** I feel as if I should warn you, a section of this Chapter is a bit more graphic than usual

.:+:.

Chapter 14

An Icy Wind

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas

.:+:.

"..... Oi, Salamander."

"Hmm?"

".... Before you guys leave, I think I need to.... Warn, you." Hora mumbled, her voice low and tense as he turned round all the way to face her. Lucy and Happy were grumbling to one another as they packed up their things in the center of the room, Hora having taken up a post near the door that lead outside as Natsu stood a little ways in front of her.

Morning came faster than had seemed possible since Natsu had confronted her last night- and since he'd agreed to let her go, though she could tell he really, really did not want to. But as per her request, he'd dropped asking questions and simply kept her company until morning had come. Now with the Fairy Tailers getting ready to split ways with her, Hora found herself a little more tense- and she had to say something... One thing, at least.

"About what?" He asked, his head tilting as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"..... My Guild Master has strict rules about keeping the reputation if the Guild up, and he's forbidden that we converse or help or doing anything with rival Guilds." She mumbled, "... I've been working with you guys because he's not around to say anything about it, but if he were to find out I had been hanging around you three.... I'm gonna be in a bit of trouble." Natsu narrowed his eyes at that, "... So it'd be better if you guys didn't go around spreading stories of working with me.... Please."

He nodded slightly, though he looked a little confused at the request. Why would it matter? And why would she be getting in trouble for it?

"... Alright." He murmured,

"... Thank you.... And on that note, I'm not gonna be able to hang out with you, or even really talk to you, when we meet up in Crocus for the GMG." He blinked at that too, sweatdropping. "... I'm warning you in advance. I can't be familiar with you in public, or even really at all when the time comes."

"... That seems a little extreme. Why is talking to other Guilds such a big deal?" Natsu mumbled, "I mean I know were supposed to be rivals in the Games, but that doesn't mean were actually enemies." Hora sighed,

"Like I said... My Master is an ass." Hora grumbled, he sweatdropped slightly.

Somehow he felt that maybe 'ass' wasn't quite the word she wanted to use there.

"..... Alright... I don't get it, but I hear ya." he grumbled, "... You are gonna at least let me know you're back, when the Games come around, right?" She blinked,

"Yeah, I'll let you know, Salamander. Don't worry." He nodded, his stare a bit pointed for half a secind, before his attention trailed over his shoulder towards his Guild-Mates.

".... One last thing." Natsu blinked, his head turning back toward her to see she was looking at him.... Worriedly.

"...... It... Won't seem like it, when the time comes.... But I know every person in SaberTooth. They are all good people at heart, despite how they act." She broke off, almost like she was choosing her words carefully, it even if she dared say them.

"...... Everyone outside of my Master, and his daughter..... They are good people.... They just.... Its hard for them to show it." Hora shook her head slightly, sweatdropping. ".... Please just remember that, when the Games come around.... There are only two truly awful people in the Guild, no matter what happens... Near everyone in SaberTooth are good people. I promise." Her hands locked together in front of her nervously, her eyes falling from him as Natsu watched quietly.

".... Master and Minerva.... Are just....." she mumbled half to herself, before sighing heavily. Her blue gaze moved back up toward him as she settled him with a serious, steady gaze.

".... Just be careful, alright?" She asked softly, her eyes flashing.

Natsu got the distinct feeling that there was more she wanted to say on the matter, but stopped herself.... and he wondered if it had something to do with the 'complicated bits' she had mentioned before and assured him she wouldn't get into with him.

".... you got it." He murmured with a small, firm nod. "You be careful too, alright?"

Hora smiled, her fist raising in front of her and toward him as he blinked at it, before smirking slightly and tapping his own fist against hers lightly.

"Promise, I'll be careful."

"All done packing." Lucy smiled cheerfully as she and Happy approached both Fire Wizards, Hora's and Natsu's hands falling away from one another as they settled their attentions on the two of them.

"We're ready to head out now." Happy purred, Hora nodded.

"Then I guess I oughtta say bye." Hora murmured, "It was great working with you three, I had a lot of fun." She smiled genuinely, Lucy and Happy nodded in agreement to the words.

"We had a lot of fun to, it was so good to meet you." Lucy murmured brightly, "I hope we see more of eachother soon, I can't wait until the GMG!"

"Aye!"

"Hmm, me too." Hora smiled kindly, the smile breaking off as Lucy suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her neck in a firm, entirely unexpected embrace.

"You'll be careful out here by yourself, won't you?" Lucy asked softly, her breath washing against the inside of Hora's neck as the Saber girl slowly returned the embrace. Her eyes found Natsu for half a second, his expression unreadable but she could imagine how much he was fighting with himself not to leave. And Lucy hadn't any clue what she would be facing either... and Natsu knew it, Hora knew it.

"..... yeah... I'll be careful. I promise, we'll meet up again at the GMG, don't you doubt it."

Damn it..... it broke her heart, watching them leave her behind. It hurt more than she expected as she waved at them, watching them head away up the street and out of Jeihel in the very opposite direction she was to take- their figures getting thinner in the distance, every stretch of mile between them leaving her tenser, colder.

.:+:.

This key.... it's so exact, whoever made it is a serious master with enchantments.... it's almost ingenious.

