It's been awhile, not happy it took so long, but my last year of University really took its toll on me with all the stress and work that came with it. But the upside is that I now have a bachelor's degree and I now have to find my way in this world. I hope everybody is doing okay with the this nasty disease going around causing everyone to act crazily. I'm fortunate enough to still be working, at a store, but I know lot's of people out there are unemployed because of multiple states having stay home orders. I hope the curve flattens and goes down so we can start going back to normal.

This chapter is perhaps the most angsty chapter I've ever written, and it has the most expletives I think I've used in a chapter.

Crossing Paths

Tower of Heaven, x784

I expected to be thrown in some dark, dank cell that was most likely used to hold child slaves, but no, it seems like Jellal is possibly trying to play some sort of mind game by having me reside in a nice, well-furnished room that has everything that I'll ever need. It even has a bathroom with a nice tub and vanity mirror with marble counter tops. To make things even more comfortable for me, he instructed via Lacrima to have my cuffs taken off once I was inside the room.

Arrogant bastard.

Honestly, I'm more annoyed than freaked out, if that was his intention. Is he trying to buy me over with a lavish room? Is he trying to lull me into some sort of false sense of security by treating me all nice? Maybe if I were some random person who didn't have knowledge of the future and had said knowledge recorded in a notebook that is encrypted in a code that I came up with and the notebook itself is protected by a high level enchant that I may or may not have pulled some strings to learn, before modifying it and improving it to suit my needs.

Paranoid much?

Can never be too careful. What I know can cause irreparable harm, especially if fell into the wrong hands.

No, Jellal will not fool me. He can't fool me. I knew all his cards before he even started playing the game! However, knowing someone's hand and actually acting on them in a skilled and effective manner is something else entirely. This is fucking Jellal! The real Jellal! This Jellal is still under the influence of some sort of possession magic that makes him into a complete sociopath hellbent on reviving a black wizard that isn't even dead but is moping on an island somewhere in the great ocean. Oh, I would love to see his face when he found out this fact and spent the last decade or so building something that probably won't work and will most likely anger the great and mighty death god, Ankhseram!

I fell the high-quality wallpaper on the walls, running my fingers against its textured surface, which had flowers of many different colors strewn across it. I give an experimental knock and feel how solid the wall is. I frown and I slam a fist against the wall and hear the distinct sound of metal reverberating. Yep, he's using some sort of magic suppressing material, one that won't break from powerful magic. So, this room, while nice and luxurious, is just a prison cell. A very nice prison with silk sheet beds, hard wood floors, fully decked out bathroom, and very nice furniture, which looked mahogany. It's a shame it will all be destroyed when this place inevitably comes crashing down to the ground.

I feel myself scowl. This place was built with slave labor. God knows how many slaves toiled building this place before they revolted. How much of their sweat and tears flowed out of them as they worked in piss-poor conditions against their will? How much blood had soaked the ground before they rose up against their oppressors? I feel myself clench up as think about how Erza had to endure this misery for how many years, her young, child body being worked to death, her face becoming permanently mutilated by a wicked man's knife.

But the real fucked up part is that, after all the slaves finally decided they had enough and started killing all their oppressors, regaining their liberty and putting themselves in charge of their fate, they were betrayed by a boy who had his mind brainwashed by an insidious magic that corrupted him. Soon the unwilling slaves who had a fraternity forged by shared hardship was lied to by one of their own, and that boy had branded my sister as a traitor, framing her for the murder of her fellow ex-slaves, and casted aside into the great sea with dismal chances of survival and forcing her to live in fear. The ex-slaves, formerly forced to build their oppressors' useless tower, now became willing servants to man who himself had his mind subjected to the bondage of a wicked spell, turning a kind and Nobel heart to a wicked one that only liked to play games with people's emotions and is obsessed with resurrecting someone who isn't even dead!

What a tremendous waste of life!

Now here I stand, in a monument to human misery and suffering, waiting for the right moment rid the world of such a monstrosity. Perhaps I can make up for my complete failure of not recognizing where I was all those years ago when Rosemary was conflagrated and all those children, my sister and Kagura's brother included, were enslaved and forced to live an existence that was of a lower level than a beast of burden. Perhaps bringing this monument of sin down and pulverizing it until it's nothing but ashes can cleanse me of my sin of forgetfulness. Perhaps I can be redeemed for my inaction all those years ago.

I walk up to the large wooden dresser, where a large mirror hung on the wall above it and examine my appearance. My hair is a bit greasy from not bathing since I completed my last job and beat the ever living crap out of Erza's ex-prison friends, which I may or may not have gone a little too hard on, but I can't deny it felt good doing it. It was almost cathartic. I know I shouldn't feel that way after beating a bunch of people who have been lied to for almost their entire life by a brainwashed madman, but I can't help it. It was foolish of them to attack me like that. Did they really think they could attack a S-Class mage out in the open like that and not get utterly destroyed? The only reason they were able to beat the members of the main Fairy Tail crew was because except for Erza, none of them were S-Class, and they got them by surprise. And even then, they did very little damage. If they didn't have some sick and twisted emotional leverage over Erza, then she would have kicked their asses much in the same way I had done. Perhaps Erza would have been a bit gentler than I would have, but they would be beaten just the same.

The cat girl, Miliana, she is going to be a future guild member. I should make it up to her somehow when this is all over. If she decides to join. Who knows what sort of changes will be made once this whole ordeal is over?

