Author's Note: This is the Fourth Story in a series about my OC Frea. If you haven't read the first three, I would start there (Book #1- Lost Life). Otherwise, Spoilers ahead.
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Chapter 1
Druhma
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, Energy Magic, and Ideas
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The world was a blur, there were lights and splashes of gray color that broke though the haze of dark and pain.... Small bits of reality so close and so far as the world moved past and she remained motionless, her body on fire, struggling to breath.
She couldn't...
Every little movement, every bump, every small shift- it was agony, it was blinding.... torture that had her head in a haze, her senses, everything. And she couldn't focus, her mind was slipping, in and out, nonstop, plunging her under the water and jolting her upward for a split second- and then she was drowning again.
Noises and things all fractured and subdued, muddied bits of sound that seemed they could be fragments of words were so far off she couldn't make sense of them... Couldn't make sense of anything.
".....v......ry........ A...d......"
"........ S........e..............a........s..............to......"
She couldn't even put together what was going on, what happened, any of it... Everything was in a wild, painful, blurry haze.
What had happened....?
It was there, that answer... Somewhere, she felt like maybe she almost reached it- and then the pain and the whirl, that spinning and uneasiness started anew and she was drowning again, over and over again.
".......f...................ea.........."
".........p......ea....................s.............."
The pain doubled, tripled, heaviness falling over her body and her chest flaring with fire- the breaths wouldn't form, she was suffocating.
What... What is this....?
There were shapes and things that made no sense, her eyes wouldn't open though she tried to force them to, tried to force herself to move, to breathe... but it was all so impossible.
..... Those..... Are those..... People....?
Blurry, smudged blotches of non color flitting across her line of sight that was not so much sight- as it was a wall of disjointed nothing mixed with darker, more disjointed nothing- moving here and there every once in awhile- just like the lights.
Her body bounced, flaring bright in agony enough that she yelled, her voice cracking all the more painfully and her mind derailing all that much more.
Something grabbed her, held her steady and kept her from moving, even when her body refused to move at all- kept her body as steady as could be with the jostling, the bumping, the whirling. Something had her held tight, something warm, but the contact was just all that more painful.
"....s.....ay......... ith...... u.....s..."
S....stop.... This...
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It was still raining
The streets ran slick with it, pounding relentlessly against the cobbles and the homes and the trees as the torrent struck down from those pitch black clouds that had engulfed the sky faster than should have been natural. Thunder rumbled overhead without end, what dark dim grey-black the world had adopted was washed out in a blinding flash of eerie purple glow as lightning arced over the horizon and among the clouds.
The world was dark, silent.... Every single person of the country seemed in a daze, most of them unsure what had transpired or why the sky seemed to split open and pour forth with some, solemn, cold, rage. They looked from their homes, stood in the wash of icy water pouring from the sky, glinting eyes searching the dim and reflecting what wash of bright light the lightning brought- trying to understand why the world seemed so cold. Why their minds felt sluggish and slow, their hearts in a haze, holding to one another where they could as panic and confusion set in just as quickly as the storm raged more fiercely.
They looked to their clocks in shock, seeing that somehow, earlier that day, they had lost but an hour of something, some stretch of time they couldn't recall.
Era was buzzing, footsteps echoing rapidly over the polished halls, staffs illuminated in the dim by flash of electricity and flame, orders shouted out and called across as they tried feverishly to recount what had happened, and why there seemed an hour just... gone. Screens buzzed and Magical tools alike were chiming, faces pale and eyes wide in disbelief at the readings they were seeing- at what influx of unknown Magic seemed to hang on the air... and even seemed to rain down over the sky, extremely irregular and worrying amounts of tainted etherion hanging thickly on the air and in the ground itself like some sickness.
And of those screens to which depicted what footage they had running all over the country, and specifically in locations that had been tagged for trouble- they stood in horror, re-watching what foul darkness the country had been steeped in, and their own faces, suspended and still for what missing time they were trying to recall.
And in the secret recording Lacrima they had placed inside the Guilds of the country, for purpose of keeping an eye on what powerful element Wizards Guilds truly were and what threat they posed to the government- the Magic Council, the Rune Knights and the Wizard Saints alike found themselves riveted in horror, watching as Lamia, Pegasus, Mermaid, Cerberus and SaberTooth had been subjected to watch while the rest of the country and they had slept. Their hearts dropped and jumped in sheer terror as they watched it, and compared the massive surge in Magic Energy upon the air to the time it had all occurred... too much, much more than anything they had ever recorded, they couldn't fathom it.
A great, powerful, dark God had descended upon their country... and nearly threw them all into chaos.
Knights and Leaders of the Magical Investigation Division and the Custody Enforcement Unit trembled, their eyes wide and shaking as they turned their eyes away from the screens that lit up the darkness of the room, latching to the stony faced, grim figure of the Chairman standing among them, his grip on his staff rigid as his eyes flashed.
