Hello Fanfiction! Sorry it has taken me so long to update. In fact all of you are probably angry because this isn't even an official update, but before anything is said I just want you to know that this is a new chapter. Ok it's an old chapter, but I have changed it up! There are new things added, and hopefully old things repaired.
I do not own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. I do; however, own my OC's. Finally I would like to thank my friend KaitouKiwi for creating, and letting me use the wonderful Brynn. Enjoy :)
Prologue: A Fateful Encounter
He watched as the small cottage in front of him burned brightly.
"Altair! Quickly, grab Altair!" He heard voices shout from within the home. Still, he wondered what they meant by that. He, Altair, was perfectly safe, standing outside of the dancing flames.
"I hear voices coming from that hut over there sir!" Another voice chimed in from behind the confused child. Just before he could turn around to see who it was, two figures walked right through him. Surprised, Altair looked at his hands, as if he was a new marvel to the world.
"Grab them quickly! The military will catch up to us at any minute!" A familiar voice chimed in from behind. Everything came to focus then. That home wasn't the only one on fire. There were others, although not all of them were burning. He heard screams emanating from all around the village. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of strange men dragging people out of their homes, cuffing them, putting them in cages.
"No! Altair! Leave my baby alone!" Altair looked back at the house in front of him, as a woman was brought out the home, and thrown onto the dirt path.
"Hey there boy! Wake up! We've reached Hargeon Port. Now I appreciate your help with those bandits, but I've got to get back to Birchwood before night fall."
Altair got up, his shirt sticking to his back from all the sweating. Just a dream. He thought to himself. The young boy thanked his driver, and hopped off the back of the carriage. He looked around, determining where he would search for her next, and upon spotting the town bar, he began making his way to his destination.
"Let's see," the young Boscan girl came to a halt as she began to recall her past few weeks of work at Fiore International, "From the looks of it, I've got a long ways to go if I ever hope to raise enough money for a hot air balloon of my own."
The young heroine was so engrossed in thoughts of money, work, and hot air balloons that she had completely forgotten about the job at hand. A movement just to the left of her brought her back into focus as she jerked her head in reflex.
Just a pedestrian. She thought to herself, as realization dawned upon her, "Crap! I gotta finish the delivery on time or else I definitely won't get that air balloon!"
A spring green circle began to form at the base of her feet as she got into a starting position, suddenly two men materialized right before her eyes causing the girl to lose her balance and face plant right along the dirt road.
"What's your deal?" She had asked as she hoisted herself from the ground, looking up at the jerks towering over her, their faces a blank mask. "Couldn't you see I was right in front of you?" As she brought herself up, dusting off the dirt from her capris, she was able to get a better look at her assailants. They both wore the same clothing: plain white t-shirts worn under a leather jacket, and jeans, ripped at their knees. They were obviously much older than she was, probably teenagers thinking that it would be funny to scare a seven year old girl. Had she been the type of person that looked for conflict she would have probably told them off, but being as shy as she was, it was best for her not to get involved with these ruffians. She looked up at them once more, their silence and idleness ominous to the young girl.
"I guess I'll be on my wa…," footsteps came from behind her, causing her to spin around immediately. The blue haired boy that had passed by her not too long ago seemed to be walking back towards her when a rough voice rose up from behind him.
"Hey kid! Are you deaf?! I told you to give us your money." She hadn't noticed before, but there were two more men wearing the same clothes as the guys that had magically appeared before her.
Money. She paused for a second when a sudden grip on her shoulder shocked her back into reality.
"Hey girly, it'd be better for you not to struggle." She turned around and noticed that both of her assailants had blocked her path, and were slowly creeping up on her, "Now be nice and hand over your allowance."
The girl shook herself free and began backing up when another pair of hands caught her by the shoulder. She practically jumped out of her skin as she rotated her head to find that the boy that strolled by her earlier was holding her in place, and behind him were another two men closing in. "It seems that we're in quite a pickle, wouldn't you say?" The young girl relaxed a little as she found out that this boy was not like the others, but much like her, in a heap of trouble.
