A dark feeling had completely encapsulated the young woman. Feeling an attack of nausea on her, the brunette would hold back anything that threatened to come up. Falling to her knees as she felt the consciousness in her head fading, the sound above the ringing in her head would be a soft laughter. Standing up with her legs shaking, the heels on her feet would cause a pain with every single step that she took. It really hurt to walk in but she already tried taking them off earlier. Doing that caused them to latch on tighter, and only intensified the pain. Straightening her back, she'd continue to walk aimlessly through the darkness as she slowly heard the laughter intensifying. Along with the laughter, there was now a mumbling throughout the shadows, almost akin to whispering. If it was loud enough to cut through the sound of the laughing, could it really be considered such though? Grabbing her dress, she'd view a light in the distance as she tried to pick up the pace. Apparently, claustrophobia could be developed as she didn't realize how cramped and anxious she felt until she saw signs of an exit. It was almost like being stuck in a dark room while blindfolded. Each pained step felt like a thousand needles shooting in her feet and making their way to her spine. Wincing with the steps as the ambient noises seemed to get louder and louder as she noticed that the darkness surrounding her began to contort around the one source of light. The darkness twisted into skulls which eventually formed facial features reminiscent of her parents. Biting the inside of her cheek in order to stay calm, the holy mage would straighten her back as she calmly made her way to the light. "That's not what you practiced. LILI! DO IT AGAIN!" The sound of her father's voice rang in her head as a snap echoed in the darkness. While the snap resonated, she saw darkness collapsing in front of her, shrouding the path of light she saw. She was going to let out a scream in frustration but she knew doing that would only make things worse. She had dealt with this enough to know how to react. Falling to her knees, she'd feel warm tears falling down her face as she muttered, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Rising to her feet, the pain would resemble a numb feeling in her legs as she viewed the darkness again. Her eyes could never seem to adjust as she heard a cry from far away. It didn't have any shape or form as she couldn't recognize any words it was saying. Lilium would take a step, only really hearing her heels making a clack sound against the floor, the laughing and the whispers. The voice yelling out to her was getting louder until she heard a defined "Hey!" Her head turned backwards, fear present in her tear-stained eyes but she covered them as a golden light consumed her vision.
Focusing on the ceiling, Lilium's eyes would open as she viewed the ceiling of her room. The Black Rose members who lived in the guild hall had been given compensation to stay in other locations while the guild was being rebuilt so the room she always woke up in was an unfamiliar one. Feeling her eyes with her hands, she let out a sigh as she felt the warm and puffy eyelid, wet with tears. She hadn't had a dream like that in a while. It usually didn't persist like that but this one was different. She had someone save her. It was rather odd for those dreams as it usually ended with her continually walking through darkness as she awoke from her slumber. Hopping out of the bed, Lilium would slip into a pair of warm slippers as she made little noise in the room she was in. Her legs didn't feel as sore and numb as they did in the dream but she felt weak. Perhaps that could have been chalked up to not having anything to eat. Nodding to herself, Lilium would make her way into the washroom as she caught a glance of herself in the mirror. Her oversized t-shirt that she was currently wearing functioned more like a dress as she wore long socks as well to warm up most of her legs. Her hair was a mess as she hadn't washed it recently due to being out and about for a lot of missions. This was the first morning in a while where she had gotten a 'good' night's sleep but she can see why she might not be able to consider it as such. Sighing as she ran a hand through her hair before it inevitably got caught within split ends. She had been prioritizing work instead of her own health and was only now seeing the fruits of her labour. Eyeing her legs and how they seemed a bit thinner than they were a couple months ago, she'd disregard it as she walked into the bathroom. Grabbing a toothbrush, she'd place a little bit of toothpaste on it as she made her way over to the bath. Turning on the hot water and placing the rubber stopper in the drain, she'd let it fill as she was left to her own thoughts while brushing her teeth and hearing nothing but the sound of the running water. In the past few weeks, most of her mornings had been rather hectic. She'd have to stay up late the night before, planning on when she should wake up and where she had to go for the coming day. After that pitiful excuse called sleep, she'd wake up rather exhausted but Arthur would be there in the mornings, mainly there to make sure that she didn't fall over or sleep somewhere she shouldn't. Jobs were a lot more than simply actually doing the activity. She got requests from all over the world and as a member of Black Rose, she had to be willing to travel in order to accommodate the requests the jobs were asking for. That meant she spent a lot of hours travelling or a lot of magic teleporting. Finishing brushing her teeth, she'd rinse her brush as she stopped the flow of water in the bath. Throwing in a bath bomb, she'd watch the object fizz within the water and disperse itself in the bath as her thoughts consumed her mind once again in a similar fashion. Arthur was invaluable to have as a partner actually the more she considered it. He provided a fresh opinion regarding her plans and offered alternatives. He provided an additional hand to her in a battlefield scenario too. He has already saved her life multiple times and she owed a lot to him. When they met, she didn't really think she could have the capability to trust him how she does now, but they had both come a long way, with plenty of ups and downs. But right now they were comfortable, or so she hopes. He still wasn't able to access his weapons but that was probably more on her. She had to work on getting stronger and she wasn't sure how long she was going to take. But, she'd get to a strong enough level where she could handle the magical output required to sustain his form and his weapons. Baby steps for now though. Slipping out of her clothes, she'd shudder as she made her way into the warm bath. It felt similar to a hug as she felt warmth all around her as the holy mage got comfortable.
