~The Next Morning~

I lay in bed, staring out the window, not wanting to get up, not wanting to continue, not wanting to find Acnologia... Not today at least. I'm too tired and almost broke from yesterday.
I curl up in my warm blankets and turn away from the morning sun creeping in through the window.

*BANG BANG BANG*

"YOUR RENT!" A deep voice hollers from outside my room, the man sounding like he's punching on the door.
I roll out of bed with a groan, shuffling with my blankets wrapped over me to the door like a penguin. I creek open the door slightly, trying to cover my naked self with the sheets. 
"How much?" I mumble, the bulky man forces open the door, barging over me. I trip on the blankets wrapped around me and fall back, the sheets unfurling to reveal everything.

"EEEEEEEE" I scramble to cover up, too late.
"Uhhh..." The gruff old man looks down on me with his scar covered eyes, blushing and puckering, nodding with approval. 'A HORRIBLE START (YCN)!! A HORRID STUPID START TO THIS DAY!!'
"DON'T LOOK YOU PERV!!!" I throw whatever my hands could grab at him, one item being my short sword. He dodges all the random items but catches my sword, examining it and contemplating before gazing back to me, scanning me for something.

I  shudder and fidget under the pressure in the room.
"So you're here to capture me? Little girl?" The man grins, throwing my sword aside and stomping towards me, a murderous lust in his expression.
"Wh-What!?" I tremble, shuffling away in my blankets, confused and scared.
"You? A puny little wizard from a fallen guild, what a joke!" He mocks with a jostled laugh, pointing a tattooed finger at my (FC) guild mark on my (Where ever).

"What's that g-got t-to do with you?!" I fumble about for something to protect myself with, 'I can't possibly teleport anywhere in public for help naked!'
"Gehe, if you don't know who I am, I'll just have to SHOW YOU!" He stomps on the ground, the floor shaking and collapsing under the weight. I fall through screaming and clutching for anything to cover up before teleporting to the Inn's entrance. I quickly tie up the blanket to stay on me. Some bypassers stare, looking disturbed at my makeshift dress.  

*SMASH!*

The giant buff old man jumps through the wall of my room on the second floor, glass and stones scattering everywhere, landing on the now frantic people below. The man flips and rolls to the ground, people around him screaming and running away. The man grins at me, I shudder running with the crowds.
"Quick one you are, little girl!" He shouts, maniacally laughing, I could hear his heavy steps chasing me. I jump into a small ally to hide and try to catch my breath. I see a flyer on the wall across from me. A wanted poster, the man chasing me's face scrawled on it.

"Wanted. Barbosa Veal. 800,000 jewel for this man's capture and arrest. He randomly invades hotels and Inns to rob tourists. Wanted for the murder of 12 innocents. Extremely dan-"
"FOUND YOU"
"KYAA!!"

I quickly teleport back to my room at the Inn, I grimace at the destruction. 'I hope I don't have to pay for this' I rush about the room to collect my things, 'I don't have much time to get dressed, my best chance is to jump into the lost forest and dress there'.
"HAAAAHHHHHH!" I hear a woman scream, 'is he attacking the citizens?!' Feeling I can't leave here with a homicidal maniac on the loose, I think up a plan. 'I have to get him away from the people, as a wizard of Fairy Tail, it's my duty!'

'I can do this' I assure myself, taking deep breaths while unsheathing my sword. Now knowing his name and face, I activate memoir. 
"HEY! BARBOSA!!!" I shout out from the giant hole in my room. Taking his attention away from the poor soul that laid unconscious under him.
"OR SHOULD I SAY BUBBY BOYYYY" I poke a tongue out at him, teasing him with his mother's embarrassing nickname to him.

"THE FUCK DID YOU CALL ME!?!?!" He goes ballistic with shock and rage and storms up the building to me, 'that worked too well'. 
He charges into my room again, despite my trembling legs, I smirk at him and jump out the window. I teleport mid-air to the roof of the highest building across the street. He chases after, jumping and climbing the walls. 
"Whazza madder Bubby? Are you grumpy cause daddy never approved?" I continue taunting him with his memories, his veins bulge from his neck and head and he fumes out stream. 'Ohohh that's freaky'

"Spose he never would of a jobless mummy's boy. You have to make him think you make money somehow, but you're too lazy to get a job. That's why you steal it..." I reveal to him, trotting from side to side of the roof. 
"SHUT UP YOU LITTLE BITCH!!"
"But some people were strong and put up a fight, thus the killing began... You got a taste for it didn't you Bubby?" He screams out for me to shut up again. I continue with a jaunty grin.
"What would your mother say?" I look down at him, his eyes widen with question and fear. I keep up this act long enough for him to get to the window below me, where I needed him to be. 

