Chapter 39

Stay

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

.:+:.

"Hora, we need to talk to you about something."

Hora stiffened a little at the words, her eyes flashing as she froze midway through tying the red ribbon from Ira around her wrist again.

The room was quiet, so the click of the door latch in the frame as Lector closed it was easy enough to hear- and a little ominous, since it came right after such a vague 'we need to talk' uttered by Sting, who also sounded a little tense and unsure on top of it.

Hora turned slowly, the ribbon coming loose on her wrist as she tugged it off again and put a pause on tying it. She blinked, dark blue eyes narrowing at the group of Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue ahead of her, all four of them hovering slightly not far from where she was over by the balcony doors in that room that had basically been claimed as her own with Over-Drive and everything.

It was just them now, though Wendy, Sherria and Porlyusica had been in a bit earlier to give her one last round of healing and whatnot- you know, after she'd ended up falling asleep in the dining hall yesterday and hadn't woken up again till very early this morning. They'd stopped by to put some more work into healing her wounds and things, and it was the last round of Healing Magic she was gonna get. Her wounds were basically closed up and on the mend/near to the end of it now after them working. Her sprained ankle from the day before was all good, the cuts on her hands too, and the slashes running across her arms and body from the Other Rogue's claws had been rendered little but faint scars now that might (and hopefully would) fade all the way given time. Even the slash running across her ribs from Callan's tail had closed up- though that had left a scar about as big and noticeable as the one running the length of her right arm, and was unlikely to fade at all, not that Hora minded. All in all though?

The bandages that had been holding her body together were all gone now, and she had no more open wounds to speak of... Which was awesome, and made moving much easier- but she was definitely not 100% healed and all okay, even with all that.

There were still some internal things that'd persisted, though they didn't bother her too much if she was careful, and Over-Drive was definitely still hanging over her head. Even with all the Healing Magic in the world, Over-Drive was a stubborn bastard and would not be leaving her be for a long, long time now. She'd likely still be risking coughing her lungs out at every little emotional upset long after this. And given Over-Drive hadn't even managed to fade all the way from when Jiemma beat the shit out of her to three months following, she was in for a very, very long span of much more than three months before Over-Drive went all the way away. Which sucked, but hey- she wasn't all cut to shreds anymore, and she could at least walk around without getting too dizzy (for the most part).

I survived a million things I shouldn't have been able to survive, so I'm not complaining.

However when she turned just now, and saw how every single one of the Exceeds and Dragon Slayers both were fidgeting and uneasy- any amount of not wanting to complain, and kinda feeling like she'd finally managed to get herself a better track got a little deflated.

Hora swallowed, her own posture instantly mirroring their own, albeit a tiny bit less fidgety and a little more confused.

"Talk about what...?" She asked slowly, the four of them exchanging quick and uncertain looks between them as they hesitated half a second or two more, and Hora felt her stomach begin to churn.

This is... Really weird...?

What the hell could we have to talk about that I haven't already hashed out with them? Did I forget something...?

And why do they look worse freakin' nervous...? It's making me nervous-

"We... we need to talk about you, and Gray." Sting mumbled quietly, his shoulders hunching a little and looking increasingly unsure of himself- Hora felt her heart skip a beat.

"About... About you and your brother." Rogue elaborated a little more, Hora froze.

Her heart did more than skip a beat, it felt like it stopped- and her breathing certainly did the same. She went rigid, eyes going wide as an icy chill of shock and panic raced through every inch of her veins, her hold on the ribbon in her hand failing and sending the crimson red fabric fluttering down to hit the floor. She could hear her blood roaring in her ears, a ghostly echo of their voices mixed in with it, repeating over and over those three words;

Gray

Your brother

The color drained from her fast way, way too quickly, her hands trembling just faintly in front of her while her expression twisted- afraid, uneasy and reeling all at once.

They couldn't have known that- they can't know that...!

She shivered, swallowing hard and taking a shaky step backward, her legs quickly starting to tremble just as much as her hands were, while her mind just kept racing.

H-How... How the hell do they...?!

Rogue took a tiny step toward her across the room, red eyes flashing slightly and looking instantly concerned as he reached a hand uncertainly out toward her. But Hora reflexively backed up another pace when he approached, causing him to stall, the dark-haired man grimacing and looking even a tiny bit hurt for it, but only just.

Mostly he was worried with how quickly she seemed to start freaking out. The trembling in her body and the pale face aside, she wasn't breathing at all. And any amount of her emotions running wild or being panicked was bound to make Over-Dive act up- which they'd been afraid of when even considering bringing this up, but they had to. They had to talk about this, because the implications that came with it was not something they could just ignore.

"... Hora..." Rogue mumbled softly and she seemed to jump a little at the sound of her own name(?), the Fire Devil Slayer sucking in a sharp breath of air that caught a little in her throat, and made her cringe. She bent over half an inch, eyes snapping shut tightly and her arms pulling into her center as she cut the breath off short, going rigid against the sudden fiery flare in her chest and not daring to move an inch. Everyone else jumped, instantly on high alert and bristling slightly, the four of them collectively starting forward out of sheer instinct- only to draw up again not a second later, Hora hissing under her breath and raising a hand out toward them in a signal to stop.

They obliged the silent order, though every part of their beings told them not to. But even still they stayed where they were, fidgeting a little more than they had been before and watching her like hawks.

Hora could tell they were, but it meant more that they had stopped as she asked. She needed to be able to get over freaking out on her own, she needed to quit, and just... Just stop.

Get a hold of yourself dumbass... You can't freak out and let Over-Drive wreck your lungs every time this is brought up... Shit, how are you gonna be able to handle this conversation with Gray if you can't have it with them?

Tch... Damn it damn it damn it damn i-

'-Give it a moment Horatia, you'll be alright.' Lixue told her coolly, interrupting the string of curses with absolute ease and bringing them to a halt. 'This is a difficult subject surely, but I am confident you can handle it... Just take it slow, and at your own pace.' He hummed, and Hora paused, her eyes cracking open to stare at the floor and gritting her teeth, hard.

'... And please do try to breathe if you can.' Lixue added quietly, Hora grumbled internally.

She shut her eyes again, sinking slowly down into crouching on the balls of her feet, her elbows meeting her knees while she pressed her forehead into the back of her hands. Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch grimaced slightly when she sank further toward the floor, but they didn't move from their spaces even still, because she did seem steady enough in the position. Plus she did manage to take in another breath of air that was significantly less shaky and strained than that first one, and that came without her cringing at all- though it did still hurt a bit in her chest, it was manageable.

... alright... just stop... calm down... take it slow...

She forced herself another few slow breaths in and out, the burning sensation in her core fading with each one while she fought to settle her nerves, heart rate, mind... everything.

... ugh... I wish I was as confident as you were about me 'handling this', Lixue... I still feel like I'm gonna end up sputtering...

... and I have no idea how to even talk about this... I wasn't ready to talk about this, and definitely not with them... shit...

Hora swallowed, her head tilting up slightly from leaning into the back of her hands- her hands that were still shaking slightly in front of her nose, and she grit her teeth.

First thing's first-

She looked up passed her hands just enough her eyes could find the four standing stiff in their spaces ahead of her, all of them looking tense and worried, and she felt her stomach curl.

"... How the hell do you know about that...?" Hora asked, her voice scarcely above a whisper and shaking slightly despite her attempts not to let it. They stiffened against the question, Rogue and Sting in particular as both Dragon Slayers exchanged nervous glances with one another, and audibly swallowed.

"We... We heard you and Lyon talking back at the square..." Sting replied quietly, Hora frowned, her eyes flashing.

"... You eavesdropped on us?" She grumbled lowly and they flinched a little at the affirmation, their heads bowing slightly in guilt.

"Y-Yes... well..." Rogue mumbled, before they both dipped their heads a bit lower in something of a bow, shoulders stiff. "... We're sorry, we didn't mean to, we were just worried when you went of with him all of a sudden."

"Yeah... and then when we heard him ask you about your name we just... shit, we didn't mean to listen in..." Sting mumbled, Lector and Frosch's ears falling against their heads as they shot their Partner's uneasy looks.

Hora's eyes narrowed at the answers in clear agitation, before her gaze dropped back down to the floor in front of her, a bead of sweat falling down her jaw and shoulders hunching a little.

Damn it

There was a bit of a heavy pause after that, Hora halfway glaring at the floor while everyone else shifted uncomfortably in the silence... well, until they couldn't handle the prickling quiet any longer, and decided to break it themselves.

"Look Hora, you can be mad at us for listening in, that was our bad. And we know that... that that wasn't the way you would have wanted us to find out, i-if you were planning to tell us at all- which would have been totally up to you...!" Sting told her, Rogue nodding stiffly beside him.

"Yes, it was yours to tell and we didn't mean to get in the way or anything. Truly." The Shadow Dragon Slayer murmured, his eyes lingering on Hora for a moment, and she didn't look up, so his eyes dropped slowly and his shoulders sank. "But... the fact of the matter is we do know." Rogue murmured, Hora's shoulders hunching a tad more for it, her eyes narrowing to slits while her teeth grit harder.