'You sound impressed. Is that admiration I hear?'

... yeah, yeah.... whatever... you can't tell me that this plan for getting to and from their Guild Hall isn't clever, Lixue.

Hora ran a hand through her hair, her other hand resting on her knee as she sat crosslegged atop a relatively smooth topped boulder- the key in question placed on the stone surface in front of her, along with a small notebook and a pen beside it.

The land around her was filled with trees, their bark smooth and stripped and the leaves overhead a collection of dark pine and silver willows. It was small, tightknit forest in a land that was otherwise ruled by steep, barren stone that was quickly growing chill and icy the further north she kept going- even despite it being July. Not that the cold bothered her in the slightest... It was the silence, more than anything. The further she went out the less animals there were, less people- it was like some heavy, icy blanket had fallen on everything out there and there was little left living.

It had been a week and half since she'd left the Fairy Tailers and Jeihel behind, and it was a week where she had started to wonder aimlessly out into the countryside, stopping for sections at a time to fiddle with and experiment on the key that Natsu had found for her. She'd been experimenting with it, doing her best to unravel what Spell and enchantments had been placed on it and what they were meant to do- to anyone who wasn't a Wizard, it was simply a key, and even to those with Magic it seemed just that, unless your Magic make your senses as heightened as hers did.

And the more she studied it the more convinced she was of her first theory- that it was meant to be placed in a door (probably any door with a lock- though she had a few doubts in how big the door was allowed to be), and in doing so, the Magic of the key envelopes the entryway of that very door in a Portal of some kind, allowing easy, quick access to where it lead.

North Wind, and it's very mobile, impossible to pin down by normal means, Guild Hall.

Right where she needed to get.

Hora let out a small breath, her eyes falling closed as she rest her cheek in her hand.

As to what the Guild Hall would look like? If it was anything like the trap they had fallen into a week and a half prior, it could turn out to be an elaborate maze filled with too many sections and rooms to count... And she didn't like the idea of navigating something that large and complex whilst also fighting what hundreds of Dark Mages were sure to be holed up there. It was an even less appealing thought should the inside be tight-knit and close, as to bar easy movement at all.

But even then it had to be large, and able to hold a Demon of Zeref in its confines. The reports on the Demon were..... Useless, in all reality. The only thing that persisted between what few places had been unloading enough to be hit by it was the destruction. The way the air seemed to chill and then the wind cut through everything, a mass of icy blue eyes from a wash of wind- but that was it. There was no description, no useful information. This Demon could be as large as a Vulcan or as small as a regular dog... Or even larger than Deliora.

She had nothing to go on, no information on it, or on the Guild Master- or the inner working of the Guild Hall. No one had ever been there, and no one had ever gotten a good look at the Demon either. And information on 'Master Eider' was just as sparse.

This Mission sucked... She was gonna be walking in totally blind. How the hell was she meant to come up with a plan or even prepare if she knew nothing of where she was going and who she would be facing?

.... If I unlock a door with the key and send in Drille, will he find anything worth bringing back? Or will I sound off alarms the minute I try?

'... It is likely not the best course of action to let North Wind know you have a way into their Hall in any way, before you actually manage to have some semblance of a plan.' Lixue intoned lightly. '... You are unaware what safeguards come with entering the Hall, it wouldn't be worth risking discovery, before you fully commit to action.'

Damn it.... You're probably right...

Hora groaned, her hands falling behind her as she supported herself leaning back, her head falling back too, to tilt her face up toward the dreary sky. The movement earned a prickle of discomfort from the wound across her back but little else, her blue eyes flashing slightly as she grumbled under her breath.

She hated the idea, but she would likely need to ask the Council to step in when she started- if only to round up the Mages she put out of commission before pushing ahead so she wouldn't need to worry about it.

She really really did not look forward to any of this.

..... At any rate, however... She didn't plan to launch a full scale attack until Over-Drive was done and over with completely. And that was proving to be taking a bit of time... Damn it.

The coughing had managed to cease but the ache in her chest had failed to go away, it was a throbbing sometimes... and sometimes it felt like a sharp, jolting pang, and she hated it- because that always ended up happening when her thoughts wandered toward what it was Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue were doing.

She shifted, leaning forward a bit to pull the Calling Card from her back pocket, twisting it lightly in her fingers as she bit the inside of her cheek.

.... They hadn't called, not for a week, so she figured that maybe Minerva had come back already, keeping them from talking to her at all. It was that thought that kept her from calling them first, she'd hate to get them in trouble.... But she wanted to talk to them, she needed to.

At least once, before she went to face North Wind head on.

The braid at the front of her hair shifted slightly in the cool wind that started to pick up, brushing against her cheek as she let out a sigh- and put the Calling Card back on her pocket without calling, for maybe the hundredth time the last week.

She hadn't been sleeping all that well either, which failed to help with Over-Drive... The nightmares were just getting worse. And she knew it was because of how close it was getting to the confrontation.

She took a deep breath, her eyes falling closed as the chill air danced over her senses, bringing with it the scene of moisture and stone.... And ice.

Her eyes opened, narrowed to slits as her deep blue gaze flashed gold for half a second.