Glancing up at the ceiling, Lilium would think about all the factors that had contributed to her poor health as of late. First up was a job with Desireé. It was something that was rather odd for the holy mage to experience as the new guild master of Crystal Swan was someone who she had known as Hikari. That name. It felt very foreign. Almost like it didn't exist anymore. Clutching her heart, Lilium would think back to the job. It was rather funny. Both of them were stuck with someone they didn't want to deal with but because he was the entire reason the job existed, they had to put up with him for a couple of hours. She... also lied about who she was. Not a complete lie, but she still tried to keep Desireé blissfully unaware of the fact that she was Hikari. It kind of hurt to think that she lied to the blue haired idol but there was nothing that she could do about it. C'est la vie. Then, she had the day where she was kidnapped by some... for lack of a prettier word, rapists. That's all that they were because money was only a side benefit from what they intended to do to Lilium. A woman named Erika Nightshade became a relevant name in her life because she showed the girl the rejects of society and how to treat them. Not everyone was really deserving of a kind nature and Erika exemplified that in her interactions with other people. Perhaps it was a morbid meeting but still, the lesson she learned from Erika was very insightful as it taught her that just because you were a legal mage doesn't mean you have to follow the laws as if they were certain. Like everything, life had exceptions and certain people were examples of that. This meeting with the CEO of the Nightshade Corporation only solidly confirmed that fact. After that was a job with Sorano. Seeing people from Fairy Tail was rather surreal because they seemed to fall off of her radar to become mercenaries in the time that she left. But still, this was someone who potentially could have known her as Hikari so she didn't want to risk her finding out, so she lied about it. Huh. Perhaps the poor health accumulated due to stress and anxiety due to lying. But either way, Sorano was a peculiar individual who easily saw through her act of pretending to act nonchalant but being rather invested emotionally and wanting to help. That was somewhat embarrassing as she probably knew how much Lilium was worrying during a majority of that job. But, the two had worked well together in order to stop the issue at hand and that was all that mattered in the end. After that very intense job, she met up with Astrid. Thinking about that mess had her in shambles. At first, she couldn't believe that she had yelled and burst in public the way she did. It was rather pathetic of her to let her emotions control in that moment and she even took out her anger on Arthur who really didn't deserve it. She still felt bad about how she claimed that he'd leave her eventually when she knew it wasn't true. She was just getting mad. However, she was able to help release a soul that was lost and confused in purgatory. She saw a lot of qualities in the girl that she did in herself so she almost felt like she had to help out the ghost. At least someone could help her when she didn't with her. It almost felt a little like closure. Long story short, Astrid bugged her but she couldn't help but feel acquainted with the girl as much as she hated to admit it. There was one last expedition she went on to consider and she thought about it last because it was the most interesting one. It was to someone who didn't know Hikari and compared to all the other jobs, that shot it up quite a bit. She had met someone in the desert named Torian and he reminded her of how she was when she was wandering the world alone. He was kind hearted though and not closed off as much as she was so she tried her very best to defend him for a majority of that mission together. They worked well together however it was a very intense situation especially when she got trapped. She was actually really close to dying in that job. Remembering how drastic things had got caused her heartbeat to escalate as she remembered how helpless she felt while she relied completely on Torian to stay alive. However, her heartbeat escalated againt when she remembered some comments that Arthur had said regarding her and Torian. Placing half her head underwater in order to explain the redness on her face and the warmness in her cheeks, she supposed that it wouldn't be that bad to see him again. Maybe in a situation that wouldn't require her almost dying. It was refreshing to meet people as Lilium even if her social anxiety ran rampant because she felt like she could be herself with those around her. Meeting new people was hard but ultimately, she'd like to feel as comfortable as she does with new people than with people she has met in the past as Hikari. But, that was rather far away from today. Grabbing the shampoo bottle in her hand, she'd place some of the product and lather it in between her fingers as she began working down from the scalp. Some loose strands came out but she'd know that losing a couple strands wouldn't really matter with the amount of hair she had but she was more scrubbing the dirt away in her hair. It would take a while but most likely be worth it in the end. Probably.
Stepping out of the bath with towels wrapped around her hair and body, she'd let out a sigh. Back in Hosenka, they provided bottles of milk to people after a dip in the hot springs and while it did seem odd at first, it was rather comfortable because it cooled down your body temperature after the dip in the springs. Sighing as she walked out of the steamy bathroom, she was surprised to see a breakfast platter with a bottle of milk. Walking over to the tray of food, Lilium would see a note that read, 'So, despite you having a day off, come with me to the Black Rose library. I want to find some more texts about my history. Here's the bribe to have you agree.' Chuckling as his motives were rather childlike, she'd gaze over the breakfast platter as she grabbed a piece of toast with egg and bacon on it as she munched it while waiting for her hair to dry completely. Slipping on what she needed to before covering it with a pair of shorts and a comfy sweater, she'd pop open the bottle of milk and drink it. It really was just after any bath where the bottle of milk worked wonders. Hosenka was really just over charging people. Finishing the food and being left with the fruit that was still on the plate, Lilium would release the towel from her hair as she grabbed the blow dryer, turning it on while slowly drying her hair. It was nice to be able to mindlessly do a task after growing accustomed to it. Smiling as she brushed out her hair, she would tie it up to the side while throwing on a pair of high tops and a varsity style jacket as she walked out the door, ready to help the stubborn king inflate his ego even more.