"We cannot allow the public to be aware of this, spin a story, put their minds at rest! This information will not leave these walls!" He commanded lowly, flintily. His gaze moved from the image to the tense and slightly shaking figures of Lahar and Doranbolt near to him, who were enraptured on the screen as everyone else was.
"Arrest every member of Fairy Tail if you must, I want to know every detail, I want this situation contained, now."
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Hours... years it felt like.
Hours of silence, of a Guild Hall filled with quiet, solemn, still figures, heads bowed and bodies hunched, not a word left anyone's lips, they hardly seemed to breathe. They huddled together, some of them holding back tears and what crushing weight had fallen on their hearts and seemed to make the air all the harder to take in. Some of them stood apart from everyone else, resigning themselves to remaining still in what pain and utter terror was breaking all their hearts and shattering their souls, their stomachs twisted tightly into knots that felt like they would never go away, their hearts beating frantically and their cores chilled. Some of them were shaking, trembling regardless of how much they willed their bodies to cease such movement... it was pain and fear coursing through them and worry that ran so deep they had to try very hard to stay focused.
No one said a word to eachother, eyes hardly left the floor outside of casting furtive glances up toward the back hallway, hoping, straining for anything... but it was all so quiet, so dark. Even the storm outside had dulled to nothing. The world seemed to have dimmed around them, hands wringing together and pressed under their noses, biting their lips and trying very, very hard not to lose it then and there. Even those among the crowd who were not members of this Guild, some of those others forced to bear witness, they'd braved the storm and come here... straight here. And now they stood in silent contest and vigil among the Fairy Tailers, who had never before been so... broken.
Hours now Porlyusica, Carla and Wendy alike had been tucked away in that back room, hours of working without end, without word.... And a few less that Sherria from Lamia Scale and Juvia had moved into that back room, assisting, but with Juvia they didn't know what... nor did they really feel they wanted to know.
Master was perched outside the door that had been shut for those long, dreadful hours. The Guild could scarcely see him down the dim, dark corridor, but they knew he was there, he wouldn't dare move, nor did he once spare a glance backward into the Main Hall.
Moon had hardly moved, seated on the bar counter with her head in her paws, her eyes shut tight as she fought what tears still wanted to spill over, it had taken everything she had to still them before, but the waiting was torture- and would have been unbearable if not for the reassuring hold of Lily's paw on her hip, and his tail wrapping lightly about her person, still, silent... yet so pleasantly there.
Lucy was leaning against Natsu's shoulder, her head resting under the crook of his jaw and her arms hugging Happy in her lap, as Natsu's hand rest on the side of her head, ever silent, his eyes never leaving the floor even when she looked up at him through glassy, tired eyes. Happy was trembling in her grasp, his ears pressed flat against his head.
Erza and Gray had separated themselves from everyone else as much as they could, taking up residence in their own corners of the Hall. Erza was seated at a table, her hands clasped in front of her as she pressed her nose into them, her eyes shut tight and desperately trying to keep it together. Kagura and Milliana had settled down across from her, their eyes locked to the redhead and eyes glinting, they wanted to reach out... but it would do little good.
Gray was sitting atop another table, his elbows on his knees as he held his head between his hands, his face lost to the mess of his hair. Lyon sat silently beside him, his eyes closed and arms crossed in his lap, they knew this feeling all too well.... And he honestly never wished for either of them to feel it again. Jura was stationed to the right of the main entrance, his arms over his chest and watching the collection of people in silence, sweatdropping slightly.
Cana was sitting beside Gildarts, her eyes cast to the floor and never once even thinking of picking up a beer, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as Gildarts remained in sheer, utter silence beside her, his eyes narrowed to slits as he watched what faint form of Makarov he could make out down the hallway. Macao, Wakaba, Jet, Droy, Max, Nab, Vijeeter, Warren and Romeo had huddled in together, hunched over a table and eyes lowered, shoulders tense. Reedus was sitting at the far end of the room near the stairs, his shoulders hunched as he sat slightly with his back to the rest of the Hall- the building and a collection of people he had drawn, sketched and painted so many times before in happiness and joy- now sunken faces, glistening eyes and shattered hearts.
Alzack sat with Bisca in his arm, Asuka resting her head against his lap as Bisca stroked her hair softly, the little girl sleeping on and not all that aware of why the Guild was as it was... they had shielded her as best they could when it happened, but even children know when something is terribly wrong.