.... It feels like a blizzard's coming....

.:+:.

".... Sting-Kun, are you alright?" Lector asked nervously, smiling a bit as he let his paws rest on his hips. Frosch beside him smiled too, both Exceeds floating lightly at the edge of the water as they watched Rogue and Sting stumble up into the shallows, sopping wet and looking exhausted. Both Dragon Slayers collapsed in the inch deep water, dazed and panting, looking ridiculously unamused.

Behind them and to the right on the hill that overlooked the forest and the lake Yukino was standing with her Spirits close at hand, Rufus and Orga nodding toward her and giving praise- though neither Sting nor Rogue cared.

"....ugh.... I can't.... Believe.... Yukino beat us.... That... Badly...." Sting groaned in between his panting,

".... I seriously.... Misjudged.... How strong.... Pisces is...." Rogue grumbled, ".... But did they have to... Throw us in the lake....?"

"... You two have been training rather hard, maybe it's not surprising you got beat." Lector shrugged, "You've hardly taken a break in the last week."

"Fro agrees!" Frosch murmured, "Fro wonders why Sting and Rogue-kun have been working so hard all of a sudden?"

Sting blinked, sweatdropping slightly as he glanced sideways toward Rogue, who had pulled himself up to sit in the shallows with his legs crossed. The Shadow Dragon Slayer only bothered to look down at his lap,

Frosch and Lector glanced between one another, blinking in slight confusion at the silence.

The truth was it had been a week and both Dragon Slayers had been going full throttle on the training and had hardly stopped a minute of it. They'd been brawling and working on their Magic every minute they could afford out of sleeping and eating only occasionally. When Orga, Rufus and Yukino were too tired to keep at it they went at it with one another- almost until they were too tired to go on... And yet they picked up again all the same in the morning before everyone else.

"...... Is something the matter?" Lector asked slowly, his head tilting slightly.

"..... We're....." Rogue mumbled,

".... Just.... Trying to stay busy...." Sting finished stiffly, the Exceeds blinked.

".... Since...... Hora's.... Out and.... Busy...." Rogue hissed under his breath,

".... We.... Don't wanna call.... and distract her.... so...." Sting mumbled, the Exceeds' eyes softened slightly. They had indeed wondered why neither of their Partners had bothered to call Hora, though they had on several occasions seen one or both of them staring at the Calling Card with the utmost longing- but never giving into it. But now it became clear that Sting and Rogue had thrown themselves into training to try and distract themselves from worrying about Horatia, and their hearts clenched at the thought.

They didn't want to 'distract her' because they knew the mission she was on was dangerous, very much so.... And knowing that made them want to call even more, but they stopped themselves.

Truth be told the Exceeds were worried to, and they understood the hesitation too.... But,

".... you should call her." Lector murmured lightly, "...... Hora would like it, I'm sure she probably wants us to call." Both Dragon Slayers stiffened slightly, sweatdropping and looking uneasy.

"Fro agrees." Frosch murmured softly, "Fro misses Atia too." Lector nodded,

"So do I, you guys aren't the only ones worried." Lector intoned softly, before he smirked. "If you guys are too chicken and won't, we'll call her first~!"

Rogue and Sting bristled slightly, looking annoyed and flustered at once. "H-hey! We're not chicken!" Rogue snapped,

"Y-yeah! We'll call her, alright?!" Sting snapped at the same time, the Exceeds smiled in amusement.

"Good." Lector and Frosch said in union, both Dragon Slayers grunted under their breath, casting their Exceed Partners small glares.

"... But.... We'll do it later." Rogue added in quietly, ".... Just in case she is busy.... We'll call when its later and she's probably stopped for the night."

Lector sighed, sweatdropping slightly as she simply shrugged in slight exasperation.

"Whatever you say...."

"Hey! You four!"

Their conversation was broken apart by the sound of Yukino's voice calling out to them from up the hill. The Celestial Spirit Mage waved to them, "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, did Yukino kick your asses too hard for ya to handle?" Orga called, his tone full of challenge and his lips pulled into a smirk- easy enough to see even with the water of the lake between them. Sting and Rogue growled, veins ticking on their foreheads as they jumped to their feet, whirling in Orga's direction with sudden fiery tempers.

"As if!"

"Hehe~"

"No matter, come along you four." Rufus interjected calmly before an argument could break loose. "It is time for a break and for something to eat."

"Food sounds great!" Orga smirked, "Better hurry up guys, or I'm gonna eat it all~" he shot toward Sting and Rogue, both of which scowled, and raced through the shallows in his direction.

"Don't you dare, ORGA!!!!"

"Move your asses if you wanna stop me~"

Lector and Frosch purred in amusement as they floated after their now rushing Partners.

Lector faltered slightly in his flapping though, eyes widening when a small splash of water dropped down on top of his head. He blinked, Frosch beside him looking surprised as well as the red Exceed glanced upward toward the sky, his face being hit again by another drop of moisture, and then another.

"... where did those clouds come from?" Lector wondered aloud, for the first time noticing the darkness that had engulfed the sky, and now with the rain setting in with no warning what so ever.

