Always and Forever (Sequel to 'If Only You Knew')

Chapter Twenty-Two - Truth

-Author's Note: Hey guys, today is my birthday, yay. I'm in the car right now trying to finish this before I get home, so I hope I have time. Sorry but it's going to be short again. Also, I re-read 'The Prophecy" and man is it terrible. I can imagine all of you cringing while reading it (heck, even I did). I sincerely apologize and I hope it does not happen again.-

Gray and Alyssa walked through the remnants of their village. Gray remembered it all. Looking at the rubble he saw it all as it had been. He saw street signs and the homes of his neighbors and friends and the marketplace. Alyssa saw it all too. But for both, it still felt like there was a block in their minds. Like there was something they were supposed to remember but couldn't. Gray stopped at one particular pile of rubble.

"This was my home," Gray said.

"Really?" Alyssa questioned. "I thought this was my home. I could have sworn..."

"Hmm...that's weird. But this is definitely my home. Was my home..."

"Yeah," Alyssa agreed, still incredulous.

They continued their walk through the destroyed village. They stopped at the grave Gray had made for his parents. Miraculously, it was still intact, the one thing that had survived the massacre.

"Well, this is it," Gray said. "Now what? The damn crystal said to go to where it all began, and I was born in this village, so WHAT THE HELL DOES IT WANT FROM ME NOW?!"

"Calm down, Gray. Just wait a second," Alyssa tried to calm him down.

She's right, you know, boy. You should learn to have more patience.

What do you want, you piece of shit?! I'm here now, I did my job, now do something so I can go home.

And what happens to your sister when you leave? Will you abandon her again?

What sister, what are you talking about? I don't have a sister.

On the contrary, prince of ice. In fact, she has been with you all this time.

Alyssa...

Just then, it was as if a fog had been lifted and they could see clearly. Gray remembered that he had had a sister, but she had stayed over at a friend's house the night of the attack.

"You!" he whirled to face her. "You were gone when it happened, and we looked for you, but it was too late, and then they died, and I just panicked so I left, but...but..." Gray tackled her in a hug, "but you're alive and that's all that matters."

"Gray..." Alyssa started crying, because she too now remembered her brother. Her feelings for him faded in an instant, becoming the sisterly love they were supposed to be all along.

Gray was angry now, though, for he did not like having his memories meddled with.

Why did I not remember her? My own sister...you better have a DAMN GOOD explanation for this, or I swear...

You swear what, little one? You can't hurt me and you know it. But I do have an explanation. If you had remembered her, you would have stayed behind in the village to look for her, and you would have died. You are a necessary part of a chain of events, some of which have already occurred. Without you, the future spells destruction. Had your sister remembered you, she would not have left the village alone, and she too would have died. If she had died, you would not have been able to come back here to regain your lost memories.

Stop messing with my mind. You talk to me in my head, you take my memories, when this is over I want you out of my head for good.

It will be as you wish, young one, but not yet. There is something you must do for me while you are here.

Oi, that wasn't part of the deal. You said come here and go back. You said nothing about and favors.

Know your place, boy. I am in control here. Do not anger me, or you will regret it. You may not feel my revenge, but I imagine that your pretty little redhead will...

Don't you ever threaten Erza. If anything happens to her I will freeze over hell just to get to you, and there is no place in any realm where you will be safe from me.

But your bark is bigger than your bite. Don't make promises you can't keep. And don't worry, it's a small, trivial task. I want you to bring me the blood of the demon. The one that killed your parents--Deliora.

How the hell am I supposed to get that thing's blood? It's long dead by now, and I can't get to it.

Wrong, child. It's blood is here, in this village. Not all of your villagers went down without a fight. One wounded the beast and spilled its blood. Find it. Bring it to the grave. I will be waiting. Do not fail me.

And then it was gone. Just like the time before, and the time before that.

"Well," he said to Alyssa, "we're not done. Not yet."