Ch. 9: Reunions

                 "Well then," Makarov jumped down from the bar and stretched, "It's late, and this old man needs some sleep. I'm sure that you are quite tired as well, Skye. We can talk more in the morning; But for now I think we all should get home and go to bed."
                 At these words, Skye realized just how tired she really was. She had escaped a burning building and had been running almost non-stop for at least a half an hour. She'd been so worried about getting home in one piece and reuniting with everyone, that she forgot that she was running on fumes.
                "Sure, see you in the morning Gramps." Laxus said as Makarov climbed up the stairs and disappeared from sight. Skye and Laxus stood in the empty Guild hall for a short while before Laxus spoke,"I have an extra bedroom at my place. If you want, you're welcome to crash with me for a while."
                 "Thanks, I really appreciate it." Skye smiled.
                 "Lets go then." Laxus turned and started for the door. Skye nodded and followed him.
                  A warm breeze caressed Skye's face as she and Laxus stepped out into the lamp-lit streets of Magnolia. Everything was quiet and still, very much unlike the loud, and bright city that Skye had grown accustomed to. A feeling of calm, like the warmth of the sun on a stone glowed in her heart. After a long period of silence between them, Skye began to wonder what was going through Laxus' head.
                  "Jewel for your thoughts?" Skye asked as she quickened her pace to walk beside him.
                  "To be honest, I'm not even sure what I'm thinking right now. It's a lot to take in." Laxus replied without looking at her.
                  "Are you angry?" Skye ventured. Laxus stopped mid-step and looked down at her with a stern expression, "I thought you were dead. Everyone looked everywhere for you. How do you expect me to feel?"
                   Skye looked away from Laxus, "I don't really blame you. You, my dad; everyone at the guild must have been worried sick."
                   "He was devastated. Gildarts got back from his job about a month after you were supposed to come home. When he found out that you were missing, it took all of us to keep him from destroying the guild hall and half the town in his grief," Laxus sighed, "But I'm not angry with you, not anymore." Skye looked up at him in suprise.
                    "Why? I left and didn't come home! I killed people! I'm a murderer! How can you not be angry with ME???" She exclaimed.
                    "I'm angry about what happened to you. You should never have had to deal with all of that crap," Laxus had begun walking again and Skye hurried after him," But there's nothing I can do about that now. I'm just relieved and happy that you are home and safe." Laxus smiled at her and tapped the side of her head with his fist. His smile then faded into a strange look and he added, "Nobody's going to take you away from me again. I promise."
                     Skye clucked her tongue and swatted Laxus' hand away from her head," I can take care of myself, you know." She smirked.
                     "I'm sure you can. But even so..." Laxus' voice went quiet, and he mumbled a few words to himself that Skye couldn't quite make out.
                     "So how is my dad? Is he in town, or out on a job?" She asked.
                     "He's not here," Laxus replied," He hasn't been in town for quite a while. But I'm sure he'll come running when word gets around that you're home. Your brother's gonna freak over you tomorrow for sure, though."
                     "Wait! Hold on," Skye grabbed Laxus' arm and stopped him, "I don't have a brother." Laxus smirked and walked past her.
                     "Laxus! I don't have a brother." Skye repeated as she caught up with him.
                     "Yeah, you do, and he's a bender too. He came to the guild looking for you. Said that you two were seperated when you were two and he was four." He said.
                     "What's his name?" Skye asked.
                     "Seth Oden. Heh, I guess that means that your birth name is 'Oden', then." Laxus replied. Skye made a face, "I like 'Clive' better." Laxus smiled at her, "Yea I do too."
                     "So whats he like?" She pressed.
                     "I'm not saying any more about him. You'll find out tomorrow when you meet him." Laxus countered. Skye fell silent and walked beside Laxus. She started to take in her surroundings and looked all around her. It really hadn't changed one little bit. She looked down into the river as they crossed a stone bridge, and up at the bell towers high above Kardia Cathedral. Laxus glanced at her every few seconds, amused by her behavior.
                      "Got a question for you." Laxus said. Skye looked up at him with a puzzled look on her face.
                      "Sure, what's up?" She replied
                      "Was that one part of your memory true? Do you really have feelings for me?" He smirked. Skye stared at him for a moment as though he were speaking a long dead language. Then, all at once her face went as red as her hair, and she broke eye contact.
                       "Um...well....y-you weren't exactly supposed to see that far. I let it play on way too long." Skye stuttered and wiped her hands on her legs. Laxus watched her begin to fidget, and fought to keep from laughing.
                       "Can you...I mean....I don't want to discuss it. I'd much rather pick up where we left off. I just want to go back to being your best friend. Can we just do that?" She peeked up at Laxus, who was once again smiling at her.
                        "You don't even need to ask that question. Sorry, I brought it up. I just wanted to see the look on your face when I asked. You didn't disappoint me either! It was priceless." He laughed.
                        "Ha ha.....Hilarious." Skye said flatly.
                        "I think so!" He replied, still laughing to himself.
                        "Geez....", Skye sighed, "You really haven't changed have you?" Laxus stopped laughing and looked at her with an unreadable expression.
                        "What?" Skye asked. He continued to silently stare at her, and she began to feel slightly uncomfortable. Whats with him all of a sudden?, She wondered to herself. Finally, after what felt like forever, he spoke.
                         "I did change...after you were gone. When we all started to think you were dead...You asked me earlier why I'm not angry with you for doing the things you did, and it's because I'm no saint either. I did something disgraceful, and Gramps expelled me from Fairy Tail for it." He answered. Skye looked up at him in complete shock.
                   "What did you do?" She asked. Laxus shook his head, "I'll tell you someday, but not tonight. My point is that while I was traveling around after I got kicked out, I did a lot of serious thinking. I decided that I needed to be a better man than I was. You wouldn't have recognized me back then...I was a horrible excuse for a human being. But as I traveled, I got better at taking life one step at a time and I was eventually welcomed back into the guild. Your old man was the one who reinstated me, so I have him to thank for that." He explained.
                    "Wow. I never imagined that you, of all people, would get kicked out of Fairy Tail." Skye said, still in shock.
                   "Hmph, I needed it." Laxus mumbled. Skye gazed over at the Sola Tree as they passed by South Gate Park, and a thought occurred to her.
                  "Hey, Laxus?" She looked up at him.
                  "Hm?" He replied.
                   "Before I left, you said there was something that you needed to tell me. Do you remember what it was?" Skye cocked her head to the side. Laxus looked up thoughtfully at the sky.
                  "Nope. Can't remember a thing," He lied, "Why?"
                  Skye shrugged her shoulders, "Just curious."
                 "We're here." Laxus said as they came to a stop in front of a small house. He  stepped forwards and took out a key from his right pants pocket.
                "It's not anything spectacular, but it serves it's purpose." He said stepping inside. Skye followed and looked around her new surroundings. They were in a large room that was split into three areas. One half of the room was split between a small kitchen, and a dining room. The other half was a living room with a black leather couch, and a small coffee table. Against the far wall was a video lacrima on a small wooden table. Right in the middle of the large room, there was a hallway going back.
                            "The spare bedroom is the last room on the right down that hallway, and the bathroom is right next to it. My room is across from yours if you need anything." Laxus explained as he took off his coat.
                            "Do you mind if I take a shower? I feel gross." Skye asked, sniffing her shoulder and fingering her hair.
                    "Go ahead. The towels are in the closet in the bathroom." Laxus replied.