Yeah, where I wasn't ready to-

"But even so, we don't want to force you into talking about it or telling us any of the details." Rogue kept on, the words putting a stop in her thoughts and earning her eyes widening a little. "We're not asking for that, you don't have to explain any of it to us, or talk about it at all if you don't want to. We didn't bring it up with the intention of forcing anything out of you." He murmured softly, Hora blinked.

Wait, what...?

"Yeah, the only reason we're bringing it up at all is cause we just... We wanted to make it clear that you don't owe us anything." Sting told her, his voice steadying a bit near the end there, and Hora stiffened a little more in surprise, again.

W-What..? What the hell does that mean-?

"We know everything's been really crazy lately, for you especially, and that all that's happened has been a lot... a-and that you're still trying to deal with it all, and figure things out. We get it, it's hard and we... We want you to do what's best for you now, okay...?" Sting mumbled, the steadiness of his voice wavering a little this time around.

"You've spent so long looking after all of us, even when it meant putting yourself last." Rogue murmured softly, his hands wringing together in front of him a little. "We know how far you're willing to go for all of us, helping keep us safe, and happy, and... We can't ever repay you for all you've done, and sacrificed for us, Hora... You have been the most loyal friend we could ever hope for, and we never asked for anything you did, you just did it... So... So..." Rogue trailed off, his hands tightening around each other while his shoulders hunched all the more- a reaction and posture echoed in everybody else.

"... So... If you needed to leave the Guild, or wanted to... In order to be with Gray again... W-We would understand..." Rogue murmured, his voice growing shaky and damn near husky without him meaning for it to, but his throat tightened on the words and he could hardly get them out. It was a miracle he even managed it, Sting didn't think he could have, and the Exceeds surely not- though those last three did manage to nod solemnly in agreement to the statement, even though it looked like it pained them more than words could describe to do so... and it did.

None of them had any want for her to leave, the idea of her doing so came with the sensation of being stabbed by a hundred swords all at once. But even so they had to say it, make it clear that it was okay for her to do it, and that she wasn't locked in the Guild or to them out of obligation or anything like that. Because she had always done everything for them, she kept herself as a prisoner to Jiemma for years just to keep them safe and keep an eye on them. She kept how scared and trapped she felt to herself and focused on always making sure they were okay and happy. She put herself in danger over and over again on their behalf, and she never hesitated in any of it.

A million things she had done for them and their well-beings, and a million things she had hidden and carried all alone, and sacrificed- and she did it all without ever having to be asked. She did it because she was a good person- the best, really- and she had given them so much... So they had to give her this, they had to let her go, even if losing her would break them in so many ways.

For a few heartbeats nobody moved. The Dragon Slayers and Exceeds bother stayed still in their spots, eyes on the floor and stuck there, hunched shoulders and eyes glittering like mad as they held their breaths against that feeling of getting stabbed in their souls... And held their breaths for what felt like years- until the movement of Hora in the fringes of their vision brought their eyes off the floor again.

Hora said nothing, she stayed utterly quiet, her head tilted down far enough her hair cast a shadow over her face and kept it from all view as her hand moved slowly forward to pick the ribbon she'd dropped. Then she started to push herself up into standing, stiffly so and with her face still tilted down all the way, hands down at her sides and... Clenching tightly around themselves, and the ribbon she had picked up. And when she lift her head to match gazes with them?

All four stiffened, eyes widening and their hearts skipping a beat to see Hora's expression twisted, her lips a tight line and furrowed brows over dark blue eyes that were both flinty, and tear-filled at the corners.

She... She looked angry-?

"Tch... You idiots...!" Hora snapped, breaking the silence rather abruptly and causing them to jump. She hissed, shaking her head furiously and sending those specks of tears in the corner of her eyes out into the air, glittering as they fell, and she clenched her fists harder at her sides. "I'm not leaving! I can't even believe you ever think I would!" She snapped hotly, her voice turning a slight bit hoarse as she said it, her shoulders hunching a bit too. "Regardless of all the shit that's gone on or anything else, none of that matters! This Guild is my home, you're all my family, I wouldn't ever just leave and abandon you like that...!" She hissed, and they all blinked, grimacing faintly.

"But... He's your family too, Atia..." Lector mumbled uncertainly, Hora stiffened.

"I know that." She mumbled tensely, her voice dropping suddenly out of the agitated tone it had been in, her head dropping a little too as she stared at the floor under her feet. "I know... but... even still... I wouldn't ever leave you, ever." She hissed, her voice quavering a little while they stared, their hearts skipping a few beats and fixed as they saw a few glittering drops of moisture speckle the hardwood, but only a few.

Hora sniffed, the hand clenched tightly about the ribbon she was holding coming up and rubbing at her eyes, the Fire Devil Slayer shaking her head slightly as she did and letting out a heavy breath.

"Damn it... look, there's a lot of shit I have to figure out with all of this, and with... with him... and... things are gonna be different, once I get around to telling him, and everybody else... but... but I was already planning to come clean about everything eventually anyway." Hora mumbled, the back of her hand moving up to push her bangs from her face, eyes falling closed again. "... I wasn't anticipating you guys already knowing... I've still been trying to come up with how to even start talking about this at all, and I have no idea what I'm going to say to... to Gray... but no matter what happens, or however he takes it, or I end up talking about it... nothing is going to change enough that I would ever even consider leaving the Guild. Never."

Her hand fell slowly from her face, her eyes lifting up again and meeting them, glimmering and a little glassy still, but suddenly much more steady and sure... though there was some sense of somberness hidden there too, just faintly.

"He is my family, but so is SaberTooth. You are all my family, and I can't leave one family for another. I wouldn't." She told them firmly, a small breath escaping her while her eyes flashed, and her shoulders seemed to sink ever so slightly. "I still have to figure things out, and to figure out how to explain everything... But I am not going anywhere. Not a chance." She murmured levelly, and they nearly swelled, their hearts aching and soaring all at once.

Words could not describe how much it meant to them for her to say that, and actually mean it like she did. They could tell she meant it, it was all genuine and she didn't waver at all when she said it.

I wouldn't leave you, ever.

They felt they shouldn't have been as overjoyed as they were to hear it, not when it meant she might potentially be missing something when it came to her blood and flesh family she had just now gotten back. Not when she promised to stay and did mean it, even when realistically she might not have much a choice but to go, or separate herself from the Guild in some amount in order to make room for Gray in her life again.

They shouldn't have been happy and relieved to hear her promise to stay, not when it felt like she was sacrificing something else for them in doing so... but they were happy, and they couldn't help it. Not even when that sense of joy and relief got paired with little inklings of guilt, and anxiety for what might come with all her 'figuring things out'. All they could really do was accept what she said, and had decided... and then accept whatever she would decide as time came and went. That, and hope that it would all be okay eventually.

If there was anybody who ever deserved things to be okay and to work out just right, it was her.

Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue all swallowed, hard. Their eyes gleamed as they stayed stuck in their spots for a few seconds, silence falling in the room again, and their hearts ached for the thought.

Please, let everything be okay, and work out... for her.

Rogue was the first one to break the silence and stillness, the Shadow Dragon Slayer shifting slightly on his feet and taking a tentative step toward Hora, his red eyes stuck on her and watching for any sort of reaction on her part, or attempt to back off. But she didn't flinch away or motion for him to halt again, she just stayed exactly where she was even as he got closer, and he took that as all the answer he needed to close the distance between each other completely- and quickly at that.

He caught Hora up in a gentle hug, pulling her forward against him and pinning her in place before she realized that was what he'd been intending to do from the start. She didn't fight it though, she relaxed slightly into the embrace soon after it started, a small sigh escaping her that was a slight bit resigned, but only just... and then she felt a little more resigned and exasperated when Sting, Lector and Frosch took Rogue's cue to hug her as leave to do so themselves.

You know, all at once.

They darted across the room and ran into her and Rogue both, a mess of limbs and bodies all pressing into one big bundle around her. Unlike several of the times before it, this dog-pile with hugging her all at once didn't come with any tears or anything (thankfully), but their holds on her were just as tight and almost as desperate, and she swore she felt their hands tremble here and there just a bit.

This wasn't how she'd intended them to find out about her and Gray, and now definitely wasn't the moment she'd anticipated it coming up, like at all.

As she'd said, she still hadn't any clue how she was gonna even start talking about this, or explaining anything- so being tossed into the thick of it with them already knowing and bringing it up was staggering, to say the least. She was also a little miffed still about them listening in on her and Lyon still, which made her being tossed into having to talk about it now a little more agitating too, along with it being staggering. This just all around wasn't how she expected things to go, and she didn't really like that she hadn't gotten the chance to decide when this conversation was gonna happen with them... and it was happening now, even if they'd already told her they didn't bring it up to get to any details or anything.

Hora let out a silent breath, her eyes dropping closed from having been open halfway and taking in a long, deep breath. The familiar scents of all four of them washed over her senses, instinctively making her relax a tad more- even despite the agitation, and all else.

They let go slowly, their hold on her loosening once they seemed to have gotten their fill of the embrace and settled themselves enough to release her. They didn't put much distance between them even as they did however, the four of them only backing off a pace or two to stand in front of her again, a little uneasy and uncertain as they caught her eyes- clearly not sure what to say now, what to do, or even really where the conversation or whatever was supposed to steer. They didn't want to ask anything, they'd already set themselves up not to, but that was when they'd been anticipating their understanding of her possibly having to leave the Guild turning into a conversation about her actually leaving... Which she wasn't gonna do, as she said, so now they were kinda lost on where to go from here.

