The following is a work of Fan Fiction. Fairy Tail is the work of Hiro Mashima, any other works referenced are the property of their respective authors.
And breathe. This is my second attempt at publishing this, my original concept was based around an Original Character that I came up with for a SYOC story that I grew too attached to to part with and two deliberately bad oc's, the original concept being that I was going to follow them exclusively and use the Fairy Tail cast sparingly. however, I realised after putting the first version online that starting with the characters that I'd made bad on purpose actually backfired and made me look like a poor writer, and that nobody would be interested in a Fairy Tail story that didn't actually have the Fairy Tail crew involved. So I've abandoned that concept, done a little editing and brought a few things forward that were intended to be a mystery. There's no shame in admitting that a bad idea was a bad idea.
Without further ado, here's the much improved version of my tale. massive thanks to anyone who may have looked at the original no matter how briefly
The night was dark, the lair was dank, and poor Lucy Heartfilia wasn't entirely sure what it was that she could smell, but she was sure that she was better off not knowing. Not that her companions showed any sign of being bothered by it. Erza Scarlett, as stoic and determined as ever. Gray Fullbuster, cool and collected. Natsu Dragneel, all fired up and ready for a fight. Even Happy the Exceed was focused on the job instead of cracking jokes and complaining about being hungry. Lucy focused on calming her nerves. She had a very bad feeling about this.
"Alright, we're close enough. Our targets name is Vester Bosh, a dark wizard formerly associated with the now broken up Hydra Head guild. We're to find him, stop his summoning spell and locate the stolen artefact he's using" Erza briefed them in a no-nonsense tone
"Err, I have a question. What is this artefact exactly? Do we know how he's planning to use it?" Lucy asked, determined to at least give voice to her concerns. Their client hadn't been very forthcoming with that information and it bothered her a lot.
"We only need to know one thing. Where he is. Just point me in the right direction" grinned Natsu, punching a fist into his open palm with a confident smirk on his face. Behind his shoulder Happy piped up with a confidence to match the Dragon Slayer's. "Aye Sir! Don't be a big fat worry wart Lucy, This job is easy!"
"What did you call me you damn cat!" Lucy fumed while the blue Exceed smirked at having successfully wound the girl up.
"That's enough. What's important right now is that we're in the middle on an enemies lair. Now is not the time to bicker" Erza was firm. Happy made a zipping gesture across his mouth and saluted, waited till the scary Requip mage turned her back, and stuck his tongue out at Lucy before he and Natsu followed Erza deeper into the lair. Lucy's face was red from holding back her anger.
"For what it's worth I agree with you" Gray spoke up "That guy we spoke to was way too cagey with what he was prepared to tell us. I don't like it"
Erza led the way deeper into the ancient building. Natsu and Happy were right behind her, Natsu holing his flaming fist up to act as a torch, leaving Gray and Lucy to follow behind. This building had been a temple once, hundreds of years ago. Until recently it had been home Hydra Head, a Dark guild too small to have been noticed by the Balam Alliance. They'd been considered an independent guild until a man named Brando became their master and showed their true colours. Obsessed with immortality, Brando had begun to steal anything he could find, perform any ritual no matter how dark or twisted, anything at all. It didn't matter to him, all he wanted was his goal of eternal life and he would do anything to get it. It had been Lamia Scale's Jura Neeksis who had ended his sick ambitions a mere two months ago and ever since then former members had been cropping up causing all kinds of trouble. This wasn't the first time a team from Fairy Tail or any other guild had been called in to clean up the mess. Lucy couldn't shake the bad feeling in her stomach. The man who'd given them this mission had told them exactly where the former guild hall was and how to get in without setting off any of the traps there. Maybe he was a former Hydra Head member looking for revenge against Bosh for something and was using a legal guild to do it?
Up ahead Erza stopped them with a hand gesture. They were about to enter the main chamber and a voice could be heard reading a chant.
"From here we'll split into two teams. Bosh isn't expecting to be interrupted but we can't rule out the possibility that he has help. Gray and I will circle around to the back entrance to the main chamber. We'll be able to reach the second level from there and I'll be able to see what we're dealing with. Natsu, Lucy and Happy will watch the main entrance here. Don't move to attack until we're all in position. Remember, we still don't know what the artefact is so we can't risk it being accidentally destroyed"
With various nods of agreement and an "Aye Sir" from Happy the wizards split up. Once Eza and Gray were out of sight the three remaining mages carefully ducked into the chamber to take up their positions.
Vestor Bosh was inside. A skinny man with greying hair and bulging eyes, wearing a robe that was far too big for him. In one hand he held a dirty looking spell book. His other he was waving over a sleeping girl who was lying on an alter as he chanted some spell. Behind him on a raised pedestal was a huge yellow Lacrima that was glowing with a place light. The Fairy Tail wizards ducked behind a nearby column. Thankfully Bosh hadn't spotted them.