                     The warm water felt heavenly as it cascaded down Skye's body. So much had happened in a matter of only a few hours. She was finally free, and home where she belonged.
                      "I did it Heather..." Skye reached up and fingered the necklace that stuck to her wet skin, and her thoughts switched to Laxus.
                     He looks so different...how did he get so tall when his grandfather is so short? It still doesn't seem like he's changed that much...except that puberty hit him like a train.
                   She jumped and softly slapped her cheeks.
             
                 "Whats wrong with me? Jeez" She muttered, "I never thought he'd get kicked out of Fairy Tail though...I wonder what he did." Sighing, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Skye reached for a towel, and paused. She looked out of the corner of her eye at her fogged and blurry reflection in the mirror and frowned. They would always be there, and there was nothing she could do about it. Sighing again, she grabbed a towel and dried herself off.
                Wrapped in a towel, she slowly opened the bathroom door and peeked out. The door to Laxus' room was closed and light was showing from a small crack underneath the door. She sneaked quietly to the quest bedroom and closed the door behind her. She sat down on the bed next to her back pack and began to examine it's contents. Inside, she found a couple changes of clothes, and an extra set of wristblades. In the side pocket was her lock picking set, and photographs of her previous targets. Skye frowned and removed the photos. There were three, one was of a black man in a suit, the second was a blonde woman, and the third was an old man with a few wisps of white hair sprouting just above his ears. Skye exhaled and all at once the pictures caught on fire. She got up and without tearing her eyes away from the burning pictures, went over to the window and opened it. The faces in the pictures were growing distorted and ugly as the plastic and chemicals melted and became scorched. Waving with one hand, Skye continued to watch the pictures burn as she brought new air into the room, and removed the foul smell from the room. Finally when the pictures were curled, unrecognizable pieces of black paper, she closed the window, and tossed them into a waste basket next to the bed.
                 Opening the backpack once more, Skye took out a black long sleeved shirt, and a pair of cargo pants, and laid the pants on one side of the bed while she pulled on the shirt. Yawning, she pulled back the blankets of the bed and crawled underneath. She didn't even remember her head hitting the pillow.