I sit down on the bed, its silken sheets smooth and soft the touch. Too bad I can't take these home, they are genuinely nice sheets, too bad they were probably bought illegally with redirected funds from the council that Jellal somehow managed to swipe.

I hear the doorknob turn and the door creak open. I narrow my eyes as I direct my attention towards it. Walking through the door is a man I've only seen on a computer screen when I watched the anime, and in the newspapers when he became a wizard saint. There he was in all his glory. A white shirt underneath an unzipped hoodie with white trim and a golden emblem of some kind. But what was striking was his blue hair and the large tattoo on the right side of his face. Said face was smirking in a smug fashion that immediately irritated me, despite my heart beating out of my chest from nervousness. I steel my emotions however and keep my face in a death glare that would make my sister proud.

"Hmm…" He examines me with an observant look before his smug smirk becomes wider, letting out a small chuckle he says, "You are definitely Erza's sister. I've been on the receiving end of that glare far too many times to be effected by it…" He closes the door behind him.

The mention of Erza's name makes me clench my fist and grit my teeth, "Where is she!?" I let the words erupt from my mouth. I'm letting my genuine anger cover up the fact I most likely know the answer, "What did you do to her!?" I get off the bed, standing to my full height, and march over to him.

I don't know what I'm doing marching up to him like this, but my anger has given me the shot of courage that I need right now.

He doesn't react, his infuriating smirk still on his face as I stand above him, looking down to meet him in the eyes, examining him. He was shorter than I imagined, but then again, I usually towered over normal people, so I shouldn't be surprised.

"Oh, I haven't done anything to her." He says smoothly, "And right now, she should be at a resort having a lovely evening." He let out a chuckle, "However, that will have to be cut short. She is currently in the process of being retrieved. She does have an important date to attend to, and it would be rude for her to keep me and you waiting, no?"

Oh, I really want to punch him right now. I narrow my eyes, "So, Councilman Siegrain, do you make it a habit to kidnap people for nefarious plots?" I scowl, "Actually, is that even your real name? It seems foolish for evil-doers to use their real names when infiltrating high government offices." I start sparking electricity around my body, which causes him to narrow his eyes a little, the only other reaction he has given other than pure smug, "Is this even you? For a wizard saint, your magic doesn't feel like it. I can sense it. Or you some sort of doppelganger created by the real Siegrain's magic? I could just beat you half to death right now and drag your pretty-boy ass to prison."

He is silent for a moment before he starts chuckle, which turns into laughter that is full of amusement, "Oh I can see why the council likes you, Miss Crimson!" His tone of voice is impressed, but yet retains a tinge of arrogance, "Powerful just like your sister, but more mindful of public property, and you have a sharp mind." He laughs again, "You managed to figure out in a moment of observation and reasoning what the Magic Council, which has some very intelligent members on its roster, could not in the almost decade I have been affiliated with them." He starts to clap, "Bravo! I must applaud you Miss Crimson."

I stay silent, letting the expression on my face and the crackling of electricity show my lack of amusement with his attitude.

He stops clapping and shakes his head, "Hmpf, it seems like you and your sister do share the quality of being a buzzkill." He smirks once more, "Very well, I shall introduce myself." He points to himself, "I am Jellal Fernandes, but you may know me by the name of Siegrain, Wizard Saint and Council member. And you are almost right about me being a doppelganger. This is just a thought projection, a skill I have such proficiency in, that I can make it solid and interactable." He sighs dramatically, "But alas, such a technique saps half of my magic power, thus the reason you think you can beat me down like some lowly thug that you may find on the roadside trying to rob you." He looks me in the eyes, a dangerous glint in his eyes that gives me internal shivers, "But if it's a fight that you want, I could just recall my other half right now and we can get the show on the road…" He taunts.

I narrow my eyes, "If you are currently split in two, then you must be so for an important reason. I doubt you would take normally approach an S-class wizard with only half your power…" I increase the flow of my magic, making the electricity flowing around my body crackle more violently, and I step a little bit closer to him to the point that we are almost touching, " So I am going to ask you, what are you planning and why shouldn't I beat the life out of you right now?" I use my very real anger to hide my nervousness of threatening one of the most powerful wizards in the world.

"You truly are like your sister…" Jellal's cocky smirk disappears as he lets out sigh, "It is true that my other half is doing something important and you could definitely beat this half with no problem, however…" He holds a hand up and wags his finger tauntingly, " Defeating this half would only just make it return to the other, leaving you in a room which walls are made out of an anti-magical material designed to hold in even the most troublesome of wizards." His smug smirk returns, and he utters something in a low voice, "You don't behave, and I'll rejoin my forms and personally retrieve Erza myself, and I will not be gentle with her or her friends, I promise you…"

His words are like a bucket ice being poured on me. I know that he is most likely bluffing, but the exact details of his projection ability are a bit fuzzy to me. I'm not sure if can actually do what he's threatening to do. I don't know if my presence has changed something ever so slightly that his real form is Siegrain while I am just talking to the projection half.

