The Forgotten One

Apparently I Was Expected...

I got on the train with ease. I found a compartment and shut the door behind me and sat down, dropping my stuff in the seat in front of me. I rested my head on the window, going over what was about to happen in 3 days.

It wasn't going to be easy, not like it was with his goon, Zancrow, or with Himiki. I'll have to get in to the party, locate Hades, and kill him without anyone noticing.

Simple...right?

I shook my head, feeling as if it had exploded with information. Man, it seemed so easy at first, but now it's like a web of difficulties. I frowned, knowing that I might not be able to complete this mission in 3 days, plus the day trip back.

The sound of the compartment door opening snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up to see a purple-headed girl peek in. I tilted my head sideways at the sight of her. She wore a white belly shirt that fit her comfortably with a matching mini skirt with it. A brown cloak was draped across her shoulders, covering most of her body. Her purple hair was cut right below her shoulders in curls. The tan of her skin brought out her doe-like eyes shining emerald green.

Her gaze landed on me and she stared for a long time before her face turned red.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was in here." She stammered.

I waved it off. "It's fine, really."

The girl fidgeted with her fingers. "Um, you wouldn't mind if I sat with you, would you?"

I tilted my head before smiling. "Sure, why not?"

She closed the door behind her as I moved my bags to the space above the seats. As she sat down opposite of me, I noticed burn marks on her arms when her cloak lifted up a bit.

"You okay?" I asked. "Those seem like some serious burns."

"Eh!! I'm fine, it's nothing!!" She squeaked.

I pushed the cloak back so I could see the burns. Her skin practically glowed with heat!! Her arms were completely red and in some places charred. I lifted my hands to her arms and used Troia, healing the wounds fast. I knew it worked when I heard her sigh in relief.

"You got a name?" I questioned as I continued healing her.

"Maria," she murmured. "Maria Racliff. What about you?"

"Lycas." I replied.

Maria jolted back a bit. "Wait, Lycas Ichigua?"

I nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, but I go by my real name, Lycas Dragneel-"

Out of no where, she tackled me to the ground with a squeal. "OH MY GOD!!! I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE YOU AGAIN, LYCAS!!!"

What just happened? Am I missing something?

"How do you know me?" I grunted, trying to get out of her tight grip.

She sat up, gazing into my eyes. "Don't you remember me? We ran into each other while back. You were heading to Magnolia, but you didn't say why. I rode the ship with you to get there. You said you'd never see a girl with purple hair before. Then I said that I've never seen a guy with purple eyes before. And so on and so forth."

I sat on my arms, moving a bit closer to her. "Wait, Mia?"

"Yep!!" Maria nodded her head frantically, her eyes wide with excitement.

"It's good to see a familiar face," I smiled. "But can you get off me? You're a bit too close."

Maria looked down then back at me then down again before squealing and jumping to her feet. I got up, patting myself down of any dust or wrinkles.

Jeez, girls these days...

Sitting in my seat, I cleared my throat. "So, how exactly did you get those burns anyway?"

Maria placed her hands in her lap and fidgeted again. "Well, you see there were these guys and-"

"A bunch of dudes did this?" I interrupted.

Her nose twitched. "Not necessarily. Well......yes and no. They were apart of some guild and tried stopping me from getting onto the train. One of them grabbed my arms and they started to burn. I managed to get away, but you could tell they weren't finished..."

I frowned. "You said they were from a guild. What guild were they from exactly?"

"Let's see," she tapped her chin. "One guy had this weird symbol on his chest. It looked like some weird heart with thorns."

I jolted in my seat. "That's Grimoire Heart! What were they doing there?!"

"They were waiting for someone." She replied.

Damn! They were waiting for me. Could it be a trap?
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I got off the train, waving goodbye at Maria. I knew I'd see her again, whether I wanted to or not.

I glanced at my shoulder, making sure that the seal was working. And man did it work! You couldn't even tell that something was there in the first place. Master Makarov sure knew his way with foreign magic...

After looking up, I noticed a man in a black tuxedo walk up to me. He reminded me of Jasik's butler: gray hair and all. This one was taller and a bit thicker though, maybe he was a bodyguard.

The man bowed. "My name is Silas, and you're Lycas I presume?"

I nodded. "That's me. So I'm guessing that you were sent to get me?"

Silas cleared his throat. "If you're referring to any personal business you have going on, then no. I was only sent to bring you to your staying quarters until you leave. Mistress Valerie called saying that you were staying in town and she'd like it if I brought you to her 'summer suite'."

Val has family here? I didn't know that. I smiled at the thought of her, she'd done this for me.

I followed Silas to a limo lacrima car. It was one of those new automobiles that ran purely on lacrima crystals instead of a wizard's energy. I got in the back, while Silas sat in the passenger seat, the chauffeur behind the wheel. I was too fascinated by all the luxuries on the inside. The seats were made of soft leather that was a red velvet color. There were windows that were tinted and several coolers built in, holding various drinks.

I looked out the window, noticing the trees and meadows fly by in a blur as we passed. The vehicle slowed to a stop, arriving at our destination. To be completely honest, I didn't expect how the house was. It was the classic Japanese mansion-type, full with wooden walkways, a river with a small bridge going across and a small garden that's surrounded by paper lanterns.

The vehicle stopped in the driveway, indicating that we were to get out. Grabbing my bag, I followed Silas into the house. It didn't hit me until after I entered the house that this would be awkward. I'm saying in my girlfriend's house, yet she wasn't not here...

Oh boy...

Silas showed me to my room, passing various doors and maids working around the house. I guess the role of a maiden also stays in its bloodline because all of the maids looked similar to each other in some way.

The room I was staying in was like a simple Japanese room with a bed, dresser and bathroom. The door leading to the outside was made of a thin paper just like the rest of the house. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was intruding in on someone's personal life.

After getting everything settled, I laid on the bed, thinking about tomorrow night. I don't think it'd be easy at all, but I hoped that I could get it done as fast as possible. Who knows what will happen.