell her a story, if she wants...! Or just stick around, so she's not all alone when she's sleeping..!" He said, and Father's smile grew softer, eyes glinting while his Mother's did the same.
"Great idea." Mother and Father said all in unison.
She wasn't awake when he made his way into the room. And he was there for what felt like years, sitting in a chair pressed against the bedside he'd pushed closer as quietly as he could manage, and waited... Waited for that time that felt like years, and she never woke up even still. It couldn't have been that long, he knew, but it was a long time- and made to feel all the longer, since hours have a strange way of feeling like centuries to children. The time ticking by wore on his nerves, knotting his stomach and his heart in a million different ways as he stayed right where he was, silent, perched, sitting almost in vigil and never daring to leave.
His hand reached out across the bed the moment he'd sat down and twined with hers, and it remained there as all the hours went by. She was hot to the touch, little palm sweaty and fingers twitching intermittently while the rest of her body trembled without end, her chest rising and falling in shallow, rapid breaths broken by coughs every once in awhile as the fever raged through her, and held tight... He held tight too, the whole time, without fail.
The room was dim, and stagnant. The overhead light had been left off and what little light managed it's way passed the closed curtains was fading... he was too.
His head had fallen into his arms on the bedside, eyes drooping as they grew heavier in the hours- but he kept his hand outstretched for hers, their fingers twined and locked together even as his mind began to teeter away, and sleep claimed him whole.
His eyes fell and he jerked them open for the last time, and only for a few seconds. He caught blurry sight of her raven hair tangled and splayed on the pillow, face pale and flushed with sickness, those deep blue eyes identical to his own shut and flitting behind her eyelids. He swallowed, his hand tightening around her limp one, eyes falling closed and soul aching.
"... please... you gotta get better, okay...?"
.:+:.
He felt like he got stabbed, his already pale face going three shades whiter- it could not be true, it had to be impossible, it-
He stumbled back another half a pace or so, the thought getting snapped in half as the very last piece fell into place in full, and there was no room for that shocked and panicked denial anymore.
"O-Oh my god..." Gray stammered breathlessly, a cold bead of sweat falling down his jaw along with several more dripping down his spine. Juvia in front of him looked increasingly more frantic and confused, the Water Mage stunned with what was sheer terror in him now, and out of nowhere- he didn't notice it at all.
Gray hissed, his hands clenching into fists and whirling on his heel without warning, breaking away from the table and everyone else as he sprinted off without warning, and leaving everyone else behind bewildered and stunned.
"G-Gray-sama...?!" Juvia's call after him was nothing but a low drone, and Gray didn't stop for it. He didn't stop at all, he rushed straight out into the crowds of people, fast-paced, heart pounding, and not giving a damn for how roughly he was shouldering through everyone else as he went. The annoyed snaps he earned from those he pushed and the confused questions didn't make any more of a dent on his mind than Juvia's call had, his heart was a thundering boom in his ears along with the roar of his blood racing, all the faces and people in the crowds muted and blurred as his eyes searched frantically for one in particular- and the memories just kept coming, rapid-time, raining down and flooding like some violent storm.
"Mhmm, but I think for Lyon- knowing all of that stuff happened to her on top of what happened with Deliora just... really hit hard."
He stumbled, his shoulder ramming into somebody else's hard enough to knock him off balance for a second, but he staggered forward as fast as before and didn't slow up for even an instant.
He grit his teeth hard, barely dodging around someone else in time not to get knocked over and rather firmly pushing them out of his path as he went, ignoring whatever it was they snapped at him as his gaze swept out- desperate, searching, panicked... hurting-
He faltered for the first time, his scanning of the people catching a head of pale blue-white hair he recognized instantly, and his teeth grit even harder.
.:+:.
Gray glanced right, Sherry, Yuka and Toby doing much the same as they all caught the way Lyon seemed to hunch over in the corner of their eyes. They could see the way his hands trembled, and practically felt the sudden upsurge in unease and even turmoil in him just then- and where usually it would have been near impossible to see such a thing in the usually calm and reserved Lyon at all.
Gray swallowed, eyes flashing as they narrowed at the white-haired man, quiet. He'd seen the same thing in Lyon several times already the last few days, and no small amount of concern too- which he understood... because as Gray had already noted that night just before the Dragons showed up, Lyon and Horatia were strangely close. Strangely because they hadn't known each other that long at all, they'd only met a few months ago and not seen each other until that night- but all the same they were still that, close. And way more than the 'chummy' Gray had described it as, because Horatia getting as hurt and bad as she had had clearly worn on Lyon much more than Gray would have thought possible.
He didn't get it, he got the feeling there was something more between the two of them than he had a clue about- and Gray let out a small breath for the thought.
"... you really like her, don't you?" Gray mumbled quietly and out of nowhere, the inquiry causing Lyon to jump a little in surprise, his eyes snapping open and glancing his wary warily. "I've never seen you this worked up about anybody, ever... so you've gotta like her, and a lot." Gray pointed out quietly as he earned the stare, and Lyon seemed to swallow, something about his expression twisting at the comment, and what was meant by it- but not twisting in the way Gray expected.
It wasn't nervousness, or embarrassment, or anything of the like... it was pained, and almost frustrated.
"Yes... I care about her, but not in the way you're thinking." Lyon replied lowly, and Gray blinked, his eyes narrowing further at the reply, but Lyon looked away again, shaking his head stiffly and letting out a very exasperated sigh.
"... You really have no idea what you just tried to imply... Or how inappropriate it is... I would never..." Lyon mumbled wearily, Gray looking quite confused, though Lyon never elaborated.
.:+:.
"I am wondering though... How long have you had this Magic...? You would have gained both the Fire Devil Slaying Magic and Lixue at the same time, if the Ice Magic was meant to counter the other, as you explained to your Guild... Right? If you only had it for a year or so before meeting Jiemma, when did you learn it? And how, if you don't mind my asking...?" Lyon murmured next, and she hesitated, the smile breaking a bit and he noticed it instantly. She seemed to swallow, her eyes darting away from him and her hands wringing together in front of her,
"... Uhm... I uh... Received both Lixue and the... Devil Slayer Magic from... A man I didn't know, really..." Hora mumbled quietly, tensely even and Lyon's eyes narrowed slightly. "... He... Passed the... 'mantel'... So to speak... To me..." She explained lowly, and Lyon stiffened in surprise at it.
She shifted a bit uncomfortably, her hands unlinking and her left one gripping tightly to her right arm, digging slightly into that deep, long scar that stretched down the arm from shoulder to wrist, and Lyon went rigid at the sight of it, and how his thoughts clicked together so quickly for it.
"... Uhm... It... It was... When... Y...you know..." She mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper as she said it and Lyon grimaced. She swallowed hard, her hold on her arm getting a little tighter for a moment and he instantly regretted asking at all. "... Ah... A...anyway... It's... Not really a pleasant... Story... But uh... I hope that... Answers your question...? I've had it... A long time..." She mumbled and he nodded,
"... Yes, it does... I am sorry for bringing it up, Horatia..." Lyon murmured quickly, his hand finding her shoulder again and looking quite uneasy now. "... I didn't mean to bring up further... unpleasant things..." He mumbled and she shook her head a bit,
"... It's okay, you didn't realize... You were just being curious..."
.:+:.
"Lyon you Bastard!"
Lyon stiffened, the Lamia Wizard having no time to react before someone's hand grabbed roughly to the front of his shirt and threw him around, shoving him back into the wall with so much force it drove the breath from him. Lyon instinctively grew defensive all the same though, about ready to retaliate and throw off whoever had jerked him from his quiet conversation with Rogue and Sting, and had him pinned to the wall now. His hands moved up to shove them away before he managed to focus on who it actually was, and he stalled when his eyes locked with those of his childhood friend- the deep blue glittering fearful, angry, panicked, hurt, and so agonized.
Gray hissed, his fists clenched around Lyon's shirt shaking badly as the Ice Wizard's face remained not two inches away from Lyon's, his voice loud and biting- but faintly hoarse too, underneath.
"You knew!" Gray snapped, "You knew this whole fucking time, all through the fight with the Dragons, and her getting so bad she almost- tch!" Gray hissed, his voice breaking painfully at the end, Lyon's expression pulled at it too, realization and ache trickling into the Lamia's Wizards expression as he saw the agony break over Gray's. Gray shook his head furiously at himself, his fists around Lyon's collar growing tighter as he pushed the Lamia Wizard back against the wall even more harshly, his eyes burning.
"You knew the whole time, how the hell could you not say anything Lyon!?" Gray yelled furiously, his voice easily cutting through the clamor and all the other voices in the Ballroom and earning stunned and curious eyes- but nobody else saw the two Ice Wizards locked together like that and thought it any more than that rivalry they shared. But Lyon was all too aware exactly what this was about, Gray was too- he was right, he did know... and in the next instant where Gray expected defiance or annoyance to appear in Lyon's face for being yelled at and handled so roughly, none of that came.
No, Lyon's face fell entirely, his expression twisting into something strained, somber, and so tired. The weight of Lyon in Gray's hands seemed to grow heavier as the Lamia Wizard's body wilted in his hold, all the weight of keeping it all to himself and frustration of seeing Gray dance on the edges for so long melting now, and leaving him looking so pained.
"I couldn't do it." Lyon replied quietly, his voice low and bordering on a whisper that was so unlike him. Lyon's eyes glittered, agony swimming in them as he shook his head once, "I couldn't tell you that, not when she was so hurt, and she might have died... You lost her once, I couldn't risk making you lose her all over again... I'm sorry."
Gray went rigid, his eyes widening in shock, fixed on Lyon and stunned into sudden stillness for the words- for the genuine answer, and one made out of care and concern on Lyon's part toward him that he had seen so, so rarely before now.
He... Didn't want me to...
Gray's grip on Lyon's collar shook, loosening a little as Gray's eyes fell from being locked with Lyon's gaze, the Ice Mage hissing slightly under his breath as his shoulders hunched.
"T-Tch... but why the hell didn't she say anything back before...?" Gray hissed lowly, Lyon swallowed, his eyes flashing.
"She couldn't do it either...!"
Gray and Lyon jumped faintly, Gray's attention snapping to the right at the sudden voices interjecting, while Lyon just looked that way slowly, his shoulders sinking even further.
Rogue and Sting had been there when Gray popped in suddenly, and they remained fixed in their spots the whole time- very aware of what the sudden commotion was about, and intent on it... because finally Gray had realized it- but he didn't get it.
So when he asked that of Lyon just now neither of them could keep their mouths shut, and both Sting and Rogue snapped the reply in low uneasy voices without even thinking about it. Both Sabers stepped close to the pair, their eyes glittering and expressions hard as Gray looked to them, surprise and hints of anger flaring in his face for the sudden interruption- before he realized they weren't confused, or even at all lost.
They knew too-?!
"She didn't know you were alive until she saw you that night Jiemma tried to break the Possession Link!" Rogue hissed, his voice a great deal lower than Gray's had been the whole time, and low enough deliberately to keep anybody from trying to overhear. Gray stiffened at the words though, his eyes going wide and a heavy bead of sweat trailing down his jaw for the information, but Rogue didn't pause long, "She wanted to tell you who she was immediately, but she stopped herself because she knew bringing that up in the middle of everything else was just going to make things harder!"
"She couldn't say anything with all the shit going on and risk it being a distraction, or complicating trying to get Lucy and Yukino back, or Lector, or just getting through the GMG without anybody getting hurt worse! So she kept it to herself that whole time, even when it was tearing her up having to say nothing..!" Sting muttered lowly, breaking in now too. "But she did it any way because she was more worried about making sure everybody else got through all the crazy, and keeping everybody's head in the game! She kept it to herself and kept from telling you anything, because if she told you that in the middle of us trying to fight Dragons she was scared it would distract you enough that you might end up hurt for it!"
"She's been trying to get around to telling you since she started getting better, but she's been struggling to do it because she's worried about what telling you might do!" The two Dragon's Slayers growled next, lowly and in unison. Gray blinked, his face twisting further in shock and ache with each thing said.
She... she kept it to herself the whole time because- tch!
Gray grit his teeth hard, his whole body shaking as a heavy breath shuddered passed his teeth. His eyes fell from them for for a small second, his hands on Lyon's shirt releasing entirely and falling back to his sides, clenched tightly still into fists. He was quiet for just a heartbeat, shaking his head furiously at himself, or what they said- something, they weren't sure.
Then he looked up again and settled them with a still quite frantic stare, and Rogue, Sting and Lyon all flinched a little at how glassy his eyes seemed suddenly, and how close his voice came to cracking;
"Where the hell is she..?!"
Lyon, Rogue and Sting all faltered, looking unsure at the question and uneasy.
"She left."
All of them jumped, their heads turning quickly toward yet another new voice- and this one low and as calm as calm can be, despite all the turmoil suddenly stirred up.
Gray whirled, his attention landing on Rufus as the Minstrel suddenly stopped beside their little group, hands clasped lightly behind his back. Rufus didn't react in anyway to the look on Gray's face then, or the instantly uneasy faces from everyone else for the news- he simply held Gray's gaze steadily, a small breath escaping him. Rufus stepped lightly to the side and out of Gray's path, one hand lifting to wave delicately toward the large archway leading to a terrace across the way that looked over the city of Crocus below. There flashed something gold as Rufus moved his hand, a bit of light and Magic that only Gray could see sparking from his palm and fluttering up into air.
The bit of gold paused directly in Gray's line of sight and what lay behind it- it's tiny, delicate wings flapping gently, slowly... fracturing further the silvery moonlight coming in through the window, and all the way through the ghostly remnants of a great beast hanging over the buildings.
Gray's heart skipped a beat, the little creature in gold fizzling away into glittering pieces that fell to the floor- he started forward in an instant, rushing passed Rufus and away from everyone else without a single word further, or a care. He went straight passed a dozen more people, those he'd shouldered passed and ignored, all of them crowding in and confused- bewildered with his sudden behavior, what he'd been yelling about, and what the Sabers and Lyon had to do with any of it too.
"Wait a minute, what-!?"
"Gray- hey! Where are you going?!"
"Gray-!"
He never stopped or slowed up, he headed straight out one of the terrace doors and hopped over the railing without hesitation, leaving the Ballroom and everyone there watching in stunned, reeling silence. Some people turned their attentions from where he'd gone and back toward Rufus, Sting, Rogue and Lyon, looking for answers- but they found none.
The four just watched him leave, weariness and unease clear as day on their faces... and somberness too.
Over a week now, of dancing around the truth, of feeling something was there and not knowing what- of all of them aware of it, and seeing it, but the one person who needed to see it more than anyone else never had... Until now.
"... I mean can you even imagine how young she must have been when Deliora came? She's young still now, and that was so long ago... We were all children, but she must have so small-"
Gray's teeth grit so hard they threatened to crack, fists shaking as they clenched so tight his knuckles turned white, the air rushing passed him as he fell and the ground came rushing up fast.
-she was six , damn it!
Gray staggered slightly as his feet hit the cobbles, jolts of pain shooting up through his legs after jumping and landing from the height he had- but that didn't make him slow up even still. He kept going, straight through the Palace Gardens and the walls of the castle itself without pause.
She was six when Deliora came and killed everybody... she was only fucking six, and that Arden asshole came and forced that Magic on her! The same Magic that ripped her to shreds and burned her alive, for days!
The same Magic that that bastard of a Guild Master put a Possession Link on her for, trapped her, tried to kill her with-!
.:+:.
"I can't believe you let that bastard get away with any of that! And for how long?! How long were you willing to just take all his bullshit and let yourself get bossed around and hurt?! WHY THE HELL DID ANY OF YOU EVEN LET HIM COME IN AND BE YOUR GUILD MASTER AT ALL?! I WOULD HAVE BEAT HIM TO A PULP THE FIRST TIME HE EVEN TRIED TO LAY A HAND ON ME OR ANYONE ELSE! SCREW BEING AFRAID OF HIM, YOUR GUILD-MATES SHOULD HAVE KICKED HIS ASS TO THE CURB THE FIRST TIME HE EVER HURT YOU, LET ALONE TRIED TO KILL YOU!"
Hora's jaw clenched, her eyes dropping closed as Natsu's volume continued to increase and his anger, frustration and worry all wrapped into one became all the more potent too.
"... Natsu, we already established this whole situation hasn't been handled all that well... You don't need to keep snapping at me." Hora mumbled, "... try and understand, this all started a really long time ago... I was young, and I grew up being little but a pawn, so my confidence and willingness to try and really fight just wasn't really there, not until I got older. And I realize that's nothing but an excuse... But I was eight." She mumbled, and Natsu's jaw snapped shut audibly, panic and shock rushing over his face. The other Fairy Tailers stiffened, and Hora sighed a little as she kept her eyes on the floor and not on them. "I had only been in SaberTooth for little but a year before Jiemma came into the picture and took over. I was eight years old and still a messed up little kid, and I did try to fight back from the very start... A mistake on my part, because doing so just made Jiemma all the more interested in my Magic and what I could do. He wanted the world's strongest Guild, and I was the perfect start... So he found out a way to make me do whatever the hell he wanted, and make sure I could never get away. He put that Possession Link on the Lacrima, and that was it. I was stuck."
"..y...you've been living with your life in his hands... For that long...?!" Natsu stammered, Hora nodded stiffly. "Y-you gotta be kidding me, how old are you now...?! Like 17...?!"
"... I'm 19." Hora mumbled, and Natsu looked all the more horrified, as did several others- Wendy and Happy especially.
"H-hora that's terrible...!" Wendy squeaked,
"T-that's over ten years!" Happy shrilled,
"Its despicable." Erza muttered lowly, Makarov and Mavis' expressions alike had both darkened considerably, their anger bubbling in silence.
"So you were trapped, and Jiemma could kill you anytime he wanted by destroying that Lacrima in you?" Gajeel asked lowly, "You've been living like a doll, and you've just taken all his abuse for ten freakin' years?"
"Yeah." Hora mumbled softly, the Iron Dragon Slayer grimaced at the utterly calm answer, looking disconcerted by it along with many of the others.
.:+:.
Gray puffed, a growl rising in the back of his throat and shaking his head furiously as he kept running, anger boiling deep in his core along with agony and hurt of a caliber he'd not felt in way too long.
She was six when Deliora and Arden did all that shit to her, and then two years later Jiemma made her slave!
He kept her as a slave for over half of her life, imprisoned her, blackmailed her, beat her, almost killed her- SHIT!
He'd said it once already, but he did it without knowing- and this was so much worse.
"Who the hell does something like- any of that- that to a fucking kid?!"
His voice cracked, breathless and burning on his lungs as he shut his eyes tight, and he pushed on even more frantically- painfully.
"Damn it...!"
He was sprinting through Crocus at breakneck speed, lungs heaving and aching as he went, and his legs burning for the rapid pace but he could barely feel it, or give a damn. He dodged in and out of people out and about for their own celebrations, skidding around corners and still pushing himself faster as he continued on toward that looming tower of ice and ash, straight toward that wasteland of sheer power and Magic that had been put there while she did everything she could to stop the life being stolen from some Stranger... from him, after he'd gone and had his life ripped away right in front of her.
After he died on her again damn it!
.:+:.
They stiffened, all of their heads snapping around, instantly on edge and searching for where Callan had just slammed her claws into the ground so hard the earth rumbled under their feet. They expected to see it again, the Saber slammed into the stone violently, pinned and trapped- the very thing that lead to them getting distracted, and then to the Mini-Dragons, and their blasts, and how it had ended Gray's life... But in that instant, there was no Hora under Callan's claws, or anywhere near it. No, time seemed to run suddenly slow again, and in near the same way it had when the shots had torn through Gray's body. The group of Meredy, Lyon, Juvia and Gray all stiffened, wide-eyed and stuck in their places when they felt Magical Pressure of a magnitude unlike anything they'd felt before suddenly wash over them.
And right there in front of them all, and directly between Gray, and Callan, and the space in which those Mini-Dragons had popped up to end his life- was Horatia.
The rewind of time and events ended abruptly, and she didn't stop for even a second. She put herself there in the same second Callan's claws sunk in on nothing but air, still moving swiftly, body ready, and Magic blazing. Hora's still tear-filled eyes locked onto Callan, and everything in between her and that raven-haired Ice Mage she would not let go, not a second time.
One of Hora's eyes was burning a brilliant gold, and the other had adopted that icy blue- her left arm covered in glittering frost and the other consumed in those pitch black Markings swirling like fire. She slammed her foot into the ground hard enough to crack it, ice and flame dancing off either arm with a sudden ire and she grit her teeth, Callan's eyes leveling with her own and the Dragon recoiled.
Hora growled, the Magic sparking off her arms shooting up in wild force, spinning like mad and making the air tremble with the clash of deadly cold and unbridled heat all at once. She jumped, sweeping her arms back behind her and then lifting them up over her head, fingers curled and streams of ice and flame following the movement of her arms back and up- the Magic blazing ever higher as she reached the climax of the movement, gold and icy blue eyes blazing.
"Fire Devil's-!" Hora hissed lowly,
Hora's arms swung down hard, the Ice and Flame arching over her head in two distinct lines, before she slammed back down, her hands shoving into the earth and the arch of Ice and Fire grew outward ahead of her in rapid time. They converged in on themselves, shattering the earth, splitting the air even- everything shook, and the sheer pressure and weight on their lungs and shoulders was immense.
"Arctic Hellfire!"
The earth shuddered, slabs of it lurching and uprooting as spires of brilliant white ice and explosive golden-azure flame tore out across the space in a beeline toward Callan, spreading forward and outward on both sides to create a massive, reaching, and ever growing storm of burning-hot and deadly-cold. Both Flame and Ice tore outward from the central point of Hora's hands and scattered at an incredibly wide angle, and even circled slightly behind her and in a half circle, surrounding those behind her and watching absolutely stunned. And then they were quickly reeling as they watched the Magic tear outward and at a distance that easily covered more than a two dozen city blocks.
Spires and spikes of ice broke up out of the shattering earth, flame sparking off the ice and washing out with it. Flame and frost danced on the air in harsh waves like some terrible hell-storm, cold and hot all at once and tumultuous as the two clashed. The buildings, rubble, streets, and everything in between got overtaken in a thick sheet of ice and tracks of red-hot embers burning like pyres. Where the fires raged and turned what they touched into nothing but smolders, the Ice quickly overtook it, the embers burning dimly under the shinning surface.
And where the Ice wrenched things apart, consumed, and struck hard and fast through them, the Fire danced across the smooth surfaces, the golden-blue glow refracting every which way and shinning bright in the darkness that had overtaken the whole of the city. The Mini-Dragons among the rubble, and the ones that had appeared and caused what heartbreak they did, and even more of the beasts in places they couldn't see- they all got rendered nothing but ash, or otherwise were frozen solid, their bodies cracking up their lengths and shattering.
Everything went quiet, Callan's muffled roars making the earth and ice vibrate was only a low drone. It all went almost dead quiet, in their corner of the city- ash, frost, embers and snow falling and twirling on air sluggishly. In no more than a minute, everything around them had been rendered to a sudden standstill, the whole of the area and for a distance way too great around them- all of it was now unrecognizable.
Suddenly their world looked like a wasteland, made of Fire and Ice, and with both such naturally opposed Elements coexisting, and creating that wasteland in a way nobody had ever seen before, or could really fathom. It was, in the most literal sense- an Arctic Wasteland, dotted and joined in the blazing grips of Hellfire.
Hora had literally turned their corner of the massive city of Crocus, into some place born of an entirely different reality, and world. And all they could do, was stand there, and stare. And upon seeing the destruction, and sheer force, and even impossible amount of precision and reach of it, one of the very first things that raced across the minds of Lyon, Juvia, Meredy and Gray alike?
That was so much Power, and out of literally nowhere...!
And what was even more startling? All of that, just then?
That was Power fueled by little else than pure, unbridled, emotion.
"H-holy shit..."
Gray stammered the words out breathlessly, wide-eyed and stuck in his place as he looked around the Frost-Fire Wasteland quickly, eyes darting to every frozen or destroyed Mini-Dragon, every mountain of Ice and burning flame alike, and the suspended figure of the Dragon Callan, still rumbling from within the ice, but entirely unmoving for now. Lyon not far from him was doing the same thing, as was Juvia, Meredy- and everyone else in the city close enough to see the sudden show of Magic, and those standing in it's reach. Every human and Wizard caught in the sudden blaze of Magic was left untouched and unharmed by the overbearing Spell, as was the intent... but still- holy shit..!
"... that was... incredible..." Juvia stammered breathlessly, Lyon and Meredy nodding stiffly in agreement.
Gray swallowed hard, his eyes snapping off Callan and toward the Saber woman ahead of him- who only just then pushed herself to her feet, staggering slightly and her knees shaking quite badly, and so much so it almost looked like she barely got back up at all.
Hora winced lowly, panting now, her breaths slightly wheezy and quickly growing more so as she forced herself up and on to her feet after slamming her hands into the ground to send off the Spell. The Markings swirling up the one arm receded and disappeared from view, the frost on the other fading to none and the regular dark blue of her eyes returned again as any sense of that insane amount of Magic stopped rather abruptly. Hora turned, eyes glittering and vision hazy at the edges as she looked quickly for that raven hair, the world swimming almost, and her head whirling sickeningly with just the little action of turning and scanning the area.
Their eyes matched, Gray bristling slightly and immediately on edge to see the tears falling from the Saber woman's eyes still, her attention on him sort of dazed, and the way she was trembling like a leaf. He blinked, a bead of sweat dripping down his jaw and fidgeting slightly,
W-what the...? She's... she's crying...?
Gray stiffened in the next second though, his eyes widening and darting over her person quickly, and then grimacing when he noticed what everyone else behind him did almost right away- not just the tears, but also the fact that she was covered in blood. Scarlet was dropping continually from the wound over her ribs, and from several others that had definitely been put there by Callan pinning her down, right...? That hadn't actually... happened right...?
Wasn't it... just a Vision...? B-but then why is she... Actually hurt...? A-And actually crying...?
Gray shifted slightly, about to step forward though he couldn't actually get himself to move with how much his mind was whirling just then. Hora moved though, but all she managed was a single shaky step his way, a shuddering breath of air escaping her as her expression twisted faintly, and the tears spilled all the faster, sparkling as they splashed at her feet and he froze, eyes wide.
"G...Gray..." Hora stammered, her voice so very low and wispy, swallowing hard as she managed another small, extremely uneven step, before having to halt a moment, lest she topple over. Her eyes never left him though, not even as the tears kept coming, and Gray didn't look away either. He couldn't, because he didn't understand how she- a near complete stranger, and someone who had been so jumpy around him- could look so... So completely terrified, relieved, and anguished all at once... And over... Him...? Was he reading that right? Was he the reason...?
But why would she-?
"...Gray... P... Please... Please don't die again..." Hora stammered breathlessly, her voice breaking on the words and he stiffened further, his stomach flipping and a shiver running up his spine. Hora sucked in another shuddering breath of air, dark blue eyes all glassy and swimming in hurt, pain, fear, and so much pleading- and her voice was so full of all of that as she went on. "... P.. Please... Please don't die again... N...not before I get the chance to-"
.:+:.
-Shit, that's what she was trying to tell me! All of that earlier, when she stopped me and she was trying to thank me for helping her!
She'd thought he was dead, she didn't know he was even alive until that night with the Possession Link!
He'd dropped back into her life in the middle of so much insanity, knew immediately it was him, and then he got killed again! And that time she watched it happen!
Then she couldn't let it happen a third time, so she acted, and doing so nearly killed her instead- SHIT!
That entire night she was fighting and she was keeping what she knew to herself- she kept from saying anything to him because she was trying to keep from hurting him, or distracting him, or putting him in danger!
She kept her mouth shut and fought alongside him- saved him- knowing the whole time who he was, how she felt about him, and forcing herself to say nothing, even when it was tearing her up inside!
She'd kept it to herself the last few days and had to- because he'd been too chicken-shit and on edge around her to even be at the Inn, or give her a moments time!
She'd had to keep it all to herself the whole time and still had to tonight- even though she tried!
"You don't owe me anything! I did it because I couldn't risk losing you again, I... I can't lose you again!"
His running hitched without him meaning for it too, causing him to stumble a bit and his heart clenching painfully as the words ran through his head for the hundredth time- and this was the first time he had any clue to how brutally, agonizingly honest it actually was.
She was trying to tell me and I just walked away..!
And when he'd seen her face back then, saw her so crestfallen when he dipped away and let the crowd take over? It wasn't that, not crestfallen.
She was heartbroken and he did that to her- fuck!
The whole goddamn time he'd known there was something about her that made him uneasy, that irked him- he knew there was something, but he didn't know that!
He didn't see it that whole time- how the hell could he not see it?!
She knew who I was, since the very start- that's why she was acting so jumpy around me all the time! That's why she kept staring at me, or trying not to- and then getting all fidgety and even scared when I kept pressing her about her being weird around me! Or when I was talking to her and being an ass!
She knew who I was the whole fucking time- but I never saw it!
I didn't know it was her, not once! Not even when she kept doing all that shit that I knew seemed familiar!
.:+:.
"... that... that's going to be a problem..." Hora murmured quietly, breathlessly almost as her voice quavered, and the Fairy Tailers blinked at the words, confused.
Hora frowned, her eyes dropping closed as she pushed herself up a bit and adjusted to sit cross-legged on the floor instead of on her heels as she had been. Her elbows met her knees as she bent her head a bit, her hands moving up as her fingertips on each hand lightly pressing together and palms remaining apart as she drew her hands in. Her touching index fingers lightly rest against her nose, while her thumbs rest against her chin, silent in the odd, and yet somewhat unique gesture as a silence seemed to fall over the Saber Wizard as she fell into her own head. The Fairy Tailers all around her blinked at the action, confused as to what it was and why she seemed to be thinking so intently out of nowhere- not that any of them interrupted, mind you.
Gray stiffened though, his dark blue eyes flashing and narrowing to slits as she watched Horatia move her hands into the odd form, her posture silent and rigid and thoughtful... and yet he swore he'd seen that before.
.:+:.
"... What are you doing?" He mumbled, brow quirked and glancing down toward the small raven-haired girl sitting on the floor at his left. She didn't glance up or even twitch her head, she just kept on where she was, elbows on her knees as she bent her head a bit, her fingertips on each hand lightly pressing together and palms remaining apart as she drew her hands in- her touching index fingers lightly rest against her nose, while her thumbs rest against her chin, silent.
Silent and doing a completely weird thing with her hands- which is what he was asking about now.
"Thinking." She replied quietly, he tilted his head.
"What the heck is up with your hands then?" He deadpanned, and she paused a moment, before cracking one eye open and shooting him a sort of disgruntled look.
"This is what Dad does when he's thinking." She mumbled, his eyes narrowed.
"Uh, no it's not."
"Yes it is!"
"No, he does this thing with his chin in his hand," Gray murmured, putting his chin between his thumb and index finger a moment, before adjusting and clapping down his hands together lightly, "Or he does this sort of praying thing sometimes too." He added, before his hands pulled apart again and he waved his hand at her almost dismissively. "He's never done that, I'm pretty sure you just made it up." He told her, and her cheeks puffed up, her hands falling out of the weird thing and deep blue eyes glittering in annoyance.
"I did not just make it up! I swear I've seen him do it before!" She shot back, but Gray just shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Whatever you say."
"I'm not making it up!"
"Uh-huh."
"Hey!"
.:+:.
Their father might have actually done the same thing once, but Gray was never really sure. But it didn't matter anyway, because she continued to do it regardless of 'making it up', as just a a way to spite him... and it stuck.
Gray swallowed hard, shaking his head to rid himself of the memory while his soul ached terribly for it.
He'd sworn he'd seen that whole hand thing back when she did it a week ago- and he swore he'd seen it because he had seen it before, and he remembered it so easily now it was frightening.
But she'd told him when he confronted her about it later she didn't remember where she learned it from, or why she did it- she just did it... how could he really expect her to remember it at all, though?
It was a miracle she remembered him with how young she'd been when they'd gotten separated, but that just made it worse that he'd taken so long to realize any of it. Realize it was her- because now it was painfully obvious, and he hated himself for taking this long.
I didn't see it- I didn't see her!
I didn't get it, not the whole time- and she wasn't even being subtle about it or anything!
.:+:.
"So why not just leave?" Gajeel grumbled,
"Despite Jiemma and Minerva, SaberTooth is still a Guild. People work for money to keep themselves afloat, and get jobs... but it is more than that. We've made friendships, and we care about each other- those relationships are not something we can just walk away from lightly." Hora mumbled, glancing over her shoulder toward the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Could any of you walk away from your Guild and leave the people you care for behind so easily?" The Iron Dragon Slayer's eyes narrowed as he seemed to grumble internally at the question,
"Even if staying means getting hurt?" Gray asked lowly and Hora's eyes flashed, her posture wilting a little as she spared a glance over toward him.
"... In my experience, leaving behind and losing the people you care for, is far worse than any injury or hurt." Hora said softly, her eyes glittering as his eyes narrowed at her, almost confused.
She forced herself to look away
.:+:.
She said it then too and it just went over my head... goddamn it, all of it went over my head!
I'm so fucking blind!
His feet hit ice, racing over the threshold into the Wasteland made of her Magic, uncaring of the Barriers the Council put up to warn everyone to stay away. He started slipping in all his running and had to slow up just a smidge, even though he wanted to do nothing less.
His eyes cast to the smooth and glistening wings of the 'dragon' arching up from the center of all the Wasteland itself, right there in the middle where they'd been fighting so hard, where she'd been giving it everything she had against something way bigger than her, and she never hesitated. She was half-baked, already hurt way worse than he or anyone ever knew, exhausted and with the world and what she knew weighing like a million tons on her head- and she still fought like hell.
He hissed, looking away again and skidding around a corner, barely keeping his feet on the slick of the ice and growling as he pushed on.
He was fucking blind. There had been so many little things she'd been doing that were so obvious now, tiny things that went over his head when they happened and now swirled in his mind like a tornado.
It didn't matter how low and how hard he'd tried to keep certain things in his memories at the very back, and mostly untouched. It didn't matter how rare it was that he'd ever let himself fall back into remembering.
It didn't matter she was older now, it didn't matter that she looked so different, or that her name had changed, or that he'd been so sure she was dead- none of that mattered.
What mattered was he missed it, and now he saw it- and you wanna know what one thing of all the little things he'd seen or learned about her the last week that struck him as the one thing he should have honed in above all the rest?
The one thing that stuck more than all the rest, almost ridiculously so?
.:+:.
"Okay, I'm gonna send them out now, alright...?" She mumbled, and the Fairies blinked, before nodding slightly.
"Alright." Was the collective murmur, and Wendy and Natsu seemed to take the hint to back up, at least a little. Hora sighed again and let her eyes drop closed, one hand lifting with the papers between her fingers and the other falling into her lap. She lift the papers up a bit in front of her, gold pulsing into the paper from her fingertips and instantly setting the stack alight in bright, warm flame. She held to the stack for no more than a second more, before tossing them all up into the air above their heads rather nonchalantly. The papers separated, cascading in air like a shower of smoldering flame as the paper got eaten up- but the illustrations remained unharmed, the fire spreading along the wings and the paper suddenly puffing up into something no longer two dimensional.
They never hit the floor, instead they floated above the bar, wings flapping and bits of ember and fire falling like gentle snow underneath the 12 small, now suddenly very much alive birds, fire dancing along their illustrated, black and white bodies. They all chirped a little, their attention on Hora and not on the band of Fairy Tailers looking up at them with the utmost awe, their eyes reflecting the brilliant red and gold color of the flames.
"Hello Miss!" They all chirped in unison, Hora smiled slightly.
"Hello Drille, Pilli, Fille, Kaille, Jelli, Reille, Erelle, Anilli, Vylle, Belle, Nalli, and Seylle." Hora hummed, nodding to each bird and talking to it directly as she recanted all their names with the utmost ease, and each bird nodded back when addressed. The Fairy Tailers around her blinked at all the names, casting Hora somewhat surprised, and somewhat amused looks, though Hora never saw them.
"What can we do for you today, Miss?"
...
"He wanted it open...!" She snapped tensely, the Saber whipping around all the way as she did it, heart pounding. Her arm swung forward as she turned, the inky black Markings swirling up her arm and orange and red flame springing up as she swept her hand up into the air, her eyes flashing.
"W-wait what are you doing-?!" They snapped quickly, but she didn't stop.
The spire of flame she shot off rose above their heads at breakneck speed and quickly took the form of some large, fiery bird. It's wings beat down, ruffling everyone below with a storm of hot, wild air as it climbed high up over the roofs of the buildings and into sky- blazing orange and red against the dark backdrop of the night and letting out a loud squawk. It left immediately, streaking across the city and in the direction of where the Gate stood, and where a louder, more rumbling roar came from and so loud the buildings rattled for it.