My sparking electricity stops and the anger that keeping up my façade of false confidence disappears and is replaced by fear and uncertainty. I use what's left of my resolve to keep myself from turning into an emotional mess in front of him. The moment he sees what effect his words have on me, he knows he's won, and his smirk becomes a full-on grin, "And just like your sister, you have the same weakness…" He reaches up and puts his hand on my chin, and I flinch away, repulsed by his presence, "Hmpf, perhaps her resolve is a bit more iron clad…" He starts to laugh, "Although, I can't blame her! She went through so much in her life…" His eye becomes swallowed up by a wicked symbol and his face becomes full of malice. I back away from him as he continues his rant, "Her whole village razed, thrown into slavery, beaten and tortured, forced to labor day and night, oh yes, she has suffered!" He looks to me, "And she could have joined me! She could have eased her suffering and lived a much easier life by my side! But no, she chose to leave and go on with her life!" He points to me, "She chose you! And so, she chose to suffer even more, because she chose to go back to you!" He shakes his head, "Foolish choice, because of it, she had to avoid you, to vainly hid you from me, which failed and now she will suffer even more…"

His words are a like a knife through my heart, and images of Erza from my nightmares appear in my head, her baleful expression piercing into to me as she attacks me, calling me out for my failure.

My breath hitches.

Jellal turns towards the door, opening it, and looks over his shoulder with his cursed eye peering at me, "If you want to avoid her suffering more, just stay here and behave. You and your sister will play a big part in the return of the great dark lord…" He walks out and closes the door behind him.

I'm causing Erza to suffer…

It's my fault…

I feel warm salty tears start to well up in my eyes. I feel lightheaded and release the breath I was holding. I feel shaky, unbalanced, like the world around me doesn't matter anymore.

I should have done more!

'Are you doubting yourself now?'

I should have told someone! Fuck keeping quiet. Fuck staying away from plot!

Anger builds within me. Magic power starts to surge within my core.

'You know why that's a bad idea… No one would believe you…'

Yes they would! Damnit they would have! I would make them!

'And then what? Expose yourself to the world as some sort of oracle?'

I feel my teeth grit as the feeling of anger starts to morph into something more.

I don't care! They can think whatever they want! At least my sister wouldn't have to had suffer because of my inaction! The tears start flowing down my cheeks as I walk towards the bed in the room.

'And you think that would be a good idea? Remember, there are those who would do great, but terrible things, for the things you know…'

I don't care! I-I don't fucking care! At least I would have my sister! She would be there with me! She wouldn't be in some God forsaken slave camp! She wouldn't have had her body mutilated; her emotions stunted! She wouldn't be taunted and tortured by Jellal!

'And if you did go through with your idea of revealing knowledge, what would you do about all the evil still left in the world? Oracion Seis? Grimoire Heart? Tartaros? You remember how that arc went. How they have no regard for human life. You remember what they did to Erza.'

Shut up!

'You think staying away, reducing the variables that your presence in the world would cause was a bad idea? Think about this for a moment…'

Shut up!

I reach the bed, anger fully evolved into something more. It wasn't anger any more, but full primal rage, I feel my magic power bursting out of my core and feel electricity spark along my form. My right eye starts to sting a little, but it is easily ignored.

'Let's say you convince everyone that you know where Erza is, you reveal where she and the rest of the slaves are at. How do you explain your unbelievable knowledge? Claim you know the future? Now you and Erza are a target. You have knowledge anyone in the world wants, and Erza is just a potential tool to extort you to do the bidding of whoever captures her…'

Stop it! Just be quiet!

'You think Erza's suffering is great now? That's nothing compared to what the likes of Tartaros could do. They don't care and are endless in their cruelty. They are not above using siblings… Remember Elfman…'

Please, just stop!

'Your decision was the right one! You chose to do deny yourself of Erza, to protect her when it really mattered! You think ruining the world early is what's best? You think Erza's suffering is bad now? You exposing yourself to the world would make it easier on you? On Erza?'

Shut up! Shut up! You're wrong!

'No! Malevolent forces have eyes and ears everywhere. You think the council could keep you safe? The council is rotten to the core! At the very top, the chairman, was working for the demons who stripped Erza of her dignity, hanging in chains in her own filth, tortured with a curse that makes those inflicted feel the worse pain they could ever feel! If you did something all those years ago, Erza would just end up in the same situation, but instead of being the strong willed, battle hardened woman you know, she would just be a child, defenseless and fragile! Then it really would be all your FAULT!'

Shut the fuck up!

I feel a roar of primal fury leave me as I rip the sheets off the bed with such speed and force, that they tear. "Fuck this room!", I immediately immolate them into oblivion with crimson lightning. I feel my magic power exploding in my rage and while ignoring the disgusting smell from the scorched sheets, which were more like ashes now, I grab the mattress with one hand and throw it across the room at the door, the pillows flying in random directions. Lightning is bursting out of me, singeing the walls with the intense heat of the electrical arcs.

'…'

The next victim of my rampage is the wooden dresser, which is split two by a magically enhanced kick, sending splinters everywhere. "Fuck you!" I began to stomp on its remains like it were a barrel of grapes. I don't care if there were wood chunks being flung everywhere, I don't care if some of them are cutting my leg.

'…'

I activate my gauntlets and step back, ready to destroy my next target. I wind up and start to follow through, but I am stopped in my tracks by the reflection in the mirror.

Black, inky lines that appear to be moving and flowing are on the right side of my face, all of them seem to be coming from my right eye, which has its sclera completely blacked out, only leaving the red of my iris.

'…'

I blink.

It's all gone. All there is just my normal self. Panting, disheveled and red faced from anger. No evidence of what I just saw is there. I feel my face and nothing out of the ordinary. I stretch the skin around my eye to see, but nothing there. I back away from the mirror, my breath shaky, and I hit the other wall and slide down the ground with my back against the wall.