"Fro wonders too..." Frosch mumbled,

"Eh? Where did the rain come from?" Yukino mumbled as they drew nearer,

"Very odd.... I hadn't noticed the clouds coming in." Rufus said lightly, his hat tilting back as he glanced up toward the sky. Orga had run off already with the Twin Dragon Slayers chasing him, none of the three seemed to notice the rain at all, not even as it started to fall harder.

Yukino, Rufus, Lector and Frosch jumped slightly, their eyes lighting up as a flash of eerie white-gold tore across the sky overhead, lightning flashing just once as the thunder boomed heavily on their ears, quickly becoming soaked as the rain set in more. Frosch jumped, smashing into Yukino's arms in fright as Lector bristled, his fur fluffing up as he covered his ears with his paws.

"The weather's turned really nasty all of a sudden..!" Yukino grumbled, holding tightly to Frosch as she shook her head, "Come on you guys, let's find shelter quickly!" She headed off, Lector following closely and unaware that Rufus had failed to move, his eyes narrowed up at the sky and rain dripping off the rim of his hat as he stood in complete stillness.

"..... incredibly odd..." He breathed softly,

".... I can't remember weather so foul coming on so quickly...."

.:+:.

Scarlet red dripped into the dismal white snow and ice underfoot, his hands shaking and body heaving as he stumbled through that ruin- his blood mixing among the crimson spilt from countless more and ash black soot and smoke. Their bodies lay in heaps of mangled skin and bone and debris on  all sides, fires burning low in what little remained of the buildings, everything toppled.

It was swimming in front of him, the world blurring and undistinguished on the edges and getting worse as he gasped and sputtered, his steps faltering as he drudged through the sticky, icy grey and white. His hands were shaking so badly he barely kept hold over the gaping hole in his torso, skin slick with his blood and feeling like he was barely holding his insides from spilling out.

'You're dying, you fool...!'

His lips twitched in a twisted, agonized smile. He laughed, but only ended up coughing and gasping, his eyes shutting tight at the pain that raced through every inch of him, his steps stumbling even more- until he tripped, and was sent sprawling into the bloodied snow.

He groaned, his breaths tasted of blood and his mouth filled with it as he curled in on himself, his blood spilling from his wounds faster.... and he didn't try to curb it, he couldn't care anymore.

"....h...he... he..hehe......" He wheezed, "...w....we..ll......well.......b....been.... awh....ile......" He coughed, blood spattering across the ice as his yellow eyes flashed blue.

"... eh.... L...Lixue....?"

'... you utter fool..... how dare you.....?! You knew you couldn't destroy that Demon... not like this..... y.... you.... IDIOT....!!!'

The man smiled wryly, pushing himself over stiffly, shaking violently as he did his best to push himself up onto his knees. His clothes were tattered and stained, his hair a mess and his skin torn and shredded in places too many to count. Blood dripped without end from every wound, from his mouth and from his nose and ears, smears of it running through his russet and copper hair.

Deliora was long gone.... he was the only thing left... the only thing alive in a city full of death.... and he was quickly going to join the masses. Pity the Beast hadn't finished him off, allowed him death without having to hear that damn voice again.... pity

He hissed, dragging himself forward, his arms nearly buckling underneath him as he forced himself toward a mound of snow and rubble up ahead, his breaths shaky and wet as he laughed a bit more, his yellow eyes glinting wildly.

'For your stupidity.... we are BOTH dying.... Arden you damned..... FOOL....!!!!!!!' Lixue's voice was painful, a searing, sharp icy sound through his head that made him wince. '.... raaaghh.....! How.... dare you....?! Parading about.... calling yourself..... Gelidus Inferniom..... you bastard....! You've killed not only yourself, but you have killed me too.....!!'

Arden growled, pushing himself up the mound as he left a smear of red and bits of gore behind him. His body was screaming, every inch of him threatening to snap and send him falling apart, his bone and skin and muscle all barely holding together and breaking fast.

"...tch... Shut... shut up.... ya damned...... prick...." Arden wheezed,

He stopped, his arms giving out on him as he dragged himself up the lip of the mound, his body collapsing into the snow as it gave way underneath him and he was sent skidding and tumbling down the other side. He screamed, his body slamming into something hard at the bottom and his face burying itself in a sticky, clumped pool of dirt and blood, his breaths raged gasps and Lixue screaming with him at the sheer pain.

Arden came to a halt, his eyes blurred and quickly losing what little light and life was in them. He groaned as he struggled to lift his head from the blood soaked ice,

"...t...there's....a..r....rea...son...... I shut.... yo...u..... out......." Arden wheezed, his voice barely above a whisper and his fingers numb as he fought for breath.

'..... centuries....... and I  have...... only managed....... idiots.....' Lixue's voice was breaking, '.... perhaps.... it is a blessing...... the damage... all of you..... have managed.... end... here.... with one.... last..... stupid mistake..... you....'

Arden coughed again, his chin splattered in scarlet and his breath hardly a cloud in the icy wasteland around him. His eyes were dull, the yellow fading fast to some ugly, brown color-

He stiffened, his eyes widening weakly, looking across the blood soaked snow he lay in as his attention found what his body had smacked into so painfully. A child..... her hair black as a raven's feathers and her skin pale, her body broken and bent as she lay there, and he lay with her in a pool of her blood. Her arm was mangled, the skin torn open and the bone poking though the gnarled bits of flesh and muscle, a thin trail of the sticky liquid falling past her thin lips.

