CHAPTER 11 : INITIATION

The pale morning sun stretched its first rays across the empty beaches of Akane, greeting the clear azure oceanic waters which lapped at the shore; letting the cerulean waves glitter as thin sprays of sea mist lifted off its surface, moistening the otherwise chilly morning air.

A solitary figure clad in only a t-shirt, shorts and a sweater jogged barefooted on the sand. He was the lifeguard on duty for the morning, and as he went about doing his regular stretches and warm-up exercises, a sudden ominous feeling sank into his heart.

Dropping the exercises completely, he cast his gaze towards the oceans and noticed a cluster of dark clouds forming in the distance. It could've been a storm or some other weather anomaly, but something in his gut told him that it was neither. After all, strange things had happened in the waters of Ka Elm.

He had heard of those stories since he was a boy. Behave, his mama would tell him. Or else I'll make the evil men come for you, and lock you up in a prison tower where you'll never see the light of day again .It was a mere bedtime story of course, meant to keep naughty children from sneaking out at night and from stealing coins from their parent's pockets.

The hum of a vehicle's engine reached his ears and the lifeguard turned around to see a jeep passing by on the roadway beside the beach. He could make out three people at least, one with long red hair. They seemed to be in quite a hurry based on the speed at which the vehicle was travelling.

Tourists. Go figure.

Of course, as with all bedtime stories and fairy tales; the stories his mama told him had vanished into insignificance over time. After all, if there were such things as children being held prisoners in a dark tower by an ancient, evil cult; would the Ministry have done something about it?

He clambered up his high chair and upon resting himself on its wooden frame, dug out a pair of binoculars from his knapsack and raised them to his face, scanning the ocean for anything suspicious. Finding nothing, he diverted his attention back to the ominous cluster of dark clouds. A frown tugged at the corners of his lips as the sinking feeling grew in his chest. He then twiddled the dials on the binoculars, peering deeper and deeper into the ever growing darkness.

….

Shadows.

As much as she hated to admit it, her life in these past couple of months had revolved mostly around them. They lurked in the void beyond her peripheral vision, making her heart jolt in fear every time they shifted and moved, undulated and dissolved again into nothingness. Together with the darkness, they were the very essence of those foul creatures that had come out of the abyss; with those horrid yellow eyes and those twitching forms, reminiscent of the undead.

Even in her dreams, she had not been spared the torment of the shadows. Within her nightly visions, they took the form of haunting specters and grotesque demons, chasing her through the chasm of her memories, never lacking in their determination in their attempts to send her to damnation. However, the shadows she feared the most bore the visages of the people whom she had murdered and betrayed in her past. Friends, allies, men, women; they all peered at her through the thin veil of smoke and mist, glaring at her through their hollow, empty eyes, surrounding her from every angle, making it impossible to escape.

And at the end of it all, she would see her face, the woman who bore such a striking resemblance to her that she sometimes believed that she was looking into a mirror. However, the woman's dark eyes would narrow and her lips would thin into a single straight line and her forehead would crease with anger, irritation and disappointment, and Ultear would immediately know it was the ghost of her mother she had encountered.

That particular morning, she felt a prodding sensation somewhere in the vicinity of her knee. As the last vestiges of shadows and sleep left her, she opened her eyes only to come face to face with the insect like features and ghostly yellow eyes of a heartless. A shrill scream tore from her throat as the humanoid creature that had been hovering over her sleeping form suddenly crystallized with age, frozen in its own skin.

There was a shuffling of cloth beside her and she turned to see White rubbing the sleep from his eyes lethargically, propping his naked form up on his other elbow.

'The poor thing,' he yawned sleepily 'it probably just wanted to have a good sniff at your black soul,'

She hissed in annoyance at the man as the crystallized body shattered into dust.

'Well, if you're so fond of those things, you can let them share your bed instead,' throwing the sheets off her, she moved quickly, dressing herself in her discarded clothes. This hadn't been the first time she had done so.