Gajeel was sitting, straddled across the bench of one of the tables, his shoulders hunched and head bowed as his fingers dug into the wood in front of him, his back facing the rest of the room as Levy sat behind him, her eyes glittering as she silently, every so softly wrapped her arms around his waist. She didn't say anything, she knew all she needed to do was just be there, hold on to him like she thought he would slip away from her... and honestly he might have. Levy knew Gajeel didn't let many people into his heart, and she knew that this one was one he cared for most dearly, even if he'd never say it out loud.
Rogue and Sting were very still, they two had been the first to arrive of the other Guilds, they sat together at the edge of the hall, silent and solemn, casting glances every once and awhile around the room and toward that hallway, to the door they couldn't see from where they sat but they knew was there- that door everyone was all so very, painfully aware of. Lector sat beside Sting, ears flat against his head and just as tense as Sting was, who was biting the inside of his cheek as he settled into staring at the floor. Frosch was huddled against Rogue's stomach, the Shadow Dragon Slayer holding the small Exceed in his arms as his eyes remained closed, sweatdropping heavily, his poker face destroyed.... There was no doubt the pain and fear in either he or Sting, the worry.
Aisha and Chase were on the second floor, their backs pressed against the railing as Chase held his head in his hands, his knees pulled into him as Aisha buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, her hands wrapping lightly, ever so gently around his arm as she pressed close, her purple gaze sparkling as she looked to him, his face hidden from all view though she knew what pain was plastered there. It was taking all he had not to break down, and it was a battle he was quickly losing as the hours, minutes, the seconds of sheer torture went by, ever aware that that small light was flickering weakly, like a candle barely holding against the wind. He didn't care, not about his wounds, not about how lightheaded he was or the fact he was shaking, he couldn't have gotten up from being slumped there if he tried... and Aisha knew it. It had taken a lot of convincing to get him to allow her to wrap his wounds, he'd refused Wendy long before, and now they just sat, unmoving, her hold on him persistent as she felt him tremble in her grasp. Aisha swallowed, hard- feeling the pit in her stomach deepen and fester with hurt unlike any other, more than she would have guessed, and more than she wanted. She wanted to help, this much pain in him, that broke her heart in two... even the pain of the rest of the Guild had her heart splintering, but seeing him, that was worse than anything.
Loke and Solana sat at that same table Natsu and Lucy were, their arms crossed on the table top and heads bowed, remaining only on their own Power, they wouldn't dare put strain on Lucy, not right now, and regardless of how exhausted Solana still felt. But they had to be here, there wasn't a choice.... Even if it was so terribly painful. Solana's grip on her arms tightened a little, her green eyes snapping shut from where she had been staring at the table top. She'd felt this sort of pain before, this sadness, this worry... she'd felt it and she never wanted to feel it again, but that hadn't been this bad. This was waiting. This was torture. Before it had been a blow, a quick, final blow... but this was unbearable. This agony.... had this been what she'd felt that day?
The tears pricked at Solana's eyes without her meaning them to, pulling in on herself as the thought flashed through her head. Loke's gentle hand on her own told her he knew what she was thinking, he thought the same thing too, but he didn't say it out loud.
How could she had forced her... to go through this... this waiting....?
Mira, Lisanna, Freed, Bixlow, Elfman and Evergreen were all settled together at the farthest end of the bar, Mira with her hand on Lisanna's head as she held the younger's head to her chest lightly, her blue eyes closed. Elfman and Evergreen had settled together, both of them stony faced and silent, almost refusing to look toward the hallway at all, though they cast furtive, quick glances every once in awhile as the rest all did. Freed and Bixlow were seated near one another across from the Mira and Lisanna. Bixlow's Tiki Dolls had fallen silent and unmoving on the bartop in front of him, his green eyes flashing from under his visor as he looked up slowly, his attention tracing the white-haired siblings before glancing to Freed in silence, who had been sitting with his arms crossed over his chest, looking unusually serious, but the situation called for it... as well as what concern and worry flashed across the green-haired man's face. The two of them cast small, wary and worried glances to their left, past Moon and Lily, and toward one person.
That one person who had disappeared from sight in the instant Mordren's Magic broke, the split second the Domes they had been in were no longer holding. The person who had flashed away in a ray of gold, getting to her instantly, catching her before she hit the ground, no hesitation.
He hadn't moved, not an inch, he'd fallen into a stiff, stony silence where he was leaning against the end of the bar just near the hallway everyone seemed so wary of glancing to, his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest, head bowed and hardly seeming to breath. He was doing what the other Dragon Slayers in the room were doing their best not to- not wanting, and maybe even a little afraid they would hear something that would hurt more than waiting- his ears trained to that room and nothing else. He didn't stop, all his focus was there, every second... regardless of how much it hurt, or how tight a knot his chest and stomach seemed to work their way into.
He'd never felt his before, the tenseness, the sheer pain that it brought with it, the ache in his chest that wouldn't go away... or even the unfamiliar, quick pace his heart seemed unwilling to move from, and that only sped up as he listened more, heard their worry, their fear..... her hardly breathing.