The bird born of fire soared over the city and on a beeline for that huge, looming Gate spilling forth dust and harsh light- the Kingdom Soldiers, the Princess, Arcadios, Yukino, Mirajane, Wendy and the Exceeds wide-eyed and stunned. Lucy stood before the door, the blonde having started toward it the minute it began to open, slow, trance-like, her voice low and urgent.
"Close the Gate... We have to close the Gate."
Horatia's FireBird screeched as it came up over their heads, ash and ember falling from it's body- and a loud, clear voice erupting from the creature made of fire and ringing on their ears heavily.
"Close the Gate!"
...
Her eyes locked with the green ones of Callan glaring up at her, the Dragon sitting amidst the deep sea of water that she'd broken free of, lips pulled in a snarl and absolutely seething. Hora glared back, teeth gritting and her few seconds of weightlessness quickly coming to a close, so she flipped herself over, arms swinging out on either side of her and Magic flaring all anew.
Hora swung down hard, ice shooting up off her arms and outward in spiky tendrils, spiraling around each other and clashing together with a boom- and one followed by a shrill cry from the winged beast made of ice now suddenly forming underneath her. Trails of chilly air and frost billowed behind it, and off it's wings and tail made up of a million feathers of sheer, smooth ice- cold blue shinning in its core and razor sharp talons extending as it arched downward. It was three times bigger than even the one born of flame that had come before it, the air for three blocks around them suddenly swept up in a bone-cold wind the flapping of it's wings created, bits of frost and snow flurrying along with it. It screeched again as it came into full form, Hora's blue eyes blazing and fangs bared as the ice-made beast began nosediving toward Callan at breakneck speed.
"Ice Phoenix!" Hora snapped, her voice furious and carrying along the shriek of the bird
The bird rammed into Callan, driving her backwards and through several buildings, the both of them grappling with each other, claws flashing, teeth and beak snapping. They were hissing and squawking, tumbling things over and leaving a path of destruction in their quake- and this time there came the scarlet well of blood across Callan's neck where the bird's talons sliced through the scales.
For the first time since the fight had ensued, and in all the dodging about, struggling, and not making a dent at all- finally something was enough... But of course it had to be that one thing that actually made even the slightest bit of headway.
She flinched, a shriek coming from her Ice Bird and the sensation of it getting ripped apart hit her full force, though she didn't see it. She didn't need to see it though, the sudden feeling like something get wrenched from her core was awful and she grit her teeth for it- knowing all too well the empty feeling of the Magic being rendered null and wasted was soon to follow.
Hora forced her hand in the general direction she knew her Ice Phoenix was being wrenched in half, the sound of it's solid body cracking loudly and shattering all up it's lengths heavy on her ears. Her fingers stretched out, still cached in her own blood from before even with all the brawling with the water, her teeth gritting so hard they threatened to crack.
Pale white sparked off her hand, the flickering icy blue of her eyes ceasing for a moment and remaining clear and bright as the agony in her core sharpened- Lixue nearly yelping for it, but both she and he pushed at through it anyway.
The shards of ice the Phoenix got broken into glowed, remolding themselves even as they fell and were thrown away by a very furious Callan. They quickly started bending and shifting, some of them smashing together to form something new- and all of them stopping their momentum backwards and to the ground. Sharp wings made of ice sprouted outward from all of the pieces, along with heads, tails and beaks- leaving about 100 new, smaller birds, all entirely made up of all the ice and Magic it had taken to make the first.
And then in no time at all, every single one of those birds course-corrected and made a beeline for Callan, bombarding and surrounding her in all directions, and on all sides. They began pummeling her relentlessly, breaking scales off, earning bruises, tiny nicks where the scales had cracked- but that was all they managed, mostly they were a nuisance, and the Dragon screeched in fury as she did her best to render the new storm of birds nothing but dust.
...
She grit her teeth, her body curling slightly in on itself even with whoever had caught her still having their arms wrapped around her. She heard them puff a little, her head just under their chin and their breath ruffling her hair- and then she felt them stiffen when she cringed in their hold and let loose a shaky hiss. They quickly tried to adjust in order to steady her more, help her sit up even- but she couldn't hold her own weight just then, or get her eyes open- and she ended up just leaning back into them heavily, battling for proper air.
"Horatia, are you alright...?!" Lyon's breathless voice sounded close to her ear, the Lamia Wizard having been the one to stop her movement, and to whom she was leaning into- while Gray and Juvia had been the ones to send up that water and ice to make that slide that brought her back down. They'd managed a break in fighting off the Mini-Dragons since Callan's water had dragged them off, which was good as it gave them time to pause and save the Saber Wizard falling all the way.
Hora swallowed hard, breathless still and forcing her eyes back open, her head tilting left enough to catch a little glimpse of Lyon's face, and she nodded slightly. "... S... Sorry I... Need a breather..." She panted quietly, dark blue eyes dropping closed again and groaning a bit under her breath, her hand moving shakily to bump his left arm, hissing. "... Y... You are kinda hurting me though..." She added, and Lyon stiffened, frowning as he quickly moved his arm from pressing against the wound over her ribs and blanching to see just how much blood was seeping passed the covering of frost and ice. Worse even, he saw the blood dripping passed the edge of her lips and it made his stomach flip- especially so at how awful her breathing was right then, and how pale she looked... She looked awful, and nearly spent- Gray and Juvia noticed it instantly too, both Fairy Tailers casting wary looks toward the Saber.
"That was a seriously huge Spell, and it worked pretty good, you actually managed to do some damage." Gray mumbled quietly, his eyes moving from Hora and toward where Callan was still batting at the smaller ice birds still left.
"... But, you've got a thing with birds, huh...?" He added quietly, casting the panting Saber a sideways glance.
.:+:.
"... Ahhh, look at this one it's such a pretty color...!" She hummed brightly, her eyes glittering and wide as she leaned over the book, her eyes latched to the page and the picture of that utterly crimson red bird painted there. It was so stark and red against the white of the page, like blood in snow, and with deep black around it's face... it was like nothing she had ever seen, not outside of books and pictures. Not in this village full of water and snow and ice, and staying a chilly, silent wash of winter all year long.
"What's this one called?" She asked breathlessly, her eyes daring to break away from the page and toward Gray at her shoulder, leaning on his elbows against the desktop and smiling slightly as they both looked through the book together... tucked away in their room and sharing the single chair at the desk (well, more him sitting on the edge of it while she stood).
"Mm... its says Card... inal... Cardinal." He hummed, reading the name slowly and sounding it out a bit before putting it all together.
"Huh? I thought Mom said that was a church thingy...?" She asked immediately, and he blinked. "Like a priest guy or something."
"Nah, it must have been something else, or you heard it wrong." He replied quickly, "This is definitely 'Cardinal'. It's a bird."
"...huh..." She breathed, relenting to his explanation all so easily and looking back at the painting. "... it's so pretty... and so red...! I've never seen anything around here that red...!"
"Well duh, it's too cold up here." He told her, "Dad says all the birds stay further south, and if they come up here they freeze and leave really quick."
"But there are penguins, aren't there?" She told him, "They were in this book, so they are birds too right?"
"Yeah, but not the kind that fly." He told her with a shake of his head, "And they aren't bright colors like red or green or anything either ya know. They gotta blend in with the snow and stuff... for protection and stuff."
"Huh... that's cool... but this one is really red, does it live in places where there are like lots of red trees or something?" She asked, and her Brother paused.
"Hmm... gotta be, why else is it bright red? It'd get spotted way too easy if it didn't live somewhere where it.. it blended in and stuff, right?" He told her, almost matter-of-factly and she just soaked it all in.
Why not? What reason would she have not to trust what he told her? He was her Big Brother, he knew so much she didn't.
... the naivety, ignorance, and innocence of such a young child maybe... but she had loved it. Both that book and all its wondrous feathered creatures, and he thought she was even happier for how much he enjoyed looked through it with her, and told her what the words said... And he really did love it, though he never said it out loud.
"Woah... red trees! That's sounds soooo cooool!" She beamed, and Gray smiled at the grin on her face, his fingers curling under the pages and humming a bit.
"You think this is cool?" He asked, his eyes on the book as he began to flip pages and she watched him do it. "Wait until you see this one...!" He smirked, flipping quickly and skimping passed a multitude of other pages, other birds, all colors and shapes and sizes and words and lettering she couldn't read nor cared to- the pictures were more than enough for her.
And when he stopped flipping pages, the one he stopped on was huge, noble, and tall- with a long, flowing tail and a blaze of reds and oranges and golds of the like she could never have even imagined before right then. It glowed almost, sleek, shining feathers and bleeding bits of flame and embers of such wonderful hues they almost seemed to jump off the page and into real life before her very eyes.
Her heart swelled, her eyes growing wider than they ever had and the biggest smile spreading across her face as she stared at it in all it's bright, warm, fiery glory- and the smirk Gray was wearing got bigger as he saw the way she absolutely lit up.
"Woah!" She was breathless even as the word made it passed her lips in hushed excitement, and she rocked up on her toes, almost bouncing with excitement. "This is awesome! What is it called?!" She asked quickly, her head snapping around toward him in excitement for only a second before she looked back at the picture again- and before he even got the chance to reply.
"It's called a Phoenix. It's a Magic Fire-Bird." He told her, and she nodded several times at the information.
"The name is even cooler! And it's a Fire-Bird?! And a Magic Bird?! It's so big, and so bright! It's so pretty, the prettiest bird in the whole world!" She exclaimed, pretty much bursting now and he smiled at it, his hand falling in his cheek and just watching her nearly jump up and down on the chair beside him... and no small amount of happy with himself that he'd managed to introduce her to something she clearly enjoyed so, so much.
"You have to tell me what all the other words say!" She beamed, turning to him again and shaking his shoulder a little roughly in all her excitement. "I wanna know everything about it! Please!"
He laughed, grinning from ear to ear and his dark blue eyes shining in amusement as she shook him, and nodded at her.
It was one of the few times he remembered laughing like that... or remembered her being so genuinely excited over something.
"I will, I will! You gotta stop shaking me first though...!"
.:+:.
He slipped again, stumbling a few paces forward and his hands hitting the ground a moment as he fought to save himself slamming down all the way, and keep rushing all at the same time.
His heart twisted so hard it felt like it was about to give out on him, a stinging sensation rising behind his eyes that he blinked furiously at, keeping them at bay.
What was the one thing sticking now, even in a storm of a million other things swirling in his mind?
The one thing that stuck more than all the rest, and almost unbelievably so...?
Hauntingly so, where now in his mind flashed an image of a village destroyed, everything he had ever known in ruins, smoldering, and the snow still painted crimson..?
A line of tilted crosses sticking from the frozen earth, fashioned from badly splintered debris, names etched into the grain as he sat there before them...?
What stuck even as he was down on his knees and sobbing, so young, so broken, with the woman who saved him from solitude and the other boy he called friend watching in solemn silence...? His hands cold from the snow, bleeding and full up with splinters after scratching three names into the headstones, his heart breaking on each one of the three...?
The first one, tilted badly at a cantor;
Silver
The second one on the left, thin and spindly, four letters carved in;
Mika
And the third one in the middle, smaller then all the rest, and the one his hands had bled the most on in carving the name. The name he hadn't thought of or heard in so long... Her name.
Her name with a little picture of a bird he'd scratched in beside it- because of that one thing that stuck.
His hand slid along the slick surface of a building encased in ice and low-burning ember, fingernails digging in as he swung himself around the next corner at too tight an angle to possibly not slip- but he didn't, and he kept running. Kept running even when he could barely breathe, his lungs burning terribly and his heart felt like it was breaking in two for that memory, and that single thing that had managed to stay after so much bad, and so many terrible things all this time;
She loved birds
He slid around the next corner, panting heavily and blinking against the sudden dazzling light that hit him- the moonlight filtering through the Ice-Made Callan just ahead of him making him squint for a moment... before his eyes went wide and he caught sight of that strange fiery hair he wasn't used to. Right there at the base of that giant tower made of Magic, and not all that far from where the Ice had melted when Over-Drive started to rage, leaving one small space in all the Wasteland where the street was actually visible, and where some stains of sticky crimson still remained plastered to the cobblestone.
His running stopped, legs shaking along with the rest of them as he stalled for just a millisecond- just long enough to pause and catch a single breath of air- before his voice rung on the air, clear, loud, and uttering that one name he'd not dared speak in so long, or ever hoped he would again... to call out to her.
"Aida!"
She went stiff as stone, her heart stopping dead and all focus on Lixue and what conversation they'd been having between themselves lost and forgotten in an instant.
In the sheer silence in this place she'd rendered unrecognizable, out of nowhere came that voice and that name from somewhere behind her- and she was not ready for it. She wasn't ready to hear it again, she wasn't used to hearing it again- and certainly not with his voice.
Not from him, from the one person in the whole world who even knew the person that used to be... That person he hadn't even recognized the passed week and further, at all.
And she knew he couldn't, there was no way he should have ever known it was her, she knew it. There was no real way to see her and who she was, and know her name as Horatia and ever come to the conclusion of that;
Aida
She swallowed, hard, a tiny and badly shaking breath escaping her as her heart resumed it's beating- and it was loud and quick as hell in her still aching chest.
He said it
He knows
She meant to apologize, immediately. To tell him that she didn't know before a week ago he was alive, to tell him how sorry she was for however long he must have been alone and hurting before finding Ur, Lyon, and Fairy Tail.
She meant to tell him she was sorry for all of what had happened, for how long she kept her mouth shut and for not saying any of what she needed to immediately. She meant to explain why she hadn't said a thing, why she'd kept it all to herself that whole time- to try and get him to understand that she'd had too much going on, and she hadn't wanted to dump her crazy on top of him in something so dangerous as a battle against Dragons.
She meant to say all of that, or at least some of it. To just try and explain to him why she'd done what she did and hope he understood it, and might maybe forgive her for taking so long... So long that he had somehow come to the truth on his own, where she should have said it herself much sooner.
That's what she meant to say... But all in an instant one other awful, pestering, lurking thought shoved itself right through the storm her mind was in. That one thought that scared and that hurt more than she wanted to admit, even regardless of how much she rationalized it away, or tried to convince herself it wasn't true- that there was a reason he hadn't known until now.
She was too different, too much older, looked too different, the name was too far off- but it still scared her, and that single thought and question was the only thing that she could even manage to get out. It was the only thing she could muster once she found her voice even just barely.
She turned, her whole body trembling faintly as she did it, her arms pulled into her person and hands gripping nervously to the fabric of her dress. Her eyes stayed stuck to the ground as she did it, and all the way up until she'd turned the whole way- before she cautiously looked up, deep blue eyes glimmering in the dim and shadow of the spire she stood in. Her eyes locked with his, the unease and uncertainty clear as day on her face, as well as the fear... and the near disbelief.
Gray stiffened when their eyes met, his panting breaking off a moment when he saw the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, and the way her voice sounded so fearful and unsure as she asked the question that made his stomach drop.
"You... You remember me...?" She nearly whispered, the words broken and shaking terribly, and she looked like she didn't believe it, or couldn't.
Like she couldn't believe that he actually did remember her at all
Gray's heart sank so fast he thought it actually did stop beating right then and there, his face twisting into something absolutely agonized and heart wrenching for a split second as the breath caught in his throat- and then in the next instant he was no longer standing where he had been.
Hora jumped, her body getting jerked backward as she got caught up in his arms, Gray crossing the distance between himself and her in the blink of an eye and with absolutely no pause, hesitation, nor warning. He crashed into her, holding tightly and the momentum of sweeping her up in his grasp so rushed it ended with their feet slipping on the ice, destroying their balance and sending both of them crashing to the ground in a tangle. Gray didn't let the go the whole time, not even when she got jerked forward into him and he fell back, the Ice Wizard landing hard on his ass with landing Hora in between his knees, forced into sitting on her heels and held straight up against him, engulfed in his arms, eyes wide and rigid... reeling.
She heard him hiss, his breath washing against her neck as he hunched in on himself, folding further around her with his top half and his legs too, his arms wrapped firmly around her shoulders, head, and torso- face buried into her shoulder and... and shaking...?
Hora's heart skipped a startled beat, her eyes flashing when her stunned stupor wore off enough that she could feel how badly the whole of him was shaking against her, and she realized how desperately he was holding on to her... And then her whole world flipped on it's head when she heard the sobs catch in his throat, and the warm drop of tears splashing against her shoulders and trailing down her back.
He... He's crying...?
"T...tch... damn it... I never forgot you, ever..." He whispered breathlessly, his breath hitching terribly. "S-Shit Aida I... I'm so sorry... I swear I never forgot you... I should have realized it was you way before this... I... I'm fucking awful... but please... please don't ever think I forgot you...tch..." He broke off, his voice choking a little at the end, before shaking his head slightly and hugging her even harder- like he was afraid she was gonna slip right through his fingers, and he'd never get her back.
"You...y-you're my little sister... I could never forget you..."
She stiffened, her breath catching in her throat as her heart wrenched at that.
The tears that had been at the corners of her eyes welled up, bubbling over in an instant's time and spilling fast down her cheeks as she let out a small sob. Her hands still held tightly to her own person moved, winding around him and gripping tightly to his shirt as she pulled herself what little rest of the way there was into the embrace, burying her face in his chest as deeply as was possible.
"I.. I'm so sorry Gray..." Hora stammered out hoarsely, "I wanted to... I wanted to tell you, I d-didn't mean to lie to you or... or get so hurt that you had to... to use your Magic so much, o-or any of it... I didn't mean to... I... I didn't know you were alive, f-for so long I thought you... you were gone and I... I'm so sorry... I didn't know... n-not even when I was looking for Tenrou... I... I thought you were gone... if I had known you were a-alive... I would have never left home... I would have n-never left you alone if... if... damn it... I'm so sorry f-for all of it-" She broke off, her voice getting swallowed up in a hot and biting sob that stuck in her throat and made her lungs burn.
Gray grit his teeth at the apologies, his fingers curling into the fabric of her dress and into her hair as he squeezed her tightly, shaking his head stiffly and cutting off any further attempts to say sorry.
"None of what's happened is your fault, don't apologize...! I don't care that you didn't say anything, or how long its been, or any of that... Shit, you've been through so much crap since what happened with Deliora, way too much... Way more than you should ever have been through and I... I should be the one saying sorry, Aida... I never knew... Tch..." Gray hissed quickly, his voice wavering near as badly as hers had been before he broke off himself, and she felt him bury his face further into her shoulder and neck, his tears getting a little heavier and splashing against her skin with a new fervor and his voice dropped to a whisper.
"... Damn it, don't apologize for anything... All I care about is that you're alive... You're alive, a-and that's all that matters... I've missed you so much..."
Hora stalled her ears ringing on the words- the so pained and so sincere words... and then she cried.
She cried so hard, her breaths shallow and jolting as she sobbed and did so just as hard as she had when she'd been terrified and had to tell Rogue the truth about the Possession Link. She cried just as hard as she had all those nights so very long ago after her whole life got ripped out from under her, her family and her village lost and destroyed, and her body marked and tainted by a Magic she never wanted and had been forced into holding. She cried just as hard as she had when she'd seen him get killed by those mini Dragons, and she cried just as hard as she had every time she ever got jolted out a nightmare, or ever remembered everything that had happened, been done to her, and all that she'd ever lost.
She cried and she held on to him just as tightly as he held on to her. He hugged her and didn't dare let go while she broke down and the tears kept coming, and it hurt... But this time even though it hurt, it felt lighter too. Like so much of all those heavy and crushing things that had been hanging over her head were starting to crumble away into nothing for the very first time.
She'd had to let go of so many things these last few months, spill so many secrets and reveal so many things she'd been keeping hidden and locked up for so long. With each thing that got tossed out into the open she should have felt lighter, but there had always been something else. Some other mess or insanity getting thrown into the mix and replacing whatever weight off her shoulders there should have been. It had just been one thing after the other until it hit a boiling point and she almost died.
She almost died, and then she didn't, and all the things that came after had gotten a little less heavy, a little easier to carry and bear... all except this.
This had just kept getting worse, growing heavier and tearing at her insides a little more each day, hour, minute- the very first thing in her life she'd ever chosen to lock away and throw out the key. The very first true and utter hurt that had started it all, and she had never had any hope or faith it'd ever be healed. Not even when she'd found him, knew he was alive where she'd always thought him gone and lost forever- she hadn't thought even after that, that the hurt she held for him, Deliora, and all that had happened would go away. That much pain couldn't just be fixed. That pain didn't get fixed at first, it got worse.
He died. Right there, right in front of her and she'd been utterly helpless to do anything about it. What miracle or luck that had Time stepping back had been that- a miracle- but it didn't erase the hurt. It's just hurt more, added more wounds and pain to what had already been festering for most of her life, and it kept getting worse even after she'd managed to save him.
He died, she saved him, but that didn't fix a damn thing. Because even after that there had been that fear that he might not have wanted to know her, or care she was alive, or even remembered- but he did.
A lifetime that pain of losing him had stayed biting at her heels wherever she went, and it continued to stalk her even after she found him, lost him, saved him, and then nearly lost herself. That pain kept at it even after she'd gotten better, and everybody else had been fine, and he had too- things were better after she started healing, they were okay... but she'd not felt okay at all. Not truly.
Not... not until right then
He remembered her, she'd not been forgotten, he'd not pushed her out of his mind and tossed her away like she'd worried he might have.
He didn't blame her for any of it, or hold it against her- all he cared about was that she was alive. He'd missed her, just as much as she had him.
He was alive, she was too- he was okay, and not dead, and happy to see her, and that was all she needed.
All the anger and heartbreak of seeing him cut down a week passed that had haunted her and lurked even after all the fighting ended, and everything seemed to finally be fine- only just then was it actually fine. Only just then did all the turmoil built up had got to a point to be undone, and actually melt away.
Right then all the pain that earned such a vast and stubborn Icy Wasteland- that was gone, completely.
Release
Gray paused, his eyes blinking open, glassy and blurred from the tears as he looked up, and when he felt something suddenly shift on the air. Some sort of pressure or change in it that came to life without warning, and when he opened his eyes they widened- finding the whole of the world around them, all the Persistent Magic in ice ash and ember was suddenly... glowing...?
Hora's crying stalled for a second when she felt it too, the Saber pulling herself back from Gray enough to look and the Ice Mage's hold on her loosened for that first time to let her- though his hands still stayed holding lightly to her upper arms regardless.
Hora blinked, the tears still trailing down her cheeks as her gaze darted around to the sudden glow, confused and a little unsure- Gray was too. Hell, everybody else in Crocus was confused, it was way too easy to see the sudden several dozen block radius begin to give off light in the dark all around, and so out of nowhere too.
But... But why was all that Persistent Magic doing that now? She'd been told she was the only one who could do anything to it, so this? This didn't make sense.
What the hell..? I'm not doing anything-
'-But you did.' Lixue cut her off softly, and just as the glow from the Icy-Hell continued to grow even brighter, the very air wavering around them as it began to shift and pulse in gentle, rhythmic waves. Hora blinked at the sudden interjection, her tears slowing up for a moment as she stared, lost in her watching and Lixue went on, his voice so so quiet, and near wispy.
'This Spell was born from pure emotion. Of a pure drive formed of heartbreak and loss, and a need to save something you love dearly, and a need to gain back someone you lost long ago... It would have stayed right where it is, steadfast and unyielding for millennia if it took that- all until the reason it was made was finally realized... Until all of that pain and heartache was finally unwound, completely.' Lixue murmured, his voice echoing in her ears almost faraway, her eyes shining as the glow all around them got brighter than ever, the feel of Magic and Pressure building steadily in tune with it- burning soft, bold, and brilliant.
'You've reached the end of all that hurt, finally managed to let go of all those doubts and fears surrounding the very thing you were trying so hard to get back. All of what this Magic was born of, is now undone.'
She felt Gray's hold on her shoulders get a little tighter as the Magic kept building up in its intensity all around them, him watching it warily and pulling her a tiny bit closer into him, almost... Protective
Her heart skipped a beat, a few silent tears hitting air as they fell down toward the ground in slowness, reflecting the light around them with a magnitude of intensity that made them look like stars falling from the heavens... Then the Magic burst into a million pieces once they hit- overwhelmingly bright, and blinding... Overwhelming warm, yet pleasantly cool, and so gentle.
'This Spell no longer has a reason to keep standing.'
The light wavered, the pieces of the Magic that had suddenly ruptured upwards cascading on air like a sea of fractured glass- it slowed in time for a heartbeat and no more, a shudder rushing outward through each and every one of those broken pieces, the jagged edges twisting and bending, moving... Flapping.
Gray and Hora went deathly still, wide-eyed and staring in awe as time sped up again all at once, the air rushing up around them as countless wings beat down, tiny bodies made up of Magic in azure, white, red and shinning gold suddenly coming to life, and taking flight. Millions of them, every scrap of that Magic that had resisted change for a week now- all of it breaking away, coming into life and movement as whole currents wider than cities in themselves, all built up of birds.
Their wings brushed against them, soft and tender and nearly weightless as they rose up slowly, dotting a deep black night sky in brilliant light. They swirled and shifted as they soared, reaching outward across the whole of Crocus and painting rivers with their shine... Their wings shedding Magic like embers and frost creating glittering stardust that fell softly over the heads of every single person down below watching- all of them fixed, breathless.
A thousand people in the city that turned their eyes upward toward that sea of fluttering creatures and could not look away. Those in the streets or lured by the glow to their window and doors- a glow that not even the brilliance of the Palace of Mercurius and it's festivities full of life and mirth could ever hope to match.
The Wizards in the castle were just as transfixed as the rest of the city was, all attention caught and trapped by it. Their eyes reflected the sea of multicolor creatures floating high above them, faces a wash of quiet elation, stunned stillness, and even breathlessness bordering on tears.
The ghostly tower stuck in the figure of a Dragon had unraveled, the quiet and stillness of that Wasteland trapped in Icy-Hellfire was gone in full- the whole thing undone and taking flight, alive, and shinning.
Rufus smiled coolly as he tilted his hat back, gaze tracing each bird over the city in silence, committing through sight to memory where he'd keep it as long as he lived... And even Natsu in the midst of sneaking his way through the top halls of the Palace ended up drawn to a window, eyes wide and a toothy grin on his face as he chuckled a bit.
Now that's a fire in her belly
Sting smiled faintly, eyes flashing as he gazed up at that brilliant light of a like even he'd never been able to muster. Lyon's shoulders sank, tension melting away from them as his expression earned a softness so unlike the Ice Wizard, and his heart warmed more than it ever had too.
Rogue blinked slowly, red eyes washed out in deep amber, head tilted back and up toward the sky, specks of that stardust their wings shed dusting over them. He breathed deeply, his nose filling with the scent of ice and fire, all mixed together and so so sweet... while the light flooded every corner of his heart and soul, keeping the darkness ever lurking behind him at bay, always.
That brilliant and bright that was... Utterly beautiful
Hora's shoulders sank, her tears spilling a little faster again after slowing, but this time they fell in silence as Lixue's voice faded to nothing, and she just watched. The deep blue of her eyes shown near silver as they reflected the light, Gray's eyes earning the same sheen as he gazed at them swirling above their heads and around the both of them- and the tears still welled up in his eyes catching the light, even though they'd slowed significantly since the start.
For a few minutes neither of them moved, they sat where they were, transfixed- with Gray's hands still on Hora's shoulders and her hands gripping to the front of his shirt. Hora's eyes traced the birds made up of light and her heart ached a little, Lixue's explanation echoing faintly in the back of her mind even as the flap and rustle of wings and little chirps eachoed all around... Birds carrying off all that awful dark and twisty feelings and fears, and taking off into air to fly far, far from her.
Her literal fears taking flight, and fading... Geez.
She let out a breath that sounded more like an exasperated grumble than she intended it to, her eyes dropping from the birds and her head tilting down too. One of her hands released his shirt as she shook her head once, the back of her hand meeting her forehead as she sniffed a little, her shoulders sinking.
"... fucking hell Lixue... you spent half an hour going on about all that Magic theory for Unraveling Spells... for what...?" Hora whispered, Gray stiffening a little in surprise for the sudden sound of her voice and his head snapping back around toward her, though her eyes and head were still down and she certainly didn't notice she caught his attention at all- she just kept going, her voice low and very exasperated and breathless all at once.
"... I didn't even use any Magic for this... so what was all that...? Just bullshit...?" Hora muttered quietly, Lixue let out a soft humm.
'Not entirely. But these Spells are all different, and just as different as each Castor... I could ramble on all day with possibility and conjecture, but there is no way to know for certain what will work- not until it does.' Lixue replied coolly, Hora let out a little huff at it, shaking her head again and her breath hitching slightly as a sob worked its way up her throat again where it was entirely unwanted.
'Not until does'...? Seriously...?
"... Tch... That's so stupid..." She mumbled under her breath, Gray's shoulders sinking slightly as he caught the words and kind-of-sort-of caught on to the rather out of nowhere conversation... He couldn't hear who she was talking to of course, the whole Dragon in her head thing had always been a bit hard to wrap his head around- but that didn't matter. And it certainly didn't matter whatever it was Lixue had said either, because he got the gist of it, and that was all needed.
All of that? That much Magic, and life, and light all around them?
That was all her, and she'd not even been trying... Heh.
Gray sniffed a little himself, smiling faintly as his hands left her shoulders and came up on either side of her face, gently coaxing her head back up and her eyes to him, her hand falling from her forehead and blinking. He had tears in his eyes still, a line of them spilling down his cheeks all anew after slowing and he smiled at her, gently, achingly, and so happy all at once.
"It's not stupid." He told her, shaking his head a little again as a small, slightly hitching breath something like a breathless chuckle escaped him. "It's actually way cool... You're freakin' awesome, you know that?" He nearly whispered, Hora's eyes shown, her heart twisting and warming all at once for the words, while her tears sped up all over again. She swallowed hard as they spilled over in no time at all, and Gray's smile grew softer for the sight of them, his thumbs wiping them gently from her cheeks as he bent forward a bit, his forehead bumping against hers and letting out a small, shaky chuckle.
"Man, I can't believe my little sister turned out to be such a badass Wizard. And a Guild Master on top of it." He murmured lightly, Hora's breath hitched a little at the praise and he felt it, his eyes flashing while his voice dropped to something shy of a whisper. "I mean it. Even after everything, and all the shit that's happened, and you've lived through... You..." He told her softly, his voice shaking a little as it got a little hoarse there and trailed off, while his hands holding on to her face trembled faintly too.
"... You're alive... And you've grown up so much, ended up so strong and you care so much for everybody... All of your friends and your Guild, and everybody else you've met... You've worked so hard to protect everybody you care about and done it... You're amazing, Aida."
Hora's heart skipped a tiny beat, fluttering a little and her stomach doing the same at the words, and the name- a name that still felt so foreign on her ears, even when he said it. The one person in her entire like that had ever known her by it, and the one person she'd never hoped she could ever get back, have right there, feel him, or hear him... let alone him say all of that, and mean it with all his heart.
She swallowed hard, a trembling breath escaping her as the tears he'd wiped away returned in no time. Gray's eyes flashed at it, their foreheads separating again as his arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her all the way into him again, Hora's hands hooking tightly around his torso while he buried his face into the crook of her shoulder and neck.
Hora swallowed, her breath hitching a bit as she fought to catch her breath and find her voice that felt stuck in her throat, her hold around him tightening a little.
"I... I've missed you so much too... the whole time... I thought I'd never see you again... I'm... I'm so happy you're alive G-Gray..." She stammered breathlessly, Gray felt his heart twist at it, his own breath hitching as he squeezed her tighter.
"Thanks to you." He whispered, Hora's shoulders hunched faintly for it, her head shaking slightly as her hands around his shirt tightened.
"I... I told you not to thank me for that..." She muttered lowly, he let out a small breath.
"I know... and ditto by the way." Gray murmured softly, "You don't owe me for anything... And I can't lose you again either."
Hora hissed, her eyes shutting at the words and pressing her face closer into his chest as the tears came back with a fierceness, and quickly.
She was crying again, but this time she was quieter, less aching- and he was too, just a bit. What tears were still falling from his eyes were silent, and muffled by how deeply he'd hidden his face in her shoulder then. Hora could feel them splashing against her skin though, just as easily as he could feel her own wetting his shirt and falling into his lap- each of their own tears still glittering as they caught the light of those birds fluttering softly overhead. The birds swirled, winding slowly through Crocus and eventually higher up into the sky, their bodies whittling away with each flap until there was nothing but embers, and then nothing.
Gone, just like that one last secret she'd kept... gone with all that hurt and worry, and melted away to none with both of them simply there, alive, okay, and reunited after so so long.
And it had been a long, long time... years creeping on to a lifetime where they'd both lived their own lives, been through their own things, and become their own people. So much had gone in all that time, and neither of them really knew the full of it- even with all Gray had heard about the last few months of her life, and SaberTooth's predicament all these years didn't really scratch the surface of the full thing. And Hora herself knew next to nothing about him, and his life.
They had to talk, there was so much to go through and learn about the people they'd grown to be- they didn't know one another anymore, not really. So they did have to talk, and go through all that time lost and fill in the gaps... But for tonight?
For tonight it was enough to just have each other back, after having lived so long never daring to dream that might ever be possible.
For tonight it was enough to be there, together.
It took awhile for either of them to calm down, the tears slowing to near stops as they put a little distance between them again and tried to catch their breaths. Gray was much faster at it than Hora was, especially so when she ended up a bit more than simply breathless- and actually ended up coughing a few times near the end. His face fell the instant he heard it, looking uneasy and a touch panicked for the sound of them, but she stopped after a few and swallowed hard, shaking her head and casting him a glance.
"I'm okay... I'm okay..." She mumbled quickly, apparently all too aware of how quickly he seemed to tense at the sound of it. Gray hesitated, his hands hovering slightly and dark blue eyes glinting in the dim as he watched her carefully, Hora forcing herself a slow, deep breath that sounded a touch hoarse.
"... Are you sure?" He asked, and she nodded again, a small a weary smile making a brief appearance on her face.
"Yeah I'm sure... all things considered, coughing a few times is nowhere near as bad as I'd have expected me crying to warrant." She replied softly, another small breath escaping her that was a little less hoarse, and a little more exasperated. "Over-Drive usually has me hardly able to breath at tiny things... so this is going way better than I could have hoped." She admitted quietly, Gray seemed to wilt a little for it, still looking unsure, but he nodded a little in understanding regardless.
He didn't want to linger on it too long, not if it ended up stressing her out more or making things worse than her coughing a few times... but he would have to ask more about it later.
Just not tonight
He forced himself a breath, shaking himself out slightly and reaching a hand forward to let it drop on her head gently, a tiny smile making it's way onto his face that she blinked at. His hand lingered atop her head for only a few moments, before it slid down to her cheek, his thumb wiping away some of the last of the moisture the tears had left on her skin... his stomach churned a little for the warmth of her under his touch, but he did not let it show outwardly.
"Alright." He murmured softly, "But tell me if you start feeling like crap, okay?" He asked quietly, Hora faltered a little for the request, before nodding slightly, her eyes flashing.
"Okay." She promised, and she meant it... But just for that night?
It didn't make sense, in any way- all of this was all the emotional turmoil Over-Drive loved to surge with for any reason at all, but it didn't.
Strangely just then, and for the rest of that night, her emotions were all a whirl and a storm in her soul, but they didn't hurt.
That night she felt so much lighter than she had in all her life, so much better- so much more complete.
Little bits of herself had been empty for a really long time, and in so many ways, but over time things had always been filled.
Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch had filled part of her, all that time ago when she met them, and they became her friends, and her family. They filled something in her, and then all of SaberTooth and everyone in it she cared so much for had provided a piece of herself that had been stripped away and lost after all that happened with Deliora, Arden, the Possession Link, and all else.
She'd been put back together bit by bit over the years of knowing them- and then put together even more with each new person and friend she made. Those like Natsu, Lucy, Lyon, Ira, Doranbolt... and each secret spilled, and truth come to know.
Revealing the truth of the Possession Link, the fate of her Village and her Family with Deliora, her status as a Devil Slayer- all awful things she'd kept locked up, but the minute they were out and everyone knew... that filled in something in her soul too, crazy as it seemed. It was like all the secrets had carved out pieces of herself and refused to let those empty spaces be filled back in, till the truth came about.
Her fears and doubts had done that too, all that guilt and doubt that she'd failed the people she cared for most, and let her Guild be hurt for so long... some other part of herself became a little more whole again, once she decided to do better, and promised she would be the leader SaberTooth deserved. That she would be the person they had so much faith she was, and who she desperately hoped she'd actually prove to be.
Then with Rogue, and coming to the conclusion of how she felt for him, and knowing he felt the same way, even after all the crazy? That time they spent talking, confessing in that tub all by themselves, and the kiss? That filled something in too, and it had almost been the very last empty space inside of herself.
