True Colours (Lehanna)

The look on the teenager’s face just screamed boredom and as she kept flicking through the channels, her eyes started to glaze over. Most of it she’d already seen before and ever since her roommate had gone off on another of her little trips, Elara had found herself doing little other than watching the TV. She didn’t attend school, despite Lehanna nagging her to and instead just found herself either hanging around or getting some exercise with Taurus. The latter had become pretty important since she’d got her slayer powers, as she now had to rely on her own strength as much as her spirits. Taurus was a pretty harsh teacher too and she’d been forcing the girl to run a seemingly endless number of miles every day. Saying that though, she was certainly getting fitter and her body was becoming more muscular as time passed. She could give Taurus a run for her money over a short distance and she knew her spirit was proud of her efforts, even if she didn’t say so.

A sudden sound captured her attention and with a frown, the girl would get up off the sofa and head into the kitchen, where to no one’s great surprise, a rather greedy spirit of hers was making herself a sandwich. “I’ve told you about this before, Nunu, you can’t just turn up whenever you want and raid the fridge.”

The little girl jumped out of her skin and turned to her summoner, looking sheepish, her cheeks bright red from embarrassment. “I know but Wilump always steals all of the food back home. She’s such a greedy pig and doesn’t share with me.” Tears began to well up in her eyes, as her head drooped. “Please just let me have a sandwich, Miss Elara, pretty please?”

After a few moments just looking at the little mite, Elara sighed and raised her hands in mock defeat. “Alright, alright. Make me feel bad, why don’t you? Just make it quick, I don’t want all of the others turning up, thinking this is an all you can eat buffet, we clear? The last time you guys crashed this place, it took Lehanna and me ages to clean up the place.”

“Thanks a lot! You’re the best!” Nunu replied, seeming to be putting whatever she could find between two slices of bread. It looked absolutely horrible and smelled even worse but the girl didn’t seem to care and wolfed it down in seconds once she’d finished making it. With a twirl, she then said in farewell. “See you later!” Before disappearing back to the spirit world.

Leaving the mess for Elara to clean up anyway.

Annoyed beyond belief, the teenager would start to put away the items that the girl had used to make her meal, muttering under her breath about what a pain in the rear her summons were, words that no one probably wanted to hear. They’d helped her so much since she’d come to Fiore but there were days where they drove her complete and utterly mad.

(510 Words)

Frankly things adds beginning to get a little worrisome for her. In the last couple of weeks, possible even around a months time now Lehanna would have been sparse in existence. Frankly in the last two to three weeks in specific as she had gone completely silent with everyone who she knew. Messages went unread, calls missed, voicemails not returned. She had completely been off the grid and for some may have worried them. She had no mission at the time so that could not have been any liable excuse she had in order to use for her lack of communication. And with Elara especially, this was unlike her. A few days? Perhaps. They had a talk before, however she wasn’t so keen on the idea of roughly three weeks of silence with her fiend.

More over, she was afraid of what Elara would think of her now.

If anything, Lehanna hated herself more than she had before. Her life up to joining Silver Wolf was not ideal, the guild was a definite stepping stone to the life she wish she had growing up, but it was all the more reason to enjoy it now. But how could she looking like this? Some odd abomination of a being with the ability of- …well frankly she had no idea what this curse did to her newly magicless body. If Kalama indeed had this curse grant new abilities to her in place of the slayer magic she had prior. At least in the meantime, the girl had her sword and could still use those quite well. And the little bit of training with the rather psychotic woman didn’t hurt her at all either. Perhaps having acquaintances on either side of the law could prove beneficial in the long run, but that was something she would have to sort out later.

For the time being, Lehanna arrived to her home, hiding from sight to be seen. The shadow being had also shown it was much more useful to her than to be a separation of herself from her anger. A familiar with an innate ability to shield her form from others sight. Be it her prior appearance or even one of a completely different nature. It provided a more normal outlook despite the illusion that it was all simply a lie made of smoke and mirrors. It provided the raven haired girl some relief. But with Elara? She had to approach this naturally. She couldn’t bare to lie to someone she had realized she felt something more for than she admitted. Honestly, those two weeks with Kalama opened a lot of things she kept denying and hiding. Despite her blunt, direct approach, she was quite helpful in a lot of ways.

Opening the door, Lehanna made sure the room was clear to enter before shutting it softly. ”H-Hey, Elara. I um.. I’m home…” Her voice shook with fear. Everything she mentally prepared for was right in front of her and down to the moment that she saw this form and she worried for her sanity and her life that she wouldn’t go off the handle. She could explain… she just needed the hot headed teen to give her that chance. ”There’s something gravely important I need to discuss with you. ” She forewarned, hoping this would ease things first.

