"Damn. The memory changed."
"What's the problem with that, Mira?"
Mira looked defeated as she responded to Gray, "I wanted to see how they acted the morning after the last memory!"
"But why does that matter? She was just going to wake up." Natsu looked confused.
"You two," Mira stated seriously while pointing a finger at them, "tell me what I missed!"
"Uh, we woke up and then she left?"
"That's it?! No realization that you were in love? No acting awkward because you had seen her so vulnerable? No--"
"I did have quite a headache the next morning, but that's about it."
"Can either of you tell me why we're leaving on a job at three in the morning?" Sting moaned.
"We need to make it to the town by ten," Emi said simply.
"Shut it, dragon boy. You had your sleep. Don't be such a baby."
"What did you just say to me?"
Kira and Sting glared at each other as they got closer.
"I said you're a big baby."
"Look who's talking, Miss I Cried the Whole Way Here."
"At least I know how to not complain the entire time."
"Well I know how to not be annoying."
"Really? You really have the balls to say that you're not annoying?"
"You better listen closely when I say that--"
"Knock it off!" Ayame screamed. "It's way too early for this."
"It's true. If you don't want to be bothered by one another then just don't talk to each other."
Kira and Sting both grumbled before continuing to follow the group.
"Sting?" Emi suddenly spoke from the front of the group. The dragon slayer jogged to catch up to her so he could see what she wanted. "Where's Lector?"
"Oh!" Sting grinned and opened up the bag he was carrying on his back, revealing a sleeping Lector inside. "He doesn't like early mornings and he had a lot to eat last night, so I told him I would carry him."
"Hey lovebirds, where exactly are we going?"
Sting turned around and was going to continue to argue with Kira, but Emi grabbed him by the ear and told him to keep walking.
"We're headed to a fishing town called Hargeon. They need help catching a rare type of fish that lives in the harbor. Apparently it only swims into the harbor once every eight years."
"Fishing? We got up at three for a fishing job? Emi!" Kira complained.
Sting gave Kira a side smirk before observing, "Now look who's complaining."
"Sting."
Sting looked to Emi frightened by her cold tone. He gave a nervous chuckle before agreeing to stop arguing.
"Oh thank god," Ayame breathed. "Emi, you saved me magic energy from putting those two to sleep."
"You're actually really intimidating, Emi," Lucy affirmed.
"Do you really think that?"
"Well obviously not now, but you definitely were."
Sting started laughing as he countered, "She never completely gets rid of it. You'll see."
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Kira and Emi were sitting across from each other on the floor of their apartment. Emi's cloak was off and laying on the couch beside them.
"Why're we on the floor?"
"Well," KIra started, "I found this cool thing that allows you to speak with the dead and we're totally going to try it."
Emi stiffened before asking if she had heard her right. Kira explained that it was an item that could bridge the two worlds and allow communication between them. Emi looked unsure, but Kira had told her that it would be fun.
"I'll go first," Kira announced.
"Is it just random dead people?"
"No, I'm contacting my brother."
Kira put her hands over the device and slowly mumbled a few words before the lacrima started to shake. She smiled as she saw her coat lift off the couch. Emi looked on in horror.
"See? I told you. Now it's your turn."
Emi stared at the lacrima before turning to look outside the window. She took a deep breath before putting her hands over it like Kira. She mumbled the same spell and waited. Suddenly, all the lights went out and the window flew open. Emi looked down at the lacrima just in time to see it burst into blue flames. Emi panicked before ending the chant.
"Holy shit!" Kira yelled in excitement. "Who the hell did you call? That was amazing!"
"It was nobody," Emi explained.
"Are you kidding? That was definitely someone wicked powerful."
"Woah," Natsu gasped as he turned to Cain, "that was you? That was awesome!"
Cain laughed before telling the fire mage that he was able to have that much power because he was a demon.
"Demons overpower other spirits in terms of power, so I was able to release more once I was called."
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"You're coming with us."
Emi looked behind her as she was walking through the streets. It had gotten dark out, so she could only make out the outlines of three people that stood in front of her. She crossed her arms and asked them what they wanted.
"Gluttony says hi, girlie."
Emi stiffened as she looked around, careful to not reveal anything if people were around. She sighed in relief once she saw that the streets were empty. She turned back to the three and asked them why Gluttony sent them to see her instead of just coming himself.
"We came to give you a warning. Gluttony has been looking forward to seeing you since you took out Greed and Pride. They were close friends of his. Just know that he'll be with you soon. We were finally able to find you. You didn't make it easy."
"That was the point," Emi growled. "Let me guess, you're on your way to report back to Gluttony to tell him where I am?"
"Of course! That's what Master Gluttony wanted us to do."
Emi smirked and uncrossed her arms.
"So that means if I kill you, he'll never know where you found me?"
The three looked uneasy as they stared at her getting into a fighting stance. They gulped and started to run away, but Emi had started to cast a spell.
"Earthworm!"
The ground started to form into a twisting form of rubble, knocking all three of them off their feet. She stood over them.
"You are all pathetic," she whispered as she started to move her hands in a twisting motion. "Turbinis!"
Dust and rocks started to form a powerful tornado that hit the men head on. She looked at the unconscious figures before casting one last spell.
"Acid burst."
An orb of acid formed in her hands before she pushed it towards the figures. The acid started to take effect. Emi watched as their bodies slowly dissolved, hearing their screams of pain.
"I'm sorry," Emi whispered, "but I can't let you hurt my friends."