So wrapped up in his concentration he didn't notice the Guild, or the glances he was getting from Freed, Bixlow and a few others. All that was on his mind was listening, every hushed, frantic word, every quick order. The shuffle of supplies, bandages, the bed, water..... every harsh, shallow breath....
His shoulders hunched slightly, stiffening as he swallowed hard against what lump was in his throat, and the sharp ache that flared in his very soul. He could smell it too, he knew his hands were stained crimson, his shirt had drops of it that had smeared in the rain.... Her blood.
He could still feel how cold and limp she had been in his grasp when he caught her, kept her from hitting the stone. Feel the sticky, thick, warm on his skin as it seeped from every wound... her body broken in so many places no one could have possibly counted, he couldn't.
He could still see those silver eyes growing dull and dim as she lost all will to keep herself awake, regardless of him trying to keep her attention on him, it had been useless... she was just... too hurt.
... he could hear that too, that small, faint flutter. The organ barely beating... barely alive.
His own heart ached at the sound, the thought... he hated it, more than he could ever have thought. This hurt, all of it, so deeply it was like he was getting stabbed, beaten.... And he hadn't been ready for it to feel like this.
That door that had stayed shut for hours suddenly opened, the hinges creaking slightly as he heard the Old Man's feet move on the floor, pacing closer as a second, third, fourth, and fifth pair of feet sounded next, and the flutter of wings.
The hall shifted, people looking up from the floor and their own hands, all eyes turning expectantly toward the back of the Guild, eyes shining in the dim, searching, hoping.
The grim and exhausted figures of Wendy and Sherria made their way down the hall, Wendy's eyes cast down as Sherria wrapped her arm around the bluenette, her eyes glinting, seeing Wendy barely holding back her tears still, though she was too tired to really cry. Carla was floating wearily near Wendy, her eyes casting anxious glances back and forth toward her Partner, as if she was afraid she might faint- which, given how much Magic she had been using and for so long, she might have. Sherria looked no better, though she seemed to have a bit more strength left than Wendy- who was crumbling, and why shouldn't she be?
Juvia trailed along behind them, her eyes downcast and dull, her hair lost of all its usual shine and bounce, almost as dreary and grey as the storm raging on outside. Her shoulders were hunched and tense, as she bit her lip and did her best to keep herself from sending loose a torrent of rain in the Hall itself, her emotions were out of hand, and it took a lot to keep it under control.
Neither Wendy, Carla, Juvia nor Sherria were ever going to get that image out of their minds... that reality.
Mira and Lisanna got to their feet at last, herding Wendy and Sherria over to a table with Juvia following behind blankly. Lyon and Gray moved, though in Gray's case he didn't seem to want to for a moment... before they both moved toward where the new four in the hall has slumped into sitting.
They didn't ask, not a one of them... they didn't need to, they could see it written all over their faces, and their hearts dropped into the pits of their stomachs.
Porlyusica never moved down the hallway with the rest, she had stopped in front of Master Makarov, her usually stern face subdued and pulling in faint traces of pain and sadness, especially so as she looked toward the Old Man who had been waiting ever so silently. Her heart broke when she looked at him, what tenderness and care she kept hidden under a stony exterior was stirring, painfully... she knew this was breaking him, and she hadn't anything better to tell him, or anything to ease his own shattering heart.
Her head bowed slightly, her gaze falling closed as her hushed, soft words barely made it to the ears of the Dragon Slayers- who now, all of them listened, they couldn't ignore it.
".... In all the years.... This is the worst I have ever seen anyone injured." Porlyusica murmured, her voice wispy. ".... The damage sustained from Mordren's attacks was massive, several of her organs were hit, his Magic ripped her body apart wherever it made contact... that last shot hit her heart."
They didn't need to see the Old Man to know he had gone very pale.
".... She's lost a lot of blood, Makarov... and she's bleeding into her lungs..... Even outside the damage Mordren did.... whatever Magic or Power she managed, it tore her to shreds, her body couldn't handle it, and now, even with all the Healing Magic Wendy and Sherria used, it wasn't enough to heal her completely, or even part of the way.... There's just too much damage...." Porlyusica's voice fell away, her eyes opening to see Makarov's had fallen, she could see him shaking and she let out a small breath, for a small moment, her red eyes flashed in the dim. ".... For now we've done everything we can, Wendy and Sherria will try to heal her again after they rest, and I'll keep an eye on her..... but it may not be enough."
Porlyusica's hand landed on the Old Man's shoulder as he hunched, shaking under her touch though he was staying silent.
"I'm sorry, Makarov."