As the group of hoodlums closed in on the two youngsters, the young brunette noticed her associate didn't seem to be at all worried, his azure eyes indifferent to the situation. "Now," the leader of the thugs, she presumed, said coolly, "Why don't you two be nice little kids and give us your allowance money? You're both young so you don't need it, as opposed to us older kids."
Anger rose through the young Boscan's body like hot lava, "We don't need it?!" She started off in a whisper, but soon enough her voice was rising up into a roar, "Just who do you think you are?! This money is the money I will use to make Papa's dream come true!" A magical circle emerged at the base of the young girl's foot, as her companion's deep blue eyes seemed to spark with sudden interest. The group of thieves cursed under their breath, what she thought to be the word mage. In a flash the petit girl had vanished and the bandit nearest her was flying back onto the paved dirt road.
Just like she vanished, the little figure of the girl reappeared where the thug had once been standing. "Speed magic, huh?" The leader spoke up again, "Don't underestimate us you little runt! We wouldn't think of robbing people if we didn't have magic of our own." Her opponent that had been lying on the ground was suddenly on his feet again. Their assailants all took a step back as magic circles began to form on the palms of their hands.
"You shouldn't underestimate me just because I'm a little girl," all at once the four bandits yelled out a spell in unison and fireballs were flying towards the young girl, but she was too fast for them. They were all knocked down as the girl came back into view a few feet in front of the head thug with a smirk on her face, "Now if you don't mind me, I have a job to finish."
She turned around, making her way towards the blue haired boy with a triumphant smile, but his eyes were set on something behind her. She spun hastily just in time to dodge a flaming sphere. "Don't you guys get it," she sounded confident, as her mint colored magic circle began to form at her base one more time, "It doesn't matter how many times you get up, I'll just knock you back down on your b..." She was cut off as pain shot up from her ankles. Crap! I'm at my limit already? Panic began to rise through her body. Her assailants seemed to notice and took this opening as an opportunity to shoot more of their fireballs at the defenseless child.
"Shi.." was all she could muster as the flames made their way toward her, but before the attacks made contact and the young heroine finished swearing, the young boy that had been observing the quarrel was standing before his companion with a golden magical circle projecting out of his right hand.
The smokescreen caused from their unified attacks kept the hoodlums from seeing whether their attack was successful or not. "Your attacks really are repetitive, you know?" The smokescreen began to fade and the thieves saw that the two children both stood there, unharmed. "For men your age to steal money from children, what would your mothers say?" The voice was unusually cold and harsh. Finally as the smoke cleared, the young girl, for the first time since they've met, took a good look of her savior. He wasn't that much taller than her, maybe a foot taller, but nothing more than that. He seemed close to her age. She could see his body was sturdy, as the white and blue sweater he wore hugged it tightly. Dark jeans covered his lower body, while black boots armored his feet. His bluish hair hung loosely and his eyes, the same color as his hair, were daggers. The boy seemed to notice that she had been observing him and brought his attention back to her.
She had suddenly become nervous, Was he angry with her? She thought. As his gaze fell upon her, the sharp fearsome features of his face softened into a smile, "Are you alright? I'm Altair. I hope you didn't hurt yourself while dealing with these idiots. Honestly, it's better to ignore such people. Attacking two kids? That's just low."
She was dumbfounded. Was this guy alright in the head? His personality had just done a complete one-eighty, "What's your name, if you don't mind the situation?"
It took her a moment, but finally the young girl composed herself and answered, "My name is Brynn. I'm alright though, as you can see I can handle myself pretty well." Altair was staring at her, examining her body, from head to toe. Brynn blushed, unlike the boy before her, who seemed to be well put together; Brynn preferred casual attire and felt rather plain next to him. Her baggy aquamarine sweater hid any feminine features she could have had, the sleeves so long, that she would occasionally have to pull them back up. A pair of light gray denim shorts come down just past her knees, and a pair of white sneakers hid her petite feet. The boy known as Altair was now staring straight at her, both their blue eyes making contact. She blushed even harder now.
