Chapter Eight

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Deciding to go against guild rules, Nashi and the others have decided to destroy the tower that they soon learned was really another copy of the Tower of Heaven. They also learned that Sasha is tied to it. Until they have a plan of attack, they're all hiding out in Seymour's house.

"So let me see if I have this right." Gale said. "That tower is being built by a cult and if we want to take it all down, we have to take down this Dantu guy who is in charge of the whole thing. Is that right?"

"Just about." Storm said.

"It sounds simple enough, but I doubt it will go that well." Nashi said.

"I really do appreciate what you're all doing. From what you told me, you're going against your own guild's rules to do this." Seymour said.

"Which brings up a question. Seymour, if you're against all of this, why are you helping build the tower?" Simon asked.

"Originally, I was a supporter of all kinds of magic." Seymour said. "I joined this cult in hopes of finding the answers about it I've been looking for, but I never thought we would go to such lengths such as these."

"Seymour, there's something I have to ask. Where is she?" Sasha asked and Seymour knew who she was talking about. He couldn't bring himself to actually say anything. That was all Sasha needed. "Never mind. I think I know where to find her." Sasha left the house and went on her own.

"Sasha, wait!" Simon said as he went after her for he wanted to know what is going on with her.

"What was that about?" Storm asked.

"Who was Sasha asking about?" Nova asked.

"Her mother." Seymour said.

…

Dantu

While they were trying for a plan of attack, Dantu was making preparations to counter. Dantu stepped into some light so that he could be seen. Dantu wore black pants with a red trench coat and had dark red hair.

"So Sasha has come back after all this time." Dantu said. "It would also appear that she has joined the guild known as Fairy Tail. I can hardly wait to see how much she has grown, but if she has Fairy Tail on her side, I might need some backup." He snapped his fingers and a puff of smoke came around him and three men appeared. "The Savage Blades, a team from the mercenary guild known as Sky Thunder."

"That's right. You've called on our assistance?" The one in the center stepped forward to speak. He had brown hair with a white coat and wore black pants and boots and carried a katana on his side. One was a little scrawnier than the others, but he wore a sports top that was half navy blue and half red with brown/red pants and had short chestnut hair and had bandages around his arms with some pockets in his pants. The third and final one was large and muscular and wore dark grey armor, but left his arms exposed and a helmet over his head. He also carried a large sword on his back. All three of them also had sashes around their arms with a storm cloud on them.

"Yes. I might need the three of you to eliminate some pests that could scurry around my tower." Dantu said.

…

Sasha

Sash was walking through the woods in the middle of the night. She has an idea as to where mother is now and that's where she's going.

"Sasha, please wait." Simon called out as he was catching up to her.

"Simon? Why do you keep following me?" Sasha asked.

"What choice do I have if you won't tell me anything?" Simon said. "You're going to meet with someone and I say this person is important in some way. I like to meet her."

"I'm going to see her mother, but you won't be able to actually talk to her." Sasha said and Simon didn't understand. "It's because she's dead."

"Dead?!" Simon said.

"Yes. When Seymour wouldn't say anything, I knew that had to be the case." Sasha said and started walking with Simon following. "I would actually be more surprise if she was still alive."

"Why would you say that?" Simon asked.

"I suppose since you're here, you should know." Sasha said just as they arrived in a graveyard. Sasha looked around for her mother's and soon found it. The gravestone said Loretta Varian.

"So this is her?" Simon asked.

"Yeah. Let me explain what happened before I joined the guild." Sasha said.

…

Seymour's House

Nashi and the others were confused about the same thing and asked Seymour the same thing. He was telling them around the same time Sasha was telling Simon.

"So Sasha never told you." Seymour said.

"Sasha is our friend, but she always acts so distant from us." Nashi said.

"She never opens up and acts like she doesn't really care for much that goes on." Storm said. "We don't know anything about her before she came to the guild."

"I see. I suppose that makes sense. It must have been truly painful for her." Seymour said. "She was just a child back when it all happened." All of them were hearing Sasha's story. "It all takes place about ten years ago. The tower was starting to be built."

…

Flashback

Ten Years ago, the tower was starting to be constructed. Dantu forced the other villagers to help him build this tower with other cultists. One of those people was Sasha and she was only about seven. She was being force to work on the tower despite being a child.

"Faster!" A cultist whipped near Sasha and caused her to trip and she started crying. "Quit that noise and get back to work!" The cultist tried whipping her again, but she felt something protect her from it. She looked up and saw a woman with blonde pigtails wearing a black jacket with a white shirt and black pants with some blue on the side.

"Mommy!" Sasha said.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"This is still my daughter. I won't allow any harm to come to her." Loretta said.

"You filthy little…." He was about to attack again, but Seymour arrived and grabbed the whip.

"Loretta's one of us and you dare strike her? Go supervise another end of the tower." Seymour said as he pushed him aside and had his follower walk. Sasha cried in Loretta's arms from all that pain and misery she's in. "Loretta, are you and Sasha okay?"

"I'll be fine. I'm just glad Sasha isn't harmed." Loretta said. "Sasha, it's going to be okay. Just please stop crying."

"I can't help it. My hands hurt and are dirty. I hate this." Sasha cried.

"What's going on here?" All three of them looked and saw Dantu coming their way.

"Dantu, I'm taking Sasha home. She's too young to be working on something like this." Loretta said.

"No. You're staying here to work on the tower and so is she." Dantu said.

"Dantu, she's just a child. You can't force her to work on a project this massive." Seymour said.