The very last empty space, one built of loss, and doubt, and fear, and heartache... tonight that last part of herself that had been ripped out and left astray was returned, and that was it.
She did feel entirely complete now, and maybe that was why she felt so much lighter, and why Over-Drive seemed suddenly near powerless in it's hold over her.
She didn't know for sure, it was only a guess- and she had no mind nor want to brood about it, or wonder on it. Not that night.
Tonight she just let herself fall readily into that feeling of lightness, and wholeness- and she was so happy.
She really was, after that she didn't end up crying anymore, and she wore a smile all the way through the rest of the night. A small one mostly, and one that was a little tired and weary at times- but a smile always, and sometimes such a bright one.
She smiled wearily as Gray helped her on to her feet, and then smiled a little more when he dropped his hand on her head again, ruffling her (carefully braided) hair playfully- just like he used to, all those many years ago.
"Hehe, you really do still have a thing with birds, huh?" He asked lightly, Hora let out a breath.
"Birds are cool."
"Heh, yeah- but especially Magic firebirds, hmm?" He hummed, and her eyes shown at the comment, and clear flare of the memory.
He remembered
She smiled softer for it, and just nodded in reply, her deep blue eyes glinting. And that smile stayed as they made their way back toward the looming figure of the Palace, the sky still dotted here and there in the last wisps of those birds born of Magic, which left the stars shinning a little brighter as the warm light faded all the way. That smile never went away even as they talked quietly in their walking, Gray promising her they would have plenty of time to sit down and go through it all- but for tonight they should just have fun.
Have fun, be happy, let loose- the both of them quickly falling into something of a familiar rhythm with one another as they wound their way through the streets, Gray bumping Hora's shoulder with his own and ruffling her hair a few more times as he gave her a dozen and more praises on being a badass, and all things in between... and each one making her heart grow even warmer and lighter, swelling almost even as she stayed quiet to most of them, looking embarrassed- but he did mean it, and it was even sort of fun to see her get so flustered with it.
And on the other end Hora certainly seemed amused when Gray got a little nervous with the quiet praises she offered up for him, and they were well deserved. After all, he had defeated Rufus quite decisively- which was no easy feat, and very impressive- as she made very clear. She also made it very clear she looked forward to watching the Video Recordings of the GMG to see that 'totally awesome' fight for herself, which made Gray look all the more embarrassed, and she laughed for it.
Gray only grit his teeth at the teasing for half a second, before what little agitation in his core disappeared in an instant when she laughed, and he could not help but smile more at the sound of it.
He teased her, praised her, and amped her up the whole way through- feigning exasperation for the ways in which she definitely outclassed him, and even faking looking somehow wounded when he admitted her Ice Magic had definitely ended up being 'king' compared to his own, and Lyon's.
"Seriously, I can't believe my little sister's outclassed me that much." He told her with a much too exaggerated sigh, Hora chuckled lightly under her breath at it, even though it made her flush faintly.
"Heh... but ya know we're technically we're the same age now." She pointed out lightly and he faltered a little for the assertion, while Hora shrugged her shoulders a bit. "I'm actually kind of older than you at this point-" She started lightly, only to get caught off when Gray clicked his tongue, her brother's arm extending out toward her and hooking his elbow around her neck and shoulders, catching her in a firm yet gentle headlock and ruffling her hair more than a little that time.
"-Yeah yeah, dream on! None of that stuck in Time stuff counts! You're always gonna be my little sister, and I'm always gonna be the big brother- so don't even try with that 'technically' shit." He huffed a bit, still mussing up her hair and causing Hora to stagger a moment as he caught her in the headlock. But despite the way he huffed he was smirking faintly all the same, and Hora couldn't help but smile a little back... and a little softer for that;
Big Brother
"Heh... Yeah, okay."
Her smile never let up, not even as they reached the Palace again. Rogue, Sting, Lector, Frosch and Yukino were the first to catch sight of both Fullbusters once they made a reappearance, all of the Sabers looking uneasy and searching. Naturally, since they were worried about the sudden show of Magic on Hora's part at unwinding the Arctic Hellfire Spell, when she shouldn't have been using Magic at all.
And for Rogue, Lector, Sting and Frosch it was a little worse- since they knew Over-Drive had already been bothering her earlier, and that it was likely only going to flare up more after Gray ran off like he had... but when they saw her seemingly totally fine, and even smiling, they sort of faltered in their rushing toward her without meaning to.
Yukino was the first of the group to snap herself out of her hesitation, the Celestial Mage moving to dart up toward the pair with Juvia quickly moving to do the same. Juvia's eyes had found Gray and Hora as fast as the Sabers had, and similarly she'd ended up faltering to see both Gray and Hora so at ease. But both Yukino and Juvia were quick to snap themselves out of their hesitation, and they started forward in near tandem with one another- and all at once they were both stopped in near the same instant too.
Sting caught Yukino's wrist lightly and halted her, the blonde shaking his head slightly as he pulled her back toward him, his voice dropping along with his face as he murmured into her ear to let Hora and Gray be for now, they seemed fine enough. The bluenette faltered a little at the words, her eyes narrowing in confusion and question both for the sudden decision to not rush up to their friend- but Sting smiled faintly, looking a little weary now as he shook his head again, and murmured something even quieter in her ear next. Yukino went stiff as stone.
Juvia got stopped by a hand too, though one that fell on her shoulder instead of catching her wrist- and the bluenette's eyes left the two, widening in surprise when she realized it was Lyon of all people who had suddenly halted her... And Lyon who smiled faintly, the Lamia Wizard seemingly very aware of what the concern and unease in Juvia's expression was born of, and to what end. He understood she was worried about Gray, and he knew her concerns over Hora and his childhood friend were not unfounded- she just didn't know.
But for right then, and in that moment at seeing how happy both Gray and Hora seemed when they walked in- it wouldn't do to let Juvia or anyone else pester them, not just yet. And it wouldn't be fair to make someone like Juvia who cared that much about Gray to sit in the dark for any longer either, so Lyon did as Sting had with Yukino, and stepped closer to murmur a few things in the Water Mage's ear. A small word to let them be for now, and assurance that they were both fine and there was nothing to worry about- and an even quieter relay of that last secret and truth to her, and one Juvia went very still for. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized almost instantly that what Lyon had just revealed was exactly why she'd been hit with that strange sensation of familiarity when looking at the Fire Devil Slayer.
The reason she knew that face.
Both Yukino and Juvia looked back around toward the Fullbusters slowly, eyes wide and gleaming as the information sunk in, and all manner of little things made all the more sense now too.
They didn't try to break off or approach either of them after that, they stayed in their spots and resolved themselves to do as Sting and Lyon had said- to let them be, and let them have tonight to be free of having to explain anything, or give all the details.
Tonight just let them be happy
Hora did notice Sting, Rogue, Yukino and the Exceeds not long after coming in- but she didn't catch sight of them until after Sting had stopped Yukino. She caught their eyes for a brief second, the smile she was wearing fading a tad as she did it, before growing a little gentler. Her gaze matched all five of them, darting over them all in rapid succession and nodding faintly as she did- the look a silent way to say she was alright, and that things were fine... good actually.
They understood the look well enough, and they cast their own soft smiles back- Yukino's a little lagging, but a smile from the Celestial Mage nonetheless. Hora saw it and seemed to let out a small breath, her eyes flashing when she realized Yukino must have been told, but she had no time to linger on it, and no real want to.
Her eyes matched with Rogue's last, the Shadow Dragon Slayer's expression gentle and red eyes gleaming as he tilted his head faintly toward the side in a tiny gesture toward Gray at her shoulder. It was a silent reply to the look she'd cast them, and one that said she should go ahead and not worry about them, or anyone else. Her heart warmed a little for it, and she nodded faintly and only once, before her attention on him diverted back to her Brother, and stayed there.
"Come on." Gray smirked, tugging her easily along with him, his hand curling lightly around the inside of her arm- giving her little choice but to follow, though she wouldn't have ever rejected it.
Her eyes matched with his again, deep blue on identical deep blue, and the little her smile had softened just moments before vanished. And it only continued to grow brighter and stay that way for the remainder of the night.
Gray pulled her through all of the crowds, uninterested in anybody trying to gain his attention or hers as he lead them straight through all the many with not a care in the world, and was not hesitant for even a moment as he stopped at the edge of the marble dance floor, and extended a hand for her. Hora blinked at the gesture, taken aback for a millisecond, before her eyes shown and she settled her hand in his. Gray pulled her easily along with him as he stepped back, smirking and chuckling under his breath as he twirled her around a bit before catching her other hand in his own. Her eyes shone as they spun around, the smile on her face never any brighter than in that one instant, and remaining just as bright and full of glee as they stayed hand in hand, eyes shining and laughing with one another as they danced.
Danced and moved, gliding over the floor and spinning in small circles here and there in complete spontaneity. They danced, and talked about all manner of nonsensical things, never prying for details or touching the heavy stuff. They laughed and teased one another, and kept going, never growing tired of it nor having a thought to stop for what felt like forever. Neither of them were really the sort of people to dance normally, but they did and it was amazing. It was content, and light, and some of the most fun either of them had had in so long.
It was one of the best nights either had ever had- like something out of a dream, and one built up of hopes and wishes neither would have ever dared to think could come true... but it had.
It was a dream, but it was reality all at once and they reveled in it. They kept dancing, kept teasing and smiling- taking that night for all it was worth and letting themselves sink readily into the cheer and pure joy born of finding each other again, and repairing what broken bonds of family they'd had shattered and left fractured all their lives.
The curious glances they earned from those in their Guilds did not make a dent, none of the quiet murmurs in question to the sudden friendly behavior between them finding either Fullbuster's ears or attention. People all around wondered about it as they saw them, and continued to question it as they danced- but even all of them could see how happy both the Ice Mage and the Fire Devil were, and they could not help but start smiling and feel their cores lighten themselves for the sight of it. No, they didn't really understand the sudden turn or what it had been spurred by, but it didn't matter.
They looked so happy, and no one dared to throw a wrench in what was nothing but genuine delight and warmth.
Hora stepped around, Gray's feet following suit as their pace slowed up a little and a tiny pause came into the light chatter and whatever else. Her eyes gleamed as she caught his, time slowing up for just a moment as the ballroom around them and all it's people faded further into the background than it already had- leaving just them, moving slowly across the floor in a sudden soft, bright white. She could smell snow, almost feel the gentle powder beneath their feet and see houses and streets rise up at her vision's edge- both of them suddenly transported back to a town trapped in winter all year round, a home they had left and lost so long ago... and both of them suddenly smaller now too, Gray the young boy he'd been when she'd lost him the first time, and Hora herself so so young, her hair raven instead of fiery red.
It did feel so much like a dream it was almost frightening, and almost worrying in some tiny corner of their minds that it was just that- a dream.
But the weight of his hands in hers was real, his scent on her nose too heavy to be a construct of her mind, and the warmth in her heart and soul too gentle to be Magic, Fire, or otherwise. This was real, all of it was.
The white faded, the ballroom coming back into focus and the visage of both siblings so young from so long ago gone in the blink of an eye. Hora let out a quite breath for it, Gray squeezing her hands slightly as they turned again, and his expression softened in the same instant hers did as well- he felt it too.
It was a dream, but even though it was a little unbelievable, it was also real.
This was reality, this had happened. They were here, both of them- and this was something they'd both needed more badly than either of them had ever known until that night.
That night they found each other again in full, and continued to find each other more as they moved and talked, in each smile and burst of laughter. And they would find each other further afterward when they talked, and learned everything else about who they were, what they'd lived, and who they'd become.
That night they found each other again, regained something lost, cherished it- and would cherish it every second afterward, and for all time following that night.
That night that was just... pure bliss.
HEYO!
OMG WE FINALLY GOT THERE XD
I so hope you all enjoyed the reveal you have all been waiting for- and man did you wait so long! QwQ
The last five-ish years of this story have finally reached it's fruition, and I am so thankful you all stuck with me so long! ;w;
This has been a journey, and now we are near the end! There is only one more chapter following this, where everything is gonna be all wrapped up! And we'll touch briefly on all the stuff that happens in the next few years with Tartaros, Zeref, and all else!
So I hope you look forward to the final chapter, and were satisfied with the sibling reunion as it came to be!
Tysm! <33
Chapter 42: All That Comes
Chapter Text
Chapter 42
All That Comes
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas
.:+:.
She's been through so much shit... tch.
Gray grit his teeth slightly, eyes glinting as he cast a slightly pained glance down at his sister, the Saber fast asleep on the couch beside him and her strange fiery head of hair resting lightly on a pillow butting up against his hip and thigh. She'd finally conked out after many, many hours of talking to one another- the both of them tucked away in one of the side rooms in Saber's Inn, alone.
They'd finally gotten to that long talk about all they needed to learn about each other after all this time, and getting straight all the details of what had gone on with them both... And Gray hated how short of the mark his comment a few days passed about her 'having a rough go of it' actually was.
Her life and what she told him of it, and all that had happened to her- it was hell.
She'd never caught a break, not after Deliora or what Arden did, and then Jiemma and Minerva. Her run-ins with North Wind and it's Demon of Zeref, and even the conflict with the Dragons seemed almost normal in the insanity and hardship that made up her life... which was so, so awful.
Gray's jaw clenched a little harder at the thought of it, his eyes falling closed while his hand resting lightly on her shoulder tensed without him meaning for it too.
He couldn't believe the amount of shit she'd been through, and how much of it she'd had to deal with all on her own too- all from the very start.
She'd been a kid when Deliora turned their lives upside down, and she'd been a kid when Arden forced his Magic onto her... worse, he did it when she'd been hurt and lying near dead in the snow after getting hit by a swipe of Deliora's claws.
Gray swallowed, his eyes cracking open halfway and his hand on her shoulder shifting, his thumb tracing lightly over the slightly raised flesh of the scar running the whole length of her right arm- a mark left there by that Demon, and one that had followed her her entire life in more physical a way than his own scars from that day had.
He couldn't imagine it, having that Magic suddenly thrust on a kid so young by a complete stranger, and burned into her very soul when she'd only been half alive to begin with. It sounded terrible, it was terrible- and it made his soul ache even more when she'd seemed to fall so readily into what horrible a memory it was when she'd tried to explain to him what had gone on. Her voice had been shaking the whole time, her hands doing the same while her eyes had failed to stay level with his during it. He'd heard her breathing pick up too, the pain and fear of the memory in her head so tangible she couldn't help but react to it, and he'd almost regretted her having to go through it all again.
But she got through it, eventually, and thankfully she managed it without getting so worked up her health seemed to start getting shaky again- which he and everybody else were all too worried about. She was doing a lot better, but she was still hurt, and everyone was very aware of it.
Gray let out a heavy sigh, his eyes dropping closed again and his head falling back over the top of the couch wearily. His free hand came off the armrest and pushed his hair back from his face, shoulders sinking faintly.
Everything she told him, and everything he learned about her life, and the hardships she'd gone through had been hard to hear... but he wanted to know, had to know really- and now?
Now there wasn't a chance in hell he'd ever let her go through anything like all she had all alone, ever again. He wasn't ever going to let himself not be there when things went bad again, where he'd unwillingly left her alone all those many years ago to now.
Never again
He forced himself a low sigh at the thought, his fingers tangling in his hair and eyes cracking open to shoot a tired glare up at the roof.
He hated himself for not realizing she was alive, and he hated himself for ever leaving their Village and not being able to find her. She made it clear though that he shouldn't hate nor blame himself for that... of course she did, she wouldn't ever blame him for any of it. Especially not when she, and he knew too, that there was nothing either of them could have done differently back then.
Knowing that did not make him feel any less guilty about it, though.
... Hmph...
Gray blinked, his head tilting slightly when he heard the sound of the latch on the door into the room behind him clicking softly in the silence. His hand fell from mussing with his bangs as he craned his head back a bit more to catch a glimpse of the door, eyes flashing when he caught sight of Rogue and Sting poking their heads in the room almost nervously... And then promptly froze a little when they caught Gray's eye, stalling, tense.
Gray let out a quiet breath at it, his shoulders sinking a little and shaking his head faintly, his voice barely a whisper- though they would hear him easily enough, Dragon ears and all.
"You guys don't gotta be so nervous or anything, you can come in..." Gray told them quietly, dark blue eyes leaving the two again and glancing back down toward Hora, a small sigh escaping him. "... I know everybody's been trying to give us space... But you're worried about her too, I get it."
Rogue and Sting cast one another uncertain glances at the words, the both of them stuck in their spots at the door and hesitant a few heartbeats longer... Before they seemed to snap themselves out of it and stepped in quietly, eyes down and swallowing hard. Rogue rounded the couch where both Fullbusters were to be on the same side as them, hovering slightly at the coffee table near to Hora's hip while Sting put himself on the other end of the back of the couch where Gray was, the blonde leaning into the top of it with crossed arms and shooting Hora a quiet look.
Gray noticed the anxious expressions on both Dragon Slayers as their attentions darted toward Hora, a quiet breath escaping him as his eyes dropped closed and his head tilted forward, his cheek falling in his hand as he propped his elbow up on the armrest.
"... She's alright, I think. She's just exhuasted after all of it." Gray mumbled, voicing an answer to what had clearly been on both their minds just then, though they hadn't tried to ask out loud.
Rogue and Sting nodded stiffly and only once or twice in answer to it, their eyes still down on that fiery-haired woman that meant so much to both of them... Who meant so much to all three of them in that room, and to so many other people still outside of it- most of who were still slightly reeling from the revelation of who Hora was to Gray.
It was understandable they would be reeling though, realizing those two were long lost siblings would have been shocking enough without adding on the fact that literally nobody had been aware either Gray or Hora had siblings to start with. Hora had always been secretive about her past and the Sabers knew it, and those few that even learned anything about her the last few months- a brother hadn't really been one of the main points. And similarly for Fairy Tail, Gray had never actually mentioned having a little sister to anybody, since all he'd ever revealed about what happened with Deliora was simply his family had been killed. He'd never specified what his family was made up of, so Fairy Tail had no clue and the revelation from the night before had been... Shocking, though in several different ways.
Many of the Fairy Tailers had already been hit with a sense of familiarity when they met Hora long before last night- Lucy, Wendy, Happy and Natsu in particular. Some part of them had seen Gray in Hora long before they knew why, and when they heard the news on them being siblings and realized that was why they seemed to know Hora- it hit hard.
Natsu and Happy had been particularly loud about it, both boys incredulous and sweating up storms as their minds struggled to process the sort of insane information. Sherria was nearly as loud as they were, the Sky God Slayer looking less shocked and more miffed with herself- because she knew it!
"I knew it! You're guys' scents are so similar I thought you had to be related- but I ditched the idea...! I can't believe I just let it go...! Lyon why didn't you say anything...?!"
Lyon had only shook his head faintly, murmuring that it was not his secret to share, and the girl had puffed her cheeks up at it. But Sherria was only agitated about it for a few moments though, and she seemed to wrap her head around it very quickly compared to everybody else- who all struggled to process it, but did eventually.
Lucy was mostly speechless before stammering out a few words on how incredible it was that Hora and Gray had managed to reunite, the blonde smiling faintly and breathlessly as she did. Wendy followed suit not long after, her reason for thinking it'd been Gray who had found her and Carla after being attacked making all the more sense before she moved passed it, her hands clasping together in front of her and smiling softly, happily.
"That's wonderful...!"
Everybody was happy for Gray and Hora both once they got over the initial shock of it, and nobody seemed to really care the secret had been kept so long or any of that- they were content to let it be, and just let themselves fall so readily into a reality where there were two Fullbusters instead of one now, and that was amazing.
Erza had been more thrilled with it than either Hora or Gray really expected, and neither of them had expected the firm (slightly painful) hug the redhead had caught them both up in, teary eyed and very moved with how beautiful their reunion really was... It'd been very weird and very Erza all at once- not that that made either Gray or Hora any less flustered and unsure of what to do with Titania's reaction.
(They knew Erza was genuinely happy for them though, so they didn't question it, or resist it either)
Everybody had lots of questions on it though, even being as happy as they were for the siblings- and their questions were understandable. But even so, neither Hora nor Gray got into it much, they wanted to hash things out with each other first and they asked everyone else to be patient- which all of SaberTooth agreed so readily to the request, while Fairy Tail agreed too, though they were a clearly more antsy than SaberTooth seemed to be.
The Sabers had promised to be patient with Hora when she agreed to be Guild Master though, and they meant it, no matter what. So the Sabers had a bit of an easier time letting Gray and Hora have their time, but Fairy Tail let them be too (though Natsu and Happy had had to be restrained by Erza and Lucy earlier, as those two weren't so much the patient type). But both Fairies and Sabers stayed out of the way, let Gray and Hora have all those many hours to themselves to just talk and learn all that had happened, and everything else... While all the while Sting, Rogue and Juvia stayed close by, always ready to check back in when things seemed to quiet- which now they had.
Juvia hadn't come in just now, though she was lingering out in the hallway regardless... She'd stayed put even when Sting and Rogue had made their way in, because she was fairly certain them going in now wasn't just for checking in on Hora- and she was right.
Sting and Rogue exchanged quiet glances with one another, the room deadly quiet outside of Hora's soft breathing for a few moments near too long, before they seemed to grit their teeth, shifting on their feet and earning a sideways glance from Gray when he heard them force low breaths.
"... We are sorry about last night, and how we acted toward you." Rogue murmured quietly, his eyes falling closed and arms crossing over his chest as he sank into sitting on the coffee table stiffly.
Sting nodded once, his eyes breaking off Hora to Gray for a moment before they left the Ice Wizard almost nervously. "Yeah... Ya know... About us snapping at you when you were trying to find her." The blonde finished for Rogue.
Gray blinked, his face falling slightly flat at the sudden and entirely unexpected apology.
He knew what they were talking about- they had kinda snapped at him when he'd been furious with Lyon after first realizing who she was. They'd said all that stuff about why she'd not told him before then, and why she'd kept her mouth shut... But why were they apologizing for saying that...?
Gray swallowed slightly, shaking his head a little and looking a little unsure.
"Uh, don't worry about it... You guys weren't doing anything but telling the truth..." Gray mumbled quickly, but they seemed to stiffen at it, their eyes not on him and shaking their heads.
"Regardless if it was the truth or not, we shouldn't have been so short with you about it." Rogue replied lowly, Sting nodding once at it.
"Yeah... we were bein' kinda harsh, it wasn't really cool of us.." Sting mumbled. Gray faltered a little, a bead of sweat running down his jaw and looking a little more unsure, as well as a bit nervous now.
"It's fine, seriously... But what's with the saying sorry all of a sudden...?" Gray mumbled, "Are you like... trying to get on my good side or something...?" He asked, Rogue and Stung seemed to grimace a little at it, shifting a little nervously themselves now- which had Gray blinking several times over.
W-Wait a minute... Seriously-?
"... It's not exactly that, we just... Things between SaberTooth and all the other Guilds have gotten better the last week, but there are still bad memories. And we don't want there to be things still tense between us and everybody else if we can help it." Rogue murmured quietly, his arms unhooking from his chest so his hands could wring together a bit in his lap.
"... And with you and Hora now... We just wanted to say sorry for what we said to you, we didn't mean anything bad by it." Sting mumbled, Gray's eyes widened slightly as his mind began to catch up with what they were getting at, and what for.
"... You mean a lot to her, so if there's anything we can do to make sure things between us aren't uneasy... We don't want her to have to worry about anything she doesn't need to." Rogue finished quietly, Gray's expression softened, dark blue eyes glinting.
"... You guys really care about her, huh?" The Ice Mage asked quietly, they stiffened a little at it, their eyes darting toward him and glimmering faintly- especially when Gray smiled ever so faintly, because he knew the answer to his own question already, how could he not?
He'd seen how heartbroken both Dragon Slayers had been when she'd been hurt, and gotten so bad. He'd seen the sheer terror in their eyes when they thought they were gonna lose her for good, and he'd seen how happy they were and the relief in them when she did start to get better. He knew they cared about her, so much, and them doing what they were doing now just made it all the more clear.
Gray let out a small breath, his eyes leaving both Dragon Slayers and nodding, not pausing long at all or waiting for a reply.
"You don't have to apologize, or worry about us butting heads or anything. I don't care about any of the crap that happened in The GMG or anything else... We're all good in my book." Gray told them softly, his hand on Hora's shoulder shifting a little as his thumb traced over the scar running through her flesh once more. "From here on out we can just start over... Forget all the crap that happened between our Guilds and just focus on the future, and making sure none of all the terrible things that went on ever happen again. We gotta stick together now, and keep an eye on each other, and protect each other no matter what."
Gray's eyes moved over toward both Sting and Rogue again, glinting and his voice still low but so steady all at once- and his eyes didn't waver when they locked with either Dragon Slayer.
"Sound good with you?"
Rogue and Sting paused for no more than a heartbeat, the faint surprise in their faces quickly shifting into steadiness and resolution that matched perfectly what amount of it was in Gray's eyes and voice now. Both Dragon Slayers nodded firmly, vowing with that single nod and reply along with the Ice Mage- and all of three of them were going to keep it, no matter what.
From here on out Fairy Tail and SaberTooth were going to be there alongside each other- and more importantly they were going to be there alongside her.
Right there with her, doing whatever it took to make sure she and everybody else she cared for was safe, and happy. Right there standing with her, and never wavering in being by her side, and protecting her. They'd be there, all three of them- and Fairy Tail and SaberTooth as a whole too.
They'd be there with her, in all that comes. That was a promise, one they would keep it no matter what... And they did keep it, as best they could.
Weeks passed and things were a little hectic, a little usual, and an adjustment surely, but none of that mattered much. Hora, Gray, Sting, Rogue and everybody else took everything in stride, and what came was well worth all the crazy.
Days following that night that had been painted in rivers of luminous birds brought SaberTooth and Fairy Tail closer together, and in much shorter a time than either Guild could have imagined. What amount of tension or unease that had hung as a heavy iron curtain between SaberTooth and all the other Guilds had been thinned in the week so many had banned together to try and save Hora's life from the rage of Over-Drive, and then when everything else about her and Gray became public knowledge- that curtain quickly got torn down.
Hora, Sting, Rogue, Lector, Frosch and Yukino tagged along with Team Natsu and Juvia in tow, headed for Magnolia out of Crocus rather than returning to SaberTown right off... And only on the back of Rufus and Orga, along with the rest of the Sabers, promising that they would be alright and would start pulling together some of the shambles still left of the Guild and it's paperwork and such with Minerva and Jiemma gone.
So they all set off together, climbing into a carriage to roll over the countryside and away toward Magnolia with Natsu, Sting and Rogue all instantly feeling that familiar queasiness of Motion Sickness as soon as the wheels began to turn- and Hora felt it too.
The Fire Devil Slayer slumped in her chair, hand over her mouth and grumbling lowly as she held her breath against the churning in her core, and she heard Lixue grumble a bit in the back of her mind too.
"Ugh... Seriously...? With the Possession Link gone I'm gonna get Motion Sickness too...? Not fair..."
She'd earned sympathetic looks from everyone else for it, and she continued to earn a few every once in awhile after she, the Twin Dragons, and Natsu had managed to nod off and save themselves at least a little of the discomfort for the ride.
They spent an entire week in Magnolia, the Sabers who had all never been there before somewhat taken aback by how large and vibrant the whole town seemed to be, and even more taken aback by how vibrant and full of life the Fairy Tail Guild Hall was at literally all times. There was constant movement in the walls of that Guild Hall, constant fits of lighthearted brawling and chatter and conversation filled to the brim with smiles and energy that never ended. They'd never been in a Guild that full of life before, though they had dreamed of it- of a life without Minerva and Jiemma and the oppression and fear that came with them.
It was amazing, and exactly what they wanted SaberTooth to be- the thing they resolved to make the Guild, when they went back a week later.
But for the whole of that week, they let themselves fall so readily into that vibrancy that Fairy Tail seemed to exude with absolute ease, and they enjoyed every second of it. Hora and Gray remained basically glued to each other through it, both Fullbusters determined to make up for all the lost time of the many years apart, and determined to gain the same semblance of familiarity and comfort with one another they had once had so long ago. Hora got a good look at what his life was, with Fairy Tail and all those that he'd known for just as long as she'd known her own friends, and her own Guild. She got closer to that Brother she only just got back, and she got closer to those in his life too- those she'd already been friends with before now like Natsu, Happy and Lucy, and further to everyone else.
She grew closer with Erza, Wendy, Carla and Juvia in particular- of which the Water Mage had been quick to apologize to Hora for accusing her of being a 'Love Rival' of any kind. Hora simply smiled and told the bluenette it was not an issue at all, and reiterated her thanks to Juvia for caring about Gray as much as she did... and words could not describe how much hearing Hora say that and truly mean it meant for Juvia at all. It was a sort of validation of her feelings that had felt like they'd mostly been seen as over the top, or too much- but Hora meant it, Juvia could tell, so Juvia grew determined to make sure she and Hora were on good terms and became friends. And though it may have started out of a want to make sure she wasn't butting heads with her Beloved's sister, Juvia quickly found she truly liked Hora, and Hora felt much the same. Juvia genuinely cared for all those she loved, Hora could see it so easily, so what was there not to like?
(It did take Hora some time to get used to Juvia's more eccentric ticks, but she did eventually. And it was not unlike Hora having to get used to Gray's strange stripping habit, really... which that ended up throwing her for more than a few loops the first few days when he'd finally relaxed enough to fall back into old habits)
Hora was not the only one to make friends that week either- everyone else who had tagged alongside her managed to forge their own bonds with Fairy Tail, and all in their own ways. Sting and Natsu had plenty of fun in brawling together that week, and the Exceeds all found companionship among one another too. Yukino and Lucy grew closer in trying to say their thanks to their Celestial Spirits for all the help with the Eclipse Gate, and Gajeel and Rogue rekindled what connection they'd had when Rogue had been young, and Gajeel on a different path in Phantom Lord.
It was lovely for Hora to see all of them getting along with Fairy Tail, and sweeter still to see Sting and Rogue be able to be around those two Dragon Slayers they had looked up to for so long. They still did look up to them, they sort of had to after that sound defeat in the GMG- a defeat that hadn't left them bitter, but more determined to do better and be stronger... and both Natsu and Gajeel were all too ready to see where Sting and Rogue would go.
They were also all too ready to tease Sting and Rogue about Yukino and Hora too (though a little less often for the blonde than the Shadow Dragon Slayer). How could they not tease them a little though, and Rogue especially?
Rogue who was nothing if not entirely invested in everything Hora did every second of the day, and always on alert and watchful for her in case her health started to waver, or anything else? Rogue who would hover at her shoulder, red eyes glinting as he kept an eye on her? Or Rogue with his gentle hands finding hers, pulling her along with him from time to time, or coaxing her gently into a seat with his hands lingering a few seconds too long on her shoulders? Or Rogue who sat close to her whenever he had the chance, whispering small things in her ear and blushing when she leaned up and tapped her nose lightly against his?
He had it bad for her, and Gajeel, Sting and Natsu were not the only ones who could see it- though they were nearly the only ones to tease him for it. And they loved teasing him all the more when their comments earned Rogue flushing scarlet, his eyes down and red as can be- and nearly as red when one night they managed to sweep him up in Fairy Tail's exuberance and got him very, very drunk. Which doing so earned them learning a rather interesting tidbit on why he and Hora seemed to have suddenly gotten so mushy with one another, and what exactly spurred it.
They learned about that late-night confession both of them had had in the bathtub all alone, all exposed and saying those three very weighty words in a situation like that, that was anything but typical.
You said you loved each other? In a bathtub?
It was too rich, and too funny, and too weird- and they never ever let it go, much to Rogue's chagrin, and a bit to his misfortune too, since it fried his nerves like none other.
But Rogue was happy enough to get the brunt of the teasing, and thankfully nobody seemed all that interested in teasing Hora- perhaps because they were cautious about upsetting her too much, just like he was worried about it, and that Over-Drive might flare up for her. She did fine through the whole week though, and there were only a few times here and there she ended up coughing, but never for very long. Which made everyone happy, and Gray too- much like Rogue, Gray was constantly on the lookout for her starting to act off, or seeming to be feeling bad.
Speaking of- Gray also caught on to the way Hora and Rogue acted around each other, and though he'd really noticed it near right away, he didn't give it much thought around catching up with Hora to start with. Though once things started to settle a little, and drawing nearer to the end of that week where he wasn't as trained on his long lost sister as he had been, Gray did see it.
He saw the way Hora and Rogue were with each other, the closeness there, and the care- and the fact that they were a lot more to each other than just friends finally managed to hit him. Even though he'd already known they weren't really 'friends' in some corner of his mind, it didn't sink in fully for the first time until near the end of that week in Magnolia, and as soon as it did as he ended up falling into something more like being an over-protective big brother than he originally intended.
He was teasing really, but even the tease had an edge to it- and Gray in no uncertain terms told Rogue he'd be a deadman if he ever hurt Hora at all... which coming from her older brother, that was kind of expected, and Rogue knew it.
But even if he knew it, it didn't stop the words from cutting a little, and all the guilt from the other Version of himself having hurt Hora at all got drudged up all over again for Rogue. And Hora was all too aware of the way he'd tensed later that night, and she knew what for too, since she'd overheard what Gray had said earlier that day.
As night fell and a little lull came into the bustle of the day, Hora pulled Rogue aside, the both of them stepping out onto the terrace of the hotel they were bunking in not far from the center of Magnolia. Music and mirth echoed up from the streets below where even near two weeks passed, celebration for Fairy Tail's victory at the GMG was still going on, and the lights in the dark from below sparkled off damp wetness from a light shower that had fallen earlier in the day.
Rogue's eyes narrowed faintly in question as Hora tugged him gently out into the cool night air behind her, and shut the balcony doors softly. He wasn't sure why she'd suddenly pulled him aside, and he was even more unsure of it given the slightly uneasy and maybe even a little exasperated expression on her face. A look that was nearly unseen the last week, since she'd been constantly so much happier than he'd seen her in a long time, between all the time she and they had spent with Gray and the rest of Fairy Tail combined.
Now suddenly she seemed tense though, and he didn't know why... though to be fair he'd been a little more caught up in his head for the last few hours, so maybe he'd missed something...?
"Hora... is... is something wrong..?" Rogue asked quietly, and she seemed to stiffen a little at the question, her eyes glinting in the dim as she glanced up at him. Her hand was still wrapped lightly around his wrist after pulling him behind her, before she adjusted her grip and her fingers twined with his, and then the fingers on his other hand too. Rogue blinked in surprise at the sudden taking of his hands, his eyes flashing and a little lagging, especially when her expression softened and grew firmer all at once.
"Rogue, you know that I know you'd never hurt me, right?" Hora asked quietly, he felt his heart skip a beat, eyes widening and going very still... she could feel the rigidness in his fingers twined with hers easily enough, and she seemed to chew on her cheeks for it, shaking her head once. "I heard what Gray said to you earlier." She told him quietly, and Rogue swallowed a bit, his eyes dropping from hers and to their hands.
"O-Oh..." He stammered, swallowing again and shaking his head a little stiffly. "I wouldn't worry about it Hora, I understand why he said it, i-it's fine-"
"No, it's not fine." Hora cut him off, and Rogue blinked. "I know he didn't do it to be mean, but it still upset you, I can tell." She said lowly, Rogue's eyes glimmering as they dropped off their hands and to his feet... but he wasn't able to let them stay there very long.
Hora stepped in closer to him, bringing herself right up under his chin and catching his eyes that had fallen to the floor, her head tilting up toward him and closing the distance enough that he was forced to lift his head after it fell. Their gazes matched, red on dark blue as she seemed to grimace faintly, a small breath escaping her.
"Look, I know you're still all wound up about what happened with the Other Rogue... I know you're still worried about hurting me, or having hurt me, or that you might." Hora told him softly, "I understand you feeling that way... but you have to know I trust you, alright?" She murmured, her hands squeezing his slightly and a tiny, faint smile making an appearance on her lips.
"I trust you with my life, I always have, and nothing's changed that. I know you'll never hurt me, ever." She told him steadily, Rogue swallowed, his eyes glimmering while his lips pulled into a tight line and his heart clenched. She just smiled a little more though, shaking her head once and pushing herself up onto her toes enough to let her nose bump against his lightly, "Don't listen to what Gray said, he was being an overprotective idiot, that's it." She hummed, and Rogue let out a breath, the warmth of it washing over her face and the Shadow Dragon Slayer leaning into her a little as a relieved sigh seemed to escape him for the assurance... the genuine assurance and words he knew she meant with all her heart, and his own heart was set alight for it.
She trusted him, truly. She knew he'd never do anything to harm to her- and that was all he needed.
"Thank you." Rogue murmured softly, Hora's eyes flashed.
"Of course." She hummed, and he smiled a little back to the one she'd given him.