                Skye awoke the next morning with the sun hitting her eyes. Sitting up, she yawned and stretched her arms high above her head. That was a nice dream. She thought to herself. Skye cracked her eyes open, and her heart skipped a beat. She stared around the bedroom in a moment of confusion before she let out a breath. Right...I got away. She reminded herself. Throwing the blankets off of her, she got out of bed and combed through her hair with her fingers until it was presentable. Then, she walked to the middle of the bedroom, stretched on her tip toes, and bent backwards into a slow back flip.
                 "Today's a new day." Skye smiled to herself. She rolled up her sleeves, and grabbed the extra pair of wristblades from her back pack and fastened them to her forearms. Then, she grabbed the pair of cargo pants she had laid out the night before and pulled them on. Lastly, she grabbed her boots, put them on, and made her way to the door and opened it. Skye barely took two steps when she walked face first into something solid and warm.
                  "Sorry!" Skye apologized. Laxus raised an eyebrow and smirked.
                  "Is this going to become a regular thing now? Because I don't necessarily mind." He teased.
                  "Yeah, you wish." Skye tsked and backed up. Laxus sniggered and started to walk to the door.
                  "Come on, Shorty." He said over his shoulder. Skye rolled her eyes and followed.
                  "It's barely my first day back, and you're already ripping on me?" She mumbled as she exited the house.
                  "What else would I do?" Laxus replied.
                  It was a very pleasant day. The sun shone amidst  scattered clouds, and the sounds of the town rang in Skye's ears. The empty streets that she and Laxus walked the night before were now bustling with activity. Children ran around playing, while their parents weaved in and out of stores. One particular store caught Skye's eye. It was an old looking antique store that had a few customers around it. I'll have to check that place out one of these days. She thought.
                   "I forgot how nice and peaceful Magnolia is." Skye said smiling.
                   "You've been gone for way too long." Laxus looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
                   "The big city is too loud and bright." Skye made a face.
                   "Well, Magnolia is one of the larger cities in Fiore, you know." Laxus pointed out.
                   "Yeah, but at least it doesn't smell, or feel over crowded." Skye agreed.
                   "It smelled?" Laxus asked. Skye nodded.
                   "It smelled horrible. Trash everywhere you look, and the exhaust fumes make you cough like you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day. Magnolia is so much nicer."
                   "Exaust fumes? From what?" Laxus looked puzzled.
                   "Cars and buses mostly. They don't run on magic energy like they do here. Instead, they put this stuff they call 'Gasoline' into the cars, and the cars run on it. The exhaust is this smoke that comes out of a tail pipe in the back of the car." Skye explained.
                   "Weird." Laxus muttered.
                   "You get used to it." Skye replied.
                   The figure of the Fairy Tail guild hall grew larger as Laxus and Skye got nearer, and as they got nearer, the knot in Skye's stomach grew tighter. She began to look around and fidget with her clothes and hands. Laxus noticed and rested his hand on her head, making her jump.
                   "It's gonna be fine. There's no need to get all nervous." he reassured her. Skye took a deep breath and nodded.
                   Finally, they stood outside the doors of the guild hall. Skye could hear commotion and laughter inside, and steeled herself.
                   "D'you want me to go first?" Laxus asked. Skye nodded again.
                   "I hope you're ready for this."He smiled.
                    Not at all. Skye thought to herself as she followed him through the doors.
                   "Hey guys! Look who turned up in the middle of the night!" Laxus called out. Almost on cue, every head in the hall turned in their direction.
                   "I was beginning to wonder when you two would turn up. Good morning!" Makarov smiled at them from his perch on the bar.
                    "SKYE!!!!!" Cried two voices. Almost immediately after, a young man and woman charged, and jumped on Skye sending them all crashing to the floor in a tight embrace.
                    "Would you two take it easy!?" Laxus barked at them as they picked themselves off of the floor. The young woman turned and pouted at Laxus.
                    "Aw, come on Laxus! It's been forever since we last saw her. You don't get to hog her all to yourself, you know." She has long wavy brown hair, and violet eyes. Instead of a shirt, she wore a blue bikini top, and khaki shorts. Skye noticed that she also smelled like a brewery, and stared at her, completely bewildered.
                    "I'm sorry..." Skye started, "I don't rec-"
                    "It's okay! Don't worry about it! We know that it's been a long time," The woman smiled broadly at her, "It's me! Cana!"
                    Skye's jaw dropped, and she turned to the young man next to her. He had shaggy black hair, and only wore a pair of boxers. His dark blue Fairy Tail mark stood out on his pale chest.
                   "Don't tell me....the only person I know with a serious stripping habit...Gray?"
                   "Welcome back! You have no clue how happy we all are that you're home!" Gray exclaimed and pulled her into a hug. Cana joined them.
                   "The hell are you standing there gawking for?! Get down here so your sister can meet you!" Laxus called up to the second floor. Skye broke out of her hug with Cana and Gray, and looked at Laxus who nodded his head in the direction of the staircase. She followed his gaze and her eyes met those of a tall red haired man. His eyes were wide, and the color of earth. His hair was pulled up into a messy, short ponytail. He also had a small soul patch below his bottom lip. He was muscular, but not to Laxus' extent. He wore jeans, and a black, form fitting tank top. Skye's stomach erupted into butterflies. So this was Seth, her older brother.
                    He kept eye contact as he descended the stairs and approached her, weaving and nudging his way through the small crowd that had gathered around them. Finally, when Seth made his way to her, his face broke into a grin, and his eyes began to well up.
                    "After all these years...you've grown up so much. I'm at such a huge loss for words." Seth's voice quivered as he reached out and caressed his sister's cheek.
                    "Seth..." Skye said. Before she could say another word, Seth enclosed her in a hug.
                    "I've missed you so much. I looked everywhere for you." He whispered. Guilt worked its way into Skye's mind.
                    "I'm sorry. I didn't even know you existed until Laxus told me about you." She mumbled into his shirt. He laughed softly, " It's alright. Don't be sorry. I found you, that's all that matters to me." Seth pulled back and grinned with tears running down his face. Skye smiled back, and the crowd around them cheered and whooped.
                     After meeting a few other members, Laxus and Seth guided Skye to their table on the second floor, where she was surprised to learn that both of them were S-Class mages in the guild.
                     "What!? When did this happen?" She gaped at Laxus.
                     "I passed the trials when I was 17." He replied.
                     "I passed a couple of years ago. Laxus is actually the second strongest in the guild, next to Gildarts." Seth added.
                     "Haha..so no pressure." Skye said sarcastically.
                     "I wouldn't worry too much about it. You'll have plenty of practice with us." Laxus said lazily. Skye looked confused, "With you?" She echoed.
                    "Oh, come on," Laxus said, "You didn't seriously think that I'd let you go and join up with anyone else, did you?"
                     Skye blushed, "Well alright, if that's what you guys want. I'm not sure I can quite keep up with you two, but I'll do my best!" She smiled. Seth clapped her on the back.
                     "That's the spirit! I can teach you some of the bending that I know if you want. Laxus told me that you can bend the four elements too."
                     "Yeah, I can. But water comes easiest to me." Skye replied. Seth's grin faded a bit.
                     "Sorry, I don't mean to change the subject so suddenly, but I wanted to ask you what happened? Why did you disappear from the guild for nine years?" His expression turned serious. Laxus watched Skye carefully as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
                     " A lot happened. I showed Laxus and the Master last night. I don't exactly want to relive it again so soon. It's not exactly a happy story. I'm sorry." Skye said quietly. Which was true. One would have to be completely off their rocker to want to remember an unpleasant past over and over again. Seth frowned.
                      "Hm, that's disappointing. However, if the past nine years were painful, I suppose I understand."
                      Skye nodded, then jumped as a pretty girl with long white hair, wearing a red dress brought them drinks.
                      "Hi, I'm Mirajane. I know I wasn't yet a part of the guild when you were here, but I heard that you and Laxus were close friends as kids, so I wanted to come and say welcome back." The girl smiled sweetly.
                       "Thank you, I'm happy to be back." Skye replied with a small smile. Mirajane waved, and descended the stairs. Skye took a drink from her mug and tasted a cool sweet tea.
                       "Seth," Laxus said, and Seth turned his attention to Laxus, "We should have her grab a job." Seth nodded, but before he could reply, a young man with spiky pink hair vaulted over the balcony railing and cried, "Laxus! Fight me!!!" He leaped off the railing and charged them, fire erupting from his fists. Laxus gave him a deeply annoyed look, and sparks began dancing around his body.
                        "Not now Natsu..." Laxus grumbled. Without moving a muscle, a huge spark shot from Laxus' body and struck Natsu's entire being, sending him crashing to the main floor below.
                        "Haha! He sure got you good that time, Natsu!" Said a high voice from the first floor. Skye motioned with her thumb, confused.
                        "Who was that?" She asked. Seth sniggered.
                        "That's Natsu. He's the guild's fire Dragon Slayer." Seth replied.
                        "Don't forget 'resident hot head'." Laxus added, still looking annoyed.
                        "Dragon Slayer? Does that mean he has a lacrima implanted in his body like you?" She looked at Laxus curiously.
                        "Nah," Laxus shook his head," He was raised by the fire dragon Igneel, who taught him his magic."
                        "I thought dragons were extinct." Skye said.
                        "They are. The dragon that was with him disappeared eight years ago." Laxus said.
                        "Natsu's not the only dragon raised Dragon Slayer here either," Seth went on, "Gajeel and Wendy are too. Gajeel was raised by the Metalicana, the iron dragon; and Wendy was raised by Grandeena the sky dragon."
                        "They both left on jobs a few days ago, so they should be back sometime soon." Laxus finished.
                         "Wow, four Dragon Slayers in the guild. Honestly it seems like a bit of overkill if you ask me." Skye said. Seth laughed.
                         "Yeah, I won't deny that. But it's fine! The more, the merrier, right?" Skye smiled at Seth.
                         "Anyway," Laxus rested his chin in his his hand," We need to grab a job. I'm all tapped out from the last one. Wanna go pick one out?" He looked expectantly at Skye.
                         "Uh, yeah, sure" Skye got up and walked back down the stairs. At the foot of the stairs another pretty girl approached her. She had blonde pigtails tied in small bows, and she wore a matching blue jacket and skirt. On her right hip was a brown pouch.
                         "Hi! I'm Lucy! Nice to meet you! It seems you've caused quite an uproar today!" She grinned at Skye, who grinned back.
                         "Hi, Lucy, it's nice to meet you!," Skye replied,"I'm happy to see that the guild is just as lively as I remember it. I've missed this place and everyone in it so much."
                         "Well we sure as hell missed you!" Skye jumped as an arm wound it's way over her shoulder. She turned to face a man with squinted eyes, smoking a cigar.
                          "Wakaba!" Skye exclaimed, and threw her arms around his neck. Wakaba laughed and patted her on the back.
                          "Look at how much you've grown up," He squeezed her shoulder," You're quite the pretty lady now! Your old man will go to pieces when he sees you!"
                          "Does anyone know where he even is?" Skye asked. Makarov cleared his throat.
                          "I'm afraid we don't know. But don't worry, he will hear about your return, I'm sure of it. And when he does, neither the forces of heaven nor earth will stop him from reuniting with you. Just be patient, dear." He smiled kindly at her. Skye nodded and made her way over to the job board. There were countless jobs; From house sitting, to monster slaying, and bounties. After looking through each and every job, she pulled down a request to catch a group of bandits outside the port town of Hargeon. The reward at the bottom read: 1,000,000 Jewel. 333,000 would be enough to get me some better clothes than what I have. She thought to herself. After making her way back upstairs, she slapped the request down in front of Seth and Laxus.
                             "What do you guys say to that?" She grinned.
                             "Looks like fun," Laxus smirked," Let's get started tomorrow."
                     
