“I’m sorry for barging in like that,” mumbled Kaelys as they entered Lucy’s apartment.

“No worries, Kae—I can call you Kae, right? I’m the one who proposed, after all,” smiled Lucy. “I’ve got some space, anyway.”

“But still… I’ll pay half the rent! Otherwise, I’ll feel really bad… and I can’t cook to save my life, but I’m sure—“

“Kaelys,” gently interrupted Lucy. “We’ll be living together for the next five years. Don’t stress over it, okay? We’ll just split the tasks and that’ll be it.”

“… okay.”

“Good! Now, I’ll ask Virgo to set up a mattress for you for tonight, and we’ll find you a bed later in the week. We’re also going to buy you some clothes tomorrow, and whatever else you’ll need. How does that sound?”

“It’s perfect, Lucy,” assured the teen, genuinely grateful. “Thank you.”

“No problem!”

When she woke up the next morning, Kaelys was extremely tired. She hadn’t slept that much, what with her sleep being troubled by nightmares. It had been a while since it happened, seeing as she was always sleeping with Cubellios, Angel or even Midnight sometimes. However, on the mattress Lucy had set up, there was no one else but her. Of course, she didn’t say anything to Lucy. Or at least, she tried not to.

“So, slept well?”

“No, not really,” Kaelys admitted, scratching the back of her head.

“I’m sorry to hear it, but we’ll get you a bed soon enough so—“

“It wasn’t the mattress,” the teen shook her head. “I had nightmares.”

“Nightmares?” repeated the blonde, more softly. “You have those often?”

“Nan. Usually, I sleep with someone else, so it keeps them away… You don’t have to do anything, though! It’s fine, really!”

“Of course it isn’t!” replied Lucy firmly. “But I know just what to do. I’ll show you tonight, though. For now, we should eat something then go for your clothes!”

Understanding she couldn’t fight against it, the black-haired girl simply gave in.

“It’s kind of a shame that you wear such unrevealing clothes,” pouted Lucy. “You’ve got a really nice body. You should be proud of it!”

“I don’t want the scars to show,” simply said the girl. “And I don’t want people to question either. I couldn’t care less about what they think, but answering would be a pain.”

“You could always say that you don’t want to talk about it,” proposed the blonde.

“Then it’ll be awkward.”

“True that,” chuckled the Celestial mage. “Ne, I was wondering something… Why haven’t you copied my Magic back then? Was it because you already had Angel’s?”

“Copying Holder Magic Types would be useless since I would need the items required to perform it,” remarked the teen. “Why copy Celestial Magic if I don’t have any keys?”

“But you copied Erza’s, though.”

“Her armors are magical armors, and it merely means I can have access to them too,” clarified Kaelys. “But if she’s wearing the one I wants, then I won’t be able to take it until she Requips another one.”

“I see,” hummed the blonde.

They kept on walking in a comfortable silence.

They had bought several new outfits, all of which Kaelys swore she’d pay back once she had gathered enough money. She was now wearing a skirt with shorts under it, seeing as it was much hotter in Magnolia than it had been in Nirvana’s forest, a short-sleeved top that covered the lower half of her neck, and a small cloak that reached her mid-back, which was long enough to cover her body if needed. She had wrapped bandages around her forearms to hide the scars, and her new boots reached just under her knees, which meant those on her legs were hidden too.

Her scalpel was still in her possession, hidden in her right boot. Lucy wasn’t aware of it, and she hadn’t told anyone else. It was like her secret boot and, while she felt bad for hiding it, she was afraid they’d take it away. That little blade had saved her countless times and was the sole thing that allowed her to escape the asylum in the first place. She couldn’t lose it, ever.

“Say, Kae? Where are you from?” suddenly asked her new Guildmate.

“London.”

“… what?”

‘Kaelys, it’s not the same world, remember?’

‘They probably won’t believe you, though’

“Right, I’m in a new world…” echoed the teen.

Lucy blinked. “What?”

Purple clashed with brown as both of them stopped walking.

“I’m from another world,” simply stated Kaelys. “I woke up in this one a year ago, after I escaped the hellhole I had been stuck in for two years. I have no idea how I got here, though, but it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

The blonde’s mind was working fast, extremely so as Kaelys started walking again.

Kaelys can’t lie, so she really is from another world. In a way, it isn’t that much surprising, what with new magic being discovered every day.

However…

“But… don’t you want to go back to your own world?” she wondered hesitantly.

The black-haired girl stilled, her step faltering as her eyes widened in genuine surprise.

“… she believes me…?”

‘That girl is bonkers too, then. Guess the geezer was right about them all being insane. Guess what, you’ll fit right in!’

“I’m not crazy!” snapped Kaelys, before reporting her attention on Lucy. “No, I don’t want to go back. My ancient world is rotten, dangerous, and I have no one to go back too. There’s also the risk that they’d find me again if I ever did got back. This world is my own, now. Plus, I swore my allegiance to Fairy Tail. I promised I wouldn’t harm any of my guildmates. If I was to leave, then the Magic Council would be on your back, and it would then harm everyone.” A strange seriousness then entered the girl’s gaze. “I don’t break my promises, Lucy. You know what that is.”

Yes, yes she did.

And that’s why a smile stretched her lips, even brighter than before.

“Of course.” The older mage then locked her arm with the girl’s, beaming. “You know, though… One day, I hope you’ll be able to consider us as your family rather than allies. You’re a part of Fairy Tail, now, and our bonds are stronger than any allegiance you can make, alright?”

‘This… actually feels nice, doesn’t it?’

‘I like the blonde, but I still feel it’s kind of suspicious. I mean, you were trying to kill each other not three days ago!’

“Alright.”

And while doubts still lingered in her mind, Kaelys couldn’t help but let some hope blossom in the bottom of her heart.

Who knew? Maybe she finally found where she belonged.

As soon as they arrived in the Guild, Natsu appeared out of nowhere, practically shoving a paper in Lucy’s face.

“Luce, Luce, let’s go on a job!” he cheered.

But the blonde frowned slightly as she grabbed the paper, glancing at Kaelys.

“Natsu, Kaelys just arrived. I’ll take a job with her in a few days, once she’s settled in, and—“

“Who’s Kaelys?” he replied, confused, before noticing the black-haired girl. He waved cheerfully. “Hey, Truth!”

