Chapter 6: [Spirits]

The old man finishes his food and leaves. Too bad no one talked to him, he was Alanna's father.

Sasha notices the commotion between the sisters but decides to watch it, and see whats happening with that.

Kado crossed her arms and looked to the side, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Willow looked at Adrein.

"There's just the three of us. Mom and dad had a little...accident..." Willow chewed on a piece of bread. Kado growled.

"You killed them, you moron..." Asuya waved at the two of them.

"Guys, guys...come on..the past is the past. Our allies just got married, no need to bring in the negativity..." Kado shot Asuya a look.

"Oh be quiet...You always had to be the peacemaker, didn't you, baby sis?" At hearing the word "baby" Asuya leaned forward.

"I'm only a year younger than you, Kado and you know it. Still pissy that mom loved me more than you?" Asuya smirked. Kado slammed her hands on the table.

"You know what?!" The three sisters started arguing amongst each other.

"Why this remind me of a mixture of kid Medusa and Konohamaru?" Gajeel tilted his head and stared at the girl.

Melissandra grumbled under her breath, eating excessive amounts of tuna salad as her ears flattened against her head. She hated loud noises...

Echo stared at the sisters, her hands twitching. She shifted from caution to lightheartedness to depression. She didn't know what to feel, really, and this seemingly new addition just made everything harder. She sighed, nibbling absentmindedly on an apple slice.

adrein rolled his eyes and continued eating his food, wishing shina was here to celebrate aswell.

Gajeel felt awkward sitting so close to them. Shrugging, he pretended to not hear them as they argued.

"Some sisters you are!" Kado stood up and marched off. Asuya stood up as well and shouted at her.

"Us?! You just said you're trying to kill us! You're no sister of ours!" Asuya growled but Willow tugged on her dress.

"Actually...sounds a lot like our sister to be honest. Let's be fair here...Look how many people you and I have killed over the years." At hearing this, Asuya blinked and sat back down.

"Yeah true...B-But we never turn our backs on family! She's doing that to us, literally!" Asuya pointed at Kado, who walked past Echo. Seeing her stopped her in her tracks until she spun around and leaned to Echo's face.

"Hey, you're downright adorable looking. Want to be my new sister?" The look in her eyes was one of both curiosity and wonder, although Echo couldn't see it. Kado looked at Echo's eyes.

"Hey...you're blind ain't ya? I can tell by the absence of light in those eyes of yours."

"and i thouhg we were dysfunctional...." said adrein taking a bite out of a biscut.

Echo did not move in response to Kado's offer. She didn't flinch. Yet when she spoke, it was clear she was on the edge of breaking. Had anyone been able to properly read auras like Echo, they would see her's slipping in and out of static.

"I do not wish to associate with someone who thinks family can just be made like that. You turn your back on those two, then look to a stranger. I am no sister of your's, nor do I even wish to be. Now leave me be."

Kado smirked at Echo's response.

"Oh-ho, I see." From across the room, Asuya glared at Kado and Echo. Something in her mind told her that Echo was an important person. She didn't know how or why, but she was. Asuya stood up and silently walked over to Kado. Willow didn't bother to stop her; She knew what Asuya was going to do. Asuya tapped Kado's shoulder, and when she turned around, Kado was met with a swift punch right in the cheek, knocking her onto her rear end. Asuya stood over her, and yelled.

"Kado you annoying, spoiled little bitch! You did this shit all the time when we were kids and I have had it!" This was the first time anyone heard Asuya screaming, as she was usually so quiet.

"I've given you your chance, now leave Echo alone or so help me I will PUT YOU IN THE GROUND." Asuya's aura turned into that familiar black color. She wanted to protect Echo, she didn't know why, but she did. Kado scoffed and stood up, her nose bleeding some.

"Tch...Whatever.." Kado then turned and walked out of the place. Asuya turned to Echo then, her aura going back to normal.

"Are you okay..? I am so sorry for that...Kado's been like this since we were kids..."

"well den.." said adrein looking at what had just happend and drinking some soda he had goten.

Cobra was hanging upside down from abouve the party were people were eating, looking down at the new girl. "She seems very clumsy, just by looking at her its hard to tell she is related to the others."

(Intelligence) "Arent you going to eat cobra."

"Na im not that hungry, hell i don't even need to it." Cobra looks over at the feast. "Then again, i am a bit thirsty." From cobras sleeve came a bandage that shot down to the table and grabbed him a drink. He started drinking it while still upside having his bandage hold it.

"I have a feeling something interesting is going to happen. He Smiles, "Something very interesting."

Echo jumped up as the punch came flying towards Kado. She had seen it coming. It had been so easy to read. And then she had seen it happen. It had been so clearly visible.

But it all felt like a dream.

Asuya had protected her. Ever since Willow had gotten to her, she had not seen a hint of a connection to Asuya's former self. Yet Asuya had just protected her, out of what seemed to be... compassion. The connection was still there. Ancilla's voice appeared in Echo's head then, serene and amused.

"An aura is someone's true person. It can change and shift, and sometimes even be snuffed out like a candle. But the strongest parts, the parts which determine your loved ones? Those can never truly be broken or severed. Only suppressed. "

Echo began to shake visibly at the words only she could here. Asuya still knew her. She still had a connection with her, even if she didn't remember. And that was all it took to send Echo into a bawling fit. She grabbed Asuya, bringing her in for a tight hug as she tried her best to speak.