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The first sounds that would probably reach her friend’s ears were coming from the kitchen, where Elara was still trying to clean up the mess her spirit had made. How Nunu was even able to combine so many foods into one sandwich was a mystery to her and the teenager didn’t even think about what it would do to the little girl’s stomach. She must have been a bottomless pit or something. Still, Elara did have some sympathy for her. Not all of her spirits came from a happy home and Nunu’s yeti companion was uncontrollable to say the least. Wilump had a wicked temper and one that matched the summoner’s own. Truthfully, Elara didn’t like summoning the duo for that reason but she had become rather close to Nunu and was sort of a big sister to her. A sandwich now and again wasn’t too much to ask, Elara just wished that the girl learned how to clean up afterwards. A minute or two passed and finally Elara was finished, putting away the last knife that she’d almost snapped in two while trying to clean. It had honey, jam, marmalade and even bits of meat on it. A nightmare for the sixteen year old to deal with.

Finally she was done though and it was at that point that she heard a familiar voice, her slayer enhanced hearing recognising it in an instant. It had been a good few weeks since she’d heard that particular voice and rather than smile, Elara’s frown grew slightly. She’d been worried sick over Lehanna’s latest disappearance, one that had lasted far longer than normal. The dark haired teen wished that her friend wasn’t so fond of vanishing, as it did cause Elara to fret, even when she was warned beforehand. Not once had her friend called her during that time and it’d sent the girl into a frenzy. She hadn’t been able to sleep nights and the house was just a far lonelier place without Lehanna. Exercise and the TV could only do much to ease that.

“Do you know how long you’ve been gone?” Elara called from the kitchen, washing her hands in the sink. “I’ve called you so many times and not once did you decide to answer me. I’ve worried sick about you! I thought you’d been nabbed by Pergrande or something!” Her voice was loud enough that she had no doubt that Lehanna could hear her.

Once she’d dried her hands, the teenager came into the living room, about to give her friend a piece of her mind.

“I swear that you’re going to be the…”

It was she who stopped dead as her eyes clapped on to the figure in front of her, a look of complete and utter shock crossing her features. The figure before her looked more reptile than human and as soon as the shock passed, Elara’s jaw tightened and her hands turned into fists.

“Who are you and what’ve you done with Lehanna?! How dare you break into our house!”

(506 Words)
(1572 TWC)

To say Lehanna was a little sad about making Elara worry was about under statement. Even as she called out into the Kitchen about being home and needing to talk, her stomach churned with fear and worry. Was she going to be rejected and yelled at to leave? Would she just be attacked on sight and have to try and defend herself against Elara inside her own home? Boy did she not want to be the result of that clean up job for sure… and neither would the fire department at that. Either way, the various hypotheses of ways this could go bad played over and over in her mind. Each one making her more and more upset. So much so that even when Elara would come out, she’d be visibly upset by it all. But in reality, who could blame her? The teen was in the wrong place at the wrong time and for that, she now faced consequences.

However, she would do it again just to save a few lives like she did that day. That would never change.

Lehanna smoothed out her new dress, having to get new clothing since her time with Kalama had soiled her prior ones too much. Something logical in choice of attire felt fitting and frankly she knew if she had to do this all over again with Kitalpha, she should try and be cute as well as professional. With her familiar’s assistance in retaining a look that wouldn’t make people scream and run away, the teen managed to pick up a few new outfits and settled them into a single bag she’d placed aside when she got in the door. Still, her eyes couldn’t look up from the floor the more Elara shared her disappointing and worried words. Frankly, the raven haired teen couldn’t blame her and wouldn’t considering the situation and it made her want to hug the girl tight, though for several reasons.

When her friend seemed to stop mid sentence, her head picked up to look right at Elara. She seemed to be surprised and confused, though quickly shifting into that of anger and readiness to fight. ”W-Wait wait, Elara! Hold on!” Her arms raised up and out, waving side-to-side trying to get the girl to know she wasn’t trying to hurt her. ”I need you to relax so I can explain everything, please stop.” Her voice was starting to shake. Her mind was racing with the fearful thoughts that Elara would act before thinking and she would lose her friend, her one rock of stability because of her lacrima’s side effect of shortening her already short temper. ”Please think before you act. I don’t want to spend jewels I don’t need to fixing up my house because of your lacrima’s anger problems.”

That… probably didn’t come out the right way, but it sparked her to give a way to prove who she was before she could inadvertently get someone hurt or killed. ”Before you do anything physical to me, ask me anything. Anything you and I would only know…” Her arms were beginning to shake, finding herself in a bit of a pickle trying to keep from breaking down right then and there. ”Im begging, Ela.” And now her voice was matching the sway of her arms.