Hora let out a heavy sigh at the uncertain looks from all four of them, her arms crossing over her chest and cocking a hip.

"... Just ask." She mumbled lowly and they blinked, looking startled.

"A-Ask...?" They all mumbled in unison and she nodded, stiffly.

"Yeah. You already opened this can of worms, and I know you have questions... So just ask." She mumbled, her shoulders sinking slightly as she took a small step back and to the side, her eyes dropping closed with another heavy sigh. "... I guess you guys can be something like a 'test run' on trying to figure out how I'm gonna talk about it with everyone else... " She added softly, while the rest of them hesitated even further, exchanging very uneasy glances with each other.

"Hora we... Uh..." Sting started, before breaking off pretty quickly and swallowing, hard. "Are you sure...?" He mumbled, blue eyes glimmering and insure still- she was too, but she nodded anyway, and just once.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

They seemed to falter for a heartbeat or two more even despite the assurance, before Lector seemed to buck up enough, a paw raising slightly like someone raising a hand in class, his tail tip twitching behind him.

"Well Atia, we think we understand the gist of it all, with everything you told us about your Village, and Deliora." The tomcat started slowly, his ears dropping a little when Hora stiffened faintly for the mention of it, though she didn't react any further than that. "We get why you never said anything about it before now, or anything about having a Brother too, but... Well we're kinda wondering how it is that Lyon figured out who you were, but Gray didn't...?" He mumbled, Hora paused.

"Yeah, I mean we totally see it." Sting chipped in quietly, "I get that he can't tell how similar your scents are because he doesn't have our noses, but how can he not notice anything else?" He mumbled, his arms crossing over his chest and head cocking slightly. "You guys have basically the same facial structure, and your eyes are exactly the same. Since we heard about it we can't really unsee the resemblance, ya know...?"

Hora's lips pulled into a tight line got the comments, her eyes opening only slightly to cast a slightly agitated look to the side, while a small breath more like a huff escaped her.

"... There's really no reason he should recognize me at all, or even could, regardless of all that." She mumbled, the words earning blinks of surprise from everyone else. Hora grumbled a bit under her breath, shaking her head once or twice as her eyes slowly trailed up and toward the roof overhead, her head tilting back a bit wearily.

"I'm not the person he knew, or remembers, I've changed in a lot of ways... I'm a lot older than the last time he saw me, I changed my name from what he knew it as, and I never talked about my Village or Deliora or any of that until just recently, and I never really planned to." She murmured slowly, "What little he does know of me now isn't enough to make that connection, even with me looking different and being older... Hell, it isn't even just that I look a little different- I look a lot different." She sighed, her eyes dropping closed and her shoulders sinking slightly in defeat and exasperation all bundled into one.

"... And the biggest part of looking different, outside of being older, is my hair..." She added in quietly, almost like an afterthought or a comment said all to herself- but everybody else of course heard it, and their heads all tilted in question.

"... Your hair...?" Was the collective mumble from all four, Hora blinked, her eyes leaving the roof and glancing their way slowly. They all had very confused faces now, and she sighed.

"Yeah, my hair." She mumbled, shifting slightly on her feet to face them a little more directly again, her arms unhooking from over her chest a bit to point slightly at her hair. "This isn't my natural hair color, not even close." She told them, and their eyes went wide.

"W-Wha...?"

"Seriously..?!"

"N-No way..!"

Hora sighed again, her shoulders sinking while her hand wilted a bit in air for the incredulous comments and faces both.

"Yes way." She replied evenly, but they still looked unconvinced.

"B-But we've never seen you dye it or anything..! Or seen it fade out either...!" Lector argued a bit, Frosch nodding firmly in agreement.

"Fro thinks so too!" Hora let out a slightly aggravated groan,

"Well yeah, it's not this way because I dye it or anything like that. When I got the Devil Slaying Magic from Arden it turned my hair this color, I didn't have a choice. It happened automatically, and I couldn't change it afterward." She mumbled, shaking her head a bit in exasperation. "And I did try to change it back- but none of those Magic Items meant to change your hair and clothes colors ever did anything. I even tried to dye it back to the way it was, but my Magic just burned the dye off after and hour and stripped it... it actually got all flakey and fell out, it was kinda gross." She mumbled, and with each word everyone else looked even more shocked.

Because what..?!

"W-Wait, if your hair looks like that because of your Magic, what did it look like before...?!" Sting and Lector pressed quickly (and perhaps a bit too fervently than was appropriate). Hora blinked at the question, her face falling a bit.

"Same color as Gray's." She replied evenly, and they faltered, which made her a touch more exasperated. "What's with the faces? We're siblings, why wouldn't our hair be similar?" She mumbled, but they shook their heads a bit (and quickly so in Sting and Lector's cases).

"B-But... We can't even imagine that...!" Sting and Lector nearly snapped, the pair of them looking a touch unnerved now, which made Hora's eye twitch a bit irritably. Rogue could clearly tell she was getting a little agitated and stepped up a bit, earning her eyes and doing his best to stay as calm and levelheaded as one could with the news, albeit if it was a little shocking. Naturally, as they'd known Hora for over a decade now and it had never once occurred to them her hair wasn't that way just normally by any means.

"But Hora, surely even with your name being different, and your hair too- they can't really be enough to keep Gray from recognizing who you are...?" He murmured, trying to act as a voice of reason... but upon seeing the way her face fell further at the question he stiffened, looking instantly unsure.

"... Uh... Right...?" Rogue mumbled uneasily, Hora looked away.

"... It makes a huge difference..." Hora sighed, before she suddenly backed up a pace and took a seat on the edge of the bed, her hands linking together in her lap. Everyone else paused as she did, looking unsure of why she sat down so suddenly- but Hora didn't give them much time to wonder at all, or even a chance to ask;

"If I concentrate hard enough I can get the Fire Devil Magic to recede to a point where my hair will go back the way it was." Hora told them levelly, "I can't keep it that way forever, because the second I lose concentration it goes right back to being this... But I can give it a go and let you see, if you want." She murmured, the four of then hesitating a second as the words did their best to settle in their minds... Before they nodded slowly.

Hora nodded once back, her eyes falling from them and into her hands for a moment, before she closed them all the way. She took in a deep breath, forcing her attention on them, and basically everything else in the waking world to fade to nothing, and instead let her hone in on some faint and rumbling roar of fire deep, deep down in her very core... Somewhere where that fire that raged whenever she used her Magic or got angry always stayed, though only as a low drone when she was calm, or happy. Down where the heart of the Devil Slayer Magic rested, always a tiny flame oh so ready to turn into a raging inferno- tracks of simmering heat snaking tendrils through the rest of her body, and being a trigger and spark for that flame to fight its way out of her body, out into the air, and paint those only black Markings across her flesh.

She'd not tried to focus in on the center of the Magic itself for so long, so doing so now felt almost foreign... But she got to the core faster than she expected, which was both shocking and a little uneasy feeling.

Maybe it was faster to find it because Over-Drive has my Magic on a constant standby...?

I guess it could go the other way around though. Maybe it was just easier to get all the way there because of all the Anti-Magic Poison made my Magic weaker, and less able to resist me honing in on it...?

She wasn't sure which way it was, or if either- but it didn't really matter in the long run anyway. She got there and that was what she needed.

Well, that and actually taking a hold of that small little simmer of a flame and pulling back at those tendrils it had stretched through her body- to pull back at them just enough to get rid of it's affect on her outward appearance for a moment or two.

Tugging at those tracks however was... Uncomfortable.

Hora stiffened faintly without meaning to, her hands in her lap folding together a bit more tightly.

It wasn't really painful, it just wasn't really fun. Even starting at reigning them in made her center kinda prickle and itch, and that sensation got a little more maddening, and a touch bit more like burning, as she reigned it in even further. Not burning burning, but an uncomfortable bit of warmth even she was not used to or really okay with- and most of it centered in her shoulders and arms. She wanted to shake herself out and try to shake the feeling off, but she refrained, and just focused on keeping a good hold on the Magic.

Rogue, Lector, Sting and Frosch didn't move an inch, nor even as one minute passed into two, and Hora seemed to have frozen in her place. They kept their eyes on her and stayed absolutely quiet- they of course couldn't really tell what she was doing, but they weren't going to interrupt or distract her. She said she needed full concentration right?

Two minutes turned to three, and their stint of staying absolutely still ended with them bristling, their eyes going wide as a sudden dim flash of light across Hora's hair came to life... And it shifted.

The bright fiery orange and red they had always known was receding, moving backward toward her roots in a steady pace, leaving behind that color they had grown used to being there only on the very ends of her hair- not the whole thing. But it did end up as her whole head, every inch and strand of hair quickly becoming overtaken in a deep shade of raven that was an exact match for Gray's own hair, but a color that... that looked so odd on her.

Like really REALLY odd... Almost insanely so, like she was- EH?!

The Dragon Slayers and Exceeds both bristled, their eyes going about as wide as the moon and sweating up storms, their jaws dropping and stuttering wordlessly in their shock.