Am I going insane? Am I just seeing things from some sort of lack of oxygen? I swear I didn't imagine that! That really happened, right?

My body starts to shake with pained sobs, as the animal rage is now replaced with pain and sorrow. The adrenaline is starting to wear off and my legs start to hurt from the cuts that the wood splinters had made. Nothing too bad, more like papercuts and they will heal very fast with magic, but they still sting like crazy.

I sit against the wall, my nose now numb to the smell of scorched silk, charred wallpaper, and sawdust from pulverized wood, and I contemplate my situation. Why did I agree to go with Simon and follow his plan? I could have just gone straight to Erza…

The thought of that makes me seize up a little.

Why am I so useless? I'm afraid of my own sister… Or is she my sister? I am I just an imposter who hijacked the real Rubi? Is she some separate conscious that is inside me somewhere? I remember a lot of fanfictions having their reincarnated characters having something like that going on… Am I just holding the real Rubi prisoner in her own body, forcing her to watch as I live her life? Am I making her watch me make her sister suffer?

I feel emotionally dead now. I'm too drained to cry, too sapped of energy to sob. I look around with half-lidded eyes to survey the destruction of my warpath, and I sigh. I threw a fit and devolved into a rabid animal, with the angry primate side of my brain arguing with the rational person side of my brain. I don't think I ever remember having such a mind-bending fit in both of my lives. These are extraordinary circumstances, I guess…

I grimace and start chewing the inside of my cheek as I think.

I am a total emotional wreck. I keep these emotions of anxiety and fear bottled up and filed away deep within and ignore them until they are unavoidable. All those nightmares, all those nights of restless sleep, all those times where I would just lie in bed and stare at the ceiling all night until dawn, the times I would work in my workshop all night…

What am I going to do when I finally see Erza again? What am I going to say? There's a part of me that just wants to run away and hid somewhere and pretend nothing is wrong, that no one else exists. But another part craves to feel her embrace, to hear voice comfort me like when we were in Rosemary when I would have nightmares about my old life, back when I was trying to come to terms with never being able to see my family again. I would always wake up with her wrapped around me like a blanket, reassuring me that she was there to keep me safe from my terror and sadness.

Despite me knowing she'd love me no matter what, that she'd do anything for me, I can't get these damn thoughts out of my head of her hating me. All those nightmares I've had over the years of her trying to kill me, trying to disown me, trying to make me miserable keep resurfacing, keep dragging me down into despair.

I…

I'm scared.

I don't know what to do…

I feel pathetic.

I am an S-Class wizard of the great Mermaid Heel! I shouldn't be some scared little girl crying her eyes out. I've killed dangerous beasts that have terrorized villages! I've beaten up renegade mages who have turned to the dark side! Yet here I am, acting like I am powerless to do anything!

Some S-Class wizard I am.

What's even worse, Kagura is probably worrying where I am right now. I haven't seen her in weeks, and I just want to go home so I can be around her. She keeps me grounded, makes sure I don't overwork myself. Despite being emotionally drained and overwhelmingly tired, I can't help but smile when I think of her. A warm feeling in my chest makes itself known and I let out a laugh.

Friends are such a nice thing to have…

…I think I'm just lonely….

I get up, my body sore from the awkwardness of being propped up against a wall, and I go to retrieve the mattress that I threw against the door in my fit of rage. Miraculously, it didn't get hit by my magic and didn't get torn when I had thrown it. I lay it flat on the floor and proceed to lay on it, not caring if it had sheets or not. I'm tired and if I am going to take down Jellal with Erza, I'm going to need sleep. I'll deal with the emotional crap there and then.

Not only am I going to help take down Jellal, I'm going to make sure Simon survives as well. I almost forgot that the man I met that afternoon was Kagura's brother. Kagura deserves happiness. I have done a terrible thing by keeping Simon's location a secret.

I don't deserve Kagura. If she ever found I have been lying to her all these years, about Simon, about who I really am, she would never forgive me, nor would I deserve her forgiveness in the first place.

I am terrible human being.

Scum.

I am probably screwing up everything by just being here. What if someone dies when they aren't supposed to? All these years I've been trying not to interfere with the main story, but who knows what effect that me being a successful and powerful mage has had. I know very well how the smallest ripples can cause the biggest of impacts. I had to become strong though! I didn't want to be useless on the sidelines, being a burden to everyone and compromising everything. But yet here I am, useless with handling my emotions, useless with handling my fears, and useless in the handling of this whole situation.

I should have kicked Jellal's ass when he was at half power. I knew he was bullshitting me about that half dissipating to his Siegrain half. I knew that the half that spoke to me, taunted me, was the real one. But that bastard is just as good at pushing the right buttons as he is in the anime, and damn did he play me like a fiddle. I have all this knowledge and yet I can't even use it properly. I guess all that time writing it all down so I wouldn't forget it was a waste, right?

What makes it worse is that it wasn't even Jellal really speaking to me. It was some sociopathic personality developed by that nasty possession magic that has him bounded up within his own mind. So, I let a magical personality beat me down emotionally.

I growl in frustration, but then take a deep breath.

Whatever! I'm so done with today!

I start to feel my energy leave me as my eyes start to get heavier. Eventually sleep does claim me as my eyes close and I drift out of consciousness.

XXX

What was Rubina to her?

