In a land far, far away lies the kingdom of Fiore, a small peaceful nation of seventeen million, and a place filled with magic. Found in every home, bought and sold in every market place, for most magic is merely a tool, a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, magic is an art and they have devoted their lives to its practice. These are the wizards. Banded together in magical guilds they ply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore, but there is a certain guild in a certain town that sores high above the rest. One from which countless legends have been born, a guild that would, with no doubt, continue to create legends well in to the future. It's name...
"FAIRY TAIL" whooped the sea of children all gathered in front of the wooden stall. On their queue a small hand-puppet popped up and the cheers began.
The make shift puppet stall stood in the middle of the small town's centre where a fairly large crowd of its citizens gathered. The stall itself had been decorated with symbols of wizard guilds, the back drop for this particular show was the emblem of one of Fiore's most notorious guild; Fairy Tail. Like most magic guilds, Fairy Tail was especially well known for its powerful and popular wizards; infamous especially for their tendency to cause destruction as they took day to day magic to the extreme. While sometimes wizards and their guilds were not always the most popular with the everyday citizen, their stories and legends would grip the attention of all in the room with an imagination vivid enough. Even when such legends were performed in manners as crude as outdoor puppet shows.
Duchess smiled grimly from her position at the back of the plaza. It was at that time of year when the Guild of Performers set out across Fiore with their fire dancers and jugglers, minstrels and acrobats, stage productions and puppet shows. The summer sun and breeze created the best climate for people to amble around outside and listen to a wandering minstrel as he regaled his crowds with ballads of old heroes, be they wizard or knight. Oh yes, now was the prime time for the Performers Guild to make their cash. These felt puppets of magic and mayhem that caused children to laugh themselves giddy were undoubtedly where the money was. And where ever the money was, her guild was likely to follow.
"You ready Duchess?" Her companion asked.
In response, Duchess removed her dark cloak to reveal a simple but fairly pretty pink dress underneath. Her friend mimicked her showing a similar light blue frock beneath her own cover. She plucked two flowers from one of the hanging baskets next to them and the two girls wove them into their glossy locks of chestnut hair. They were practically identical in their beauty save for their eyes which glanced at each other with a conspiratorial smile. Time to go to work.
"Tag you're it!"
"Hey!"
And the two girls chased after each other in to the crowd, with many an 'excuse me' and apologetic 'coming through!'. Both rich, poor, young and old had gathered in the town centre's market place to see the famous Performers Guild's Fairy Tail puppet show with the children clustered at the front and their parents standing at the back. And with each bump and each apology the girls gave as they wove through the crowd, unnoticed by the occupants, their hands would slip oh so delicately towards their wallets, their purses, their rings, jewels; their money. Beautiful fleeting faces and lilting voices gave distraction to the treachery underneath and as quickly as a girl appeared she would then be gone, disappearing amongst the sea of people, the victim often not noticing a thing amiss till they got home. The trick was to be in and out before the show ended. The Performers Guilds always drew a good enough crowd to work with and were, unknowingly, the perfect cover and distraction for their work. The audience would never notice a thing.
Applause spattered from the distant courtyard as the two girls ducked down an alley way, and then down another, up a drainpipe and onto the safety of the rooftops. Every good thief learned how to navigate through a town via the roofs for they gave the best cover and people seldom looked up.
They chose a roof that over looked the square and collapsed out of sight with their backs against the sun heated tiles. Behind and beneath them the crowd began to disperse as chattering voices rose up to their ears.
"Good haul this year Dutch'." Raven said, her voice a thick northern brogue as she pulled the small sack from down the front of her blue dress. Even as she spoke her features began to change as her illusionment charm melted away. The fake button nose morphed into something hooked and sharper and her hair became a curious mixture of brown and red. Duchess knew that her own features must be changing to; on her lap her dainty soft pale hands were beginning to tan gold and harden.
"It always is in the country" She replied as they began to split their 'findings'. "Farmers truly are richer bastards than they make out."
"As are the land owners." Raven mused back, inspecting a large silver garnet ring. "Here, how many carats is this?"
Duchess was saved from answering as a clanking shadow appeared above them, blocking out the sun. Slowly and with hearts full of dread they both leaned their heads back against the slope of the roof and looked up long black boots, cream muscled thighs, blue pleated skirt, silver armour chest piece and into the beautiful face of a red haired, very angry woman. Holding a sword.
There was a pause. Then Duchess cleared her throat. "Titania." She gulped and tried to nod, the motion appearing unsuccessful due to the awkward angle of her head resting on her shoulder blades. "L-lovely day isn't it?"
The scowling woman opened her mouth, her browns eye glinting with rage but whatever she was going to say, Duchess never found out as Raven, blessedly, caused a distraction by applying the ancient art of a good shove. She was up and scampering across the roof tops without a second to lose with Raven, she assumed, doing the same in some other direction. They could meet up later. For now she needed to get as much distance between her and the hot tempered wizard before- A sword flew out of nowhere and landed point down on the roof in front of her, exactly where she was just about to step- before she started throwing swords.
Crap crap crap.
Duchess cursed as she skidded down the roof and leaped onto another, dislodged tiles falling down onto the street below. Behind her was the sound of a woman's bellowing war cry as Titania followed. She couldn't miss the irony that she was being chased by a Fairy Tail wizard right after she'd pick pocketed a crowd watching a performance about Fairy Tail. Come to think of it that was probably why Titania was there and now in hot pursuit of her. Why was it that it was always her that was chased. Why couldn't they go after Raven for once. Like seriously.
"Stop! You are under arrest." Titania's familiar voice shouted after her.
More knives, spears and maces followed in her wake, whizzing past her ears and thudding down in her path. She knew that they weren't aiming for her specifically; Titania wasn't a killer thank God, but she was a deterrent. And as it so happened hundreds of swords following in your wake and blocking your paths was quite deterring. One thought thudded through her mind as she dived round a chimney pot.
