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Three (and a half) years since Tenrou disappearance
"Take this!"
A flaming fist approached Maki's face. She simply mover her head out of the way and grabbed their arm, making them extinguish the flames.
"Aw Maki come on! I was on a roll." Romeo pouted.
"Sorry, Romeo, but I thought if you go any closer you'd burn my eyebrows off you something." Maki said.
"Fair point."
The two both leaned back on the hill and stared off into the cotton candy sky. There was a comfortable silence before Romeo spoke up.
"So, what are you gonna do for your birthday? It's soon right?"
Maki nodded. "Mhm, it's in like a month and a half, maybe a bit less." She turned her head to the boy, "But, I don't really plan on doing anything for it." She said sounding a bit upset. She hadn't done anything super special for her birthday since before the Tenrou incident. Her birthday's would usually involve a party, Erza's favorite cake, and a girls sleepover that night.
Now, she just spends it doing jobs for the guild or like one year, she spent a day out the the twin dragons. But ever since they joined sabertooth, they've been much busier.
"And you're turning sixteen?" Romeo asked.
"Yeah... sixteen and I don't look a day over thirteen. I haven't even grown more than 3 inches in the past three years." Maki sighed.
"You never know." Romeo shrugged.
"Wanna head back? It's getting a bit late. Your dad will start to worry about you." Maki said.
"Sure. Tomorrow, is there any chance you'd come to the port with me?" Romeo asked.
"Sure, Romeo." Maki smiled.
The two made their way back up the hill to their guild hall, and clocked out for the night in their homes.
~~~
"Man, if I knew it was this windy I would've brought a jacket or something." Maki complained.
"It's not that cold... I think it's just you." Romeo sweat dropped.
The two were approaching the port. It was quiet. It was always quiet this time of the year. The waters were cold and spring had barley started.
The two fairies just sat there in silence looking out at the sea. They stayed that way for a while. Until Romeo said something.
"I think I'm ready to go." He said getting up.
Maki nodded and got up as well. Something about the port just gave her an eerie feeling ever since that day. Not that it was cursed, but every time she goes something bad happens. First with Tenrou, then she went to visit the spot and the next day they discovered were losing their guild hall.
She shook off the feeling and walked Romeo along the stone road.
"Come this way, I know a short cut." Romeo said.
She followed and they cut through a bushy-area, which revealed a forest.
"How'd you find this shortcut?" She asked.
"My dad showed it to me a while ago while we were on a walk. It's too secret thought, so don't tell anyone." Romeo said putting his pointer finger up to his lips.
Maki giggled and continued to walk along the forest with the boy.
They were approaching the area nearby the guild when Maki felt something no- someone nearby. She grabbed Romeo's arm to haul him back and looked around.
"Not bad, kid." A voice spoke.
But no matter where she looked she couldn't find anyone. She turned to Romeo and gave him a reassuring smile.
"Romeo, go back to the guild." She said.
"But- that scary guy is somewhere and I can't leave you be-"
"Please go. I'll be ok you just get back safe."
Not wishing to push anymore, he sped off to the guild.
"How selfless of you. Boss was right when he said you'd come off as kindhearted."
"Who are you? And where are you?" She called out.
"Hello, little girl." A huge man stood behind her, his shadow looming over and striking fear into her very core.
She jumped slightly and turned all the way around.
"The names Albert, but my friends call me Al." He said with a evil smile.
"I've come here to finish a job that should've been completed nine years ago." He smirked, "So let's make this as painless as possible."
He pulled a spear out from his back and it ignited with red electricity. He smiled at his weapon before glaring at the girl and charging straight for her. She narrowly dodged before slamming her palms to the ground,
"Ground warp!"
The ground because covered in a black aura and began so slowly suck the man in.
"Cute trick, now it's my turn." He slams the tip of the spear into the ground and sends waves of red electricity rippling through the ground, burning away Maki's magic.
She jumped just in time to avoid the lightning touching her, and landed on a tree branch.
The man swung the spear at the girl and swiftly sliced off the tree branch, causing the girl to tumble onto the ground.
Maki's constructs weren't that strong, but she was running out of options. She pulled all her magic energy and formed a large first out of it, before she went to slam the man into the ground.
However just before it hit, the fist disappeared. She still wasn't strong enough.
'Al' chuckles and charges towards the girl. Maki, completely out of magic, and completely out of stamina, takes a final stand. She charged right back with a huge amount of magic energy surrounding her fist.
She reeled her arm back to slam her fist into the man and went to punch him.
As her first made contact with his face, she felt a piercing pain in her stomach. Looking down she saw blood. Her blood. And there was a lot of it.
She coughed out before feeling something click in her lower stomach area, right where she was impaled by the spear.
She became extremely lightheaded and was slipping out or conscious, until she felt and extreme rush. Not an adrenaline rush though, something different.
At first it made her more lightheaded, then rapidly increased and overwhelmed all her senses. She let out a pained scream as her entire body was engulfed in a heavy magic aura.
"What the hell- he didn't mention anything about this. I'm out of here!" The man spoke as he too was overwhelmed by this rush of magic. It was far too much for any normal person to tolerate.
Between the extreme pain, fatigue, and now overwhelming amount of magic coursing through her body, Maki swore what she was experiencing was far worse than death.
All of a sudden her magic dropped at an unhealthy rate, and she began to black out. The pain and tiredness slowly faded along with her vision.
'If I die, please just let Romeo be safe.' Maki thought to herself before completely slipping from consciousness.