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It was difficult for her to hear what she was being told. Not because she couldn’t hear the girl before her but due to the anger that was so swift to overcome her these days. It bubbled and churned inside her all the time and it took so little to set her off now. To see this dark haired figure state such things irritated her but there was a part of her that couldn’t help but think that maybe it was Lehanna. She spoke to her in the same way as her friend did and even some of the familiar facial tics were there but Elara was still suspicious. There were enemies out there, her own parents being only two of them and the hybrid slayer knew that soon enough they’d make a move against her. She was reluctant to trust anyone outside of…outside of…Lehanna herself. Lately, her thoughts had turned to maybe following in her friends footsteps and joining Silver Wolf, the same guild as her but there was still some hesitance on her part and she’d yet to bring it up with her closest friend.

She watched the girl as she moved her hands around, seemingly trying not to tick off Elara any further which simply caused the summoner to feel even more confused. If this girl was a burglar or a Pergrande spy then she wasn’t a very good one and Elara’s hands eventually unclenched although there was still a touch of suspicion in her gaze. She wasn’t entirely convinced but the way that the young woman before her practically begged for the chance to prove herself sort of cooled her anger off. In truth, the girl looked as though she was about to completely break down and Elara started to find it rather hard to stay angry with her for long. She briefly recalled a memory, one of many where Lehanna had been in tears, before burying her face into Elara’s shoulder, crying herself hoarse.

Taking a deep breath to settle herself, Elara would eventually reply, after thinking over the girl’s suggestion. “When we first met as mages, we went to investigate an orphanage. It was a horrible place and we were attacked by all sorts of monsters and foul things. You were hurt and ended up with a piece of metal impaling you. Where on your body were you hurt and who was it that was pulling the strings?”

The real Lehanna would remember without a second thought and the experience had been so painful for her friend that it was probably a memory she wouldn’t forget. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience for Elara either, as she’d been shown just how weak she’d been physically back then. It had been a warning to her and one that she’d heeded quickly. Now she could fight, regardless of whether her spirits were there or not. The side effects were unfortunate but she guessed that they were deserved, given how quickly she’d had her lacrimas inserted, at the same time.

(503 Words)
(2625 TWC)

There was a moment where Lehanna felt as though she wasn’t going to get through to her friend. The moment of silence since her pleading to listen made her nearly tear up from the thought that she wasn’t going to be able to have the chance to get through to Elara. Perhaps it was the fact that only Lehanna could really call her Ella or Elly and she wouldn’t bat an eye, but had also been short named as Anna and Lea. But even then, it wouldn’t be something that someone couldn’t just say in order to try and seem like they were being friendly or wanting to get something from her. Maybe her parents used to call her that from time to time? She wasn’t sure on that.

When the other teen finally decided calm herself down a little and came up with the question to ask, she had asked about the first time they had essentially met since Lehanna left their home. The location of their job and what of it that occurred that day hadn’t left her mind, since that very place was somewhere she used to live at. Off and on for most of her life, in fact. Her eyes wandered down to her left leg where she remembered the rusted metal equipment she crashed into impaled her leg. Thankfully it was only that.

”I still never found that witch, unfortunately…” She sighed, shaking her head lightly. ”The bar that went through my left leg? The same one I cauterized with my flames because those rusted old bars would have killed me otherwise?” Her hand brushed the dress aside so she could see if she in fact has any scarring left from that day, but it seemed that she healed better than she thought. ”And the one who ran it? She was the woman who ran the orphanage. She used to be kinder, but after one of my ‘adoptions’, she seemed to have changed, nearly night and day.” She couldn’t remember if she ever told Elara that tidbit of information, however it seemed odd to the former slayer that she chose that job in specific. Then again, that job changed their entire relationship.

”If.. that’s satisfying enough for you, I really need to explain all of….. this. Minus the dress. It was recommended and honestly? I feel comfortable in it.” She noted, looking over the dress before attempting to take a step and eventually if not stopped to move to the couch with her friend. ”I… I know it’s really… different, but I needed to approach this directly. And I will tell you every little detail that i can remember from the time I was gone.” If she could, she’d have reached over to take a Elara’s hands in her own, letting her take a moment to notice they would essentially be the same feeling as normal skin.

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By the time that Lehanna had answered her question, Elara was convinced that it was Lehanna standing before her. There was no one else who’d know about any of that besides the two of them and only then did her shoulders relax. She looked over her friend’s new form and she naturally couldn’t fathom just how she’d changed so drastically in such a short space of time. Just what had happened to the now raven haired girl during her time away and why had she taken on that new form? Now that she was calmer, Elara tried to follow the dots and reach a sensible conclusion but neither of the two that she eventually came to helped soothe her anger. Either Lehanna had some kind of accident to cause her change or someone else had forced it upon her, neither of which sat well with the dark haired slayer. The thought of the latter briefly had her almost losing control but she’d hear her friend out first, before saying anything, she owed her that much and Elara knew that Lea would need her now, more so than ever.