"Hey!" She had completely forgotten about their assailants, "Don't treat us like idiots! You two will pay for making fools out of us!" With that they began to form their magic circles once again.
"They're coming. How about we team up Brynn? Let's show them what we kids are really capable of." This strange boy turned to face the two thugs at the left just as Brynn faced the ones to the right. Their backs rubbed against each other and strangely enough Brynn felt comfortable relying on this complete stranger. "Let's go," he said and in the spur of a moment both Altair and Brynn were soaring at their opponents.
"Well that was anticlimactic," the blue haired stranger said as he looked down at their defeated opponents, "They sure talked a good game, but weren't anything special."
"Yea," Brynn said, as she bent over her knees trying to catch her breath, "They stood no chance at all." Altair shot Brynn a look of concern.
"Is everything alright? You don't look too good."
"I'm fine," Brynn tried to look strong, but to no avail. As she tried getting up a sudden dizziness hit her and she began falling backwards. She heard the young boy call out her name just as darkness overcame her.
Everything was dark. Brynn looked around, but she couldn't seem to make out a thing in this void. Something started to take form just a few feet ahead of her. It was Him. She began walking and before she knew it she was sprinting towards the familiar figure.
"Brother! No!" Brynn jolted up on the bed. She looked around the unfamiliar room. It was rather plain. The walls were painted a dim yellow and besides the bed there was a small desk and a dresser. Altair had pulled up a chair next to the bed, concern written all over his face.
"Brynn," he started, "What happened?"
She took in a deep breath and began to explain the situation to him. She explained how her magic took a great toll on her and how she had gone way past her limit battling that group of miscreants. The whole time Altair looked oddly pale. Is he really that worried? The young Boscan questioned. We barely know each other, yet he seems to be genuinely concerned.
"I'll heal you then," he said abruptly. Brynn looked at him as if he were a madman. She had never before heard of someone that could use healing magic. From what she had been told, it was a sort of taboo in the magical world. "Don't worry," he said as if he had read her thought, "It won't heal you completely, but it should be able to help. You'll still have to rest here for the night, but with my magic it should get the job done faster." A sweet smile adorned his face. It was strange, Brynn was usually very shy and uncomfortable with new people but this boy was different, she felt safe with him.
Realization hit her from the last few words Altair had spoken. Get the job done, "Crap! What time is it?!" Her newfound companion fell out of his seat.
"It's six thirty in the afternoon," he said, using the bed as support to get back up onto the wooden chair.
"Now I'll never get paid." Brynn had completely forgotten about Altair as she went on a rant, "How am I ever to buy a hot air balloon with the way I am now? I'll never be able to travel around Earthland, and I'll never find him."
"Him?" It was Altair. Brynn stared at him for a moment and then, remembering that she was not alone in this room, her face turned a bright shade of red.
"Uh..He's..my..uh...my brother," she finally said as she removed the crimson goggles that she wore over her dark brown hair.
Everything was quiet for a moment and then Altair burst out with excitement, "You're searching for a sibling too?" Brynn stared at the young boy. His face was very handsome for a kid, even with his scarred eye. She could tell that he was extremely happy to have found someone like him. His expression went soft, as if he were thinking of someone important. "I'm also looking for someone," there was a small pause and he continued, "my sister," he said finally, fidgeting with the star pendant that hung from his neck.
"Did she give you that," Altair looked up at Brynn curiously, to see what she had been talking about. He unhooked the necklace and held it in a fist.
"I don't know where I got this. It's been with me since I woke up in a hospital three years ago." Brynn was astonished to hear this coming from a child of his age.
"What do you mean?"