Get off the roof, get off the roof, get off the roof.
People in the cobbled streets below were all looking up, following the roof chase with squinting eyes. If she got down on the streets maybe Titania would be less likely to hurl her weapons after her. And opportunity arose as she saw an oxen cart being pulled along the cobble street with its back full of hay. This is too easy, she thought as hurled herself sideways off the roof and barrel rolling onto the cart. She'd only just judged the distance correctly, as her butt collided with the edge of the hay and she slid off painfully onto the street.
Just as she regained her balance another spear thudded into the wood of the retreating cart and she swung round to see Titania advancing on her, apparently she also had gotten off the roof. If looks could kill, the red headed wizard would have committed genocide by now. The crowds of pedestrians seemed to part naturally as she walked through them, her armour glistening in the sun. There came a loud clanking sound as the city guards appeared at the end of the road forming a barrier of striped blue and yellow. Their spears were raised and pointed in her direction. She was trapped.
"Duchess of the thieves guild, you are under arrest again for theft, resisting capture and countless other petty crimes." Declared Titania as she continued to advance. Even though she didn't speak loudly her voice still carried clearly throughout the street in its annoying authoritative tone.
Duchess panted and surveyed the scene. Now would be the time when she said some witty and flirtatious comeback so as to retain her dignity. Only nothing came to mind. And there was very little dignity to have when you were nearly captured with your face half morphed between your own and another. Plus jumping off that roof on to the cart hadn't exactly been the most graceful of escapes. Her butt really hurt.
Titania was close now. She had the shackles ready in her hands. How many times had they done this now, Duchess thought idly as in the distance there came the rumbling of an extremely overworked engine.
"This time I'll make sure that you stay locked up." Titania promised as she clad Duchess's compiling wrists with iron. Duchess spat a stray bit of morphing brownish blond hair out of her mouth in defeat.
"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" Titania was asking just as from around the corner a bright blue magic-mobile burst in to view and sped at full pelt down the street. Duchess's eyes went wide.
"MOVE!"
Titania reacted instantly and dodged out of the way of the moving vehicle just in time. Duchess wasn't so lucky and the magic-mobile hit her with full force and she rolled up the tiny bonnet, over the drivers head and landed on the front window lying spread eagled off the edge of the roof. The magic mobile carried on at full down the street, heading straight towards the lines of soldiers. Pedestrians screamed and ran out of the way as the vehicle swerved dangerously down the road.
"Move ye head Dutch I canna see where I'm goin'." Raven shouted from the driver's seat and physically pushed Duchess's dangling head to one side. The guards yelled as they broke ranks around the vehicle that otherwise shot through them. There were shouts behind them, one of the voices distinctly belonging to Titania. A wayward spear got stuck in one of the headlights. Duchess made an incoherent noise. They turned sharply right down a tight alley way and the screeching nails-on-a-chalk-board sound of the wing mirrors against the stone walls rang through Duchess's throbbing upside-down head. Thankfully it stopped when the mirrors snapped off.
"Sorry what was that?" Raven shouted as she tried to utilise the gear stick only for it too to snap off. So instead she used it to prop Duchess's head up, stopping her blood from racing towards her brain.
"You broke me." Duchess moaned again as her world levelled out. Head now straight she was able to see the chaos of the street behind them. Broken market stalls and smashed goods littered the road but otherwise they were good. However she thought too soon as around the corner behind them veered Titania, red hair flying manically behind her in the wind and with a face like fury. Apparently she'd gotten hold of the oxen cart, hay rising everywhere her wake. She let out a bellow as her eyes narrowed on the blue magic mobile, urging the ox on.
Shit.
"Can ye get us out of here?" Raven shouted, as Duchess spun herself around and landed feet first next to her, her iron clad hands grasping for something to clutch on to. Raven leaned out the side of the magic-mobile and looked back. "Is she still followin' us?"
"WALL!" Duchess screamed and they made a sharp swerve, the spear splintering against the bricks.
The magic-mobile hurtled down another street, running over everything in its path. Raven began waving the gear stick around screaming at the street goers to "get out of the bloody way!" Duchess just clung to vehicle, feeling slightly sick at the bouncing motion of the wheels over cobble.
Behind them she heard Titania yell at the guards "Don't let them out of your sight!"
There was a gap in one of the side walls up ahead. "Ready to leave when you are!" She shouted over the wind.
The magic-mobile skidded sideways to a stop as it faced the side alley and Titania and the guards watched the driver slam the acceleration and the machine sped down the side alley with Duchess leaning out of it slightly, just managing to flip them off before they disappeared out of view.
"That one's a dead end!" One of the soldiers shouted.
"We got them now boys!"
Titania pulled her oxen to a halt as the guards jogged past her towards the side alley. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion; they were too late. When the guards rounded the corner onto the short alley way they found it completely empty. Both magic-mobile and occupants had seemingly disappeared. Had the men arrived a second earlier however, some of them might of swore that they saw a faint hint of blue in the air.
The thieves guild owned many properties within Fiore, and had many safe houses. However if it had to chose a place to be its 'guild hall' then the underground taproom in the back streets of Crocus would be the winner. It seemed suitable that the place that served the most beer would be named HQ, as alcohol got the tongue talking and information passed easily within its four walls -with information being an important trade within a thief's line of work, the bar acted like the trade centre.
Kohl, the barman was standing drying mugs with his grubby cloth. Kohl was not his real name, but like most members of the thieves guild he chose to leave that identity behind and replace it with code name. And, like most members of the thieves guild, no one knew what his real name was, which was how he liked to keep it. Indeed, Kohl was the name given to him some time ago when he began lining his eyes with black. In fact, everything about him was black, from his hair, and eyes to his leather clothes and thieves guild symbol, stamped brazenly onto his left hand for all to see: a black shadow of lock pick which double sided as a key.