I teleport to the window ledge next to him and slam down with my sword on the ledge holding him up. He just barely holds himself up after I quickly smack his hand with the flat surface of my sword. 
"She'd be so heartbroken, she'd die too! All because of you" I grin maliciously at him. His eyes water like the guilt finally began to eat at him.
"YOU SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!" He screams, his rage completely consuming him. 'There's no remorse in you is there?'
I teleport to the ground 6 floors below and sprint for the Lost forest.
"Gonna have to catch me for me to do that!" I shout, hollering out a fake laugh.

I come to the forest's edge, my bed sheets coming loose, I quickly tie them up again. I wait by a tree for the man to come, hoping I can get him lost in this place. The air around me grows eery and still, the trees silent. I look around nervously, 'what am I even doing, I could run into another monster here?'.
"THERE YOU ARE!!!" I hear Barbosa rage, spotting me from the path out of the village. 
"BOUT TIME YOU DID!" I tease, swallowing my fear and running into the thick forest. He chases after, 'good, it's working.'

"I WANNA PLAY A GAME!" I shout out to no particular direction, hoping that he can hear me.
"IF YOU CATCH ME, I'M YOURS TO DO WHATEVER!" It's a gamble, but knowing him, he'll take the bait.
"IF YOU DON'T... YOU LOSE!" I come up to the small river and teleport across. Barbosa in hot pursuit, he skids coming to a stop at the river. I saw with memoir he nearly drowned as a boy and that he's been terrified of any river and lakes since.
"What? Scared of a little water?" I tease, he growls, walking off to grab a tree. With a heavy heave, he rips the gargantuan tree from the moist earth.

'Geeezus.. NOPE' I turn and keep running, my legs ached and lungs burned. But hearing that tree wallop the ground, feeling the area shake under its weight. I kept running purely on instinct. 
I glance behind and see he was catching up. I teleport a few metres ahead to keep distance between us.
"WHEN I CATCH YOU, YOU'RE DEAD!!!" He threatens, a whimper escapes my mouth as a shiver runs up my spine. 

About an hour of cat and mouse passes, both of us well and truly in the depths of the forest. 'How much stamina does this freak have?!' I mentally flip, seeing that he hasn't slowed down nor given up.
"I see you're running outa energy little girl!" He grins, he's right. My magic has been used up trying to keep my distance and lure him in that I don't have enough to get back to Stevia.
I start panicking at this, knowing I'm now going to be caught, that my plan failed.

Skidding on the thickets into a hollow log, I try to hide instead. I hold my hand over my mouth to keep myself quiet, my heart pounding, I watch him run past me, then stop. He scans the area, my whole body chilled as his gaze fell in the direction of where I hide.
He grins and marches over, squishing the fauna under his powerful stomps. I close my eyes, not wanting to see anything, praying to any god, to whatever force to save me. Those chills grew colder and colder with each sound of his boots crunching closer to me. Tears roll down my cheeks as I lose hope. 'This was a stupid idea... You should've just run away, not bait him...'

Suddenly a lethal aura, terrifying and familiar, washes over me. 'That man...' 
"What the fuck?" Barbosa gasps hoarsely, sensing the ominous magic power too. I smile, my prayers being answered.
"Wh-Who are.. you?!" I hear Barbosa cry, he steps closer to my log but trips over it. Stumbling and shuffling in the dirt to get away from the growing waves of terror washing over the area. 
I hear Barbosa let out a stomach twisting scream, then silence. I remain in my log, my body not wanting to move. 

I hear gentle bare feet casually waltz over, past the opening of the log. Those familiar tan legs stopping for a moment in front of me. I force my body to move and crawl out slowly.
The brisk morning sun blinds me for a moment. I glance up the tan legs, past the torn black baggy pants, muscular toned abs and chest, to see it's the strange man from yesterday. 'He's saved my life yet again' 

He stares down at me with those same sharp blue eyes, he keeps walking, leaving me and my nakedness half hanging out of the log.
"Uhh.. T-Thank you again!" I beam, seeing Barbosa laid unconscious, foaming from the mouth on the mossy stone. Wearily climbing up to my feet, the handsome man with the strange attitude stops, turning to me. 
I felt a breeze.

"EEP!" I squeal and frantically scoop up the dirt coated blankets to cover up. The man approaches, I stumble back, not knowing what he's going to do to me after seeing me completely nude.
"Hmph" I huffs quietly, his eyes squinting as he surveys me. 'Is that his way of saying I want to make love to you?'
Reaching out to grasp my shoulder, he turns me around slowly and runs his warm fingers over my shoulder blade. My mouth agape and face boiling, I shiver under the gentle touch.

"W-What are.. you doing?" I whisper, feeling his fingers brush lower down my spine. I look over my shoulder, shocked to see a huge dark splotch covered a portion of the skin there. 
"What.. is.. that!?" 'how did I not notice that there, is he examining it?! Did he put that there?!'
"It's plaguing you" The man mumbles with a distasteful tone. The first time I've heard him speak. His voice is smooth and deep, beautiful but completely intimidating. 

"I-I.. what?" I blink, baffled, he turns me around again and stares into my eyes. I became lost in those haunted blue eyes. I activate memoir, hoping to find out at least his name.
"Don't..." He demands briskly, his eyes widening upon sensing my magic. I flinch, 'no one has ever been able to detect my magic, even after I've used it on them.'