... so many dead.....

Arden coughed again, his chest felt like it was being torn open.

His fingers twitched, brushing against her thin little fingers, turning black and blue from the cold, her blood smothering against his skin from the wound that had broken her, someone so small-

Those dull eyes flashed, the yellow burning brighter as his felt her blood.... warm.

Arden's head lifted ever so slightly off the snow as his heart jumped, a fire burning in his eyes as he tried and failed to get back up, struggling with a vengeance to push himself closer.

.... she's....

Something wild lit up in his face, something twisted and frantic as Arden forced his falling apart body to move, forced himself just that little bit closer- close enough his hand clamped down tightly on her arm, uncaring of the way his fingers dug into the flesh and grazed across the fractured bone.

A wicked, tilted grin spread it's way across his face, his eyes flashing again as a wash of gold started up from his arm and toward her- what little life and energy left in him suddenly spurring to action, and the grin twisted more.

.... the last... one.....

'.... what are you.... Arden....?!' Lixue snapped, his voice faded and blurry in the man's head.

The skin around his hand and her arm started to singe, the chill air filling with the scent of burning flesh and blood as her arm began to blister, and the wash of gold spreading from his arm blazed brighter, bolder, turning an angry red and orange.

"...he..hehe..... guess....... y...you.... gonna.... b...be... wrong.... heh......Lixue.....!" Arden laughed, his blood dripping from his mouth and strangling the words though he never stopped. Not even as that small, mangled little girl flinched, not when she was drawn back from the icy cold claws of death and forced back to the world engulfed in agony and burning fire in her veins. His hand was turning ebony as his skin burned, smoke rising from her skin as a fire began to leap inside of her, searing the wound closed slowly and burning flesh back together in a wash of blazing white.

The girl whimpered, her blue eyes fluttering open and dazed, her limbs twitching and spasming as she struggled to pull away from what sheer tortuous agony was climbing up her arm and into the rest of her body. Ripped back into the world and with no clue what was happening, she didn't understand-

"..... y... ya got...one more.... bloody mistake.... Lixue....!" Arden smiled, his eyes wild and his expression twisted in something no less than excitement that bordered on insanity and rage. The glow of red and orange got worse, Magic pulsing from him and pouring into her, the wound was melting together and she was struggling against him- no longer weak, her skin a sickly pallor and her eyes glazed in pain and terror. The glow of orange raced over her skin, charring along the inside of her body, singing bones, organs, engulfing everything and it was torture- that little child's voice broke as sobs and screams of pain rung on the air that had been so deathly silent just before.

She was screaming. Writhing and squirming in sheer, fiery agony searing across her body and her mind. Her wrist, arm, and all the way to her shoulder... Her skin was blistering from the insane heat- it felt as if she had dipped it in molten lava.

Someone was gripping her arm tightly, holding on to her, the grip never slipping- even as she tried so desperately to pull away. Her vision flashed black, red... The smell of burning filled her nose and lungs. She just kept screaming... The pain was blinding...

Arden never let up, he was laughing even as his life drained away and he forced that wild, insane Magic into her- forced it to burn the wound closed, forced it to mark across every inch of her body and her soul and claim her, the pain was enough to kill anyone, the Magic was too strong, too jagged and much too uncontrolled- it was burning her alive from the inside out. His copper and russet colored hair was fading into a dull, lifeless grey, his hand burned black and quickly moving up his arm as she thrashed and kicked up blood-colored snow, screamed and kicked and pleaded and cried, her voice breaking, shrieking even long after her throat filled with blood and the taste of something burning sour.

... She wanted it over. She wanted to feel nothing... And still that grip... That grip that burned her skin and sent lava searing through her veins, it kept her away from the numbing embrace of perpetual darkness. It wouldn't let her go.

She wanted to be let go.

"STOP! PLEASE!" The girl's voice would have broken the heart of anyone, it was dripping in terror and fear and pain- but Arden couldn't care, he would never let go- he looked at her with the face of want, sheer lust and uncontrollable need. He watched in pleasure and delight as she started to burn, the black running up her body and strangling her- that dirty, blood matted raven hair turning orange and red and all colors it should never have been.

"S-STOOOOOPPPPP!!!"

"Not... not a chance!" Arden shrilled, his body shaking violently as he dragged her closer to him, pulling her through the snow as the rest of her body started to blister and break under the fire consuming her, eating her.... killing her, and still she tried to pull away. Her mouth filled with blood and ash and fire and she felt her lungs burning away inside her chest,

Lixue was screaming, roaring and cursing and Arden still never stopped- he never listened.

The man had pulled himself up, his free hand curling in toward himself as his yellow eyes flashed, sickly and wicked- and yet... hopeful. Hopeful even as he watched that child cough up bits and pieces of her own charred insides right in front of him, black and scarlet pooling from her mouth.

"You must... Live! It is up to you... You have to defeat...!" Arden hissed, his grin splitting over his face.

"...he... hehehe....! Kill what killed me..... kill what failed to kill you...!!!!!"

"NO!"