The bar was positioned at the back of the smoky room directly opposite the door so that he would always know who had entered and who had left. In between him and the door were the rows of benches and secluded tables. Four stone columns set in a square held up the roof. There were no windows. Orbs of fire lacrima floated in the air around the tables casting a dim light over the space. It was quiet, typical for a Tuesday afternoon. The odd regular or client dotted the room, shrouded by a hood or hunched over a mug, one bastard fast asleep in the corner hand ready on his knife.
Kohl watched through the smoky air as Duchess stumbled down the last of the stone steps and into the room, an exhausted Raven slumped across her shoulders. Somewhere above ground was the battered remains of a blue magic-mobile crash parked into a lamppost. Which had subsequently fallen onto it.
"Have a nice country stroll Chess?" He asked eyeing the way Duchess dumped her partner on the stool in front of him and then collapsing on the one beside her.
She ignored him and looked around. "Where's Doc?"
"Working." Kohl replied. "Nice dresses."
She ignored him further. "I think I cracked a rib. Maybe procured a concussion."
"And her?" He jerked his head at Raven.
"Magic-mobile." Duchess said as if that explained all. "We were bust by Titania. Tried to arrest us again."
A faint smile quirked at Kohl's mouth. The renown Fairy Tail wizard Erza Scarlet otherwise dubbed Titania Queen of the Fairies was single handedly responsible for quite a few of his comrades ending up in jail. And the shattered olive-skinned girl in front of him was usually the one breaking them out again. The two of them had a sort of ongoing feud. They also had a habit of running into each other on missions which funnily enough didn't help their budding relationship.
"It's funny you should talk of Titania, as there's a job for you concerning Fairy Tail." He informed her wryly, sliding a mug across the counter.
"Pass." Duchess grunted before downing its contents.
"I wouldn't be too quick Chess. It's a specialty job, you might not have a choice." He watched as she chugged down the contents before slowing significantly and opening her eyes to watch him."You're the only one round here called Tombraider after all." He added.
"I'm called Duchess too, don't mean I'm nobility". She muttered over of rim of her mug. Kohl just quirked an eyebrow at her. She resolved, finishing her drink and setting it down. "Whose tomb, what's the item, how is Fairy Tail involved." She asked levelly watching his eyes.
"It's a dagger." Kohl told her as he set to work refilling her mug. "Ancient and magical with a client in Bosco who will pay good money for it. A share of which is yours of course. The tomb's owner is irrelevant, some priest I think. But it's heavily guarded with magic and to get inside you need the key. And the last person to have had the key is-"
"A member of Fairy Tail." She finished, her face passive.
"The master in fact." Kohl continued in his deadpan sort of way as he slipped as bag of herbs under Raven's half morphed beakish nose. "Good old Markarov. You'll have to pay him a visit."
Duchess was silent for a moment.
"Titania really hates me you know."
Kohl hummed his agreement. Raven began to stir. Her awkward nose wrinkling.
"She'd probably try and arrest me on the spot. Or cause a huge fight. Or kill me. Or all three."
"That's why it would be a diplomatic mission." Kohl said as he raised Raven's head up to a mug. "You'd go in peace, as they say. Run up the white flag."
Raven began to choke.
Duchess continued trying."Well then surely I could get an ambassador to go in my stead."
"Don't be a coward Chess," Kohl warned placing Raven's head back onto the counter. "You'll be the one retrieving the dagger. So you can be the one to get the key. Any way you have connections with the old man."
Duchess blinked. "I do?"
Raven shifted next to her. "mmhmm's happenin?" She mumbled into the probably grubby bar top.
"You've exhausted your magic energy." Kohl told her bluntly like a parent fighting for patience with an inept toddler. "You're illusionment charm is stuck half way. Again."
Raven's response was incoherent. Duchess's hands flew up to examine her own half-morphed face. Kohl noticed the motion and gave her a sideways wink.
"Don't worry Chess you're still a stunner." He said in his wry way. Duchess gave him the finger.
Next to her Raven fell off her bar stool and began snoring.
A few weeks later...
She came to the guild four times.
The first time she appeared hovering by the large double doors of Fairy Tail for nearly ten minutes before she was noticed, which was rare for a new face. Clothes scruffy and unkempt with walking shoes and a rucksack, she was clearly a traveller straight off the road. And a nervous one too. Mirajane noticed the way she shifted from foot to foot, chewing her lip. Her eyes flickered quickly over the faces in the guild hall, fearful of looking for too long. And then, gathering courage with a huge breath, she entered Fairy Tail. Mirajane watched her approach the bar, shoulders hunched head down and another word came to her mind: Intimidated. Well, it wasn't something Mirajane hadn't seen before: sometimes new members were a bit daunted by Fairy Tail's reputation and rowdy members. Usually within a couple of days their shyness was beaten out of them.
The general chatter in the hall died down a bit as more people took notice of the newcomer. She apparently noticed too and looked up only to blush and quicken her pace towards the bar.
"Timid one in't she?" One man, Wakaba, grunted to his drinking buddy after catching the girl's eye and giving her a 'welcoming' grin.
"Yeah but with your face who can blame her?" His friend, Macao answered.
To save the girl another set of eyes, Mirajane focussed her attention on the mug she was drying and looked up only when she reached the bar.
"Hey there, welcome to Fairy Tail!" She smiled warmly at her. "I'm Mirajane, how can I help you?" Her enthusiasm worked as the tension between the girl's shoulders eased a little and she managed a small, grateful smile back. Now that she was close, Mirajane could get a proper look at her and, as she glanced her over, couldn't help but feel a small twinge of disappointment at her lack of flare. For the girl was, at best: ordinary. Somewhere within her late teens or early twenties, Mirajane guessed. Her face was plain and average and splattered with feint freckles over an olive tan, the kind of face that would blend easily into a crowd and be forgotten in an instant. There was nothing about her appearance that caught the eye, from her simple clothing, grey eyes and dirty blond hair that was half hidden under a huge bobbled hat.