"I-I'm... s-s-so sorry, Asuya... I said I'd p-protect you... b-b-but..." After that, Echo couldn't speak anymore. She simply took comfort in her own tears and the glimmer of hope Asuya had brought her.

Gajeel was surprised Asuya protected Echo. He looked over to Willow and shrugged. "You three need to really sit down and talk about your issues."

after eating his food and finishing his drink adrein had goten up from his chair and went up staires to a balcony that over looked the area they were in, he placed his armed on the guard rails over looking everything thinking about things that had happened and stuff like that.

after a few minutes he herd some one approaching him from behind and turned around to see who it was. (any one can respond.)

Willow shrugged at Gajeel.

"Nah...Kado's been like this since we were little. She'll have a fit, throw some cards, and get over it." Willow continued stuffing her face with food. She looked at Asuya and Echo and smirked.

Looks like there are things I can't erase...

Asuya blinked a few times, patting Echo's back.

"H-Hey, it's um...okay? Why would you need to protect me? I'm fine." Asuya smiled at Echo. For some reason, it felt like the right thing to do. Then a question popped into her head.

Maybe these people were my family before Marideth came back...

Cobra still upside down in mid air started laughing out loud. "U guys really are an interesting bunch" Cobra says. "Not to mention the drama, A class."

Echo shook her head, pulling away. Her tears were soon reduced to sniffles and hitched breathing.

"N-No... I'm just confusing you right now. But I want you to know... you just made me really happy. That's why I cried. Thank you, Asuya." Echo was grinning like an idiot by the end, looking to Asuya with an expression of sheer joy.

"O-Oh...Um..." Asuya's face turned bright red. No one had ever shown appreciation to her before, at least not that she remembered. She returned the dorky smile.

"Any time, Echo." Asuya could feel tears in her own eyes and politely moved Echo so she could run into the bathroom. Willow watched from afar, her chin in her palm.

"Ah...Looks like they're coming back, and it's scaring her. Mm...I knew this would happen."

Echo stood there as Asuya ran off. It was rather evident by the sudden wavering that Asuya was struggling with her emotions. Echo let out a heavy sigh, staring wistfully towards the bathroom while mentally speaking to Ancilla.

Was what I did selfish?

"Not at all, Echo. Even if it was, you are only human, even if you can see on planes normally invisible to them. Anyone would have reacted the same way."

Echo nodded slightly, returning to her seat. As she did, her eyes brushed Willow for a passing moment. But that passing moment was all she needed to get across her message.

She would win Asuya back.

Willow noticed Echo's eyes, as well as her aura. Taking advantage, she vanished within a shroud and reappeared in the seat next to Echo's.

"My sister really took a liking to you before I took her back...But from what I've seen, it appears there are some things you just can't get rid of...wouldn't you agree?" Willow smiled, staring forward but talking to Echo.

"My sister--Not Asuya, Kado...Can be such a handful. Always has been. I'll be truthful with you, seeing as how we are allies now...Asuya and I knew she was going to be here for quite a while. As clumsy as she appears, she is not to be taken lightly. She will cheat you, lie to you, make you gamble things you hold dear only to rip them out of your unsuspecting hands. I love her, she is family...but in all honesty, I prefer Asuya over that spoiled brat..."

"I'm amazed we can agree on one thing. Besides, auras do not lie. It was evident from the moment she walked in she was a force to be reckoned with." Echo paused then, her gaze shifting to Willow. A question had been on her mind for a while now. She needed to know the answer.

"... How did you do it? Wipe Asuya? Not the skill. But... how did you feel it was okay? Perhaps you don't realize it. You cannot see auras like I do. But to change someone like you tried to change Asuya is no longer change. It is killing someone and replacing them." Her voice is an aggressive whisper by the end, and her fingers tap slowly along the tabletop.

Willow remained silent for a bit, as if thinking of an answer.

"I am not as heartless as you may think. The reason I did what I did was because the memories she had of your team was driving her mental. More mental than even I. The timing was perfect...Your team was in shambles, lover boy was falling apart, and Asuya was on the verge of snapping her own mind in half from everything that was plaguing her. When I take away someone's memory, I have the chance to see the memory for myself and any emotions that are linked to it...When I took Asuya's memory of the team, all I saw was darkness and rage, anger and sadness...Except for one small little glimmer inside of it. In that memory, that glimmer was her memory of your talk with her about a month ago. I didn't want to take that away, well...part of me did...But I had to. It was such a beautiful memory, but the bad outweighed the good so I had to. If I didn't, you'd be dealing with an entirely different Asuya; one that wouldn't hesitate to slaughter your friends for fun. Hell...even I wouldn't be here if I didn't. And Karasu and I saw this from the very beginning. Asuya always had a dark side; it was because of that damned spirit of hers, Alucard...And he's still inside of her, but now she is able to control his rage and anger. So in short, I didn't want to do it, but I had to, for her sake, and for your team's sake." Willow sipped from the cup in front of her, not caring whose it was.

Cobra came down from the sky and reformed in a chair next to willow. "Im not sure if u'll even take notice of me speaking but....what do you plan to do if your sisters memories do come back." Cobra but his hand on his cheek leaning against the table.

"Asuya's memories will not come back." She placed the cup down. "I have guaranteed that. However, the emotions and memories of the people within said memories will. I could see it in her eyes...She remembers who you people are, and she is gaining back her feelings for you all individually, but she will not remember the events or incidents that caused said feelings. It gives her a chance to start over and change her feelings toward each of you. Echo was the closest to her, so her feelings for her are coming back first..."