Both girls sweatdropped a little.

“My real name is Kaelys,” she simply clarified.

“Ooh~!”

“Anyhow, we’ll just wait a little longer before taking a job.” Lucy gave him back the request. “Kae still doesn’t know how to deal with everything, and—“

The younger mage simply grabbed the paper and checked over it: a group of bandits was causing some trouble in a forest near Spring Village, and the reward seemed well worth the effort. There even was a Celestial Key to go with it!

“We should do it,” she shrugged, and Natsu whooped in the background. “I will have to take jobs, after all. Plus, I need to get used to working with new people. While in Oración Seis, everyone’s abilities were different. I did work with Aries, Gemini, and Scorpio a few times over but, other than that…”

“I guess you do have a point,” relented the blond, still hesitant. “Alright, we’ll try it. We’ll need money for the food anyway.”

“Yatta! Let’s get this approved by Mira and get going!” exclaimed Natsu.

“Aye, sir!” Happy flew after him.

As soon as they left to get the approval of the white-haired woman, Lucy turned to Kaelys, her beautiful face marred by a slight frown.

“Kae… Are you sure about this? Getting accommodated to us first might be a better idea…”

The girl narrowed her eyes. “Lucy, what are you trying to say?”

“Fairy Tail isn’t like Oración Seis,” answered the blonde mage, rubbing the back of her head. “While I’ve never seen your ancient Guild working before, I’m pretty sure it's not the same kind of pace. The kind of missions is different, to begin with. The people working with you, their powers, the dynamics…”

“You worry too much. Let’s just try this one and see how it works out, alright?” proposed the teen, before looking away. “I don’t understand why she doesn’t want to work with me. Is she afraid I’ll lose control? Or that we fail the mission because of me? I’ve done harder missions before, I—“

“It’s nothing like that!” panicked the Celestial maiden. “I trust you, Kae, I promise! I’m just worried it might turn out in a bad way if we rush things, it’s all! I don’t—“

“WE GOT IT!”

The purple-eyed teen flinched at the boisterous voice of the Dragon Slayer. For two years, her own screams had been the loudest sound she heard, and the year after was pretty silent, what with being with Oración Seis.

Seeing the slight reaction, Lucy’s frown only deepened.

“Damn it…” the teen silently cursed herself, remarking it too.

But Natsu and Happy were already back with them, so the blonde mage didn’t say anything more, knowing she couldn’t change Kaelys’s mind.

“We gotta bring the rest of Team Natsu, though,” added the pink-haired boy when he finally reached them, scrunching his nose. “Though I don’t see why we gotta bring the Ice-Princess with us—“

“What’d you call me, Flame-Brain!?”

“An Ice-Princess, Snow-Dick!”

For only answer, an ice attack was shot his way as Gray came out of nowhere, apparently eager to fight. Natsu got hit right in the face and instantly shot back a fireball. This sent the two of them in a fight, curses, and insults flowing around.

“That’s manly!!!”

Elfman jumped into the fray, soon followed by Gajeel –who had gotten hit in the meantime-, Cana –her alcohol had been spilled- and, before anyone could really register what was going on, the whole Guild fell in an all-out brawl.

The doors slammed open not a minute later.

“What is going on, here?” Erza’s booming voice stopped all movements.

Yes, everything stopped… saved for that one table that knocked her into the wall. Angry, she didn’t waste any more time in joining the fight, which restarted even more violently. Kaelys could only stare, unable to fully understand what exactly was going on.

“What the hell…”

‘My thoughts exactly’

‘This Guild is insane! I love those guys’

“That’d be a first,” muttered the black-haired girl.

“You get used to it,” sweatdropped Lucy, guiding her outside. “Come on, we’re going to pack our things for the mission. Natsu, Gray, Erza! Let’s meet up at the train station in an hour!”

“OKAY!” they answered, before falling back into the fight.

The two girls then left, heading back to the apartment. On their way there, Kaelys stifled a yawn, before looking at Lucy.

“Maybe I should meet her Spirits before we leave,” she said, thoughtful. “Or at least Aries, Gemini, and Scorpio. They might not want to work with me, what with my background…”

“That’s a good idea!” beamed the blonde.

The teen recoiled slightly. She wasn’t used to people answering. Normally, Oración Seis would simply ignore her. Cobra would answer sometimes, but only because he could hear the voices, too. If Lucy noticed her discomfort, though, she said nothing about it, simply pulling out one of the many silver keys hanging to her waist.

“I’ll summon those three once we’re back at the apartment,” she said. “Meanwhile, I want to present you someone. Open, Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!”

There was a flash of light as the gate opened, letting appear what seemed like a little snowman, no taller than her knees. His limbs were shaking as little, and he waved at her as she crouched to get to his eye-level.

“Plue, Plue~?”

“He’s so cute…” the Thief Mage gaped.

‘Hug it’

So she did. As she squeezed and squealed, the Spirit simply hugged back, apparently enjoying the sudden affection. Lucy stared for a few seconds, surprised by her reaction. It was so… human. Childlike. In a way, the blonde herself had forgotten that the girl currently having a breakdown due to the cuteness of the dog Spirit was actually human, and very much young. No matter the few screws looses, the maturity beyond her years, the broken soul, the deeds done by her hand…

Kaelys was still a kid.

The Celestial maiden clenched her fist slightly. She didn’t know much about the young girl. Hell, she knew practically nothing. She had acted on a whim, only thinking about saving the girl’s life at the moment. However, just like Team Natsu, just like her Spirits, Kaelys was now her friend, a part of the family.

It’d take time to accommodate. It’d take time to learn. It’d take time to get to know each other, to understand what they’re both saying and thinking. It’d take time, but time they had. Lucy held no illusions, she knew it wouldn’t be easy. Both of them were going to make mistakes, but the blonde was no longer blind to the reality of the situation. Because of Kaelys’s past –at least, what she knew of it-, she had drawn her conclusions and judgment too quickly: a fucked-up kid picked up by a fucked-up Dark Guild.

There was so much more, though.

Kaelys was a girl with many issues, an unstable mind, and dangerous powers. But… she was also a young girl who was ripped away from her childhood, lost on a path she knew nothing of, and following her own, twisted sense of morals because no one ever cared to set them right.