So far, her first impression was nothing remarkable.
"Hey, I'm um, here to see the guild master?" Her expression was a mixture of awkward and apologetic, which probably wasn't helped by the prying eyes from around the hall that were trained on their conversation.
Mirajane's smile also turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, but the master is away on business at the moment."
"Oh," she faltered. "When will he come back?"
"Over the next couple of days, I think. He wasn't very specific on when he would return."
"Okay, I'll just.. come by soon then?" The girl's face seemed to fall a bit and she took a couple steps away from the bar.
Mirajane, ever helpful asked, "Would you like me to take a message?"
"No, no" the girl replied quickly, backing away. "That's fine."
And as quickly as she had came, she left.
The second time she returned to the guild, she never entered the building. The day was warm and the sun shined brightly down onto the front courtyard causing many of the guild members to choose relaxing outdoors, basking in the warm summer breeze while it lasted.
"What's up darlin'?" shouted one of the members to her as she lingered by the gate. "Haven't seen you around here before."
"Is master Makarov in?" She called back from the safety of the gate.
The guy shook his head. "Sorry love he's away on business."
"Alright, thankyou!" And she left again before he had a chance to shout her back.
Gossip and secrets spread like wildfire in the best of communities and the Fairy Tail guild was no different. While the girl's two appearances hadn't held much excitement, it was new. And new things often promise excitement however trivial they seem. Thus by the third time she called on the guild, her presence was expected.
Unlike the sudden summer downfall that came out of nowhere. Rain thundered down on the streets of Magnolia, causing a generally agreed curfew amongst the citizens. Unfortunately for the odd rebellious stragglers staying dry was not an option.
Cold, and drenched through to the bone, the girl arrived at the guild for the third time and knocked thrice on the large double doors. Opening those doors seemed like steeping through a portal to another dimension. In contrast to the bleak and dismal surroundings, the inner hall of the Fairy Tail guild was roaring with life, food and warmth. On a stage music was being performed and the rows of benches was filled with its members all eating, chatting and joining in on the raucous laughter that swelled through the room. The internal celebrations meant that she was not immediately recognised, already part way across the room before she started attracting eyes.
Like many of her comrades, Mirajane also didn't notice the appearance of the girl until she was suddenly standing right in front of her, a pool of water already forming where she stood.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail, I'm Mirajane, how can I help you?" She said immediately, an automatic response to every new face.
"Yeah hi," The girl shifted awkwardly. "I've visited before. Is the master about?"
Mirajane blinked at her and then recognition flooded back to her. "It's you!" She cried. "But goodness you're soaked!" Indeed now that she looked properly the girl who appeared to be doing her very best impression of a drowned rat was the same girl who had visited twice before and the one that had held moderate speculation amongst the guild members. She even was wearing the same clothes and hat, only in sodden mode. Mirajane couldn't understand how she hadn't immediately recognised the girl. Perhaps she just had one of those faces.
Mirajane frowned at the girls wet appearance."Come you should warm yourself by the fire, you'll catch a cold!"
The girl didn't budge. "Is the master in?" She repeated through semi-blue lips.
Mira smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid the master has been held up on his journey back to us. But he should be back in a couple more days. Is there any way I may assist you with your business with the master?" Her wish to be helpful barely contained her underlying curiosity and she looked almost eagerly at the girl.
But she was met with downcast eyes and an awkward stutter. "I'll return in a few days then. Thank you for your time." She bowed and began to walk away.
"Hey girly you'll be mad to try and go out in the rain." Called one of the men sitting at the bar. "You'll probably end up drowning." He grinned and gave her a wink.
She gave him a rushed smile. "I'll be fine."
"Why don't you take shelter in here for a while? Have a drink and warm up?" He continued in an easy way, some of his drinking companions turning to watch her.
She shuffled backwards, mumbling something about "not a member so I?"
"So?" The guy boomed. "Don't need to be a member for me to treat a nice girl like you for a drink?"
The girl faltered at the compliment and then raised her eyebrows at him. He carried on smiling teasingly, and next to him his drinking buddy rolled his eyes.
"Really Wacaba. She's half your age." Macao shook his head. "Don't mind my friend here," He continued to the girl. "He's just trying to be friendly." The girl didn't say anything, creating an awkward silence.
And then, "Well I better go. Good to meet you." And she stumbled away again like she couldn't get away fast enough.
Macao blinked. "Was it something I said?"
Wakaba returned to his drink. "Well done Macao, you scared away the newbie."
"I didn't even get a chance to ask her name." Mirajane sighed suddenly, looking genuinely upset.
Immediately the men were on to her with avid reassurance. "Don't worry Mirajane. She'll be back soon. " Wakaba said soothingly.
"Yeah if she's after the master then she'll have to come back." Macao continued.
And come back she did.
Lucy Heartfilia sighed with content as she sat down at one of the benches and stretched. It was good to be back. Whilst going away on missions was exciting and all, coming back to Fairy Tail was always one of the best parts.
"Have we missed much?" She asked Mirajane as she arrived with a drink.
"Not really, it's been fairly quiet with you lot away."
"Isn't that always the case?" Lucy joked, looking over at where Natsu and Happy were shouting loudly at other guild members about their adventure.
Gray grumbled beside her. "Always causing a fuss." He frowned over at Natsu. "Hey you wanna keep it down!" He shouted at him.
Natsu turned around immediately on the defence. "You got a problem buddy?"
"Maybe!" Gray growled back.
Lucy sighed as the two locked heads in the background. Some things will never change.
"Um, excuse me, but is the master back yet?" A small female voice said behind her and Lucy turned round to see a blonde girl around her age standing tentatively at the bar, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Lucy was sure the girl hadn't been there a second ago, but she hadn't seen her enter.
Mirajane gave the girl a pitying look. "Sorry but he's not back yet." She looked genuinely sorry.
The girl mumbled some kind of apology and began to back away. Right into Erza. There was a small clang as she hit her armour.
