Yes, I'm still alive ! I never forgot this fanfic, I'm just a little ovoverwhelmed by life and all the projects I try to do at the same time :o

Enjoy !

The more time she spent in this place, the more Mirajane hated it. Only the presence of Elfman and Laxus gave her the strength to place another step forward, despite her disgust of the place, despite her pain.

The hallways were deserted for the majority of her path. Then a distant sound started to be audible : footsteps and voices of which she couldn't quite distinguish the word yet. Mira knew that only her unnatural hearing made her perceive them this far. But the other ones weren't fools and when they saw her stop to analyse what she was hearing, they understood something was happening.

"There's action this way" she said, pointing the extremity of the hallway from where the sounds were emanating. "We should probably look".

Despite knowing the danger they could face in that direction, all nodded in approval and started following Mira once again, even more cautious than they were a minute ago. 

The more steps they made, the more the mumbling changed into words. Sadly, she didn't get anything important from the guards. However, Mira understood how much those 'worthless' words could be of a particular use.

"I'm practically sure most of the guards are not aware of the fallen". She concluded out loud.

They already knew most of the army, just like Gajeel before the apparition of his ring,  didn't know about how corrupted the organisation was. But maybe the number of people unaware of the inhuman ways of their leaders where grater then they thought. 

"What makes you say that ?" Asked Gray, his shirt now probably lying somewhere in the hallways. 

"Their discussion... they are talking about the prisoners but they don't seem to know why they are here. And from what I get, only the leaders are aloud to speak to them.

"The fallen don't what Gajeel, Elfman and Laxus to transmit what they know about them." Concluded Gray.

"What do you think Lisanna? What do you feel from that direction?"

"All my instincts are pushing me to turn back... But I can't tell yet if one of our friends is with them. Maybe we should try another way... eumm Mira?" She interrupted herself seeing Mira stiffening. 

"Laxus is with them" she said.

"What? How can you be sure?" Asked Gray.

Mira unconsciously smiled at that question. She just cleary heard a 'Go to hell' from this sensual and low voice she knew very well.

"I'd recognize Laxus's voice anywhere. There's no doubt it's him" she said with certitude, not bothering to reapeat the words spoken by the strong tempered man.

"So lets go" said Erza, taking the lead, soon followed by Gray.

As for Lisanna, she stayed a little longer next to Mira, wiggling her eyebrows in a suggestive way.

"I'd recognize Laxus's voice anywhere hen?" She teased her, mimicking Mira's voice.

Mira's cheeks instantly turned a shade redder as the younger copy of herself teased her like a little sister. Even if she didn't really had time to think about it a lot, Laxus's words came back to her mind. She was her little sister. The more she spent time with her, the more Mira wandered how she could not realize it sooner. Her eyes, here hair of the characteristic Strauss color, the shape of her face... even so of her expressions were similar to hers. But that, she would tell her once they were out of there and safe with the others. She simply didn't have the strength to deal with her emotions at the moment, and that not considering that the moment was not appropriate for such a confession.

"Are you alright Mira?" Asked the youngest Strauss who probably didn't know about her origins.

"I'm fine, don't worry. Come on, the others are probably waiting for us".

They walked the distance that separated them from Gray and Erza.

"What took you so long?" Complained Gray. "We..."

"Guards are coming our way!" Interrupted Erza. "Get ready!"

Everyone got in a combat position, ready for the eventuality where they could be spotted. When the silhouettes of the guards started to be visible and they could no longer stay hidden, Erza drew her sword, ready to give the first blow while a glimpse of the surprise effect still remained. A metallic sound echoed in the hallway as her sword made contact with the other's blade.

For what she knew about the red haired girl, Mira was expecting a series of blows, reflecting her usual agility. However, she rather stayed there, unable to move, her face expressing surprise as if she had just seen a ghost. 

"Jellal..." she let out in a whisper before the blue haired man before her.

The said Jellal was just as surprised as Erza and, without the reaction of the other soldiers next to them, both would have probably stayed frozen this way even longer, their swords intertwined in mid-air.  

But Mira didn't have time to look at it longer. For now, the strength in both sides were quite equal. Even if she only wielded a sword for a short amount of time, the life or death situations the young woman had been thrown into recently pushed her to improve quickly. That didn't mean however that the combat was easy, and that not considering the fact that she couldn't accept to lethally wound a person that probably didn't have a clue about the horrors perpetrated in here.  

As for Gray, he just took out his last opponent, but to do so, he had turned his back on the battle, making him vulnerable to the other soldiers. He only got how deeply he was in danger when he turned on a sword directly plunging towards his skull, the fast movement making it too late to do a thing. He unconsciously clenched his teeth, ready to receive the hit that would probably and his life.

