Ch 8: Welcome Home

              Laxus looked up into the sky as Skye's memory came back into focus. The clouds slowly swirled around as they cried silver tears over the Gotham Cemetery. Rows upon rows of headstones marked the memories of the city's deceased. From the extravagant memorial for Thomas and Martha Wayne, to the average sized headstone sitting in front of an empty coffin waiting to be lowered into the open grave below. The grave was surrounded by weeping mourners holding black umbrellas and violet flowers and Skye stood among them.
              It was difficult to tell whether she was crying, as the rain fell on her head and trickled down her face. Her dark red hair now looked almost black and dripped rainwater off of her back and shoulders. Her attention was focused on the priest, who was giving a sermon about how loved ones live and die, but they are still with us in our hearts. After a few more minutes, the priest closed his bible, and the crowd started to disperse. Skye weaved through crying family members and friends of Heather's family to reach the edge of the grave and looked down.
             "It's cold......I guess I'm sort of glad that you don't have be down there. Someone so warm should never be cold." She mumbled quietly. Skye reached up and fumbled with the back of her neck, taking off the necklace that Heather had given her. Gently placing the half heart charm in the palm of her hand, she gazed sadly down at the inscription: Friends. Without a word she tipped her hand, and watched the necklace slide off of her hand and into the damp grave.
             "Goodbye." Skye whispered and turned away from the grave site. She looked up and caught the eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, Heather's parents. They both gave her mournful, angry looks. Skye immediately looked down and walked away towards Laxus and Makarov. She stopped in front of them, and looked back for a moment.
             "I'm sorry.....for everything." She mumbled before walking forward between them.
             "She blames herself for this." Makarov noted. Laxus nodded, "I understand the guilt of hurting family and friends...but this wasn't her fault."
             "No," Makarov agreed,"It wasn't, but she's in too much pain to see otherwise. When we love someone, and would do anything to keep them happy and safe, it gives meaning to our lives. But when that meaning is ripped away...", Makarov paused, "It is a cruel thing. And Skye has endured enough cruelty to last ten lifetimes."
             The rain seemed to pour down even harder as Skye made her way through the cemetery, sliding her fingers over the tops of headstones. She looked up at the sky as thunder rumbled in the distance and lightning softly flashed through the dark clouds. Stopping next to a tree, she looked back and saw the considerable distance she had put between herself and the crowd of Heather's mourners. Skye gritted her teeth and threw her fist into the tree's trunk.
              "Shit...this is all my fault." She cursed as tears started to run down her face. She stood there with her fist against the tree for what seemed like an hour. Finally, she took a breath, shook her hand, and continued on through the cemetery. Skye read the names on the headstones as she passed by each one: Donna Clearwater, Kyle Jacobson, Howard Upton. She stopped dead and stared, bewildered, down at the grave.
              "You...", Skye said, "So we meet again huh?"
              "You never forget your first one...mine was an Argentinian man." Said a voice behind her. Skye slid a blade out from her braces and turned around. Shiva was walking towards her holding an umbrella. Her voice was soft, without the authoritative tone she usually took.
              "You've come to take me back to Black Mask right?" Skye narrowed her eyes, "You know, you could just let me go...."
              "And where would you go exactly?" Shiva interrupted.
              "Home." Skye said simply.
              "Where is home to you child?" Shiva asked. Skye threw a furious look at her.
              "The only person I trusted enough to tell that to is now dead!" She spat. They both stood in silence for a while before Skye spoke again, "It was you, wasn't it." Shiva smiled slightly and looked Skye in the eye.
              "Yes. I was the one who told Sionis about your friend," Skye unsheathed her other wristblade, "I knew you would figure it out quickly. You're a very smart girl, Skye." Shiva continued to smile at her.
               After a few more minutes of tense silence, Skye sighed and sheathed her wristblades.
               "Okay.....lets go then." She said quietly, and walked past Shiva, who followed.
               "I thought you would put up more of a fight." Shiva observed. Skye looked down at the grass as she walked.
               "I'm tired." She replied
               "Tired of what?" Shiva asked.
               "Pretending...that everything is going to be okay. That I'm going to go home one day....It'd take one hell of a miracle for that to happen." Skye sighed. Shiva did not respond and led Skye to a waiting car at the end of the cemetery. She opened the back door and got in. As the car pulled out of the cemetery, Skye took one last look back at the small crowd of people surrounding Heather's grave.