"If it's the master you are after, you can always also do your business with me." Erza boomed importantly to the slightly trembling girl. Lucy recognised it as her form of saying a friendly hello. She wasn't sure if the new face would catch the friendly tone though. In fact the girl had flinched the moment she saw Erza. She began to back away, looking determinedly at the floor and tugging at her hat, pulling down her forehead and almost over her eyes.
"There's no need to be shy, I-" Erza broke off suddenly frowning at the girl. "I know you. Your eyes are familiar." She looked thoughtfully at the girl who couldn't get away quick enough. In her hurry she did not look where she was going and stumbled backwards into Gray's naked back. She immediately jumped away with a yelp at the touch of bare skin and tripped over his shin, sprawling unceremoniously on the ground between him and Natsu. They both looked down in mild surprise at the interruption of their fright. There was a pause as the girl took them in, her eyes wide as they jumped from Gray's open full frontal nudity to Nats's spontaneous combustion of the hands and tongue, that was blaring along happily. And for the icing on the cake Happy flew down and landed on Natsu's shoulder, looking curiously down at her, half eaten fish in hand.
"Hi!" She blurted out and the boys answered with nonchalant ease as if they weren't currently naked and on fire
"Hey."
"How you doin?"
"I like your hat!"
Then something clicked in Erza and her face turned terrible.
"You."
The girls eyes flicked from the boys' to Erza's.
"Crap."
"GET OUT OF MY GUILD!"
Lucy wasn't quite sure what had transpired but suddenly the entire guild hall was in a whirl of chaos as the new girl ran and a roaring Erza chased. She stood back and watched the spectacle in polite shock as Erza screamed in anger and the girl yelled in terror. In soon became a game of dodge as Erza began to hurl whatever she could at the girl in an attempt to get her outside. The girl on her part and ran and dodged as gracefully and as shittingly terrified as a gazelle. She stopped and ducked down to a squat as Erza threw an entire table at her. It flew over her head and crashed into some unfortunate guild members. The girl jumped back up are stared at Erza.
"Dude!" She exclaimed in equal awe and fear.
"You are not welcome here!" Erza screeched and the sort of fight continued.
Mirajane watched them in safety behind the bar. She gave out a nervous chuckle as Erza started on the chairs.
"So who is this chick?" Natsu asked casually as he leaned against the bar, now extinguished. Lucy also looked at Mirajane curiously.
"She's been turning up for over a week now, trying to see the master." She informed them as the chase moved up into the beams. "Nobody knows who she is though, she never left her name. She always seemed quite shy and timid..." Mirajane trailed off doubtfully as above them the girl in question let out a string of colourful curses that would make a sailor blush.
"Yeah she certainly gives off a mouse like impression." Gray said dryly as she fell from the rafters landed ninja like on her hands and flipped onto her feet and scampered off as Erza dropped the chandelier on her.
"I wonder how Erza knows her." Lucy began to speculate out loud. "Maybe something bad happened between them last time they met, so Erza is angry.."
"Nah I think this is just Erza's way of saying hello." Natsu said in his happy go lucky way. He, like most of the other guild members enjoyed a good Erza fight when it wasn't directed at him.
The girl however did not. "ENOUGH!" She shrieked finally from her foetal position behind an upturned table clutching her head. "Stop throwing things at me!"
Her shout left the guild in silence as Erza stood panting in the wreckage, which was mostly splintered wood and a chandelier.
The girl rose steadily to her feet, looking at Erza with a fearful intensity as if she were a wild animal that could bite at any moment, her hands stretched out with reasoned caution.
"I'm not here to fight you." She said slowly and carefully still subconsciously backing away slightly.
"Then why are you here, child?" Came a voice from the doorway. Sun streamed in past the figure casting a huge twisted shadow which stretched along the ground right up to their feet. In comparison it's owner was relatively tiny. In fact the owner was relatively tiny in comparison with a lot of things. His strange Jester's hat did little to help with this height factor. The old man in the door way took a step forward, his old wrinkled looked tired in the light of the guild hall those his eyes were very much awake.
"Master you're back!" Cried Mirajane happily unaware of the tension in the room as Makarov stepped further into the room. Both he and the girl were watching each other, eyeing one another up.
Eventually he spoke. "Erza I was not aware we were in the habit of throwing furniture at guests."
Erza blanched. "But Master this is-"
"I am well aware who she is. Why do you think I hurried back so soon to meet her." His eyes appraised the blond girl with the wonky bobble hat. There was a kindness in them, a kindness that gave the impression that if it ever left, something dark and terrible would replace it. They were real wizard's eyes. "They call you Tombraider," He announced. "Duchess of the Thieves Guild, a rich amongst rags. But of course neither of those are your real names. No, I do believe you once went by Rosemary North."
Rosemary North, Tombraider, Duchess of the Thieves Guild, a rich amongst rags blinked. "You researched me."
"I knew your grandmother." He corrected, his hand tripling in size to pick up a table and two chairs, setting them either side.
"You and the rest of Fiore." She muttered back, taking the wordless offer and sitting down. All eyes and ears in the guild were on them now. And all were alert. There was no love lost between the two guilds. If that girl made one wrong move towards their master then she would immediately find herself victim to a hundred different forms of magic. Suddenly no one remembered the shy, timid girl who had stumbled into their guild three times before.
If Makarov noticed the atmosphere in the room, he didn't show it. "Now Rosemary- or would you prefer Rose or something? I hope you don't mind me calling you by your real name, but I don't believe in all your silly code name nonsense."
"I prefer Rory, but I don't care what you call me." Said Rory. "I hope you don't mind if I don't call you master, only I don't believe in all your silly hierarchy nonsense." There was a slight grumble that rippled through the room. A smile touched Makarov's lips.
"Rory North," He muttered, "Rory North. It's a good name for a thief. An even better name for a wizard."
"I'm not a wizard," Rory said immediately.