He laughed some more and sat up properly, swinging his feet off the bed. As he stretched, her eyes trained over the many angry scars which ran along his back. Whip marks, by the looks of it. She hadn't bothered asking him where those had come from, knowing he wasn't likely to give her a straight answer.

As she re-tied her hair into a high ponytail, he approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened and made to pull away, but he only tightened his hold.

'Now, now, my dear; let's not be too hasty,' he whispered into her ear, his foul morning breath nearly making her gag 'I was merely thanking you properly for re-creating the tower for our use,'

She snorted. Re-creating a building from a pile of rubble was child's play for someone with her capabilities. But he knew as well as she did, the tower would once again serve more than his purpose alone.

It's for Zeref, everything was for him.

'Huh. If last night was a demonstration of your appreciation, I assume that you weren't really that grateful to begin with,' she replied smoothly.

A pause, and then…

'Are you by any chance comparing me to Jellal?' he sneered 'Oh silly me, I forgot. The only place where that man could ever stand being near you is in your dreams,'

More discordant laughter echoed in the bed chamber as he released her and padded out of the room.

Again, the shadows moved in the corners of her vision. She was being watched, she should have known he didn't trust her. The time mage then raised her hands and rubbed at the goosebumps that had surfaced on her skin.

It was at that precise moment, feeling like a prisoner inside a domain of her own creation, that she decided to take control back into her own hands.

'Wait for me, my darling Zeref. I will be reunited with you soon,'

….

Although she didn't show it, Erza was worried. All along the journey from Symphonia to Akane, she had continuously wondered how her friends would react to meeting Jellal and Sweets. Sure she had given them fair warning with the letter she sent to Lucy, but then again, the letter had been brief, much to brief.

Should she have told Natsu and the rest about her plans even before she left the guild? Should she have brought them along on this mission?

But it was not like she hadn't thought things through.

Even before she had begun the quest, she had it all mapped out in her head. She would defeat the bad guy, prove Jellal's innocence to the council and then introduce Jellal to her friends. In her imagination, they would somehow get along, and Jellal would be accepted into Fairy Tail by Master Makarov. Eventually, the Jellal whom the public would get to know as Erza's lover would be a kind and honest man rid of the sins and darkness of his past; and eager to set things right in the world again.

And now, thanks to that Sorcerer reporter, the world had found out about Jellal and Sweets much too soon. Thanks to her callous words, the public would only be able to see Jellal as a dangerous, traitorous man and Sweets as a murderer. The damage had already been done.

She wondered whether her teammates had seen the news report.

Of course they had.

She wondered if they would be kind to him for her sake.

Or treat him like a villain, because he had tried to hurt her before.

She wondered if it was too late to change their minds about him, to make them accept him for who he really was, instead of the possessed man that they had fought mere months ago.

Because she honestly could not bear to choose between her friends and the man she loved.

….

As Sweets drove into the parking lot of Akane resort, he noticed three things.

One, the weather was odd today. According to the forecast, they were expected to have a cloudless day of sunshine; but as he eased the jeep into a parking space, the distant rumble of thunder echoed through the cloudy sky.

Two, Erza looked like she was about to come face to face with the grim reaper. Her usual smile had vanished from her face and her features were set in a determined front. But he knew that was to be expected. How often do you go up to your friends and say 'Hey guys! Look who I brought for dinner, a convicted felon and the guy who tried to kill me the other day!'

Three, a strange, pink haired man and what looked like a blue flying cat were hurtling towards them; arms spread wide open with identical exuberant grins on their faces.

'Erza!' they yelled.

He literally jumped on her, wrapping his arms around her neck in a tight embrace. She embraced him in return, some of the worry disappearing from her features. The cat-bird-thing joined the group hug, and Sweets noticed the two angel-like wings sprouting from its back.

'I'm so glad you're safe,' said the man 'Gramps told us about the prison attack. He said that Grimoire Hearts is coming after you, and that they're trying to take over the world,'

He pulled away, but his hands still lingered on her arms.