               The car ride seemed to last hours, but eventually, it pulled to a stop in front of the safe house where Skye was kept during her earlier years in Gotham. There were already a few cars out in front, and Skye recognized one of them, as Sionis'. She swallowed hard as a thug nearby opened the doors. Sionis was inside, and waiting for her as Shiva and the thug led her into the building. He held up his hand and the three of them stopped. Skye looked down at the ground and closed her eyes. She opened them again as a gloved hand gently tilted her head back up. Sionis' skull mask was mere inches from her face.
                "No more forgiveness," was all he said to her. Sionis looked at the thug on Skye's right side, "Take her to her room. Tell Johnny and Rob to guard the door. I don't want her seeing the light of day for a long time." Skye threw a hard look at Sionis, "Why don't you just kill me?" She asked.
                "Because you're mine, and there is plenty more work for you to do. But before you go back to work, we're going to have to break you again.......Take her away." Sionis turned away from them and motioned for Shiva to follow him. The group split, and two of Black Mask's thugs led her down the narrow hallway that stank of alcohol. The walls had bullet holes, and tobacco stains. The floor was littered with broken glass bottles and small bits of the wall that had flown off from being shot at. Before long, they came to the heavy steel door. One of the thugs fumbled in his pockets for a while before taking out a set of prison style keys, and inserting one of them into the lock. The door slowly swung open and Skye was shoved inside. The memory faded out as the door slammed and shut Skye into darkness.
                  As the memory faded back, Laxus and Makarov found themselves and Skye in her cell. She was older, looking just like she did currently in the guild hall. Laxus approached Skye, who was lying on her back on the mattress, dressed in her assassin clothes. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and she was silently staring at the ceiling with her arms folded behind her head.
                 "Could this be her memory from earlier tonight?" He wondered aloud. Before his grandfather could reply, a huge explosion shook the cell. Skye immediately leaped up and ran through Laxus to pound on the door.
                 "Hey! What was that? What's going on?" She called through the small window.
                 "You stay put! The boys will handle it." Came the reply. Skye made a face, "Yeah, I'm sure." She muttered and sat back down on the mattress. Before long, Skye heard someone run up to the guards outside. She stayed silent, and listened intently.
                 "What's going on? We heard an explosion!"One of the guards ordered. The person who ran up to them took a moment to catch his breath before blurting out, "It's the Joker! He's here, and he brought a damn army down on our heads! They're burning everything in their path!" One of the guards cursed, "Shit! Have you heard about the things he's done to people? It's some pretty screwy crap! I want no part of it! Lets get the hell out of here!"
                 "We can't! Black Mask ordered us to guard the girl, we can't leave our post." The other one interjected. Gun shots and shouts echoed through the hallways.
                "Screw our orders, I'm not dying today!" Skye heard the guard run away down the hallway. Laxus looked at Skye, who was now standing on her tip toes, trying to look out the small window on the door. Suddenly, a bright flash flew past the window, and crashed against the wall outside. The men outside began to scream in pain, as flames surrounded them in a pool of fire. The bright light made Skye take a few steps back and rub her eyes. She looked down at the gap between the door and the floor and watched the smoke begin to seep into the cell. A slight ring of metal in between the guards' shouts called her attention back to the outside. The guards outside then made wet choking noises, and then silence except for the snapping of the burning building. Skye looked down and the door's gap once more, and saw blood oozing into the smoky cell. She gasped, and immediately began to cough heavily. Waving her arms around, she bent the smoke to the far side of the room. There was a heavy thunking sound from outside the door, which swung slowly open. Skye stepped to the doorway and looked down. The two men outside were laying in a pool of blood. Skye looked around outside the door, but no one was there. Bending down to get a better look at them, Skye noticed that they were killed from slashes across their throats and stomachs. Something else had also caught her eye. Laying on the suit of one of the men, flickering in the firelight, was a half heart necklace. Skye furrowed her brow, frowned and picked it up. The writing on the charm read: Best.
               "It's Heather's....what's it doing here?" She muttered. A loud crack above her made her jump. She looked up and saw the ceiling begin to buckle.
               "Shit," She jumped out of the way just as it crashed down in a plume of smoke and ash, "I- *cough* I've got to get out of here!" She coughed, pocketed the necklace, and bolted down the hallway. The building had been transformed into an inferno, and Skye bent what fire she could out of the way as she made her way through the safe house. She ran past several bodies with multiple bullet holes in them, and rounded a corner only to find that she was right behind a very large man with a dirty, cracked clown mask. He was bent over and examining the contents of a one strap backpack. Laxus recognized it as the bag that Skye had had with her. The masked man didn't seem to notice her, and so Skye crouched down and slid a blade out from her right brace. She quietly sneaked up behind him and thrust her blade into the back of his neck, killing him instantly. Bending down, she scooped up the backpack and charged towards the exit, which was barely visible through the ash and flames.