Lucy could easily relate to loneliness. She could easily relate, yet she doubted she’d ever fully understand what her new charge had gone through. However, she was also ready to learn, to adapt. The younger mage needed someone to guide her step, and Lucy needed—no, wanted to be that someone.

“Lucy, are you alright?”

She blinked, returning to reality and noticing Kaelys now staring at her, Plue still in her arms.

“Just deep in thoughts,” the blonde waved it off with a smile. “Anyway, this is Plue. As of now, he’ll be your roommate. That is, if both of you are okay with it.”

The black-haired girl still, looking down at the Spirit in wonder.

“She’d let him sleep with me?” whispered the teen. “Even though it might drain her of her magic, even if I could very well hurt him while she’s not looking…”

At that, the blonde placed her hand on top of Kaelys’s head, her smile widening.

“I told you before, right?” she mused. “I trust you.”

The mentally ill teen felt her heart miss a beat. She knew what Lucy had said earlier, already hanging to that promise, but to hear it again, so genuinely…

‘That’s it, we’re keeping her’

‘You sure about that? It’s easy to break promises, you know that’

For once, Kaelys didn’t bother answering. And, as they headed back to Lucy’s apartment with Plue, the blonde couldn’t help but notice the light flickering in her charge’s eyes, the purple orbs now glinting with a softer edge.

An hour later, they arrived at the train station. They were the first to have arrived, apparently, and Kaelys was growing a little bored. Not wanting to exhaust Lucy before the mission even started, she let her send Plue back to the Spirit world, and the blonde was reading thoroughly the information they had on the mission. The teen settled on waiting. It wasn’t like she could anything else. If she decided to roam around alone, then it’d be considered as an attempt at fleeing and she’d have to leave Fairy Tail and truly go on the run.

She sat down against a wall.

“If Midnight was here, then I could sleep with him…” she mumbled, before stiffening. “Midnight…”

She hadn’t asked about his condition, or anyone else’s. Thanks to Natsu, she knew her ex-Guildmates were still alive, but for the marks on Brain’s face to actually disappear, they must have been truly injured.

“I wonder if they’re okay… I know Hoteye was alright, and they were all brought back the Magic Council, but—“

‘I’m sure they’re fine. You know them, they’re strong’

‘I’d worry about yourself first. You still don’t know if you can trust them’

“I can trust them,” protested quietly the teen.

‘You sure? You never had to worry about that before, what with knowing your place in Oración Seis. You were a weapon, and a weapon’s purpose is its master’s. Now, though, you’re a person. Your purpose and theirs are bound to differ, and when you decide yourself on what that purpose is, they’ll only stand in your way’

“I don’t need a purpose,” Kaelys gritted her teeth, bringing her knees to her chest. “All I ever wanted was to be free, and I am now.”

‘But you’re not free. Your cage may be a little bigger now, but it's still a cage. In the end, you’re not allowed to leave’

Kaelys tensed, her throat constricting.

“You’re… no, it's different—“

‘They cut off your wings before you could even realize you had them. How pathetic is that?’

‘Enough of this! She troubled enough as it is, there’s no need to worsen the burden’

‘Tche’

“I can trust them,” insisted weakly the girl. “I want to trust them…”

‘Do what you want. Don’t come crying when they turn their back on you, though’

“That won’t happen!”

“Kaelys, are you alright?”

The purple-eyed teen jumped slightly, reporting her attention on Lucy, who was eyeing her carefully.

Warily.

‘See? Already started’

“One of the voices is annoying me, it’s all,” simply shrugged the girl, getting back on her feet. “Are the others here yet?”

Lucy made a face at the mention of the voices, still unsure of what to make of her charge’s hallucinations. Was it a sickness? Was it magic? Could she truly hear people? For all they knew, maybe she was a telepath. Maybe she could read minds like that Cobra guy did? After all, she could copy Magics. But then again, she would need to use her Book, which she obviously didn’t have in her hands in that very moment.

“They should arrive soon enough,” finally answered the blonde, before hearing familiar voices coming from farther away. “See? They’re here!”

At that, Kaelys turned around, only to find Erza approaching while carrying way too much luggage, with Natsu and Gray fighting in the background.

“I feel like this isn’t going to be an easy trip,” sweatdropped the younger girl.

“Hello, Lucy, Kaelys,” greeted the red-haired woman with a smile.

Said smile instantly turned in a dark air as she spun around and knocked out cold the two boys.

“Stop fighting!”

They instantly collapsed to the floor.

“Hey, Erza,” greeted back Lucy, apparently used to this. “Gray, Natsu! Get up, we have a mission to accomplish.”

Massaging their sore, bruising faces, they slowly rose back to their feet. The pink-haired boy huffed, somewhat indignantly.

“Must be the first time she’s excited to go on a mission with bandits,” he muttered.

“Well, it is Kaelys’s first mission with Team Natsu,” pointed out Erza, before smiling warmly at the teen once again. “How do you feel about it?”

“Conflicted,” admitted bluntly the girl. “I don’t see how the five of you manage to form a balanced team. Erza is insanely strong and loses her temper easily; Gray and Natsu are powerhouses that’d rather fight each other than enemies; Lucy isn’t as strong as the rest of you, but her mind makes up for it, though it seems obvious you aren’t using her intelligence to its full potential; finally, Happy only seems to be acting as the mascot of the group. In overall, you're all extreme opposites and the only reason I can see behind the formation of your team is that you once needed a very strong team for a particular mission, and it ended up being the five of you, who stuck together ever since under the name of Team Natsu. Have I gotten everything right?”

There was a moment of heavy silence as they all stared at the girl. She simply blinked, not sure of what else to say, and mindlessly rubbed her wrists.

“That was an extremely adequate deduction,” finally remarked Erza, more surprised than upset by the teen’s observations. “You would be right about the reason behind Team Natsu’s formation. We are a heavy hitter team. However, while there may not be much balance, I believe we are very much like Oración Seis on this point. After all, was not the whole Guild constituted of extremely powerful members?”