Hora dropped back off her toes, separating their noses again but not unlinking their hands or putting any further space between them right away. They paused a moment, hand and hand and simply quiet for a few heartbeats, the laughter and music from down below the only thing on the air between them as they stood still... and then Rogue seemed to catch himself, his eyes darting off her and toward the direction of the music for a moment, before he seemed to shift a little nervously on his feet and pulled her a little closer to the sound of it.
Hora followed him without hesitation, though she did tilt her head curiously as he brought her around- before he pulled her in close enough their chests bumped together, and one of his hands unhooked around hers and landed on her hip instead. Her eyes widened as she caught up with what he was doing, and she smiled gently as he seemed to clear his throat, red eyes searching as they locked with hers.
"Ah... We didn't get a chance to dance... back at the Palace..." He started softly, his hand on her hip twitching faintly and looking unsure. "But... well, would you like to now...?" He asked quietly, and Hora nearly beamed, and answered without skipping a beat;
"Yes."
Rogue seemed taken aback with the instant agreement, before the surprise got replaced with something softer, a tiny smile breaking across his face and red eyes glittering- all full of happiness, and care, and sheer love as he looked at her.
His heart melted into her hands, hers forever right then and there.
They danced, winding their way slowly across the terrace, enjoying the music and the warmth of each other, quiet and content to be that way as they moved as one, chest to chest and so close they could feel each other's heartbeats... together and the only two people in the world for an hour or so, wrapped up and consumed in pure bliss.
Gray caught a glimpse of them dancing from the street below as he headed out and intended to go home for the night and sleep. The Ice Mage stood with his hands in his pockets and expression softening when he saw how happy they were- when he saw in Rogue's eyes just how much the Shadow Dragon cared about her, and how much Hora cared for him back.
Gray rarely made any more comments to Rogue about treating Hora right after that, and what little he did always ended with Hora jabbing her elbow into his ribs painfully, causing him to quit right off. He did tease them both though, like Sting, Natsu and Gajeel did- though he mostly teased Hora and not Rogue, as poking fun at her was normal between them, and she didn't really mind.
A week in Magnolia came to a close, and the Sabers left the town behind to head back to their own Guild- leaving with lighter hearts, better friends, and with Hora and Gray back in a comfortable flow with each other. She learned so much about his life that week, grew to care for so many of the people he did, and they'd found a happy place between the kids they'd been so long ago, and who they'd up grown to be.
But it was Gray's turn to learn more about her life, so he did as she had and tagged along to SaberTown, with Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Erza, Carla, Happy and Juvia not far behind. And surprisingly, Lyon, Sherria, Yuka, Toby and Sherry popped in too.
As opposed to the time it'd taken the Sabers to settle in with the Fairy Tailers, it took a little longer for those that came along to SaberTooth's Guild to settle in all the way, or for the Lamia Wizards to do the same. Understandably, since even though SaberTooth as a whole had relaxed a bit with Jiemma and Minerva gone, they were still not quite sure how they were supposed to act- and as soon as Hora and the other's came back, they looked to their newfound Guild Master on what to do, and where to go.
And man; Hora was great at being a leader, anybody could see it. Gray especially found himself proud of her for how quickly she stepped up, and how hard she was working to be the leader SaberTooth needed, and deserved. He watched her as she helped all of her Guild settle in and let go, urging them to be friendly and drop what last of the stoic and ruthless facade of 'SaberTooth' still lingered. She tugged all of her Guild along behind her as she got them to forge bonds and friendships with those from the other Guilds, or went out into the town and rebuilt what shattered relationship SaberTooth had had with it's hometown and it's citizens under Jiemma's rule. She stood tall and promised SaberTooth would be better, and do better, all while she encouraged every single person in that Guild every second of every day to be themselves, and to not be worried or afraid.
That Guild was their home and they should never be afraid, or uneasy within it's walls, or which each other. SaberTooth was their home, and she was gonna make it be that no matter what it took.
She was exactly what SaberTooth had needed. She was the light and path they yearned to be able to follow, and everyone was so, so happy to have her there, and see her take charge, gain confidence, and do her utmost.
She was so strong, she learned so quickly, and fell into being Guild Master like it was what she'd been born to do... and really, in a way it was almost like she had been.
That Guild and those people had been her everything, they were her life- her destiny even, and it was amazing to be able to see her step out of the shadows of all the terrible things she'd endured to get there, and burn bright like that burst of fire and warmth she was.
She was, in all ways- amazing. Truly.
Gray could scarcely believe how amazing a person she'd turned out to be, and he was prouder than anyone had right to be when he saw over the next week of being in SaberTooth how confident, determined, and capable she was. How awesome of a person, Wizard, and Guild Master she was.
Those two weeks following all the chaos of the GMG, Eclipse Gate, Dragons, and all else- those two weeks were wonderful. In two weeks they managed to find each other, get to know each other again, and really start to heal all the hurt of the destruction they'd faced, and all the time they'd lost.
In two weeks Gray never stopped calling Hora by her real name, and had not since the night he realized it was her. To him she was always Aida, and she always would be even as time went on- and she didn't mind it. She got used to it quickly enough, and everyone else did too who stuck to calling her Horatia as they'd come to know her from the very start.
In two weeks they learned about each other and who they'd become, both finding themselves amazed with who their sibling had turned out to be, and so happy that they'd managed to find a home in the people they knew- SaberTooth for Hora, and Fairy Tail for Gray.
In two weeks she and Gray settled out of being stuck to each other like glue, and eased into something that had a little less of that fervent need to not lose track of each other, for fear they'd lose each other all over again and never get one another back. It wasn't easy to try and relax a little and back off from being constantly near each other by any means, nor was it easy to pull away from that need to make up for all the lost time as quickly as possible... but they got through two weeks and spent more time together than they had in ten years or more, found some sort of content and balance with the people they'd become, and they finally got to a point where they weren't so afraid they'd lose each other entirely.
Realistically they knew they couldn't be with each other all the time, they had their own lives to get back to and to deal with in full- but even so it was uneasy, trying to walk away even for a little... but they did it, and they did it with the promise they would stay in touch and never be far from being there for each other, or be away for too long.
Cana made Gray a Calling Card that would connect to the ones she'd already made and given out to Hora and the other Sabers, so he could stay in touch with his sister wherever they might end up. That way of staying connected to each other made it easier to give one another some space, though they ended up calling several times a day in the start, and then everyday after it... But even with the Card, Gray ended up staying near one and a half weeks in SaberTown before deciding it was okay to head off for a bit.
"Don't go running off and getting into anymore fights with Dark Guilds when I'm not around, yeah?" Gray mumbled lowly, his eyes flashing in the midday sun as he shot the words toward Hora in front of him, and the SaberTooth Guild Master seemed to wilt at it, smiling exasperatedly.
"Yeah that's definitely not gonna happen... I really doubt anybody's gonna let me go out on a Job anytime soon..." She mumbled and he nodded a little,
"They better not." He murmured, his shoulders sinking a little and searching for a moment. "You better call me if you start feeling like crap and Over-Drive gets worse, okay?" He added a little tensely and Hora nodded once, her smile softening a tad.
"I promise, I will." She hummed, before smiling a little brighter and a little more reassuringly. "But I'll be fine, I'm sworn off Magic for the next few months at the very least, you don't gotta worry... but that being said; you be careful too, yeah? I know you, and Natsu, and everybody else get in lots of trouble all the time." She murmured, and he seemed to force himself a sigh at it, nodding once.
"Yeah I know... I'll be careful." He promised,
"Good." She chirped lightly, her hand coming up to tap her fist against his shoulder playfully. "And don't look so depressed, it's not like we'll never see each other again, or you won't know where I am." She told him lightly, before letting out a slightly weary sigh. "I'm gonna be stuck here forever trying to rearrange all the paperwork with the Council, and the titles for the Guild Hall... I am not leaving this town anytime soon." She told him, looking exasperated for a moment at the thought of it and Gray couldn't help but smirk faintly.
"Yeah have fun with that. That sounds like a great time." He chuckled, Hora groaned a bit.
"Oh definitely..." She sighed, he just laughed a little a little more, but ultimately let it go. He paused for a small second, his smile fading a tad before he moved, stepping forward and catching her up in a hug without warning. Hora stiffened in surprise for the first few seconds, before relaxing quickly into the embrace and returning it, her arms winding around him and her nose burying itself into his chest.
"I'll see you soon, alright?" Gray murmured, Hora nodded a little.
"Yeah... See you soon."
The embrace came to an end and Gray smirked as he stepped toward the train, waving a hand back at her and calling out something about expecting she be on her best behavior, or else. Hora rolled her eyes a little at the less than threatening words, laughing a bit and calling back that he better not go getting in trouble with the Council again, or she'd know.
Gray disappeared through the the entryway, leaving Hora standing on the platform for a little as she watched it head off, her heart aching- but only just.
Gray ended up calling her with his newly given Calling Card before the end of the day, and Hora couldn't help but chuckle at his lack of patience... While she was also secretly glad he had none.
Another week passed that turned to two, and then a month, and a month more. Three months passed what had happened in Crocus, where Hora threw herself info fighting all that was wrong with SaberTooth's reputation among the other Guilds, the town, and the country as a whole. Three months since agreeing to be SaberTooth's Leader, vowing to do better for the Guild and it's people she cared for more than anything... And three months since finding the Brother she thought she had lost so very long ago.
That three months felt like it flew by, but it was honestly some of the best months she'd ever had. In three months she settled into her new role as Guild Master and she watched SaberTooth change into something new, and a version of itself she'd only ever dreamed of. Every day she walked in to a Hall full of laughter and conversation, a whole group of people who weren't tense, or scared, or constantly on edge and waiting for an iron fist to come down on them. They saw her walk in and they called out greetings, smiling and happy to see her- not all afraid to approach her or ask things, or just simply strike up conversation, or worried she might snap should they look at her the wrong way, or show any sign of weakness. There was no fear that they couldn't be the people they wanted to be, no dreading of showing up in the morning and not knowing if the day would end with abuse, or if they could manage to skirt by.
They were excited to come to the Guild every day, to be able to see all their friends and their Family- to take jobs, or just hang out, or train with each other, make plans, whatever. There grew to be more light, laughter, noise, and joy coming from that once looming figure of the SaberTooth Guild hall in town than ever before. The townspeople started to feel comfortable walking passed the front doors instead of skittering away, they started to see the relaxed mood coming from those Wizards that had been so dark and gloomy for so long- that Guild started to shine brightly, and their improved mood started to spill out into the rest of the town, and even further. New people showed up looking to join, expecting the harsh SaberTooth they'd heard about but finding the new Guild that was so warm, and inviting... a real Family.
A family headed by a fiery-haired Devil Slayer who looked much too young to be a Guild Master, but a woman who every single Mage in that Guild looked to without hesitation, and knew she would look out for them no matter what, and they would do the same for her.
It was three months where SaberTooth went from doom and gloom and utterly abused to a safe place they all wanted to be, and where the bonds each Saber had with each other grew all the more strengthened, and steadfast... and three months where their friendships among the other Guilds were solidified too. Fairy Tail and SaberTooth, Lamia and SaberTooth, and even Mermaid Heel, Blue Pegasus, and many others- even further, SaberTooth's relationship with the Magic Council grew all the stronger too, with Hora's friendship with Ira, Doranbolt and Lahar. Friendships that grew more vibrant as she really stepped into the role of SaberTooth's Guild Master, and she had to lean on them a little more for managing things between her Guild and the Magic Council.
It was three months where Hora abstained from using Magic of any kind, even when she eventually got to a point of Over-Drive not bothering her in the slightest, and she felt just fine. But even so, she didn't push it too far, or at all- because she'd promised everyone else she would be careful, and she would lean on them a little more, and she really meant to stick to that.
It was three months where Gray was a constant presence in her life again and she couldn't have been happier for it, even when he ended up hovering more often than not, and being that overprotective big brother he was. He teased her a lot, and was adamant on making sure she didn't overdo things or push it too hard, but he was just worried about her, and she was just happy to have him there. She was even happier to be able to share any of her life with him at all, even the parts where he hovered and worried- because it meant more that he was there, and alive. And for Gray that was enough too.
Three months passed since all the the crazy, where her life had been thrown upside down and she'd nearly died, several times, and nearly lost the people she loved even more times than that... It seemed even crazier to imagine it took only three months for her entire life to change that drastically. But it had changed that much, and all for the better.
In three months all the terrible things she'd had to contend with and live through... those three months made dealing with all that agony and heartbreak worth it.
She had her brother back, alive and safe where she never hoped or dreamed she could.
Her Guild and everyone in it was safe, happy, and no longer suffering and abused under the iron-fist of a bastard of a man who had turned her into a slave.
She was free, no longer bound and helpless, and she could be the person she wanted so badly to be- and make the Guild that place a Guild should be, and should have always been before now.
She had made friends in so many places, and dear friends of people she'd never have been able to even really talk to before all the insanity... and the insanity that brought so much hurt, but so much good with it too.
She got Gray back, she was set free of Jiemma, SaberTooth was no longer a prison, her Guild-Mates were no longer abused and oppressed, her friends in other Guilds were her friends for life, and she would do anything for any of them. All of that was amazing... and what she'd realized about herself, and how she cared for Rogue, and him for her- that was amazing too.
She and Rogue were still a little nervous and flustered with each other for awhile after everything, and it took a little longer still to get really comfortable with each other and not get so worked up at the smallest things. They were a little bumbly, and a bit of nervous wrecks at times- but the care and feelings were there, and that was all that really mattered.
Rogue rarely left her side for any reason at all, he was always around, ready to lend a hand or an ear for whatever she needed. He and Rufus helped her out with the administrative side of running the Guild, and he even did his best to help her out with making decisions and inviting new people to join (though Sting in his bright a friendly persona was much better suited for it... Rogue gave it a go, and it meant a lot he was trying). He was always there to make sure she took breaks when things got a little too hectic with paperwork and whatever, and he would pull her aside and talk with her for hours and take her mind off the things that were bothering her.
Rogue was also probably the biggest worrywort on the face of the planet, with Gray coming in at second. The Shadow Dragon Slayer worried about her health without end for at least the first two months, and it took that long and Hora being perfectly fine for him to even relax just a little. Him being so concerned over her was the one thing they ever actually argued about, and when they did it didn't last for very long, because she couldn't fault him for being worried over her, because he really did care. And she cared about him too, so she did her best not to do too much that would give him a lot of reason to be concerned, and Rogue knew she really was doing her best to be open and lean on him more- which meant the world.
It had been three months where so much changed, and her relationships with so many people changed drastically too- but it was a good three months, and the happiness and healing that happened in them made what came next with the Dark Guild Tartaros a little easier.
Hora stopped dead, her feet sticking hard and fast to the marble flooring of Era, halting without warning where she'd been following along behind Ira, DoranBolt and Lahar ahead of her.
She felt something on the air shift, the low embers of flames in the very base of her soul where they had stayed simmering and dormant for three months suddenly surging all in their own. Her skin crawled, the burning of those Black Markings spreading quickly under her flesh as they forced themselves into movement all of their own accord- sensing the same thing she did in her core, acting on it and the sudden ringing on her ears, the feeling of something foul suddenly there, and coming fast.
The flames in her soul raced up to the top, her muscles locking and her heart-rate skyrocketing, the burning reaching a peak along with the high-pitched ringing in her ears- the warning.
"Oi, what's with you-?" DoranBolt asked lowly, but his voice and everything around them got lost to the very earth rumbling, and everything around them wrenching upward and outward with terrifying force- and the last Lahar, DoranBolt, and Ira saw of Horatia was a split second of her darting forward, her arms sweeping up and swirling in inky black as she placed herself between them and the wall to their right... that wall that rushed up to ram into them in terrifying, burning rage.
BOOOOOOOOMMM!
The high arching walls of Era blew outward, waves of frothing orange and yellow combustion painting the sky as the once grand building was reduced to crumbling rubble and smoking ash in seconds.
...
...The world went white for a split instant before darkness crashed down, the world spinning, ears ringing and everything thumping and so terribly heavy and muted... Everything got swallowed up in that awful thumping, that dark and heat all around, the weight of it suffocating... His head was aching, he could feel a dull sharp pain in his temple- but he couldn't make it out, or anything really.
Everything was just... Blurry, black-
"... Dor... Bo...!"
-jumbled, and muffled, unreachable-
"Dor... olt...!"
-the ringing in his ears was deafening, the heat stifling in his lungs and aching as he sucked in dense and acrid air, and coughed- the spasm rattling his bones and amping up the dull pain to something more biting... And then something sharp and stinging, his entire body jerked upward and his head whirling still as the blurriness receded enough to make out blocky shapes and shadows. Above the ringing in his ears came her voice, panicked and urgent.
"DoranBolt!"
His head jerked as he got jostled a little more roughly, and his vision stopped swimming long enough to make out Hora above him, her hands and flesh covered in those inky black markings and sticky crimson, steam still rising off her skin after taking the brunt of the flames as best she coul- no, the explosion.
Her eyes flashed once he managed to settle his attention on her enough she was sure he'd come to finally. Her hands on his shoulders left quickly, returning to pressing down firmly on something that was oozing more of that sticky scarlet that had been kept as stains on his tattered cloak. Steam and clouds of glittering frost rose off her hands as she pressed down, the scarlet slipping passed her fingers as DoranBolt struggled to push himself up and just... Register what was going on-?
"DoranBolt I need you to listen to me, and fast-" Hora started, her voice low and no less urgent than before when she'd snapped him out of the dark. He blinked slowly, trembling and his eyes darting from the slowly focusing rubble all around and the ash heavy on air, his attention training to her and sluggishly registering what it was her hands were pressing down on, and why.
His heart skipped a beat, terror hitting him straight through the core to realize it was a body- Lahar's body, his friend still and covered in scarlet as his blood poured from a hole torn through his side, and which only slowed a little as ice crept over the shredded muscle and flesh at Hora's behest, trying to staunch it. Next to Lahar lay Ira too, the young Rune Knight unmoving and covered in ash and soot, as well as blood himself from what amount of it dribbled from his shoulders and countless other tears littering his body.
DoranBolt nearly felt his heart stop, the shock and sluggishness quickly getting replaced with terror, adrenaline racing through him and making the trembling in his body all the worse. And then he started shaking uncontrollably when he looked out among the destruction and saw all the many bodies poking out from the rubble, crushed, burned, bloody-
"-DoranBolt, listen to me!" Hora snapped, tearing his eyes off the corpses as she grit her teeth, shaking her head quickly.
"You need to take Lahar and Ira and get away from here! That wasn't an ordinary explosion, the thing that set it-!" She started, only to break off not soon after, her body going rigid and her eyes darting off him and to their left. Her teeth grit hard, the Markings running up her arms suddenly swirling and stretching further down her person and up her shoulders and neck, crawling across her face as her attention locked with a sudden burst of movement over in that direction, and DoranBolt looked around quickly too.
There among the destruction and death stood someone... Someone oddly shaped, the flesh of their hands near as jet black as the Markings Hora's own body swirled with, sharp and pointed ears poking up from a head of sandy colored hair, a tail lashing behind them, fangs bared as they stopped dead from having stooped to lift someone up out of the rubble by their head- instantly aware of Hora and everyone else among the death, and still very much alive.
"Eh? Way more of you survived than you should have." The twisted figure grumbled, turning slightly to lock eyes on them and dragging the person who's head their claws gripped to around with them... Councilmen Org, who hissed as his battered body was moved so roughly. The figure's yellow eyes found DoranBolt first, piercing, cold and almost animalistic- DoranBolt shuddered under the stare and the twisted snarl full of wickedly sharp teeth as the man(?) matched gazes with him- but it only lasted half a second.
Because just as quickly as that stranger lay eyes on DoranBolt, his attention found Hora and the smile faded a moment into something surprised and even faintly disgusted, a low growl rumbling in his throat and ears shoving backward. His claws sunk deeper into Org's scalp, heat and orange light rippling across the jet black flesh of his hand- Org winced at it, a shaky breath of air escaping the old man.
Hora's head whipped around toward DoranBolt in an instant, her muscles locking and the urgency of her voice turning deadly serious in no time- Doronbolt's eyes locking with hers, the usual dark blue now suddenly gold and crimson, and her voice steely in a sharp order.
"Get out of here now!"
Every part of him wanted to freeze, to reject the idea, to argue- but he saw the terror in her eyes, and he reacted without thinking about it. His hands grasped the heavy and limp forms of Lahar and Ira, and the world faded to none as he forced himself and them far, far away from Era without a second thought to it... The first and only thought being where he was going- and all on instinct.
Transporting from Era to that one Guild that came to mind immediately was wrenching, and a strain near too much to bear with his body as battered from the carnage as it was, and the pricking of pain coming from his temple were his own blood had been falling constantly without him really registering the fact. And upon landing in the middle of that Guild, his head whirled so violently he couldn't make out any of their faces, and only just barely manage to get the words passed his lips before darkness claimed him, and terrifyingly fast.
"Help them... please... Help... Ho...ra..."
It was a whirl, Fairy Tail as a whole reeling and stuttering as they raced to make sense of the three heavily wounded people suddenly dropped into their laps- and having no idea what the hell even happened, or what the utterly ominous call for help for the SaberTooth Guild Master even meant.
And they had no chance to find out with Gray, Lucy, Erza, Happy, Wendy, Carla, Natsu and Flare all away in Sun Village- the Ice Mage with the Calling Card that would connect to the Saber in his pocket, and utterly unaware that anything had even happened.
Rogue, Lector, Frosch and Sting on the other hand?
They'd been down shopping in the city Era overlooked when the Council Building detonated and caved in on itself, the boom deafening on their ears even as far away as it was- and their hearts nearly stopped.
They started off immediately, dropping the bags they'd been carrying and making a beeline for the ruin of Era at breakneck speed- panic and fear ushering them on ever faster when a second, third, and near a dozen more explosions rattled the already crumbling stone before they made it all the way there. And when they got there it was dead silence.
They staggered as they rushed through the smoldering debris, blanching as they saw the bodies littered about everywhere and pulses racing lightning fast as they tore through the ruin, utterly terrified the next corpse they'd come across would have a head of fiery, multicolor hair... Their hearts were near to giving out in them by the time they did find her, and what instant relief it was to see her ahead of them, standing with her back to them among all the chaos and seemingly okay- that relief got shattered in no time at all.
They'd rushed up to her, teary-eyed and panting before stuttering to a stiff halt, wide eyed and the breath catching in their throats.
Her hands were clenched tightly into fists at her sides, the black Markings slowly receding back across her skin as she stood rigid, trembling faintly, and covered in blood.
Blood... But not her blood-
The four of them went very pale, their stomachs flipping when they registered what amount of that scarlet was sprayed all over the area, splattered haphazardly on the rubble born of the explosion and sheer violence following a rushed and short-lived fight, the crimson stinking sour and mixed with singed flesh, hair, muscle and bone.
Hora let out a low hiss more like a growl, her hands clenching harder and turning stiffly toward them stopped behind her, dark blue eyes glittering- filled to the brim with distress and barely muffled rage all at once.
"Tch... I didn't stop him fast enough." She hissed, her eyes dropping from then abs till the scarlet coating the ground all at their feet, her teeth gritting so hard they threatened to crack. "Jackal... He said he's from Tartaros- his whole Guild is made up of Demons." She growled, they shivered at the words, and Hora shook her head furiously, the inky black over her flesh swirling with more fervor as her voice dropped into something so, so low.
"Damn it... Those assholes are gonna pay for this."
It took longer than Hora liked for her to calm down from what had happened in Era, and it took even more gentle and anxious prodding on Lixue and Rogue's part to get her anger to subside long enough for the rush of her short-lived fight with Jackal to fade all the way. The Explosion Demon had come to blows with Hora for only a few minutes before deciding to back off- whether he left because he'd done all he came for, or because he had no want to fight a Devil Slayer, it wasn't all that clear. And really she didn't end up focused on his hasty retreat, she got stuck on the fact she'd not been able to do as her Magic was made- Slay the bastard, and do so before he'd rendered Org smithereens... hell, she should have at least managed to take him out even if she failed on that first bit, but she didn't.
It felt like a failure, and she hated that. That hatred kept her anger up long enough that she didn't fully feel the shock of the whole thing really settle in until Rogue and everyone else had managed to get them away from Era, settle, and more importantly- wash all the blood and gore off.
Rogue felt Hora's breathing hitch under his hands as they fell from wiping away the little bits of grime still lingering, and fell on her shoulders instead as the last of her still anger-fueled rigidness faded, and she let out a shaky breath of air that bordered on the beginnings of a sob. The Shadow Dragon Slayer let out a silent sigh, pulling her easily into him and his arms wrapping around her person tightly, his voice low and wispy;
"None of what happened was your fault, Hora."
He meant it, when he said it... and that helped her keep the guilt at bay, and made it a little easier to let herself be determined to get back at Tartaros for the awful they had already done, and would continue to do.
Hora, Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch made it to Fairy Tail three days after that, grim-faced and set on a path to intercept the Demon Guild- with Fairy Tail set quickly to the same path once Laxus, the Thunder Legion, and Yajima fell at the hands of those foul beasts along with DoranBolt, Ira, and Lahar, and what had happened in Era was revealed in full. The three Rune Knights were alive, barely in Ira and Lahar's case, and the Thunder Legion, Laxus, and Yajima were doing no better- which did not sit well with anyone. And upon hearing that Hora had been there when Era and the whole rest of the Council were murdered, Gray in particular wanted nothing more than to wring Tartaros' necks for even putting Hora in the line of fire at all, and more so for the amount of carnage she must have seen when Era was decimated.
She'd seen too much death, way too much- and Gray knew it'd hit her harder than she wanted to admit... He tried to approach her about it, but she just shook her head and said she was fine, and he let it go even when he knew it wasn't the truth.
He simply resolved himself to making sure she wasn't gonna have to go through seeing people ripped away in front of her ever again, if he had any say in the matter... and later on, it turned out he did.
Once word of Minerva having joined Tartaros reached the ears of those Sabers, their stake in the conflict became solidified- uneasy and determined in the case of Rogue, Sting, and the Exceeds, while Hora's expression seemed to darken on the name... but not out of anger, more just out of being troubled. But she kept her mouth and said nothing to the murmurs from everyone else about what would become of Minerva, when they found her.
When things came to a head with Tartaros, several battles already started, lost, and won before the decimation of Face became a real threat- Hora and the others stood firm with Fairy Tail in everything that came. Even with everyone, and especially Rogue and Gray making a fuss over Hora using Magic for the first time since Over-Drive had nearly killed her- neither Hora, nor anybody else backed down from fighting. They never faltered, nor let up no matter what they came to face; Demons, Necromancers, and terrifying foes all- they never wavered, not for an instant. Not in battle, and not in stepping in to save Minerva from a blast of Magic that sent her and Erza flying after their battle, and a blast that would have surely killed her.
Three seconds from the brilliant ball of white overtaking her, tearing as it went- three seconds away from it before a clash of golden-azure outmatched the blinding white, and the air shook as the blast rammed hard into an unyielding wall of flame... Minerva wide-eyed and reeling to see the flame, before her attention was snatched by the fact she was about to hit the ground, and never did.
She got caught easily in someone's arms, a small breath of relief escaping the one to hold her now along with a comment of 'making it right in time'. But Minerva's attention was nowhere on the White Dragon Slayer just then, her attention was locked on the woman with the fiery hair standing directly between them and the Tartaros Leader, the circle of flame that had wound around them to form a barrier, the fire still summering still across the earth even as the intensity faded for but a moment. The woman whose back was to her as she stood firmly in her place and would not budge, not even under the glare of Mard Geer or all the insanity... her being there and risking anything to protect Minerva of all people was insanity, and Minerva could not fathom it.
"... Horatia...?" The Former Lady breathed, her voice low and shaking slightly as the name came passed her lips. Hora's head twitched faintly in a sign that she heard it, though she didn't break her eyes off Mard for an instant.
"Sorry we're a little late." Hora murmured lowly, Minerva stiffened at the words, her eyes flashing and taken aback by how calm they were, and level her voice was. Minerva expected a little anger, a growl even, or some distaste, but... but there was none of that-
"You and Erza can can take a break now." Sting hummed, earning Minerva's eyes off Hora as the blonde gave the woman a little smile, his head tilting toward Rogue off to his left, where Lector and Frosch were hovering close to the Shadow Dragon Slayer. "Rogue and I'll handle this guy, kay?"
"Hora, Lector and Frosch will go with you two. Face needs to be stopped, and we'll leave it up to you." Rogue murmured as he caught Minerva's eye, and the woman stalled further, her eyes flashing.
"Yeah, you guys go on. Rogue and I got this." Sting smirked faintly,
Hora seemed to stiffen faintly at the not at all subtle way in which both Dragon Slayers were so quick to get her to leave and avoid a fight- they, and Gray, and plenty of other people had been trying to keep her out of fighting too much after what had happened at Era. They did it since they were all too aware that this was the first time in months she'd even used Magic, and a fear that Over-Drive would resurface had them not happy with letting her fight at all. They had little choice in the matter for the most part, and it was ridiculous to try and bar her to start with- since Tartaros was a Guild of literal Demons, and she was literally the only Devil Slayer in Fiore- but even so they kept trying, and now they seemed set on making sure she left with Erza and Minerva to deal with Face. Hora grit her teeth for it.
The Fire Devil Slayer's eyes left Mard Geer and landed on the Twin Dragon's, frowning faintly as they returned the disgruntled look without faltering, steady as can be and not budging an inch... Hora sighed, though it came out more like a growl.
"Fine... but you two better not get killed, do you hear me?" Hora muttered lowly, her dark blue eyes glinting and her expression utterly resolute- her voice as steady as the look, and unwavering.
"That's an order from your Guild Master, don't you dare die- understood?"
Sting and Rogue nodded solemnly in reply, and Hora took that as answer enough... all while Minerva felt her heart drop a little when the fact hit her full force for the first time;
Horatia is Leader of SaberTooth
The thought kept swirling through Minerva's head as Sting let her down and Erza took her arm over her shoulder to help her walk. Horatia, Lector and Frosch took the lead as they lead Erza and Minerva away from the clearing and steadily further in toward the ruin of Tartaros' base, intent on finding a way to stop Face and spare the country what devastation the Pulse Bomb would bring. Their pace was slow going with both Erza and Minerva as beaten and bruised as they were, and the storm of thoughts in the former Lady's head would not cease for an instant... they couldn't, and eventually she could hold her tongue no longer either.
"... Why didn't you just let me die?" Minerva asked lowly, the question catching everyone off guard, Erza stalling along with the Exceeds. Hora's steps slowed to none ahead of them, her back still to Minerva who muttered the words, her voice shaking.
"Why even put yourself between me and anything, let alone a Demon...? Why agree to keep an eye on me, especially when all I can do now is slow all of you down...? I don't know where the Control Room for Face is, I don't know how to stop it, I can't fight now, I can barely even walk... So why...?" Minerva hissed, Erza's expression growing a little uneasy along with Lector and Frosch's for the words- and they almost flinched for the next;
"You hate me, I've been nothing but a monster to you, I mean nothing to you- so why didn't you just let me die Horatia?"
Hora didn't move for a moment, nor did she answer- for a few heartbeats she stood still in her spot, facing ahead still and not looking back as the silence settled... Before she seemed to let out a quiet breath, and she shook her head once, and nearly all to herself.
"Because you're SaberTooth." Came the simple, and utterly unbelievable answer- Minerva's heart skipped a beat while she paled, stricken.
W-What...?
"Yukino told me about how you were kind to her, those few times you two were alone and Jiemma wasn't around to see it, or anybody else." Hora went on quietly, oblivious to the way Minerva had gone stiff as stone. "At first I just rejected the idea of it, because I'd never ever seen you be kind to anyone, let alone me having been on the receiving end of it... But Yukino isn't a liar, and her saying that made me think... Think that maybe I was so caught up in my own shit that I'd totally missed something that was there. That maybe you had a reason for being like you were, and it wasn't far off from why the rest of us were being so shitty to the rest of the world, and the other Guilds. In a way it made some sense, and I know I would have never picked up on it because I was so caught up in being angry, and being trapped." Hora murmured, shaking her head again and sighing.
"And then I heard what you and Erza were saying earlier, before we got there. I have good ears, so it wasn't hard to listen in... Jiemma abused you as much as he did the rest of us, and you became what you were out of fear, and a way to protect yourself, yeah..?" She mumbled, turning slightly for the first time and dark blue eyes gleaming, while a cold bead of sweat fell down Minerva's spine. Hora took the stunned silence as answer and her eyes moved away again, her shoulders sinking faintly.
"I get it, I really do... but I'm not saying that I forgive you for it, or that I'm over it. I'm not." Hora mumbled, a tiny bit of an edge working it's way into her voice then and Minerva swallowed at it. Hora seemed to catch herself though and forced herself a big breath, her arms crossing over her chest and eyes down.
"... I don't know if I'll ever get it over what you did, and I can't speak for anybody else on the matter- but regardless of all that, I can't just ignore the truth of it either." She murmured quietly, "I'm trying to make the Guild better, I want it to be a place where everyone is welcome and safe, and where we don't toss people out or reject them for their mistakes, or being weak, or whatever. SaberTooth is getting a second chance, everyone is- we were all terrible to so many people for so many years, but we're working passed that and doing better... Everybody chose me to be in charge regardless of all the secrets I kept, and all the mistakes I made. They gave me a second chance to prove myself, and do better, and be a better person... I can't get that chance and not give you the same one, Minerva." Hora said softly, Minerva's heart skipping another shocked beat and eyes going wide for the calm of the other girl's voice, and the steadiness too.
No malice, no anger, just steady and honest... and much kinder than she even deserved-
"That's why I stepped in between you and that asshole. You made mistakes, but you get a chance to try and start over, and do better just like I did... you are still a member of SaberTooth, I never formally excommunicated you, ya know." Hora murmured, her hand unhooking from over her chest and waving lightly in Minerva's direction- which the woman instinctively flinched at, and the little burst of gold shinning off Hora's finger too. But nothing came to hit her, and no pain followed the motion- only a bit of warmth suddenly creeping over her skin on her waist, and her eyes gleamed when the inky black of the Tartaros symbol got replaced with that of the SaberTooth emblem, her breath catching in her throat.
Hora blinked slowly, her expression softening faintly despite herself when she saw the way Minerva trembled suddenly, her eyes glittering and glassy with tears that welled up- though she seemed to be keeping them at bay with everything she had. Erza, Lector and Frosch smiled sadly as they saw it too, their hearts clenching and warming all at once to see Minerva suddenly crumbling a little, and looking much more like the abused and terrified woman she'd been for so so long, but always so fervently hid like her life depended on it... and in many ways it had.
Hora's eyes flashed, her hand tucking itself back under her other one as she turned all the way around to face Minerva directly for the first time since suddenly appearing, her gaze steady on the woman and unflinching.
"If you want a chance to start over, and do better... SaberTooth is still open to you, Minerva."
It didn't make sense, it was an offer she didn't deserve, one she was terrified of taking, but that Guild and those people was where her heart lay. Hora knew it, though she still had a few reservations about it herself- she never showed it. She offered a hand and a way back, and did it because that was the right thing to do- and it meant more to Minerva than she'd ever know.
And Hora only faintly understood it when Minerva stammered out a hushed apology to the SaberTooth Guild Master, her eyes sparkling with tears barely held back.
"I... I am so sorry, Horatia... I never knew my father did what he did to you... trapped you with that Possession Link... I... I am sorry for all he did... for everything..."
Hora let out a quiet breath, her shoulders sinking a little and nodding back to it, and only once.
"... I'm sorry for what he did too, Minerva."
They headed off again, a little faster now- a little more determined to find Face and put an end to the weapon, for hope they'd have more days after this... And Minerva's hope and determination she'd be able to make it back to the Guild she'd never once called home, but hoped it could be.
...
... While Hora remained with those she traveled with on a hunt for Face and a way to stop it, the other Fullbuster to face Tartaros found himself staring into the eyes of a man that matched his and his sister's eyes perfectly. Staring into the face of a man he'd known the instant he saw it, and still knew even when that man tried to spin a tail of being a corpse possessed by the Demon Deliora that had haunted Gray and Hora's footsteps all their lives.
A man pretending to be a Demon though he was a Devil Slayer, and a man Gray had seen dead and gone with his own eyes long ago in that snow and blood-covered village. A man who was dead, and he never wavered on the fact- not until Silver Fullbuster was standing there right in front of him, and the force of his Magic and his attacks against Gray were much to real to be phantom as he feared... A man who was dead and gone, a shadow of himself held aloft by the Black Magic of a Necromancer, and wishing for death and his son to end him right then and there, Gray's hand shaking as he held the sword of ice above his head, and could not make the final blow.
He could not kill his own Father, and Silver knew it... he'd thought maybe Gray would fail to do it, and some part of him was thankful his son could not make the move too.