'But don't worry Erza,' he said grinning 'Now that all of us are together again; we'll kick their Grimoire asses! Just let them try!'

She smiled and nodded 'Yeah let them try,'

The pink haired man lifted his gaze from Erza and as soon as his eyes locked with Jellal's, they narrowed into a frown. Jellal stood his ground however, and met the man' stare with a glare of his own. Sweets could feel the tension building between the two men, so thick, so palpable; you could slice through it with a sword.

The man finally grinned, showing his fangs and stuck out a hand, bent at the elbow the way an arm wrestler would position his arm.

'Heh, good to have you back Jellal. Gonna stick around longer this time?'

Jellal grasped the man's hand, and gripped; an identical grin on his features.

'I intend to, Natsu Dragneel. You won't be able to get rid of me so easily,'

Obviously, Sweets had missed something; having only heard bits and pieces of the story from Shinra before he left the council. Since when had those two become friends? Erza had probably noticed the blank expression on his face and came to his rescue.

'Natsu, this is Special Agent Lance Sweets,' she said, directing his attention to the agent 'He's on our side,'

Apparently, that explanation was good enough for Natsu. He waved energetically and clapped Sweets on the back.

'Hiya! Nice to meet you!'

Which Sweets could only stammer a reply, still winded by the dragon slayer's hearty thumps on his back. By now, Erza had relaxed.

'Where are Lucy and Gray? Weren't they with you guys?' she said

As if on cue, the voices of three more people reached their ears, Sweets turned to see a shirtless man, -presumably Gray- , a blonde woman, and much younger blue haired girl approach them, calling out happily.

Sweets watched as they exchanged hugs with Erza, happy voices filling the air. Eventually, as Natsu did, they greeted Jellal with careful smiles, making Jellal smile and laugh as they bombarded him with relentless questions. And Sweets felt just slightly left out.

As Jellal released the hand of the blushing younger girl, Sweets realized that he has seen her on television before. Oh right, this was definitely Wendy.

Suddenly, Sweets felt a weight on the top of his head, and as he raised a hand to brush off whatever had landed there, a blue feline face suddenly appeared upside down in front of his. The flying cat had landed on top of his head and was now hanging from his head, grinning in front of his face.

'Hi! I'm Happy!' it said in a cheerful voice 'Does your name mean that you've got some candy for me?'

'I…. uh… well… I..,' attempted Sweets, not sure how to respond to a talking cat.

'Get off him Happy!' came a voice 'you've scared the poor guy'

He found himself face to face with the blonde girl. She looked sternly at the cat and as it lifted off Sweet's head and settled on her shoulder, she smiled at Sweets.

'If he can ask you that, it means he likes you already,' she said, flicking several strands of her hair from her face 'I'm Lucy by the way,' she said holding out her hand.

Ah, the stellar mage. Erza spoke about her a lot.

'Call me Sweets,' he said, taking her hand and giving it a polite shake.

'Come on you guys,' said Gray 'Let's get inside before it starts to pour,'

And the seven of them, eight, if you included Happy; trudged into the resort, and again, Sweets noticed three things.

One, Erza was not worried anymore. She smiled warmly as she chatted with Lucy, her hand slipping discreetly into Jellal's, their fingers intertwining as they walked.

Two, the hotel staff scurried out of their way as they walked, making Sweets feel like he was part of a gang of some kind, and he wondered what Erza and her friends could have done to deserve such notoriety. But the mere thought that he finally had people to call friends warmed his heart.

Three, as they filled the elevator going up to the 22nd floor, Natsu caught Gray's eye and they both shared a discreet nod, their smiles thinning for a fraction of a second.

But just then, Wendy started tugged on the sleeve of his shirt and began to ask him about something, leaving him no time to ponder the strange gesture.

….

'…And then, the Colonel used his magic to destroy the factory, killing himself in the process,' finished Erza, a somber expression on her face.