Laxus' eyes fell from view entirely, the Guild around him still and deathly silent, they all knew what Porylusica had said, even if they couldn't hear her. What little they glanced of her and the Old Man down that dark, dim hallway, how their Master seemed to hunch in on himself, and the small flash of gentleness of Porlyusica's hand on his shoulder, gentleness usually unseen in the Old Lady.
Lucy buried her face in Natsu's chest, while Levy pushed hers up against Gajeel's back, both Dragon Slayers' rigid and still. Erza folded in on herself, her face burying in her arms atop the table, Kagura and Milliana sweatdropping, swallowing at the sight of the redheads pain. Solana's face was in her hand, her elbow propped on the table top as Loke's head bowed too, tears pricking at the edges of his eyes as he saw a few glittering drops fall in front of Solana. Moon had gone utterly still, her Magic moving to catch glimpse of what Wendy had seen in that room, and immediately regretting doing so. Her hold on Lily grew tighter, her ears pressed flat against her head as he held her still, his eyes narrowed to slits and his chin resting atop her head.
Mira and Lisanna had wrapped their arms around Wendy, who by now was crying openly, her fists clenched and balled against her chest as they held her, Carla on her knee, looking pained at simply seeing Wendy's tears, and not even aware of her own that had fallen from her eyes without a sound. Juvia had wrapped her arms around Gray, who didn't care about the contact as he usually did, he simply buried his nose in her hair, his arms resting on her shoulders. Sherria leaned against Lyon, who let his hand fall atop her head, his eyes flashing as she stared at her hands.
Rogue and Sting held Lector and Frosch closer, their expressions unreadable as their gazes avoided seeing the deep, utter despair creep its way into the Fairy Tailers' faces, all around them, many of them sniffing and crying silently as the realization hit home. Jura looked around the hall quietly, his expression pulled into sympathy, and maybe a little pained himself.
What darkness had settled over the Guild before suddenly thickened, shoulders and bodies stiff as they tried to calm what tears had risen anew, tried to still their hearts and their breathing as that awful, horrible truth hit them square on.
Aisha stiffened, her eyes casting down and away from the hall below them. Chase was shaking badly in her hold, his hands covering his face as she watched in silence, her heart aching painfully to see those dozens of glittering drops of moisture fall past his hands, splashing against his lap. The breath caught in her throat, her deep purple gaze glinting as she stared, riveted.
Not once.... Not in all the time she had come to know him... she'd never seen him cry, not once.
She swallowed, cursing herself and the world in her head as she felt those tears of her own prick at the edge of her eyes, she felt like... she was watching him fall apart. Break into so many pieces in her hold she couldn't ever put them back together, he was slipping through her fingers and seeing what agony he was in was enough to make her own soul crack. She hadn't wanted that, not ever, she never wanted to see him in that much pain, she would have gone against any enemy, fought anything to keep him from feeling something like this- and yet she couldn't do a damn thing. She was helpless... because what was breaking him was something she couldn't fix.
Not just him, the Guild. They were falling apart, they were breaking and bursting at the seams and all for one reason.... And damn it, she hated it.
She may not have acted like it, but she did like this Guild, she loved the people in it, grown close to them all, and seeing them suffering this much, that put her through just as much pain. Even more so, as she looked out across the sullen, painful faces, the tears and the hunched shoulders, and toward him, trembling and gasping in her hold as he cried and couldn't stop....
It had happened before, this had happened in a place and a time long passed right now, and it was a sight she never wanted to witness again.
She hesitated, her grip on Chase slackening a little as she struggled to find something, anything to do.... What could she do? She wanted to help him...
Her eyes snapped sideways, her attention catching immediately to the front doors of the Guild Hall opening, letting in a rush of cold air from the wind and the storm outside. The Guild looked around hazily, blinking as their sluggish thoughts tried to come to terms with who it was that had suddenly come inside after hours of sitting in silence to themselves.
The grim-faced figure of a large man in Knight Robes with dusty brown hair and a thin face, and the familiar figures of Lahar and Doranbolt stood in the doorway, soaked from the rain. The lightning outside flashed, illuminating the rows of Knights and officers that stood in line inside the Fairy Tail courtyard, their staffs glinting and eyes locked ahead.
"I am Frein, Knight-Captain of the Magical Investigation Unit." The thin faced man announced loudly, lowly- his stern tone carrying around the silent hall. "By order of the Magic Council, we are here to conduct our investigation against you, the Fairy Tail Guild; for suspicious Magical activity, and your involvement in a national threat." His eyes narrowed to slits, the Guild around him stiffening slightly. "You will subject to any and all questioning, or you will be detained." Many eyes flashed at the assertion, Lahar and Doranbolt remained stony faced, not saying a word and hardly seeming to want to be there.
"And for her involvement, the Dragon Slayer known as Frea is to be arrested and held for questioning in Era." Frein announced loudly, coldly.