 
                           

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."
            

          
             
            
          

                
              
    
             
             
           
            

Ch 7: Best Friends

              Skye's memory snapped back faster this time than before. In a flash, Laxus and his grandfather found themselves looking over a vast water filled museum atrium. There were skeletons of flying creatures hanging from the high ceiling that Laxus had never seen before, and the skylight had bars on the outside and inside. They were standing on a sturdy makeshift scaffolding balcony and on the other side of the atrium, he could make out the neon sign: Iceberg Lounge, which hung over a set of double doors. Laxus looked to his left, and saw a metal hook that was extended over the water. He scowled as he gazed at the figure hanging from her ankles on the hook.
              Skye glared at the group of thugs standing on the scaffolding. They smirked and watched her squirm uncomfortably in the rope bindings that cemented her arms and legs together. She tried to shout at them, but her voice was muffled through the ball of cloth and handkerchief tied around her mouth. One of the men grinned and approached her with an arrogant swagger.
              "I'm sorry doll, what was that?" He chortled as he untied the handkerchief around her mouth. She spat out the wad of cloth in her mouth and continued to glare silently at the man in front of her.
              "I don't think she likes you, Ricky!" One of the men called out. Ricky turned and swung the hook around so Skye was no longer above the water, but was now face to face with him.
              "Come on now sweetheart, no need to be so sore," He crooned, as he caressed her cheek with his thumb, "We could have killed you on the spot. But Mr. Cobblepot wanted to talk to you himself. Don't you think you should show us a little gratitude?" Skye's nostrils flared as his thumb moved up and felt it's way across her top lip. He leaned his face in close to hers and slightly opened his mouth to kiss her, then violently recoiled and spat down into the water.
               "You bitch! She spat in my mouth!!" He furiously spat into the water again. The men around them roared with laughter. Ricky raised his hand to smack her across the face.
               "That's enough, son!" Shouted a voice. Everyone turned around and stared at a very short, and squat man approaching them. He wore an expensive looking black coat that slightly dragged on the floor behind him, and a monocle over his left eye. His nose was overly large and his eyes were beady. In his left hand was a walking cane with a large glass jewel on the top, and in his right was a smoking cigar. He walked with a bit of a wattle.
               "Who's that?" Laxus wondered to himself. His question was answered immediately as Ricky threw a dirty look back at Skye before stepping back and saying, "Sorry, Mr. Cobblepot."  Skye stared at her captor, unimpressed.
               "Ugly little guy aren't you?" She said bluntly.
               "How dare you, bitch!" Ricky stepped towards Skye once more.
               "I said ENOUGH!" Cobblepot struck his cane down on the floor, making a thundering clang that echoed across the atrium. Ricky turned away, looking as if someone had fed him something extremely sour. Cobblepot then turned his attention to Skye.
                "Why isn't she over the water like I told you lot?" He snarled at his men, who rushed over and swung her back over the water. Cobblepot put his cigar in his mouth and stepped to the edge of the balcony to face Skye.
                "You've caused me problems, Missy. You killed five of my men when you were sneaking around my home. And then you try and make off with some of my business papers from my office? You're either stupid, or gutsy, or your boss really wants you dead," He took in a long drag from his cigar and lazily blew the smoke in her face. Skye closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose. "I'm going to ask you some questions, and if you don't answer or lie to me...Ricky! Come here." He snapped.
                 "You want me to hurt her boss? I can hurt her real bad." Ricky grinned as he swaggered to the edge to stand next to Cobblepot, who smiled pleasantly at him.
                 "That won't be necessary. Ricky, it's been a pleasure having you in our crew, and best wishes to you in the ten seconds left of your life." Cobblepot said in a dignified tone. Ricky gave him a blank look and began to speak when Cobblepot shoved him from the balcony. Laxus and Makarov moved to the edge to get a better look.
                  Ricky quickly surfaced and started screaming up pleas for mercy to Cobblepot. Skye watched him with an eyebrow raised, "You're gonna drop me in the water? So what?" A slight ring of metal attracted her eyes back to Cobblepot who now held a knife in his hand. He reached out and pressed the edge against her left arm. Skye winced as the blade sliced down her arm and blood started dripping from the cut down off of her shoulder and into the water.
                 "Just something to get him excited is all." The little man grinned evilly.
                 Within seconds of Skye's blood hitting the water, Ricky disappeared beneath the surface. Skye's eyes widened as the spot where Ricky had been was now growing redder and redder with blood. He never came up again. Laxus stared at the reddened water for a while and looked up at Skye,"You just can't stop surrounding yourself with psychos, can you?" He closed his eyes and pinched the skin between them. Skye stared into the water, visibly shocked. She then looked back up at Cobblepot.
                 "What's in that water?" She asked nervously.
                 "I'll be asking the questions if that's alright with you." He took another long drag and once again blew it in Skye's face. She stared back into the water and began to fidget with the bindings around her wrists which were held firmly behind her back. A very large shadow moved beneath the water and Skye's breathing began to quicken.
                 "Now then! Question one: Who are you?" Cobblepot asked. Skye glowered at him, but was silent. After a few seconds, he puffed his cigar and moved on the next question, "Who do you work for?" Again, Skye didn't answer. Cobblepot started to look angry, "Do you want to find out what's down there that badly? Why were you trying to steal my business papers?" Skye didn't answer for a third time, and Cobblepot had had enough.
                 "Fine then! Time to die." He kicked a lever that controlled the hook and Skye dropped down into the water. She plummeted down into the depths, desperately trying to cut through the ropes with her wrist blades. The shadow moved under her, as she finally freed her wrists, and bent down to work on her ankles. Then she stopped. The shadow swam towards Skye, and out of the gloom revealed itself as a gigantic shark, large enough to swallow her whole body. They both stared at each other as the shark circled her hungrily. A red streak in the water called her attention to her still bleeding arm. Skye then went back to working on her ankles, but with all the haste she could muster. The shark swam past Skye and disappeared into the murky water. Looking all around her, Skye cut her ankles free and swam for the surface.