"If she can walk and carry objects, she's useful to me. I don't care who I have to use." Dantu said with a smirk. He cares not for age or condition. If someone could do something to build this tower, he'll use anyone. "Now get back to work." Loretta hated Dantu for forcing her daughter to do this.

…

Sasha

As soon as Sasha and Loretta were able to head home, Loretta carried Sasha all the way to her room where she could finally rest.

"I'm sorry, Sasha. I hate that Dantu is making you do this all because you're my daughter." Loretta said. "If it weren't for that, maybe he would leave you alone."

"You're being too hard on yourself." Seymour said as he walked up behind her. "Sasha is just a child. She has yet to understand the circumstances. However, you're right. It isn't right for him to do this."

"Mommy, I hate this. Can we please leave?" Sasha asked as she was about to cry again.

"I wish we could Sasha, but we can't." Loretta said.

"Why?" Sasha said.

"Dantu won't allow us to leave so easily, but you don't need to worry." Loretta said as she comforted her daughter. "I'll do what I can to get you out of this. Just try to hang in there." Sasha sank into the comfort of her mother for she didn't want to let go.

'My mother might have been part of the cult, but like Seymour, she had no idea how far Dantu was going to go.' Sasha narrated. 'The pain of working in that tower was unbearable. He had me work to the bone and it hurt every day, but he didn't care.'

'Loretta did everything she could to keep Sasha safe.' Seymour narrated. 'She thought that she could get her to stop before the tower was finished. Otherwise Sasha would have went through this torture for years. That all changed when Loretta learned the truth.'

…..

Loretta

"I'm begging of you, Dantu. My daughter is just a young child." Loretta pleaded to Dantu to get Sasha to quit working on the tower. "Please stop having her work so hard on this tower. This isn't right."

"We're a cult. Right and wrong shouldn't matter." Dantu said. "Besides, you're not bugging me about the town's people. Why should I give Sasha special treatment?"

"I hate that they're being force to work as well, but Sasha is more important to me than that." Loretta said.

"Loretta, you need to remember your place. This tower will be finished and I won't let anyone stand in my way." Dantu said.

"I don't even know what this tower is for." Loretta said. "Is it some sort of monument for our cult? I just don't understand."

"If that's all it was, it would have been built a long time ago." Dantu said. "Here's the true purpose for the tower." Dantu told her, but she was horrified. The idea terrified her and she had no idea that's what the tower was really for.

"Revive someone who is dead?" Loretta said.

"That's right. This has been our cult's goal and I won't allow anyone to stop it." Dantu said.

"But that's insane." Loretta said. "One thing I do know about the world and magic is that when people die, you can't bring them back. Especially if you plan to sacrifice one life for another. I won't have my daughter become part of such thing." She looked over and saw her daughter was being force to work again. She was heading over to her, but Dantu grabbed her by the arm.

"I won't allow any interruptions. If you continue with this, I'll make your daughter work twice as hard until death claims her." Dantu threatened and Loretta couldn't let that happen to Sasha, but he's gone too far now.

…

Loretta

"He really threatened her like that?" Seymour questioned. When Loretta was able to, she and Seymour talked at her home with Sasha asleep. "He can't do that."

"I agree. Which is why I'm getting Sasha out of here. This is no place for a child." Loretta said.

"But how? Dantu will never allow either of you to leave and he doesn't do well when he's betrayed." Seymour said.

"I also can't agree with the plans of this tower. I have an idea, but Seymour, I might need your help." Loretta said. "I have to get Sasha out of here. I need her to escape for freedom, true freedom. Will you help me?"

"Of course. What do you need?" Seymour asked.

'What happened next took place a couple nights later.' Seymour narrated.

…

Days Later

"Loretta has betrayed me! Find her and bring me her daughter too!" Dantu shouted as he ordered everyone to find her. Loretta carried Sasha through the woods in the dead of night and made it to the river where Seymour was waiting for a boat.

"Here you go." Seymour said.

"Thank you, Seymour. Now go before someone sees you. I don't want you to get in trouble for my actions." Loretta said and Seymour agreed. She placed Sasha in the boat, but was confused.

"Mommy, what's going on?" Sasha asked.

"You're getting what you wanted, Sasha. You're getting out of here." Loretta said.

"Aren't you coming with me?" Sasha asked.

"I can't. I have to make sure they don't follow you." Loretta said. "Sasha, keep down and stay hidden until sunrise. By then, you should be far enough away. When you are, go to a guild called Fairy Tail. I've heard many stories about that place."

"Mommy, please come with me." Sasha begged.

"I can't. I know you'll be fine." Loretta said as she pushed the boat into the river. "Go. Be free. I love you." Loretta set her daughter off and neither made a sound as they watched the other get further and further away. That was the last time Sasha ever saw or heard from her mother.

End of Flashback

…..

"That's how I ended up in Fairy Tail." Sasha said. Simon never knew she went through so much pain. it was hard for him to listen. "I had to survive on my own in the wilderness and all that made me who I am. I knew what happened to my mother out of that, but it still hurt. I suppose that monster got what he wanted in a way. He broke me."

"Sasha, I'm so sorry." Simon said. "I promise. You won't go through that ever again. We're going to take that monster down." Simon walked over to the grave and placed his hand on it. "For you and your mother." Simon made that vow and he will keep it, but he was surprised when he felt something shot him in the back and he fell asleep.

"Sorry, Simon." Sasha said as she sent her gun away. "I appreciate the thought, but I have to do this. I'm doing this on my own." Sasha is fully resolved to do this on her own and she'll take on anyone who keeps her from that.

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