I chuckled as I emerged from the shadows at the edge of town. I quietly walked into the woods only to suddenly be surrounded by a strange barrier. I frantically looked around before hearing someone behind me.

I turned to see the two guys I bumped into earlier. The tall one with the floating totem things crossed his arms and grinned while sticking his tongue out.

"Looks like we caught our little thief!"

"Caught you! Caught you!" the little totem things repeated.

I quickly tried going back into the shadows at my feet, but for some reason I couldn't. The man with the light green hair frowned at me.

"You cannot use magic to escape the enchantment. The only way to get out is to follow the rules inscribed by me."

I watched runes appear on the walls around me and quickly read them. I tightened my grip on the book in my arms. Not only do they want me to give it to them, but they also want me to show my face.

I approached the barrier between me and them and hit my fist against it. "You don't understand! I need this book! Someone's life is at stake!"

The taller man suddenly said, "Yeah, likely story."

His totems yelled, "Liar! Liar!"

"I'm not lying! Please, you have to believe me! Let me go!"

"You're the only one keeping yourself in there," the green-haired man said.

I growled slightly and backed away. I slowly brought my hand up and slid my hood off my head, glaring at them as I did so. The taller man suddenly gasped, as if he were surprised by my appearance.

"No... I-It can't be..." he muttered. "F...Freya?"

I rose an eyebrow and asked, "Do I know you?"

He brought his hands up and removed the metal visor over his eyes and the tight hood over his head. I was the one to gasp this time while my eyes widened. I easily recognize that tattooed face and that black and blue hair.

"Bixlow?"

So that was a vision I had a while back. I was fated to meet Bixlow again. He eyed me and smiled slightly.

"You're...alive, and you're all grown up."

I frowned and narrowed my eyes. "Of course I'm alive. Now let me out of here."

"But, Freya...how are you here? What happened? Where did you go?"

I understand why he's asking so many questions. He must be very confused. But the less he knows and the less he's around me, the better. I don't want to put him in danger.

I coldly gazed up at his dark red eyes and said, "I don't have to tell you that. You want the stupid book? Fine."

I threw the book at the barrier, watching it go through and land at their feet before backing away. The barrier around me disappeared but I continued to stand in place. I noticed Bixlow and the other man glancing at each other before Bixlow picked the book up.

I was surprised when he held it out to me. "Here, take it. If you're telling the truth then you need it. But we're coming with you."

I quickly took the book from him and muttered a small "thank you" before turning and heading deeper into the woods. I could hear the two silently following behind me as I soon saw the small home.

I quickly went inside and rushed upstairs, leaving the two down in the living room. I went straight to Milo's room to see Isla and Liam still sitting beside his bed. I went over and handed them the book.

Liam looked at it questioningly and I explained, "That book has a cure for Milo in it. Trust me."

He quickly opened it up and skimmed through the pages, smiling when he stopped on one. "Here it is. Isla, we can make this medicine."

Isla looked at the page before smiling at me and wrapping me in a hug. "Thank you, Freya. Thank you so much."

The three of us quickly went downstairs where Isla and Liam both froze upon seeing the two mages in their home. I quickly stepped in to calm them.

"It's okay. They're...with me. This is Bixlow and..."

"Freed. Freed Justine." the green-haired man said with a bow. "We're wizards from Fairy Tail."

Liam suddenly smiled. "Oh, well then make yourselves at home. I'm Liam and this is my wife, Isla."

After introductions, Isla and Liam rushed to the kitchen to start making the medicine. I noticed Bixlow looking right at me as if he wanted to say something. I quickly turned away and headed to the kitchen.

Bixlow's pov

I let out a sigh as I watched Freya head to the kitchen. I don't understand. I thought she'd be happy to see me, but instead she seems like she wants nothing to do with me.

How could she have changed so much? What has happened to her to make her this way now? After fixing my hood and visor back on, I leaned back against the wall and crossed my arms.

Freed came over and stood beside me. "You've got a lot to explain, Bixlow. How do you know her?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story. We were-"

"Yes! We've done it!"

We both turned our heads to see the couple rush out of the kitchen and back upstairs. Freya slowly walked out of the kitchen and made her way back up the stairs. She didn't even glance at me.

I let out a disappointed sigh and said, "It's like she doesn't even know me anymore."

"So tell me about it," Freed insisted.

"Alright," I began. "It all started when I was just a little kid. Before I met all of you and joined Fairy Tail, I lived in a small town in the east of Fiore."

~~~~~

I casually strolled down the street, passing by a few people. As I made my way through the small park, I stopped upon seeing someone sitting at a bench.

It was that black-haired girl again. I see her out here almost everyday but she's always by herself. No one ever seems to talk to her or anything. Doesn't she have any friends?

I watched her for a moment as she stared up at the sky with her violet eyes. I shrugged slightly and continued on my way. The next day, I went through the park again. The girl was sitting in her usual spot, but this time, she wasn't alone.

A couple of boys were standing in front of her, teasing and mocking her. She seemed to completely ignore them until one of them grabbed the small necklace around her neck and yanked it off her.

She immediately tried to get it back and yelled, "Hey! Give that back! That's my mother's!"

"Oh yeah?" one of the boys questioned. "How come we never see your mom, huh? Does she even exist?"

The other boy laughed. "I bet she's just making that up. You can have your dumb necklace back, but only if you can get it from us."

He shoved her down onto the ground and they started calling her names. I could see her beginning to cry and found myself getting angry.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" I yelled.

The two boys turned toward me and one of them asked, "What are you going to do about it, huh?"

I approached them and used the Figure Eyes spell I'd been practising. I commanded the boys to drop the necklace and leave. Sure enough, they did what I wanted.

I picked the necklace up off the ground and walked over to the crying girl. I crouched down and smiled at her, handing her the necklace.

"Here you go. Are you okay?"

She nodded, taking the necklace from me and wiping her eyes. "Y-Yeah. Thank you."

"Your welcome. My name's Bixlow. What's yours?"

She smiled slightly. "I-I'm Freya."

I grinned at her and held out my hand. "Nice to meet you, Freya. We can be friends, if you want."

She slowly smiled and nodded, taking my hand and letting me help her up. "Okay. I'd like to have a friend."

The two of us met up everyday at that park. We would talk and laugh and play all kinds of fun little games. We became the best of friends. But then one day, all of that changed.

I made my way over to the park to meet up with Freya. She told me that she had something important to tell me today so I quickly headed here, eager to know what it was. But when I got there, Freya was absent.

I figured that maybe she was just late and sat down to wait for her. But as the hours passed by, I realized she wasn't coming.

"Where could she be?" I asked myself. "She never misses a single day."

I decided to look around for her, but after searching all over town, there was still no trace of her. Growing worried, I asked around, but no one seemed to know anything about her or where she was.

By then, I decided to wait. I spent days checking around town, hoping to find her at one of the few places we met up at. But she was never there.

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. I finally stopped searching and gave up, assuming the worst. The one thing that I continued to think about was what Freya wanted to tell me that day. I wish I had gotten the chance to hear what she had to say.