บท 16: 16. Unwelcome Goodbyes

Mother and I spent the rest of the night touring the city after the concert finished, just simply enjoying the time we had left together before we had to say goodbye.

Once again, I fell asleep as the sun began to rise, and was woken up by the smell of bacon and sausages and the sound of the door sliding open.

"Oh good, you're awake. I made you some breakfa-…brunch to eat."

Mother set the tray of food on the low table in the middle of the room and sat down on the other side.

"You didn't have to, but…thank you."

"Nonsense! What sort of mother would I be if I didn't help my baby grow big and strong!?"

I just give her a sad smile as I begin to eat the eggs offered to me. Her happy demeanour dropped for a second after seeing my reaction, prompting her to sigh as she reached over and ruffled my hair.

"I know. And…I wish I could have been there for you. I do."

"I know, momma…I don't blame you…"

The two of us just sat there in silence as I finished eating the plate of food she prepared. While I just wondered about the possible life I could have lived if my parents hadn't died, she seemed to be lost in thought as her gaze wandered over to my notebooks.

"Just…give me a minute."

She grabbed one of my notebooks where I write down the sigils and principles of theory about magic I'm studying and sat down at Mia's desk. By the time I finished eating the large brunch, she seemed to have written down what she wanted.

Mom came back to the table with a satisfied smile on her face, and several pages full of glyphs and theory that I've never seen before. From the brief pictures, I got a glimpse of, it seemed to be…

"Transformation magic?"

"Mhm! We demons have become masters of it over the centuries as a way to blend in with humans, a natural adaptation, really. Most of us are even able to do basic transformations without even thinking about it, so I'm sure you can pick it up pretty easily. You can probably even learn Take Over: Satan Soul since you aren't fully a demon, but you seem to have a talent for fire. Just like your mom and dad!"

"But, why would demons need to learn it? Galuna Island is a peaceful settlement, right?"

"That doesn't mean the hatred for demons is gone," she looked aside, her voice carrying a tinge of resentment, "Some are no more sentient than savage beasts, others attack humanity for the resentment carried towards our kind, but none are as dangerous and most prominent in humanity's minds as the demons from the books of Zeref. Monsters. Every. Single. One of them! The Etherious are abominations, nothing more than an affront to demons and the natural world as a whole!"

She gripped her fist hard enough that I could hear the ethernano acting as her flesh ripped under the strain of her fingers. I put my hand around hers in a bid that thankfully calms her down.

"Sorry. Just…bad memories."

"You all lied to me, didn't you?" I say my guess out loud, and her shocked face seems to make me feel like I hit the nail on the head, "These…Etherious, they were the ones that killed all of you, weren't they?"

It was a guess, nothing more. The amount of rage she had, though, made it feel worth asking. Anything and everything that has had Zeref's name attached to it has been nothing but a scourge on my life. The cult, Jellal's sudden worship, and now…

"Yeah…hmph, you seemed to inherit your father's intelligence, for better or worse," she picked up the notebook and sat on my side of the low table, "Now let's see how well you put it into use, hmm? Don't bother thinking about the Etherious, dear. We're long dead, but I can help you learn something despite what they've done to us."

"At the base level, you can change smaller aspects about your appearance and even change into other people. Like so," when she finished speaking, a cloud of smoke poofed around her body and she became more physical. She no longer looked like a ghost and even had her horns removed. She did it again, this time turning into my father.

"But, why are you still wearing your clothes when you change into someone else?"

"That is what separates the intermediate level from the basic level," Her voice was still the same despite looking like my father, but once again, a cloud of smoke shot out of her, this time changing her clothes to look like something a travelling bard would have worn.

"Memorising even smaller details will help sell the transformation when turning into others," This time her voice sounded just like my father's, a deep baritone meant for singing and performing.

"And at the advanced levels," she then shifted again into a canary. She flew around the room doing a beautiful dance in the air before turning into a large wolf, "Not only can you alter your abilities, you can even influence your fighting strength."

"Woah!"

"Pretty cool, right?"

"No wonder you and Dad were performers! You could do so many cool tricks!"

"Ehe~ Thank you, thank you. Bathe me in your praise!" She transformed back while the both of us giggled at the interaction. She took off her cloak and stood in front of me with a proud smirk on her face. "Now, it's your turn. Let's try to get the basic level transformation. Try to copy someone dear to you, okay. Picture a perfect picture of them in your mind. Every detail, measurement, and colour, and focus them all into a perfect picture while you build up magical energy. Then, release that energy around your body with the intention of transforming into that picture."

"That's it?"

"Ehe~ well, that's why it's considered the basic level. It comes naturally to demons but others can find themselves unused to the process. Those that don't figure out the basic level, though, will have no chance at transformation magic at all."

She ushered me to try with a wave of her hand, and I stood up intending to impress. At first, I tried to transform into my mother, but I found that difficult to picture. The ghostly haze that made up her form made it difficult to picture her in full even with the brief glance I got of her before she turned into a bird.