His eyes seemed lonely, a sort of lifelessness radiating from them as he began to speak. As the night progressed Altair explained to Brynn how he woke up in a Hospital at the age of six without any memories of his previous life, only that he was looking for a girl whom he assumed to be his sister, that and his name. Since then, he explained, he made it his life goal to meet her. He had been searching all over Fiore for the past three years, working at local guilds, and shops for money, trying to collect any possible clues of her whereabouts. Brynn had always thought other people had it easier than she did, but she had had a family, people that loved her. She looked over at Altair with pity, "Don't worry," he smiled reassuringly, "Not once have I thought myself to be unfortunate. I mean, had none of this worked out the way it did, we wouldn't be sitting here today. What about you though," Brynn cocked her head sideways, confused, "Why are you searching for your brother?" She felt her heart contract. She had never told anyone about him, but for some reason the boy standing before her, his honest blue eyes staring at her, was able to extract all this inner turmoil from within.
It was close to midnight when Brynn finished telling him her story. Where she grew up, why they moved to Fiore from Bosco, her father, her brother, her mother, the accident and why she left her family. Everything came undone as she spoke to this complete stranger. The whole time he listened though. He laughed at the funny moments, but at times conjured up an unreadable mask. She wondered again why she was entrusting this one boy with all of her worries. What made him so special? But something about him, something innocent, and something pure just made him seem as though he had been with Brynn her whole life. He gave off the same vibe that her brother did.
"We should get some sleep," Altair finally responded, "You have to rest up in order for your body to heal completely."
"I guess you're right. It's getting pretty late isn't it." Brynn yawned as she laid her head on the thin pillow. She turned her head toward Altair and finally closed her eyes. She could hear his breathing when finally, he began to speak, "Brynn. I've been thinking. We did pretty good today. Why don't you join me? That way we can both search for our siblings together." A smile broke out on her face at the thought of the both of them traveling across Fiore, across Earthland in search of their missing family.
"I'll think about it," she finally said. The last thing she heard before she fell into slumber was Altair's whisper.
"We'll definitely find you... Juvia."
Altair pulled open the curtains to the inn room and sunlight burst through, waking Brynn up from her peaceful slumber. "Rise and shine", he said enthusiastically.
Brynn sat up looking at him with an annoyed expression, "Who wakes up this early?"
"I do!" A wide grin formed upon Altair's face, wrinkling his scar.
That morning went by like a blur. Both Altair and Brynn went down to the dining room and ate their breakfast quietly. Altair seemed to be quite friendly with the folk from the inn. They were probably past employers. Brynn thought to herself. But she had to admit, Altair really did remind her of her brother. He was friendly and had a sort of purity to him.
After they finished their breakfast, Altair proceeded to pay for the room they had stayed in, and thanked the owner for having taken care of them. The owner looked behind Altair, at Brynn, and she nodded as a sign of gratitude. "So have you thought about it?" Altair finally stated as they walked out onto the busy streets.
"Thought about what?" Brynn was confused for a moment, but then she remembered his offer, "Oh right. I don't think it's possible. I mean I have to go back to Hargeon, back to my life. I hope to meet again... someday, but right now I don't think it's the best thing for me to do." Altair seemed to deflate at the sound of her words. She hadn't seen him this sad at all since she's gotten to know him, her heart felt a sudden twinge.
"It's okay," He reassured her, " I hope we meet again, too." She could see he was forcing a smile on his face, but before she could say anything back he had waved her goodbye and went running down the road.
It took Brynn about two hours to get back to Hargeon Port. If she didn't have her speed magic the trip would have probably taken her half the day. She looked around at the familiar shops in town and began thinking what Altair could have been up to. She decided to walk over to the small apartment she was renting, to take a shower before heading back to work. Her detour took a lot longer than expected though. After her stop at home, she had decided to go out to the sea to think clearly about things. The sea was the one place that brought peace to Brynn in this otherwise hectic town. Suddenly an explosion occurred causing our heroine to jerk her head towards the direction that it came from, fear struck her.
The explosion had come from the same direction as Fiore International. Brynn was now pacing towards the building that had employed her, and as she grew closer she found that that very place was up in flames. Employees were running out coughing from the smoke. "What happened?" Brynn pulled a familiar face towards her and asked.