"No, I do suppose that door closed for you years ago," He murmured more to himself than to her. "What did your grandmother call you?"
Rory sat for a while before saying quietly, "Rosie."
"Then Rosie I shall call you." Makarov decided.
"Master," Erza broke in, every ounce of her being protesting against this casual conversation. Makarov's kindness appeared to be physically straining her. "This girl is dangerous, you shouldn't let her stay in here. She'll give Fairy Tail a bad name!"
"Aye she looked pretty dangerous when she was tearing down the building and throwing furniture about." Makarov said dryly giving Erza a pointed look and Erza face twisted in shock as if she'd only just noticed the half destroyed guild around her for the first time.
"My apologises for participating in the destruction of your guild hall." Rory cut in quickly and inclining her head formally. "My intention was a peaceful visit I assure you. I have a white flag in my bag and everything."
Makarov waved her comment aside impatiently. "Yes, Yes, no harm done. What you think this is the first brawl we've had in here? Drop the formality child and speak with me plain. When you get as old as me formality just becomes a waste of your precious time. Now are you here as yourself or as an ambassador for your guild."
"I'm here as me, but for my guild." Rory said, hoping that made sense.
"And what is it that Fairy Tail can do for you?"
"Not Fairy Tail, just you." Rory corrected. "I'm after a certain item, a key that leads to the tomb of St Okator. My sources told me that you were the last person known in possession of the key."
"And why would a girl like you want to enter the tomb of St Okator." Makarov asked suspiciously.
Rory shrugged. "You said it yourself, they call me Tombraider. I'm just running a job just like your wizards do. Some guy in Bosco will pay good money to have a certain artefact in that tomb retrieved. But I need the key to get in. I will pay you for it." She looked expectantly at him.
"I don't have it." he replied bluntly.
The set back could be seen on her face before she collected herself and became polite and passive again. "Then I will pay you for any information leading to its whereabouts." She began to pull her bag up onto her lap but Makarov's derisive snort stopped her.
"I don't want your blood money." He scoffed, his eyes sharp. "That's what they call the money of a thief is it not?"
"Actually that's more for assassins, but I can understand if you wish to apply it to me also." Rory replied rather coolly. "But how will I pay you for the information if you don't wish to be paid?"
"You can pay me in the true currency of your guild. Secrets and favours." Makarov shot back. "I'll be telling you the secret of the key's whereabouts, and in return you shall owe me a favour."
Rory eyed him. "Is that me personally, or my guild?"
"You personally. I would be surprised if you had enough authority to put your guild in that position. Do we have a deal?" He stretched his short arm over table, his equally small hand pointing at her.
Rory made no move. "What kind of favour would you ask of me?"
Makarov shrugged impatiently. "I'm sure I'll know when I need it. Perhaps in the future I will need to you raid a tomb for me as well." He looked pointedly at her, his arm never wavering. "Do you accept my terms?"
She didn't say anything but took his tiny hand in her large one and the shook. Immediately Makarov jumped down from the chair he'd been standing on and Rory also jumped to her feet.
"His name is Artau Henner. He's an ex guild master to another wizarding guild and an old friend of mine, a bit of a history enthusiast. I gave him the key as a retirement gift some years ago, as far as I know he still has it." As he spoke he walked her to the door. "He owns an estate down by Aster Valley. I better warn you his wife has dogs. I'll contact you when it's time to fulfil your favour but for now good luck with your tomb Rosie and try and return the key afterwards."
And the door shut onto her back before she could even turn around and say bye. Makarov physically sagged against the wood and let out a long sigh. He looked up through his heavy brow to see every face in his guild watching him. His children. Erza was the first to move.
"Master I can't believe you made a deal with her!" Erza cried disapprovingly. "She's one of them, she's can't be trusted."
"She has her grandmother's eyes you know." Makarov mused distantly, and Lucy wasn't even sure if he had heard Erza. "Grey eyes. Wise eyes." He looked at Erza. "You may not agree with her morals, and I am well aware of the feud that has been going on between you two, but I see no harm in helping her make a living."
"A living where she is breaking and entering a dead man's grave and stealing his possessions!"
Makarov shrugged. "He's dead. I'm sure he won't need it."
Erza let out a huff, opened her mouth to say something then thought better of it and stormed away in the way only Erza could.
Lucy watched her go with a frown. "I don't understand, how does Erza know that girl? They have sort of feud?"
Natsu shrugged. "Beats me! Hey I wonder if she can fight, I've never duelled a member of the thieves' guild before!"
Lucy sighed and turned to her usual source of information, Mirajane looked thoughtfully after Erza.
"I heard in the past that Erza had some trouble with a member of the thieves guild. I guess Duchess, or rather Rory North is that member which caused her a load of trouble. They keep running into each other I think, and Erza gets very frustrated when she escapes justice. That street chase Erza was in last month must have been with her!"
Lucy too could vaguely remember that incident a few weeks ago when Erza had come storming back into the guild after taking some time off to view the summer's entertainment in the neighbouring villages. She'd been grumbling something about an old acquaintance come to think of it.
Of course Natsu's brain took in all that information and came to the only conclusion it could. "Wow! If she's managed to evade Erza then she must be pretty powerful! That settles it, next time she comes by the guild I'm challenging her to a fight!" He raised his fist in the air with determination, also ready grinning at the prospect of another opponent to beat. Behind him Happy cheered his agreement.
Mirajane smiled indulgently at Natsu, absentmindedly cleaning a mug. "I wonder when that will be Natsu."
It turned out to be not that long.
As Lucy walked home that evening her mind was filled with the strange thief girl. She'd heard of the thieves guild, of course, who in Fiore hadn't. But never had she came across one of their members before. She'd expected men for some reason, with capes and cowls that obscured the face, not Duchess. Not Rory North.