Many of the Guild flinched at the name, their eyes wide and sweatdropping, several people shifted, earning an immediate reaction from the Council-Knights, who stiffened. The battalion of knights in the courtyard outside stiffened, looking ready to fight.
No one had any time to protest, for a few seconds no one thought to, because they felt their hearts shatter into a few more pieces, knowing... knowing that regardless of the Council's desires, she couldn't go anywhere with them-
"Get. Out."
Frien, Doranbolt and Lahar alike recoiled at the sudden steely, murderous words that rang out toward them. The eyes of the Guild, dazed still and filled with tears looked up, sweatdropping and staring in shock, their eyes landing where the Council Knights did, shivers running up their spines at hearing the voice so cold and so seething.
Aisha had come down from the top floor without a word and with no hesitation the minute the Knights had arrived, her purple gaze locked ahead and on them, cold and glinting in an anger so icy and deep, yet so utterly calm it was in it's own way terrifying.
Her fists were clenched at her sides, her silver hair pulled into a loose ponytail, resting on her shoulder as she stalked straight across the center of the hall toward the unwanted arrivals. Doranbolt stepped back slightly, while Frein brought his staff forward, lightning flashed outside, illuminating Lahar's glasses and bouncing brightly off Aisha's silver hair, her purple gaze illuminating in the dim with a cold, violet fire.
"Resist and you will be-" Frein replied back, trying to keep his hold over the room as he faced her, Aisha didn't pause, not for an instant, she walked straight up in front of the three, swiping her hand to the side in a sudden gesture of command.
"No. All of you, get out." She hissed lowly, her voice low and stern, but only barely hiding her agitation. She stepped right up to Frien, her hand rushing forward, finger pointed and accusing as he recoiled from her, she stepped closer as he retreated a few paces, Lahar and Doranbolt following stiff suit as they watched her, riveted. "You have absolutely no right to be here, not when you all slept when the world was on the brink of ending. You have no right to think you can seize control and do as you please, not when you all stayed tucked away in Era while the world was being thrown into chaos. You have no right to step inside this building and demand a damn thing, not here, and not now." She was pushing them back toward the door without ever having to touch them, all three council men looking slightly panicked and afraid of what sheer fury was bubbling under a look so cold and commanding. "You have no right to violate the sanctity of this building, you have no damned right to step through that door, disrespect that line and invade where you have no place being. Not right now, not in the middle of a Druhma." That sudden unknown word in some language the rest of them did not know, it made it passed her lips as her eyes flashed, her voice dropping so utterly, dangerously low as she stopped in the doorway, backing them up until the three men were in the rain again, completely uncaring to what suspicious looks she was receiving the from the Knights, nor what shocked gazes she was receiving from everyone inside the hall.
Lahar's eyes widened slightly, his face paling as he stared at her, eyes riveted as he felt his heart drop at the word, the statement.... The order. He sweatdropped, unaware of the rain or what confusion and indignation had appeared in his fellow Knights, his eyes flicked from her to the Guild behind her, swallowing slightly.
"Y-you dare?!" Frein stammered, looking agitated as he raised his hand in order for the Knights behind him to move in, arrest them all.
"Stand down." Lahar ordered sharply, his eyes closed and uncaring of what shocked and incredulous gazes he received from the rest of the people around him.
"Lahar..?!" Doranbolt hissed,
"We have orders from the Chairman!" Frien snapped, "We have every right to detain anyone impeding our investigation! You dare go against it?!" He snapped, Lahar blinked, looking not toward the man, but toward Aisha, his eyes narrowed and expression neutral, waiting.
"You have no right." Aisha snapped coldly, eyes flinty. Everyone looked toward her, eyes wide and sweatdropping, she stood in that doorway, rigid and unmovable, her gaze stony and posture tight and tall, she seemed much less like the Aisha they had come to know and more like... someone else. Some version of the Moonlight Mage they had never seen before, someone stern, commanding. "By the ordinances and treaties set between the Magic Council and Corielain; High Council of the country of Adgnei- I am invoking the rite of Druhma." Her voice carried, clear and cold even through the thunder rumbling and the wash of the rain. "The Magic Council, it's members, officers, and every Knight and soldier are not to set foot inside this building, nor are they to inhabit the city until I have repealed the Rite, or until the Druhma is complete." Her tone dropped slightly, a scowl pulling at her lips for a second as she faced them. "Contact Corielain if you must, I hold power to invoke this Rite, and you will respect it regardless of what you or the Chairman likes. This is law, and you will follow it."
"L-law?!" Frein hissed, "I've never heard of this 'law'! I can't think any law could impede an investigation of a national crisis! Even then, am I to believe some street-rat from a Guild like Fairy Tail has any right to invoke a treaty set by another Country?!"
