Evergreen listened to the clearing, thinking she would still hear the noise of the mountain men. But all the noise that bounced back to her ears was the whispering of the cave. Thrashing and wiggling with much renewed vigor Ever had managed to remove the loose-fitting hood that was placed over her head. Doing a quick scan of the place she was in fact in a clearing. They must have left with their tail between their legs as soon as they heard the whispering. A small stream that steadily poured into a small pound laid at one side of the opening while trees that looked older than most of the ones Ever had seen littered here and there but for the most part the center was completely barren. Pact down as hundreds of feet had stomped on it for years and nothing wanted to grow there anymore in fear of being squashed.

The cave was another story. While the clearing was certainly beautiful, the cave was the complete opposite. The cave truly looked like it was going to eat her with sharp stalagmites hanging at the opening and a glistening from within. Still thrashing and wiggling Ever was now trying to get into the pocket of her short, if she could just somehow…get…her...Got it!

With handy dandy trusty nail filer grasped tightly, she started to work on the ropes that bound her hands and feet together. Since she always kept it sharp and ready for us, not particularly, for this reason, it was easy enough and the binds fell away from her. Jumping away from the cave she held her ground and listened. The whispers did seem all too understandable, mushed together. But the feeling of wanting to go in there and find out what it was. It was so strong inside Ever. Stamping her feet and pointed at the stupid cave.

"This is literally all your fault! I was minding my own business and you and your stupid worshippers just had to drag my fine ass here and you expect me to just waltz in there like nothing!? Ya fucking right! You have now brought me probably in the complete opposite direction I need to be to bring Lucy back! YOU GAPING BITCH!"

Out of breath and leaning heavily on her legs she felt much better after that little spell. Like a great burden was lifted it always felt better to yell. Huffing all the more willing to turn her back and march back to the main road she couldn't help but notice, well anything. There was no more whispering. No more luring and pulling of wanting to explore a death seeking cave.

"Okayyy, I'm going to leave now." Turning she had barely placed her foot down and a voice, not a whisper came from the cave behind her.

"And pray tell what would you want with Lucy."

Chuckling weakly Ever didn't really expect a voice to answer back. God, they heard everything then.

Glancing slowly at the cave opening she expected a monster or ugly creature, but at the mouth stood a beautiful woman. Her white hair was placed in a high pony tail, her clothing was ready for battle, leather poked out from under hard armor, covering her chest, neck, and plaited around her waist like a mini skirt leaving a little opening in the front for movement, her calves and the top of her feet also bore the armor. Her hands were bare but Ever could guess that she didn't need a weapon to take down someone 5 times her size.

"You know Lucy?" Ever asked cautiously. She didn't like the look of this woman and the last thing she wanted to do was set her off in an attack.

"You can't really expect a conversation to continue interestingly if you answer a question with a question, hmm?" Her voice was soft, like a snake slithering through high grass, and just as dangerous.

Facing the woman Evergreen held up her hands, she wasn't armed and wasn't going to be a problem. "I'm trying to find her, she disappeared 3, almost 4 days ago now and we all miss her very much. I'm worried she may be in danger."

Red eyes narrowed, a snarl ripping from plump blood red lips. "Miss her? Me a danger to my own daughter? I was hoping you, humans, to be like others and give up almost immediately."

Daughter? This woman is crazy. She lives in a cave for Mavis' sake

"So, you do have her? It would be very kind of you if you could let Lucy come back to Fairy Tail with me." Ever asked kindly. This woman could be holding Lucy captive. Those mountain men must have gotten her and brought her here and this lonely ass woman needed some company and decided to keep Lucy as her 'daughter'. Gross

"Let her go back to the very guild mates that hurt her and drove her to want to die? I think not. If you were to bring her back it would reopen the very wound I have tried with all my power to close."

"I can promise you that she won't get hurt again. My team and I didn't even know what Natsu had done to her till Mavis came blowing in knocking heads together. Please, I want to be friends with Lucy, I want to protect her from other. My teammates, Freed and Bixlow, hell even his babies, would protect Lucy until we died." Ever begged, she was almost prepared to get to her knees if she had too. If that's what it took to let this crazy woman let Lucy come back with her. "Laxus would protect her too, but he needs her. He gets sicker and sicker with her so far from him. With her back, Laxus is one of the strongest minus Master he is the best suited to make sure no harm comes to Lucy."

"Laxus? Oh, you mean the male that mated with my daughter?" With a whip of her well-manicured fingers, a sword suddenly materialized in her hand. Its blade blacker than the night with splatters of sparkling stars. Ever did not want to know how much that sword would hurt. "You need to leave and never come back, I Nocturne, have promised my daughter to protect her, train her, be there for her when her own guild mates, who she thought of as the only family she had left, wasn't and I won't let you endanger that promise. Begone."

A power descended on Ever like gods hand pushing her down. She fell to her knees gasping for breath, every pore in her body leaking the sweat and smell of fear. She could pride herself in saying that she can handle Mavis' power but this woman, Nocturne, it was stronger than any she has felt before. She wasn't even sure Laxus could handle being in her presence. Panic set into Evergreen, spreading like wildfire to her limbs, screaming at her to run. Get away from this place as far as she could and don't look back. Lucy was gone there was no way to help her. It was a lost cause.

And just as suddenly as it was there it was gone. The strings holding Ever in place cut. Her body slumped to the ground, panting for much as much fresh air as she could get. Her hands held her chest her heart going faster than medically safe. As her body got used to not being crushed again the panic receded. The fear was still there, but her mind cleared for a split second.

"Please, give Lucy back." She begged, bowing her head to Nocturne, trying her hardest not to shake and piss herself.

As Ever kneeled there and tendrils of power started to slip out of Nocturne, she got ready for the pain and pressure to return, she would stay here until she was physically removed. She had too. They had both promised something to Lucy and Ever was going to make sure her end was upheld.

"Mother, what's going on? I felt your pressure from all the way inside."

A second voice seemed to leak from the cave, her voice almost far away like an echo in Evers' ears. But she knew that voice. She had heard that sweet voice so many times in the guild down on the first-floor yelling at Natsu or Gray.

Lifting a shaking head with tears in her eyes she beheld the look of Lucy.

She looked slightly different, maybe the clothing that seemed to match Nocturnes. It looked like Lucy had gotten taller. Her hair was longer too, her hair now reached past her waist and was nearly as white as the woman's next to her. "Lucy?"

The face of her guild mate turned towards her, her eyes used to be brown but now held a slight red tint to them. Her face had lost the cute baby fat that Lucy held in her cheeks, her face now lean and thin. A coldness settled on her face, her eyes hardening when she looked upon the fairy begging on the dirty ground.

"Yes? And who are you?"

I wanted to thank SuperPsychoNutcase, FAIRY4LIFE, Chad3spawn, and Bentears for reviewing chapter 9 so soon!

It really means a lot to me to have you guys say the nice things you did. I know im not the complete piece of shit because I managed to get to chapter 10! FUck ay

SO FYI Im preggo and that may mean a number of things, one it give me more time to 'write' (stare blankly at the screen) or two it gives me no time so here I am pouring out as much as i can before i cant

But i'm so glad you guys are with this story and I hope you like this chapter.

It would be nice to get some reviews on how you guys expect this story to go. I mean I dont really know either. I have a vague idea but not so much concrete. If you want to give idea than hey who knows maybe youll see your idea in the story ^.- wink wonk

THANK YOU!