The setting sun cast the street and canal in shades of gold and pink with the houses causing a line of dark shadow so the street was split evenly between the dark and the light. Lucy wandered down that line like a trapeze artist, arms spread wide as she balanced on solid ground between the two sides. She gained an odd sense of pleasure from the action, the writer inside of her enjoying the symbolism of she, Lucy Heartfilia walking the line between light and darkness. Although if she was true to herself she was way to inclined to light side to every really wander towards the shadow. It was warmer on the light side. Plus she could get a much needed tan from the sun. Part of her wondered what had drawn Rory North to the shadows.
Lucy's musings consumed her as she walked home much like they always did. Though she was brought out of them as her path approached a group of young girls whose parents had let them stay out later than usual due to the long bright evenings of summer. The pigtailed and plaited girls were making of the most of their time as they played their skipping game, weaving in and out of each other, their voice high and full of girlish laughter.
Maybe you've heard of a terrible place where the scoundrels of Ishgar collect in a lair. They sang as they ducked underneath their rope and began to wind it round one of the girls like a maypole while she tried to un-twirl it.
Maybe you've heard of that mythical place called the Court of Miracles,
Hello, you're there!
Where the lame can walk!
And the blind can see!
But the dead don't talk, so you won't be around to reveal what you've found!
The girl tied up didn't manage to unravel in time and the sounds of the girls squeals and laughter hung in the warm air as Lucy passed them a sad smile on her face. It was at times like this she wished she'd had a normal childhood like that, where she could have stayed out late in the streets singing about mythical guilds and what not. Where she could have had friends, who existed outside the pages of a book.
They have a method for spies and intruders,
rather like hornets protecting their hive.
Lucy found herself singing along lightly under her breath to the children's nursery rhyme.
There in the Court of Miracles where it's a miracle if you get out alive!
Rory North was in total darkness. As was the usual in ancient burial sites. The dead didn't need to see, they were after all, dead. And somehow she didn't think old priest Whatshisface Okator had been expecting many visitors. They never did. Well not counting thieves of course. Her kind were always given some of the more warmer receptions when it came to graves. Quite literally in some cases. Rory remembered ruefully of tomb of a mage in Minstrell who had a fondness for fire glyphs. It had been the only time she'd ever had toast on the job before. It appeared Okator had seen no reason for everlasting fire to light his hall ways. Even so this blackness would not do.
Rory pulled out from her satchel a couple smooth black stone, and bringing her open palm to her mouth, gentle blew on them. The stones began to glow under her breathe, ebbing in and out of life like embers of a fire. Finally she got them set at a dim pallid light, and finally look around. It appeared her sewage tunnel had opened out in a large stone hall, complete with crumbling columns that still amazingly managed to hold up the roof. This had to be it.
The cold stone walls of the anti chamber were cast a putrid shade of green from her light. The thread bare tapestries hung sorrowfully off their rails. They looked like they would crumble to dust if she touched them. She was sure once this room would have been filled with treasure however by the looks of things, grave robbers had looted the place years ago. But she was confident that what she was after hadn't been touched. Moss leaked down from the ceiling and the place smelled damp. Looking up she did a quick bit of mental geography and figured that she must be under the river. She glanced back again at the old columns, if they had held this long, surely they could last another ten minutes. She began to move quickly down the large corridor, not particularly wanting to idle. Once this place must have been roaring with riches and grandeur, now it looked sick.
She'd had it on good authority that not another human had been in this place in over hundred years. But as her foots nimbly crossed the stone paving, the dim light of her stones picked up something disturbing. The dust covered floor had been unsettled. Bringing her stones closer, she knelt, face inches from the ground she saw the footprints as clear as if they had been made in snow. And they were recent too. Incredibly so.
Her stomach now tight, she drew a knife from her boot and continued more cautiously through the room. Soon her circumference of light fell on a tremendous set of wooden doors at least two stories high. Carved into the frame work were some of the most obscure runes Rory had ever seen. She didn't need to understand them to know what horrors they promised towards trespassers. All tombs had them. Kind of like the ancient form of 'NO ENTRY' signs only with some horrid enchantment on them like sudden decapitation of all moving beings beyond a certain point. Or the sudden combustion of a hundred hidden fire glyphs. All at once. But worse than the runes, the door stood slightly ajar, and fire light glowed through it, a rich orange in contrast to her pallid green. Suddenly all the those weeks of painstakingly trying to procure the bloody key all fell a bit short, and the lump of shaped metal in question weighed all the heavier and useless in her pocket.
Please let them be dead, please let them be dead. She thought to herself as she bit by bit pushed the door open and peered her head round. Well at least she knew she'd gotten the right place. The intruders torch lay burning on the dusty ground casting demonic shadows on the relatively tiny tomb. The centre of the room held an enormous golden stone coffin on a raised platform complete with steps. By each wall, like they four compass points around the dead man were disfigured statues of what had to be previous monks or servants. In front of the coffin stood a man, thankfully with his back to her. He looked as if he was surveying the coffin thinking on what to do next. Rory hung back silently at the door, thinking quickly of what to do.
The dagger was, according to legend, buried inside the coffin. And the coffin was, according to legend, heavily guarded by magic. As was the route. Well she'd taken the unconventional way in to be sure, the sewers were not exactly the front door and so she'd yet to encounter any of the curses. However if this guy had come in the normal way, then he must of survived those ancient passages laden with booby traps and somehow managed to dispel whatever curse lay on the door, after all he didn't have the key to safely enter; that of which lay with her. That meant that he was either an extremely powerful wizard or incredibly lucky. Neither one would be a man she'd want to fight, but then again he was the best candidate for opening the coffin.
And he did indeed open the coffin with a blast of destructive force that caused the ground the shake and Rory to wince. Not that he seemed noticed. His spell, whatever it was, had served its purpose and the lid to the sarcophagus flew off and went crashing into one the statues with a tremendous smash of broken stone. The eyes of the statues around them began to glow red. There was a rushing sound. Rory's heart was in her mouth as she watched the man step up to the open coffin and reach in.