"Stand down." Lahar ordered again, his tone nearly as flinty as Aisha's. Frein rounded on him, "You and the rest of your men will leave Magnolia, immediately. That is an order."
"Lahar, what are you doing..?" Doranbolt grumbled, "You heard the Chairman, he'll have your ass for this.."
"I think it of more importance we do not break treaties between our Country and Countries that are our allies." Lahar replied, "Though you may not have heard this law, I have. This is a Law, that allows any member of Corielain to invoke the Rite of Druhma; without hindrance or interference from the Magic Council or Royal Army, while they are inside our own Country. Adgnei, small country it is, it is still powerful- and take their laws and customs seriously. Breaking this treaty, and this law, will surely bring unrest between our countries." Doranbolt and Frein alike looked lost for words, "She is right, we have no power here, not right now. We are to leave Magnolia at once, and we cannot enter again until the Rite had been repealed... or it has been completed. All of you, leave, now. I will explain this matter to the Chairman personally if I must."
"Does this woman have right to call this treaty?" Frein snapped, adamant still.
"Yes, I can confirm that without contacting Adgnei." Lahar replied steadily, his eyes flashing under his glasses. Frein looked agitated, deciding quickly between giving in or arguing some more while Doranbolt gazed at his friend, blinking at what surety had made it's way onto Lahar's features... and what resolution had as well. "Retreat back to Era, now."
There was hesitation among the Knights, glancing back and forth toward each other as they continued to be soaked by the rain, Aisha never leaving her silent post in the doorway, her purple gaze locked to them and not moving an inch.
The Knights moved, slowly. They backed off, disappearing into the haze of the rain as Frein stalked after them, casting furious glares back at Lahar as he and Doranbolt remained before the Guild Hall a few moments longer.
Lahar let out a breath, turning back toward Aisha as he dipped his head to her in a strange, yet incredibly formal gesture. His eyes fell closed, what seriousness that had dawned on his face softened, just slightly.
"Forgive us, Lady Celene." He murmured toward her softly, Aisha blinked, though she said nothing in refusal to the name. "The Magic Council will not enter Magnolia, I will make sure of it. The investigation will be halted... though I fear even with the Rite enacted they will try a few underhanded ways to get what information they want." He raised his head, light bouncing from his glasses as he looked up toward her, "... I had not thought to run into anyone of Corielain in Fiore, let alone you, My Lady. It is an honor.... And I do apologize deeply for the intrusion. It was disrespectful." His eyes softened slightly as he swallowed, "..... I am sorry. My thoughts are with you, your Guild... and everyone of you sitting in witness for the Druhma." That word cropped up again, but this time on Lahar's lips and not Aisha's.
".... I hope to hear from you, to repeal the Rite, Lady Celene." He nodded to her once, she nodded, just slightly, before he turned away and headed off into the rain, Doranbolt stumbling after him and looking just as lost and confused as the Guild behind Aisha seemed to be.
Aisha didn't move, not right away, her purple gaze looking out into the dark and the storm, her entire countenance seeming to deflate. What stiffness and straight posture she had adopted suddenly failed as she took a few, slightly trembling steps backward, her eyes falling as she closed the doors once more, and leaned against them, almost for support as she felt her body tremble, what adrenaline and anger suddenly dying, and leaving her feeling faint and slightly sick.
She bit her lip, forehead pressed against the wood and hands shaking, lightly pressed against it too as her eyes fell closed, her shoulders hunched.
No one in the Guild had a clue, not a thing about Aisha's past had come to light, what she had done, where she had gone... who she had been, before coming to this Guild. She was secretive, and cold at times, but it hid a softer side, as some of them had come to see... what they didn't see was something different though.
Before this... before being an Information Broker... she had been someone else, someone who used and felt proud of that full name.... Aisha Celene, as Solana was known (though perhaps not openly), as Solana Celene.
At what point in Aisha's life that things had grown so dark and so bad she could hardly see straight, there had been a point... a small point in which she had almost given it all up. The only reason she hadn't, was because of what beliefs and way of life she had fallen into in that obscure, faraway place... that country known as Adgnei that hardly anyone knew anything about, or ever would, here in Fiore. She'd found something to hold to, long before this Guild, and it had been a way of life, tradition, culture that had become ingrained deeply in her very heart, though outwardly she didn't express it- she held to it regardless.
Religion maybe was the only appropriate word, but one look at Aisha and no one would think her that. Hope, belief.... Just a way a living maybe was a bit more correct, culture certainly seemed the better word, at least to her.