Arden's free hand plunged straight into the center of his own chest, breaking past the damaged skin and shattering what ribs were in his way, a new stream of blood pouring free from the wound and his mouth- the grin never faded.

He ripped his hand free again, bloody and black as his fist remained clenched about a smooth, icy blue stone that seemed to glitter and spark with some unnatural light. The little girl was twitching, her body falling apart and melting from the inside out and all will to fight outwardly lost- if only her mind and her heart had failed so quickly, she still felt it... felt every single second of it.

His hand shot forward, the stone still gripped tightly as he plunged his hand through the center of her chest, ribs breaking and what charred mess of her lungs was left- they were forced apart as he stuck his entire fist inside her body, moving organs and bone and leaving a giant, nestled hole for that stone to set. Her skin, and her body, covered head to foot in pitch, jet black- a pulse of blue raced from where his hand remained lodged inside her chest, and she felt like her heart had been ripped in two.

Her body felt like it had been drowned in lava suddenly felt like it had been ripped in half, melted back together, then cut into hundreds of pieces... and then melted again, over and over it when from blinding burning pain to mind shattering cold, it lasted years, it lasted too long and she felt her mind breaking under it all just as her body shattered with it.

Arden ripped his hand back out from her body again, leaving the stone as his breaths shuddered to a close. His yellow eyes dulling to grey and all light gone as his hand fell limp from having been holding to her so tightly, his face falling as a ghost of smile remained etched into his face forever more.

She was writhing around in that blood soaked snow and ice, screaming and fidgeting for hours, her body destroying itself, burning itself, and then slapping itself back together- the flames raged and then died, and then raged again and it was a fate worse than death... she wanted to die, she screamed and pleaded and wished she would- begged. And the pain still kept on,

Her head was throbbing, she felt like someone had struck her skull through by a blade as a a voice so loud and so icy screamed all throughout her mind,

'ARDEN!!!'

.:+:.

Hora screamed, her body jolting up and the pain and terror persistent, her heart beating feverishly in her chest and her mind racing. Her breathing came in jagged, panicked gasps, her hair sticking to her face and her body covered in icy cold sweat, though her skin burned hot. She couldn't think, couldn't process where she was or what was going on- adrenaline and terror were holding her captive at the nightmare and the memory so vivid it was like it had happened all over again- and yet this time her mind had melded and mixed with Arden's in a most sickening, unnatural way.

She couldn't calm down, she couldn't even think about trying to- she couldn't breathe. Her lungs were hitching so much her panic was getting worse at the sensation of suffocating and choking.

Her body was heaving and still she wasn't getting enough air, she was shaking violently and she looked white as a ghost- it was dark, it was silent- she was alone, unbearably, terrifying alone and she was panicking too much to handle it on her own.

Her stomach flipped, her body spasming as she struggled to lean over, one arm hugging her body and the other holding her up only barely as she retched, the sick burning in her throat and tears streaming from her eyes as her stomach somersaulted a dozen times and she continued to retch and gag even when there was nothing left for her stomach to give up.

She was shaking like a leaf and gasping even more by the time she managed to stop, pushing herself sideways and stumbled when her legs refused to work right- the rest of her body and limbs failed to listen much better as she turned her back on the puddle of lost food and the like. Her hand moved to steady herself against the small smooth faced boulder she had been sitting on earlier in the day, her for head pressing against the chilly surface of the stone and still fighting for proper air as her heart pound painfully in her ribcage and her pulse flitted unevenly. Her head was spinning and she felt ready to pass out- but fear didn't dare let her.

She stiffened, her head snapping backwards when she heard the stone crack- her eyes darting this way and that as she noticed for the first time that the air was wavering... And everything outside of a circle of about twenty feet from where she was covered in snow..... But where she was was utterly lacking. The air was hot around her, only wisps of a chill wind breaking into the confines of the circle, the stone was cracked and discarded piles of pine needles had been reduced to smoldering piles of ash. Above her head what snow was falling in a blizzard was melting before it had chance to get near her,

Her Magic was so far out a hand she was warding off a fucking blizzard, and she hadn't the will nor the ability to stop... She couldn't, she wasn't using Magic consciously she was panicking so much she couldn't control herself... And the more she tried to get herself under control the more ragged her breathing got and the more her body started to shake, and then the more dizzy she got.

S...shit... S...stop....

She stumbled, her hands pushing against and clinging to the rock as she struggled to stand up- her knees shaking badly and threatened to give out the minute she started. She leaned against the rock near all the way, her head spinning and her senses suddenly plunging toward a sense and state of vertigo that made her gag again, but there was nothing left to throw up.

.. p...please..... S...stop..... I...

She staggered away from the rock, tripping and legs shaking terribly. The dizziness persisted, the world a wash of blurred indistinction and the ground underfoot bobbing up and down, tilting and twisting and throwing her stomach into knots and turns, and the panic got worse and worse. She stumbled into the blizzard, her jagged, jolting steps out into the storm wearing a line through the snow as it melted the second she stepped through it, her head and thoughts a whirl, emotions wild-

The tears had never stopped, she was sobbing, her body hurt, her heart, her soul all hurt- and she couldn't stop crying.