However, he felt no pain. Maybe was his death so fast that he didn't have time to feel anything? Then he reconnected with the real words as he noticed the blade hanging only inches from his face. Behind the weapon stood a young woman, intensely looking at him, her red cheeks making a great contract with her pale skin. 

"Ju... Juvia doesn't want to fight against this man" she mumbled, lowering her sword without loosing their intense visual contact.  

"Juvia? Is that your name?" Asked the confused young man to his...enemy? 

Than, seeing that she didn't seem to want to attack anymore, he introduced himself. 

"I'm Gray. We are not your enemies, listen..."

"Oh!" She exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Juvia is so glad that Gray isn't her enemy! Juvia counld simply not imagine herself fighting against him..." she started to daydream again, saying something about Romeo and Juliet. 

"Juvia!" He interrupted this slightly crazy, yet pretty, girl who had a disturbing behavior. "Our friends are innocents and were taken here. We really need to find them".  

"Friends? Juvia's group is only responsible for one man" she said looking at the end of the hallway, unconsciously giving up the position of one of them, probably Laxus regarding what Mira heard.

Seeing that the young woman was still hesitating despite her unusual friendly behavior towards him, he placed his hands on his shoulders, his face inches from hers. 

"Juvia, I don't have time to explain the situation to you right now, but I can swear to you that we are on the same side and... oye! What's happening to you?" He yelled has she lost consciousness in his arms, her face redder than ever.

Not really knowing what to do with her, he gently lifted Juvia and placed her away from the battle where she could accidentally get hurt. Then he took the keys that were hanging at her side. 

"Mira!" He called as other soldiers noticed him. "Catch!"

Without loosing an instant, the young woman caught the keys thrown by the young man.

"The room where Laxus his kept his in that direction" he added pointing the right way. "We'll take care of the remaining ones".

Nodding in approval, she ran with determination toward the said room. 

***

Laxus hated this man with every fiber of his being. Without the solid links that maintained his hands behind him, he would have already thrown himself at the one who almost killed him, the one who let Mira die alone in this forest. He knew very well he had no chance to beat him. Even someone has impulsive as him could understand that if neither Mira of him could win against him while joining their forces, he alone could not do a thing, especially in his pitiful state. But in the situation he was now, he didn't give a shit. He had nothing to loose.

To the look of hate the blond young man was giving him, Blackburn's smile grew larger.

"Do be so grumpy" he teased him. "At least now you can be useful".

"Go to hell!" Cursed at him Laxus who wanted more than ever to punch that bastard right in the face.  

Then Blackburn was before him, pulling his head backwards as he grabbed his hair.

"Time to see what it looks like to absorb a fallen's energy" he snickered, placing a hand on Laxus's forehead. 

  The young man instantly felt a painful tension where the hand ma contact with his forehead. He was expecting to soon feel the energy leaving his body but someone knocking on the door interrupted him, Blackburn backing off with annoyance.  

"What?" He ferociously answered to the terrified guard. 

"The wall is under attack. General Thompson wants to see you immediately".

Hitting his fist on the table, he opened the back door in a rough movement.

"Don't worry Dreyar, I wont be long" he said with a sadistic smile despite the annoyance he was showing seconds before. 

A few minutes past before he could hear once more the locket of the door open. When the door opened, the look of hatred he had prepared for Blackburn melted. He may not show often his feelings, this time, he couldn't keep hidden that mix of relief and surprise he felt in the moment. 

Mira... She was alive. She was there. He beautiful eyes filled with tears seeing him. The young woman's reaction instantly tightened his heart. Why was she crying? Was it that hard for her to simply look at him after what he confessed to her about her parents? She probably hated him.

"What are you doing here, idiot!" Was the only thing he could manage to say. "After all Blackburn did to you, you should..."

He couldn't finish what he was about to say as Mira's arms circled his neck, her tears running freely on him.

"I'm so sorry ! I should never have left the cave. I was so worry I would be too late..."

What? She was apologizing? Then she lifted her perfect crying eyes on him, those eyes he never thought he'd see again. Could she really have forgive him? She didn't offer him more time to think about it as she opened his handcuffs. 

"Can you walk?" she asked worried.

"Probably as much a you can and you're still on your feet" he said about the obvious pain she tried to hide. "But we have to go now, I can already hear Blackburn coming back".

Using the other door, the on the captain didn't use earlier, Laxus guided Mira as much as he could, knowing very well it was only a matter of time before Blackburn started a man hunt. 

As for Mira, she let herself be dragged, picturing all the options they had. Run? They would never have enough strength to do so. Fight? They already saw how that went on. Hide? They would be found right away... With frustration, she accepted the fact that non of those scenarios ended with her and Laxus alive. Non except one. A possibility that scared her a little and that Laxus would certainly hate. But the young woman knew that this idea was their only option.