“That would be where you’re wrong,” the teen shook her head in a negative motion, not missing a beat. “We were seven members, myself included. Though there was that staff and Zero too, now that I think about it… Anyway, each member was a heavy hitter, yes, but also had a very specific role in the Guild. Angel was the infiltrator and information gatherer, what with her abilities with Gemini; Cobra was the spy, able to hear everything; Hoteye was our Bounty Hunter, he’s the one who was collecting most of the funds of the Guild; Racer was the messenger and the link between all the Guilds under our control thanks to the Balam Alliance; Brain was obviously the Guild Master and the one behind all of our strategies; Midnight and myself were the trump cards of the group—Midnight because no one knew of his powers saved for us, and myself because no one knew of my very existence before we met at Nirvana. I was also the one taking most of the ‘official’ missions, seeing as my face wasn’t known as a criminal’s back then.” Kaelys was on a roll. Her eyes had dimmed, and the five wizards could easily see that it was no longer the child they were facing. “Team Natsu is different because you all fail to tap into your individual potentials. You all aim as heavy hitters and forget about the rest, hence why I believe your team is off-balance,” she concluded.

“What would you suggest, then?” inquired Erza, interested.

“Lucy would be the strategist,” the blonde started spluttering at that, shaking her head wildly. “She possesses a tactical mind that isn’t unlike Brain’s and is able to see a situation under many different angles. She can plan many steps ahead of the enemy, something not many are able to do. The only reason why you never noticed is that you apparently never bothered with a strategy in the first place. Would I be right in assuming you’re using the ‘barge in, beat up everyone and destroy everything’ tactic?”

“This is insane, she has us spot on,” Gray sweatdropped.

“Erza would be the infiltrator. Thanks to her different armors and her Requip Magic, she would be able to get into enemy territory without much of a hassle, and would also be able to get out as easily, seeing as she can summon her weapons out of nowhere. Happy could be the spy, and also the ‘emergency exit’ if we want to put it that way. Since he possesses flying magic, he could be used as a last resort for fleeing a battle if things go bad. He could also be the messenger,” pursued Kaelys, unperturbed. “Finally, Gray and Natsu would be the main heavy hitters. Seeing as I sincerely doubt any of you would be able to achieve any other role, it’d balance the rest of the team, though your teamwork needs some serious work.”

“Ah! As if I’d work with that pervert!” huffed Natsu.

“What was that, salmon-head!?”

“Gray, your clothes!” screeched Lucy.

“What! When did that happen!?”

As the three of them started bickering, completely forgetting about Kaelys’s analysis for the moment, Erza approached the young girl.

“If you don’t mind me asking, where do you fit in this?” she wondered.

“What?”

“You are a part of Team Natsu now,” remarked the red-haired mage. “Therefore, you must bring something to this team too, right?”

At that, the girl actually smirked.

“Once again, I’m the trump card. No one actually knows how many Magics I have copied, or what they are. Hell, rare are those who even know about my Thief Magic in the first place. Also, my Telekinesis isn’t common either. I’m an effective fighter, and I know hand-to-hand combat. I’ve got the element of surprise on my side. I mean, who’d expect a fourteen years old girl like me to be a killer?”

Erza flinched slightly at the last sentence. She knew that the girl had killed many, everyone knew that. But, as said before, Kaelys merely acted on orders. It’s not like she enjoyed it or anything. And, while the black-haired girl seemed to believe herself to be a monster, Erza couldn’t bring herself to believe the same.

“Guys, the train’s here! Let’s go!” suddenly exclaimed Lucy.

Startled out of her thoughts, the Requip Mage then glanced to the black-haired girl. Her purple eyes were once again normal, as if an entirely different person had been the one speaking before.

“Kaelys?”

“Hm?”

“… it’s nothing. Let’s go”

“Okay.”

“This is awesome!” gaped Kaelys, bouncing around the cabin they were now settled in.

“S- stop… r- r- r- run-blurgh- running… around…”

The girl instantly stopped moving, glancing at the Dragon Slayer now lying on the floor.

“Do you have motion sickness?” she snorted, before blinking. “Wait, he does. It was the same thing, back on Nirvana, and on the ship too…”

“That idiot’s just weak, it’s all,” taunted Gray.

Instantly, the pink-haired boy glared his way, only to free his breakfast. They all made disgusted noises, and Erza finally knocked him out.

Kaelys pinched her nose to keep the terrible scent away. “I suggest we change cabins.”

“Agreed,” nodded the rest in one voice.

They were now in Spring Village. After having hauled Natsu off the engine, the boy had regained his energy and was goofing around with Happy. Kaelys was no better, though. She was extremely tempted to ditch them and take a look around. After all, she didn’t have much of a chance to explore the world she had ended up in when she joined Oración Seis.

They suddenly walked into the market street. It was extremely busy, vibrant with life, sounds, and noises… and Kaelys wasn’t so keen on exploring anymore. Grabbing Lucy’s hand, she glued herself to the blonde’s side, eyeing warily all those passing by them.

“You okay?” murmured the older girl.

“I don’t like crowds that much,” simply answered the teen, hiding away even more.

She’s tensed. She’s not scared, more like… suspicious?

“Hey, we’ll soon be at our inn,” assured Lucy with a reassuring smile. “We’ll pass an hour there, and go search for the bandits afterward. They’re said to attack at dawn, what with the late travelers.”

‘There are too many people. Who knows which ones are out for your head?’

‘Watch out for the guy at the stale. Oh, the woman there is looking at you weird, too. And those guys at the bar, they’re strange

“Stop putting ideas in my head,” growled lowly the girl.

‘Well, someone has to’

‘Ouch’

“Jerk.”

“Why are you talking to yourself?” snickered Happy, suddenly next to her. “You’re crazy~!”

“I’m not crazy!” she snapped, baring her teeth at him.

He instantly backed away, wailing to Natsu about a ‘mean girl’.

“Don’t mind him,” Lucy chuckled, shaking her head. “He’s sweet, but he can make some thoughtless comments when he wants to. Don’t pay him any heed.”

Unable to refrain it, warmth settled in her chest at Lucy’s reassurance. Somehow, it felt like the blonde mage was more important than the stupid cat’s words. So, forgetting about the incident, she returned to eyeing the crowd with suspicion.

