Fairy 37: Does it matter?

Vottes, who still leaning by the cave's wall. Looked at the huge bounder, the only way out of here, with a sigh.

She wanted to help that guy, nevertheless, it is pointless for her in her current wounded state to do anything for the guy that saved her.

Only good thing while waiting in this room, was the fact being a Dragon Slayer herself, she has a greater recovery speed most normal wizards. However, even with that superhuman recovery that least 4 or several times faster than normal humans. At most, Vottes could now stand up without falling back down.

However, that only last for few seconds before the pain in her body, that feels like it going to rip apart, become too much for her, and have no chance but to go back down.

While still wating for Zack to return. Vottes suddenly recall Zack's words, his face, and even his promise not to betray her. Recalling all of them, her cheeks begin to heat up again, and she felt her heart becoming chaotic each time Zack's face pops up in her mind.

"W-What is… this? Don't tell me, I got a fever?" Vottes wondered, as she doesn't understand why her face is warming up, or her heart beating at an abnormal rate.

It cannot be help. Even if Vottes knew of the matter of love. She never experiences love itself, at the orphanage, of course she loved the other orphans like her little brothers and sisters. But was family love, not the kind she is currently experiencing.

Not to mention, she never really gotten a chance to experience the normal life, when she was kidnapped by that old wizard, who turned her into an Ice Dragon Slayer against her will.

At first, she hatred everything about this Dragon Slayer Magic. And, the old wizard, that forced this magic inside her. And the ironical, if it wasn't for this magic, that she hatred so much at the beginning. Without a doubt, she will be captured long ago. Knowing that, Vottes cannot help to form a smile on her lips.

"I want to become stronger… I want to know more about my magic… I wanted to my limits, and my bounds… I am very thankful for being with me all this time, and saving me all these years…"

When Vottes muttered that, with a beautiful gentle smile, a white icy mist appeared between her fingers, only to form into a rose made of ice.

One of the things Vottes like about her magic. Is that she can create items like these, she always does this to past the time. And also to remember the good times at the orphanage.

Of course, when she left the Old Wizard's place. She did once return back to her hometown. But thanks to that Old Wizard's Memory Magic.

However, the moment everyone who she knows looked at her if she some kind of stranger in their eyes. Vottes felt her heart was ripping with sorrow at that moment.

Even now, as she recalls those gazes, that were painful looking or thinking about them. She was thankful towards herself from running away from her hometown, from the orphanage she called home.

After all, at that time. Vottes didn't knew she was being hunted down. If she remains in her hometown, or at the orphanage. Without a doubt, not only she will put them in harm, but she also knew, even if those at the orphanage doesn't remember her.

The moment Black Rivers and their bounty hunters held them hostage, will be the moment Vottes will be captured. Luckily she left before Black Rivers could find out about her relations with that orphanage. Otherwise, there no way to telling what they will do to them.

Knowing she could never return home, to them, who doesn't know her. Even now, she felt her heart aching, knowing this. Not to mention, not even her pursuers will never let her be either. Making her life nothing but a living hell itself.

"W-Why is it, they always seem to find me…? It almost like they got a tracker on me… funny right?" Vottes asked the ice rose, she knew it cannot talk back. But he calms her mind and heart, knowing she could vent her unfair feelings towards it.

No matter where she goes, they seem to find her. She tried hiding, but they found her. Even got a new identity one time, but that didn't help either.

"W-Why me…? Why is this keep happening to me… I just wanted to be free… I just wanted to go back at those times… is that hard to ask for…?" Tears begin to form in her beautiful gem like pink eyes.

This loneliness, this angry and fear that they always find her, and sometimes like the other day. Almost caught her. It only luck that she managed to flee and run this long. But because of that betrayal, she cannot lean on anyone.

And to make it worse, her enemies, the ones that wanted to grab her, and pocked out her feathers called freedom. Are not simple people, but a whole guild, that has a lot of connections and money to waste, all so they could capture her, and turned her into some kind of bedroom slave.

And suddenly, while she thinks of those things, that caused her mind to become unease. Zack's face came to her mind. And when it did, Vottes's light pink eyes widen, as she realised the hard truth.

'I-I can't… I can't drag him into this mess of mine. Once I can move on my alone, I will find a way to leave him… strange…? Why does it hurt, thinking of leaving him? Is it because he is different to the others… and Fairy Tail… if I can find my way there… maybe they could help me… and he will be there as well, right?'

Like the young girl, that doesn't want to leave her first crush. Vottes reasoned with herself, knowing there might be a way, if she were to go to that guild where Zack is from. If everyone is like Zack, who selflessly protect strangers, without a second thought.

Maybe they could help her, and she could Zack anytime she wanted there. Knowing that, Vottes regain her beautiful flawless smile on her lips. And looked wipe her tears from her eyes.

And moments later, when she made up her mind, to leave Zack once she healed enough, to protect him from her pursuers. And make her way to his guild. Was the moment that the huge bounder that blocking the only way into this room, begin to float in the air.