                 She took a giant breath of air and stared all around her for any sign of the shark once she broke the surface. There was no sign of it, but she felt something rub up against her foot. She took another large breath of air and went below the surface. The shark had swum past her and was at a distance where she could barely see it. It then turned around and darted directly at her, gathering speed with every wave of it's tail fin. Thinking fast, Skye froze the water around her fingers to create ice needles, which she sent speeding like sharp torpedoes into the giant shark's gills. It faltered and sped past Skye, trailing blood from it's new wounds. She then twirled around in the water and motioned up with her arms and she sped up through the surface of the water and landed on a sheet of ice that she created by blowing on the water's surface.
                  "What the bloody hell is this!? You're supposed to be dead!" Cobblepot angrily shouted down at her.
                  "Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't plan on dying today." Skye replied. A movement in the water told her that the shark was once again ready to come after her. She looked all around her for an escape route, and finally she rested her eyes on the doorway to the Iceberg Lounge. She frowned and looked down into the water, then up at the scaffolding balcony where Cobblepot and his men watched angrily.
                   "Screw it." She mumbled, and with one quick movement she took off across the water. She skated on the water's surface like it was an ice rink. A loud splash behind her made her look back. The shark was on her heels and gaining on her. Every move she made felt like she was in slow motion, as the shark drew closer. When she reached the other side of the atrium, she stopped and spun around and motioned with her arms. A column of water surrounded her feet and launched her up into the air, towards the doors. Still in mid-air, Skye threw a punch into the air and a huge fireball erupted from her fist and crashed into the doors of the Iceberg Lounge, busting them open.
                     She raced through the club as many well dressed lounge members looked at each other in complete confusion. Two of Cobblepots men stood in front of the doors to the outside to block her escape. Skye charged them and slid under the legs of one who was trying to grab her. She quickly got up behind him and delivered a high kick into the back of his head, which sent him straight to the floor. She ducked a right hook from the other man and thrust her fist deep into his groin, bringing him to the ground as well. Turning around, Skye pulled open the doors and sprinted out into the night. She ran through several alley ways before she stopped to catch her breath.
                       "Crap....he's not going to like this." She mumbled, "My phone!" She jumped and pulled out her wet phone. She waved her hand over the phone and the water flowed out of every crevice until her phone was dry as a bone. Laxus stood behind her and looked over her shoulder as she turned on the phone and made sure everything was okay. When she looked satisfied, she let out a sigh and called a number on her contact list. Skye stood in silence for a few moments as she waited for someone to pick up.
                         "It's me....I failed. I got busted by Penguins crew and nearly got fed to his shark......No I wasn't able to escape with any.......yes sir........Where?......When?......Alright." She hung up the phone and placed it back in her pocket. Somewhere far off, a bell rang midnight and Skye looked up into the night sky.
                 "Happy Birthday to me.....Happy Birthday to me....Happy Birthday dear Skye...Happy Birthday to me." She softly sang to herself. She smiled sadly at the full moon and walked to the street past the alley. The memory faded out and changed to the hallway in the girl's dorms.
                 Skye held her left arm as she made her way down the hallway. Every few seconds she checked on the cut that Cobblepot gave her, which was still bleeding slightly. She stopped in front of the dorm room, and opened the door. She jumped back as Heather leapt in front of the door in a white tank top and froggy pajama pants with a cheap noise maker in her mouth.
                          "Happy Birthday!!! Get your butt in here!" Heather reached out and pulled Skye into the room and sat her down on her bunk," You look like you jumped in the river. Oh my gosh, you're hurt!" She gasped as she noticed the cut on Skye's arm.
                          "It's only a cut. Get me the first aid kit, and I can patch myself up. What's all this?" Skye took a look around the room which had streamers hanging from the bunk posts, and off the corners of their desks. A few balloons were scattered on the floor next to the window. Heather opened up Skye's top drawer and took out a moderate sized metal box with a red cross on the top. She put it down next to Skye who opened it and took out antiseptic wipes.
                          "Well I thought we should celebrate a bit tonight! It is your 18th birthday after all. The second most important one, next to turning 21. So what happened? I thought it was going to be a simple robbery job?" Heather took out a wad of gauze and bandage wrappings. Skye hissed as she wiped the antiseptic on her cut.
                           "Yeah. That's how it started out. Everything was fine until I got caught in Penguin's office. I almost ended up as shark bait. He has this huge shark! It's a freaking monster! I ended up using bending to get away." Skye mumbled through  the bandage between her teeth. Heather stared at her with a blank face.
                 "So, what I gathered from that horrendous explanation was: You got caught, and were nearly eaten by a giant shark, which....belongs to the Penguin?" She looked at Skye, who nodded while wrapping the bandages around her arm, "And you managed to escape, but did you get what you went there for?" Skye shook her head.
                  " No, I didn't manage to steal anything. Sionis isn't happy at all about it. He wants me to meet him at the old Soder Cola factory at ten tonight to 'discuss my failures'" She made the quotes sign with her fingers. Heather looked worried and took Skye's hand.
                   "Be careful, okay? I hate it when you come back all beat up." She stared intently at Skye, who smiled and nodded.
                   "I will. I don't like coming back like this either, you know. But there was nothing I could do. I was tied up, hanging upside down. And one of his men tried to kiss me." Skye shuddered at the thought, and Heather made a face.
                   "How was he not able to kiss you if you were tied up?" She looked at Skye suspiciously.
                   "I spat in his mouth when he got close," Skye grinned, " It really pissed him off." She started giggling, but then stopped," And then he got fed to the shark." Heather's eyes widened and she got up from the bunk.
                   "Lets move on then! I got you something! Well, actually it's for both of us." She started to rummage around in her drawers, before she took out a velvet necklace box and handed it to Skye. Skye took it with a puzzled look at Heather. She popped up the golden clasp with her thumb and gasped at the contents. Inside lay two silver half heart charm necklaces with the words 'Best' on one, and 'Friends" on the other in gold. Skye took out 'Friends', and fastened it around her neck, and Heather did the same with her's.
                    "Thank you. They're beautiful." Skye got up and hugged Heather who beamed at her.
                    "I'm really glad you like them! Hey, can I ask you something?" Heather asked. Skye frowned slightly and nodded. Heather thought a moment before speaking
                    "What would you and Laxus do on your guys' birthdays in Fiore?" Heather cocked her head a bit as she spoke. Skye smiled at the floor.
                    "We'd have a little celebration in the guild hall. Then we'd leave and just hang out together for the rest of the day. Laxus would go home in the evening and spend time with his grandfather and father on his birthday, and I would spend time with my dad on mine. For as often as he was gone throughout the year, he never missed my birthday." She answered.