Lucy, Erza and Kaelys settled in one room while Gray, Natsu, and Happy took the one in front of them. While the redhead went to meet the mayor, the boys went downstairs to eat, and the blonde mage decided to use this opportunity to inform her Spirits about their new comrade.

“Open, Gate of the Ram! Aries!”

“I- I’m sorry…” the ram appeared.

Instantly, she noticed Kaelys and froze. Lucy was about to reassure her, when the Spirit relaxed ever so slightly, apparently understanding what was going on.

“I- I see…”

“Kaelys is no longer a part of Oración Seis,” informed gently the celestial maiden. “She’s a part of Fairy Tail, now. Do you think you’ll be alright if you are to work with her?”

“I- I- I doubt there’ll b- be any problem,” the pink-haired Spirit looked away. “T- Truth… no, Kaelys-san has been t- the one stopping A- Angel f-from torturing us…”

“Really?” blinked the blonde, unaware of that bit of information.

“I can’t stand torture,” the teen admitted, twisting her hands with her eyes downcast. “I had resolved myself to doing the necessary, but I failed in this resolve.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” instantly assured Lucy with a smile. “Aries, I’m sending you back. Would you mind informing Gemini and Scorpio? I’ll call upon Loke to have their answers, I don’t want to deplete my Magic right away, seeing as we’re on a mission.”

“Y- yes, I’m sorry…”

With that, the ram disappeared. Lucy smiled warmly at the teen, before brandishing a new key.

“Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!”

There was another flash of light, revealing a ginger boy in a suit.

“Hello, my Princess~!” greeted the Spirit with a flirty smirk. “Oh, how I have missed you!”

“Sorry, no time for that today, Loke,” chuckled slightly the brown-eyed girl, gesturing to the other occupant in the room. “Loke, this is Kaelys. Kaelys, this is Loke. He likes to pop up at random, so don’t be surprised if he does so.”

There was a moment of silence as the two of them stared, faces blank. Then, Loke’s unemotional mask fell, and he was suddenly crouching before her. Startled, Kaelys leaned away, only for him to leaned closer. He was looking at her weirdly—wait, no, he was hugging her, now. “W- what do you think you’re doing!?” she protested, stiff.

“Thank you, for protecting them,” he simply replied.

“Who?”

“Aries, Gemini, and Scorpio. Had you not been there, Angel would have kept on torturing them, and knowing they were somewhat safe thanks to you is a relief,” he answered softly. “So thank you.”

‘He’s waaay too close’

‘He’s annoying’

Kaelys simply pulled away. “It’s- it’s no big deal.”

Accepting her answer, the lion let her go and faced Lucy once more with a more genuine smile.

“Scorpio and Gemini are aware too and don’t mind working with her. I’ll take my leave, now. Do not hesitate to calm me, Princess~!”

“Yes, yes…” Lucy rolled her eyes as the flirty boy disappeared.

Once he was gone, she turned to Kaelys.

“You mustn’t be used to being thanked of the sort,” mused the blonde.

“I’m more used to people begging for their lives,” admitted Kaelys.

There was a moment of silence.

“… that was a joke.” She lowered her eyes, muttering under her breath. “They never had the chance to beg anyway…”

The Celestial Mage laughed awkwardly and decided to simply let it go. Over time, she was convinced she’d learn to appreciate the girl’s particular humor.

But… maybe not today.

“Alright, let’s go kick some bandits’ asses!” exclaimed Natsu.

“Aye, sir!” cheered Happy.

“Stop being so damn loud, ash-for-brains! They’ll hear you coming miles away!” retorted Gray, annoyed.

“What was that, popsicle-dick!?”

“Natsu, language!” protested Lucy, covering Kaelys’s ears.

But the girl wasn’t paying them any attention, examining their surroundings with precaution. They were now in enemy territory, after all.

“I don’t understand how they’ve survived this long while acting so recklessly…” mumbled the teen.

“Yeah, me neither,” sweatdropped the blonde.

They walked some more until a cry from Happy stopped them. They all stopped, looking around, but the cat wasn’t anywhere to be found.

“Happy? Happy!” called the Fire mage, worried.

“I- I’m up here, Natsu. Waa, get me down!”

They all raised their eyes, only to find the blue cat trapped in a net, high above their heads.

“Hang in there buddy, I’m coming!”

Kaelys’ eyes widened.

“Wait, that’s a—“

An explosion echoed before she could finish her sentence. A smoke blinded them, she could faintly hear the voices of the bandits now surrounding them.

“Trap. Just great,” she cursed.

Flying above everyone, it’s only once up there that she managed to get a good view on the improvised battlefield. Happy was still trapped, Natsu was charging at a group while Gray froze everyone in the opposite way. Erza was cutting down everyone –though there were no fatally injured- and Lucy was whipping the floor with the rest along with the Bull Spirit.

Or so they thought.

Narrowing her eyes, Kaelys easily noticed the magic field raised above all of her friends. The bandits they were after had mages after all, and they had apparently used the smoke screen to hide the creation of the magic field. They could easily get out, but they were trapped in an illusion and thus wouldn’t see the danger until it was too late.

“I need to find the one who raised the barrier…”

Searching for a few seconds, she then found him. He was the only one not participating in the “battle”, hidden in the trees. He was probably waiting for them to be exhausted before striking the final blow.

“The rest of the real group must be hidden under another illusion,” she understood. “They’re waiting for everyone to be exhausted before fighting for real. How cowardly.”

Annoyed, Kaelys didn’t waste a second and used her Telekinesis to send the Illusionary Mage crashing against one of the trees. Instantly knocked out, he had no time to warn the rest of the bandits. Flying down, the teen didn’t even bother taking out her Book. Using her mind to move the scalpel, she started flying through the enemy ranks, cutting them down without a second thought. Their cries and the sound of blood splattering the ground echoed all around her, but she couldn’t care less.

“They were about to kill them…” Anger was swirling in her purple orbs. “Not on my watch!”

‘Behind you!’

The air was knocked out of her as she was kicked quite literally to the ground. Gasping, she tried to get back on her feet, only for another hit to the head to send her back down.

‘Get your head into it, damn it!’

“You’re quite the annoyance, girl,” snapped the man, approaching.

She raised her gaze, catching his ruby-red eyes.

“Killing my men like that…” he tsked. “What a mess. Guess I’ll have to find new puppets. Starting with you, that is.”