I open my mouth to speak but my tongue felt swollen and words were just a scramble in my mind. The mysterious man lets out a deep quiet breath before he brushes past me. Leaving me here with no information about the black patches on my skin. His long black cape swishing over the fauna under him. I watch him, my heart throbbing ever so slightly seeing him fade deeper into the forest.

After hours of meditating to replenish enough magic to teleport back to Stevia, I slump to the ground, an unconscious Barbosa in hand. 'Might as well get that reward since I'm almost broke.'
The small crowds around jump back in fright, but upon properly seeing the situation, cheer and surround me. Praising me and worshipping me as their hero. 
The magic council were called earlier to investigate the town, they arrest and take Barbosa away. Thanking me for my heroic actions and handing me my 800,000 jewel reward. My eyes sparkle seeing so much cash in my hands. 
I felt guilty in spite of all the joy I'd brought, I wasn't the one who took Barbosa out.

I thought to buy myself some new clothes, rations and other necessities before heading back to the Inn. By the time I do, the stars peer out in the darkening blue sky. The innkeeper didn't charge me for any damages done and moved me to another room, a larger one. The council handled the repairs. After packing my bags again neatly I decided to take a long hot bath. 

While walking to the public bathhouse, the people around bow to me as I pass. I puff my chest up with pride, 'even though I didn't take out the baddy, I deserve this treatment, yes... PRAISE ME PEASANTS!!! WORSHIP ME AS YOUR GOD!!!'. One old lady, comes out of the bakery with the amazing puddings and hands me.... A whole box of them...
"You saved my granddaughter from the brute! I'm forever grateful! Please take them!" She smiles, bowing again.
"I-I... Thank you!" I smile widely, unable to contain my joy and excitement as I gently grab the box. The chocolatey smell wafting from it. 'They're fresh!'

I resume my path to the bathhouse with a skip in my step. Arriving, I strip off and sink my aching body into the refreshing warm water, letting it carry my weight away from my soul. I let the water infused with bath salts and essences take over me.
Ducking under, I scrub my face, shoulder and back, trying to wash off the strange black stuff on my skin. No luck. It doesn't hurt or makes me feel any different from normal, it's just annoying to look at.

Resurfacing, I hear someone enter, their boots clacking on the tiles, echoing around the room.
"I must say... You have quite the loooovely figure despite eating sooo much pudding yesterday" A familiar voice chirps, I flinch, flipping around in the water.

My eyes widen and stomach drops. It's the same creepy man from yesterday. 'HOW MANY FREAKS LIVE IN THIS TOWN?!' The red-headed man strips, I look away, my face exploding in embarrassment.
"I-I-I'm sorry!" 'I WALKED INTO THE WRONG BATH!!' 
"For whaaaaat?" The man coos in a high pitched shrill. Dipping a toe into the water and joining me in the bath.

'Wait...'
"A-are you... A girl?" I ask hesitantly, not wanting to sound insulting. The man now woman grins wide, showing off those sharpened teeth.
"Ding! Ding! Ding! Give the las a prize!" She chimes, I chuckle awkwardly, relaxing only slightly. 
"I must say, taking out Barbie Boy is quite the feat, you must be veeeerry strong" The woman goes on, picking dirt from under her long sharp nails. 

"Ah.. Uhm.." I struggle to answer the praise, I wasn't the one who did it. 'Do they know?'
"Ohhh, don't be modest nowww" The woman waves her hand nonchalantly. 
"I saw how you taunted him with all his dirty little secrets, and lead him away, you're verrryyy brave" She inches closer to me, those sharp teeth are all I focus on.
"How bout we partner up hnnmmm?" The woman coos, holding her hand out to me, those long pointed nails sending shivers down my spine. My stomach twists and my mind races.

"I-Im.. Sorry... But I-I'm not... I'm on my own... mission" My tongue fumbles about, I can't think straight, those teeth and nails triggering my traumas.
"Hnnnn? That's too bad. I reeaaally thought we could be such good friends" She grins, her gold eyes flashing and grin growing wider.
"I took the liberty of looking through your notes.. We have the same goal" She admits, I was taken aback.

"Y-You... You're looking for Acnologia too?" I ask cautiously, the woman giggles, poking her tongue out of her cherry red lips.
"Bingoooo~" She sings. She leans closer to me. Her long red hair spilling down in thick silky locks, it floats in the water, giving a blood-like appearance.

"And I know where he is~" She croons, my mind whirls.
"So~? Whadya sayyy?" She holds her hand up to me again, I shakily take it, not passing up this opportunity.
"Wonderfuuul~ pleasure to make your acquaintance...~?" She huskily ushers and stares at me, asking for my name.
"(YCN)" I answer her silent question, her face slithers closer. So close I could see her shimmering golden eyes were flecked with deep reds and browns.

"Rozaaa~, this'll be quite the interesting friendship"