That was a question Kagura had increasingly asked herself over the years.

Kagura's memories of Rosemary were a bit faded with her young age and a decade of time passed playing a huge factor. Kagura is sad to admit she can barely remember her previous life as an innocent child before it was swiftly killed by the tip of a sword. There are few things she can remember clearly, like how her father and mother looked, how they acted and how they showed great love for her and her brother, Simon. Kagura can remember a little before she formerly met Rubina. Her memories of that time were mostly her being with her brother and seeing the two girls with scarlet hair run around the village. Kagura would always look at her brother and see him paying close attention to Rubina's sister. Whenever she asked him what was wrong, his face would match the girls' hair and he would sputter and look away.

Oh, how naïve she was back then, not understanding what her brother had, not knowing the word for it until after the great catastrophe when Rubina and her were sitting on that dock and the girl happened to mention it. Now that Kagura thinks about it, Rubina was very mature for a girl her age. Rubina had always been very mature, acting more like an adult than a small child. Sometimes she would act her age, but most of the time she always seemed to know things and understand them too. Kagura first learned the word "crush" from her, but it was years before she actually understood what it meant.

Rubina was the last remnant of her childhood that Kagura still had. She was the last person she had that she could relate with, that she could share her troubles with. Kagura still had nightmares about back then, but they were very rare, and when they happened, Rubina would be there next her, embracing her with the same care and affection that she remembered her mother had when she was a child. Kagura returned the favor to Rubina, who had nightmares more frequently than Kagura, and seemed to be more intense as well. Kagura didn't know exactly what was going on in Rubina's night terrors, but there were times where she mumbled out words of remorse and guilt. Kagura suspects Rubina was thinking back to her last moment of seeing Erza, where she stuffed the two of them in a box to distract the murderers and lead them away so they could leave. Perhaps Rubina thinks that if she were not there or if she were the one to lead them away, Erza wouldn't have to had done that.

Perhaps her maturity and advanced understanding have its downsides. Rubina was never good at hiding her intelligence and wisdom, and what comes with those traits is a greater understanding of the world, both good and bad. Those more enlightened can feel greater guilt, sadness, and trauma than a more naïve child could. Kagura tries not to dwell on the past and tries to push forward, and her being a child back then really helps with that, because she couldn't understand what was really happening back then. But Rubina, for some reason, could. Rubina seemed like an adult since the day Kagura met her, now that Kagura reflects back on it, she thinks Rubina might have something that she learned about recently, which is some sort of "survivors' guilt" or something. Rubina doesn't really like to talk about her nightmares, just muffled sobs as she holds on to Kagura until she falls back asleep.

She's not going lie, Kagura can't help but feel her heart race and face heat up when Rubina latches on to her when she is at her most vulnerable. That brings her back to what Rubina is to Kagura and the meaning of the word "crush". At first, Kagura's affection towards Rubina was like of a best friend, and then like sister. They did everything together, talked about everything, and were inseparable. Rubina, despite the same age as her, kind of acted like an older sister because of her maturity, and kept her emotionally grounded through the hard times, guiding her and providing an outlet. As Kagura began to grow, she stopped being a naïve kid and she started noticing things about the girl she didn't pay attention to, things like how silky and beautiful her hair was, how her eyes shown like bright sparkling rubies, her voice being very pleasant to hear, and how Kagura would get weird flutters in her chest whenever she started staring at her friend. She realized that she was doing the same thing her brother used to do with Rubina's sister, and that's when she realized what the word "crush" really meant.

At first, she tried her hardest to brush it off as a brief infatuation or something. She told herself that it was just her caring for her and appreciating her good looks. There was another issue as well, because all Kagura thought that it was men she should be attracted to. She never seen a same-sex couple in her time in Rosemary, and the only idea of romantic love she had was that of between a man and a woman. She tried to brush these feelings off, the ever-growing attraction, the wanting, the craving she had towards her friend, who had been like a sister to her, and almost felt disgusted with herself for it. But then, her mind was open-ended once more, as with age comes awareness, and with awareness come knowledge and wisdom. She started noticing some of the guild members being more than friendly with each other, and she learned that there were quite a few couples in the guild. She also noticed how Rubina herself would stare at some of the more attractive members, which may or may not have sparked some possessiveness in Kagura's heart. After much hesitation and sputtering, she did what she always did and asked Rubina. Said girl turned beat red when she explained how it didn't matter who you loved, and that Fiore was very progressive in its attitudes towards relationships between two people of the same sex.

Kagura couldn't look Rubina in the eyes for a while after that line of inquiry, but a huge weight was lifted off her chest and she felt better about herself. She was still in denial and refused to believe she had a crush on her friend, but puberty had made it harder to keep fooling herself, and as she grew, so did the object of her attraction. Rubina grew more beautiful in Kagura's eyes, her body matching the maturity she exhibited, and it led to Kagura taking making cold showers to keep herself in control. Kagura cursed her body for betraying her, but she knew deep down that it couldn't be helped, and after their little time travel adventure, which Kagura still doesn't believe that actually happened, Kagura finally gave in and admitted to herself that she loved Rubina not just as a friend, but as someone she wanted to be with romantically.