“Puppets…?”

‘Don’t look him in the eyes!’

She instantly looked away, and the man let out a sharp laugh.

“Well, we got a little genius on our hands,” he laughed, lifting her from the ground by her hair. “Guess you’ll be more useful than I thought.”

With that, he threw her against another tree. Her arm cracked under the strength of the blow, and she bit back a strangled scream of pain.

‘What the hell are you doing!? You’re so weak!’

‘Shut up! The blow to the head shocked her!’

‘So what!?’

“And who knows? Those friends of yours weren’t half-bad either,” added the smirking mage.

At that, Kaelys stiffened. Then, slowly, she rose back to her feet. Cradling her injured arm against her chest, she called upon her Book, though discreetly, and looked him directly in the eyes.

“Oh, giving in?” he taunted. “Well, if you ask so nicely… Control!”

His red eyes flashed, and she reacted instantly.

“Reverse!”

He gasped and suddenly stopped moving. He now held a blank face, his eyes dimming down a shade or two.

“A puppet, uh?” Her lips twisted into a cruel smirk. “Then I must be the puppeteer. Jump!”

So he jumped.

“Move to the right!”

So he moved.

“… Die.”

So he died.

As soon as his body hit the bloody grass, the teen sent back her Book and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. She hadn’t been seriously injured in a long, long time, and a broken arm was not fun.

“I’ve been careless…” she swallowed harshly. “I—“

“What the hell.”

Forgetting for a moment about her injury, she turned to see the rest of the team approach, and let out a relieved sigh.

“Thank God they’re okay—“

“D- did you just kill them!?” Said relief instantly vanished at Gray’s tone.

Taking a step back, the girl cradled her arm even more, suddenly very aware that she had made a mistake. Which one she couldn’t tell, but it was bad, really bad.

“You killed them all!? Without even- even hesitating!?” he repeated, trembling a little.

Lucy was pale, extremely so. Happy was hiding in eyes in Natsu’s shoulder while the pink-haired boy stared at the corpses with wide eyes. He seemed to be struggling between wonder and horror. As for Erza, she simply had a resigned expression her face. Gray, though…

Gray was furious.

“Gray, wait—“ Lucy tried to intervene, but he stopped her.

“No, I won't! I won’t wait!” He turned to Kaelys. “What the actual hell!? You can’t just go around killing people like that!” he yelled her way.

“They were going to kill you,” weakly protested the younger girl.

“It doesn’t matter, we could have handled them without cutting their goddamn throats!” snarled back the older mage. “You see the guy to whom you just ordered to die? He was the one controlling them. Mind control, damn it! They were just puppets, maybe even innocent people, and you just decided to kill them all!”

“I didn’t know—“

“It doesn’t matter! Knowing or not, you can’t just kill people!” he clenched his fists.

“I—“

“And using Nirvana, of all things! This is Dark Magic, yet you just used it as if it was nothing, as if there wasn’t a price for it!”

“Gray, calm down,” Erza ordered, placing a hand on his shoulder.

But he shrugged her off, truly angry and not really thinking straight.

“No, I won’t calm down! We let her join Fairy Tail because we give second chances, but Fairy Tail does not kill people, it does not use Dark Magic! She just went on a fricking killing spree, and there’s no going back.”

“I- it was said… dead or alive, right?” then replied hesitantly the teen. “Catch the bandits, dead or alive—“

“Fairy Tail doesn’t kill!!!”

Her purple eyes widened and she took a step back, somewhat fearful. “… I didn’t know—“

“How could you not know!? What kind of insane person doesn’t know not to kill people!?”

The girl had been frozen since the beginning of the older mage’s rant because of how unexpected it was. She had never been so thoroughly scolded in the past three years, if not more, and even less by a scary boy she knew practically nothing of too. What’s more, she didn’t even understand what she did wrong! She had saved their lives, and he was angry? The world wasn’t turning right anymore!

“I’m not crazy!” she snapped back.

She was angry too, now. And when she was angry, disaster always ensued. Whatever happened next, it wouldn’t be pretty.

“Oh yeah? Well, how do you even expect us to believe that with how you’re acting!? You’re batshit insane, that’s why!”

“TAKE IT BACK!”

A tree imploded, bark flying everywhere.

“That’s enough, ice-jerk,” Natsu stepped in, his usual smile replaced by a darker scowl. “She gets it—“

“No, she doesn’t! She needs to get into her skull that Fairy Tail isn’t Oración Seis and that we’re not like these goddamn degenerates! The massacre she did just now? It’ll fall back on us and taint Fairy Tail forever. How can you stand by and let it pass? That girl is crazy, and she’d be better off in an asylum than in our Guild!”

“Gray!” snapped Erza and Lucy in one voice.

Kaelys’s breathing stopped for a second before she let out a snarl of rage. Before any of them could think about even reacting, a flash of silver passed before their eyes and embedded itself in her shoulder.

“Kaelys!” screeched Lucy, horrified.

Gray’s anger faltered at the sight. The black-haired girl now had some sort of medical blade stuck beyond the hilt in her shoulder, blood already seeping through her clothes.

Right here, right now, she could have killed him.

… but she didn’t.

“I promised…” She gritted her teeth, talking under her breath, taking a step back after another. “I promised… I wouldn’t hurt any of them… I promised…”

With that, she ran away.

“Kaelys, wait!”

The Thief Mage had already disappeared, though. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to catch up to her, Lucy pulled out one of her keys.

“Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!”

“My Princess—“

“No time for that, please catch up to Kaelys and make sure she doesn’t do anything reckless,” practically ordered the blonde.

For a second, the Spirit looked over all the corpses surrounding them. Understanding the gravity of the situation, he nodded firmly before going after the teen. As soon as he was gone, Natsu punched Gray in the face. The Ice-Make Mage was sent flying, before crashing on the ground.

“What the hell, Fire Breath!?”

“I should be the one asking, you jerk!” snapped back the pink-haired boy, unusually angry. “What were you thinking!?”

“I was thinking that we just accepted a goddamn murderer into our home and that it took a fucking massacre to open our eyes!” yelled back the black-haired teen.