                    "Seriously, were you and Laxus glued together or something?" Heather rolled her eyes, and then over dramatically covered her mouth with her hand, "Or could it be something else?" She slyly grinned at Skye, "You like him don't you?" Laxus looked at Skye, who's face turned as red as her hair and smirked.
                    "Do you now?" He muttered to himself as Heather started to tease Skye.
                    Almost immediately, the memory faded out and back again to the dorm room where Skye was adjusting her wrist blades, and Heather was watching her from the top bunk.
                    "I'll have the kit ready when you come back." Heather said as Skye went out the door. She weaved through a few girls who were still awake, and headed downstairs to the lobby, where two men waited for her. One of them grasped her bandaged left arm and guided her outside all the way to a waiting car. She silently sat in the back seat while the two men sat in the front and pulled out of the driveway of Augustine.
                    "So what does he have planned this time?" Skye asked dully. There was no answer from the front seat so she rested her chin in her hand and stared out the window until they finally reached the Soder Cola factory. The moon shone brightly through the cracked windows and illuminated old machinery. Skye was led into the middle of the production room where Black Mask waited. She looked all around and noticed his men were surrounding them. She started to look nervous.
                    "You've been letting me down an awful lot lately. I don't like it when my employees fuck up their jobs. You failed three assassinations in 2 months, and now you can't even steal some papers! I brought an old friend of yours. Maybe he can set you straight." Black Mask motioned to a large patch of shadow. Skye took a step back, and clutched her stomach, as a huge, crocodile man stepped out of the shadows. His teeth were sharp, and sticking out of his mouth at odd angles. The creature's torso was monstrous and his arms were as thick as tree trunks with a set of nasty looking claws on each gigantic hand.
                    "Gotta pay you back for last time." It growled. Skye stared at it, unable to move. She jumped, when one of Black Mask's men opened the doors.
                    "We got her boss." He dragged in someone who was struggling to get away, and to Skye's horror, she saw it was Heather. Skye tried to go to Heather, but stopped as the thugs surrounding them aimed their guns at her.
                     "What is this? She has nothing to do with this!" Skye couldn't hide the panic in her voice. She stared at her friend as she tried to wrestle out of the thug's grip.
                     " Oh, I think she has plenty to do with this." Black Mask had walked up to Skye and leaned his masked face close to hers. They stared at each other for a while until he turned around and spoke to Heather, "You see miss, your friend here was supposed to keep her mouth shut," He wheeled around and punched Skye in the face,"About our business relationship. That's why I had her watched. To make sure she doesn't do that. But what does she go ahead and do? She tells you, and that's where this problem comes from. I think Skye, here, needs to learn that if she misbehaves, things get taken away. What do you think boys?" He called out to his men, who cheered and yelled in response. Skye desperately grabbed Sionis' suit and begged him to hurt her instead. He considered her for a moment before gently holding her face in both of his hands and whispering, "But I am hurting you."  He looked up at the crocodile man and nodded. The creature immediately charged forward and snatched up Heather in one hand, and swatted the thug away with the other. Heather screamed out as it crashed through the doors.
                    "Heather!!!!" Skye screamed. She threw her arms up in the air and spun around, creating a strong gust of wind that blew Black Mask and his men to the ground. Not taking a second to look around, Skye sprinted out the doors, to a recently opened large manhole. She could hear screams along with the rushing sound of the sewer water. Taking a breath, She jumped into the manhole.
                    Skye followed Heather's voice through the damp tunnels, until she could see the monster's back. Skye glared at its back as she thrust her fists together, and the ground rose up to create a wall, blocking it's escape. It turned around and faced her with malice in it's eyes and began to laugh.
                    "You think a dirt wall is going to stop me? I can smell fear on you, and blood." It guffawed as Skye furiously unsheathed her wrist blades.
                    "Croc! Give her back, now!" Skye snarled and got ready to attack.
                    "You want her so bad? You can have her. After a taste." He put Heather's torso in his mouth and chomped down. Heather's screams turned into wet choking sounds as her ribs were crushed along with her lungs. Skye's face went from angry, to utter disbelief and tears freely started flowing down her cheeks like two rivers. Her legs wobbled, and she fell to her knees as Croc spat Heather out and punted her over to Skye with a clawed foot. Skye crawled over to Heather and held her head in her lap. She was dead.
                     "No...no no no...Heather wake up. Don't do this." She sobbed. Croc watched her crying, and began to laugh once again.
                     "She tasted like candy." He snorted. There was a lull in Skye's crying as he spoke. She stared at her hands which had become red with Heather's blood and started mumbling: "You killed her.......You killed her.....You killed her" over and over. Croc's smile faded as Skye looked up at him. Laxus and Makarov watched, shocked, as Skyes eyes began to glow bright blue, her face went blank, and she picked herself up from the ground. She continued to repeat her words as Croc took a step back and growled,"What's this energy?" and punched through the wall of earth to escape. Skye immediately gave chase as the earth around her rose up and sped her after the beast. She chased him to a large dead end reservoir of water it seemed he was planning on diving into. Still riding on the mound of earth, Skye froze the reservoir solid just as Croc leaped forward. He landed on the ice with a loud crack from his skull. He got up and slipped around on the ice, trying to get footing. Skye watched, eye's still aglow on the edge of the sewer tunnel. She extended her fists out, pointing them at the ceiling of the tunnels.
                       "Killer Croc, you have killed someone that I have come to love as a sister. Now, I'm going to kill you." There was no mercy in her voice as she thrust her fists down, and the tunnel followed suit. Croc was still trying to get up from the ice as the tunnel collapsed on top of him in a thunderous crash. Skye air bended the resulting dust cloud away and watched silently for signs of movement. After a few tense moments of nothing, the pile of rubble began to move. She jumped down, and landed evenly on the ice. Croc had dug an arm out of the rubble and was now clearing fallen rock away from his body. Skye knelt down and bent a large mass of water over the rubble pile and froze it, imprisoning Croc. After doing so, her eyes stopped glowing and she bent over, holding her head in her hands. 
                       " I killed her..." She whispered, and raced back down the tunnel, which seemed endless. She ran as fast as she could to the place where she had left her friend's body. Tears started to flow again as she rounded the corner, and stopped. Heather's body was gone, and the memory faded to black.
                   