Gray's hand fell, a shaky breath of air escaping him as the ice weapon fell into glittering pieces and out of existence, dark blue eyes filled in tears and trembling as he glared down at his father- who was smiling, even as he asked for death and Gray failed to honor the request.
"Tch... you ass... how can you ask me to do that...? E-Even if you're not totally alive... you're still my dad damn it... I can't..." Gray hissed, and Silver let out a breath, wincing slightly as he forced himself to his feet and stepped closer to Gray, catching the hunched Ice Mage up in a hug, his fingers twining with that raven hair they shared.
"... I know..." Silver murmured softly, smiling ruefully as he pulled Gray in closer, the younger's forehead bumping against the man's shoulder and staining with the moisture of the tears still falling from the Fairies eyes. Silver let out a breath, squeezing his son gently as his eyes flashed, his voice quiet and wispy.
"You're gonna do just fine Gray... You turned out so strong." Silver whispered, smiling a little sadder a moment and swallowing. "Both you kids turned out great... you and Aida grew up amazing." He breathed, and Gray stiffened against it- both because his heart felt like it broke at the praise, and in surprise too for the fact that Silver knew that Aida was...?
Silver let out a low breath halfway like a chuckle, shaking his head slightly and holding Gray a little closer, the man burying his nose into the Ice Mage's hair- and very aware of that question on his son's mind, though it was never voiced out loud.
"... I saw you two, back in Crocus... I'd not expected to find any other Devil Slayer Magic in Fiore, let alone right then when I was there... I stuck around, and I saw her that night, and I knew it was my Aida right away, even all grown up, and a Devil Slayer now too." Silver murmured, "And then when you showed up, and you two found each other again, and the Arctic Hellfire Spell unwound... you are both incredible, and I am so happy you've still got each other, even after so long... my children aren't alone anymore, and that's all I can ask."
Gray shuddered, a sob catching in his throat and his weight against Silver getting heavier as the tears came with more ferocity, and Silver just held him. Held him for a long, long time, and all the way through asking Juvia to end things, and let him have peace.
When his body began to melt away and his being left the land of the living he'd been trapped in far passed his time, and the inky Black Marking appearing on Gray's arm as the Ice Devil Magic was transferred from father to son- Silver's voice echoed on Gray's ears, even after he was gone.
"You and Aida have the same Power now, the same curse... but you'll be okay. As long as you look out for each other, everything will be fine, Gray."
Gray didn't move for a long time after that, the loss of a father coming a second time as he stood in stillness alone, and he hated he'd ever put Hora through losing him twice during the Dragon Attack in Crocus, while he was immensely thankful she hadn't had to be there and watch their Father get ripped away all over again. This was something he would take, and spare her that.
She had seen too much death, they both had really- but this was something he'd carry, and not her.
Hora faltered a bit in her running as she raced back through the ruins of Tartaros' base, back to where she'd left Sting and Rogue, even when a sudden hitch worked it's way into her steps when she felt something shift- some unknown sensation hitting her out of nowhere, and one she couldn't place other than... something had happened, something serious, and it gnawed at her all the way through the conflict with Tartaros, Face, Acnologia, and everything combined.
Sting and Rogue panted, beaten and bruised after going head to head with Mard Geer, the shock coming from their souls thrumming and the Dragon's released from the Slayers bodies still leaving them breathless and shaky- only to be thrust immediately into another fight, and their next foe came as the twisted figure of a man they knew all too well, and had suffered underneath for so very long. Out of the depths of darkness came that man they'd thought dead and gone, but who now reared his ugly head, and all their conviction and hatred for that bastard (now turned Demon) Jiemma managed to fuel them long enough to do damage... but not enough.
Their bodies hit the ground with painful thuds, their bones rattling and the wounds they'd accumulated burning bright in pain as Jiemma threw them violently into the rubble, and hard enough the earth caved in and cracked underneath them. Their ears rung from the impact, and Jiemma's hate filled voice booming on their ears was painful, the man turned more monster than he'd ever been snarling as he glared down at those two Dragons who dared try and get back up, resist him, and dared to think they owned that Guild he'd forged as the strongest through fear and blood.
"You little insects, how dare you lay claim to my Guild?! You're not fit to be in SaberTooth, you're weak!" Jiemma roared, hands sweeping up and out toward Sting and Rogue struggling to get to their feet again, his Magic rising fast and making the air shake with the sheer intensity of it. The air thickened, darkening on the edges as the Magic burned at Jiemma's hands, aimed right for the Twin Dragons and blinding-
"Do you fools honestly believe SaberTooth is yours now?!"
The air jerked, the stifling intensity of the pressure of the attack getting cut clean through in the matter of a heartbeat- the Magic at Jiemma's hand wavering before it imploded on itself.
The man went utterly still, the rage in his face giving way to shock as time seemed to slow down, sticky blood spraying up into the air in waves as they left the sudden and decisive slice torn all the way through his body- put there in the blink of an eye, golden-blue bits of flame still fluttering on air from her hand, fingertips bent like claws and skin pitch black with the Markings winding across her flesh with ire.
Jiemma growled, trembling as his blood splattered against the ground, the liquid coming in waves as his face twisted when his head turned, and he matched the golden-crimson eyes of Horatia now suddenly there behind him. The Devil Slayer's face steely, her movements faster than lightning when dealing the blow no one ever saw coming, and her fangs bared at that bastard of a man now turned into the very thing she was meant to Slay, her voice utterly low and full of icy-cold malice as their gazes locked, and the fire in her soul swirled faster than ever.
"No, I think it's my Guild now."
The utterly resolute answer to his question had Jiemma spiraling down into a rage like never before- furious and outraged when confronted with the very thing he'd kept as his Possession for years, and that was now clinging to ownership of the Guild he'd built up to be the strongest- a Guild she of all people was unfit to have, and he would not stand for it.
"Tch, you little rat!"
Hora sidestepped easily out of the way of the attack he threw at her next, spinning on her heel and flame sparking off her arms as the Markings swirled with a fervor, and the air grew heavy with the heat and sheer intensity of her Magic tripling several times over in seconds.
"Fire Devil's-" Hora growled as she stepped out and pushed herself behind Jiemma in one fluid movement from dodging the hit. She slammed her fists together in front of her, her eyes locking straight onto Jiemma's back and her Magic Pressure rising even further than it already had- and so, so fast.
Hora's blood was on fire, her heart racing, senses sharp and all energy and strength pouring through her on the back of that rage and hatred for the man- and fueled further by all the hatred for the actions of this Demon Guild, and what they had been doing to the people she cared about, and threatening more. Her golden-crimson colored eyes locked to the man now turned Demon, right on his lower back where her eyes easily picked up on that still leftover wound from months before- on to that weak-spot, all of her Power pouring into her next attack with a decision to make it the final one.
No more of this, no more suffering this bastard and his bullshit, not for another second.
Not ever again
Hora's fists pulled apart before she swung them upward, her flames following her movement, wild and violent as they doubled, tripled, grew fifteen times in size- spinning into a massive, explosive tornado of blue and gold fire that seemed something out of a fever dream.
"Azure-Gold Storm!"
Jiemma got lost in in the torrent of blue and gold, stifling hot wind and dust whipping Sting and Rogue in the face as the pressure spiraled outward off the flames in all directions. They stared, wide-eyed and eyes reflecting the brilliant glow of the Magic as it swallowed Jiemma up whole, and never faltered for even an instant. The roar of the flames was deafening, almost to the point the yell Jiemma let out as he got swept up went entirely unheard- but they did hear it, and they heard it cut off abruptly too once the flames reached an apex, and the shine and heat they gave off made it hard to even keep watching, their eyes narrowing against the glare and hands coming up to shield their faces from all the debris and wind flying everywhere.
The vortex of flame unraveled, the flame stretching out in all directions and spreading wide as it famed out and lost the cone shape it had been to start... And among the wisps of flame rising into the air was a cloud of ash and blackness quickly taken by the wind and carried off- what little was left of Jiemma as he was decimated.
Sting and Rogue stared, their eyes wider than ever and jaws dropped where they were still down to the ground, sitting on their hands and knees and riveted as they watched her render that man who had done so much harm as nothing, and she made it look so easy... Easier than even when Sting had lashed out a few months earlier when he'd thought Lector was gone.
Jiemma was destroyed and gone- and she did it no more than two minutes.
"H-Holy crap..." Sting mumbled breathlessly, voicing the very thought that raced across Rogue's mind in the same instant, though the Shadow Dragon Slayer couldn't find his voice in the slightest. His eyes were stuck to Hora, her eyes still that striking gold-crimson he'd only seen a handful of times, her expression hard and faintly rage-ful as the Spell finished out, the inky black markings painting her skin all up her arms and even creeping up her neck and passed her jaw as they swirled. He could see the anger in her face even though it was mostly flat, see the slight shaking in her arms as she fired the Magic off and it was done just like that... And he saw her falter for half a second when the sudden drop of intensity from battle to nothing seemed to sink in, and she swallowed.
For a small, brief second he saw something other than anger and stony seriousness in her face- almost something uneasy and uncomfortable, which made his heart skip a beat... But it was gone as soon as it was there and her attention shifted toward Rogue and Sting next.
Her eyes returned to that familiar dark blue as the Devil Slayer darting quickly up to them both, her expression all worried and flustered as she bent down between them, hands hovering and no small amount of anxious energy flaring.
"Are you guys okay...?!"
She was fussing over them instantly, the switch from rage and resolution as she started and ended the fight so abrupt it was almost mind boggling- and Sting and Rogue faltered for it... Before their minds caught up with them and they stammered out incredulously;
"You took him out like it was nothing...!"
Hora paused at that, her worry breaking off for a moment as a she seemed to grimace, looking exasperated.
"I'm a Devil Slayer, fighting Demons is what my Magic is literally made for." She muttered, "Of course it was easier for me- I've been trying to tell you that from the start, but you've all been so busy trying to keep me out of the fighting you didn't even hear it, dumbasses." She hissed a touch irritably, and they seemed to pause at it, looking for a moment a little nervous with it, and smiling a little wearily in turn.
"Ah... right..."
Despite their worries, Hora seemed totally fine the rest of the way through, fussing over them, running around, reconnecting with everyone else and climbing that hill where the Dragons seemed to be lighting down and waiting for them once Acnologia and Igneel's fierce battle came to a close, and Face was destroyed in whole... And they thought maybe they should have listened to her when she kept telling them she was okay..? It might have been easier fighting if they had... but it was a little too late now.
They came up the rise of the hill to see all the other Fairy Tailers waiting there (except Natsu, and Happy) and the shadow of the Dragons in the sky as they beat their wings and stirred up fierce amounts of wind as they hovered and began to lower themselves down to the humans level. Rogue and Sting broke off from Hora for a moment and she didn't mind, her attention scanned the people quickly looking for that raven head of hair of her Brother, her stomach churning with a sense of unease that had settled in her very core some time ago, and only got a little worse the longer she'd not been able to find him, or make sure he was alright through all the craziness.
She found him standing off to the side and immediately broke away to dart up toward him- and he seemed aware of her coming once she got within about seven feet from him. He turned in anticipation, their eyes matching and about to take a step her way- but both Hora and Gray stopped dead when their eyes matched, and they both instantly went as stiff as stone, their hearts leaping in their chests and a sudden and intense sensation of repulsion making them stop in their tracks, and then even flinch back a little from one another.
It was instinctual, deeply ingrained and something written so heavily in their very souls they couldn't push passed it- and it was so sudden and out of nowhere they were reeling more for it being there, than they already were for what urge to stay away had them stopped in their tracks... and why?
They knew instantly what it was that had them backing off, and feeling so uncomfortable- it was a sort of aversion in their very cores when they lay eyes on something just like them, and yet entirely the opposite.
Their Magic recognized itself in one another in an instant, and in the same instant knew that they were opposing forces, complete ends of the spectrum- enemies even.
A Fire Devil... and an Ice Devil
Hora swallowed hard, a shiver running up her spine and her heart dropping into the core of the earth as terror and ache washed over her in great waves- disbelief a tiny section of her mind that knew immediately what Magic was in her Brother's body now, and a sense of her heart breaking in two for that realization and thing she never ever wanted to happen to him.
Devil Slayer Magic was an awful thing- it tainted your body and your soul, constantly vying to take you away from the light and down into the Abyss no matter how hard you resist it, or how strong your willpower actually is. It twists you, darkening your thoughts and leading your mind down dark corners every chance it can get, the darkness spreading just as quickly as the Markings crawling over your skin and trying to swallow you up whole... it's insanity, and it's own type of torture at the worse of times- and he had it now.
She didn't know how though, she couldn't really fathom such a thing out of nowhere and she was lost for it as well as terrified for him... Terrified and rooted in her spot out of that fear, and because of the sudden surge of her own Magic in herself that told her to back off, to not step forward- not toward him even, not even an inch.
She couldn't move or even breathe for half a second, Gray stuck rooted in space and feeling exactly the same wall and barrier between them now where neither of them expected it- and he couldn't understand it really. It was much more new a thing for Gray than it was for Hora, so she ended up being the first one to snap herself out of it and push passed the sensation to stay back.
"What the hell happened...!?" Hora hissed breathlessly, darting the last few feet right up to her Brother and eyes glittering when he seemed to lean away from her a little- though he didn't mean to, and he quickly pushed passed the unease as she had.
But the look on his face was uneasy still, and buried underneath it and deep in his eyes was heartache of a caliber she'd not seen in him since the night he'd realized who she was- and she could see the faint stain of tears tracking down his cheeks, though he'd tried so hard to get rid of them.
He.. He's been crying...?
Hora swallowed hard, Gray shaking his head a little and hands trembling faintly as he stepped forward and caught her up in a sudden and tight hug, both their centers squirming for the closeness though they ignored the protest of their Magics, and Hora's eyes went wide as he squeezed her tightly, a shaky breath of air escaping him.
".. It... it's a long story, Aida..." Gray whispered, his voice tense and uneven despite his attempts not to let it waver. "Tch... shit... I'm sorry... I'll tell you later, just... just not right now.. okay...?" He hissed and Hora blinked, her hands hovering slightly at his sides coming up to grip lightly to his shirt, her eyes flashing as she nodded once and hugged him back.
"... Okay..."
Hora and Gray ended up missing most of the Dragons and their Dragon Slayers meeting up, though they did hear the words on Face being gone- and the Dragons having been dead a long, long time ago. They heard it, even when it took Gray awhile to let her out of the unexpected hug, and they listened tensely as the Dragons departed... Gray's eyes on the sky while Hora's eyes lingered on her older brother, glittering.
'... you'll both be alright.' Lixue told her gently, his voice lingering on her head even as her stomach churned and her heart twisted so much it felt about to break.
'He is your kin, the same blood runs through his veins as it does you. If you can resist the call to Darkness by the flames in you, he can do the same with the icy cold in his soul now too.'
She really hoped Lixue was right
It took Gray more than a few hours to work up to telling Hora what had happened, and she didn't press him before he was ready. She understood things were hectic, so many people had gotten hurt in all the chaos and Fairy Tail's Guild Hall was in ruins... and she knew whatever had happened when he'd been fighting and alone, and then suddenly with Devil Slaying Magic imprinted on his soul had been terrible, and painful. She could see the ache in his eyes every time she looked at him, and she saw it getting worse as the hours went on and things settled down for the first time near nightfall. Gray pulled her away from everyone and somewhere quiet, the Ice Mage shooting Rogue and Sting a wary look just before it that made their skin crawl, and Juvia diverted her eyes from the Fullbusters in shame. They knew what Gray had to say was going to upset Hora, but it had to be said. There was no way she'd ever just let it go and settle for not knowing what had happened.
Gray took them both somewhere quiet, Hora growing increasingly more unnerved when he ended up trembling faintly before even starting- and when he said it his voice was hoarse and wavering too much, but he got the words out and explained it all. Hora stood stiff as a board where she was in front of him, blue eyes glittering frantically in the dim with each detail laid bare, and as her brother continuously grew more and more shaky in his recollection, and the shine of his own eyes got worse until the tears were threatening to spill all over again.
Their Father had been whisked away as a corpse and reanimated, fighting years since Deliora had ripped his life and family away, and learning Ice Devil Slayer Magic in an effort to enact revenge on the Demon that had stolen everything... until he realized both his children were not dead and gone as he thought, and then he did what he could to unwind Tartaros from the inside and slay any other Demons in this world.
Their Father had been a walking corpse forced to stay in this world far longer than he should have, until finally all this chaos with the Demon Guild had ended with the Necromancy that had kept him bound to existence was spent- and in his dying breath he transferred that Devil Slaying Magic to his son, so Tartatros could be stopped once and for all, and any Demons afterward would be faced with the might of a Devil Slayer. Where Gray had now resolved to find the Demon END, and destroy it no matter what.
Gray told her all of it, everything even when he'd not wanted to- she'd gone through so much already in her life, and letting her live with the fact that their Father had earned such an awful fate was something he never wanted to land her with... but she was his family, Silver was her Family too, and he had no right not to explain things.
He told her all of it, and in doing so was crumbling much faster than he wanted to or liked, but he could not help it. Hora swallowed hard, her stunned stillness and silence that had gripped her tight during the whole recant suddenly gone- and she swept up and threw her arms around her brother, hugging him tightly and steadily as his knees gave out and they sank to the floor. Hora never let him go even as they sank, and she buried her nose into the top of his head as his tears welled up and began to spill like a storm, her fingers twining with that raven hair as he sobbed into her, and she just held on, quiet the whole time.
Hora didn't cry, not outside of a few silent tears that broke free near the start and never returned. She just held him, every shake of his body in her hold making her stomach churn, and her heart and soul to grow all the more resolved.
She took Silver's death a lot better than anyone anticipated she would- but honestly, her father had already been dead a long time, and without having been there to see it all as Gray had, him being gone again hurt, but not more than it had knowing he was dead long ago. In fact, Hora was much more concerned with Gray having to be there, because he didn't deserve to have their father ripped away in front of him a second time, or have to have this Magic living in him now either- but it was done, she couldn't change it... but she could make for damned sure he wasn't going to have to deal with all that heartbreak for the loss, nor the fear and confusion with suddenly having such a Magic staining his soul, all alone.
She'd had to do it alone when she'd woken up, her Village in shambles, Family gone, and Arden lying dead in the snow beside her after burning the Devil Slayer Magic into her body where she didn't want it. She spent years wandering after that, lost, hurting, and absolutely afraid of herself and that new Magic she didn't want, nor understand, nor really know how to control.
She did it all alone, but Gray wasn't going to have to the same thing.
Not a fucking chance
Fairy Tail disbanding was a shock on everyone, including all the other Guilds- SaberTooth in particular. Hora offered Gray a place in SaberTooth once it was clear everyone had no choice but to move on- but he didn't take her up on took the offer, and she knew well he wouldn't. Fairy Tail was his heart, and it always would be even if the Guild wasn't technically around anymore. So she asked once, and then never brought it up again.
She did however make sure those Fairy Tailers that had been left astray found a good place to go where she could, offering up rooms and spaces in SaberTown until they got back on their feet, and smiling as they went their own ways and settled in their own places. Even Minerva, who she brought back with her and everyone else, and the former 'Lady' was welcomed back into the Guild with soft (albeit a little uncertain) smiles, and a genuine drive to do better and be better this time around.
When Gray decided to head back to their old Village up in the north Hora offered to go with him, but he said he wanted to go alone and she respected it... though she was very glad Juvia trailed along behind her brother. Juvia had been acting off around both Hora and Gray since everything had gone on, and though Hora wasn't quite sure why- she knew it was something important, and something Juvia and Gray needed to work out. So she said nothing to Juvia trailing along, both for her sake, and Gray's- since Hora didn't really want him to be alone, even when he asked to be.
Hora let Gray have his time, and when he came back he seemed a little lighter- Juvia too. Now they were both determined to work hard and gain a handle on that new Devil Slaying Magic Gray had found himself bestowed with, and Hora was right there to help with it.
In the year that followed what pain Tartaros had brought, a lot had changed. Fairy Tail was gone and those in the Guild and still bearing it's mark even a year later had been scattered to the wind. Some kept in touch, others joined new Guilds and tried to move on- while some like Natsu and Happy simply seemed to drop off the face of the earth, leaving a hole in the hearts of those who knew them and never got a chance to say goodbye, or know what had happened to them.
In a year, Gray and Hora trained together trying to master the Ice Devil Slaying Magic her brother had been landed with- and continued to train, laugh, fight, and stay close to each other even when their Magics wanted nothing but. That strange aversion the Fire and Ice Devil Slaying Magic seemed to have for each other never went away, every time the siblings were near each other there was always that sensation to back off, to lean away and not be anywhere near one another- but they ignored it (as best they could anyway). They'd already spent half their lives separated, they weren't about to let some stupid uneasy feelings from their Magics clashing keep them apart.
Things between them were... different though, there was no denying that. And though Hora did her best to help her brother with the Devil Slaying Magic as best she could, and Lixue chimed in for it too- there was no real equivalent between the Fire that raged inside her, and the Icy cold blackness in him now.
Her Magic was so forceful, it raged in sudden bursts and snatched away at her in quick intervals- latching on to her rage and emotions to tip her quickly over the edge and keep her there. That grab at her sanity and willpower was always rapid, and coming on the wave of a great burning sensation in her soul that overwhelm everything and her mind in seconds... but for Gray?
For him it wasn't fast, and it wasn't something that snatched at him and wrenched him violently over the edge- it was exactly the opposite of that. The icy darkness in him was subtle, and slow... but it was ever lurking, sinking deeper and deeper into his mind and body and gaining traction without ever really making much a move. It crept out and dug it's claws into his sanity, eating away at him slowly but surely until it had bit in enough to drag him down into the abyss, and he'd never know until he was already at the bottom, and it was too late to even think about trying to bring himself back up.
It was it's own kind of torture, and the longer Gray lived with it the more he learned to hate the idea that Hora had had to live with something like that since she was six years old... and the more amazed he was that she had lived that long with it, and still remained as loyal, caring, and as put together as she was.
Lyon, Rogue, Juvia and Sting helped the Fullbusters with their training- both with Gray and the Devil Slaying Magic as well they could manage, and then with Hora trying to get used to the Ice Dragon Slaying Magic she was very much still hardly-baked in using, and had gotten no better in her three month stint of not using any Magic at all before the Tartaros mess. It was good for Gray to take a break and help Hora out with it, and in a way it helped him too- and Lyon was happy enough to spar with both the siblings and help them refine things in terms of Ice Magic, no matter the kind. Sting and Rogue were much the same when trying to help Hora be a bit more Dragon Slayer-proficient, and they were even plenty willing to help Gray out with sparring and such things- Juvia doing the same for Hora when needed, and posing an interesting challenge for Hora with her Water Magic against Ice and Fire both.
Lixue turned out to be quite a bit of help himself, though Hora often got annoyed with the Dragon bossing her around and drowning her thoughts as he did. She forgave him for the fact he was really trying to help, and not just her. He had plenty of input for Gray with the Ice Devil Slaying Magic too, given his own experience with several users of the Fire Devil Slayer Magic- and being an Ice Dragon on top of it was a bonus too.
In the year that followed Tartaros, six months of it were spent training Hora and Gray both- in six months where the siblings grew closer than ever with their shared struggle with their own Magic, the connection brought from teaching and helping each other spurring that closeness along, and a closeness that was forged between them, SaberTooth, Juvia, and Lamia Scale all at once. Despite the pain brought by Fairy Tail disbanding, and the Family that Guild had made up being scattered about the continent- they got closer, and kept tabs on other people as best they could. It was easier once Wendy decided to join Lamia, and the Sky Dragon and Sherria were frequent occurrences with Lyon in tow. Lucy stayed in touch with all of them too, especially Hora and Yukino- though that dwindled a little as the months went by, and a year came closer to passing since it had all happened.
In six months Hora and everyone else helped Gray get a handle on his new Magic as best as anyone could hope for, and in eight months Gray helped everyone else try and get Hora up to speed on her and Lixue's Magic too.
Though Gray seemed to take to the Devil Slaying Magic much more easily than Hora did her Dragon Slayer Magic (much to her chagrin at times). It wasn't really her fault though, she had an usually strong affinity for her Fire Magic and trying to master another Magic of the exact opposite element was bound to be hard on anyone... it was actually impressive she caught on as well as she did in six months, though she was by no means a master with it (much to Lixue's chagrin at times).
It was just different, and she'd caught on to her Devil Slaying Magic through sheer determination and a wing it, do it yourself mentality- of which didn't mix too well with being bossed around by several people and a Dragon.
(She did her best though, she just lacked... finesse)
In six months they'd done about all they could on training each other, and it fell more to Gray to find a way to balance the decay-like tendency of the Ice Devil Slayer Magic on his mind. No one, especially Hora and Juvia, really liked the idea of not being able to help with it more- but they knew they couldn't, and they just had to have faith and hope that Gray would be fine like he promised he would be.
So in six months, Gray and Juvia decided they would try and take some time to themselves away from training with everyone else, and head off into the mountains together to train more, and more one on one. Hora relented to the idea, under the promise that both he and Juvia would keep in touch while they were up there, and a promise herself she'd have shaped up a little more in her own Magic by the time they came back. And she meant it, and stuck to the plan even while her brother and her friend left- Sting and Rogue right there to keep her on her toes, and Lyon checking in often with the Sky Sisters in tow.
For the next four months she kept at it, while also throwing herself a little more in running the Guild- going on jobs with everyone to keep herself in shape, and practice the Ice Magic that was still not quite as controlled or perfected as she liked, but she could certainly handle her own if the need arised. It might not have been as practiced, or have that bit of finesse- but the sheer power was there, and as long as what she did was able to help someone, or keep them safe, that was all she could ask for.
For four months she worked hard at her own Magic, and in her own Guild, while all the while keeping in contact with Juvia and Gray so far away with those Calling Cards they had, and life was good even with the time apart. Her friendships in SaberTooth were stronger than ever, the Guild happier and more at ease than it had ever been, and just as popular- but this time for all the right reasons.
The Council rebuilt itself and Lahar decided to head back and help with it, though he ended up growing exasperated more than once when Gajeel, PantherLily and Levy joined the Council too. DoranBolt never officially joined the Council after Era, though he of course stuck close to Lahar and helped out where he could- he just couldn't put on the uniform again, not after what had happened, and nobody blamed him for it.
Ira couldn't either, though unlike DoranBolt who decided to drift between the Council and the Wizards without ever really choosing a place, Ira joined SaberTooth, and Hora took him in all too happily and without any hesitation whatsoever when he asked her if he could.
"Of course you can! You didn't have to ask- I love you kiddo, why wouldn't I want you in the Guild..?!"
Ira went bright red for the words, and the fact that Hora had quite literally swept him up in a hug the minute the request left his lips... though his heart was warmer than it had been in a long time, and continued to remain burning bright and happy when Hora stamped the SaberTooth emblem on his shoulder, the Guild Master smiling toothily the whole way through.
For four months after Gray and Juvia left together, Hora and SaberTooth as a whole fell into a wonderful rhythm that had been in the works for months before then, and set in motion after all that had happened in Crocus near a year passed with the GMG, and all else. For two months she got consumed in her Guild, and her friends, and Rogue and what she felt for him too... while for two months she had Gray talked every day, and sometimes Juvia would call Hora to when she was worried, and the Saber would reassure the Water Mage with a kind smile and soft words (while Gray in the background would grimace a little for the Water Mages anxiety where it wasn't needed... but a part of him appreciated the concern nonetheless).
For those four months after the initial six, Hora and everyone else managed to find a way to live with their lives as they knew them now after Fairy Tail, and things were peaceful for the whole of it. Nothing went wrong, no huge disasters, no awful new heartache, no wars or battles too fierce and frightful to contend with- life went back to normal, and fell into a rhythm and sort of content nobody had felt in so long... but of course that peace and calm was never going to last forever, though this time the unease of something looming on the horizon crept in slowly for Hora, rather than getting dropped in her lap without warning as it always had before then.
In the last two months that marked a year since Tartaros wrought it's havoc, something changed with Gray, and Hora was immediately and keenly aware of it. The overzealous worrying on Juvia's part as the bluenette called Hora on the Calling Cards had become more frequent, and a little less over the top- more serious, less unfounded, and a little more dire. Both Juvia and Hora's worries steered immediately toward the Devil Slaying Magic, and that maybe Gray was slipping toward the abyss regardless of promising he would be fine- and it got worse when his calls to Hora grew less frequent in the next few weeks, and he only kept denying anything was wrong, while making promises he was fine that weren't as convincing as he thought they were.
Hora hadn't managed to get a hold of Gray in several days in a row and her worries were getting the best of her- she was about to pack it up and go and track her brother down herself when he decided to call her, his expression deadset and determined, but grim too.
"Aida, I'm gonna be fine, I swear- but I have things I have to do and I can't tell you what they are, or where I'm going, or how long I'll be gone... but you have to trust me."
She didn't want to, she immediately demanded for him to tell her what the hell was going on- but Gray would not budge, and in that way too calm and patient tone of voice so rare in the Ice Wizard, he managed to talk her down enough to tell her that he'd be gone for awhile and he'd not be able to keep in contact, and that he wanted her to know everything would be alright and she shouldn't worry.
But of course she would, she liked nothing about all the vague things he told her, and she liked it less that he wouldn't waver on explaining himself more, or stop with the promising that everything would be okay. He couldn't know that, couldn't promise that, especially not when she became more and more sure the reason he wouldn't say what he was doing was because he was gonna be putting himself in danger, and might end up hurt. He knew she'd never back down if she knew that was the real reason any of this had come up, and she'd sure as hell never let it go if he told her the truth- so he kept his mouth shut, and remained rigid in that fact... all the way until they'd been talking for hours and it was clear he was set on his path, and she could do nothing to dissuade him in the slightest.
And though Gray never showed it, when she finally had no choice but to give in and he saw the tears pricking the corner of her eyes- all full of hurt, and confusion, and even little bits of betrayal when she hissed at him to 'better make sure you come back, do you fucking hear me?'...?
Gray's heart felt like it was breaking to see the tears and hear the pain in her voice, and he wavered faintly on what he'd set himself to do- but only for a second.
He never wanted to leave her again, he'd promised he wouldn't do it, but he had no choice in this. This is what had to happen and he knew she'd agree eventually once it was all said and done... it still hurt though, and he hated himself for doing that to her, and Juvia too.
Sting and Rogue resented Gray for it too, once they found her that night after knowing she'd been arguing back and forth with her brother to no avail, and their hearts twisted painfully to see the tears spilling from her eyes.
The Twin Dragons remembered that promise the three of them had silently agreed to, those many months ago after Gray and Hora had found each other. They remembered that vow to be there for her, in all that would come and no matter what- and in remembering it, they resented the Ice Mage a little more for breaking the promise now, even when they had no real idea why he did it, or had a reason for it.
Hora lost all contact with Gray after that, and Juvia never picked up or called again either. Hora had no idea where either of them had gone to in the first place, and she had no way to track them down, but it wouldn't have mattered if she did. She'd agreed to Gray going off and that she was going to trust him as he asked, even when she wanted nothing less.
It took Hora some time before she got over the initial shock and hurt of it, and bucked up a little- but she was worried constantly nonetheless, and everyone in SaberTooth and those in Lamia, and the her friends in the Council could see it easily enough. She couldn't shake it off, or stop thinking about it, and she really tried... but with the days and weeks ticking by with that not knowing and silence from her brother, she got lulled into something of a disquiet, and a bit of the hurt started to turn into anger she didn't want to let settle in her soul. She bit back at it and shook herself out, doing her best to cheer up a bit and try and put some trust in her brother and those promises he'd given- trying to be a little less downtrodden, or at least make it a little less noticeable for everyone else so they wouldn't worry about her too much.
It was her backtracking slightly on the promise she'd made to Rogue and everyone else to be more open and not hide how she was feeling from them- a promise she had made good on every day up until that point, so they understood her slipping back into the behavior, and didn't admonish her for it much. Rogue didn't even bring it up, because even when she tried to put up face for everyone else she didn't keep the face up with him when they were alone, and that was enough.
As the year came to a close Hora seemed to have settled a little more, gotten a little more disquiet and it seemed less hard for her to put up that face of being okay. She wasn't happy with things between Gray and herself, but it wasn't weighing as heavy on her shoulders at all hours. She was still worried of course, but she'd managed to convince herself a little more that he knew what he was doing... as well as resolved herself to kicking his ass when he was back, and having put her and everyone else through what he was.
...
Rogue let out a sigh as he pushed Hora's bangs back from her face, the Fire Devil Slayer fast asleep in the bed he'd just pushed himself out of, and as quietly as he could manage with her arms having been wound around his torso. The night before she'd been rather worked up about the month or so of hearing nothing from Gray, and it'd taken a lot of gentle prodding from Rogue to get her to calm down again.
He hated this was happening to her, and he wished he knew where the Ice Wizard was and what possible reason he had to do this to Hora- Hora, who Rogue knew Gray loved. He did love her, truly, and that fact had Rogue thinking him leaving must have been for a very good reason, and maybe even for Hora's safety in some way... but he didn't know for sure, and he wished he could fix it, but he couldn't.
He couldn't fix it, but he could stick close and try and comfort her as well he could, and also keep an eye on her and make sure her worries and emotions didn't get the best of her- least of all when they were set to leave in two days on a Job to disband a Dark Guild.
The Shadow Dragon Slayer forced himself another breath and leaned down, his lips pressing lightly against the crown of her head before he got to his feet, heading out of the room and further into the apartment.
He made breakfast, Hora stumbling sleepily out of the room an hour or two after he'd gotten up and sitting down at the table with Frosch to eat. They talked quietly around their food before finishing, Rogue and Frosch eating a good fill while Hora ate only a little- her stomach all in knots from getting worked up the night before and not looking to let her eat too much at all.
Rogue and Frosch set in on doing the dishes while Hora went and got changed, and then they spent the remainder of the day walking around town, and heading back and forth between the shops, the Guild, and their apartment collecting supplies they'd need with them when they went on the job.
The Dark Guild they were set to get rid of was a fair walk away from SaberTown, and with neither Hora nor Rogue looking to catch a train and suffer themselves through the inevitable Motion Sickness to come- they were going to walk the whole way, and needed provisions for the length of the journey. They were out and about the full of the day, busy in packing and getting things together and organized well past noon and with no stop in sight until the sun began to sink in the sky.
Hora scribbled a last few details into some bills and utilities for the Guild Hall before setting her pen down and pushing herself up out of her seat. She was intent on heading across the dining room toward the kitchen where Frosch and Rogue were putting the last few things away, and getting ready some other things to make dinner- but the second she stood up and took two steps away from the table her head whirled violently, and with absolutely no warning.
She stumbled, her steps faltering and posture tilting at a dangerous and immediate cantor as her hand reached for the table to support herself, and managed it for a heartbeat... But her head was spinning terribly still and the corners of her vision were dotted in black that was creeping further over her eyes at near breakneck speed.
"R...Rogue..."
The Shadow Dragon heard her stammer his name, her voice hushed and shaky out of nowhere- earning his attention snapping around toward her in question, and just in time to see her hand slip on the table and send her falling fast to crash into the floor.
"Hora!"
He flitted across the room in his Shadow Form, just barely managing to stop her head slamming into the hardwood, heart pounding and red eyes wide and full of fear and confusion. She was still, her body heavy and limp in his hold as he pulled her into his arms to steady her, and all attempts at trying to rouse her never made a dent- she was out in an instant, and both Rogue and Frosch were panicking and terrified in no time at all.
They had no idea what happened or why she'd suddenly collapsed, there had been no warning signs at all throughout the day there was something wrong. She had been fine all day, so why now all of sudden did she just... Just drop like that-?!
A tiny groan broke Rogue and Frosch's panic off for a moment, Hora's eyes fluttering open halfway after a few minutes of no response, the Fire Devil Slayer blinking slowly and brow furrowed faintly in confusion, and sluggishness both. Rogue and Frosch's hearts leapt to see her coming to, before the panic and fear rammed into them all over again. They both leaned in a little, Frosch's paws trembling on the woman's hip while Rogue's shook faintly as he cupped her cheek in his hand, red eyes glittering and searching as he fought to match gazes with her and gain her attention.
"Hora, are you okay...?! What just happened...?!" He asked quickly, Hora blinked hard, shaking her head a little.
"I don't know... I just... Felt really dizzy when I got up..." She mumbled lowly, Rogue swallowed, his hand coming off her cheek and falling on her forehead instead- she was warm, but it was the usual warm she always was because of her Magic.
"Have you been feeling sick at all today?" He questioned, but she shook her head again.
"No, I've felt fine..." She murmured, shifting a little in his hold and straightening up despite his quick protest to take it slow. "... I'm fine Rogue, it's already going away. I think I just got up too fast."
He wouldn't take her word for it though, and he definitely didn't let her get to her feet either. The Shadow Dragon Slayer scooped her up in his arms and sat her back down her chair with a soft order to stay right there, Frosch serving as a guard dog on the table in front of her while Rogue moved off and got a glass of water for her, and moved in to getting some food put together- to which he watched her eat it all.