She remembered what Arvella had said to her, about when someone is intoxicated, they show sides of themselves that normally don't show. Kagura never seen Rubina act so uncontrolled before. She never seen what she looks like when her maturity and restraint is turned off, and her instincts and inner-feelings are in full control. The way Rubina pinned her down that night, their breaths being shared, their faces almost touching, the pleasant heat of Rubina's body on top of her, and the latent desire that was in those beautiful red eyes replays in Kagura's head all the time. Despite it being one giant tease by a heavily intoxicated Rubina, it makes Kagura heat up just thinking about it, and it also gave her hope. It gave her the possibility that Rubina thought of her just like she thought of Rubina.

She had chance of her dreams coming true, but she was afraid. She was afraid that she would be wrong, and that she would ruin their friendship. Rubina was all that she had left, she couldn't risk losing her, despite her desire that was pushing Kagura to act on her urges and try to pursue Rubina. Kagura just wanted to wait, and maybe her chance would come from Rubina, who would decide to ask her out, so that Kagura wouldn't have to.

But now, something has happened to Rubina, Kagura was sure of it. She found the board in Rubina's workshop and had an idea where she would be! Kagura loves Rubina with all her heart, and even if she didn't reciprocate her feelings, Kagura would go to the ends of the planet for her. Whoever is giving the girl she loves trouble, will feel her wrath. For years, it had been Rubina leading the charge in life, guiding her through the aftermath of Rosemary, through their childhood, through their struggles as young wizard, and now it was her turn to return the favor.

The sight she saw when she approached Akane Resort was both troubling and encouraging. The crowd of people running out in terror, local security guiding the deluge of resort goers as best they could. Her face grew serious as she approached a man who looked like the head of the security force. "You!" She shouted, making the man jump back in fright, "What happened here!?" She demanded.

"U-Uh…" He stuttered at the intense aura Kagura was giving off, "W-Who are you!?" He blurted out.

Kagura's eyes narrowed, "Kagura Mikazuchi, S-Class Wizard from Mermaid Heel." She growled out, scarring the poor security chief even more, "I have a missing guildmate, and I think I've tracked her whereabouts to here." She looked at the flood of people coming out again, "And it seems whomever abducted my Ru- I mean guildmate struck here…" She turned her gaze back to the security chief, an aura of magic enveloping her, "So tell me. What. Happened. Here?"

He caved under her domineering attitude and her intense magical aura. S-Class Wizards were sometimes called monsters because of the power some of them could achieve, and he wasn't going to deny one of them just because she didn't work for the resort, "T-The Casino was attacked by some rouge wizards, that's all we know so far, I-I swear!"

Kagura eyed him for a moment before nodding. She leaped over the crowd of people with a magic enhanced jump and entered the casino area of the resort through an emergency exit, where the most curious sight greeted her. On the ground was a blonde woman, bound up in some sort of rope, squirming around and trying to talk to…cards?

Said woman spotted her and shouted, "Hey, can you get me out these! My friends were attacked, and they took Erza!" She looked to Kagura with a pleading look.

Kagura's heart jolted a moment when she heard the name Erza, but she quickly shook it off, and rushed over to the woman. With a quick swipe of her sword, the bindings that were holding the woman were severed and the blonde was set free, "Thank you!" The woman said gratefully as she sprang to her feet, "I was really in a bind there!" She then grabbed what looked like golden keys and started running towards another section of the resort, "I have to check on my friends!"

"Wait!" Kagura shouted but sighed as it was no use and went after the blonde woman. She eventually caught up with the blonde and she found herself in a large room, and there were more people. A blue haired woman with an interesting hair-cut with a matching blue dress and a large golden necklace. A tall man with a red shirt and black tie was also there, and they were talking to the blonde woman.

"You!" Kagura said to the blonde woman, causing her to jump and turn around to face her, "Don't go running off without explaining things first!" She growled in frustration.

"Y-Yes" the blonde stammered nervously. 'This woman is almost as intense as Erza…Or Rubi-san when we are on that ship…' Lucy thought.

The man eyed Kagura suspiciously, his body tensing, "And who, may you be?" His eyes narrowed.

"Are you here to compete for Gray-sama as well?" The blue haired woman growled.

Kagura narrowed her eyes in return, ignoring the blue haired woman, "I am Kagura Mikazuchi, S-Class wizard from Mermaid Heel." She couldn't help her rising magical power, "My guildmate has been kidnapped, and so it seems that a friend of yours has as well…" She referred to what the blonde said about Erza, "So would you so kindly tell me what happened?" It wasn't a request; it was a demand.

An icy chill started surrounding the man, "Oh, and how would you know-"

"Stop!" the blonde shouted, causing both wizards to look at her, "Gray, Kagura-san here untied me here, she's no enemy." She shouted at Gray.

Gray blinked before sighing, the icy chill disappearing, "Well, if you say so." He looked back at Kagura, "She doesn't have to be so demanding though. How was I supposed to know she was friendly with that forceful attitude of hers?'

Kagura took a deep breath. She wasn't normally this rude, but Rubi being gone has put her on edge, "I apologize for my behavior." She said curtly, "My friend, Rubi, has been abducted and evidence suggested her abductors were heading here."

The blonde gasped, "Did you say Ru-"

Whatever the blonde was about to say was abruptly interrupted by tremendous shout and a sudden burst of flames coming from a pile of rubble like a volcano. Kagura instinctively put her hand on her sword, ready to deal with the potential threat.

"Natsu!" the Gray and the blonde shouted in unison and the trio started to run towards where the flame had been.

Kagura took her hand off her sword and sighed, "People just keep running off…" She grumbled as she followed the trio.