H-Holy shit she almost looked like a totally different person...?!

"N-NO WAY, IT CAN'T MAKE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE...! IT... IT SHOULDN'T RIGHT..!?" Lector found his voice first, the words loud and very incredulous- while Sting was hot on his tail and shaking his head fiercely, but looking just about as incredulous as his Exceed Partner's.

"IT SHOULDN'T BUT IT TOTALLY DOES...!" The blonde said much, much too loudly- they both did, and Hora jumped at the intensity of their voices, her eyes snapping open and another flash of the overhead lights bouncing off her hair, the orange streaking back through the black like a waft of flame in the night sky.

Hora grit her teeth a bit at the loudness of their voices and the sort of abrupt way in which they snapped her from her own head- and rather shattered what amount of concentration she'd been trying her best to have and keep. With her concentration broken that heat in her shoulders and arms surged a moment along with the flame in her core she'd been trying to dampen, which was less uncomfortable and a bit more jolting than she liked.

She hissed a bit under her breath for it, as well as at the very disturbed and disbelieving looks she got from all four, and just the whole thing in general.

"I told you." She grumbled lowly to the lot of them, their voices having by now sputtered into nothing but stammered bursts of air and non-words. They were staring, still all wound up and kind of trembling too in their disbelief with the whole thing, while the image of Hora- but not the Hora they knew- stayed burned into their mind's eye even as they stared at her in front of them, and she looked like she always had.

"B-But... we didn't expect that it could... ah..." Rogue stumbled for a proper sort of response, and failed, which made Hora sigh a bit, her eyes dropping closed. She leaned back onto her hands on the bed,

"I know, but I did warn you guys." She mumbled softly, her eyes cracking open halfway and shaking her head a bit. "I get it's kinda weird, and a little bit of a shock... all of this is, and I know you're not asking for me to explain anything right now- but I will have to eventually, regardless of that." She mumbled, her eyes raising a little to meet them again, flashing slightly. "But for right now I have to figure out what I'm gonna say to him, about all of this, before I even think about explaining it to all of you, so... Can you guys keep all of this to yourselves a little longer...?" She asked softly, almost uncertainly so, and they all paused, blinking in tandem with one another and the request putting an abrupt halt in their freaking out, shock, or whatever.

They were quiet and paused for only about three seconds, before they seemed to shake themselves out and settle a bit too. They nodded solemnly, all eyes steady on her and expressions nothing but calm and cool now, and their voices were so much the same.

"You got it." Sting hummed, giving her a nod while Lector gave her a thumbs up in agreement to it.

"You have our word, we will say nothing." Rogue promised, Frosch humming a bit along with it.

"Fro!"

Hora blinked slowly at the responses, her shoulders sinking faintly and eyes gleaming at how readily they promised to not say anything. There was no hesitation there, and they meant it too, she could see it all too easily.

All of this had been insane, and she had messed up so many times over and over again, keeping secrets and not telling them the things they deserved and needed to know... but she asked them to stay quiet about this secret that uprooted so much of her life, and they didn't even think about it.

Hell, they'd already been willing to let her go and leave the Guild if she needed to, for the brother and Family she had lost and found- something that must have killed them to even consider doing, but they still did it. Because they knew this meant so much to her, and that was all the mattered- regardless of secrets, her leaving, or whatever else.

Hora smiled faintly, nodding back toward them a little, while her heart ached and warmed all at once.

"Thank you." She whispered, her voice dropping suddenly and without her meaning it to. They nodded again to the thanks, their expressions softening for how much her voice had dropped with it, though they said nothing about it.

Lector and Frosch moved then, placing themselves on the bed on either aide and paws landing on Hora's knees as they peered up at her, heads cocked.

"We do have one more question about this." Lector hummed, Frosch nodding.

"Yeah, we were wondering what you wanted us to call you?" Frosch asked, Hora blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly in question.

"Call me...?"

"Yeah, do you still want us to call you Hora, or would you rather we use your real name now?" Lector hummed, before pausing a bit. "Well, use your real name after you square everything away with your Bro anyway." He added quickly, but Hora faltered a little, her face falling in surprise.

They... Want to know if they should call me Hora or...?

Rogue shifted on his feet after a heartbeat, earning her eyes off Lector instantly while the Shadow Dragon Slayer forced himself a little breath and red eyes glinting.

"We understand why you would have wished to change your name, and why you kept it and everything else to yourself for so long... But now that we know, and everything is coming out- if you wanted to go back to using your real name, we'd understand that too. And we'll do our best to refer to you that way from now on if you wish." Rogue told her softly,

"Yeah, though you might need to give us a bit to get used to it." Sting added softly, one hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck a bit wearily. "We might slip up a few times in the beginning, since we're so used to calling you Hora, but we'll try our best." He murmured, the Exceeds letting out little mews of agreement.

Hora paused, her expression softening slightly as she shook her head slowly.

"No." She replied quietly, the answer earning blinks of surprise from all four of them. "You guys have always known me as Horatia, that's who I've been for over half of my life, I don't want you calling me something else... Not when that name belongs to someone who hasn't really existed in a long time." She mumbled quietly, "I'm Hora to you, I always have been, and nothing about what's gone on or you've learned is ever gonna change that. Horatia is the person I have been every step of the way with all of you, so please don't call me anything else, alright?" She murmured, dark blue eyes moving between every single one of them and steady as can be- while all at the same time she seemed to be searching, and maybe almost hoping they really understood what she meant, and why.

And why wouldn't she be sure they understood it? It probably didn't make much sense for her not to want to go back to the name she'd had originally- most people would, wouldn't they? It was your name, the one you had since you came to be in this earth, the one you were given by those who had brought you into the world and made you.

But for her it was a name that belonged to two people who were no longer there, and in a place that had been wiped from all existence by Deliora. Hell, it was a name that all those who had known her by it were dead and gone (or at least all of them had been dead and gone before she realized Gray was still alive). So it did make sense to them why she would have changed it in the first place, and even why she didn't want to go back. They did get it, truly, but they'd still wanted to give her the choice and chance to use that name again... Just like they'd wanted to give her the choice to leave and be with her long lost Brother if she truly wanted to.

The four of them nodded a little, faces as steady as can be while Hora blinked, dark blue eyes gleaming slightly at the silent reply that somehow said much more than it did. She let out a small (slightly relieved) breath of air, her eyes falling from Sting and Rogue to the Exceeds in her lap, smiling faintly as she patted both their heads gently.

"Thank you for asking though. I appreciate it." She told them, and the Exceeds purred a little under her hands as she rubbed between their ears, grinning.

"Yep!" Lector replied brightly,

"Of course Atia!" Frosch mewed,

"You got it." Sting smirked, the blonde piping in with a little thumbs up cast her way, while Rogue just gave her a smile and said nothing. Hora's eyes flitted up toward both boys once Sting said something, her eyes rolling slightly at the thumbs up and chuckling softly under her breath for it... But hey, the mood lightened, and that was definitely what Sting had been going for with the kind of out of place gesture.

"So, I heard something earlier about some party the King's going to be throwing tomorrow?" Hora hummed, changing the subject with absolute ease, and earning quick nods from the Exceeds.

"Yeah! Since everybody's all okay now and you're doing lots better, the King wants to thank all the Wizard Guilds for their help against the Dragons." Lector told her, "Everybody's invited, and he promised there will be lots of food!"

"And it's gonna be in the castle! Like a Ball!" Frosch chirped, Hora blinked.

"A Ball?" She echoed while small hints of nervousness crept her face. "Sounds like something you'd have to dress up for..." She mumbled, the Exceeds nodded eagerly.

"Yep! Invitation said formal attire!" They replied in union, Hora wilted a little.

"Ah... Right..." She mumbled,

... Though that's gonna be an issue- I am totally out of clothes. I'm living on borrowing Yukino's right now, and there's no way she's miraculously got a dress to fit me... Clothes are easy enough to get by on, but a dress?

We are totally different body shapes... Oi

"Do you wanna go Hora?" Lector asked, earning her attention away from her thoughts and a blink of surprise from her for the question- cause why wouldn't she? (Other than a lack of an outfit of course)

Lector noticed the look of confusion and smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck a little awkwardly a moment while his eyes danced away. "Well I mean... are you gonna be okay to go?" He rephrased a bit, "I know you're doing a lot better and all, but you're still not at 100%. A party might be a lot... and there's gonna be a lot of people there too." He mumbled, Hora's shoulders sinking slightly at the words, and small sigh escaping her.

"I'll be fine. I'm not gonna go crazy or anything, but showing up for a bit and eating some food isn't gonna kill me." She answered levelly, before shaking her head a little. "Plus I don't want any of you missing out on the party because you're worried about me... 'Cause I know you would definitely skip it if I couldn't go." She pointed out softly, the words earning slightly nervous looks from everyone else- because she was right about that. They had been completely prepared to not go in order to keep her company, and not make her feel left out.

"Are you sure?" Sting asked after a moment, and Hora nodded, smiling slightly.

"Yeah I'm sure." She hummed, before pausing, a bead of sweat falling down her cheek in exasperation. "I will need to find a store or something in the city for something to wear though..."

"Oh yeah, you're totally out of clothes huh?" Lector purred,

"... Yeah..."