"You've barely eaten anything today, Hora."
Hora seemed exasperated with the fussing, especially when the dizziness did fade to none near right off and she was fine for the rest of the night. But Rogue and Frosch kept fussing, and she wasn't going to resist it much.
But she was fine for the rest of that night, though even so, the whole thing had Rogue wavering on the idea of going on that job at all. And then he was not at all inclined to let her go when she woke up the next morning and couldn't get out of bed for a few hours because she felt nauseous as all hell.
When the day they were set to have left came around Rogue would not budge on letting her go, even when she'd been totally okay and all the little stint of fainting and being queasy was gone from the morning before and had not come back since. Despite the numerous times of Hora assuring him she felt okay and whatever it was must have been a bug that was there and gone in no time, he was not about to let her go off to fight an entire Dark Guild for any reason, even with him being there to keep an eye on her.
It was one of the few times they ever really fought about anything, but in the end Hora didn't have a choice and she gave in- but only on the promise that Minerva would go with him instead, and make sure he and Frosch came back alright in her stead.
She was still aggravated about Rogue's stubbornness all the way up until seeing the trio of Minerva, Frosch and Rogue head out, though.
"I can still go with you if you change your mind." Hora murmured lowly and Rogue sighed, red eyes glinting in the midday sun and shaking his head at her.
"I am not changing my mind, Hora-" Rogue replied lowly, but his voice got drowned out with a sudden and very loud voice somewhere up the street from them, and the even louder sound of feet hitting the cobble as someone ran at breakneck speed.
"HEEEEYY!"
They all went stiff as a board, the sudden shout making them all jump- and their hearts too, because they knew that voice in an instant but they'd not heard it in over a year.
The Sabers stared, reeling and taken aback as a blur of pink hair caught Rogue up in his arms without warning, the pinkette's fist curling around the Shadow Dragon's wrists tightly and trapping him in place, onyx eyes glittering like mad and straight to the point-
"Oi! You're going on a job right?! Give me the Request paper, you got it on you yeah?!" The pinkette snapped, and Rogue stalled, jaw dropped and very lost as he stammered the name incredulously;
"N-Natsu...?"
Natsu didn't wait for an answer though, his hands left Rogue's wrists and quickly went searching in the Shadow Dragon's coat, almost frantically so and much too forcefully- but he found what he wanted, and the whirl of searching and finding the Job Request ended with Rogue losing his balance and falling on his ass, the stunned stillness from before instantly replaced in annoyance.
"What the hell are you doing-?!" Rogue snapped as Natsu's eyes scanned the Job details in rapidity, and then the pinkette looked up, rolling it in his hand and sticking it in his vest without hesitation.
"I'm taking this job, but you guys will get the reward for it when it's done, okay? I promise, but you gotta promise me you're not gonna leave town in the meantime, got it?" Natsu said quickly, his eyes steady and serious as they matched with Rogue's, and so much so the Shadow Dragon Slayer faltered, looking even more confused.
"W-What...?"
Natsu's eyes left Rogue and found Minerva standing behind the dark-haired man, the woman quiet as she watched the exchange with a quirked brow- but perked when Natsu caught her eyes, and the pinkette was just as steady as he was with Rogue.
"Minerva, make sure he doesn't go anywhere, okay?" Natsu told her, and Minerva seemed a little hesitant for the request, but again- Natsu did not pause for an answer, he turned on his heel to start heading off again with absolutely no explanation as to being there after a year, why he was snatching the job, or why Rogue couldn't leave at all.
But Natsu stumbled, steely fists closing tightly around the front of his shirt and jerking him around roughly in the course of a second, the pinkette getting pulled around and his face inches from Hora's very angry one, her dark blue eyes glittering and full of anger and annoyance it was almost tangible- and her hold on the front of his shirt steamed a little. Natsu blinked in surprise to see it was Hora who'd suddenly grabbed him, as he'd been rushing too much to really notice her standing a bit further up. But he saw her and he immediately went to try and smile a little, only to stall when he realized she looked super pissed.
"Who in the hell do you think you are?" Hora growled, her tone flinty and dangerously low- Natsu went stiff, his heart skipping a beat and sweating a little for the intensity of the glare, and the growl both. "We haven't seen or heard anything from you in a fucking year Salamander, and you think you can just storm in here and take a job and run off again without saying a damn thing? Are you serious?" Hora growled, "How dare you- do you have any idea what you running off last year without saying anything even did to Lucy? You ditched her dumbass, you ditched everybody- what the hell are friends for if you just go disappearing on them without saying anything, huh?!"
Natsu seemed to swallow at the words, his expression twisting faintly along with his heart as he grimaced, eyes flashing. Somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered a little comment from Sting and the other Sabers just a few minutes beforehand that Hora probably wouldn't be happy to see him- but he'd not thought anything of it until just then, and he understood immediately why she was angry.
It was the same reason he'd grown to feel guilty and hate himself for leaving, once he came back and realized how much heartache he'd put Lucy through that whole year- but having Hora point it out again made it hit home a little harder, and he wilted a little for it.
Lucy and Happy drew up, panting and out of breath as they struggled to keep pace with Natsu's rushing, and then standing stiff in their spots as they saw the anger in Hora and heard what she said too. Lucy shifted uncomfortably on her feet and diverted her eyes, while Happy's ears and tail drooped, a small mew escaping him.
Natsu's shoulders sank, his hands coming up slowly to land on Hora's wrists lightly, and she seemed to grit her teeth at it- but Natsu looked calmer now, and a little somber too.
"I'm sorry... I messed up." He murmured quietly and Hora stiffened at the apology, "I've got a lot of making up to do, and I will make it up to all of you, I promise. But I have to go right now, this is important." He told her and Hora seemed like she was going to protest near right away, but got caught off when Natsu asked the next thing;
"Have you heard anything from Gray, Hora?"
He asked it with already being pretty sure of the answer, and the way she seemed to freeze and how the anger in her face got replaced with worry made it clear he was right about what he'd already assumed.
Hora's eyes fell from the pinkette and she released the front of his shirt stiffly, eyes down and teeth gritting as she shook her head once, her eyes on her feet and not on him.
"... Does all this rushing have something to do with him?" She asked lowly, and Natsu hesitated, but nodded once. She clicked her tongue, her fists clenching at her sides, "Tch... damn it, fine." Hora growled, her eyes glittering as she looked up again and locked gazes with the pinkette.
"You can go, but you and my brother better come back when you're done, got it Flame-Brain?"
Natsu nodded firmly and Hora seemed to let out an aggravated sigh at it, but she gave in, her hand waving at him dismissively and not looking too happy- but she looked a little less angry now.
"Then go... but I'm kicking both your asses when you get back." She muttered hotly, and Natsu smiled a little for it, nodding again.
"Got it." He chuckled, and Hora looked a touch disgruntled with it, but she let it be.
She hated it, but she let Natsu, Lucy and Happy run off and she didn't fight it- Rogue was actually the one who ended up protesting to it the most, but both Minerva and Hora kept him in his place and made sure he didn't go anywhere... and he only fought it a little, since secretly some part of him was glad to be able to stick around and keep an eye on Hora, since he was still worried about her and the little stints of being ill the last few days.
It didn't take long for word to reach the Sabers of what destruction a town named Malba had endured in the quake of the Dark Guild Avatar's plans- the very Guild Rogue had been barred from going to take out by Natsu. Hora and Minerva kept Rogue in SaberTown for a few days once Natsu and everyone else had run off, but when they were sure whatever it was Natsu seemed hellbent on keeping the Shadow Dragon Slayer away from, they headed off, this time with Hora, Lector and Sting in tow, and there being no room for arguing on letting the Fire Devil Slayer come this time at all.
They arrived to find the town decimated, but Avatar's plans thwarted and entirely defeated by that now suddenly fully reunited Team Natsu, who took on an army and won like it was nothing. But none of them lingered long on the show of strength, and Hora didn't even really bat an eye at it, her gaze found Natsu in all the rubble with Lucy, Happy and Erza close at hand- and then snapped on to that raven head of hair belonging to the brother she'd heard nothing from in months, and she was gone from being beside Sting, Rogue and the SaberTooth Exceeds in an instant.
"You asshole!"
Gray had no time to react before a stinging sensation ran across his cheek, Hora's hand making contact with it in a very audible (and painful) slap against his face that made him stumble back, but he didn't look angry for it. He saw Hora and realized it was her and his face fell, guilty and sad as she stood before him seething, her anger so tangible the air around them was much warmer than it should have been, and she spiraled quickly into a heated lecture and rant.
"What the hell is wrong with you?! I don't give a damn whatever your reason was, or whatever plan this was with Erza and whatever else- you should have fucking told me what you were going to do, instead of leaving me sitting in the dark for months and not hearing a thing from you! I've been worried out of my mind about you, and thinking you were gonna fall into Darkness and get consumed by the Devil Slayer Magic and I had no idea where you were or what was going on! You could have turned Dark, or been killed, and I had no way of finding you or ever knowing what happened! You were so fucking hellbent on keeping me out of this shit you went and ditched me, and you aren't supposed to do that you idiot! You can't just drop out of my life again!"
Gray let out a breath, silent as she snapped the words out and her voice carrying loudly on the air around them. He stepped forward a little to try and reach out for her, murmur some apology, explain everything that had gone on and why, and try and get her to calm down- but Hora was far from done, and her agitation ended up turning on both Gray and Natsu next.
"You both are so fucking stupid! You both went and lectured me a million times on sticking with people and never ditching them, but what did the both of you do?! YOU DITCHED EVERYONE!" Hora snapped loudly, the words making both boys flinch, and everyone else winced a little too, though they stayed out of it for now- Hora was in no mood, and none of them were looking to bud in.
"You're both assholes for that, and you'd better be prepared to explain to me everything about what the hell has been going on, got it?! I'm done being left in the dark by you idiots, you can't just keep secrets and leave everyone out of the loop- that is not how this works damn it! We tell each other things, we help each other no matter what the hell is going on or is wrong, and he we don't ditch people and leave them hurting and afraid and confused! Do you hear me!?" She snapped and both boys nodded stiffly, stuck in their places for a moment and not daring to move. Hora huffed at them and turned away, crossing her arms over her chest haughtily and still very much seething... before her shoulders hunched a tiny bit and there came tears in her eyes way, way too fast.
She grit her teeth against them, her anger bumping up a little more and absolutely frustrated with the tears out of nowhere. She didn't want to be crying, she hated that the tears welled up so suddenly and she tried to keep them back- but they kept coming, a lump suddenly in her throat and her chest tightening as her emotions remained a huge whirlwind she had no control of, at all.
Everyone looked panicked for the sudden tears, Natsu, Lector, Sting and Happy more so than anybody and very flustered on top it- while Gray and Rogue seemed to wilt for it. Lucy, Frosch and Erza went quiet, their eyes gleaming a little taken aback by how quickly Hora ended up getting worked up... almost too quickly honestly, and the switch between anger and crying was very abrupt.
Gray let out a sigh and stepped toward his sister for the first time since she'd started yelling, Hora looking pointedly away from him as he got closer and stubbornly so even as her shoulders kept shaking and her breaths hitched with the little sobs she kept trying to crush in her throat. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and gently forced her to turn back toward him, and pull her against him even when she initially tried to resist the motion. She gave into it soon after though, her head bumping against Gray's chest and hiding her face as he set his chin atop her head, another sigh escaping him that ruffled her hair, and he gave her a small squeeze.
"... I'm sorry Aida... please forgive me."
Hora ended up being touchy about the whole thing and around Natsu and Gray for awhile after it, and she gave them both a bit of a cold shoulder for a few days too- pouting really, and they didn't blame her. Though they did hope they'd be able to work her around to actually forgiving them sooner rather than later, and she didn't make it easy.
But in reality she forgave them both fairly quickly after she'd managed to calm down from getting all heated the first time- she just let herself pout a few days regardless, to make her discontent for the whole situation even more clear. She'd mutter a few scathing comments toward them here and there, and both Gray and Natsu took the hint and shut their mouths soon after, waiting a little to let her settle before they tried again. Trying to inch back into her good graces where they very much wanted to be, and had never really expected to fall so far out of.
Natsu leaned in toward Hora a bit after they'd been walking awhile, all of them headed back to Magnolia with the Sabers in tow. His nose twitched as he gave her a quick sniff, and Hora cast him a look from the side when he did it, dark blue eyes flashing and brow quirked.
"What the hell are you doing?" She asked, Natsu blinked, his head tilting.
"I didn't notice it earlier, but you smell kinda different... I don't know what it is though- it's just a little off." He told her, Hora clicked her tongue and looked away with a huff.
"How the hell would you know what I'm supposed to smell like? You haven't seen me in a whole year, Salamander." She pointed out lowly and Natsu smiled nervously for it,
"Ah, r-right..."
Hora's pouting and coldness toward her brother and her friend faded to near none by the time they made it to Magnolia. And when the Sabers pitched in to help the returning Fairies rebuild their Guild Hall, her anger had gone entirely- she was honestly just glad to have both of those two dumbasses back.
Though she did give Gray a very stern talking to about ditching Juvia in particular, and one that he conceded to easily that he'd really messed up on that one. Hora snapped at him to make it right, and he swore he would.
...
When Zeref's kingdom waged war on Ishgar not a week later, the full might of the SaberTooth Guild along with all the other Wizard's Guilds in the country rallied behind the recently returned Fairy Tail. Everyone took up arms, banding together and fighting alongside each other as they had once when the Dragons descended on Crocus- but their enemy this time was all the more numerous, and in some ways much more dangerous and formidable than even Dragons had been.
The SaberTooth and Blue Pegasus Guilds ended up united in trying to push Zeref's forces from advancing further into the country from the north side, both Guilds steadfast against constant droves of enemies that seemed to have no end, and resolute in holding the line against them no matter how long it took, or how tired they grew to be. It was no easy task, the battles never stopped and the kept raging for hours on end, and they were holding- but they would lose ground and be pushed back eventually, they knew it. They couldn't allow it, so they kept pushing back, fighting harder, pushing way passed their limits... but it was too much, the numbers were too overwhelming, and they'd been fighting too long.
Hora coughed slightly, sliding back in the bloodstained snow, bruised and bloody as frost and steam rose up off her shoulders, her eyes scanning all the clamor and chaos- all the people fighting and wounded, fallen, and all else. Rogue stumbled as he got pushed back beside her but kept his feet, one eye halfway swollen shut and blood dripping from the wounds littering is person to hit the snow. He grit his teeth, his and Hora's eyes matching for half a second and they both knew it, they were losing.
Hora broke her eyes off Rogue and straightened up, her hands moving out to her sides, flame sparking off her arms and melting the snow underfoot as it surged and rose up into the air. The flame condensed over all their heads, massive wings flapping as the bird of fire came to life and then dove headfirst toward the line of the army advancing- screams of pain and agony nearly drowned in the roar of the flame, and the screech of the bird as it dove down.
"SaberTooth and Blue Pegasus, fall back!"
Nobody wanted to, but the heeded the order without protest- they all knew it too, they were going to lose if they fought any longer. They'd already lost too many people, they couldn't keep it up.
Hora's firebird kept the next line of Zeref's army at bay long enough the Mages could stumble back and start to break away from the fighting, Hora stuck stiff in her place and watchful as they began to pass her and head away, Rogue stuck in his place beside her and stonily silent.
Hora and Rogue stiffened though, the wash of flame fading and leaving a line of black in it's place- the people near the front on their side that had been dotted between trees running their way as they asked, but not in retreat- in terror.
They screamed, yelling frantically for everyone to get out of there now, before their voices cut off strangled as blood filled their throats, their bodies thudding against the ground with heavy thumps.
Hora's blood ran cold, her ears ringing and fear rushing through her when she felt it again- that sudden surge of the flames inside her, reaction that was instinctual and immediate to what evil and Power was suddenly on the air, her dark blue eyes washing out in golden-crimson and the black markings swirling fast up her arms.
Demon
It happened way too fast, too fast for anybody to keep track of it and Hora couldn't keep her eyes on the beast either- though she should have been able to.
There was a blur as the beast leapt through the still hot embers left of her Magic and straight toward where the Mages were retreating, cutting down the few still not fast enough to make it behind where Hora and Rogue stood, and right up toward them both- Hora's eyes locking with dark ones as time slowed down in one terrifying instant, the Markings on her skin crawling quickly up her cheeks and her fire surging all of it's own accord in one rushed attempt to react, and do something.
The air shuddered, a wall of flame surging into life in a massive line just ahead of the SaberTooth Guild Master and getting rammed into so hard it was deafening- the violence of the hit had Hora's Magic imploding, the pressure rushing outward as it failed and rammed into every single Mage with so much force they were sent flying. Their bodies thudded painfully as the earth caved underneath them and huge sections of the ground were thrown up in slabs, followed by further bursts of sheer pressure and power that came to life in moments, bombarding, burning, and singing them.
Explosions
And in the last second, Hora standing there at the head of everyone and her eyes locking with that of the Demons as time slowed down, her Fire ripped to shreds in an instant- there was a fleeting glimpse of the Demon's arms turning into wickedly sharp blades, glinting in the firelight and aimed right for Hora with no hesitation... and Rogue didn't hesitate either.
He rushed forward in the blink of an eye, placing himself right in the path of those blades- his blood sticky crimson and coming in waves as his body was slashed across in two long slices, right across the front of his body and carving awful lines through his chest, stomach, and arms. Hora's eyes went wide and filled with tears as she watched it happen, the haunting recollection of her own body being cut open near the same way a year passed by the Other Rogue flaring to life as her Rogue got nearly cut in two trying to protect her.
"ROGUE!"
Hora's scream got washed out in the explosions that followed, the Devil Slayer losing sight of Rogue entirely as the earth ruptured under their feet, and smoke, ash, snow, and all else blinded her.
She slammed into the ground, steam rising off the black Markings and hissing, her body in agony under the sheer ferocity of the attack despite the Markings guarding her from the Curses themselves. She coughed as the breath was driven from her but did her best to find her feet again, stumbling on the uneven ground and head whipping about as she searched frantically- her Guild and Blue Pegasus were scattered, laying in the snow and debris, burned and bloodied and most of them still and unmoving now under the sheer devestation. For those who's eyes were still open, they were filled with horror and disbelief- Sting's more than anyone because he'd seen Rogue do what he did just then, and he was searching instantly for the Shadow Dragon Slayer as Hora was, their hearts pounding and panicked.
They saw Rogue bounce against the snow, wearing a long scarlet line into the ash-ridden white as he slid back, his blood spilling fast and curling weakly in on himself, face pale and breaths shallow and shuddering as the pain overtook him, and the strength and life faded as fast as the crimson continued to spill from his body.
Hora's heart felt like it stopped, the ringing in her ears and the silence that consumed her whole world in that one instant deafening. She couldn't breath, her muscles locked and she couldn't move- she barely registered Sting and Yukino struggling to pick themselves up, or Frosch staggering as the Exceed dropped beside his Partner, little paws staining red as the Exceed pressed against the wounds frantically, trying to still the bleeding in any way. She saw the tears spilling from the Exceed's eyes and everyone else's too, Minerva, Orga, Sting, Yukino, Lector, Rufus, and Ira some of the few left not totally knocked out, and the last four rushing in order to make it to Rogue with Frosch, and try and stop the Shadow Dragon bleeding to death, if they could.
Hora didn't hear anything they said, her world had gone quiet and she just stared, the little glimpse of Rogue's eyes before it lost it's light and fell shut- her heart beat once, and then thundered in her chest more painful than anything she'd ever felt before, or since.
Hora hissed, the SaberTooth Guild Master pushing herself onto her feet and the tears falling fast as she did, her attention leaving all those behind her and the Black Markings on her skin swirling madly- her Magic tripling in seconds, Ice and Fire sparking off her body and one golden-crimson eye getting replaced with icy blue.
Her eyes locked to the Demon and Zeref's army still incoming. Minerva, Sting and Orga got to their feet behind her, all of them looking just as full of rage and heartbreak as their Guild Master did.
There was no way they were gonna let any of those bastards stomp into their country or get away with wiping everyone out like that, and hurting Rogue that badly. No one was gonna touch any of them again.
Over their dead bodies
What battle there came with those four Sabers at the head was fierce, Sting and Hora in tandem with one another as they went head to head with the Demon Bloodman, and Orga and Minerva close behind- decimating the army as it kept trying to advance, and not giving an inch. All of them hellbent and seething, steadfast in their determination to not give in, and not let a single threat get passed them.
Orga was the first to get thrown and not get back up, a backlash of Sting and Hora trying to block one of the Demon's attacks earning the earth rumbling and those others behind the line made up of the four getting knocked back too, and this time they had no strength left to get back up. Sting got wrenched backward by the Demon and slammed into the ground so hard his bones must have broken in several paces, though he still forced himself back up and kept coming, until he just couldn't.
Minerva and Hora were the last to stay standing, both woman breathless and bloodied in too many places to count- their Magics raging even hours later and having been depleting what Magic Energy reserves they had to near none. They fought side by side where they never truly had before, both of them forces of nature and determined to protect all those people they stood between an army and a Demon for- for those people and that Guild they both loved more than anything, and would die protecting.
Both woman swung forward, hands and arms swinging down in perfect unison with one another as flame and ice swirled with ferocity off Hora's arms, and Minerva's Territory Magic opened up in front of that storm of icy-hot rage Hora let loose- intensifying the attack and spreading it's range out tenfold, and far further than Hora could have ever made it even in all her anger and hurt.
"Unison Raid: Arctic Hellfire Territory-Rend!"
The attack reached out, encasing half of Zeref's invading troops, burning and freezing as it went and wrenching several of them through space and time backed by burning hot brilliance, Minerva and Hora's voices calling the Spell in tandem. The destruction and power from it was extraordinary, exemplary, and stifling- the army balked and shuddered at it, screaming as they tried to run and then full of rage for those that managed to avoid it, or were too far to be touched.
The Demon at the head of them all got lost to sight as the murky dark of Territory distorted the blinding azure-gold, and chilly white ice. For a small second there came a pause in the battling and they tried to catch their breath, but never got to.
The dark blur of Bloodman skirting around the rage of the Unison was all Hora saw for half a second before Minerva got thrown, the woman yelping as the attack caught her off guard in the tiny instant they paused. Minerva hit the ground and rolled, but never got back up- and then it was just Horatia.
One Demon maybe... If it had been one Demon with one Element, and one Curse- then that Spell would have done it. But this Demon?
This Demon had multiple Curses, many Curses Hora recognized from Tartaros. And after all the energy spent fighting before it had ever arrived, and even against a Devil Slayer- multiple curses in one Demon was too much.
There were blurry flashes of flame and ice raging, the Mages in Blue Pegasus and SaberTooth both bobbing in and out of consciousness only long enough to see disfigured shadows fighting furiously all around and ahead of them, and a single person standing against many more foes and too many to win against- but she never stopped, not for what felt like years and far passed when her body was ready to give out on her entirely.
There was no telling how many of Zeref's forces the SaberTooth Guild Master managed to take out on her own, and no one to witness it with the Ishgar forces decimated as they were. But it was no small amount, and the intensity of her ire and will to protect the people she stood in front of was unparalleled, even against a Demon with more Curses than should have been possible... but she still lost.
She felt the Demon's hand come down on her head, the ground rushing up to meet her at terrifying speed- Hora's head slamming into the ground in one decisive, utterly brutal blow.
Everything went black
...
... When the the shadow of Zeref's forces climbed over the snowy hills, now firmly across the border they'd been barred from for hours- the Fairy Tailers sent to the north as a backup; Gajeel, PantherLily, Levy, and the Strauss siblings saw the black mass moving in toward them and steeled themselves for the fight to come... only to stand rigid in horror when they made out the raised crosses carried above the heads of an army that wasn't happy in their victory, but angry, bruised, and bloody- though nowhere near as beaten as the Mages of SaberTooth and Blue Pegasus paraded down the mountainside, crucified and unconscious, and barely alive.
Near the front of the army, arms and legs tied tightly around the rough wood, a collar around her neck and muzzle fastened tightly around her mouth was the SaberTooth Guild Master- head hanging limply between her shoulders and fiery-red hair cached heavily in blood that continued to drip from an awful gash on the side of her head, and from a hundred other wounds littering her person without end.
SaberTooth and Blue Pegasus had been annihilated
Getting the Sabers and Pegasi down and from the crosses came in a rush and a blur, the Fairy Tailers tearing through the army's foot soldiers and balking when they cut each one down and got them away from their foes- each one worse than the last, but none of them near as bad as Hora and Rogue.
Gajeel shuddered as he broke the restraints on the Shadow Dragon Slayer and eased his limp form onto the snow, his hands staining with red as he did from the still slowly oozing slashes worn into the man's body, Rogue's face near as pale white as the snow itself, his breathing so shallow and so uneven. PantherLily eased Hora down beside him, the Exceed's ears pressed flat against his head and tail tip twitching anxiously behind him as he he lay her down as gently as could be managed- all too aware of many places across her body where her bones were fractured and bruised black, her skin cut across by a million more tears- but the gash on her head was still bleeding freely like Rogue's wounds were, and her breathing was so low it was barely there.
They were both passed half-dead, and if they didn't get cared for soon they would be dead- the Fairy Tailers knew it, and that sense of urgency and rushing drove them to fight harder and more mercilessly against Zeref's forces than ever before.
They had hell to pay for what they'd done
Levy stood guard over the downed Sabers while everyone else went to battle, and remained watching over those that didn't manage to pick themselves back up and join in on the fighting again. Those that managed to force themselves up. with Sting and Yukino at the lead, all the Sabers eyes found their downed Guild Master and the Shadow Dragon Slayer she cared for so much, their hearts burning and resolve hardening too.
Hora had been fighting far longer than any of them had managed to, putting herself at death's door and Rogue with her, for trying to save her from the Demon.
It was their turn to fight as long as they had to now, and they would let nothing touch either Dragon Slayer or Devil Slayer- not on anything.
When Eileen used her Magic to shift the landscape, being warped so far from that icy north they had been in moments before was disorienting, especially on the Sabers that had by then managed to come to- but just barely. Though no one had much time to wonder on suddenly being somewhere else, they knew they had to move, and in the sudden lack of enemies around them they had a chance to turn their focus back on Hora and Rogue, and trying to get them help.
It seemed strange, but even with everyone scattered about the country now utterly unrecognizable, all thoughts on where to go had them pointing their feet toward Fairy Tail- and they headed there as quickly as they could, even despite what enemies got in the way... Hora in Rufus' arms while Orga kept a hold of Rogue, the Sabers pace brusque and urgent the whole way through, racing against what felt like time- and fighting it when they arrived at Fairy Tail and found another battle awaiting them.
Rufus and Orga took Rogue and Hora away, leaving everyone else to their fight while Porlyusica, Wendy, and Carla followed the two quickly. Sherria and Lyon were close behind them, the Lamia Mages promising Gray to keep an eye on both Sabers in his stead while he fought Zeref's forces.
They rushed, Wendy Healing both Sabers as best she could while Porlyusica and Sherria did their best, even with God Slayer now Magic-less. They managed to keep both Sabers alive, though it was a very close call for both of them- and Rogue certainly, with the amount of blood he'd ended up losing.
Porlyusica faltered a little in her work on Hora though, her eyes widening and a new sort of seriousness creeping into the Old Lay's expression that hadn't been there before- but she kept her thoughts to herself and finished with tying off the bandage around Hora's head, face grim and eyes glittering. She stepped back from the makeshift cots both Sabers were on, her attention snapping to Lyon, Rufus and Orga, grimacing- which made their hearts skip a beat.
"They are stable for now, but they are in terrible shape." Porlyusica murmured lowly, "They've both lost a lot of blood, Rogue especially- but the wound on Horatia's head is serious... I don't know when she'll wake up." The Old Lady told them, Sherria and Wendy swallowing hard for the words though they'd already guessed as much.
"But she will wake up... won't she?" Lyon asked slowly, and Porlyusica's eyes moved off him, falling closed and a small sigh escaping her.
"... I hope so." The Old Lady replied, the answer making everyone else shiver slightly as their stomachs churned.
But it was an honest answer, and all she could give- because she didn't know.
Rufus, Lyon, Sherria and Orga stood guard over the two Sabers with Porlyusica- Wendy and Carla rushing off on the back of a premonition the Exceed had had, and something about Juvia being hurt. They didn't budge, not even as the rest of the Guilds kept on in their battles and the war kept on, or when Porlyusica disappeared for a little along with Evergreen, and Brandish in tow.
They stayed watchful, helping the others back from their own battles where they could, and Hora and Rogue never stirring even the slightest as the air boomed, and the war kept on in full swing.
They didn't wake, not when Natsu and Gray got caught up in a furious battle between themselves, or when Natsu's rage began to erupt and the power of E.N.D began to make itself known.
Not while Juvia and Gray ended up collapsing for their injuries in the battle they'd had between one another, and tried to spare the other by taking their own lives.
Not when Sting's determination to protect his friends and his Guild ended with him surpassing all expectations, and bring an end to that shinning bright white enemy that smelled exactly like Natsu, and it made no sense... And they didn't stir still, not even when the burning light of Fairy Law spread out over the land, and rendered near all their foes vanished and gone- on the back of a Fairy Tail Guild Master sacrificing his life for the children in his Guild he loved so dearly.
Even when Eileen's Universe One Spell came undone with her death, neither Sabers gave any sign of waking, and those waiting and watching over them so intently really hoped they would, and soon.
Frosch curled up next to Rogue, hugging to the Shadow Dragon Slayer gently while Rufus and Orga stayed perched rigid at the door, and watchful. Sherria and Lyon took a seat on either side of the cot where Hora lay, Lyon's hand resting lightly on the top of her head and wincing internally for the heat given off from her body after exerting her Magic so much, and the wound on her temple remained raw and swollen... surely keeping her trapped somewhere in some darkness in her mind, denying her wakefulness.
When the other Sabers concluded their battles and came limping into the building, breathless and spent- but still searching and worried over their friends, they demanded to know how they were and were told.
They were both stable for now, but they were in bad shape and neither had woken at all. And they didn't know when either would wake up- or if she would, in Hora's case.
Gray heard the grim news, Lyon's words easily breaking through the clamor and reaching him with his heightened hearing. He hissed, teeth gritting and all the more determined to push himself and find Zeref, and put an end to all this chaos that had hurt everyone more badly than they should have ever been.
All through Gray and Zeref battling, Natsu interrupting the furious Ice Mage and all the revelations coming with Natsu being the legendary Demon and his life written in a book that was irrefutable- Rogue and Hora never woke, not for an instant. Both of them were trapped in some deep chasm, alone and floating, nothing but darkness all around and sheer silence- where they both remained still, and where all the other Dragon Slayers ended up when Acnologia was thrust into the Ravines of Time, and brought all Dragon Slayers with him.
Natsu looked back and saw all of them trapped in stone, Laxus, Cobra, Wendy, Gajeel, Sting, Rogue and Hora- all of them unmoving, unawares, and suffocating slowly until the calls of the people they'd been ripped from broke the first five from their stone coffins, leaving Hora and Rogue still suspended, broken, bloody and barely alive.
They were the first Acnologia set his sights on, the Apocalyptic Dragon seeing an easy meal when it was right in front of him- and all the rest of the Dragon Slayers would not budge, or let him near. They stood firm and tall against the man turned Dragon that had killed all Dragons before, and their parents for those Slayers raised by one. They fought tooth and nail to render Acnologia no longer a threat on the world, or those two Dragon Slayers still who had not come back to wakefulness, even in all the madness.
Hora remained stuck in the silence, her ears heavy with it and eyes closed, unseeing, numb... everything was still so dark, but she thought she saw a tiny light far off in the distance, pearly in color and so... cold.
The Dragon Slayers in their battle were being beaten back, their bodies aching under the might of Acnologia that even the strenght of six Dragon Slayers altogether were struggling against- and the instant a tiny break in their defense showed itself, Acnologia sent off a wave of apocalyptic hellfire to swallow the motionless Rogue and Hora whole.
The stone encasing Hora cracked up it's length, the sound clear and sharp- but lost under the roar of the Magic incoming fast... and then even that sound of Magic got swallowed up with the sharp and ringing sound of frost and ice, the air dropping several dozen degrees in an instant and a milky white sheen of icy slickness overtaking everything around them.
The attack sent by Acnologia was rammed into by a burst of glittering white, frozen in it's place and quickly shattered by a swift and decisive swing of a tail ramming into the Magic, and scattering it.
The Dragon Slayers stared, eyes wide and hearts skipping a beat as the frost billowed up around where Hora and Rogue had been, both Sabers released from the stone they'd been trapped in- and now with a massive, scaly, pearly white Dragon standing guard over both of them. Protecting them, with it's wings glittering like polished ice curled around them both and keeping them slamming into the floor when the stone was shattered.
The Dragon blew out a breath, hazy white billowing from his muzzle as his icy blue eyes locked with the Dragon Slayers and Acnologia both, fangs bared and a growl rumbling deep in it's chest, talons scraping against the solid icy floor it had created. The wash of cold air hit them in the face, bringing with it the scent of snow and pure ice- but also a hint of Hora's scent mixed in too.
"Where did that come from..!?" Gajeel, Laxus and Cobra hissed incredulously,
"N-No fucking way, is that..?!" Sting and Natsu stammered quickly, while Wendy's eyes gleamed- the Little Dragon Slayer instantly aware of this sensation of the beast that hit her, sheer power and life- but wispy, and ethereal too... a soul.
"Y.. you... you're L... Lixue...?"
The shaky and so quiet voice of Rogue earned everyone's eyes off the Dragon and down toward the Shadow Dragon Slayer, his red eyes cracked open halfway and mind struggling to comprehend anything- he'd only barely managed to drag himself out of the dark, lured there by the lingering scent of ice and fire mixed with blood... Hora's blood, before it got overwhelmed with the scent of ice and cold, and everything around him got trapped in the chill too- but underneath it was a warmth from the Dragon that seemed strange.
The Dragon huffed, it's eyes darting toward Rogue lying beneath him for but a moment and nodding solemnly.
"Yes." The Dragon rumbled, eyes flashing as he looked back toward the other Dragon Slayers and a furious looking Acnologia.
"Do not worry over these two, I will let nothing touch them." Lixue told them lowly, his tail sweeping out behind him and toward the Dragon Slayers, causing a surge of cold air and frost to wash over the lot of them, sparkling bits of the cold sticking to their bodies and numbing some of the worst of the pain, and bringing a new sense of energy that swirled in their cores and made their tired and weary limbs ache a little less. Lixue's eyes narrowed to slits, glittering and the heaviness of the cold on the air deepening, dragging down at Acnologia like a ton of weight,s but doing the opposite for all the rest- they moved easier, breathed easier, and their eyes glittered as the Ice Dragon dipped his head to all six of them;
"There is no time to explain my being here, you all have a Dragon to slay- I suggest you get to it."
The Dragon Slayers smirked faintly, fists clenching as their sides and the fires in their hearts lifted higher on the back of the deadly cold wind at their backs.
"Hell yeah!"
Rogue could hear everyone fighting, though he couldn't manage to lift his head enough to see them, and he didn't care to once he saw Hora lying still not a foot from him. Her breaths were so low he wouldn't have known she was breathing if not for the subtle haze of a cloud her breaths earned... a hazy cloud passed her bruised and split lips, blood staining a bandage around her head and awful bruising poking passed the cloth across the side of her head, where similar bruising and wounds were scattered everywhere on her body, covered in dried blood and bandages both, bones broken, beaten, hurt.
She was much more hurt than she was when he'd jumped in front of her, she looked awful- and the lack of a reaction or sense of wakefulness from the woman even when the Dragon supposedly trapped in a Lacrima in her chest made his heart pick up, panic and fear racing through every inch of him.
Why... why wasn't she awake, even when Lixue seemed to pop up...? Why wasn't she moving...?
Rogue hissed, his hand shaking terribly as he struggled to try and reach out for her, but she was just out of his reach, and his breathing shuddered passed his teeth in the beginnings of a panicked sob.
W-Why hasn't she woken u-up...?
Rogue stiffened, faintly aware of that Dragon standing guard over them shifting, it's massive form bending lower and Lixue's nose pushing gently against Hora's body, moving her easily across the ice and toward Rogue so he could touch her. The Shadow Dragon's hands trembled badly as he caught her hand in his, and the other landing faintly on her cheek... she was cool under his touch, colder than she should be normally and Rogue swallowed hard.
"... Do not fret, she will be alright." The voice of the Dragon hovering over them came again, but this time soft and so gentle a tone it seemed almost unnatural from such a massive creature. The tears spilled passed Rogue's half open eyes as he heard it, and Lixue's head bent again to press the top of his nose against the Shadow Dragon's head with such tenderness the man shivered under it, the tears spilling faster and wetting the frosted surface of the ice underneath them.