Arthur was a curious man because Lilium didn't see herself ever growing reliant on him. In fact, she tried her best to keep him pushed away regardless of what happened. Even when the Vault began to change to Arcadia, it was after she was forced to stay as Lilium, unable to transform back into Hikari. That really was an emotionally charged evening.
"Stay away from me!"
Lilium was sitting down in the golden core of the Vault. That day she realized that her family didn't need her at all and had even gone and had another child while giving up on finding her. She realized that her family had moved past her but that wasn't an issue that she was ready to move past. She had heard the sound of footsteps as she sent out a wave of holy energy, repeating what she said earlier. The sound of the footsteps ceased for a moment, but inevitable the sound got louder as she was ready to attack whoever came close to her. She had to be extremely wary of what was happening as is but now her emotions were running rampant, so she was ready to attack whoever was dwelling close by. Her eyes shot up as she looked at the man with a blue hood over his blonde locks and emerald green eyes. He was quite a looker but that was the furthest thing from the holy mage's mind in all honesty as she didn't want to repeat her words. Glancing at her, Arthur would say to no one in particular, "Are you really the one that Athena has been praising? You're just a runt who is crying over spilt milk. Why should I bother wasting time on you?" Lilium's eyes would sparkle red as she glared into the arrogant man's eyes. "Excuse me? The only place I can find solace is within my magic. Who the hell are you to talk down to me?!" Standing up Lilium would only catch his glare as he summoned a sword in his grasp. She immediately felt the intensity of the aura that the sword gave off but her will didn't falter. He'd aim the sword at her, and make an amused chuckle, "Tell you what, princess. If you can disarm me, I'll listen to why daddy's little girl had a hard time. Deal?" Lilium's eyes narrowed as the blonde haired man insulted her. He didn't know a thing about who she was and she was ready to break his skull in. But he didn't seem human so maybe she couldn't do that. But, she wanted to make him suffer. Her eyes would turn a rather dark red as he stood in place ready for her attack that never came. Curiosity overcame his face as he glanced at her with confusion. Was she really trying to do something? Taking a step would prove to be a fatal error as she disappeared in a flash of red. Alarmed, he sought to get in a defensive stance but his grip on his sword was pathetically weak. Jabbing him in the side with her palm, he'd hiss in pain as she grabbed the oversized sword. It wasn't heavy but it felt too large to even be efficient in battle. Immediately, the surroundings began to transform to what the girl would recognize later as Arcadia but Lilium wasn't finished quite yet. With her hands glowing gold, she'd grab the blade of the sword and apply pressure. He'd reach out his hand but he realized that he had brought this on himself. The only thing left to hear was the shattering of metal as Lilium felt the bones in her hand break with all the force that she had exerted onto them in addition to the pressure of her magic. Falling to her knees on the warm grass plains of Arcadia, the male would walk over to her and would offer a hand, not that she was in the state to grab it as is and say, "Alright, princess. What's your name?" Her eyes narrowed again at the word princess as she said, "It isn't princess, I'll tell you that much. It's Hikari. Hikari Inoue." As she was going to grab his hand, he rolled his eyes and retracted his hand. "That's not you. You know that full well. Now, what's your name?" Lilium felt her hand quiver as she felt the pain in them. Before looking at him with a determined glance, rather ready to kill, "My name is Lilium. Lilium Santiais." Arthur let himself smirk as he propped her arm over his shoulder to support her walking. "Okay then, Lilium. My name is Arthur and I'll be showing you all the new parts of your magic." Walking towards the center of the plains, the two would begin to chat as they walked in silence.
Walking into the library, the holy mage would glance at all of the books while seeing the aforementioned spirit. He would smile as the holy mage walked over to him. Their friendship was the first relationship in a while that was comfortable and it was amazing to her to see that not all people would break away from her and try to hurt her. She was slowly becoming a little more accepting of the world around her and both of them understood that it was happening. She was scared that it would cause more opportunities to get hurt but at least now, she was strong enough to fight back whoever was hurting her. She had come a long way from the person she was when she joined Fairy Tail. There may have been a ton of things she couldn't change but she still needed to put up with them as they were a part of who she was and she couldn't really deny that aspect of herself. But, she was proud of who she was and that's what she needed the most."Hey! Lilium help me out here!" Smiling to herself, Lilium would walk over as they began the long task of finding out what was recorded about Arthur when he was alive and it'd be fun to see how he'd react to the outside perspective on what he achieved in life.
WC: 3,627/3,000