“We all knew of her past when she joined us, Gray.” Erza narrowed her eyes. “It is true that what happened is… unfortunate. However, you have to understand that she was never told to do otherwise. I will take responsibility for this mission and go meet the mayor. The rest of you go back to the hotel and wait for my return. Hopefully, Kaelys will have returned already, or Loke will have found her.”

“Tche.”

The two boys glared at each other while Happy tried to calm them down with some of his fish, much in vain. Lucy approached the red-haired woman, a worried frown on her face.

“Erza… do you think she’ll have trouble with the Magic Council?”

“No,” assured Requip Mage, offering her a reassuring smile. “As she said earlier, the bandits were wanted alive or dead. She will be fine this time around, but I believe a talk will be needed. Would you like me to leave it to you?”

“That’s why I wanted to wait a few more days,” sighed the blonde, agreeing. “I knew it might take a turn like this, yet I pushed my doubts aside and—“

“Lucy, what happened isn’t your fault, or anyone’s,” Erza placed her hands on the younger one’s shoulders. “Not yours, not mine’s, not Gray’s, Natsu’s, Happy’s, or even Kaelys’s. It was an unfortunate accident, and we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“… right. Let’s go back. Loke isn’t back yet, so I guess he’s still after her. I just hope she’ll be okay.”

“You do not seem to fear she might have run away,” pointed out the Titania.

“She ‘swore allegiance’ to Fairy Tail,” quoted Lucy, calmer now. “She won’t run away, no matter what happens. She was just shocked and didn’t know how to handle it. Running is a natural defense mechanism.”

“Right. Gray! Natsu! Happy!”

The three that had started fighting again –their anger was partially gone, now leaving the place to mild annoyance- but froze at the woman’s sharp tone.

“Y- yes!?”

“We’re going. And Gray? I expect you to present a sincere apology to Kaelys once we find her. How you treated her was uncalled for, and it isn’t how one should talk to their nakamas, no matter the circumstances,” warned the redhead, serious.

He simply looked away, not disagreeing. Satisfied, Erza nodded and spun on her heels, guiding the group out of the forest.

‘I told you so’

“I don’t understand… I protected them, did I not?” The girl was sitting on a roof, her knees brought tight to her chest. “Fairy Tail protects their comrades, right? They can count on each other, right? Then why… why was he so mad? He told me I’m crazy, but I’m not…”

‘To stab yourself like that, how more reckless can you be?’

“I promised not to hurt them… I swore I wouldn’t… and I’d rather hurt myself than hurt them…” She closed her eyes tight, though it wasn’t enough to keep the tears from falling. “Fairy Tail doesn’t kill, he said… but why? It’s not like it matters, right? People live, people die, why did it make him so angry…?”

She hid her face in her knees, a slight whimper escaping her lips as blood kept flowing out. She still hadn’t pulled out her scalpel and knew she’d have to take a look at it soon if she didn’t want to die.

But there again, did it really matter?

“I don’t get it… I don’t get it…”

“Found you!”

Her purple eyes widened. Startled, she backed away from the sudden presence, only to hiss in pain when she used her injured arm.

“Right, still broken…” She swallowed back some bile.

“Broken?”

Loke –it was the Spirit, no doubt about it- crouched next to her. She eyed him for a few seconds, unsure. She knew he was Lucy’s friend, but so was Gray, and he had been angry at her when she left. Loke surely saw what she did, so would he be mad too?

“You’re bleeding pretty badly too,” he frowned. “Can I take a look?”

After another moment of hesitation, she let him look at her arm. He prodded it gently, though it still hurt.

“Yup, definitely broken,” he hummed. “How the hell did you managed that?”

“The mage threw me to a tree,” she answered, her throat dry. “It broke at the impact.”

“Why don’t you tell me what happened while I take care of your shoulder?”

Biting her lower lip, she let him sit next to her. As he examined the wound, she decided to explain. Who knew, maybe he’d tell her what she did wrong?

“We were in the forest. Happy got captured, and Natsu tried to help him but activated a trap. I flew above everyone to get a better look and realized they were trapped in a magic field. They weren’t fighting anyone, just illusions. I took care of the Illusionist and killed the bandits. I let my guard down, though, and the Puppeteer caught me by surprise. He tried to control me, but I didn’t let him. After that, he said he was going to control everyone too, and I got angry. So, I killed him too, using Nirvana to Reverse his own magic. The others were freed from the illusion, but Gray got mad at me and started yelling and saying that I was crazy –I’m not!- and I got angry too but I promised I wouldn’t hurt them so I stabbed myself because if I didn’t, then I would have stabbed Gray, and that would mean hurting him, which would mean I broke my promise, and I—FUCK!”

Loke had pulled out the scalpel, effectively shutting her up. More blood poured out, but he was already bandaging the wound with a piece of her ripped cloak.

“Why did you kill the bandits, Kaelys?”

His tone held no accusation, merely mild wonder. And for a second, the girl stiffened. Why did she kill them?

“Because they were going to kill Lucy, Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Happy,” she then answered with a ‘duh’ tone. “I killed the bandits before they could kill them, that’s all.”

“Why didn’t you just knock them out, then?”

“… I don’t know,” she blinked, now confused. “Why shouldn’t I have? I don’t understand, what’s so bad about killing them? I mean, they were the enemy. Plus, they were going to die anyway. We all do. What’s the big deal?”

“How should I put it…”

The Spirit finished bandaging her shoulder and handed her back the scalpel. She took it and hid it back in her boot, surprised he gave it back so easily.

“Life is… precious,” then said the lion, wiping away what was left of her tears. “Each is important because each brings a… balance, of some sort. To every light, there is a shadow. To each life, there is a death. But, look at it the other way around.”

She thought for a second about his words.

“Each death… has its life?” she answered, unsure.

“Exactly,” he smiled encouragingly. “Before reaching death, a person has had many experiences, feelings, adventures... A human gathers knowledge all his life and has the chance to live a way that we, Spirits, cannot. Humans die, it’s a fact. But… that’s why life is precious. Because each second passing is one worth living, no matter what some people might believe about others or themselves.”

“I’m confused.”

The Lion chuckled, rubbing the back of his with a sheepish grin.

“Well, that’s the vision of the Spirits, so it’s kind of hard to explain,” he apologized. “Let’s put it that way: what are you doing right now?”