"Well... we need something to wear too." Sting pointed out, though he looked a little less than thrilled with the idea of 'dressing up'. "We can all go out together and find something, and maybe we'll rope some of the others in the Guild for it too. Might as well if we're all gonna need to look fancy and stuff." He shrugged,

"Sound good!" Lector purred,

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch piped in brightly, Hora nodded.

"That's good with me."

Rogue blinked slowly, his eyes trailing sideways toward Sting for the suggestion of a shopping trip, the Shadow Dragon Slayer's face mostly unreadable, if a tad tense for a moment... But he forced himself a sigh and nodded too, though only just the once.

"I suppose if we must." Rogue mumbled softly, before giving Sting a slightly pointed look. "But let's not make too big an outing of it, we shouldn't be out for too long, or go too far." Rogue murmured, Sting paused a little at the words and the look both, a little bit of wariness flitting across his expression for but a second, before it was gone and he nodded firmly in reply. Rogue let out a silent breath at it and looked away, his eyes dropping closed a moment as he tilted his head toward the door. "Alright, I think Yukino will want to come at the least, but check with everyone else and see if they want to tag along too."

"Got it, let's go guys." Sting hummed, gesturing toward the Exceeds with a little smirk on his face.

"Yep!"

"Fro!"

The Exceeds both gave Hora a little hug before they clambered off her lap and took to the air, following Sting out of the room to do the round up, and leaving Hora and Rogue alone for the moment. Hora watched them go for a moment before glancing Rogue's way, blinking once or twice as he stepped up to be directly at her side. He reached his hands out slowly, red eyes glittering faintly as he caught her eyes for half a second, before he gestured toward her hand still holding to the red ribbon from Ira.

"Let me." He murmured, Hora paused for half a second, before handing the ribbon over and holding her left wrist out for him. He wound the ribbon around her arm gently, his fingers working deftly to tie and secure it- tight enough to stay, but not near enough to be too tight, or pinch her. When he was done his hands pulled away slowly, and Hora shot him a soft smile.

"Thanks." She hummed, and though he nodded in reply to it, he seemed much less at ease than he should have... he actually looked a bit tense now, staring at the ribbon instead of meeting her eyes, and Hora's smile faltered a little, her head tilting in question. "Rogue, is something wrong?" She pressed quietly, and he seemed to bite his cheek at it, shaking his head a little and looking up to match gazes with her slowly.

"No, just... Are you sure you'll be alright to go out?" He asked quietly, red eyes glittering and swimming with no small amount of worry. "I realize you're healed about as much as you can be now, but you're still not in great shape. Going out and about so soon might not be a great idea." He mumbled, Hora's shoulders sank a little, her smile fading into something a little more softer, and somber all at once.

"I'll be okay." She murmured gently, "I get why you're worried, but I promise I will be alright. I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't feel good enough to go out." She pointed out, and he seemed to pause at it, looking not all that reassured... but he seemed to give in, nodding slightly in a silent reply.

His hands hovering a little uncertainly in air between them for a moment, before he seemed to shake himself out a bit and reached toward her instead. He held them out, palms facing her and waiting to give her a hand up. Hora accepted his hands, her own falling into his lightly before he easily pulled her onto her feet, but his hands didn't let go of hers right away. Instead he held on to her a few moments, pulling her slightly more into him as his red eyes matched with her blue ones, steady, intent.

"Alright, but if you start feeling dizzy, or in pain, or anything at all while we're out... Please... Please tell me." Rogue murmured slowly, his voice wavering a little on the 'please', almost as if he was verging on pleading, and Hora's heart twisted slightly for it. "I know you're really good at keeping yourself going even when you don't feel right, especially for everyone else's sake... But please don't hide how you're feeling so much anymore. Especially when it comes to your health, alright...? Please, with me... Let me help you, okay?"

Geez he sounded so worried about her- he was worried about her, extremely so. And she couldn't blame him for being, after everything that had gone on... But him asking that?

Don't hide, don't pretend- not with me.

Lean on me, let me see it, and let me help.

Hora's eyes flashed, her heart aching slightly while her stomach felt like it had a few butterflies in it all of a sudden... It was something of an uncomfortable combo, but only just so.

Her lips twitched upward in the corners for but a moment, before her eyes fell from him. She leaned forward, her forehead bumping against his chest, while she twined her fingers with his, their hands between them locking together a bit more tightly. Rogue seemed to hesitate a moment for the movement, before he relaxed into the sudden closeness, his chin finding a comfortable place on top of her head, his breath ruffling her hair as she gave his hands an affirmative squeeze.

"You'll be the first to know if anything comes up... I promise." Hora told him softly, her voice barely above a whisper, but he heard it easily enough. Rogue eyes fell closed for it, a bit of the knot in his core unwinding for the words, and he shifted, pressing his lips into the crown of her head for a tiny, fleeting kiss- a thank you.

A thank you for the promise to tell him, and to try and be a bit more open... While all at once a silent thank you for her promise to stay, to not leave the Guild, or him.

Selfish as it may be, just... Thank you.

.:+:.

The shopping trip went just about as you might have expected it would... Well, if you were anticipating the attempts at collecting people to go out ending up with basically half of SaberTooth in tow, and no small amount of Fairy Tailers, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Quatro Cerberus, and Mermaid Heel too. Basically everybody needed something to wear, and most people were more than happy for the simple opportunity to go out and relax a little after all the doom, gloom, and general terror-filled time spent the past week trying to keep Hora alive.

There had been a very noticeable lack of Lyon and Gray when they'd been rounding everyone up to head out, though. Hora had not seen either of them before leaving, and when she asked Sherria about Lyon she'd only been told he'd headed out for a 'walk'... Which was something Gray had apparently gone out to do the night before, as Wendy had mentioned, and not come back. Both of them being out and away in such a vague manner made Hora's stomach churn slightly, but she trusted Lyon wasn't going to say anything, and had to do her best to hope whatever they were up to wasn't bad, and focus on the shopping for the moment instead.

So anyway- lots of people joined in, most of them tagging along for the initial trek into the city before breaking off into several groups and spreading out. Sting, Lector, Frosch and Rogue made every effort to make sure they didn't get split up from Hora in the meantime- though seeing as how she got swept up by a lot of the other girls to go try on outfits and such, sticking close by wasn't all that easy. They kinda got pushed out, though it wasn't intentional on the girls part, they were just a little too excited to pick out things to wear and whatever.

Yukino stuck close to keep an eye on Hora in their place for the most part, and it was fairly easy for her to do- given the girls who swept up Hora also swept the Celestial Mage up along with her. And those doing the 'sweeping'?

Lucy, Mirajane, Erza, Wendy, Sherria, Sherry, Jenny were the main sweepers- while Kagura and several of the woman from Mermaid joined in, and several other girls from SaberTooth itself were not far behind.

To their credit, even though they were very excited to be out and dressing up, they were careful with Hora all the same. And though it may not have seemed like it, they were all keeping careful eye on the Fire Devil Slayer throughout the whole of the outing, as well as making sure she didn't strain herself too much, or get too overwhelmed with anything.

In fact the whole excursion went by without a hitch, and before Hora even knew it she'd been set up with an outfit for the party at the castle, and even a few other clothes to make up for her very lacking wardrobe. Hora ended up sitting by and watching while everyone else continued their own shopping for a bit, content in her seat and happy enough to watch, listen, and put her own input in here and there.

Not long after that the girls left the store with Hora bunched between them, the Fire Devil Slayer carrying a few bags in her hands with her new clothes- while everyone else was much the same, all smiles. They also looked very pleased with themselves for their input and choices in what would be Hora's Ball attire- but saying nothing of it other than it should be a 'surprise' when they brought her back out. They did smile and giggle a bit to themselves for the way Rogue took no time in slipping through the crowd of them back to Hora's side near right away, the Shadow Dragon Slayer looking a bit disgruntled for being pushed out to the edges in the first place, but also instantly focused on Hora and alert.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm okay Rogue, don't look so worried."

"Alright... But here, let me carry some of these for you."

"Thanks... Did you guys find something to wear too?"

"More or less."

... Which was more a less, since Rogue, Sting, Lector and Frosch had thus far been a little more preoccupied with trying to keep Hora in their sights. Hora didn't mind though, she simply smiled at them and ushered them off to make sure their shopping trip was as productive as hers (already) had been. And they were happy to go along with it, Yukino tagging close behind while she and Hora made sure the boys ended up with something decent.

The day was whittling down to an end by the time they ended up back at Saber's Inn, everyone breaking off again to put their things away and settle in for the night again- tomorrow was sure to be full of getting ready and excitement for the Ball to be held, so they needed to rest up before then.

Hora paused in one of the meeting Halls of the Inn, Yukino offering to take the things from her hands- which Hora agreed too, though she felt it unnecessary. Either way though she handed off the bags, and no sooner than she did, did Rogue's voice catch her attention off the Celestial Mage, and the little bit of shuffling she had started with Sting and the Exceeds with the rest of the bags and whatnot.