They had set up a kind of magical teleconference in their hotel suite. A magical wireless camera had been set up on the dining table and the flickering projections of both Master Makarov and Councilman Shinra stood in the center of the room, facing the group of mages. Natsu, Happy and Wendy were lounging on the bed, eyes wide with attention. Gray and Lucy occupied the couch beside the windows while Jellal and Sweets stood beside Erza, standing sentinel by her side, filling in whatever details Erza had left out.

They decided to tell Natsu and the rest the story simultaneously with Makarov and Shinra, as not to waste time, and also to avoid repeating some of the more painful moments more than once.

'I hope you're satisfied with the files I sent you, father-in-law,' said Sweets 'Does it qualify as proof?'

Shinra frowned as he picked up one of the files Laxus had given Erza. They had made copies and sent them to the council and Makarov when Erza had delivered the letter to Lucy.

'These are extraordinarily detailed. I must admit, the skills of a Fairy Tail wizard have proven themselves yet again,' said the councilman. 'A very good job indeed,'

'Are you positive you cannot tell me who prepared these?' asked Makarov

The old man met Erza's eyes and despite his steely gaze, she held firm and shook her head, denying his request. But as always, she had a feeling that he knew.

'So, what do you plan to do now?' asked the councilman 'I will need at most, half a day to dispatch the Rune Knights to your location,'

'We attack of course!' exclaimed Natsu from his position on the bed 'For all we know, White and Ultear are cranking out heartless as we speak,'

The rest of them tried their best not to visualize how wrong those words sounded.

'Idiot,' retorted Gray 'We should wait for backup. If what they're saying is accurate, then White is capable of summoning thousands of heartless at once. We'd be overwhelmed if we attack right now,'

Makarov nodded in agreement.

'Gray is right,' he said 'It's best for you to rest up. By tomorrow, you'll be ready to take on the mission,'

He turned to the councilman.

'I trust the council will cooperate fully with my children?' there was no ignoring the steel which edged his voice.

'As much as they possibly can,' said Shinra, sweat appearing at his brow under Makarov's intense gaze.

'And they already think we're dead,' added Jellal 'They won't be expecting an attack,'

Murmurs of agreement were heard as several more ideas and strategies were tossed back and forth between the three parties. In the end, it was decided that Shinra would deploy the Rune Knights to Akane as soon as possible. At dawn tomorrow, the eight of them would head out into the waters ok Ka Elm, and be prepared to bring down the Tower of Heaven once again.

….

It was five in the afternoon, and after a day of laughter, stories and relaxation, they were all lounging in Natsu and Gray's room. They had three rooms to themselves. Natsu and Gray shared one, Sweets and Gerard had another, and the girls took the remaining. It had been a fun day, that was for sure, but thoughts of impending doom were never far from their minds.

They watched as Wendy, Happy, Natsu and Lucy played a particularly loud game of poker on the floor. After awhile, Lucy shoved her cards away in frustration.

'Gahh, I've had enough of this,' she stood up, stretching 'How about we do something else instead?'

'Aww… come on Lucy,' whined Happy 'You still owe me five jellybeans and two ice cream cones!'

'How about some volleyball?' announced Gray 'It's been awhile, and I want to make sure I'm not rusty,'

Erza stood up and clapped her hands together, an excited glimmer in her eyes.

'Yes! Let's do that! Just let me go change and I'll-'

'Oh no you don't,' said Natsu, grinning conspiratorially. He moved behind Jellal and Sweets, slinging an arm around each of their shoulders.

'Just us guys. We've got a lot of male bonding to do. Why don't you girls stay and uh… gossip or something?'

Wendy and Lucy immediately began to protest, something about being them being sexist, stereotyping chauvinists. Jellal met Erza's eyes and despite feeling left out, she gave him an encouraging smile.

'Let them have their fun girls,' said Erza, turning to Lucy and Wendy 'How about we check out the spa instead?'

….

The four of them, plus Loki, trudged through the fine white seaside sand of Akane beach, all decked out in board shorts and t-shirts. They had left Happy with the girls and brought along the celestial spirit instead.