Her hands clenched into fists against the door, hissing under her breath as she let out a shaky gasp, anger and hurt swirling in her stomach all the stronger as those unwanted memories floated back in full force, and she couldn't stop those tears from hitting the floor at her feet, her back to the rest of that dark, solemn, broken collection of people waiting... waiting that felt like torture, waiting in what Rite, what ceremony she had suddenly called into existence by near mention of the word.... A Rite she never wished to enact again.
".... damn it....." She hissed, ".... You.... If you're actually even real.... Drennios, Rehvan... Kallin, Jirrai........ you're all.... Bastards....." Her fists were shaking she was pressing them against the door so hard. "..... you made me call... that fucking Rite...... a s-second time......... how dare you...? You made me call it... and for the god damn... Screw-Up.... of all people......." She took in a shaky breath, hating it all, the emotion, the pain, the dark cloud hanging over every head and around every heart. "...... but damn it...... you can't.... not a second time..... not this time, please... make me repeal it...."
The tears hit the floor at her feet a few more times.
She'd said it aloud, made it final, made it real.... And he heard it. The only one in the Guild she had let close, let know her life, her past. The only one who knew the sheer gravity of that single word, the only one who knew what it actually meant, and she knew without even being near him- her saying it aloud, declaring it like that, that hurt just as much as everything else did, maybe even worse.
Druhma
"... I-i.... I'm sorry........ Don't do it for me..... and don't even do it for her..... say screw it to me... I couldn't care.... But...... they can't take this.... He can't take it, not if she dies." Her words fell away altogether, damn it... she was praying, she hadn't done that.... Not for so, so long.
.... Please...... for him..... don't let her die.
.:+:.
"Lahar, what in the hell are you doing?" Doranbolt murmured quickly, following along behind the man as he blinked the rain from his eyes. "What was all that back there? About that country, and that law... 'Druhma'? What on earth could make that so important you'd go directly against the Chairman's orders?"
"You are aware that I was not born in Fiore, yes?" Lahar answered lowly, not even sparing a glance back as Doranbolt blinked. "I was not born here.... In fact my country of origin is Adgnei, though I have never been back there since I was a small child. I still keep up with their laws... still hold their customs and an understanding of their culture that most in Fiore do not have." His voice dropped slightly, ".... That law, it allows any member of Coreilain- the High Council and Senate of Adgnei- to invoke the Rite of Druhma while in Fiore, and the Rite is to be respected and obeyed. I had become aware of it's existence when I was reviewing the treaties between this country and Adgnei, it's fairly obscure, but the agreement spans back hundreds of years. The Magic Council may label it as a 'law' for namesake... but Druhma is more a Ceremony; a Tradition, than an actual law.... A very sacred, highly regarded tradition in Adgnei, and not one that is invoked lightly. For someone of such high standing in Corelain as Lady Celene to enact it....."
Lahar trailed off, Doranbolt's eyes trained to his back as they continued their march through the rain, heading back to where they had transported into Magnolia in the first place.
".... I was not aware that any member of Corelain was in attendance in Fiore, nor was I aware that Lady Celene was a member of the Fairy Tail Guild, but I know who she is. She had right to invoke the Druhma, and it will be respected.... I had thought that perhaps... from the recordings the woman, the Energy Dragon Slayer; Frea, seeing what she was fighting against... we saw she was wounded..... but this is worse than I thought." Doranbolt blinked, sweatdropping slightly.
"... what is it? What is a Druhma?" He asked lowly, though a part of him felt he didn't want to know the answer. Lahar let out a low breath, his eyes falling closed as he drew to a halt, and Doranbolt slowed to a stop beside him, watching in stiff silence as Lahar's head tilted backward, fixing to the dark, rumbling sky overhead, water and rain splashing against his glasses.
"... It is a vigil, where friends and family gather together, banded in a space or a city, where they shall not be disturbed, nor shall any outsiders shatter the sanctity of the location for the duration of the affair. They will all wait, sitting in silence, grief, sadness and pain.... Waiting for however long is needed. All of them in attendance, all of them waiting, watching.... All of them brought together in vigil for one person." Lahar murmured, his voice wispy.
"Druhma is the Death Watch, a period of waiting, hoping, and praying... that she they have come together for; will either end the Druhma with her death.... Or force it to be repealed, should she live."
Doranbolt's jaw dropped, his heart plummeting at the reality and the gravity of the words. It suddenly hit him full force why the Guild had been so sullen and somber, why the air felt thick, why there were so many tears. So many of them looking so utterly broken.
"...... The Energy Dragon Slayer..... she was seriously wounded in her battle, and now she sits on the edge of death...... Druhma's are not invoked unless there is hardly any shred of hope for someone to live."
.:+:.
Hello guys and welcome back to Frea's story!
I feel I should have waited a bit longer to update, what with Slain Among Ice And Fire and Rewind on my plate of stories to write- but I've been itching to get going again.
Prepare for the Feel Train though, hehe~