"Please sit down." Rogue's voice broke her eyes off Yukino instantly, Hora glancing around quickly to see the Shadow Dragon Slayer motioning toward one of the nearby benches in the hall, his expression mostly calm- but there were little hints of that concern she'd seen several times throughout the day. He'd never not looked a little worried, or hadn't been doing his utmost to keep an eye on her- always ever alert and wary for even the faintest sign that she wasn't feeling alright, or something was wrong. Because despite her promising to tell him such things and to open up a bit more, he knew her, and she was likely to be hesitant to do so right off the bat- so he was worried, and cautious, and watchful... and she couldn't blame him, but some part of her ached for the fact she'd given him so many reasons the last few months, weeks, days and whatever else to doubt her at her word to do better, and open up more.

No, she couldn't blame him. That was all on her and her not telling him (or anyone) any of those many things she should have come clean about long before now. It was her bad, she put herself in this situation where he and everyone else could, and likely should, doubt her willingness to be upfront with how she actually felt... still though, it did make her stomach knot. And it knotted a little more when her little bit of hesitation had his red eyes glinting with concern even more fervently than it had a second before- Rogue stepping half an inch closer to her while his voice got a bit quieter, and he held a hand out her way.

"I know you've said you're fine Hora, but you have been up and about today a lot more than you have in a week. I realize you might not feel tired, but... But please sit down and take a break for a bit, alright?" Rogue told her softly, his eyes flashing as her shoulders hunched more for the fact, and the way his voice wavered almost imperceptibly there at the end. He moved his outstretched hand closer, palm up and waiting patiently while their gazes locked, eyes flashing and expression softening a bit more along with his voice. "For me, please?" He added, his voice nearly a whisper that time, and she swallowed hard while her heart fluttered and twisted into a knot all at once.

"Alright." She murmured, her hand falling lightly in his. He smiled a little for it, little bits of relief washing over his face for half a second at how easily she relented to what he was asking, before he tugged her forward gently, leading her to the bench and holding on still all the way till she was down and settled. Hora let out a small sigh once she was sitting, her eyes glittering faintly as she watched Rogue fuss a little with the bags alongside Sting, Yukino, and the Exceeds now. He helped bundle them up, and hand them off, leaving the four previously mentioned to head off toward the rooms and put it all away eventually... While in the meantime Rogue never moved far from where Hora was sitting for more than a few minutes at most, and that was fine.

She was mostly content to watch for most part, though she would have rather helped them- but of course she had no choice but to stay sitting like Rogue asked. So she watched, and then (thankfully) got her attention broken off that by some others in the Guild approaching her with small smiles, and then small easy conversation started up between them. She quickly got caught up in the talking, and rather enjoyed it more than watching Rogue and everyone else with the shopping bags- you know, since it kept her occupied and her mind off the fact she wasn't allowed to get up or help or anything.

Eventually Lector and Frosch popped back in and joined the conversation keeping Hora occupied, and Sting and Yukino made their way back from the rooms not long after that too- though they didn't interject, much like Rogue who had taken a place near one end of Hora's seat and had started listening silently.

Hora got so caught up in the talking and everything that it didn't register for her for quite some time that more of SaberTooth kept making their way into that one Hall and bunching in... Well, like all of the Guild showed up actually. And anybody in the other Guilds cast the assembling Sabers glances, before heading off quickly and leaving them all alone. It took her longer than it likely should have to notice the sudden bulking up of her Guildmates in that single Hall, and longer still to take note of the fact that some of them seemed a little wary.

Her eyes shifted from Dobengal (who she was talking to) and swept quickly among those who had already lined up behind him- all of whom seemed to have subconsciously begun lining up in those neat rows they had grown so used to with Jiemma. Though most of them seemed to have caught themselves in the midst of it, and attempted to shift a little back and forth to not be in such a linear fashion, but it was still slightly there, they couldn't break the habit quite that fast. And as her eyes danced across the masses for that little moment she earned a few small smiles and waves from those who had elected not to go out on the shopping excursion mostly- but Ira cast her a sort of nervous wave too, and she'd not been aware he was there until that moment. Even more weird was when she suddenly picked up on DoranBolt standing beside the young Rune Knight too, the man looking tense and uneasy from where the both of them were standing sort of along the wall off to Rufus and Orga's left, while still being a fair bit away from the rest of the Sabers all the same.

Oookay...? What the hell is-?

"Ahem."

Hora's attention snapped over toward Orga for the rather loud way he cleared his throat suddenly, and Dobengal's voice died off instantly in reaction to it and what queue it was- and it was definitely a queue, because every other little rumble of conversation scattered through everyone else died off too, sending the Hall into a near dead quiet... Though she did hear Rogue let out a small sigh under his breath beside her, and the few seconds she dared break her eyes off Orga toward the Shadow Dragon Slayer let her see he was looking a little weary now, and a touch uneasy too. Which was totally out of nowhere, as was the subtle way he unhooked his arms from over his chest and one lingered not far behind her shoulder, though he did not directly touch her.

But again, what the hell-?

"Okay, here we go I guess." Orga murmured, earning Hora's eyes again after diverting to Rogue, the Fire Devil Slayer blinking several times over in confusion. Orga's eyes moved off the rest of the Guild ahead of them and over toward her instead, the Lightning God Slayer stepping a few paces forward to bring himself nearly directly between her, and everyone else, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Sorry, not to put a damper or anything, or dump more on for the day- but we've been holding off on this for the last week and we can't keep that up anymore. The Council won't let us." Orga told her, though his voice was loud enough it was more like he was announcing everything- and he jerked his head slightly to the right in the direction of Ira and DoranBolt for mention of the 'Council'. Both Rune Knights looked a little uneasy at being called out, not that Orga's voice had any sort of edge or malcontent to it, but Hora?

She faltered, blinking several more times and looking increasingly more confused and uneasy with such a vague explanation, that really wasn't any sort of explanation at all for what the hell was going-

"Short and fast version; we don't have a Guild Master anymore, and we really need one. We gotta pick one soon, or we end up getting forced to disband by the Council for breaking the rules and whatever." Orga kept on, getting straight to the point and with no hesitation about it whatsoever- and absolutely no hesitation with the next, his eyes locked with hers and determined to stay exactly there, and steady.

"We've all been talking about it, and we wanna pick you Hora."

Hora bristled, her heart skipping a beat and then stopping for another immediately following that, her eyes going wide and panic and shock rushing through her veins like lightning.

"W-WHAT?!"

Her voice was very, very loud in the near quiet of the hall, and so loud she wouldn't have been shocked if the rest of the Inn heard it- but she didn't care, or even think about it. Any amount of self control over her voice or care about it (and the way her lungs instantly burned too) got swallowed up with that one single statement- that one very insane statement!

Her?! As Guild Master?!

She hissed, bristling further as she leaned forward in her chair and shook her head quickly and more than a few times, dark blue eyes glittering like mad.

"N-No way!" She hissed, "You guys can't be serious! Why the hell would you ever think me being Guild Master is the way to go..?! I'm not cut out for being in charge of everybody! A-And why would you even want me in charge?! I was lying to all of you for years!" She snapped, shaking her head a little more curtly at the end there while her expression grew a little less panicked and a little more frustrated and uneasy- and every one of the other Sabers looked instantly a little uneasy themselves for the words, and the reaction on Hora's part... not that most of them hadn't been expecting it in some way.

Hora's hands clenched into fists, her teeth gritting as she let out an aggravated breath, her eyes flashing.

"I never told you anything about Jiemma or the Possession Link! I kept my mouth shut the whole time no matter what happened or how terrible things got! I never did anything to stop Jiemma or Minerva, I just let you stay here trapped and constantly in danger and getting hurt! Constantly being blackmailed and afraid and hurt, and I never did anything!" She snapped, her voice breaking ever so faintly at the end and everyone stiffened against it, swallowing hard. "Tch, you can't ask someone who's sat back and let everything happen that did and want them to be Guild Master! Guild Masters aren't people who lie to their Guilds, or keep secrets and let them get hurt! Guild Masters don't just sit back and let any of that happen!" She hissed, her eyes flashing as she shook her head furiously one more time.

"So why the hell would ever want me to be that person, when I'm nowhere close to being Guild Master material?!" Hora snapped, the words cutting on the tense silence over the entire hall, and even ringing in the quiet... and it did that for a few seconds that seemed heavy and even a tad suffocating, everyone casting slightly anxious glances between them and shifting nervously on their feet before they worked themselves up to reply to the heated (and aching) words.

"But Hora... you only kept all that stuff about the Possession Link a secret to protect us, yeah?" Dobengal mumbled quietly, Hora faltered a little at it, her lips pulling into a thin line.

"Yeah, you never told us about it because you knew we wouldn't have let Jiemma keep you trapped like that, and you didn't want us to get hurt trying to get involved." Kyye inputted lowly, his arms crossing over his chest and grimacing faintly. "Or risk you getting hurt because of us, we would never have been able to get over that... and you knew it." He mumbled, the words earning a few stiff nods of agreement.

"And we know you would have done whatever you could to stop all the shit that Jiemma and Minerva were doing if you could have." Juno chimed in, Hensy beside her nodding affirmatively.

"You totally would, but you didn't have any options. If you tried to stop them and help us out you'd have been risking getting killed. We'd never want or expect you to die for us, Hora." Verrik told her levelly, green eyes flashing along with many others, all of them looking increasingly more steady in their words and their resolves- and increasingly louder with their voices too. There seemed to be a ripple that swept out among the lot of them, everyone adjusting, standing a little straighter, their eyes suddenly gleaming with a little more fire, and a fire that got brighter and more resolute as they started to call things out left and right.