"Natsu! Did something happen!?" Gray asked a pink haired man who had smoke coming out of his mouth.

"Is it normal to go shooting people in the mouth!?" The man, Natsu, yelled in anger. He covered his mouth, "That hurt! A guy could get hurt really bad!"

The trio, plus Kagura deadpanned. 'Is he an idiot? Most people would die if they got shot in the mouth…

"THAT DAMN BLOCKHEAD!" Natsu shouted in rage, then started running past the trio of wizards in front of Kagura, but as he passed the purple-nette, he skidded to a halt. "Hm!?" He turned around and looked at her with an inquisitive glare.

"What are yo-" Kagura stopped as a shiver went up her spine as the pink haired man started… sniffing her?

"You smell like-"

"Get away you p-pervert!" Kagura backhanded him away with uncharacteristic girlish shriek, sending the dragon slayer several yards away. Her face was flushed with… embarrassment? Disgust? How does one act when someone starts sniffing you like a dog?

"Hey, lady, cool it, Natsu is no pervert, just an idiot hot head." Said Gray, "He probably smelled something on ya, he has a nose more sensitive than the greatest of hound dogs…" He walked right next to her.

Kagura looked to the man and was about to say something then she noticed. He was in his underwear. Just his underwear. "P-Pervert!" She yelled in shock as she delivered a high kick to Gray's chest, sending across the room and into a pile of rubble.

"Gray-sama!" Cried the blue haired woman as she ran after the nearly naked Gray, who looked knocked out.

Kagura was breathing heavily, all she wanted to do was find Rubi, and her sister, and so far she has only gotten two perverts doing fiendish things around her.

'She seems crazy strong, just like Rubi-san… Are all S-class wizards this powerful' The blonde thought as she walked next to Kagura, "Please calm down, Kagura-san, Natsu can be a bit… Impulsive…" The blonde put a hand on her shoulder, trying to placate the annoyed swordswoman, "And Gray, well, he can't help stripping out of his clothes, he does without him even realizing it sometimes…" The blonde sighed, "I'm Lucy by the way, the pink haired one is Natsu, the other one is Gray, and well, the blue haired woman is Juvia… I think. She has been hanging around us for some reason…" Kagura looked to the blonde, who had an exasperated expression on her face before smiling, "Well me, Natsu and Gray are guild members of Fairy Tail!" She lifts her hand up to show the pink guild mark on her hand.

"Fairy Tail…" Kagura mouths, "Where have I heard that name before…"

"Well, we are pretty famous…" Lucy says bashfully.

Kagura snaps her fingers, "Ah, now I remember, Master is always talking about how this one guild keeps raking up large repair debts and if me and Rubi ever did the same, she'd kill us!" Kagura said, "You're that Fairy Tail."

Lucy deadpanned, "Yes…" She slumped her shoulders and sighed. 'I think Rubi-san said something similar when I mentioned Fairy Tail in Hargeon' Lucy thought before she let out a gasp, "Wait, you said, Rubi!" Lucy grinned, "I met a Rubi from Mermaid Heel a few months ago in Hargeon."

Kagura turned her complete attention to Lucy, "You've met Rubi?" She asked seriously before some sort of recognition came across her features, "I remember Rubi mentioning how she and a another took down a ship full of slavers in Hargeon." Her fists tightened, "Oh I wish she would have done more than let the authorities arrest them." She let out a calming breath, "That was you with her, wasn't it?"

Lucy nodded, and rubbed the back of her head, "Yeah, but it was mostly Rubi. All I did was accidentally flood the beach of Hargeon and Natsu set a lot of it on fire…heh" She said sheepishly, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

Kagura sighed then let out a chuckle, "So the reputation is quite accurate…"

"Hey what did you do that for!" Came the angry voice of Natsu, who was now suddenly right in front of the two women.

Kagura deadpanned, "You were smelling me like some sort deviant! How was I supposed to know what your intentions were!?"

Natsu crossed his arms, "Not my fault you have Erza's smell on you!"

Kagura froze on the inside. 'Smell like Erza? The other man, Gray I think, said that this Natsu's nose is a good as a hound's. If I smell like Erza, then it must Rubi's sister, because only Rubi would be the reason why I smell like her sister… I smell like Rubi… Huh… How much physical contact do I make with her!?' The thoughts whirled in her head, despite that, she narrowed her eyes.

"You have some explaining to do." Came the growl of Gray, with Juvia following in toe.

Kagura tensed a bit, ready to fight if needed, but luckily, Lucy came to her rescue, "Rubi is Erza's sister, isn't she?" She asked hesitantly.

"Eh!?" Came the surprised gasps of Gray and Natsu.

Juvia only looked confused. She didn't really know much about Erza Scarlet.

Kagura ignored them and looked straight into Lucy's eyes. "If I smell like 'Erza', then I can only say yes. Erza is Rubi's sister." Kagura was fighting back to her urge to tremble like a nervous wreck

"EH!?" The surprise of Gray and Natsu was even louder.

Lucy nodded, "When they were taking Erza away, they threatened her by saying they had captured her 'sister', which made Erza freeze up." Lucy put on a thoughtful face, "Also when I first met Erza, I noticed the similarities between her and Rubi, and it kinda drove me nuts thinking about how those two could be related." Lucy smiled, "It's good to know I was right."