                   

         

Ch 6: A Friend's Trust

                Skye made her way down the dark dorm hallways, ignoring several girls who had poked their heads out into the hall to see what the commotion was about. She stopped for a moment at the stairs and looked back down the hallway. Laxus and Makarov watched as she took a step back towards her room. But she lowered her eyes and went downstairs to the lobby. The staff desk was still lit up and Shiva was still working behind the desk. She looked up as Skye walked past.
                 "You should be in bed. Where are you going?" Shiva asked.
                 "I need some air..."Skye replied.
                 "You can't leave in the middle of the night, you don't have any more orders tonight."
                 "I'm just going out to the courtyard for a bit....I won't leave the property..."
                 "Fine, but I'm going to have to sign you up for detention hall tomorrow for the school records." Shiva started writing something down behind the desk, and handed Skye a blue slip of paper. Skye nodded and headed out the door. Her cheeks and nose turned pink the moment she stepped outside. The green, well kept grounds had been covered with a foot of snow for months, and icicles hung from the buildings like stalactites.  She shoved her hands in her pockets as she walked down the path lowering her eyes once more.
                 "Shit...the hell's wrong with me? Why'd I do that?" Skye muttered to herself. Her breath hung in the air like a soft mist. It was cold and quiet. The only sound was the snow crunching under Skye's boots. The courtyard was dark and the fountain was shut off, leaving the angel and cherubs covered in snow. She sat down on the edge of the fountain and looked up at the cloudy night sky.
                 "What are you doing now, Dad....Laxus? I miss you, but I can't come home," Her voice quivered and a tear ran down her rosy cheek, "Would you hate me if you knew what I've done? I know this isn't me, but what else can I do...I can't run." She looked over in the direction of the girl's dorms, "I should go apologize. Crap...how do I apologize for that?" Skye stood back up and brushed the snow off her pants, and set off back towards the dorm building.
                  Shiva was gone when Skye re-entered the building. She went directly up the stairs to the third floor. The hallway was silent once more, and every door was closed. When she reached her room, she paused for a moment, then went inside.
                  "Hey, Heath-", She started to say, but Heather was not in the room. Skye sat down on her bed, and unlaced her boots. The room was silent except for the ticking of the over large pink alarm clock on Heather's desk. She fell back and stared up at the underside of Heather's bunk, then the memory faded to black.