"She's buried deep in her mind for now, but not so far I cannot reach her. She will come back, I promise you, but for now I will not pull her up, she needs rest... as do you, Rogue." Lixue murmured softly, the chill of the Dragon's breath cascading over both Hora and Rogue in a milky white cloud, numbing Rogue further than he already was, and lulling his mind back away from wakefulness and fear toward somewhere calm, and cool.
"All of you will survive this, I promise."
Acnologia's defeat, both in soul and body was a spectacular feat- the banding together of all Mages in Ishgar for the war a sight to behold, and the brilliance of the Dragon Slayer's Magic and Fairy Sphere both was beautiful.
Lixue's Soul Projection made possible in the Ravines of Time remained for a small time even as the Dragon Slayers were brought back to their present, and down to the earth they'd been snatched from so abruptly. The figure of a Dragon standing over the bodies of Hora and Rogue locked together managed to freak more than a few people out- but Sting and Wendy dropping in not far off from the Dragon and their two friends settled any fears of Lixue's appearance that remained for Dragons after the destruction brought by Acnologia.
Lixue bent his head to the humans and seemed to smirk, shaking his head at the thanks he earned from Wendy and Sting both for popping in to protect Hora and Rogue. Lixue assured them thanks was unnecessary, and reassured everyone else that both of them would be alright in time- he said this more pointedly in fact toward Gray, who was sort of standing stunned in the corner, the Ice Mage reeling a little from finally being able to put a face the the thing in his sister's head that had had a lot to say when they'd been trying to train him in his Devil Slayer Magic... but he latched on to the part about Aida being alright, and nodded a little in return. Lixue seemed to smile before his body swirled and faded from view, leaving the humans to clean up and pick up after the terrible war and all it brought, and give them time enough to start healing.
Lixue putting Rogue to sleep had managed to conk the Shadow Dragon Slayer out pretty hard- not that sleep was unneeded for him. His wounds were still serious, and he was suffering from heavy blood loss for several days even after getting treated, his mind only pulling him up from sleep several hours in between, and only ever long enough to try and catch sight of Hora in the bed near him, before darkness claimed him again.
It took a three full days after the last battle had been won, and everyone had already started to try and rebuild and repair some of the damage, before Hora found herself pulled gently out of the darkness by that white light off in the distance- which ended up being Lixue. The Ice Dragon picked her up gently and set her down in the empty white expanse of her mind with a smile and tender tap of his muzzle against the top of her head.
"You've slept through the whole war, and Acnologia descending with it." Lixue told her lightly, Hora's eyes widening in shock at the news, though Lixue seemed faintly amused with what was otherwise a super dire and grim statement.
"You'll hear more about it soon, just try and keep your head with what you learn, will you?" The Dragon rumbled lightly, his eyes flashing once and the whiteness all around them getting brighter until she couldn't see him anymore.
'It is time for you to wake up.'
Hora started, her heart pounding a little fast and mind whirling as her her senses flooded with a million things all at once, and she jerked forward in the bed a little in her rush to make sense of it all... though of course jerking up at all had her cringing almost immediately.
"O-Oww... oww..." She hissed through gritted teeth, her body burning with even more pain once she fell back against the pillow and that little bit of movement brought more to cringe for- so much so she didn't really register someone's hand on her shoulder, not until they spoke up;
"Shit, take it easy Aida... You can't move so much, you're still all beat to hell ya know."
Hora blinked, her eyes opening again after shutting them tight against the pain, attention moving right to find Gray sitting in a chair at the bedside, all covered in bandages and beat to hell much like she was- and looking a little pained himself when she cringed, and seemed to jerk out of the unconsciousness that had gripped her for days so abruptly.
"... Gray...?" Hora mumbled reflexively and he nodded a little,
"Yeah... are you okay?" He asked immediately, dark blue eyes glittering and his hand lingering on her shoulder after trying to get her to stall a moment. "You really scared the hell out of me ya know? You pushed it way too far, and got the crap beaten out of you... you've been totally out of it for days, Porlyusica wasn't sure you were gonna wake up after getting your head smashed like it did." He told her tensely and Hora blinked slowly, the words a little slower to register than it was to latch on to the dark circles under her brother's eyes, and the clear worry and fear in them too.
"Ah, yeah... yeah I'm okay, I just.." Hora answered quickly, before breaking off when it occurred to her, and Gray saw the fear light up in her face in no time at all.
"W-Wait, Lixue said I slept through everything- but what happened..?! Is everybody okay- is Rogue okay..!? He got really hurt, where is-?!"
Gray's hand on her shoulder moved up to land on her head instead, the Ice Mage shaking his head a little and smiling wearily, causing her to stall in her panicking for a moment.
"Hey, calm down a minute- everything's fine, I swear." Gray murmured, "Everybody's beat up, but Zeref's gone, the war is all over and everybody's starting to heal too." Gray told her softly, his head rubbing her hair a bit before pulling back and motioning passed her and to the left. Hora's head turned that way quickly, her eyes gleaming as she caught sight of Rogue in a bed a few feet from her, breathing deeply and soundly even despite the numerous wounds and bandages wrapped about his torso, or the hints of blood still seeping through them here and there.
"Everybody's gonna be fine, and that includes him... though it's gonna take both of you awhile to be really okay after what happened." Gray murmured, his shoulders sinking a little when he saw the way Hora's expression twisted when she lay eyes on the Shadow Dragon Slayer, and the way her eyes grew glassy near right away too.
Gray pushed himself up onto his feet stiffly, settling himself into sitting on the bed beside Hora instead and leaning over a little to hook his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her into him, the Fire Devil Slayer breaking her eyes off Rogue to curl her arm over Gray's chest as she hugged him tightly and stifled a little sob in the back of her throat.
"I t-thought he died..." She stammered out breathlessly, her voice breaking soon after and Gray held her a little tighter, and as much as he would dare with her as hurt as she was. He believed she did, after hearing about what had happened with SaberTooth and Blue Pegasus, and even seeing the sheer destruction the north had been subjected to when he'd been warped there momentarily by Eileen's Magic. Hora had clearly fought hard as hell, and well beyond when everyone else had been taken down and were out for the count- she did it to protect them all, yeah... but she'd also been doing it out of hurt for seeing Rogue get nearly killed in front of her too.
Gray leaned his head against the top of hers, a small breath escaping him as he shook his head once, and held on to her as she cried quietly into his shirt.
She really loved Rogue, with all her heart... just as much as he loved her back, and had loved her enough he'd thrown himself between her and something that would have probably killed her without even thinking about.
"... He's gonna be fine, Aida... You didn't lose him, everything's alright..."
Gray explained everything that had gone on while she'd been out of it, once she calmed down and the tears had ceased. Hora listened to him in earnest for the whole thing, letting it all sink in and reeling a little for the insanity of it all- because it was really fucking crazy, and that was coming from her! Whose life had always been crazy as hell, and yet all that happened before didn't really seem to stack up..!
Hora couldn't say she really understood it all, and she wasn't really sure what to make of it either... but in the end all that mattered to her was that everybody managed to make it through what happened alive (minus Mavis), and she didn't really need to linger on the crazy- nor did she have time to, before something else took the forefront of her mind.
Porlyusica came into the infirmary, shooing off all manner of Sabers, Lamia's, and Fairies that had heard she'd woken up and couldn't wait to check in. They were pushed out (perhaps a tad roughly), and told to leave her alone and stay away- she couldn't have loud and rowdy people in the infirmary, least of all with Rogue still trying to recover too.
Porlyusica drew a dividing curtain around the bed Hora was in and put the Saber through a round of checkups. She had several fractures and broken ribs still, and the wound on her head had landed her with a concussion Porlyusica was watchful about now. So she did her checking, poking, prodding and taking all number of vitals and whatnot- and then did a little bit of scolding and warning Hora not to push herself or use Magic for a few weeks at the minimum. But she also humored the girl in asking about Rogue, and making extra sure he was going to be alright.
Then the Old Lady took a seat on a stool by the bedside, her arms crossed over her chest and going very quiet- which was unnerving, and a little more so for the fact the Healer was staring rather moodily at Hora the whole time she did so, and didn't blink.
Hora shifted uncomfortably under the look, not sure what it was for and smiling a little nervously despite herself... she'd dealt with Porlyusica numerous times before now, what with Over-Drive and her work trying to de-Demonize Minerva, so she was kind of used to the woman's stern and rough behavior. But this was really weird, and Hora was starting to sweat a little by the time Porlyusica seemed to make up her mind about what she wanted to say, and got right to the point.
"Your Guild told me you fainted a few days before the whole mess with Avatar came about, and that you were nauseous the whole morning afterward. Is that correct?" Porlyusica asked flatly, and Hora paused for the sort of out of nowhere inquiry, but nodded a little anyway.
"Uh, yeah...?"
"Has the same thing happened since then?" Porlyusica asked next, and Hora hesitated a moment, still rather lost.
"No... I mean not really, I don't think." She mumbled, glancing away for a moment and biting the inside of her cheek. "Every once in awhile I feel nauseous still, but it always goes away, and I've never stood up and passed out again." Hora admitted, Porlyusica blink.
"But have you felt dizzy standing up too fast since then?" The woman asked, and Hora seemed to stiffen at it, her eyes dropping closed and looking more uneasy.
"... A few times..." The Devil Slayer admitted quietly- very very quietly. She knew Rogue wasn't awake and couldn't hear her say it, but she reflexively dropped her voice anyway, since she was admitting to fibbing a bit all those times she'd insisted to Rogue she was fine, or not said anything to him and been open like he'd asked her to be. But she'd not been lying lying, she didn't need to tell him or anyone every little thing all the time, and being dizzy every once in awhile was not something to get all worked up over- which Rogue definitely would.
"Hmph, well from what I learned running tests on your blood and from your other vitals, you're likely getting dizzy more often now because you are not eating enough." Porlyusica huffed, earning Hora's eyes again and a tilt of the Sabers head. "As for the feeling nauseous, that's completely normal for someone in your condition- though you have no idea what that is, do you?" The Old Lady grumbled irritably, and Hora blinked once, her head tilting even further.
"Condition...?" She echoed uncertainly, and the Old Lady looked like she wanted to pull her hair out.
"I realized it when I was treating your wounds during all the mess, and I've been monitoring it since then- since you being so injured could easily have complicated things." Porlyusica grumbled, her eyes falling closed and a heavy sigh escaping her.
"You're clearly oblivious, so I'll say it plain. You're pregnant, and several weeks along by my guess."
Hora blinked, her face falling flat and staring, the words- or rather word- ringing on her ears over and over, and not really sinking in... until it did, and she bristled, sweating up a storm and all nerves and anxious energy in no time at all.
"I'M WHAT?!"
"Not so loud!" The Old Lady snapped hotly, the side of her hand coming down in a chopping motion on Hora's head, her scalp stinging for the hit- but it was shock enough it put a pause on her freaking out too much, and Porlyusica huffed hotly.
"Tch, foolish human... you really had no idea, did you?" She grumbled, and Hora sweatdropped heavily at being called out- cause yeah, no fucking clue!
"Hmph, of course not... well at any rate, that's why you've been feeling dizzy. You're not eating enough for two people, so your blood-sugar keeps dropping low to a point where you can pass out, like you already did." Porlyusica grumbled, "And the nausea is morning sickness, which will likely get worse from here on out... but other than that, you seem healthy enough and so does your child- which is a miracle in itself, given all the damage you sustained in this foolish war." Porlyusica pointed out lowly, and Hora swallowed for it.
"Even luckier still that that fool of a man of yours went and jumped between you and the Demon you were fighting. If you'd been hurt as he was, and lost even half the amount of blood he did- your child would not have survived it, and I'm not sure you would have survived it either."
Hora sat there for a long time afterward, her mind racing and her emotions all a jumble- a certain and very noticeable queasiness in her center that was not an upset stomach keeping her thoughts and storm, and her feelings running wild. Just trying to process that, it took the forefront of everything that had happened and kept it firmly in the back- which was stupid, because how could it be more prevalent in her mind than the news that Natsu had turned out to be a Demon for fuck's sake...?! Like seriously...?!
Lixue tried to get her to calm down too, but she didn't wanna hear anything from him just then and he seemed to take the hint... though she was fairly fucking sure he'd somehow known about it long before she had, and she was supremely miffed he had said absolutely nothing!
It took her a very long time to calm down even a little bit, and surely some of her emotions running wild had to do with being in her 'condition' as Porlyusica had called it... and fuck, that was probably the same reason why she'd had such a hard time from keeping herself crying after snapping Gray and Natsu's heads off a week or two back as well.
Hora held her face in her hands, grumbling a little under her breath and so aware of the heat in her cheeks that had not gone away for even an instant at being told.
She'd never have thought about it, she had no reason to- this was not something she'd planned on, and it wasn't something she and Rogue had even talked about either... but there it was, and she had to brood in her own head and thoughts without him for now, since he was so hurt.
Shit... she had to tell him though- and when she did, would he be... I don't know, okay with it...? Happy... Not happy...?
She bit the insides of her cheeks at the thought, shutting her eyes tight and her hands moving off her cheeks to hide her face instead.
... Shit...
Hora sighed, pushing herself stiffly up out of the bed and onto her feet despite the ache in her body for it, and against the doctor's orders too. But no one was in the room besides herself and Rogue still asleep in the other bed, and she was pretty sure everybody else had been barred from coming in for the rest of the day by the Old Lady- for 'rest', though also as a way to let Hora have a bit to settle too.
Hora winced silently as she got up all the way, before forcing herself a small breath of air, her hand lifting to push the curtains Polryusica had left halfway drawn, all the way out of the way, and her eyes to land on Rogue a few feet off. She swallowed hard as she stepped forward, her bare feet making little noise on the tile and her eyes glittering feverishly as she stopped beside him, and they traced over those long lines torn across his torso. Two of them, from one arm all the way to the other, digging deep into his chest and his stomach, and where she'd seen so much of his blood hit the air and stain the snow when it happened... and seen the light fade quickly from his eyes when he hit the ground, and she'd been afraid he'd be gone and there was nothing she could do.
This was the first time Rogue had gotten so badly injured in a very long time, and the first time since she'd been the one lying in a bed and dying for weeks while he had to sit there and watch... and he nearly died trying to protect her from something that would have torn her to shreds, just as the Other Rogue did- but he wasn't going to let that ever happen again, so he let himself get hit instead.
She was angry with him for it, both because it had been a stupid thing to do and because he'd almost died doing it. She couldn't lose him, she couldn't- so she was angry he ever put himself in place where it might happen, while all at once she was a little glad now that he had done it, even as stupid as it was.
Hora's hands came down lightly over her stomach, her shoulders sinking and a silent breath escaping her.
Yeah, she was angry... and she was thankful too.
She sniffed a little, grumbling for the sudden hitch that worked its way into her breathing and the hiccups in her throat too- damn it, she'd already had a bad habit of getting worked up super fast, this was just gonna make it even worse... Oi.
She took in a big breath of air and shifted, her hand coming down lightly around the sheets and pulling them back enough so she could settle herself on the bed's edge, pressing close against him and curling her arms underneath and around his left one, hugging it to her as tightly as she dared to keep herself in place, and not hurt him at the same time. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her eyes dropping halfway closed and quiet as she breathed in deeply and his familiar scent enveloped her entirely, so very sweet and so very him... One of her hands unhooked from around his arm and hovered slightly above his chest and one of the deep slashes covered by bandages, her heart twisting to feel the bit of heat coming from the wound that was still very raw, and quiet as she watched his chest rise and fall in low, even rhythm for awhile.
She shut her eyes, that hand shifting away from the wound and settling higher up on his chest and more around his shoulders where it would stay, so she would have less a chance of bumping the wounds without meaning to.
"... you better wake up soon, Rogue..." Hora mumbled softly, "... wake up so I can snap at you for doing something so stupid, and almost getting killed... and then tell you how lucky you are that I'm not gonna be able to kick your ass for it..." She whispered, her heart clenching a little more and her arms around him tightening just faintly, the Fire Devil burying her face further into his neck with a small wispy sigh, her body sinking further against the mattress and Rogue both as her mind quickly began to teeter toward sleep.
"... because you didn't just save me by doing that... you saved both of us... and you are going to lose your mind when you hear it... but... I hope you'll be happy too..."
...
The sun had begun to set before the next time Rogue managed to drag himself back into the waking world, his vision blurry and head pounding still as he instantly tried to turn his head and catch sight of Hora on the bed across the way- but the instant he tried he found he couldn't turn his head much at all.
Hora's head was stuck there in the crook of his shoulder to stop him, her arm draped across him and the other hugging his arm to her chest, no space to be had between the two of them and her breath washing against his neck warm and in constant intervals as she slept.
Rogue's eyes flashed in the waning light filtering into the room from outside, his heart skipping a beat in his chest as it swelled, a lump forming in his throat as he swallowed back at it, tiny specks of tears pecking at the corner of his eyes.
She woke up- she'd gotten up, and she was okay enough to have done so and put herself right there with him. He felt relief ram into him like a train, a shuddering and shaky breath of air escaping him that he'd known he'd been holding, his free arm coming up to link his hand with hers across his shoulders, tilting his head enough to press his lips against her forehead, and linger there for what felt like years.
Lixue had assured him Hora would be okay, and he had no reason to doubt the Dragon who's soul and power was so integral to keeping her alive in the first place... but some corner of his mind had wondered if he'd imagined the assurance and the Dragon, and that there had been no real promise she would be okay after all.
Thank you... thank you for being okay
Hora shifted faintly underneath him, Rogue's lips leaving her forehead quickly once she did and grimacing a bit when she stirred, dark blue eyes glinting in the orange light as she glanced up at him wearily.
"... Rogue..." She mumbled quietly and he bit the inside of his cheek,
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He apologized quickly, but Hora shook her head a bit, a tired sigh escaping her.
"No, don't be sorry... I'm happy you're awake." She whispered, yawning a little at the end and Rogue wilted for it. He shifted, adjusting slightly on the bed to push himself further to the side and give her more room instead of being right on the edge, while also doing his best roll over a little just a bit on to his side so he could face her more directly. He winced halfway through it and Hora seemed to stiffen against it, but she stayed quiet as she waited for him to settle again, her head still on his shoulder and pulling herself more against him when he was done.
"How do you feel...?" She asked slowly and he blinked, shaking his head once and his head tilting forward so their foreheads bumped just lightly.
"I'm alright, Hora. And I'll be fine soon enough, so don't worry about it... but what about you..?" He asked, and Hora hummed.
"... a few broken bones, and a concussion... but no worse for wear than usual..." She murmured, her hand twined with his tightening a little in his grasp as her eyes fell from him, and she seemed to swallow. "... you're the one who almost bled to death ya know.." She commented lowly, and Rogue's eyes fell a little too, the Shadow Dragon Slayer leaning a little more into her with his forehead.
"I'm sorry, I know you're angry with me for getting between you and that Demon... but I'd do it a million times over, Hora, to protect you, no matter what... I love you, I can't just stand there and watch you get hurt, not when I can do something, or at least try."
Hora shut her eyes against the words, gritting her teeth and her hand in his trembling faintly for a moment.
"... tch... you know that goes both ways though, right...? I can't stand there and watch you get killed for me, you idiot... I need you alive, you can't die for me, you have to live.. you have to stay..." She hissed shakily, and Rogue felt his stomach clench for how much her voice wavered and grew hoarse so suddenly. He moved his hands with hers still twined together, pulling her a little bit closer into him and hugging her as best he could manage, tucking her head under his chin.
"... I know... I promise, I'm not going to leave you Hora... never..." Rogue told her softly and Hora bit back at the sob that threatened to well up in the back of her throat.
Things went quite between them for a few heartbeats while Hora did her best not to break down into tears, she really didn't wanna end up crying... but hell if bringing herself back from the edge wasn't the hardest thing ever.
She sniffed, taking in a deep breath and Rogue eyes gleaming as he waited patiently for her to settle again, his hand still linked with hers and breaths ruffling her hair intermittently... Hora's hand squeezed his a little, and he blinked.
"... I am mad at you still, for doing it... but I can't be super mad at you..." She started again, his eyes narrowed slightly for the words- though his his chin atop her head he couldn't see her face just then, and it was probably better he couldn't. Lest he realize how suddenly nervous and flush her face was, before she even managed to get through what she was trying to say.
"... Porlyusica made it pretty clear that if I'd gotten hurt like you did I probably wouldn't have survived that much blood loss... and... and the baby definitely wouldn't have survived it at all..." Hora whispered, Rogue went still, his eyes widening and heart skipping a startled beat.
T-The what..?
"... I didn't know about it... until she brought it up... I'm kinda oblivious I guess, but... that's my point... I'm mad at you for doing it, and almost dying... b-but... but you didn't just save me when you did it, you saved both of us... and I can't be super pissed at you for it..."
Rogue moved, pulling back from her quickly and freeing his arm from being hugged to her chest rather abruptly. Hora blinked, eyes flashing as he turned all the way to face her directly this time, hands shaking as they hovered between himself and her, red eyes glittering like mad as he caught her eyes and seemed to be searching- before his hands came up and cupped her face gently, the Shadow Dragon Slayer swallowing.
"W-Wait a minute Hora, are you saying you're... you're pregnant...? R-Really...?" He stammered and she hesitated half a second, before leaning a little into his hands holding her face, nodding faintly.
She'd never seen tears fall from his eyes so quickly as they did in the next instant, his hands shaking as he held on to her and an even shakier smile breaking across his face, red eyes gleaming and instantly unaware of any lingering amount of soreness or pain in his own body in the quake of the rush of sheer joy that hit him.
He pulled her forward into him and their lips crashed together, his tears sparkling in the light of the setting sun as they connected, Hora reeling for half a second before falling gratefully into the kiss, all manner of worries and apprehension about his reaction melting to nothing.
He was happy too
Rogue pulled apart for air, still grinning like an idiot and crying too- but they were happy tears, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug with no intention of ever letting her out of it ever again. Hora chuckled softly against his chest as he held her close, easily able to hear the suddenly increased pace of his heart in his chest, the usually quiet and calm man now absolutely buzzing with energy and excitement, and almost unable to contain himself. And why would he even try?
He loved her with all of his heart, and had loved her for a very long time before either of them admitted it out loud. He'd do anything for her, be anything for her, and he'd fight with every inch of himself and his Magic to protect her no matter the cost. This woman was the person he could not live without, the one person in the world that losing meant losing his own soul and heart with her. There would be no life without her, and he could never imagine trying to have one without her there- but he could and definitely did dream of a life with her always there with him, in any and all ways he could manage to have her.
And this? Not only sharing the rest of his life with her, but also creating and caring for another one made by the both of them?
"T-This is amazing..!" Rogue trilled, breathing the words into her neck and hugging her a little harder, the tears splashing against her shoulder and Hora's heart damn near to soaring with each one, and with how genuinely thrilled he was- and with no hesitation.
After all the awful things, the years of seeing death, losing people, being trapped, hurt, abused and near dead several times over...
"I a-am so happy, I can't believe it- this is s-so great, I'm so happy.. s-so thankful... you... you're amazing, Hora...!"
... after all the heartache, and all the struggles, and all the awful things that had ever come... and the good things found among the chaos and hurt...
"O-Oh my god, I can't- this is so wonderful...! A baby...! I c-can't believe it...!"
... after all the good things she struggled to find, and keep safe in all those years, and all the many things that happened in so short a time, and a lifetime too- all that came had hurt, and burned, lift her up, and brought her down, comforted her and challenged her, tested her willpower and her resolve... And took many of the things she loved, but gave a few back- while also earning her many new ones she'd not had before.
After all of it, it had boiled down to this- being alive, being together, the Guild, her Brother, and Rogue, and everyone else. After all that had come, and would come- in the end this was all there ever was that mattered, more than anything, and more than all the heartache she'd endured.
This was all that mattered, and all she remembered of what she'd felt and lived in all her life- the only things that truly mattered most, the things like this.
All that joy she found with them at her side, and all that love she'd ever felt for him, for her Brother, her Family, her friends, and all those she ever cared about or came to.
In all of it... it was all the good things that meant the most, and always would. All the good things she cherished with all her heart, and that kept her out of the darkness and away from the abyss even when everything in her life tried to drag her down, and kill that light inside of her.
Hora pulled away from Rogue enough to catch his face in her hands instead, leaning up and locking their lips together again- her own tears spilling quietly from her eyes and smiling even in the kiss, her heart swelling in her chest and the fire in her soul warm and soft, with a gentle cool and shill underneath that was so so peaceful.
All the good things she loved the most, and always would no matter what, and in all that comes.
Always
... And there we are! QwQ
After near to six years dedicated to this story, it has finally come to an end! ;w;
This fic has been a journey in so many ways, and I have enjoyed every word written, and hours spent on it- and also all the time you readers have given me, and the words and reads too!
I cannot thank you all enough for sticking with me this long, I know I tested your patience time and time again, and I do so hope you found it worth it! ;w;
Hora's story has now come to an end, thank you all for coming along with me for this ride, I appreciate you all so much more than you will ever know.
There is one last part after this chapter- it's a bunch of headcannons for things that either I touched on here in this last chapter, or some nice gems I didn't manage to work in. I hope you enjoy reading them, as I enjoyed writing them!
Also, if you like my work please consider reading some of my other fics! With this story at an end, I now only have one Fairy Tail fic still ongoing, but it is a four-book long series as of current, and if you would like to give it a go, I encourage you to!
I also have some My Hero fics too! One on this account, and another on a second account that you can find linked in my profile!
Anyhoo, without further adiue- please do leave me one last review if you can! Let me know your thoughts on the end to our favorite Devil Slayer, and all she went through! QwQ
Thank you all so very much, thank you, thank you!
Chapter 43: Headcannons
Chapter Text
SAIF Headcannons
Hello! Below are some headcanons concerning the story and it's ending! Some of these are reiterations of what was written about in Chapter 42- WHICH WAS POSTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THESE!
If you haven't read 42- All That Comes, go back and do so! >w<
If you have.... well then, there are plenty of good little gems in there that didn't get written about because the flow would have been thrown off! There is also some stuff about Hora and Rogue's lil surprise too!
Please enjoy reading these, they are very casual and not well-written in terms of story, and are also kind of all over the place- but I do hope you'll enjoy them all the same!
(Also this is sort of how I plan/outline my chapters... so have fun getting a peak into my planning style I suppose? XD )
.:+:.
-The very first chance Juvia gets to pull Hora aside for a moment, the Water Mage apologizes profusely for confronting Hora about being a Love Rival. Juvia very much wants to be on good terms with Hora, because she knows how much she means to Gray- so like Sting and Rogue before her, she's trying to be on Hora's good side.
-Hora of course just smiles and tells her it's totally fine, and she doesn't hold anything about the whole exchange against Juvia at all. She reiterates her thanks to Juvia for caring about Gray as much as she does, and hearing it the second time from Hora kinda registers as approval from her beloved's family... Which just makes Juvia love Hora all the more, and has the Water Mage so ready to get to know Hora even better and be friends. It's very important to her, and Hora is happy to be friends with Juvia too. (She thinks Juvia a little odd and overzealous at times, but she genuinely cares about the people she loves, so Hora likes her a bunch)
-Natsu is immensely happy that he chose to keep his mouth shut about Gray killing Frosch in the Future, as according to the Other Rogue. Because not only would it have hurt her to know Frosch got killed, and that it broke the Other Rogue like it did- he could not imagine how bad it would have been for her to know her Brother was the one that did the killing. If he was resolved to keep it to himself before, he was 100000% more resolved after realizing her and Gray are siblings... And he's all the more determined to be there in a year and make for damn sure none of that Frosch getting killed stuff ever happens.
-Mavis is super thrilled to find out about Gray and Hora being related. She kinda gets a little glint in her eye at the news and smiles, mentioning her comment on Hora having the 'same heart as Fairy Tail' is in no doubt solidified by the bond she has with her Brother.
-(Honestly though Mavis is as much a sucker for how fairy tale-esque their sibling reunion is, and she is so giddy about it)
-Following Fairy Tail and SaberTooth finally leaving Crocus behind, Hora, Sting, Rogue, Lector, Frosch and Yukino tag along with Natsu, Gray and Co to head to Fairy Tail instead of heading back to SaberTown right off (Rufus and Orga let Hora know they're gonna do some set up and reconciliation with the citizens of SaberTown in her stead, so she has a little to spend with Big Bro).
-The resulting carriage ride has Sting, Natsu, Rogue and Hora all motion sick... Hora is not pleased, since she hasn't been motion sick like ever. But with Lixue not being all blocked off anymore, it hits her now, and continues to from then on.
-With the Dragon Slayers conked out Gray does end up seeing Ultear as they ride along, and Ultear is very happy for him. She's very aware of who Hora is, some fractured visage of meeting Hora in the Current came to her in the midst of her Rewind Spell that sent Time back by one minute.
-Hora's conked out during this so she doesn't really register Gray get all emotional or upset... But she kinda picks up in a shift in his mood afterward, like he's thankful for something she doesn't know, but he never elaborates on it. So she let's it go.
-Hora, Rogue, Lector, Frosch, Sting and Yukino end up spending about a week in Magnolia, or otherwise just around Fairy Tail in general. They are a little anxious to start, but they kinda get sucked up in Fairy Tail's infallible mirth and friendliness- so they relax pretty quickly.
-Gray and Hora are like literally inseparable that whole week. He is glued to her side and she does not mind it, both she and him are seriously trying to make up for all that time apart, and they do.
-Natsu and Sting have lots of fun wrecking the Fairy Tail Guild Hall while they are in Magnolia. Rogue is less inclined to violence, but Gajeel has a great time teasing him on all sorts of stuff. Hora in particular, which many of Gajeel's snickers and comments he shoots at Rogue earn the Shadow Dragon Slayer blushing furiously, and then some when Hora notices and is all ? are you okay?
-Sting and Gajeel find out about Rogue and Hora confessing they love each other in the bathtub by getting Rogue pretty drunk one night, and they literally will never let it go
-Cause a bathtub? Seriously? Also -
-YOU GOT TO SECOND AND THIRD BASE ALL AT ONCE?!
-Yukino and Lucy get really close the week they are in Magnolia, and really all of Fairy Tail and the Sabers get super close, and super fast... But let's be honest- this is Fairy Tail. There was no way Hora and the others were gonna be there for a week and not end up best friends with that endlessly bright and cheery Guild.
-Hora and PantherLily actually end up pretty close themselves. Lily is always close by because Gajeel and Rogue spend plenty of time together, so with Hora and Rogue as a pair- they end up around one another often. Plus she and Lily got along really well during the Rescue Mission anyway, so it was easy for them to end up good friends. They hold a mutual respect for each other's strength, and they work really well together in fights and stuff.
-(Low key Gajeel gets a little jealous about Lily and Hora being buds... But Gajeel thinks Hora is badass himself, and he really enjoys how mushy and soft Rogue is about her, so he let's it slide)
-Hora gets cornered by Laxus, Mavis and Master Makarov at some point for a very short and private conversation about the fact she was able to listen in on Ivan and Raven Tail, and the looking for Lumen Histoire thing... she's hella nervous about it (Laxus is a beast), and she quickly assures them she doesn't have a clue what it is, and doesn't care to know since it's definitely not her business, and she never planned to even bring it up. It gets left at that, and never talked about again.
-After a week in Magnolia, Hora, Gray, the rest of the Sabers with her and Team Natsu end up going along them SaberTown for their own little week-long visit. The rest of SaberRooth is still a little awkward around the Fairies because of all the bad stuff from before, but they warm up to the Fairy Tailers quick enough all the same... And Rogue, Hora, Sting, Lector, Frosch and Yukino already being comfortable with them by then helps a lot.
-Lyon, Sherry, Toby, Sherria, and Yuka pop in that week to pay the Sabers a visit too.
-Hora's very first official act as Guild Leader was to give Yukino her SaberTooth emblem back and reinstate her in the Guild. There were lots of tears, but also lots of joy.
-Hora and Gray get a little less glued together as things settle more and more, but you can be damned sure he checks in like all the time.
-Cana makes a Calling Card for Gray to stay in touch with Hora and SaberTooth. That makes keeping in touch while they are apart easier, and less nerve-wracking. It also definitely helps with letting Hora and Gray have time apart, especially when they gave to get back to their own things and lives eventually. They can't be stuck at the hip all the time, and they know that- though it does take a while to be comfortable enough to give each other actual space.
-Fairy Tail and SaberTooth as a whole do their absolute best to really get to know Hora and Gray, respectively. This solidifies relationships between the Fairies and Sabers even more... And Lamia Scale and SaberTooth get really close with Hora at the lead, and her keeping close with Lyon in particular.
-Lyon and Hora are best friends, and Lyon and Gray's rivalry thing doesn't seem to bother Hora in the slightest (though she did make sure to ask Gray not to be mad at Lyon for keeping her secret)
-Gray doesn't really know how he feels about the whole Hora and Lyon buddy-buddy thing, but he gets they get along really well, and in some part of him Gray knows Lyon cares for Hora both as an individual, and because she's his sister. So Gray knows Lyon would never do anything to hurt her, because Lyon wouldn't really try to hurt Gray... Gray does shoot a few comments at Lyon from time to time about treating his lil sister nice though (protective big bro he is)
-SPEAKING OF PROTECTIVE BIG BROTHER
-Gray will literally fight anybody who so much as looks at Hora wrong, and he will not stand for anybody hurting her, ever.
-Also lots of teasing from Gray for Hora, but she doesn't mind it... She does kinda get tired of being hovered over, and him getting annoyed at small things. She can handle herself, but he seems to forget sometimes... But what are you to do? That's what Big Brothers are for.
-Alsooooo, she is a tiny bit irked when Gray not so subtly tells Rogue that if he ever hurts Hora he's a deadman. Hora knows Rogue is still touchy about her getting hurt by the Other Rogue, so Gray even suggesting he might hurt Hora stings a bit, and Hora is all too aware of it. She assures Rogue she trusts him, which helps, but Hora does get a little grumpy every time Gray does the whole 'be good to my sister' thing.
-Gray stops being hard on Rogue soon enough though, because he's not blind and he can tell how much Rogue loves her. Rogue will literally do anything for Hora, and he's so gentle and attentive with her all the time, especially in terms of making sure she's alright and her health is okay with Over-Drive and everything.
-Rogue is like the best boyfriend ever, okay? He will do anything Hora asks of him, and he literally melts in her hands.
-10/10 attentive, will drop whatever he's doing and give her his fill attention... also a worry wort, but Hora worries about him too so he's not the only one who ends up hovering sometimes.
-ALL THE NOSE KISSES
-Also, matching nose scar buddies ftw. Both Hora and Rogue like to plant little pecks and kisses on eachother's scars when they are alone, and it's so cute you could fucking die.
-Once they settle into the relationship even more, you can be damned sure neither Hora nor Rogue are shy about holding hands in public, or being all doting on each other (Sting likes to pretend to cringe at all the mushy stuff, but he is super happy for the both of them)
-Ira, DoranBolt, and Lahar became regulars around SaberTooth. Ira loves visiting Hora, and he ends up 'dragging' Lahar and DoranBolt along with him... Lahar is happy to visit, while DoranBolt is the one to call it 'dragging'. Even when he low key loves visiting Hora too, he likes her way more than he will ever admit, and Hora is the same. They argue and fight a lot still, but it's a comfortable thing between them.
-Once Hora settles more into being Guild Master, and gets more confident and out of being all nervous and unsure, she is a super awesome Guild Master. Everybody loves her, they will die for her, and she will do the same for them. SaberTooth is one big happy family, and they will fight the world for each other.
-Sting helps Hora by being a sort of co-Guild Master pretty well, though he leaves all the administrative stuff to her, Rufus, and Rogue. He's more suited for being bright and friendly and keeping everybody on their toes in fights and on missions without Hora around, and he's the best at welcoming new people to join.
-Hora would have failed at being Guild Master and lost the lease on the Guild Hall in the first month if not for Rufus helping keep track of everything, so big kudos to the Minstrel for being more organized than the rest of SaberTooth combined.
-Rufus and Orga have been dating for years. Everyone in SaberTooth has known they've been a thing for that long, but it's so natural nobody really blinks twice at it... which means when someone new joins or someone from the other Guilds wonder about the two of them, they end up being a little blindsided with the fact. Because why did nobody ever say anything?
-To which the answer is; I don't know, they've been together a long time, I just thought it was obvious?
-Everybody in SaberTooth calls Hora 'Boss'. She vetoes being called Master, so Orga went ahead and started everybody referring to her as Boss instead, and it stuck (to Hora's frequent exasperation and annoyance... She gets over it eventually though)
-Also on the note of dating; Sting and Yukino crush on each other big time, and everybody in the Guild beside those two know it. To their credit though, they don't end up pinning nearly as long as Rogue and Hora did, but they are both big bundles of nerves and flusteredness way longer than Hora and Rogue end up being.