“It’s a lovely dress, it suits you.” Elara complimented, her tone losing the hostility that it’d once had, trying to help ease Lea’s worries. Now that Lehanna had proven her identity, the slayer began to feel just a little guilty for having been so harsh with her. She cursed herself mentally for being so insensitive, even though she knew that her being suspicious was natural for her and had kept her alive during the tough times she’d been through.

She followed Lea to the couch and took a seat, concern written over her face as she watched her friend. Elara had a rather intense gaze at times but her purple orbs weren’t showing that right now. No, she was worried about her Lea and if her eyes didn’t reveal that then her body language would. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that her friend was the only person that she truly cared about. She was of course close to her spirits too but her relationship with them wasn’t the same. When she was with Lea, everything just felt like it was going to be OK.

Gently, Elara allowed Lea’s to take her hands in hers, feeling the warmth from it…wait, where was that warmth? She’d always felt that part of the special bond that they shared was due to their similar magic but right now, she couldn’t feel her friend’s slayer powers. What was going on? Lea felt cold to the touch and as she briefly tapped into her enhanced sense of smell, there was something different about her friend's scent too. It was hers and yet not hers at the same time.

Her confusion was growing and she asked simply in slight disbelief. “What on Earthland happened Lea?” She didn’t need to ask anything else at that point, all she needed to do was listen and be a warm blanket for her closest friend.

(504 Words)
(3611 TWC)

With her hands holding her friends, there was a comforting feeling with it already. Her body had been albeit shaking with fear and worry, but in this moment it began to relax. What was going on? She couldn’t logically place why she suddenly felt this urge of comfort and relaxation just by holding someone else’s hand like this, but here it was in front of her showing her otherwise. A small smile cracked her rather disheartened face from the compliment. She had thought the change in style would be nice hearing her friends approval of the outfit had meant a bit more to her than she imagined.

”Well, it started when I was spending some time out in another city. Just one of my normal.. mental situations. I had heard some screaming and ran over to see what was happening. I found some crazy woman slaughtering people, destroying what she could. I made the mistake of trying to fight her and she turned out to be far stronger than I imagined. I don’t think I managed to get a hit on her if anything. But she… she trapped my mind in a nightmare as some strange part of her magic.” She took a brief pause, her grip on the teens hands tightening momentarily. ”Then… somehow she… devoured my magic. It’s gone. I have no control over fire or flames at all outside of the sword. I’m… honestly still processing it all myself. But, that’s not really the part you were wondering about.”

A sole gulp swallowing her fear of how she going to approach the next part, but it was necessary to do so. ”And then there was this… She decided to use me as a Guinea pig and afflict me with the same curse that she, her friend, and her whole village had been struck with.” The Raven haired teen sat up in her seat, her grip tightening. ”She— for some reason, stayed by my side through every moment of the last two weeks, helping me to try and get through the pain. Immeasurable pain, at that. Despite the fact I was just an experiment to her, she was… rather enjoyable to be around. Not because of what she did, but being a kid who gets spoken to like one, being given straight, blunt answers and advice felt different. I felt like an equal rather than a child and if for that reason you still want to yell at me… i accept it. I’ve yelled at myself several times, but I just came to focus on getting home… to you.” She smiled, looking off from her friend and then down to her hands Before looking back up at Elara.

”And I still don’t know what things this curse has given me in place of my slayer magic, because it should, but honestly even if it doesn’t, I don’t care. I get to be back here and with a more focused mind… which brings me to my next point. Well, after you have a moment to respond.” Her tone of voice through her explanation would seem to be incredibly still. Only wavering on the slightest occasion, but if Elara paid close enough attention, she would realize that anything that normally would have brought signs of anger in her friend were nonexistent.

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It wouldn’t take a genius to tell just how annoyed Elara was by the story that she was hearing. No, annoyance wasn’t even close to how she was feeling. She was livid beyond belief that anyone would dare to perform such a cruel and horrible ritual on her friend. Her hands started to warm up a little, a sign that the anger was returning but the dark haired girl forced it back as best she could. The teenager needed to hear the whole thing and Lea obviously had to get it all out. Still, the look on her face would briefly be one of pure rage and disgust. If she ever found the bitch that had done it then she would turn them into ash without a moment's thought or maybe she’d have Taurus cut them to pieces. As she thought about Lea’s words more deeply, she had a rather chilling realisation.

“Lea…What if she’s trying to groom you into becoming her pet or something?” Elara answered unhappily. “This all sounds so strange to me and I don’t understand why she’d let you go at all. If this curse has a way of changing people then who’s to say that in the future, you might end up wanting to go back to her because the curse had messed with your head? The fact that she acted so nicely after cursing you could just be mind games, so that you feel some kind of sympathy towards her. I don’t know anything for sure and am just speaking my mind but this all smells so fishy to me. You can’t trust her for a second, no matter what she says. She’s no different than that witch who ran your orphanage...or my parents.”