"Bandits... Fire... Magic," they were too scared, and too out of breath to speak clearly when an awfully familiar voice came from the inside of the building.
"Let's take all their money before the military arrives," the leader of the thugs said, as his lackeys hurried to the registers.
"You!" He turned around to see the little brunette that had made a fool of him and his bandits the day before, "What are you doing here?"
"Well look who's here boys," the thugs all looked over at Brynn, as their boss spoke, "It seems that our little princess doesn't have her knight with her today. I guess we'll just have to teach her a lesson on what it means to make us look like complete buffoons!"
"You all do that on your own," a voice rang from behind Brynn, surprising both her and the bandits, "We don't need to help you at all." The leader cursed under his breath as Brynn spun around to see Altair standing right behind her. "Did yah miss me." He winked, but his attempt to look cool failed as a passing seagull pooped on his light blue sweater. Altair suddenly went into a fit of rage as he started yelling at the bird that had just smeared his clothing.
"You really do underestimate us, but this time we won't go easy on you brats." Altair brought himself back to focus as he removed his sweater, revealing a tight fitted t-shirt underneath.
"Bring it on!"
"Brynn!" He shouted.
"I'm on it." The familiar green magical circle formed below her feet as she shouted the incantation.
"Antreiben: Sand Rebellion."
A mist of sand covered the area in which they were in. Brynn heard the bandits mutter something and then a hand gripped on her shoulder. "Leave the rest to me," it was Altair.
"Gladius Stellarum."
A golden circle materialized on both his hands and took the shape of two long swords. Within a second he was in the cloud of sand and dirt. She couldn't see anything, but she could hear the struggle of the bandits as they faced off against her partner. Flashes of scarlet, jade and blue could be seen as the thugs shouted their spells.
"Blumenblatt!"
Altair finally shouted, as an array of white rends flashed all around, then everything went quiet.
Brynn used her magic one last time to clear the smokescreen. All four of the bandits were knocked unconscious with Altair standing triumphantly over them, in the middle of the room. "You did it!" Her fellow employees cheered as they poured back into the room, "But the fire! We have to put out the fire!" As if their call for help was heard the Fire Proof Magic Squad arrived and began to put the fire out with their magic.
An hour had passed as everything began to get back into order. Brynn's work mates weren't mad at Brynn for messing up the delivery the day before, in fact they were very thankful for the fact that she saved their Postal Office from complete and utter destruction.
"Brynn," it was Altair, "Won't you reconsider? Won't you join me in my search? I can... we can help each other look for our family." He stood there his eyes burning with life as he awaited her response.
"But my job..." This time it was her boss who stepped up. He was wearing a midnight blue pantsuit that made him look much older than he actually was.
"Brynn, you are like little sister to me. Go. Go with your friend and have the grand adventure that I know you are looking for. Your father would be very proud of you, and would want you to go." Brynn looked at him, tears burning at the back of her eyes, "I know that you'll be able to find your brother, and besides, a seven year old girl like you still has many things to experience." He grinned, "Love, rejection, friendship, and adventure! I hope you find all of those someday, and we are all very glad to have had you as our fellow employee, even if it was for such a short amount of time."
"So, will you join me?" Brynn looked back at Altair. His hands reaching for hers as he awaited her reply.
"Yes," she said finally, tears running down her cheeks.
Closing her eyes, Brynn cocked her head back and opened her ocean blue eyes, looking at the vast sky above her as she said, "I'm coming to find you, Jellal."
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the new, and hopefully improved version of Fairy Tail Infinity. Although now it's called Affinity of the Soul. I am going to do this with all of the past chapters that I had posted, and will continue posting new chapters as well. Duh. I won't make any promises as to when I will post, or how often because I am busy with my college classes. I'll try my best to have all the past chapters up within the following week, and also a new chapter as a thank you for all of those who read this story. Once again I apologize for the long wait, but I will not give up on this story! Thank you! Please R&R, even if you rip me apart. I would love to improve, and any bit of critique counts.