"We would have never wanted you to put yourself in danger on our behalf, Hora...!"

"We wouldn't have wanted you to get yourself killed trying to protect us...!"

"No way! We want you alive...! We want you to stay here, and in the Guild...!"

Hora swallowed at that one, the breath catching in her throat while Lector and Frosch in the bench beside her tensed, with Rogue and Sting doing the same where they were standing.

"Even though you kept the Possession Link thing a secret, why the hell wouldn't we want you as Guild Master? You're our friend Hora, and you've always been looking out for all of us without ever being asked to- you've been doing everything a Guild Master should the whole time and without ever having the job."

"Yeah! You're always checking up on everyone and making sure we're all okay and get back from jobs safe and sound!"

"And you made sure to check in with all of us and make sure we were good before heading off to fight the Dragons! Plus you coordinated with all the other Guild Masters about splitting us up to help out too! Just like a Guild Master would!"

"You always make sure to get to know everybody who joins the Guild and take care of us whenever we need it! Especially when it came to Minerva and Jiemma!"

"Whenever they did something crazy you were always the person we counted on to know what to do Hora!"

"It's always been you we've gone to to figure out what to do when things got bad!"

Hora bit the insides of her cheeks hard, dark blue eyes flashing at the sudden wash of voices and people calling out... All of them loud, clear, and steady- so genuine and sure of what they were saying and telling her, and really meaning all of it with all their hearts.... But... But that doesn't make any sense...!

I lied for years, I kept so many secrets, and it shouldn't matter why I did it or what for- I still did it!

Nobody, let alone a friend or a goddamn Guild Master should ever lie to their Guild for as long as I did-!

"You're the one person we all know and trust without a doubt!"

Hora stiffened, a shiver running down her spine for that last one, her ears ringing slightly on it- trust.

Trust without a doubt

"We've always trusted you! You're the one we've been depending on this whole time, and we never had to ask you for it! You just let us, and helped us, because that's who you are!"

"You've been acting like a Guild Master should the whole time any of us have been in the Guild!"

"You care about all of us and you're willing to do anything to keep the Guild safe! You've been doing everything you could to keep us safe this whole time Hora!"

"We can't think of anybody better to take over as Master!"

They shifted, bunching in a little as they took one, two, several steps closer to where she was, all shinning eyes and bubbling with anticipation, emotion, and whatever else- but more than anything, hopeful.

Hora stiffened a little as they closed in, her hands still clenched into fists at her sides shifting to be in her lap instead, twisting a little apprehensively now.

"... Sting would be a good Guild Master." Hora mumbled quietly, the words earning small jumps of surprise from several people- and the White Dragon Slayer in particular.

"W-Wait, what...?!" He stammered in shock, his head snapping around in her direction, wide eyed and bristling faintly. Hora's didn't glance his way as he asked it, she just stared at her feet, letting out a small sigh.

"Minerva suggested him to take over after Jiemma, and while I don't think she did it for the same reasons I am- she wasn't wrong." Hora kept on quietly, "Sting cares about this Guild just as much as I do, and he'd protect you all with everything he has- he's the one who actually stepped up and fought back against Jiemma, where I never did. He's loyal as hell to this Guild, you all trust him too, and so do I." She murmured, her eyes trailing slowly off her feet and toward Sting, blue eyes glittering.

"You'd be good at it, and you would be a good leader, just given the chance... You've just never had the chance to prove it, not till now." She told him directly that time, Sting swallowing slightly for the affirmation, and the way the words echoed as faintly familiar- familiar from a time that seemed a million years ago now, and not the three or so months it had been since then.

.:+:.

"... Sting." She murmured, hand reaching forward to land lightly on top of his head, her fingers threading through his blonde hair gently as she felt him shake under her. "... You are one of the most loyal people I have ever known, you know." She smiled slightly, eyes falling closed. "And I have known a lot of people, and yet no one has been more loyal than you. And I can't say anyone could be a better friend to anyone than you can." She took in a breath, "You're kind, and cheerful, and you light up whatever room you go into. You care for people more deeply than most ever can, and you're brave and protective- you'll do anything to protect the people you love. Anything at all. And that is one of the best things about you."

She felt him shake a little under her touch, but she heard his sudden harsh breathing ease just slightly.

"You haven't been given any real chance to prove how loyal and caring you are, not with how SaberTooth is now. But I've seen you around our friends. Yukino, Orga, Rufus... You're a much better friend than you realize. I'm the one who hasn't given you the chance to be as good a friend as you strive to be toward me. That's my fault, not yours."

She pulled him toward her, holding his head to her chest as she wrapped her arms around his back and shoulders.

"... Don't let Jiemma destroy the pure light and good I see in you. And don't let anyone keep you from being who you really are." She smiled gently, "You and Rogue, you two are the best of us. And you always have been."

.:+:.

Sting swallowed, gritting his teeth slightly as he held Hora's eyes for just half a second before looking away, his expression twisting and uneasy in a million different ways. He hesitated half a second, shifting anxiously on his feet as his hands clenched at his sides while the whole room and Guild went utterly quiet... before Sting shook his head stiffly, eyes glinting.

"I... I do care about this Guild, I really do... but being Master isn't me, Hora." He mumbled quietly, before shifting a little uncomfortably on his feet, Yukino near to him shooting the blonde and uneasy and sympathetic look. "I can't see myself like that, but... But if you really don't want to take over, I'd be willing to step up and do it, if you really think I'd be good at it... I'm not sure I would be, but I trust you enough I'd be willing to do it." Sting told went on, his eyes locked with Hora's and he sounded about as steady as he could- which was mostly all the way, but not quite. Hora felt her stomach churn a little for it, and how quick he was to offer taking it when... When he definitely did not want it.

But he'd do it, even though he didn't want to, just for her-

"Look Hora, we'd never force you to take over if you don't want to." Orga piped in suddenly after having been quiet while the rest of the Guild said their piece, and Sting too.

"We are not intending to pressure you into a role you do not wish to fill." Rufus chipped in coolly from beside the Lightning God Slayer,

"Yeah...! We weren't trying to push you or anything...!"

"I-It's totally up to you Hora...! We were just... We wanted you to know that's how we feel is all...!"

"But if you want someone else or Sting to take over, and he's fine with it, we will be too..!"

Sting seemed to bite the inside of his cheek at that last one, though he nodded a little more firmly than stiffly this time in affirmation to it... And hell if seeing him do that didn't make Hora's stomach churn all the more. And then it churned enough to make her feel sick at seeing everybody else so quick to backtrack on all their words, and see the hopefulness previously in their faces turn into guilt and apprehension in literally no time at all.

Her eyes fell from Sting and everyone else, landing in her lap and focusing on her hands and nothing else at all. Her fingernails dug slightly into the backs of her hands as she clasped them together all the more tightly, and her shoulders hunched a little too.

She did mean it when she said Sting would be a good Master, she wasn't just saying and suggesting it to get out of it herself- she believed he would be with all her heart. Sure he could be an idiot, and a bit of a goofball, but he was loyal as all hell and she knew he'd go to any lengths to protect everyone here. Everyone else in the Guild loved him, and trusted him, and given time he'd definitely get over the initial shock of being in charge and be a good Master... A non-traditional Master, and definitely a young one- but none of that meant he'd be bad at it. It would even be better to have somebody like Sting who was bright and cheerful and a little carefree after so long of having someone so strict and oppressive as Jiemma had been.

He could do it, even if he didn't believe that himself right now- she knew he'd be a good leader. He really would, and more so he was willing to trust her judgement on the matter and actually do it... But she also knew he didn't want to, even if he kept himself from saying so out loud.

But... But he'll do it for me, and he didn't even hesitate about it. He's willing to put himself in a position he's not comfortable with as long as it saves me from the same thing... And it's probably not all about me trusting him at all.

Some of it probably has to do with not wanting to back me into a corner, because of how bad he still feels about being mad at me, or hurting me, and what he knows about Gray and- tch.

Her hands trembled faintly as she clenched them harder, a dull prick of pain prodding at the very back of her mind where her fingernails dug into her skin further.

He doesn't want it, but he's willing to force himself into doing it, if it saves me from getting pressured into it myself... The Guild doesn't want to force me into either, and they're willing to push aside what they... What they were hoping for, and just... settle. Even if doing that puts more pressure on Sting- the exact thing they're trying not to do to me.

Sting doesn't want it... The Guild doesn't really want that either but... But what if I really don't want it either...?

I... I've screwed up too much, I've kept too many secrets, I didn't do enough to protect everybody, regardless of what they said... Them even suggesting me is fucking crazy...!

I don't understand how they could even justify everything and look passed it, even if they do believe that... That... S.. Shit...

Hora grit her teeth slightly, her eyes shutting tightly as she held her breath, even when it burned.

W.. What if I don't...?

W-What if they're... They're wrong about...?

She hissed under her breath, her heart twisting into a hundred different knots along with her stomach, and every inch of her body and soul ached. Tense, uneasy, and hesitant as a hundred thoughts and worries swirled in her mind, and all those voices of her Guild and all they had said bombarded her, mixing and tangling, and making it so she wavered.