                   "And don't be walking on the grounds at night again. Do you understand Miss Sionis?" Mr. Kinsley scolded Skye as she exited the detention hall. The sun reflected on the snowy ground and she held her hand up over her eyes. She shivered slightly as a cold gust of wind crept down the collar of her dark blue Augustine coat. Many students stared at her as she passed through the courtyard, but she didn't seem to notice. The only thing that caught her attention was Heather. She was on the far side of the courtyard and was starting to walk down the driveway of the school. Skye followed her at a distance to the end of the driveway where it met up with a busy street.
                    "What's she doing?" Skye mumbled. She narrowed her eyes as Heather stopped at the end of the driveway, and stared into the traffic. Skye's eyes widened as Heather stepped forward.
                    "No...NO! Heather, stop," Skye charged forward. Heather stepped into the street as a bus sped toward her, "Heather!!!!" Skye screamed as she grabbed the back of Heather's jacket and yanked her back with all her strength, barely avoiding the bus as it rushed past.The force that Skye used to pull Heather back was so great, that it threw them both off balance and they fell on the ground together. Skye immediately got to her knees and pulled Heather into a sitting position, and then proceeded to slap her across the face.
                     "S-Skye?" Heather looked bewildered, but it was obvious that she had been crying moments before.
                     "What were you thinking? Why would you try to walk into traffic?" Skye scolded.
                     "You're right...nobody likes me. I don't have any friends here. No matter how hard I try, wherever I go people don't like me. I tried to fit in with the students here, but they don't think my family is rich enough for me to even be here. I tried to make friends with you, but you wouldn't even look at me...and last night...Why did you save me?" Heather's eyes filled with tears, and she looked away from Skye, as she helped her up.
                     "I'm sorry...about last night. I didn't really mean to be that mean to you. I just....We should talk. Lets go back to the dorm..." Skye's eyes softened as she spoke. They walked side by side in silence through the courtyard and down the path to the girls dorms. Shiva cast Skye a suspicious look as they entered the lobby. Skye ignored her and led Heather up the stairs.
                     Only when they got inside their dorm room, did Skye speak.
                     "I'm sorry...I know rooming with me hasn't been the most enjoyable experience in the world. I didn't mean what I said last night, I just had a hard night. I do like you...I just haven't had someone I can call a friend in a while. I guess I kind of forgot how to be nice." Skye sat down on her bed, while Heather sat down beside her.
                     "You like me? Really? Why didn't you even try to tell me?" Heather asked.
                     "Because you put me on edge....I'm not used to people being nice to me. You're the first one the be genuinely nice to me in over two years, and I didn't trust you to stay that way. But I never thought of ending it, no matter how hard things got for me. And you shouldn't either. You have too much to live for, even if the world around you grows dark, and you lose your way. You've just got to keep going." Skye replied.
                     "If you don't mind my asking, what did you go through?" Heather tentatively asked. Skye stared at her for a few moments before answering.
                     "I was taken away from my family over two years ago. Roman Sionis is not my father, he's my employer, and captor. And, as crazy as this is going to sound, I'm not even from this world." Heather looked shocked.
                     "Ah....what?" Heather lifted an eyebrow.
                     "I'm serious. I'm from a country called Fiore, in my world that's called Earthland. It's quite different from this one. Magic is pretty much the source of everything in Earthland. But I don't know any magic...I'm a Bender." Skye started to ramble on and on about Fiore, and Fairy Tail. Heather sat and listened intently to every word Skye said.
                     "You do realize how crazy you sound?" Heather interrupted Skye in the middle of explaining how guilds work. " Yeah, I guess I probably do sound a bit crazy. But, I can show you some bending. Watch this." Skye snapped her fingers and a small flame appeared just over her thumb. Heather clapped a hand to her mouth and stared at the small flickering flame in awe. Skye then made a circular, waving motion with her other hand and a small gust of wind blew in Heather's face.
                      "I can bend the four elements to my will. I've had this ability for as long as I can remember. Sionis doesn't know about it though. And he won't ever know about it." Skye smiled slightly.
                      "That's...holy crap! That's amazing! But wait...You said that Roman Sionis is your captor AND your employer? What do you mean by that?" Heather cocked her head. Skye looked down and shifted uncomfortably.
                      "You can't tell anyone."Skye said seriously. Heather frowned and nodded, and Skye continued.
                      "You know all the killings that have been in the papers for the past couple years? The ones where the murderer is still on the loose?" Skye asked. Heather looked confused, but then the light bulb clicked on. She stared at Skye in disbelief and pointed at her.
                      "It's you?"
                      "Yeah...it's me. It's not like I want to do it. I don't have a choice. If I defy Black Mask, he'll kill me. He's punishing me for accidentally killing his right hand man when another person and myself stumbled upon this world. I didn't mean to do it. But it was like I was controlling him....it was scary. But the way it works, is he gives me a call, tells me a name and address and I go and do the job. Then I come back here and assume the normal school girl charade. I want more than anything else in the world to go home, but I don't think that's going to happen." Skye leaned forward and looked down at her feet. She jumped at feeling Heather's hand on her shoulder.
                      "Don't say that. There may be a time where you can go home. You can't give up hope. And even though I could easily go call the police with all that you just told me, I'm not going to. You won't have to go through this alone anymore. You can lean on me when you need to. That's what friends are for right? Heather smiled kindly at Skye, "You're not a bad person. If you were, I would be dead, and we wouldn't be having this conversation." Skye smiled back.
                      "Thank you, Heather. That sounds like something Laxus would have said." Skye blushed slightly.
                      "Who's Laxus?" Heather looked confused.
                      "He's my best friend. He's always there for me. Even if he acts like he doesn't care, he's one of the most caring people I know. When we were little, we'd get into so much trouble together, but he'd try to take the blame every time. It didn't work, but it was sweet of him. I could always count on him for anything." Skye smiled sadly, "I miss him so much, it hurts like crazy." Her eyes softened and grew moist. Laxus walked over to Skye and knelt down so he was face to face with her.
                      "I missed you too...more than you know." He whispered. Heather looked at Skye with empathy, and hugged her from the side.
                      "You will see him again. I'm sure of it," Skye wiped her eyes and smiled at Heather. A large growl coming from Heather's stomach interrupted their hug. Before she could stop herself, Skye let out a laugh.
                      "Sorry!" Skye said quickly, but Heather laughed back.
                      "It's okay, lets head down to dinner. I think it's chicken tonight." Heather stood up and held her hand out to Skye, who took it. The two girls left the dorm room together as Skye's memory faded out once more.