There were unpleasant reminders of her own relationship with her family in Lea’s story and Elara didn’t like it one bit. She knew what it was like to be treated in such a humiliating way, to be treated as little more than a doll. Those feelings lay deeply within her soul, even now and she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to recover fully. No, that wasn’t quite true. She’d be able to heal, once her parents were gone for good. That was something that Elara was sure of.

There was something else bothering her too and it was something that she couldn’t help but notice about Lea’s behaviour. “Why are you so calm about all this? You’ve been treated horribly by this woman and yet you’re sitting here as though it was just a holiday. I would have thought you’d be spitting with rage about it all. Please don’t tell me that what I said just now was right and that this curse is messing with you already?” For the first time, there was just the slightest hint of a plea in Elara’s voice. She needed Lea as much as her friend did her and the thought of losing the currently dark haired girl to this curse sent waves of worry throughout her body.

(506 Words)
(4668 TWC)

The idea that Elara threw out to her was not something that neither of the cursed pair had discussed or had brought up. In fact, in a way there was indeed that very notion that was true and the idea had made her start to giggle. At first it was just a small smile, but it quickly shifted into the giggle that she dearly doubled over into laughter for. ”I thought the same and in fact in a way that’s what she wanted. All that hate I had from my parents dying to the constant back and forth s of the orphanage to family after family and then to your own, Prada and my torture, Pergrande’s attempt to assassinate me. She wanted that festered hate to take over, to mold me into something akin to her.” She stopped, letting out a sigh and shaking her head. ”But my friendship with you, Mama Kita, the entirety of Silver Wolf. It brought me a whole new light of a family I never thought I could have. And I don’t want to replace that for something like revenge. Logically, the time may or may not come, but I will not let it define me or direct me to a path I don’t want to be on.”

Another point crossed her mind in that moment. Something that Kalama tried to get into her head that made her realize what was to be done and even then, it may not turn out well in her favor. ”Why did she let me go? Because this curse… it changes people. It had turned nearly her entire village into monstrous beings without consciousness or anything. She and her friend held onto one another and their magic held their cursed back. They sent separate ways and I think that’s what mentally turned her into some psychotic prick… but she saw me and that picture of us together at the Halloween event from last year and I think she saw something. She found that rock that could keep me being me. I still vowed to beat this curse and use it to murder her, but I won’t drive down the highway doing Mach speed to do it.” Her grip would tighten a little bit as she began to include Elara being known to Kalama as much as mentioning how she believed the dark haired slayer to be the person she needed.

When Elara brought up the fact that she had been so calm and not even upset, a smile lit up on her face. Honestly, she was happy for this after some time. She felt her mind to be much clearer now and it made her more efficient in doing so. ”That my dear Ela is my favorite part! My anger is an emotion I can’t very well express nearly in the way I used to. I am angry, for the most part. I hate myself, this look, my choices, but… I’m here with you. I’m here of my own free will doing whatever I want. In fact, that time has made me realize something, Elara.” Once again, she would stop, but this time she would tighten her grip on the other girls hands and lean her head onto the other girls, avoiding her horns in the process.

”You, Elara mean more to me than anything. I hope you’ll be here for me just as much as I want to be there for you.”

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There was a lot to take in and Elara fell silent for a little bit as she mulled it over. The questions that she’d asked had been answered with as much honesty as possible although Elara never had expected for Lea to ever lie to her. She knew the truth when she heard it and despite everything that had happened to her closest friend, Lea was still Lea. It brought such a sense of relief to the hybrid slayer that it was hard for her to describe. She’d been so worried that she’d lose her only anchor in this place, the only person who she felt that she could be completely honest with. The two of them had been through their share of ups and downs with the first part of their life together having ended up being the latter. Elara still felt a twinge of guilt now and again when she thought back to those days but those memories were becoming more and more distant, replaced with happier ones alongside Lea. The short time that they’d shared the same house and been so blissful for Elara and to have finally found a home after drifting for so long meant the world to her.

Nothing that Lea said caused her hatred for whoever this woman was to lessen, however, with the teenager still wanting to choke the life out of her with her bare hands. The fact that this bitch was aware of her was a little unsettling and it gave Elara another reason to continue her training with Taurus and master her skills. If she ever came up against this foul piece of shit then she’d be ready for her. Lea might not have felt anger in the same way anymore but Elara had somewhat become the opposite, an avatar of the emotion. She was beginning to realise that rage was something that could be wielded as easily as any other element. Her practice sessions had shown her that she could actually harness it in order to take control inside of others which had been a shocking revelation for sure.