At first, Vottes was wary, but when she saw Zack the one that lift the bounder with his Gravity Magic. A wide and gentle smile formed onto her lips. But that smile that can could melt the hearts of whoever looked at it, soon faded, as a blank look replaced that smiling face. When Vottes light pink eyes looked at the wounds on Zack's body.

Vottes's got up on her two feet, which did startled Zack when she did so, as she run towards him. However, the pain that screaming throughout her body, caused her to lose her footing, only to slam into the ground, or she thought she will, before a pair of thick muscular arms wrapped around her, and hold her before she fell onto the ground.

Vottes looked up, and looked at Zack, the one that was faster than herself, and held her up in his arms. Vottes didn't say anything for a second or two, before her light pink eyes gaze towards his wounds, the red markings on his body, done by Ta's Gun Magic.

However, she soon sighed, seeing there only light not so serious wounds done to him. On the other hand, Zack that felt her hands near his wounds. Smiled seeing she worried about him, and out of habit, he reached out towards her very light, ice blue hair. And begin to once more stroke it.

Startled, having her long light blue hair touched again. But oddly enough, she felt more safer than the last hair pat, when he patted her hair. She doesn't understand what is that, or why her heart is beating like mad just like before.

"I am fine, they just sting a little, nothing else. But thanks for worrying about me." Zack went.

"I see… sorry for being hurt because of me… what about the Minot Brothers?" Vottes asked, as she cast her eyes lower. Shamed it is because of her, that Zack was hurt, even if it was a little damage done to Zack's steel hard body. Doesn't change the fact, if it wasn't for her, Zack wouldn't be hurt in the first place, be it minor or major wounds.

"Minot Brothers? Oh, you mean those three? Don't worry I already dealt with them. It was fun." Zack honestly told, he had enjoyed facing those three, who shown Zack how many weakness he has.

In this fight between himself and the trio. Zack had indeed learnt a lot. He learnt how hard it is to fight, with limited power, when he had no choice to limit his power, so he wouldn't cause a cave in.

It is the first time, he must limit his moves, his attack power when facing death head on. If he not careful, he could cause the cave to collapse on all of them, even Vottes would be spared if he went all out.

In a way, if Ko Minot didn't seal Zack's magical power halfway through the fight. Zack might be more wounded than just light wounds. That how good the Minot Brother's teamwork is, and their bond and trust between them.

"I see… either way… staying with me… wouldn't just end with just them. Y-You know not only I am wanted by the underworld… but they always seem to find me… no matter what I do… and I don't want you to be involved with me… and get more hurt than you already are..." Vottes went with a wryly smile.

"I see… but does it even matter?" Zack asked, as Vottes tilted her head. But before she could ask what he meant; Zack carried on with his words.

"Does it really matter if the underworld is after you? Or you have a bounty on your head when it was given to you by vile people. Only thing this means, that this isn't your fault, not the ones in fault, is the ones that put that bounty on you. You not at fault." Zack told.

"But… being with me is dangerous… and they always fine me, no matter what!" Vottes warned, even if Zack words did move her heart to become more chaotic. But Vottes overlooked that, and worried more on the main matter at hand.

However, when Zack heard her words, some doubts begin to become odd to Zack. As he cannot help to ask.

"They always seemed to find you…?" When Zack asked that, he halted his hand stroking her ice blue hair. Which in a way, the sudden stop of Zack stroking her hair, did cause Vottes to become slightly lonelier, but she doesn't really understand why so felt like this, but focus on the matter at hand.

"No matter how hard I tried. They always seem to find me. At first, it took them months to find me… then weeks and sometimes days… it came to the point… I had to move on and run away before anything happened, in fear they find me… I just don't understand… w-why.. o-or h-how… i-it a matter of time… before th-they…"

Tears begin to flow down her cheeks, which startled Zack, who listening to her. Zack's brotherly instincts seems to kick in, as he held her closer to him, and even rubbed her back with one hand, and stroke her ice blue hair with other. As he looked at the young woman before him, in her frighten state.

Vottes begin to tell Zack everything, down to the old wizard, that kidnapped her, and took away her family's memories of them. And even the moment he died.

She even told Zack the reason of her bounty was that Old Wizard's doing, or when she felt a hold missing in her heart, when she was betrayed before.

Vottes vented her bottled feelings towards the stranger she just met. The stranger that unknowingly stolen her heart at the same day they just met. And told him her sorrows, her sadness, and her loneliness. On the years she must spent alone, with no one she could turned to.

Zack didn't say anything and let her vent everything onto him. He even suppresses the manifesting of rage raging inside his heart, when he listens to what they did to her. But still hold it in and waited for Vottes to finish.

Meanwhile, the third wheel, that been listening to all of this, Nightfall, cannot help to comment.

{Just pointing this out, does either of you realised, she only has her underwear on? And Master you hugging this woman in her current state, and felt nothing? Fufu, as expected of Master, you either gay, or a lolicon! How else, can a guy feel nothing being hugged by those mountains, with little cloth between them passing onto them!?}

Hearing Nightfall's words, Zack sighed as he has no clue what either a gay or lolicon is. But its words, that only Zack could hear, did calm his mind down. And still waited for Vottes to calm down.