Kagura swallowed, "Yeah, over ten years ago, our village w-was…" Kagura cleared her throat, trying to keep her emotions in check, "Slavers came to our village and took my older brother, Simon, and Rubi's sister, Erza, and we've been trying to find them ever since." She tried her best to hold back the tear that inevitably fell out the side of her eye, "They took others from our village and I assume all the other villages they pillaged…"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Came the panicked voice of Gray, breaking out of his shock, "You're saying that Erza has a sister!?"

"Another rival for Juvia…" The blue haired woman muttered to herself, planning a counterattack for her next potential threat to her primacy as Gray's true love.

"Yes, did she ever talk about Rubi?" Kagura asked.

Gray shook her head, "No, Erza never did. In fact, she never really talked about what happened to her before she joined the guild." Gray frowns.

"Perhaps those people who attacked us are the reason she never talked. They seemed to have a history with her, calling referring to her as a 'sister' despite not looking anything at all related. Perhaps Erza was trying to keep something a secret…" Lucy speculated.

Natsu, who had been oddly quiet, now spoke up, "Who's Rubi again?" He tilted his head.

"Weren't you listening at all!?" Gray barked angrily.

"What if I wasn't, Ice Cube!" Natsu roared back.

Gray butt his head with Natsu's "Oh yeah, Burn Out, you should know this is important, you flaming fool!" A sizzle filled the air as fire met ice.

Before Natsu could retort, a dark look overtook Kagura's features, "Would you two stop this idiotic behavior!"

"Yes ma'am!" The two back away from each other.

'It seems like Rubi-san's friend has the power to get those two to behave as well…scary…' Lucy sweat dropped, "Natsu, you remember Rubi, right? She was that red head that was with me in Hargeon, remember?"

Natsu blinked before excitement lit up his face" Oh yeah, now I remember!" He slammed his fist into his palm, "She seemed real strong, I want to fight her!" He declared before realization kicked in, "Wait, she's Erza sister!?" He said with wide eyes, "No wonder she smelled so familiar… and was so scary…" He shivered.

"You smelled Rubi…" Kagura growled, her hand reflexively going down to her weapon, the thought of castration briefly making its way into her mind.

Juvia noticed how Kagura reacted, 'It seems she isn't a love rival after all…' Internally she felt smug and relieved that there was less competition for Gray.

"Regardless of who this 'Rubi' may or may not be, there's evidence that she and Erza are connected, going by how you are here…" Gray said, looking at Kagura, "How did you know to come here?"

"Rubi hadn't come back from a job on schedule, and I grew worried. I checked out her workshop and found a board of hers that had red lines all over it." Kagura cleared her throat, licking her lips, "It seems it was a board meant to track Erza, and the final location it pointed to was here. So, I followed my intuition…" She scanned her eyes across all three of them, "And it seems my hunch proved fruitful."

"Well, it seems we have a common cause then." Lucy clapped her hands, "We should work together then. Whoever these guys are, they have some power over Erza to make her pause in fear like that." She looked to Kagura, "I owe Rubi-san for saving me from walking into those slavers' trap, and I consider her a friend for how she helped me out in Hargeon."

Kagura nodded, "Aye, we have a common goal indeed. Perhaps these bastards know where my brother is as well…" A somber expression overtook her features, "…Hopefully…"

"We'll find them." Came the confident declaration of Natsu, "They took Erza and Happy as well.!" He roared out angry flames, "And they are also kidnapping Erza's sister!" He slammed his fist into his palm, his muscles bulging from exertion, "I won't stop until I pound their faces into the ground."

"How are we going to track them? We spent so much time talking here and I know nothing of this group?" Kagura inquired.

"Heh…" Natsu made a toothy grin, swiping the top of his nose, "I can smell them miles away. I'll have no problem finding them." He proclaimed confidently.

"It's true." Gray affirmed, "He's like our own personal hound dog…"

A tick of anger appeared on Natsu's face, "Who you calling a do-"

"Enough!" Kagura cut him off.

"Aye Sir!" Natsu stopped his retort.

"He turned into Happy!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Let's set out, we are losing ground as we speak!" Kagura commanded, "Lead the way."

Natsu grinned and sniffed the air, before sprinting off in a direction, "This way! I'm gonna get that block headed bastard!"

The rest of them ran after the Dragon Slayer in earnest.

'Rubi, I'm coming. I will bring back no matter the cost.' Kagura thought as she followed the Dragon Slayer.

XXX

Have you ever been so emotionally distraught and so unsure of your past decisions that you start a mental fight with yourself? Well Rubi has now, and it go so bad she may or may not have had a delusion, and perhaps an existential crises.

Jellal is a smug bastard, and Rubi hates him for that, but she also hates that he really isn't like that, but it's a spell that's making him behave like a total sociopath and trying to resurrect someone who isn't even dead.

Kagura finally admitted her feelings to herself, too bad she's a long ways away from admitting them to Rubi. Kagura meets the FT gang, and after an initial icy interaction, they are on their way to save the ones they love. It's gonna be real interesting to see how I can split up the gang to fight the different members of Trinity Raven. I know some of you are dying to see Rubi and Erza back together again, but you will have to wait a little bit longer. This chapter already has enough angst in it, their reunion deserves to be it's own chapter.

I'm not very good at writing scenes with multiple people in them, because I feel like I need to have them all talking, I apologize if Juvia and Natsu were quieter than they normally would be, but it gets hard writing dialogue with so many people in a scene.