'Hey Lucy, you mind if I borrow Loki for a while?' asked Natsu while applying a dollop of sunscreen on is nose.

'Huh?' said Lucy, who had been checking out her outfit –a miniskirt and tube top- in the mirror 'Aren't you guys playing volleyball? You've already got four players,'

'He'll be the referee,' said Gray, setting his sunglasses on his head like a hair band 'to break up any possible … ah… conflicts of interest between teams,'

'You'd better let them have him Lucy. Who knows what they might be up to,' said Erza.

And for the past ten minutes, they had trekked down the beach, apparently searching for the right spot to start playing. But as they moved further and further away from the crowd. Jellal's suspicions began to rise. The three men were also being oddly silent. He met Sweet's eyes and the agent merely shrugged, not saying a word.

They finally reached a deserted part of the beach littered with many giant boulders of various shapes and sizes. Even the sand there had turned from a pristine white into a dark shade of grey. When they finally reached the tallest rock, Natsu, Gray and Loki rounded on Jellal, backing him up against the boulder. Sweets stepped between the two parties, years of agency training telling him to expect violence.

'Stand down Agent Sweets,' said Loki 'We're only here to talk,'

'So talk,' said Sweets, but he turned around as he felt Jellal's hand in his shoulder.

'Its fine,' he said, meeting Sweet's eyes, there was determination in those emerald green orbs 'It was only a matter of time anyway,'

Sweets moved, but only so that he could stand beside Jellal.

'So, as we all know Erza likes you and you like her,' began Loki 'We've all accepted that,'

'But the thing is, we don't know if we can trust you with her,' said Gray 'Coz you know… you've been a mad possessed lunatic once, who's to say it won't happen again?'

And Jellal could not reply, for he knew it was true.

'Hey, but-'interrupted Sweets

'So, here's the deal,' said Natsu, making his voice louder, intending to intimidate Jellal 'If she's happy, we're happy. If she's hurt even the slightest, we'll track you down and make you wish you'd never been born,'

That sounded reasonable to Jellal. Already, he would give his life to protect her. He wasn't worried about himself. Just knowing that she had such caring friends who would not turn their backs on her made him breathe easy.

'You've got yourselves a deal,' said Jellal, shaking the hands of all three men 'I'll give you my word as a gentleman,'

Pleased with his statement, they broke out into three identical grins and welcomed Jellal and Sweets heartily into their fraternity of "Fairy Tail's Most Awesomest Men". There were whoops of joy and laughter as Natsu and Gray dragged Sweets into the water with them, splashing the agent and pulling him under.

Back on the beach, Loki looked at Jellal seriously and told the blue haired man that he needed to ask him a very important question. With a very Sherlock Holmes like expression, he leaned in and said,

'So, just between us men, tell me honestly… Have you made it to second base with Erza yet?'

Mortified, Jellal realized he did not need to answer as a loud exclamation could be heard from the waves, and in instant, twin spheres of ice and fire had knocked the lion spirit to the ground.

….

A breathy moan escaped her lips as his talented hands worked their way down her naked back. The fragrant oils he had used served as lubrication, making his movements fluid and sinuous. He straddled her now, and she could feel the tiny beads of moisture that dotted his skin as he pressed up against her further, going faster, deeper, harder, increasing her breaths and making her eyes roll back to her skull with pleasure.

'God Emillio, don't stop, faster,' she moaned, unable to move, held down by his weight.

A door was opened, and the lights were thrown on, effectively breaking the spell. As Erza sat up, covering herself and peered through the aromatherapic haze at the maid that had just entered the massage cubicle. She had a package in her hands.

'Please forgive my intrusion Miss Scarlet, Emillio,' she said, nodding to the two of them 'But I have a message from Mr Fernandes for you,'

It was possibly the best back rub she had ever had in her entire life, but a different kind of warmth filled her heart at the sound of Jellal's name.