I then tried Mia, Taiyo, and Aki, but the magic energy seemed to fight back. As if sensing my plight, my mother spoke up again.

"Try picturing someone close to your size, or just changing something about yourself. Make your hair longer, or change the colour, something like that. Changing your size too much can push you into the intermediate level. Don't worry, though. I left plenty of notes to try and help you get there."

Those words were all I needed, and the most natural picture popped up in my head. Her smile, her tears, and the determination that had cemented itself in her eyes the last time I saw her just a couple months ago. The magic energy formed in my body on instinct, as if it was agreeing that the image in my mind was the right choice.

"Now, release!"

At her command, the magic shifted through my body and changed it. As the cloud quickly dispersed into the air, the formerly black locks of hair fell in front of my eyes and familiar, pretty scarlet strands rested there in its place.

"Oh? Who's this?"

"Her…her name is Erza Scarlet. She's the only other kid that I know of that…"

"Escaped."

I nodded my head, not surprised that she knew what I was talking about. It even filled me with some security, that I didn't have to explain because I doubted I could without choking up. Her arms wrapped around me in a tight hug. That singular hug broke. This was my first time meeting her, and I was able to hug her and talk to her. It hurt recognising that eleven years had passed without me feeling her warmth, and the cold touch of her ghostly form only drove further into my mind that I would never be able to.

And I would have to say goodbye to her in a few hours.

She kissed the top of my head as I cried into her shoulder. The distorted voice of the ghost of my mother was accompanied by as many soothing gestures as she could provide.

"I'm sorry, Alectsa. I truly am. I would do anything to make sure you didn't have to go through that hell again, I promise you."

She rubbed my shoulders and offered as many reassurances as she could, but everything she did made me more and more heartbroken. I wanted her to be here, alive. I wanted her and dad to be safe and present in my life, to have a happy family. I wanted everything that all kids should have but was robbed from me.

"Just do what you can to grow stronger, take any path you need to grow stronger, this is the perfect place for you to master your flames so that you will never have to worry about something hurting you ever again."

"I don-hic…I don't even kn-hic…if sh-she's alive…!"

"I don't know, either, dear. I only know one thing, and that's that mommy will always love you."

We passed the hours like that, just sitting in the dimly lit room and holding each other in silence that was only broken by the sounds of sniffles and sobs.

When we had to take the lanterns up to the mountains to end the festival, I was a dishevelled mess. Taiyo's presence was the only thing holding me together as we placed the paper ornaments onto the rack above the unlit bonfires.

"Take care of my daughter, boy."

"I will, miss."

"Good, because if you don't I'll haunt you."

Mom crouched down in front of me and wiped off the tears that had started to form again.

"Be strong, dear. Grow strong. And remember, we will always be looking over, even if you can't see us."

"I-I will, momma."

"That's my girl."

As the bonfire was lit and the lanterns were carried up into the sky by the smoke, she and the other spirits followed the lanterns. The last look I got of her face was a kind, motherly smile.

— * —

On a cliff just past the view of the city, a circle of wraiths surrounded a kneeling and gagged figure. The angry undead turned their attention to the sound of flapping wings as their leader landed, her four black wings folding about her body as she approached.

"How is our daughter, dear?"

"She…was devastated, as expected. But she's strong, and observant. And takes after you in terms of intelligence."

"Heh, well, I hope she inherits your looks when she grows up."

"Oh, shush. And who's this?"

"Captain Himura Ohta. A weak fighter, but has a lot of magical power and is a master enchanter with a level of understanding of the seal holding your ancestor in his tomb. He'll be perfect for what we need."

The undead lovers approached the defiant figure that looked at them with hatred.

"Oh don't bother with that gaze. You won't have the will to look at me like that after a minute.

The tall demoness placed her hands on either side of his head, her fingers glowing a deep purple as she thought about her daughter.

'This may cause you trouble in the future, Alectsa. I hope you'll be able to forgive your mother, but only a demon can use the Curses of Purgatorio and you need a catalyst to awaken your genes in full. And to give you that catalyst, we need souls.'

"How many of them could you all eat before the time frame closed?"

"Of the thousands of souls that arrived, only a few hundred could be devoured without drawing suspicion."

"I suppose that'll do. We can't stand to waste this opportunity, and we'll continue eating for the upcoming years until the window is closed. When that time comes…"

"Our daughter will be reborn."

"Whether she wants to or not."

The bald captain started thrashing around at the mention of eating souls, fearing for the safety of the ancestors of the living and the living themselves. He needed to do everything he could, but the strange drug they gave him prevented him from using magic. The thrashing drew the attention of the woman back to him, though, and that prompted a burning sensation to come from her fingers that seemed to scorch even the depths of his soul. It was only thanks to the gag in his mouth that prevented his screams of pain from reaching the city.

"Stop squirming you miserable wretch. It'll only make this more painful. Fire Devil Forbidden Arts…"

'Aetna, you will be the perfect kindling for my daughter to burn bright.'

"...Mind Brand."