When Lea leaned in close and rested her head against her own, Elara’s heart skipped a beat and her cheeks reddened so quickly. There were butterflies in her stomach too and her hands, that were still in Lea’s, became a little sweaty. She knew that Lea meant every word and the purple eyes of the slayer began to show something else. The anger had filtered away and there was a warmth of a different kind.

“I’ll always be here for you, no matter what curse, country or wicked witch tries to get between us. I didn’t know anyone when I came here to Fiore and you had every right to tell me to take a hike after what I put you through but no, you’ve shown me nothing but friendship. I’ll never forget that and our time together has brought so much light into my once dark heart. You’ve changed my life for the better and I never want to let you go.”

Gently, she’d let go of Lea’s hands and pull her head back slightly, so that she could softly run her hands down the beautiful horns of her friend.

“You may look a little different but you’re still the same Lea to me. The girl who I cherish more than anyone and the one I…I…”

After a moment of hesitation, a smile crossed her features.

“The one I love.”

(582 Words)
(5854 TWC)

Given that Elara remained quiet during the whole time Lehanna spoke about the thoughts that she had over the situation she had to bear now, she couldn’t help but find it to be strengthening in a way. She felt stagnate and unable to focus herself into a normal person but frankly… this curse felt like a blessing. This clarity she had was entirely too enjoyable and having this sort of feeling was worth the losses that she had so far. Would she come to regret feeling this way? Probably. But for now, she wanted to make sure this was pushed the way it was supposed to in order to get the things that she needed done and from there she would eventually finish that path that she sought after. No matter who or what stood in her way.

To say what came next had caught her off guard was a surprise had been a complete underestimation. She wanted Elara to be honest about the situation, but she assumed it would be venting her anger about her friend being cursed and frustration with the raven haired teen being so complacent about the whole thing. Instead, she had come clean in a similar manner to how the former slayer had done so. In fact, those words caused her cheeks to flush a light color in reaction. At first, she thought she was going more with a sisterly vibe with what she was saying, however Elara had come to make her realize as well that she was important to her. ”Elara, what are you-?” She stopped, muttering her curious question while the horns on her head began to be fiddled with.

As she did so, a thought occurred to her. She forgot to show her some minor abilities she could do! Her mouth opened and she was ready to tell her when those words exited her mouth. Her heart began to race a little, cheeks darkening it’s flushed colour while she processed it. ”You.. and I…” She was completely surprised, but her mind shook away the moment and shadows would begin to swirl around her. Her arms and legs would shift shade to the look of the rest of her human appearance. Her hair cut short above the neck and it’s shade altered as well. Setting her gaze upon the dark haired teen, Lehanna would lean in slowly, tilting her head to one side before gently planting lips to the other girl. She quickly pulled back, eyes looking away and then sliding over beside Elara. ”I-Im sorry, I didn’t ask first. I-I umm.. Can we just spend some time together? Just watch tv or something? I don’t.. i don’t want to act like some love novel or play written relationship that moves too fast and ruins something good. I… I love you too. I really do.” She grew silent, looking down to her lap and feeling a little less excited. ”If this is a dream, I don’t want it to end, but otherwise, I want to spend all my free time with you. I want to make up for the time we missed out on recently.” If she remained next to the girl still, she would just lay her head on Elara’s shoulder, eventually leaning more of herself against her new partner as a smile started to form from feeling really normal for once. And happy for that matter.

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To say that Elara was surprised by Lea’s next change in appearance was an understatement but that was nothing compared to what she felt when her friend suddenly leaned in and kissed her. Elara’s eyes widened in complete shock and time seemed to freeze for those few sweet moments, a pleasurable tingle seeming to travel through her body. For a moment, she’d thought that perhaps Lea wouldn’t feel the same way towards her, given how surprised she’d reacted but there was no need for any of those negative thoughts now. She could feel the same love and devotion from Lea’s kiss that she’d just aloud. It brought her such relief and caused any anger that was left within her to fizzle away into nothing. She couldn’t have been happier to know that Lea did indeed feel the same and the dark eyed slayer hoped that it would be the start of the next chapter in their life together.

When Lea sidled over to her, Elara naturally drew her in close, wanting nothing more than to spend some precious time with her new partner. She understood what Lea was referring to and the slayer couldn’t have agreed more with her thoughts. “I get that and I don’t want us to spoil what we already have either. Just knowing that you feel the same way as I do is more than enough for me. When you went missing, it gave me time to think, more time than I’ve had since I came here. I hate that bitch who cursed you, I really do but I guess in a way, she’s helped us both find out what we want. I plan to thank the cow before punching her teeth down her throat. If you do face her again, you won’t be alone.”