"That Lacrima looks like an artefact. You were right Happy, this is an easy job" Natsu whispered to his two teammates "We just wait for the others, I go in and fight him and you two grab the Lacrima while he's busy"
"Never mind that, what's he doing to that girl?" Lucy asked in a hushed tone. It was hard to see from where they were but she wasn't moving. Something about her was odd though. Lucy couldn't see much from her current position, but she could see the girl's hair. It was purple, and so long that it tumbled off the side of the alter and touched the floor.
"I know! While we're waiting for Erza and Gray to get into position I can go spy on him!" Happy pipped up
"I'm not sure that's a good idea" whispered Lucy
"Why not? All his attentions on what he's doing. I just have to fly up high and he'll never see me"
"Happy's right, plus, he can tell us if that stinky looking guy has anything hidden" Said Natsu. Bosh made no sign to show that he was aware of the intruders. Lucy nodded. "Just be careful"
"Aye" with that Happy took off for the roof, careful not to let Bosh or any waiting thugs see him.
From his high up vantage point Happy could see everything. The girl with the ridiculous hair wasn't moving, but she was covered in some kind of letter magic. The words were running over her skin and clothes as the dark wizard continued his chant. Happy glanced towards the upper level door in time to see Gray and Erza arrive and being to take stock of the situation. Bosh stopped chanting. Then he opened the book and held it over the figure on the altar. As the Fairy Tail mages watched in shock the girl began to break apart, the words covering her pulling the pieces into the book until there was nothing left. The Dark Wizard surveyed his work and began muttering to himself like a madman.
"Not enough… not enough… need another. Need another dreamer… a stronger one. Not enough…" With that he turned back to the glowing Lacrima, muttering something about summoning another dreamer.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER. YOU BASTARD!" Natsu sprang into action, he'd seen enough
"Intruder! No! What did you see!" Screamed Bosh
"I saw you trap that girl in that book you're holding. And you're gonna let her out now! FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu went on the offensive, sending flames hurtling towards the dark wizard. Bosh screamed "Unholy Paladin!" and a figure made of words flew from his book and took Natsu's fire attack.
"Natsu, what are you doing?" Erza shouted as she sprang into action, Quickly requipping into her Black Wing armour and cutting down the wizard's Familiar with one smooth action. Unfazed, bosh summoned more, only for a cry of "FIRE DRAGON'S WING ATTACK" and a sudden burst of flame to reduce them to ashes. Lucy was watching from her hiding spot. Bosh was summoning Familiars and trying to back towards a door. He was showing no interest in the Lacrima. An idea formed in her mind, She called out to Happy.
By now Gray had joined the fight against Bosh's Familiars. The dark wizard seemed to think that all of his attackers were busy. That was when Lucy acted, grabbing a golden key from her belt.
"Open, Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!" and with that the massive form of the Celestial Spirit Taurus was between Bosh and his exit, wielding his giant two headed axe.
"I figured it out, you don't care about the Lacrima at all. The artefact is your spell book! It's the only thing in this room that you're trying to protect" She called out.
"Artefact…He sent you!" Bosh visibly paled "You're wrong, he wants that Lacrima, not my spell book"
"Well let's just test that. Taurus! Smash that Lacrima!" She called
"Anything for my gorgeous Miss Luuucy!" Taurus called out as he sprang into the air, swinging the axe down onto the Lacrima and breaking it into three pieces. Just as Lucy had suspected, the second everyone's attention was drawn Bosh turned to run for the door. What he wasn't expecting was the sudden bolt of blue that whizzed across his chest and plucked the book from his shocked hands.
"Lucy! I got it!" Happy cried out triumphantly. Bosh backed up a few steps then ran as an icy lance flew at him.
"Let him go, The job was to stop his ritual and reclaim the artefact. There was nothing about chasing him down" Erza stopped them. Happy flew down to them, still carrying the book.
"What is this thing? It smells really bad" said the Exceed, gratefully dropping it into Lucy's hand.
"I don't know, but we all saw him trap that girl inside it. And then he said he needed another…" Lucy had a thoughtful look on her face.
"Maybe we should take it back to the guild, Have someone like Levy take a look at it before we hand it over. Who knows what we're dealing with" Suggested Gray
"That's a good idea. Grab the Lacrima shards too, in case Lucy was wrong about the book being the artefact" Erza said in her most business like tone.
In a nearby wood three girls awoke, all unsure of how they had got there or even who each of their new companions were. With hazy minds they tried to remember just what had happened to them. The youngest of the three spoke first.
"The last thing I remember was being at home. I was uploading a fanfic onto the internet" she said, her fingers twisting nervously at the sleeve of the elaborate pink and gold dress that she wore.
"Wait, so was I!" said the second, a dark haired girl wearing a revealing black outfit "Mine was a Fairy Tail fanfic…"
"So was mine! and I'm dressed just like my OC! What about you guys?" said the first girl. The third, who had so far sat silent, swallowed nervously and nodded in agreement. The first girl bounced around in excitement. "this is so cool!"