-In the time between the GMG and what goes on with Tartaros, and Hora really fills in as Guild Master, Yukino has a candid conversation with Hora about her experience with Minerva over the years... Which turns out to be drastically different than Hora's own.
-Yukino admits there were a few times Minerva seemed almost gentle, though they were few and far between. But even rare as it was, it opens up a can of worms related to how Hora ended up perceiving some things while in the midsts of her awful situation, and possibly missing and not seeing some things that were actually there.
-When Tartaros and Jackal hits Era and murders the Council, Hora is there with Lahar, Ira and DoranBolt.
-With Hora being a Devil Slayer she doesn't get hurt by the explosion, and she does her best to try and take most of the brunt of it for the Rune Knights. They end up seriously injured despite her attempts, but she manages to rouse DoranBolt early enough to get him to Transport himself, Ira, and Lahar away while Hora stays to clash with Jackal.
-Hora isn't able to save Org from Jackal's Magic, but Lahar and Ira do manage to live through the attack that would have otherwise surely killed them without Hora around
-Hora, Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch all join Fairy Tail in the conflict against Tartaros... Though with Hora having been barred from using Magic for three months all the way up until the issue at Era, Sting, Rogue, Gray and basically everybody else are not thrilled with letting her go too crazy or fight too much. Hora resents this big time.
-Especially because they are fighting a Guild made up of literal Demons, and she is literally the one Devil Slayer in Fiore (or at least so she thinks)
-When Erza and Minerva are set upon by Mard Geer after their battle, and Minerva is about to take a fatal blow- the Sabers are there to reclaim the woman they'd once been forced into calling 'My Lady'... And it's Horatia who guards Minerva from the blow, not Sting or Rogue.
-Minerva is stunned to say the least, and even Erza is quite taken back by the Devil Slayer stepping in to save the woman who had caused her so much harm, and abused her too. Hell, even Sting and Rogue are a little shocked with it, though they are happy Hora seems at least willing to not let Minerva die outright.
-Rogue and Sting insist on handling Mard themselves, so Hora goes off to keep an eye on a very injured Minerva and Erza... Which leads to some clearing of the air between the Lady and the Devil Slayer
-Hora admits that Yukino told her about Minerva not always being a terrible person, and she's come to realize that maybe Minerva was in as shitty a situation with Jiemma as Hora was. The man was a bastard, and if he could abuse the Guild like he had, it wasn't hard to imagine him abusing Minerva and turning her into the monster she'd been all those years... A monster she was forced to be, or suffer the wrath of a father who wasn't worthy of being called that.
-Minerva apologizes to Hora, and admits she never knew about the Possession Link, which is the truth. Lector had said the same about thinking Minerva didn't know when she'd eavesdropped on Hora telling the others about it that night she'd almost been killed by the Link.
-And while Minerva never says it out loud (or at least not for a very, very long time), the reason she ended up being so harsh toward Hora in particular was because she'd started to hate Hora for never standing up to Jiemma where Minerva herself couldn't. Minerva had always known Hora was strong as hell, but without knowing about the Possession Link and that it was the reason Hora never fought back- Minerva took Hora's unwillingness to fight back as complacency, and she resented Hora deeply for it. This manifested in her being extra cruel to Hora, and Minerva regrets it deeply once she realizes Hora was just as trapped as she was.
-Hora apologizes to Minerva for not realizing she was being trapped too, and also invites Minerva back to the Guild to boot. Hora's not over all the awful things Minerva ever did, but she wants SaberToorh to be a place where people can have second chances, and she has no right to deny Minerva that when everybody else and Hora herself got one after Jiemma was gone.
-While Hora is with Erza, Minerva and the Exceeds; Gray is in the midst of his battling Silver.
-Gray knew immediately who Silver was, he recognized his father though everything in his mind told him it was a lie. He'd seen Silver die, sat there weeping as that man lay motionless in the snow, he was dead- and the insanity of seeing him standing there made Gray too slow to react to being dragged off... And later he's glad Silver took them away where nobody was around, and Hora didn't have a chance of running into them either.
-Silver reveals that he was there the night Hora and Gray reunited, watching from the shadows as his children found each other again, and beaming to see the Arctic Hellfire Spell unwind and know both his kids had turned out absolutely amazing... And better yet, they had each other, and that was all he could hope for.
-After the Dragons return and head off to stop Face, Sting and Rogue put up a good fight against the now Demon Jiemma. But he's a million times more powerful than he used to be, and even them together isn't quite enough. Plus they're already hurt from fighting beforehand, and especially against Mard- so they end up getting hurt worse as Jeimma gains the upperhand... For like three seconds.
-Because in the next three seconds Hora pops up to save her Dragon Slayers, and she pays Jiemma back tenfold for all he did to them, and everything from all those years before.
-Hora WRECKS Jiemma
-She is a Devil Slayer, and he is a Demon now, so she's got the upper hand in spades... Plus she's still got a lot of pent up rage for that asshole, so he doesn't stand a fucking chance.
-HORA SLAYS
-Anyhoo, following Jiemma being dealt with, queue Hora instantly switching gears and looking after Rogue and Sting, cleaning them up a bit and helping them get back in their feet.
-Hora doesn't see Gray again until all the fights and all the Faces are all done with, and Acnologia dips. She heads up to that hill with everyone else to talk to the Dragons, and when she sees her Big Brother she has the intention of rushing up to see him, and Gray intends to do the same (since they'd lost track of each other for a long while there)- but they both freeze when they see each other, because they both instantly feel something off.
-It's their Devil Slayer senses flaring, the Magic instantly aware of being in the presence of another person stained by that same sort of Magic, and their bodies marked by the telltale Black Markings... And both of them instantly on edge around each other, because the Magic reached to it's opposite (ice vs fire), and almost made them flinch back and recoil from one another.
-But neither Hora nor Gray expected it or how uneasy they ended up feeling the minute they were near one another. And Hora definitely didn't expect it, because right up until that very instant she had no idea he'd been turned into a Devil Slayer at all, and she's kind of reeling for it.
-Both because how? And also because she's instantly afraid for him. She never ever wanted him to have to deal with Devil Slay we Magic, she knew how corruptive and fickle it was, and Hora didn't want her Brother to have to suffer through it and constantly fight against it like she had to.
-Worse even still, she felt instantly on edge around him with that Ice Devil Slaying Magic, and Gray felt the same way around her too. Their Magics did not like one another, not one bit, and it was instantly putting up a wall and driving an invisible wedge between the siblings they did not want to be there, ever.
-Hora is much more used to the Devil Slayer Magic and it's weird feelings associated, so she's the first to snap out of it and rushed up to him, all frantic and asking what happened.
-Gray doesn't have it in him to get into the whole thing, it's too raw still so he just hugs her, and asks her to give him a bit before he explains it all... Hora agrees, because she can tell something bad happened, and see he'd been crying before too.
-Gray does not handle Silver's death well, at all... Surprisingly Hora does though, and she ends up being a kind of rock for her big bro in losing their dad, and suddenly having this new and not great Magic as a part of him.
-Hora had to go through the same thing as Gray is right then, losing her Family and having a Magic given to her she didn't want- and a Magic as dangerous and corrupting as Devil Slayer Magic no less. She's not gonna let Gray have to figure things out all by himself like she had to.
-Hora is SUPER pissed and Natsu and Happy for ditching Lucy like they do after Fairy Tail disbands. She and Yukino had to comfort a very heartbroken and sobbing Lucy when they left, and on the back of her losing Aquarius to boot.
-Fairy Tail disbands and Gray and Juvia stick with Hora and Sabertooth for a very long time after it. Neither Fairies join SaberTooth though, since they will always be Fairy Tail at heart- and Hora doesn't mind the refusal.
-Lucy stays in touch for awhile even when everyone kinda goes their own ways... Though she gets a little less in touch at the end of the year that goes by.
-Lahar and Doranbolt help rebuild the Magic Council, though Doranbolt never officially rejoins the New Council, even when Lahar does. He moves back and forth between Lahar and SaberTooth though and keeps in touch.
-Ira is a little ptsd (poor bb) after what happened at Era with Jackal, and nearly dying. He decides he can't go back to the Council, and asks Hora if it would be okay for him to join SaberTooth instead?
-Hora does not miss a beat, she wraps Ira up in a hug with a huge YES
-She really loves that kid and she is super thrilled to have him in SaberTooth. Ira fits in well too, he's a decent Mage and he really helps a lot along with Rufus for paperwork and paying bills and stuff.
-Minerva comes back to the Guild and its a little uneasy to start, but she is honest about trying to be a better person and eventually she finds her place again, and the mistakes of the past begin to fade.
-Ira and Minerva get along swimmingly. Ira was able to get closer to Minerva and warm up to her a lot faster than everybody else because he never experienced any of the bad things she did himself, and even though he hears about it- the kid is a good judge of character, and he can tell she's trying to be a better person.
-Minerva is glad there's someone in the Guild who is unaware of what she used to be, and she ends up latching on the the kid rather quickly. Ira is a decent Mage, but he's not near as strong as everybody else in terms of fighting power- and Minerva knows it. She's protective of him even before they become friends, and once they are friends she will literally fight the world for him if she had to
-She'd give her life for all of SaberTooth of course, but Ira has got this special place in Minerva's heart. Beware to anybody who dares touch that boy, or they will face the wrath of Minerva- who is in all rights, and very powerful and formidable Mage.
-Ira and Minerva getting along helps Hora get along better with Minerva in the long wrong, though it takes time. Once Hora realizes Minerva is super protective and genuinely cares for Ira, she kinda let's go of her lingering resentment and let's herself rely on Minerva a little more to help keep the Guild safe. Minerva is damn powerful and Hora knows it, so if that much power can be used to protect the Guild, she's all for it.
-Ira is the only one outside of Rufus who can remember the names of all of Hora's birds, and tell them apart. Everyone else gives it a go, but after Drille they kinda get all messed up and it's kinda impossible to keep track (Hora has so many birds, and their names are so super weird, so that doesn't help)
-Hora and Rogue move in together a few weeks after the Tartaros mess, and they are very happy in their relationship.
-They don't call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, they're simply together, and they aren't big on PDA for the most part outside of little things here and there... But they are super close when they are alone, or even just either their closest friends like Sting, Rufus, Orga, and Yukino.
-Lots of hand holding for Rogue and Hora, and little pecks and kisses, soft whispered words in ears and always being like 2-3 inches from each other at all times.
-Sting and Rogue had shared an apartment before Rogue moved in with Hora, and the blonde has a bad habit of inviting himself into their home. They don't mind it much, or that Sting and Lector tend to sleep over a lot... but sometimes it's a little irksome, especially when they're trying to get some alone time, so they kick him out.
-It's fine though, cause Sting and Lector inevitably end up breaking into Yukino's apartment after that (even though they gives her a heartattack the first few times they do it)
-Hora and Gray spend six months of the year between Tartaros and the Avatar arc training together. She helps him figure out his Devil Slaying Magic, with Lyon pitching in too- and then both Lyon and Gray help train Hora in her Ice Dragon Slaying Magic too... They focus more on the Ice part, while Sting and Rogue help her out on the Dragon Slayer bit. Juvia helps out too, since her Water Magic makes an interesting match against Ice and Fire both.
-Lixue helps all around, both with Hora and with Gray. The Dragon has plenty of experience with Devil Slaying Magic as he's been bound to several people over the centuries like Hora who got the Fire Devil Magic.
-Gray is super good with the Ice Devil Slayer Magic. He catches on really quick to it, and it's easier because it's the same element as the Magic he's already been a master at for years.
-He has a harder time with keeping his sanity though, and Hora can't help much because his Magic vs her own is a little too different. Hers consumes her all at once and in fits of rage, while his kinda eats at him slowly and he might have already fallen too far without ever realizing it, since it's been creeping up all stealthy like.
-Hora does her best to become less of a hardly-baked Ice Dragon Slayer with everyone's help, and manages to get better with it... But she really is more of a wing it type, and the teaching doesn't help as much as she wishes it would. Plus she had a natural affinity for the Fire Magic, which is the opposite of Ice answered that makes it harder too.
-Gray and Hora always feel uneasy around each other because of the aversion their Magics have to one another, but they never let it get in the way of being family.
-Hora, Gray, Juvia and everybody train for six months and go on jobs and stuff, and its great. But after six months Gray kinda has to learn how to handle his new Magic a little better by himself, so he and Juvia head off to the mountains together to train more. He and Hora stay in touch all the time when this happens, and they are happy for about four months following this... Until Juvia starts to voice some concern to Hora about Gray, and he starts setting in on doing the undercover stuff with Erza behind everyone's backs.
-Gray calls Hora up one day and tells her he's gonna be radio silence for awhile, and not to worry about him. He promises everything is gonna be fine, but Hora knows something's up and is not having it.
-She argues with him for hours and presses him to tell her what the hell is going on, but he's resolute and never gives anything... This ends with Hora being worn down to a point where she has no choice but to trust him, but she's really hurt and a little betrayed by him suddenly dropping out of her life, and not knowing why.
-Sting and Rogue resent Gray a little for this, since they see it as the Ice Wizard breaking that promise they all made to be at Hora's side no matter what comes
-She loses contact with Gray and Juvia completely, for weeks. Hora does her best not to worry about Gray too much, though she can't help it. She ends up trying to distract herself by focusing on the Guild, and or gets easier as time ticks on, but she's still worried, and little angry now with her Bro too.
-Gray hates himself for leaving her, and Juvia too. He really does, but he can't do anything about it, his work with Erza against Avatar is too important... He just hopes Hora and Juvia will forgive him in the end, and wouldn't blame them if he didn't.
-As the year comes to a close, Hora, Frosch and Rogue are set to take the job to disband the Dark Guild Avatar, the very job that the Other Rogue had taken Frosch on and lost the Exceed to Gray's hands
-Two days out of leaving for this job, they spend all day shopping and preparing supplies for the trip. The prep works lasts all day, and doesn't end till about sunset- Hora finishes some last minute paperwork and stands up from her seat to head into the kitchen, but the minute she stands she gets super dizzy, and ends up fainting with no warning, or reason.
-She's not out for very long, but it certainly freaks everyone out. And she's nauseous the next day too, which makes Rogue very adamant on her not going on the job.
-Hora insists she's fine and whatever it was has passed, but Rogue is nor hearing it. So Hora grudgingly agrees to let him go on the job without her, as long as Minerva goes along with him to make sure he comes back okay.
-(Low key this is a lot of trust Hora is placing in Minerva, to literally protect the person Hora loves more than anything. Minerva takes it very seriously, and it makes her more determined to keep Rogue and Frosch in the city at Natsu's behest when the pinkette pops in to steal the Avatar Job out from under the Saber's noses.)
-Remember I mentioned Hora is super pissed with Natsu for ditching everyone?
-WELL SHE IS STILL PISSED, and the dumbass basically offers himself right up for her to snap at when he comes to take the job away from Rogue... she wants to strangle him tbh, and she's kind a harsh about it- but she makes her point and Natsu knows for damn sure he fucked up.
-He says he's sorry, but he's gotta go and find Gray, which kinda causes Hora to stall and unwillingly follow the flame-brain's lead for now
-Hora and Minerva keep Rogue and Frosch in SaberTown for a few days until they are sure whatever mess Natsu wanted them to avoid is over, and they head off with Sting and Lector to see what the hell happened... which ends with bumping into a reunited Team Natsu, including Gray, and Hora is mad at him too
-She actually lectures both Gray and Natsu about their stupid behavior and leaving everyone alone, and she's livid and they know it... they do feel guilty about it, and more so when Hora gets worked up to the point she starts crying, which makes them feel awful.
-Queue a big brother hug and an apology for her to forgive him... she does, but she'd gonna be pouty and stubborn about it for a few days at least.
-Gray and Natsu both do their utmost to get back in Hora's good graces, and they manage to since Hora sticks around to help rebuild the Fairy Tail Guild Hall.
-Hora also scolds Gray for ditching Juvia like he did, and he promises her that he'll make it up to the Water Mage... and he really does mean it.
-Erza takes time to apologize to Hora for bringing Gray along in that undercover plan she htached up, and for the worry and pain it caused the Saber. Hora is pretty mad at Erza too for it, though she doesn't yell at the redhead... the whole thing does take a little bit of the shine off Titania Erza the Fairy Queen for Hora though.
-They all have hardly any time between the Guild being rebuilt before the war with Zeref's army goes into full swing, and Hora and Saber gets into full swing along with everyone else for it.
-SaberTooth and Blue Pegasus are assigned to guard the northern border into Ishgar and they intend to hold it, which means fighting against droves of enemies that vastly outnumber the Mages. They manage to hold for some time, but there is just few too few of them and to many opposing- people are getting really hurt and Hora decides to call a retreat.
-They are in the midst of falling back when the Demon Bloodman shows up, and everything goes so wrong from there.
-Bloodman tears through the Mages still struggling to retreat like it's nothing, and then throws everyone else around and knocks over half of them out in seconds, before he immediately hones in on Hora since she is a Devil Slayer... but the problem being Bloodman is not a regular Demon, he's super powerful and super fast- too fast for even Hora, and she's two seconds away from getting cut in two by the Demon's sword arms, but Rogue steps between her and the Demon and takes the blow himself.
-It is bad... so so bad, he's bleeding out in an instant and the wounds are basically fatal- Hora kinda loses it a little when she sees him fall, and she's sure he's going to die too.
-The rest of SaberTooth is angry as hell too, but many of them got taken out already, This leaves Minerva, Orga, Sting and Hora as the last line of defense between Zeref's army and everyone else, while Ira, Yukino and Rufus do their best to try and keep Rogue from bleeding out all the way.
-The battle following is long and brutal, they are very much outnumbered now and really hurt too from the Demon popping in all of a sudden. Those four at the head keep getting up over and over again though, until one by one they get to a point where they can't and for awhile it's just Hora and Minerva left to protect everyone all on their own.
-Those two are powerful badass women, and it shows.
-They wreck Zeref's forces for hours, and they even manage a Unison Raid between them that damn near takes out half of the incoming forces, and even seemed to take out the Demon... but not quite, and Minerva is quick to be taken out after that.
-Now it's just Hora all by herself, and boi does my bb fight with all her might. She is not gonna let anybody touch her Guild or her comrades, and she fights tooth and claw against the army and the Demon both... though it is hopeless.
-She's really hurt at this point and exhausted, and even as a Devil Slayer- Bloodman has several Curses as compared to the regular one, so even Hora and how awesome she is doesn't stand a chance against that. It's just too much.
-Bloodman catches her and slams her head into the ground, everything going black and Hora not likely to wake again soon, if ever at all.
-SaberTooth and Blue Pegasus are defeated, and Zeref's army crucifies them to stakes, parading them above their heads. But as compared to the victorious and arrogant attitude the army has in the Manga/Anime, here they are angry and beaten quite well- Hora and everyone else did a number on them, and they took out a bunch of them too.
-Hora's crucified at the front of the crowd, collared and muzzled... and also damn near dead, with Rogue really no better. He's survived so far because of everyone else rushing to try and stop him bleeding out, but he is in bad shape still.
-Gajeel and PantherLily are livid when they see the Sabers strung up like that, and especially Rogue and Hora (though of course Gajeel's still all angsty about him doing the same thing to Levy at the same time too)
-Mira is also less than pleased, since she cares about Hora as much as Lily does, and Gajeel too because of what she means to Rogue.
-The Fairy Tailers cut the Sabers down and rescue them. Rogue's pale as hell from the amount of blood he's lost, and Hora's out cold, her breathing as shallow as the Shadow Dragon Slayer's given the still heavily bleeding gash on her head from when Bloodman slammed her into the ground.
-Sting and some of the others manage to come to while the Fairies fight, and seeing how bad of shape both Hora and Rogue are in spur them into fighting hard as hell to try and keep them safe, and stop the madness long enough to be able to get them help.
-This is where Sting really starts to step up and prove what Hora said about him being a good choice for Master, and he proves it further as he continues to fight in Hora and Rogue's place through the rest of the war... and also where Yukino's faith in him is proven too, since she knew he had it in him too.
-When Eileen sets off Universe One, the Sabers get separated from the Fairies and end up far away from the fighting they'd previously been in, and on their own. They don't hesitate on heading off to the Fairy Tail Guild in hopes of reuniting with everyone, and also rushing cause they need to get Hora and Rogue some help, and soon.
-The battles that happen outside the Fairy Tail Guild Hall involving the Historia of Corpses, and all else still rage on, though with Rufus, Orga, Lyon and Sherria breaking off from the rest to go with Porlyusica and Wendy somewhere a bit safer so they can help Hora and Rogue.
-Gray does see how hurt Hora is, and he's the one who asks Lyon to go with her and keep an eye on his sister and Rogue both, while he keeps fighting. Lyon agrees, and our favorite Lamia Wizard is right there at Hora's side through the rest of it, no matter what.
-Rogue and Hora manage to be stabilized by Porlyusica and Wendy, with Sherria helping out too even though she is Magic-less at this point. Porlyusica makes it clear they are not out of the woods yet, the injures are serious and she has worries about Hora's head injury, and if she'll even wake up at all... there is also something Porlyusica seems to keep herself from saying about Hora's state too, but no one ever realizes what it is, or has time to wonder on it.
-Sting fights Larcade along with the other Sabers in tow, and he beats that pasty white boi's ass.
-Sting doesn't need Rogue's shadows to win that fight, like he does in canon. His resolve to step up and protect the people he loves is more than enough, and lets be honest- Sting is a beast, and he can wreck whatever he sets his mind to.
-The Sabers reunite briefly once their fighting comes to a close, even though the Fairy Tailers are still handling all the mess with Zeref, E.N.D., and what have you. They are all worried about Rogue and Hora's condition, and have been the whole time- which means when they find them again and realize neither of them have yet to wake up, and are basically still lingering at death's door, the Sabers are extra worried and those two, and want nothing more than them to wake up and be fine.
-Rogue and Hora get whisked away into the Ravines of Time along with all the other Dragon Slayers, though they are still conked out and cannot join the fighting with everyone else. That's fine for awhile, because all the other Dragon Slayers are deadset on making sure Acnologia doesn't touch either of them... but it becomes problematic when they are getting beaten down by Acnologia, and so much they can't react in time to Acnologia firing off an attack toward both downed Dragon Slayers.
-That attack never touches Hora nor Rogue, because it gets stopped in it's track in a sudden burst of cold, and then promptly destroyed by something really really big... a same something that is now standing protectively over both of them, and is definitely a Dragon
-It's Lixue, his soul or whatever- which being in that fickle place such as the Ravines of Time has let him become more corporeal, and he is not gonna let Acnologia touch either Hora or Rogue. Not a damn chance.
-Lixue also uses his Magic to give other Dragon Slayers a nice lil boost, and numb the pain of their injuries a little too. It's like a turning point in that battle, and Lixue is stony as a statue in his intention to protect the two he has curled up in his grasp.
-Rogue finally manages to come to a little while this is going on, and he realizes the Dragon is Lixue, though he doesn't really get how he's there or why... he gets sidetracked when he sees Hora laying on the ground a bit away from him, still and silent and so very hurt.
-Poor Rogue's heart is breaking to see it, because she's not moving and she looks terrible, and he's even more afraid for her because Lixue is there where he shouldn't be, and Hora's non-responsive.
-Lixue nudges Hora closer to Rogue so he can reach out for her, since he can't get up and get there himself. The Ice Dragon assures Rogue that Hora will be alright, and that she's not too far lost in the darkness Lixue won't be able to pull her back out of it eventually... but not yet, she needs more rest and to recover more, and Rogue needs it too.
-Lixue promises they will all be alright, and genuinely means it. The whole thing with Lixue and Rogue is so freakin' gentle, Lixue is so tender with that man and Hora both, and he's that way because he knows their love for each other is very real, and something to cherish.
-Lixue puts Rogue to sleep, and he stays that way while the war ends, and both Zeref and Acnologia are defeated. He's in an out the next few days as things settle down and everyone else gets their own rest, and start to rebuild- and all the while worried about Hora, because even with him being only in and out, he knows she still hasn't woken up, and he's afraid for her.
-It takes a bit, but eventually Lixue does as he said he would and pulls Hora up from the darkness she'd been floating in. She wakes up, and rather in a start too- which means instant pain, cause she's still beat to hell and she's moving too fast.
-Gray the dutiful big brother he is, has been sitting at her beside for days now watching over her and waiting for her to wake up. So he's there when she kinda starts, and he calms down her down too, telling her everybody is just fine and most importantly that Rogue is too.
-Hora really did think Rogue was gonna die when she saw him get hurt like he was, and the poor bb is all fragile and scared about it when Gray tells her Rogue is fine... this turns into Gray being a good brother and hugging his sister, helping calm her down and assure her it's all fine.
-Gray explains all the crazy shit that happened, and Hora can't say she got all of it- because it is fucking crazy.
-One thing in particular that does stick out about learning what went on though; that little moment back in Jeihel when Hora's Devil Slayer Magic kicks in full gear for the first time? And she looks at Natsu?
-She definitely did see him and see a Demon for a reason, even if it went away almost immediately. Cause ya know, he's E.N.D. (or I guess was at this point?)
-Anyhoo, after Gray fills Hora in on everything she gets a little happy reunion with everybody else who were all worried over her, and who are very happy she's up now finally. Its nice, it just doesn't last long before Porlyusica kicks them out so she can do her checkup on Hora and her injuries.
-Porlysica gets done with it (Hora's got a few broken bones still, mostly her ribs, and a nasty concussion), and then sits down on a stool and sort of stares for awhile... Hora gets uber nervous about it, cause she doesn't understand what it going on, and she's super confused when the Old Lady suddenly brings up her passing out a few days before the whole Avatar thing...?
-Hora doesn't get it, but she answers Porlyusica's questions in regard to it (and honestly too), the Old Lady with a look of understanding and irritation both.
-Turns out, Hora had passed out back then because she hadn't been eating enough. And her being nauseous the next morning, and a few mornings after that though she never told anyone?
-Hora is pregnant, and a few weeks into it- Porlyusica realized it when she'd been treating Hora's wounds in the war, and she'd been watchful since.
-And of course, Hora is a big dummy and DID NOT KNOW
-She can't believe she was totally oblivious to it (Porlyusica can't really believe it either)
-Porlyusica also makes it very clear that Rogue putting himself in between Hora and Bloodman saved both her life and her unborn child's
-Hora is not sure what to do about it, and she's brooding all about it all alone cause Rogue is still conked out and hurt. She's getting a little worked up and twisty about it, and so she decides to not brood by herself and climbs into bed with Rogue, falling asleep with him and waiting till he wakes up on his own.
-Rogue wakes up a few hours later, and he's so relieved she's there and okay. He puts a kiss on her forehead, thankful she seems to be just fine... at least enough she got up and came over to him, anyway.
-He accidentally wakes Hora up with that kiss though, not that she minds. She's happy he's awake too, though she does grumble at him for almost dying on her.
-He says he's sorry about scaring her, even though he'd do what he did a hundred times over if he had to.
-Hora grumbles a bit more about it, but she also mentions she can't be super pissed with him for it nonetheless... if he hadn't stepped in front of her like that, she was likely to have died, and their baby would have definitely not made it.
-Rogue hears the word 'baby' and is all rushing in an instant, disbelief and shaky as he asks Hora if to clarify and if she really is pregnant, which is a yes... and OMG HE IS SO HAPPY?
-If he loved her before he loves her a MILLION TIMES MORE
-Let's be honest, Dragons mate for life and they are 100% mates, and have been for well over a year
-Rogue is downright giddy about it, and so excited too, it's so freakin' cute. Hora loves it, and him more for it, and any doubts she had about it or what his reaction was gonna be are dead and gone.
-Lots of kisses that night, and tears, and just pure joy... and lots of the latter two when Hora and Rogue make the announcement a day or two later, once they are both basically back on their feet and well on their way to healing.
-All of the woman are overjoyed to hear the news, and this includes Minerva too. Wendy seems flustered by it, but she's excited too, and Yukino, Sherria, Erza, Lucy and Ira might as well have lost their voices for how loudly they squealed, while Juvia got so excited she ended up setting off a rainshower in the building
-All of the guys are happy too of course, though some have more restraint than others. Natsu and Sting are basically all energy and nerves and bouncing around for the news, while Gajeel kinda smirks at Rogue and hits his shoulder in a playful way. Lyon and PantherLily and very pleased for both of them, and they are very quick to give Hora their own congratulations and smiles.
-Gray is a little stunned at first, but he shakes off his shock and is genuinely happy for Hora and Rogue both. He knows they love each other, and he has no doubt they'll make great parents... Gray is also determined not to go ditching anyone ever again, so he makes sure he's gonna be a good brother to Hora, and a good uncle to that kid of theirs too.
-Lector and Frosch are basically glued to Hora all throughout her pregnancy, and Rogue is too. There are lots of catnaps for the Exceeds with Hora, and lots of cuddling and being doted on for Hora by the two of them, and her very attentive Shadow Dragon Slayer.
-Hora's struggles a bit with her blood-sugar dropping low a lot, even though she does as Porlyuscia tells her to and makes sure to eat well, and even eventually takes medicine daily to try and curb it. She rarely faints, though she does a few times still, and she does get dizzy a lot and it worries everyone like nothing else (Rogue and Gray especially, because there is nothing either of them can really do about it)
-Outside of that though, Hora being pregnant doesn't have any huge hitches in it.
-She gets weird cravings in the later stages, and went a whole week where she was only able to stomach eating fire... and then a whole week on an ice binge too. (Natsu and Gray and Lyon to the rescue for that)
-The further along Hora gets, and the more she shows, all of SaberTooth start to dote on her and hover, which she finds extremely annoying most of the time... but also a little sweet too.
-Doranbolt doesn't end up in many arguments with Hora while she's pregnant, since he's trying to curb himself and keep from working her up too much.
-Rufus is very attentive with Hora too, he spends a lot of downtime with her simply reading and not being all over the top in fussing over her. She appreciates it so much.
-Orga teases the Boss about her getting big and stuff like the doof he is, but he's also always around to pick her up and carry her so she's not on her feet so much, cause that's just how he is.
-Minerva's protectiveness over Ira and the Guild ends up shifting over to Hora in a big way, and there's a few times where people have been scared off by Minerva kinda standing and looming behind Hora when she was talking to people out on the street or something.
-Sting ends up being overprotective too, along with Rogue who was like that from the start. But it gets to the point near the end of the term where she's not really even allowed to be on her feet for more than five minutes, and she's been totally barred from her regular duties as Guild Master too. Sting takes over while she's expecting, and he promises to keep the Guild in good shape while she takes a bit off and focuses on that cute lil Devil-Dragon Slayer bb she and Rogue are gonna have.
-Levy, Gajeel and PantherLily grow to be a pretty common occurrence around SaberTooth along with Team Natsu. Lily is super thoughtful around Hora but he's not overprotective or hovering about it just like Rufus is, and she loves that about him. He's not fussing like everybody else, and only helps her out when she asks or really needs it, since he knows she's totally capable of handling things and herself, even being all big and carrying another person in her stomach.
-(I totally just think Lily is like the best friend to have, he's gonna be so good with kids and not stepping on anybody's toes when tensions are high... he gets a lot of practice navigating things with Levy and Gajeel, and being around Hora prepared him better for when those two end up in the same boat as Hora and Rogue eventually)
-There were so many bird-themed gifts and stuff given to Hora when all the other woman decided they were gonna throw her a baby shower, even when she didn't want it... she low key had a great time though, the bird stuff was awesome!
-Hora and Rogue's baby turns out to be a boy, they name him Kiran.
-Kiran has raven hair like Hora and Gray's, though a smidge darker. And dark red eyes, just like Rogue.
-Hora and Rogue mamma and papa bear (dragon?) so freakin' hard man. 10/10 would fight the world for their little boy, and heaven help anyone who tries to hurt him.
-SaberTooth as a whole will defend that child with their lives too, tbh.
-And Fairy Tail.
-Their nickname for him is Kira, and everybody finds it adorable!
-Kiran is a total daddy's boy, much to Hora's exasperation at the best of times. Rogue and that kid are like frickin' inseparable, and there's rarely a time where Hora wasn't able to pass Kiran off to Rogue and the crying would just stop.
-Hora does have a leg up on the napping department though. Because of how naturally warm she is, it is super nice to sleep with her. This makes putting Kiran to sleep so easy for her, but Rogue doesn't mind- since her being warm is something he enjoys himself, so he gets it. (SaberTown is up in the mountains so it's rarely ever hot enough there where Hora's warmth would be a bother)
-Hora is also better at comforting Kiran when he runs fevers from time to time, since she can cool him down and soothe him pretty good with the Ice Magic.
-Rufus and Orga are the best babysitters on the face of the planet, and PantherLily is too. Ira's pretty good as well, and Minerva tries her best, though she's a lil unsure most of the time. (She gets much more comfortable with Kiran as he gets alder though, and she definitely helps train that kid to be a powerful dude)
-Sting and Natsu are those goofy uncles that kids love, and usually Kiran enjoys them... Until they get a little over the top and the kid gets a little offput with all that energy.
-Gray is the cool uncle who is secretly a huge dork, and he spoils his nephew like nobody else.
-Lyon is the cool uncle who is actually cool.
-Kiran loves drawing and coloring, just like his mama does.
-Kiran also loves Drille, and all the rest of Hora's little birds. They can entertain that kid for hours, and he never gets bored.
-(Straight up Kiran becomes the third person of everyone else that manages to keep track of all the birds and their names, like Ira and Rufus do)
-I imagine as Kiran gets older he starts to manifest Magic Powers, and is a Mage like his parents no doubt.
-Since Hora's Magic is not a genetic thing, but something intentionally passed on from one person to another, Kiran can't inherit her Magic... Which leaves Rogue, and boi is he thrilled to have another Shadow User around.
-Kiran once managed to stick his hand in Rogue's shadow and was about to fall into it, but Rogue caught him before it happened- he was freaked out and really excited all at once, and that's how they realized their kiddo had Magic.
-There was lots of shadow puppet shows.
-Kiran's particular flavor of Shadow Magic is more along the lines or manipulating existing shadows to start, rather than creating his own. He also doesn't use it in the way Rogue does, it actually is more like a Shadow-Picto/Maker Magic kind of thing.
-Definitely makes a lot of Shadow Birds to be like his mom's Firebirds.
-Hora loves it so much omg
-Hora and Rogue never leave Kiran for more than a day, which means less time working Jobs and stuff... Which also means less money, but it's not bad. Everybody in SaberTooth pitches in on the bills for the Guild Hall anyway, and Hora and Rogue do well enough.
-If they have to take a higher paying job one of them will stay home while the other goes off, though they never go alone they always have someone else in the Guild tag along. Hora's usually the one to go, while Rogue tends to be the more stay at home type.
-There are lots of comments from Lixue about that kid. It's a little like backseat parenting, which irks Hora, but she could use the advice sometimes (even from a Dragon), and of course Lixue is always nice to have when she starts getting stressed out and caught up in her head like she is so good at doing.
-Lixue can also appear in his true form like he did in the Ravines of Time, but he has to have help from Wendy and her Milky Way Spell to do it. Hora and Rogue introduce Kiran to Lixue this way once he's a little older, and its amazing to see the awe in that child's face for seeing a real Dragon.
-Kiran is a sweet and quiet boy just like his dad for the most part, but if one pushes him over the edge he's proven to have quite the temper just like Hora. Also pouts like her too.
-Lahar and DoranBolt/Mest aren't super big on kids, but they are nice around Kiran anyway... DoranBolt has a soft spot for that kiddo tbh, but is too stubborn to admit it.
-Gajeel is very much a family man and wants kids too, and he's really really into Rogue's kid. Seeing the way that big gruff Iron Dragon Slayer is around Kiran makes Levy all the more sure she and Gajeel can do the parenting thing too.
-Lector and Frosch fly Kiran around to keep him happy when he's having a particularly bad day and not even Rogue can get him to calm down. They love that kid and take lots of naps with him, just like they took with Hora while she was expecting.
-There was a running joke for awhile that Ira should figure out a way to use his Preservation Spell on living things so Kiran would be baby-proofed and indestructible... impossible of course, but you can be damned sure that boy baby-proofed the Guild Hall instead.
-When Kiran gets a bit older and he learns about how Hora and Rogue confessed their feelings to each other in a bathtub of all things, he does like kids do who get grossed out over mushy things, and swears off baths forever.
-Also, Aunties Juvia, Minerva, Lucy, Erza and Yukino FTW
-Kiran has so many role models man
-Rogue and Hora remain deeply in love for the rest of their days
-Kiran is a great mage, and he's got two awesome parents, and several Wizard's Guilds at his back. The kid is set for life.
-Really to sum it up; Hora deserves all the happy endings, and so does everyone around her, so that is exactly what they get :D