A smile crossed her features again and she rested her head gently against Lea’s, her right hand moving over to the TV remote so that she could start flicking through the channels. Most of the programmes weren’t very good and Elara wondered how anyone could watch most of them without falling asleep. She quite liked some of the more exciting films but they only tended to be on late at night. During the day? Soap opera’s. Lots of them. She found those programmes kind of cringey, as they reminded her of home and once you added the hammy acting, you ended up with a real pile of crap. “You know, I think our lives would make for a far more interesting programme. Don’t you think so?”

Adventure, drama, romance, they’d had it all in the short time they’d been together and Elara couldn’t help but ponder just what was next for them. There was still so much of Fiore and the wider world that they hadn’t seen, foes they hadn’t fought and sights that they hadn’t experienced. The thought made her smile but for now, she was more than happy just to spend some time with her new…girlfriend? Was it too early to say that? She didn’t know but it sounded right.

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Having vented her feelings felt relieving beyond belief, but what made it more for her to feel like she’d made some kind of inner peace was having Elara even reciprocate that feeling back. That very notion that she felt the same and put it out there doubled her relief and it made her feel as though she weren’t alone after all. Perhaps even if Elara didn’t feel that way, she would have hoped to still have her friend in all of this, however that wasn’t the case. She was happily encouraging her mind that the reality of this situation was actually real and not some deranged and deep sleeping dream.

It seemed to be that Elara was a little more comfortable with things than she thought. As the cursed teen slid a little closer to her newfound significant other, she had been pulled a little closer to her than at first. ”Its probably better we’re in the same guild too. Makes hiding anything from the other much less likely.” She said with an easing smile, enjoying the relaxation and normalcy she felt for the time being. Her appearance was a lie, her brain would not let that go… but yet she felt it to be a little easier on her mind to use for the time being. Her eyes peered over while Elara spoke about what she felt about Kalama, what she wanted to do to her, and so on. That level of protectiveness made her wrap her arms around the closest of her couch mates and squeezed a little tighter than she wanted. ”Please don’t go out of your way for that… i know you’re strong, but I thought the same until I was beaten into the dirt… i don’t want this for you too. Just promise you’ll be careful, ok?”

While she began to watch the tv channel’s being swapped to one at a time, the teen realized how crummy the day time series of shows really were. The sheer number of crummy soap operas and little kid shows had reminded her why she enjoyed school and doing jobs with the guild. At least then she could avoid all of that. Then, something Elara noted had her begin to think about it. It was a quaint and rather accurate point. Especially given the last year or so between the two. ”True… and just imagine each bit of time we’re away from each other is just a season break. New jobs are just arcs. We’re just like one long running animated series or some odd zombie survival show.” With a light chuckle of the idea, Lehanna snuggled up against Elara with her arms now gently wrapped around her while they continued to leisurely enjoy the moment.

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There was a brief moment where Elara looked just a little uncomfortable when Lehanna spoke about the guild, resulting in a rather awkward answer from the slayer. “I admit that I still haven't quite gotten used to the idea of being in a guild that…you know…wasn’t just a bunch of weirdos. It feels weird being able to actually talk to people without having to be on guard and I haven’t spent much time talking to any other members besides you.” She didn’t see any point in trying to hide her insecurities now, given how much she and Lehanna had already admitted. Truthfully, any fear that she might have had in the past about opening up to her new partner had fizzled away. Lehanna would need her now, more so than ever, with whatever this curse was planning to do and it only made Elara not only more protective of her friend but more willing to speak the truth. She’d always been so guarded but now? It was like her shields were always lowered whenever Lehanna was involved.

When Lehanna spoke about a confrontation with her attacker, Elara struggled briefly with her own feelings of hatred towards the bitch. The thoughts and images that ran through her mind when she thought about meeting that woman were unpleasant to describe. She was just so susceptible to rage, in a way she’d never been before, feeling like it was always there, ready to erupt like a volcano at the slightest provocation. In a way, she guessed that she was the opposite of how Lehanna was now. Her partner didn’t feel it much at all, while she could barely control hers. It was funny in a way as just a short time ago, it’d been the other way around. As she felt Lea’s grip tighten slightly, Elara’s arms wrapped around the blonde too, a sign of her own protectiveness. “I’ll try but I don’t know what’ll happen if I meet her. It’s so hard to keep my anger in check now and every fiber of my being wants to see her buried…but I’ll try. for you.”

As they drew closer, Elara’s grip loosened slightly and one of her hands moved to gently ruffle the blonde locks of her partner. The summoner was quickly becoming rather fond of the appearance that Lehanna had decided to take on although she of course adored her partner in whatever guise she took. Appearances were only skin deep after all and the purple eyed girl knew that no matter how Lea’s looks may change over time, she’d still be the girl that Elara loved. She loved her for who she was and that was all that truly mattered.

A chuckle escaped the teenager’s lips as Lea seemed to agree with her comment about their life together so far. “I hope that for just a little while, we might get a break from all the dark and gloomy stuff. I wouldn’t mind our next arc being a more lighthearted arc, one where we can forget about everything and just be us.” Somehow, she doubted that would be the case, given how trouble seemed to follow them around but she could always dream.