She hardly saw the world around her, she was fighting too hard not to fall, or pass out... She staggered through that storm without a single drop of snow managing to hit her skin. She stumbled down a hill and toward the scent of water, she had to stop.. She had to calm down... Stop melting...  Burning....

.... I..... I have.....

She stumbled into the shallow, freezing water of a river, collapsing in the shallows and her body plunged into the chill that would have surely sent anyone's teeth chattering, and in minutes- had them numb, frostbitten, freezing to death...

Her body bounced painfully against the stones as she collapsed, her legs giving out and soaked in seconds, her breath hitching in a gasp as the water wrapped around her on all sides. She felt weak, and faint and she world was so blurry- she couldn't keep her eyes open. She trembled, her body halfway submerged in the water and her head falling back against the stones, the world fading grey and fast, her consciousness waning, she couldn't feel the water, not the cold... Everything hurt too much.

'.... Horatia..'

She winced, her eyes scrunching closed as she fought to shake off the dizziness, and the weakness... She felt faint,

She felt something cold fall against her face, and then another..... Soft things.

Her eyes fluttered open again, dazed and dull as she watched small specks of snow fall from the sky gently, bits of them dotting against her face and cheeks- what blizzard she had been melting was nothing more than gentle snowfall....

.... She couldn't figure out how long she had passed out for, she felt she'd only closed her eyes for half a second, and yet there she was. Her breathing stilled to something slow and just shy of nothing at all, and her pulse lowered, her heart no longer beating frantically and her Magic no longer warding off the snow and melting it before it could touch her. The sky was a darker shade of grey now too, her muscles stiff,

'..... Are you alright...?' Lixue's voice was low, gentle... Gentler than it had ever been.

... Is that even a question...?

Hora winced, her head pounding and her body aching all over as she shaking pushed herself up from the near stagnant water, her breath billowing in front of her in a cloud and dripping from head to foot. Her body shook in protest as she forced herself up, she only managed to stand for half a second before her legs gave out and she hissed,

'... Easy now, Horatia.. Take it slow.' Lixue intoned softly, she really wished he'd quit it.

Her body didn't want to function right, her legs didn't want to hold her, and her head spun with every small movement. It took a long while for her to push herself up, and to stagger from the water and back onto the bank before she collapsed again into a drift of snow- and this time she stayed down, her back pressed against the mound and taking in shallow, feverish breaths, this time she felt the cold, though it didn't bother her... She felt too terrible to care, even if it had. She just felt sick.... Terribly sick.

'..... That was too much stress on you...' Lixue murmured, '.... Apologies..... Had I been able... I'd have stopped you from living Arden's memories, along with your own... I am sorry. You did not deserve to relive that again... I lost control... Just as you.....'

Hora's mind and senses were in such a feverish daze she hardly registered what he said or how genuine the apology was, her mind felt shattered and her emotions felt that too... He was right, it was too much...

Her shaking arms moved to hug her own body, her eyes falling halfway as she looked upward to the sky but barely saw it.

She hadn't relived the entirety of it in so long... Years, and it had never been that real. For the first time since she was six years old, that nightmare hit her hard enough to break her... And just like the first time, she was alone again....

...... She'd been so broken, when she woke up.... Found him, Arden... Dead and smiling still..  She was alone then, confused and trapped in a body now ruined by some evil, foul Magic she had known nothing of. She'd been confused, alone, hurt, and so afraid.... She'd dreamed of it, over and over again for two years before the nightmares became bearable again. It had been so long since a memory had hit her hard enough to have her feeling like such utter shit.

Her mind was spinning so much, she couldn't think straight- even when she heard a bell ring and she pulled the Calling Card up weakly, she was so dazed she didn't hear Lixue warning her not to, or even think about what a terrible state she probably looked.

In all reality she was trying so hard to keep steady hold of that card little else mattered, and her vision was blurring in and out so much she couldn't quite make out their faces on that small, dimly lit screen in all the darkness and the continually falling snow around her.

But she heard them, their voices so clearly and so easily.

"Hora!"

It was a small mercy that it was so dark around her, it kept them from seeing how soaked she was, or the dark lines that ran under her eyes, or even how bloodshot and glazed her eyes were. Though, Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch's faces fell slightly the minute the card picked up- because even in the low lighting they saw how terrible she looked, how exhausted, and their hearts dropped.

"H-hora..?"

".. Shit, Hora...?! Are you OK?!"

"You look seriously pale! What's wrong?!"

"Are you hurt?! What's going on?!"

Hora's lips twitched up at the corners, a small, strained and exhausted smile breaking across her face as she felt herself sink back into the snow a little more, flecks of white falling about her face and sticking in her hair continually as she heard the worry in their voices,

"... nothing's wrong..." She mumbled softly, her throat felt sore and hurt from screaming... she faintly wondered if the dream had had her screaming in her sleep... she was thankful she was alone now, so no one had seen it. Her assurance did nothing for them, as she knew it wouldn't... and honestly, she didn't mean it to.

"... sorry, I must really look like a mess.... It's just been a rough night..... I didn't sleep very well..." She replied softly, she could see the concern and sympathy pass over each and every one of their faces.

".... did you have a nightmare, Atia..?" Lector and Frosch asked gently, Hora nodded.

