EP.64|NO Thanks For The Memories!

Operetta felt the room spinning, she could hear Hunter’s voice. It was cackling, more and more as he saw Operetta in pain. When she opens her eyes and looks around she can't help but gasp, she watches Hunter  mercilessly beat up Ben and Mal before bolting them to the large oak tree behind her.

Operetta never wanted to relive this moment, she didn't want to remember how Hunter used to be, he wasn't like that anymore, he'd never hurt her, but there's a difference between forgiving and forgetting.

She would always be able to forgive Hunter for what he did, but she'd never forgotten, the scars on her arms from the bolts always there as a memory of who he once was.

“HUNTER STOP IT, YOU CAN’T DO THIS..YOU'RE NOT LIKE THIS ANYMORE, YOU'VE CHANGED!” she screams as she gets hit in the stomach by one of the multiple dark dust iron poles he shot from his arms.

“What the fuck are you talking about? I haven't changed at all. you were just a piece of ass to get on the weekends and nothing more. Now that I realize I don't need you, I can end you” Hunter says with a smirk.

“No..Hunter you can't mean it..,” Operetta says so quietly that Hunter wouldn't be able to hear without his enhanced senses.

"Mmm but I do," he says with a smirk before punching Operetta so hard that she flies into the oak tree along with Ben and Mal. He lifts her up, bolting her to the tree before proceeding to draw his old guilds symbol on her chest.

“Auntie Jessie, what are you trying to do?” Mal asks, unable to move from her injuries she sits on her knees and watches as her Auntie Jessie walks towards am out of control Maleficent.

“Maleficent-Niichan, what's the matter?” Jessie asks quietly, hoping that she could remind her big brother of who he is.

“It's your little sister, Jessie...Have you forgot Mal, your daughter, too?”

“You couldn't have forgotten about us, right Maleficent-niichan? Because both Jessie and Mal-nee love Maleficent-niichan.”

“Come let's go home..”

"Auntie Jessie no back away, it won't work"

“Maleficent-niichan” Jessie holds out her arms with a smile, expecting Maleficent to return to normal. She closes her eyes as Mal watches Maleficent swing at Jessie causing her go flying into a pile of rubble,

“Auntie Jessie no! I told you it wouldn't work, WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN,”

Mal screams as she's forced to watch the terrible memory over and over again. It didn't matter that her Aunt Jessie was dead for a while now and that she got over that pain long ago, You can't forget things like that, no matter how long ago.

The men, and Evie and Freddie, stay frozen in place, forced to watch the girls, and Jasper and Zeref, curl into balls, screaming at the top of their lungs as tears stream down their faces.

They all knew what they were thinking of, they knew how bad they were shaken after those moments in their lives, knowing they had to relive those moments...they didn't know what to do.

“Hunter what did he d-” Carlos begins to say.

“I dunno Carlos..." he says as he kneels down by Operetta’s side, cringing at the fact that he was able to do that to someone, especially his little Operetta.

He knew that she used to have nightmares about that night, ones that he wouldn't be able to help her with, having to sit as far away from her as possible as watch her cry it out, but those had stopped long ago.

Having to be reminded of how much she had suffered...it was almost too much for him.

“Hey, kid!” Hunter yells at Freddie as he blinks the threatening tears out of his now cloudy eyes. “Can't you put them to sleep or something?” he asks desperately as he carefully pulls Operetta into his arms.

“Uh...yeah I think I can,” Freddie says as she carefully lays Zeref down and rushes over to the girls’ side, placing her hands over their foreheads. Their tears slowly subside as they begin to relax.

“I'm low on magic so I don't think that it'll last for too long, we need to get them back home to Courtly,” Evie says as she makes her way back to Jasper and pulls his arm over her shoulder.

“Whos gonna take this bastard?” Carlos asked, his eyes flashing with anger from just mentioning him.

“I got him,” Hunter says gruffly. “Operetta is tiny and I'm pretty big,” he says as he carefully picks up Operetta and puts her on his back, she subconsciously wraps her legs around his waist as he grabs Milton by his collar and begins to drag him behind him.

The rest of them carefully pick up their respective loved ones before beginning to walk. taking a slower pace so that Freddie could keep up, carrying a much heavier Zeref over her arm.

Back at the school, Courtly looked at her fading hand, she sighed, she knew what this meant. “Giles, it’s getting worse. It’s spreading.” Courtly eyes were filled with worry.

“Hey Courtly, look at me, we’ll find a way. I promise you.” Giles promised as he held Courtly’s hand.

“Giles, you’ve been trying for years now. There’s no way you can find a cure.” Courtly sighed. “I promise I will. Your my best friend Courtly, and I’ll be damned if I lose you to a stupid curse.”

Suddenly, the VK’s barged in, Courtly eyes, widened, Oh no… Courtly thought looking at the VK’s

~B~

CJ awoke two days later. The VK’s were in a panic and some assumed that they would never wake up.

As CJ’s session cleared all she could do was scream. Her throat ached and her muscle were sore but she had to have someone hear her, she didn’t want him to ever touch her again.

The VK’s snapped out of their depression. Carlos rushed up the stairs taking them two at a time as he did.

He hadn’t been allowed to stay in the room since it was so crowded with the beds, much to his displeasure, but he listened to Courtly since she said it would help CJ get better.

“CJ! CJ! Calm down! It’s okay! You’re home.” Carlos yelled over her screams, holding her shoulders softly.

“No! Don’t touch me! Once I get out of these chains I’ll make you suffer!” She screams, still in a daze from her torture.

“CJ it’s me, Carlos…” He whispered quietly, taking his hands off CJ but not leaving her side, helplessly watching her as she panics and pulls herself into a ball.

“C-Carlos…?” CJ asked in disbelief. She looks up slowly, a blur of black and white hair in her face.

“Yeah CJ...it’s me...we’re back at the school.” he whispered as he slowly grabs her shaking hand. “Where is he?” CJ mumbles as she squeezes his hand as if it were a lifeline.

“Away from you” he promises, not wanting to tell her that they were in the same exact building.

CJ nods slowly as she looks into his onyx eyes. Her eyes water as she looks lovingly at him.

No words could describe how much she missed him. They hadn't been apart long but she needed him, she needed her animalistic, even if he didn’t know her feelings for him, and now that he was here she knew he intended on doing just that.

“CJ...I'm sorry!” Carlos says suddenly. “I promised that I'd always be there to protect you and not let any harm come to you but I failed…” Carlos touches the bandages wrapping around her stomach softly.

“I failed and you got hurt...his disgusting hands were on you and if I could I would turn back time so I could save you but-” Carlos's rambles were cut off by a strong kiss from CJ, shocking Carlos to say the least.

“Shut up, and kiss me.” CJ smiled as they kissed again, this time it was more passionate and daring, Carlos pinned the blonde pirate to the bed making her giggle.

“I missed you.” CJ whispered as Carlos smirked, kissing down to CJ’s neck. “Carlos…!” CJ gasped as his fangs sunk into her silky skin.

“CJ, I love you.” Carlos whispered. “I love you too Carlos.”