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There was a quick moment of silence, looking up to her partner as she listened to her explain about her personal experience in Silver Wolf opposed to whatever place it was she had been in prior to that. When they first met up as mages, she could recall her mentioning a guild, but now all she could recall from then and now was it was basically a compiled group of nut cases with no clear goal. A sad truth, if true. But after that moment of silence, he’d bubble popped and she began to snicker, then giggle, then into a little bit of a full blown laughter before settling down. ”There’s weirdness in every guild, Ela. You just gotta find it. Everyone there is strange in their own way, myself and you included. The guild mistress is a bit formal, possibly very focus minded. I can’t say much as my only interaction aside from school forms to fill out in embarrassment had been that escort job in Joya. Miss Mercury is very smart, but definitely not a local of the country. And then there’s Mama Kita and-”

She froze, her face getting a bit pale before going red, almost flashing back and forth between fearful worry and sheer embarrassment. ”O-Oh no. No no no. I-I completely forgot about Kita! Shoot!” She began to panic a bit, sitting up from her former position and seeming to be a bit frantic. ”Wh-Whats she going to think of me with this.. this other look! A-And then there’s us! I don’t think that part is too bad, but oh man is she just- I… what do I do!?” She began biting her lip, fearful of the idea that she may have those dreaded fearful nightmares coming true in some way. And yet, she sat here with her arms wrapped softly around the one person who would first point and laugh, scrutinize and shun her. So if that went well, then perhaps she wasn’t so bad off with someone who fawned over her like a doting mother… something that she cherished despite the embarrassment of it.

She knew why Elara had such a punk like look once she ran away from her parents. Honestly, she didn’t blame her given how shitty her parents treated the formerly adopted child. Now however, it seemed as though Lehanna had a taste of it in a different manner. It felt nice to be treated like a child sometimes since having to be under the misfortune of missing the chance to have it. Even if Elara hated her parents with every fiber of her being, she couldn’t help but feel envious to just have them. Parents could always change by some miraculous event. Maybe she’ll have that fortune and she could reconcile, but that was more of Elara’s business than it was the former slayers. So when it came to her anger, she knew she must still have a lot pent up fueling her lacrima. ”I believe in you. It’s just like my curse. It can be overcome and controlled, it’s just a matter of patience. And I know you have it in you to do so. You went through everything so far without breaking. And with me by your side, they won’t break you either.” Her grip tightened as she tried to reinforce the fact she was with her all the way.

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A look of annoyance crossed Elara’s face for a moment as Lea almost seemed to be making fun of her for talking about the guild in the way she had. She hadn’t expected that reaction and it left her feeling a little miffed for saying it at all. The slayer appreciated her partner’s remarks about their guildmates though and Elara tried to make a mental note or two for future reference. She didn’t want to say something stupid and tick off the wrong person after all and the teenager did truly want to fit into the guild. Sooner or later, she’d have to go up there, introduce herself properly to the guildmaster and get things sorted out but for the moment, she just wanted to focus on Lea and developing this latest twist in their relationship. Still, the thought of being in a more open minded guild did bring her some measure of happiness.

She was just about to make a petulant jab at her partner when Lea suddenly became rather more worried all of a sudden, which knocked that idea out of Elara’s mind. She knew that Lea and this Kita woman were very close but she’d never actually thought about just how close. Mama seemed to be more accurate than Elara had thought, judging from just how Lehanna spoke about her. Gently, she’d pull Lea back so that they were close together again, her tone rather soothing. “She’s not going to abandon you because of the curse, Lea. From everything you’ve said about her, I bet that she’ll only dote on you even more because of it. I know that and you do too. She’ll want to do everything to help and protect you, as I do. Just tell her the truth and everything will be fine. I didn’t shun you when I realised it was you, did I? Neither will she.” She actually smiled at that point and added with a chuckle. “As for us? Well, she’ll just have to get used to the idea, won’t she?”

When Lea spoke about believing in her overcoming her rage, it meant more to Elara than she could say at first. She knew that it was going to take a lot of self control to master her new powers, as well as the inherent downsides that came from them. The man that she had taken it from had been completely consumed by his own and the teenager was under no illusion that it could happen to her too. She’d found that out while doing a simple job, where her rage powers had ended up winning her a fight but at the same time, had pushed her close to the edge. The fires of rage were always there and even when she was relaxed, it always seemed to prod at the edge of her mind, instilling an image or two that could set her off. Usually the faces of her parents, who she despised so much. She had no idea what would happen if she encountered them again but it wouldn’t be pretty or easy. Finally, she replied in a soft tone. “I’ll be counting on you to bring me back, should I be taken over by the rage.”

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