"... yeah.."

".... do you wanna talk about it, Hora...?" Sting asked softly, Hora shook her head.

"No.... not really....." She breathed, her eyes falling closed a moment. The four on the other end of the card exchanged glances between one another, their eyes glittering as they saw Hora pale a little more- if it was possible, and she sounded so so.....

"..... you look really tired, Hora." Rogue murmured softly, "..... are you sure you're ok...?" He paused, his red eyes flashing as he sweatdropped. "... we can leave you alone, if you want... so you can go back to sleep."

"No," Hora answered quickly, catching them off guard at the immediate answer. Her eyes flashed as she blinked them open, shaking her head slightly as she sighed, her breath a cloud in front of her face that they blinked at. She smiled, just a little, "... no.... you guys are fine.... just chat with me a little yeah? What have you been up to, I haven't heard from you in a week." She smiled a bit more, her head tilting slightly as her eyes glittered.

It was rather clear in that instant she was looking for a distraction, not surprisingly- the four on the other side of the card face could see easily that something was wrong, something was bothering her and she looked stretched out in every which direction... it had been a very long time since they had seen Hora looking so worn out and... sick. It almost reminded Rogue of how pale and sickly she had looked after what Jiemma had done to her, and his heart clenched painfully at it.

".... ah... yeah." Sting mumbled, the lot of them pausing only a few moments before giving in to what it was she wanted. "... sorry.... but we know you're busy on a dangerous mission, Hora... we didn't want to distract you." Rogue nodded stiffly in agreement, Hora blinked.

"We told them you wouldn't mind if we called though." Lector purred softly, Frosch raising a paw beside the red tom-cat in agreement. Hora chuckled lightly,

".... of course... I love talking to you four, you're not a distraction.... hehe, you should listen to Lector and Frosch, boys." Hora hummed gently, ".... I was a little worried Minerva had come back early and that's why you hadn't called, actually..." They stiffened a little, shaking their heads quickly.

"Oh, ah, no!" Sting murmured, "We've heard nothing from her, sorry Hora.... I guess we should have thought of that..." Hora smiled in reassurance,

"It's alright, I'm glad it was nothing like that..... have you been training hard?" Hora sighed,

"They've been going at it very hard." Frosch purred, Lector nodded. "Yukino too~!"

"They got their butts handed to them today by her and Pisces." Lector informed, Hora tilted her head in question.

"Oh?"

"Mhmm!"

"...she didn't beat us that bad." Sting mumbled in slight embarrassment, Rogue shook his head slightly, sweatdropping.

".... yes... she did..." The Shadow Dragon Slayer admitted lowly, Sting sighed. Hora laughed, just once, and nearly regretted it when her stomach ached at it.

"... it's good to hear Yukino's doing so well." Hora smiled, "... good of you to admit she beat you too, heh..."

".... Yeah, well... We kicked Orga's ass today." Sting grumbled, though he smirked at the thought. "Idiot tried to eat all the food."

"Sounds like him.." Hora sighed,

"It got super stormy today too." Frosch piped in, "It was thundering everywhere!" Hora blinked,

"The rain lasted forever too." Lector mumbled, looking exasperated at the thought.

Their voices were so nice on her ears, they started talking about their day, their week- all the training, all the fights, what Yukino, Orga and Rufus were up to... Everything. What tenseness that crept into them faded as they settled into conversation- and what panic and fear and ache in Hora faded the longer she listened, it took very little time at all for her small comments to fade into nothing. She settled back into the snow drift more, her hold on the card waning as the sound of their bright, cheerful voices began to pull her body into something nice and calm... It was near bliss.

Somehow, it seemed as if they had called right when she needed them to... It was like they knew she needed to see them, hear them... And oh, she missed them. She was so happy and tired all at once she forgot what she had intended to say the next time she talked with them- her head was in a haze and she hadn't the strength to tell them how she wanted to do better, to come back to them, to win and work hard to open up, be a better friend.

Just listening to them talk.... It was like heaven on earth and before long her body gave into exhaustion and sleep, and the nightmare didn't come back.

Lector, Frosch, Sting and Rogue had seen the card slipping from her fingers, seen her roll over and holding the card a little tilted as she did her best to keep her attention on them and it. They say her eyes falling and sleep biting at her heels soon enough, and they knew instantly that she had dozed off- and that was fine. They smiled sadly among themselves, seeing her eyes drop closed and hearing her breathing deepen even through the card. She'd wanted a distraction, even if she was dead tired, and they had given into it... Until she'd fallen asleep, and she looked like she needed it. And this time it seemed peaceful, as opposed to what nightmare she had said she'd had before.

Sting and Rogue's eyes glittered,

... They were glad that Frosch and Lector had convinced them to call her, more so than they realized.... Even with her so tired and looking so pale, just seeing her, hearing her... That meant more than they could ever have guessed.

"Goodnight, Hora... Sleep well."

.:+:.

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this Chapter! The next one is gonna be exciting ~

QUESTION: I have seen a lot of mixed answers on this, so-!

** Who do you guys ship Hora with (if anyone)? I'm really curious, so let me know!

Thanks for reading, please vote and Comment! Thanks~! <3