'He wishes that you join him for dinner at the pavilion overlooking the ocean,' continued the maid 'And that you accept this gift,'

Inside the package was a beautiful white empire waist beach dress. And as she studied the intricate gold lace embroidery on its fringes, the warmth in her heart grew even brighter. She turned to her good looking massage therapist and smiled apologetically.

'Sorry Emillio, looks like we have to reschedule,'

….

Everything was perfect, the dinner table, the ambiance, the sunset, even the weather seemed to be on his side. The early morning rain clouds had disappeared, and now, a gentle sea breeze wafted along the coastline, making the overhanging wind chimes tinkle merrily.

But Jellal stood against the wooden balustrade of the pavilion, occasionally running his fingers through his already messy hair, while the other twiddled nervously with the long stem of a single red rose.

There was no denying it, the infamous Jellal Fernandes –the all powerful mage who single handedly orchestrated the completion of the Tower of Heaven, infiltrated the Magic Council, capable of some of the most devastating magical spells ever known to man- was nervous about his first date.

He knew that somewhere up in heaven, Simon and Uncle Rob were probably laughing at him for being such a teenager. But he couldn't help it, having known and being in love with Erza for most of his life; and having been through so much with her, it seemed only right that he do everything in his power to make sure she was happy.

Of course, the dinner date was all Loki's idea. Heck, he even allowed the stellar spirit to pick out the outfits for the evening. To match Erza's white gown, the four idiots –that's what he'd call them from now on- had dressed him up in a long sleeved translucent white button down shirt with the top two buttons undone and khaki pants. In all fairness, he thought they had done a great job. But he decided they had done enough meddling when Sweets jokingly suggested that he should rent a one-man-band and serenade Erza in front of everyone to see.

He held the rose in both his hands and as the soft patter of footsteps made its way to his ears, he turned around to behold, in his eyes, the most beautiful woman on the planet.

If it was possible to glow with beauty, Erza shined with the light of a thousand suns. And just like a moth to a flame, he drew closer to her, almost in a trance like state, never taking his eyes off her. She blushed as he knelt down on one knee and handed the rose to her.

'Erza Scarlett, would you be my Valentine?'

She giggled and plucked the rose from his fingers, nodding in affirmative and up till that moment, he never realized how much he loved that sound.

Dinner went by smoothly. They dined and wined amidst playful and flirtatious conversation; and Erza shocked herself by realizing how much of a tease she could actually be.

They fed each other a pudding of chocolate mousse during dessert. It was the last mouthful, and Jellal scooped a large portion of mousse onto the spoon. She tilted her head to cup it all with her mouth but somehow or rather, a droplet escaped and some of the creamy substance trailed down from the side of her lips to her chin.

It was the most erotic thing he had seen in his life.

She immediately grabbed her napkin to wipe it off but stilled her arm. In a heartbeat, he had leaned over, and with his lips and tongue, lapped the sweet trail off her chin.

'One should never waste,' he whispered, lips lingering closely to hers.

And she captured his lips with hers, engaging him in a heated moment of passion which he gladly responded to. He pulled her from her chair and made her sit on his lap, his hand moving across her thighs as their tongues met in duel. He could still taste the chocolate in her mouth. She decided that this would be her new favorite flavor.

….

It really was a small wonder that they managed to make it back to Jellal's room without ripping each other's clothes off. He pushed her against the door, dipping his head to her neck to resume his exploration of her delicate skin. She moaned as her fingers worked to undo the buttons of his shirt. The 'ding' of the elevator in the distance alerted Erza that they were still in the corridor, in plain view to anyone who decided to walk past.

Figuring that he probably had his room key stowed somewhere in the vicinity of his pants, she ran her hands along his pockets, trying to find the telltale hardness and shape of the key. But as her hands accidently brushed against his groin, she found a hardness of a different kind. Suddenly stimulated, he bucked against her hand, pressing her palm against him, urging her on.