She took a breath and stepped into the light. "I wouldn't touch that if I were you."
The man whirled around, the force of his spell flying at her so fast she barely dodged in time. The door and stone exploded behind her as the spell hit and the man was already throwing another at her as she scampered across the floor.
Crap crap crap crap.
Unrelenting force after unrelenting force followed her around the room as he threw full offensive at her until one of the blasts caught her and she was sent crashing to the ground. With one hand trained out towards her in a clear threat he quickly grabbed the old rusted dagger from the coffin and stashed it in a small side bagl. His attention was immediately back to her. His face was covered by a deep purple scarf that had been wound round his head and across his dark face, removing his features from view. What little of skin she could see appeared to be heavily scarred.
"I commend you for getting this far little girl." He rumbled, advancing on her down the steps, his deep voice echoing in the room. The rushing sound grow louder. "But now you must join our friend here."
Rory drew a breathe. Then there came the painful sound of stone scraping along stone. Their heads whipped around in unison to watch the four stone statues rise up the wall to reveal the ends of four shoots.
Crap.
Then the coffin itself began to rise till it was hovering in midair, bits of dust and stone crumbling off into the dark abyss beneath it.
Double crap.
The remains of the shattered wooden door behind them began to glow and a solid barrier of purple light appeared between its frames. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was probably trapping them inside.
Shit.
Rory's eyes flicked between the statues, coffin and door. The gap between the steps and nothing was narrow but big enough perhaps for a man. She was on her feet in a second, tackling the man to the ground, his head colliding hard with the floor, dark dreadlocks appearing behind his skewered headdress. She yanked the bag from his grasp stuffing it within her own satchel before he could take a breath. The man grabbed her ankle as she rose pulling her back to the ground. She was rolled over so his crushing weight was on top of her and his dark hands came to her throat.
The sound of rushing water was so loud now and it came splattering down the four shoots with enough force of a small waterfall, and the dusty ground was filled with freezing river water which then drained out beneath the coffin. Somewhere the torch was extinguished and Rory's world was once again filled with darkness. In the blackness of the room she felt the man pull at the satchel and she tugged it back, kicking her feet blindly towards him, making contact, but he would not let go. The two of them wrestled in the darkness as the ice cold water around steadily began to rise. Unbeknownst to the two of them the old ancient stones of the ceiling began to drip and crack with the weight of the water ways above it.
Rory continued to kick at the man while he tried to push her head beneath the inches of water. Only half breathing, and her head scraping painfully across the floor, her foot eventually collided with his soft spot and he collapsed on her in a momentary grasp of pain. The room seemed to mimic his groan as the ancient tomb tried to accommodate all the water, the gap beneath the coffin apparently not enough. Rory squeezed her way from underneath him, the whole of her person soaking wet and her hands still clutched at the satchel. A pressure on her arm pulled her back as the winded man refused to let go.
Then the weight of the water ways above them became too much and the ceiling caved in.
Mountains and mountains of river and rock collapsed on top of them in a waterfall of sheer icy force. She collapsed under the weight of the water, a lump of ceiling connecting with her arm and effectively rendering it useless. She would have screamed if she could breathe properly. The water and shock made it hard to do anything. The sudden excess of water caused a large current dragging Rory and the man with it. He must have been knocked unconscious by the ceiling as he was all but a dead weight although still holding firmly on to the satchel. She couldn't resist the torrents that was pulling them along, towards what she realised in panic was the gap underneath the coffin. Fighting the current was no good as she was stuck underwater and could not get up for air without abandoning the satchel with the man still held on to. If she let go he and the dagger would be gone forever.
He was the first to pulled by the water through the gap. She knew because her arm holding onto the bag was immediately yanked out of her socket and she was dragged through the water and over the edge, her other hand grabbing onto the ledge in the last second, her already damaged arm felt like it being ripped apart. They were hanging in the darkness, the satchel being the only thing between them holding them up, neither being able to breathe for the fall of water in their faces. Rory's hand let go, it was impossible for to grip on any longer. The two of the fell down through the air still they hit the water with a painful splat and were continued to be sucked down through the tunnel. There nothing but darkness, water, the satchel and the weight at the end of it. Rory couldn't breathe, she couldn't swim against current sucking them down. She couldn't think, only panic.
Instinct kicked in. Suddenly the water was lit up in bright blue light as beneath her feet a large blue circle appeared filling up the entire tunnel. She and the man went plummeting through it, satchel still in hand.
And then they were gone.
Music night at the Fairy Tail guild was always a popular one. With enough food and drink to feed an army, the exceptional and renown mages would sit down in their long drinking hall ready for a night of wild drunk entertainment. Such a night was in roaring mid swing when halfway through a rather raucous ballad a large blue circle appeared above one of the long tables, slowly silencing the hall as everyone began to notice. Before anyone could make more than a grunt of confusion the portal began to glow brilliantly and a cascade of water collapsed through it and down on to the table completely drenching those around it. Two bodies followed suit, falling out of nothing a landing heavily on the wood amidst the waterfall. Then the portal closed and the torrent of water stopped.
The was silence as the figures lay unmoving and the Fairy Tail wizards sat frozen in shock.
Then Rory North began sputtering and coughing and hacking up water, her back heaving like a cat with a hair ball until she managed to take a huge colossal breathe that seemed to shake every bone in her body and lift her head which felt like someone was trying to conduct a tap dancing class on her brain. In her brief moment of consciousness she managed discern three things:
One; Everything hurt.
Two; The strap of her satchel could still be felt beneath her frozen fingers.
And Three; this was entirely the wrong guild.
Her vision swam as figures began to move towards in blurry black shapes and she blacked out.
Hey all. Hope you enjoyed the first installment to the Okator Arc.
Just two disclaimers, the beginning of this piece was obviously taken from the beginning to the anime. Also our Disney reference if you didn't spot it is our "nursery rhyme" the court of miracles song, which is from the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Thanks for reading