                It was chaos. Both Black Mask's and the Joker's men were running in every direction. Guns were fired on both sides, and the street was painted red with blood. The block was lit up by the flames from the building, and Skye could hear sirens in the distance. Skye's jaw dropped and she sped away from the safehouse, swinging the bag over her head and shoulder.
               "Now or never." She muttered as she ran down the dark streets. Before long, she turned onto a crowded, lit up street in the middle of the city. Clubs with neon signs lit up the block, and couples, and friends alike were laughing and drinking outside. Skye smiled softly, and then grinned.
              "I'm free! I can finally go home!" She said out loud. She began to walk forward, when a young boy sped past her, knocking her shoulder.
              "Hey! Look where you're-" She fell silent and let her jaw fall once more. Laxus and Makarov stared wide eyed as the boy turned around.
              "No way! What the hell??" Laxus exclaimed.  The boy looked no older than 14 with spiky yellow hair that was slicked back, but some fell over his forehead. He wore a pair of headphones around his neck that had spikes taped on each side. Skye brought her hand over her mouth as she gazed at his eyes, one of which had a lightning scar over it.
              "Laxus?" Skye asked. The boy held no expression in his face as Skye stared at him, nor did he reply. Skye began to approach him when he was called away, "Mitch! We told you to keep up!", came a shout from a rather irritable looking woman down the block. The boy gave her one last look and turned away to join his mother. Skye let out a nervous laugh, and face-palmed herself.
              "Idiot...He's not here. And he'd be 23 now, not 14. Still though....that was uncanny." Skye shook her head and continued down the sidewalk.
              A while later, she reached Jezebel Plaza. It looked much like it did before, with the closed stores and rotting canopies. Making her way down the shopping center, she found the closed toy store. Standing in front of the door, Skye's hands shook as she reached for the knob, which began to vibrate and hum slightly. Skye closed her eyes and opened the door. On the other side was the alley that Skye and Father Michaelis had come from. Not taking a second to look back, Skye ran through the door and shut it behind her, and the memory faded out.

             Laxus opened his eyes, and they were back in the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. Skye had backed away from him and his grandfather and was looking at the floor.
            "I'm sorry....It wasn't pretty to see. But that's the truth. That's where I've been this whole time." She apologized. Makarov had a serious look on his old face, and looked directly at Skye.
            "You have been through so much...I can see how it has changed you," He began. Skye looked up at him, "You have grown stronger than I think you realize. As well as had to make hard desicions. They have helped you grow as an individual." Makarov said wisely.
            "I just want it to be over now...I'm done killing people. I never wanted to do it in the first place...It's unforgivable, but I want to repent for the things I've done." Skye said. Laxus looked down for a moment, then back at Skye.
            "Just how many people have you killed, child?"Makarov asked. Skye sighed, "Over a hundred...I stopped counting after 80."
            "I see," He replied, " And I suppose you would like to join Fairy Tail?" Skye smiled and looked down.
            "Yes, That'd be great...but I understand if you say no. God knows with the things I've done, I'm not sure I deserve to be a part of something so good. I'm just happy to be home." She answered.
            "You have taken many lives, and that does pose a threat to this guild. I will not allow any of my children to come to any harm." Makarov said. Skye gazed into the old man's hard eyes.
            "Gramps..." Laxus started, but Makarov held his hand up for silence.
            "Let me finish, boy. Skye...despite the things you've done, I still consider you one of my children, and I don't believe that you are a bad person. You got lost, and struggled. But in the end you made your way back home. What kind of man would I be if I turned my children away when they needed help. You're welcome to join Fairy Tail and be a part of our family again, Skye." Makarov grinned at her. Skye's could hardly believe what she just heard, and she stared at Makarov dumbstruck. Laxus smiled at his grandfather.
             "Really? I can really join!?" Skye exclaimed happily. Makarov nodded.
             "Of course, child. Laxus, would you get the guild mark stamp? It's behind the bar." He asked.
             "Sure, Gramps." Laxus said as he got off of the bar stool and walked behind the bar where he looked in several drawers and cabinets before taking out a large stamper with the Fairy Tail guild mark on it.
             "Where do you want it?" He asked Skye when he came out from behind the bar. Skye tilted her head to the side, "My neck." She replied, beaming. Laxus nodded and stamped her neck with the guild mark. Makarov smiled, "Welcome home, Skye."