'Damn Jellal,' grunted Erza 'We'll be seen if you don't get this door open,'

Suddenly breathless, he pulled away from her, a distant look in his eyes. He produced the key and let them both into the room. Sweets wasn't there, and Jellal was thankful to the agent for once.

Erza smirked naughtily and kissed him once again, but this time, her hands moved southwards, undoing his belt buckle and his pants button. Before she could slide the zipper down however, he took her hands in his, pulling apart from her, stopping her movements.

'Are you sure?' he whispered 'we could wait you know, if you're not ready…,'

She met his eyes.

'I want to. I mean it,' she paused 'unless, you don't…,'

He laughed lightly and pulled her into an embrace. He kissed her temple and rested her head on his chest. Kind, affectionate, loving.

'I want to have no regrets,' she said 'Even if tomorrow brings us more death and destruction, I want tonight to be perfect at least,'

She kissed him lightly.

'Make me yours, Jellal, once and for all,' she whispered against his lips.

He stared into her eyes, looking for any traces of doubt or fear. He found none.

'I love you so much,' he said, taking her hands in his, guiding her towards the bed.

He would do it right this time. He would take care of her; he would protect her, until his dying breath.

A soft slither of cloth was heard as the beautiful white beach dress fell away from her skin. The pale moonlight cast its silvery glow into the darkened room as Jellal climbed into bed, covering her body with his. Their bodies met with a soft sigh and to her, it felt like coming home.

'I love you, Jellal,'

….

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! :D yess, she finally said 'I love you to him!'

finally done with chapter 11. I hope it met your expectations. So yes, Ultear is sleeping with White. But she hates it. She loves Zeref. I think. Well, she can bang anyone really, just as long as it isn't Jellal. He belongs to Erza only! Haha

I hope I portrayed Natsu and the rest believably. You know, it's actually harder to hand out lines to characters when you have so many of them in a single scene. If you're wondering why only certain characters have lines in those scenes.

Oh, and I did realize Wendy doesn't talk at all in this chappie. *sob* its not like I left her out on purpose though. ..

And yes, I was too lazy to write the lemon properly. But trust me, I will! Lol. It will most probably be up on PTR : Divergence, as for when exactly… I don't know..

Hmmm, oh yea, following this commentary is a sneak peak at the next chappie. Warning though, its gonna be dark.

Review please! You might just save some lifeguards… ooo.. and Emillio… I wanna save him too *drools*

By the way, does anyone know how Ultear's powers work in a combat scenario? Coz I have absolutely no idea how I'm gonna write that scene in later chappies. PM me, or review if you have any idea… Please!

….

His shift had been over for nearly six hours, but the lifeguard still strolled along the beach, his now sneakered feet crunching the sand as he walked along. His eyes kept flicking back to the ocean, still sensing something amiss. But it was dark now, and the water beyond the shore appeared pitch black save for the silhouette of the full moon, which glowed like a spotlight up in the sky.

Something was floating out in the water. Curious, the lifeguard removed his shoes and socks and waded out until the water was knee deep to see what exactly it was that had caught his attention.

It was a float-toy. Bounced up and down by the waves, an innocent rubber ship floated just beyond his reach. Wondering which kid was unfortunate enough to have lost his favorite toy; he waded in deeper and reached into the water for the rubber boat. But as his fingers closed around the toy, a cold, slippery, clawed hand shot out of the water and grabbed his wrist.

The lifeguard screamed and fell backwards into the shallow water. Still trying with all his might to release the black hand's crushing grip on his wrist, he tugged and pulled like a maniac, scampering away, and at the same time, yelling his lungs out for help.

'Oh god, somebody! Anybody! Help!'

But the hand was unrelenting, and suddenly the rest of the creature's form surfaced from underneath the waves, a twitching, insect like head with twin antennas, a lithe, muscular body edged with clawed hands and feet. And as the lifeguard stared into the glowing, haunting yellow eyes of the creature, he suddenly believed in his mama's stories of demons, cults, and evil.

….

Cheers!

Asianpearl