Damn it... What do I do...?

'Take the job.'

Hora went rigid, Lixue's voice invading the whirling thoughts in her head and cutting straight through the clamor of it like it was nothing.

W-What...?

'Take the job.' Lixue repeated again, and just as steadily and straight to the point as the first time. 'You are hesitating not simply because you are worried about landing the White Dragon Slayer in a role he does not wish to be in, but also because you don't know for certain you truly do not wish to be the Master of this Guild. A part of you worries you have no right to it, but despite your own fears and reservations- another part of you believes them and what they've said, yes? Or at least wants to believe them?'

She blinked, her eyes opening again and locked to her hands, quiet.

'This is what you were most afraid of, is it not? That you would never be forgiven for all the secrets, lies, and whatever else?' Lixue rumbled softly, 'They all know about the Possession Link now, and the situation with Jiemma- they understand why you did what you did, and they have accepted it. Better even, they understand that you did all of it trying to keep them safe.' He murmured, 'You were in a terrible situation and you did your best, and they know that. All that's gone on has not changed how they feel about you, or how much they care and trust you. They still trust you, and they trust you so much they want you to be their Guild Master- they trust you to lead them, and keep an eye on them, and continue working to protect and care for them as you always have.'

'They want you to lead them, and trust you to do it with all their hearts... and you know you would do your utmost to be the best leader for them as you possibly can be.' Lixue murmured softly, 'You are nothing like Jiemma, and you will be much better than he ever was. This is a chance to help this Guild be what you know it can be, a safe place, a place where everyone can come when things are hard, and connect with those they call friends. A chance for it to be a home.'

'You meant it when you said you weren't going to leave. This Guild and it's people are your family just as much as your Brother is. Things are complicated, and you've had little time to process any of what's happened- but this Guild is your constant, and whether you believe it or not, you are an integral part to it. You must be, lest they would not be so eager to place you in the center of it like they are.'

Hora's eyes flashed, her stomach churning a little more at it, but more like... fluttering this time, rather than queasiness.

"We wouldn't have wanted you to get yourself killed trying to protect us...!"

"No way! We want you alive...! We want you to stay here, and in the Guild...!"

"It's always been you we've gone to to figure out what to do in crazy situations!"

"Even though you kept the Possession Link thing a secret, why the hell wouldn't we want you as Guild Master? You're our friend Hora, and you've always been looking out for all of us without ever being asked to- you've been doing everything a Guild Master should the whole time and without ever having the job."

"You're the one person we all know and trust without a doubt!"

"You've been acting like a Guild Master should the whole time any of us have been in the Guild!"

"You care about all of us and you're willing to do anything to keep the Guild safe! You've been doing everything you could to keep us safe this whole time Hora!"

"We can't think of anybody better to take over as Master!"

Hora bit the insides of her cheeks, her hands fidgeting slightly in her lap while her stomach fluttered again.

... a chance to be better, do better, and... be what they believe, huh...?

She chewed on the insides of her cheeks pensively, her eyes dropping closed as a quiet sigh escaped her, and her shoulders sank a little too.

'Hmph... there you are, still hesitating.'

Hora wilted a little at the comment, her head bowing slightly as her shoulders sank all the way, and her posture followed.

... Ugh... I do really hate it sometimes when you're right, ya know...

'Hmm, I know.'

Hora let out a very audible, very heavy sigh at that, her head tilting up again after falling and dark blue eyes gleaming as she looked up slowly.

"... Hora...?" Rogue murmured softly to her right, the Shadow Dragon Slayer looking a little uneasy for the sigh, and the way she seemed to deflate all of a sudden. She cast him a small, incredibly fleeting glance from the side and saw him looking worried, which made her sigh again before she forced herself to straighten up and gain back a bit of better posture, her hands falling on her knees steadily with a single, decisive nod.

"Alright." She murmured and everyone paused, blinking several times over while everything went quiet and they all went still, almost waiting for her to continue the thought...?

But she didn't continue the thought, two heartbeats went by and the patient silence quickly nosedived into incredulous noise.

" 'A-Alright'...?"

"W-Wait, do you mean...?!"

"You mean yes...?!"

"You'll be Master, s-seriously...?!"

Hora nodded one more time, and with that little action all eyes went wide and the whole room seemed to erupt with hardly contained nervous energy.

"R-Really?!"

"H-Holy crap, seriously!?"

"A-Are you sure...?!"

"Yeah! I mean we don't want you to feel like you have to or anything...!"

"I was serious, I will do it if you won't want to Hora." Sting told her quickly,

"You needn't if you aren't up for it." Rogue mumbled quietly, leaning down slightly to be more eye level with her. Hora caught his eyes and shook her head once, offering up a slightly weary smile for half a second.

"No I'm okay. I'm good to do it." She replied softly, Rogue blinking at the answer, though she looked away from him before he had time to question it. Her attention landed back on Sting, Yukino, Orga, Rufus, and everybody else in the Guild instead, the smile disappearing as her expression grew a tad more firm, and steady- and out of nowhere.

"I'll do it, but I have a few conditions." She told them, earning blinks of surprise and question from them all.

Conditions...?

"First being; nobody calls me 'Master'." Hora murmured lowly,

"Hmm? But if you're gonna be in charge we gotta call you somethin'." Orga piped in immediately, Hora shot him a low look.

"No, just call me by my name like you always have." She mumbled and he paused, shrugging faintly but nodding anyway.

"Mmmkay." He hummed and Hora paused on him for a second or two more, before letting out a silent sigh and glancing toward Sting and Rufus instead.

"Second thing; you two are gonna have to help me out if I'm doing this." Hora went on, and both men blinked in surprise and question for the words. "I don't wanna make all the decisions on my own, I wanna check with everyone and be able to talk things out. I don't want everything to be all on me all the time." She murmured toward them both, but more Sting in particular, before turning to Rufus instead. "And I'm definitely not smart enough to handle all the the paperwork and stuff that comes with being in charge of a Guild, so you're gonna have to help me out with all of that." She told the Minstrel. Both Rufus and Sting seemed to hesitate a moment at the words, before Sting nodded solemnly in agreement and Rufus smiled faintly, before nodding as well.

"Yeah definitely, you got it Hora." Sting told her,

"It would be my pleasure to help." Rufus hummed coolly,

"The rest of us will chip in whenever you need it too Atia!" Lector piped in suddenly in her lap, Frosch nodding eagerly to the words.

"Fro thinks so too!"

"Yeah, you don't gotta do it all your own. We'll pitch in with whatever you need." Orga added,

"Definitely!"

"Whatever you need!"

"Yes, we're all here for you." Yukino smiled gently,

"Always." Rogue murmured quietly at her shoulder, and Hora smiled faintly at the words, and the rounds of assurances they all called out.

"Thank you." Hora murmured softly, dark blue eyes glimmering as she said it and looked out around all of them. "Those were the two main things, but also... please be patient with me okay? I'll do my best for all of you, but there's things that are gonna need to be figured out- that I still have to figure out- and I'm probably gonna mess up a lot in the beginning, and afterwards sometimes... but I swear I'm gonna try my hardest to be a good leader, and the sort of one you all deserve." She said- and promised- steadily, her eyes matching with every single one of then individually as she did.

They all seemed to pause a moment, quiet hanging on the air in the quake of such a serious and genuine vow... Before slowly they all nodded to her, vigorously in many cases, their eyes shinning and smiles breaking across their faces- relieved, excited, touched, and all else.

"We know you're gonna do your best! And we know you're gonna do great Hora!"

"Yeah! And you don't gotta worry, we're never gonna pressure you or nothing!"

"We'll give you all the time you need, we swear!"

"You're gonna be a great Guild Master, we don't doubt it for a second!"

"Things are gonna be different now, and it's gonna be great! You're gonna help make it great!"

"We believe in you Hora, so please don't worry about messing up or anything like that!"

"You're gonna do awesome, you'll see!"

"You can count on us whenever you need! We're friends yeah?"

"Yeah, we're a family! We can lean on each other, always and no matter what!"

Hora's expression softened for the rounds of voices, excitement, and everything else, her stomach fluttering a bit more fervently for the sheer excitement and glee she could see- and her heart warming and aching all at once for how happy they were, and hopeful, and how much they really did see and believe in that better future. The future with her at the head of the Guild, where she never would have imagined herself being, and still couldn't really... But she wanted to.

She wanted to be what they believed and saw in her, so so badly- she would be that person, even if she had to work for it, and for a long time. She wanted to be whatever version of herself they saw that could be a good Guild Master, and she wanted what Lixue said to be true- that she was somewhere in the heart of this Guild.

This Guild and this family of hers- this home made up of all these people she loved so very much, would do anything for, and never ever leave or abandon. Never.

SaberTooth

.:+:.

Aaaaand another!

We're getting closer boys and girls!! Like- NEXT CHAPTER CLOSER?!

OMG how exciting XD

Anyhoo, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter in the meantime! It was simple and sweet, things are getting better for dear Hora, and she's finding a bit of resolution too!

Thank you all for reading, and all these years of sticking with me and this story!

Please Vote and Comment if you can! Thanks!