“… talking to you?”

“Yes,” he agreed, slightly amused by her confusion despite the mild gravity of the situation. “You’re also breathing, hurting, you’re gaining experience, you’re making new bonds, you’re living. Why are you living?”

“It’s not like I had a choice in the matter,” she retorted with a huff.

“True, but it’s not like you’re trying to die either, right?” he pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “From what I’ve gathered, you’re doing your best to stay alive. Why is that?”

“I don’t know!” She seemed even more troubled now.

“It’s because you want to live, simple as that,” he shrugged. “Now, think about those you killed. They too had a life. They too wanted to live. But now, they can’t. Why?”

“… because I stole it from them,” she realized, eyes going wide.

“That’s why killing people is considered bad,” he concluded. “Because you’re stealing their chance at living. Kind of.”

“I see.”

Her eyes downcast, she stared at her hands. They were bloody, sticky. The sensation was very familiar, fitting her skin like perfectly matching gloves. Ever since her first kill, she never cared about it. She never enjoyed it –it was dirty, after all- but she never cared about the sensation.

But now…

“It’s heavy…” She whispered, her throat constricting. “Why is it so heavy now?”

He got back on his feet, patting her head.

“Because you’re aware, now. This is the weight of all the lives you have taken, and it’s a weight that won’t ever go away,” he answered, solemn. “However, don’t let this weight be a burden. Use it as a mean to grow even stronger, and to atone. That’s really all I can tell you.”

Clenching her fist –she couldn’t really move her other hand, what with her broken limb-, she took a deep breath, before raising back up.

“Thank you, Loke. I swear… I swear, I won’t ever kill someone again!”

“You do that. Now, let’s bring you back to the hotel and have your injuries treated. I’m not a doctor either.”

“Right.”

Before she could react, the Spirit had already pulled her up in his arms and jumped to another roof. Terrified at the sudden movement, she clenched her hand tightly around his suit. She had always been in control of her flights, and the knowledge that she currently wasn’t was not a comfortable thought.

“Scared of heights, Kae-hime?” he teased.

“You wish,” she scowled at the nickname. “And don’t call me that!”

Kae wasn’t a princess. A weapon? Not anymore. A monster? Sometimes. A hero? She wished. But a princess? Never in a thousand years.

For only answer, though, Loke laughed.

When they arrived at the hotel, it was only to find the rest of the group already there and awaiting their return.

“Kaelys!” Lucy exclaimed in relief when they entered the room. “Thank you for finding her, Loke.”

“No problem, Princess. You should take a look at her injuries, though,” he replied, setting the girl on the nearest bed. “I’ll see you later~!”

With that, he disappeared in a flash of light. Instantly, the blonde rushed to the dark-haired girl’s side.

“What were you thinking!? Hurting yourself like that…” she scolded, checking the wound made by the scalpel. “Where did you find a scalpel anyway?”

“It’s mine,” simply replied Kaelys, looking away. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“You should be sorry about injuring yourself needlessly,” huffed the blonde, putting on real bandages. “You’ll heal yourself in the morning, once you’ve regained enough of your magic.”

“Okay.”

“Loke mentioned more than one injury.” Erza narrowed her eyes at her. “Where else have you been hurt?”

“My right arm’s broken.”

“What!?”

As Lucy lost her cool once more and left to go get a full medical kit, Erza shook her head.

“Anyhow, I am glad you have returned. I must admit that I have been worried—“

“I’m not running away,” Kaelys bluntly cut her off. “I’m with Fairy Tail, now. The only way for me to leave you guys would be for the Guild to be disbanded or to die.”

“Let’s not reach such lengths,” sweatdropped the redhead.

“That’s the spirit!” however cheered Natsu, rubbing his fist against Gray’s head rather roughly. “See? Told ya she’s with us!”

“Shut it, flame-brain!”

“No fighting!” snapped Erza.

Lucy came back at that moment, and started treating her arm, muttering under her breath about ‘reckless powerhouses who can’t look after themselves’.

Kaelys looked over at Gray.

“I cannot apologize for my actions today,” she said seriously. “But I do apologize for failing to understand sooner the consequences of said actions. You were only trying to protect your home and your family, and I am sorry for acting so recklessly.”

With that, she bowed. Gray spluttered, not having expected her to apologize. Before he could say anything, though, she raised her head again.

“I understand, now,” she added, more softly. “Loke explained it to me. As for the Dark Magic in my possession…”

Requiping her Book and ignoring Lucy’s protests to straining her magic even more than she already had, she turned the pages until she found what she was searching for.

“Nirvana: Reverse Magic,” she read. “Erase”

There was a flash of blinding light for half-a-second before the Book disappeared, Nirvana’s magic forever lost. Gasping at the sudden drain of her Magic, Kaelys stumbled forward, though Lucy caught her.

“That could have waited for tomorrow! Stop being so reckless!” she yelled.

“Are you okay, Kaelys?” Happy looked up at her with worry.

“I’m fine. It just feels like emptying your full magic reserves with nothing to fill it back,” grunted the teen. “I’ll be in top shape tomorrow, though my magic reserves will have diminished, that’s for sure…”

She shook her head, reporting her attention on Gray. He looked away, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated.

And only an idiot wouldn’t be able to notice the sincerity in her voice. The boy groaned, passing a hand over his face.

“I’m… sorry too,” he finally gave in, though unable to look at her. “I’m still not okay with what you did… but I guess I can understand why you did it. Let’s just… Don’t do it again, okay?”

“Of course.”

“Gray, you ass!” however protested Natsu. “What kind of apology is that?”

“Hey, I said I was sorry! What more do you want me to say, pepper-breath?”

“Why you, damn pervert!”

“Pervert!?”

“Yeah, your clothes are off again, popsicle brain!”

“Damn it!”

As they started fighting again, Lucy finished bandaging her arm. Satisfied with her work for now, she then ruffled Kaelys’s hair, smiling.

“I’m still angry about you just running off while you were injured,” she warned. “But… I’m proud of you.”

Kaelys stilled as the blonde mage returned to speak to Erza.

“She’s… proud of me…?”

‘See? She can trust them’

‘Shut up’

And, while none noticed, Kaelys smiled, slightly rubbing her wrists.