Chapter 2: Chris's First Mission and a Confrontation
Christopher who was determined to gain a decent living space for the two instead of living in the forest. Standing at the job board he read job after job seeing if there was something he could try.
"Taking a job?" asked a voice behind him, one he had grown to recognize as Erza. He turned around facing the redhead.
"Yes, Natsu and I don't have a place to live yet. We can barely afford food as it is, I was hoping to see if I could fix that," he responded keeping a neutral expression.
"Well, I plan on going on this emergency aid mission. It pays 200,000 jewel if you're interested." She offered.
Christopher weighed his options, go on a mission alone or go with Erza and split the money. The latter seemed preferable, "Alright, I don't mind tagging along." he replied much to Erza's delight.
"Hey master!" said Erza as the two walked up to the elderly gentleman, "We're taking this job alright!" she said not asking for permission not that it would be denied either way. As the two left the guild the man Christopher recognized as Macao called to him.
"Careful of Erza boy, she isn't the nicest when you don't take things seriously!" Erza glared at the man which caused him to shrink in his seat.
"Stupid drunk," she mumbled under her breath but with Christopher's enhanced senses he could make out what she said. As they were about to exit the building Natsu called out to his brother.
"Nii-san! Where are you going!?" he said approaching the older boy, Natsu was glancing at Erza as if at any moment she would murder his precious Nii-san.
"I'm going on a job with Erza, Natsu. I want you to be good while I am away. Don't destroy the guild, don't fight with Gray and listen to the master. If not then I will not cook for you for a whole week." said the older boy with only a hint of warning in his voice.
"Y-yes Nii-san," said Natsu disappointed.
The duo made their way to the train station and bought their tickets to the town. Choosing a secluded car the two sat facing the other as the train began to move out of the station. Feeling a bit dizzy Christopher pulled out a silver ring with a blue lacrima shaped like a gem on top. Sliding it onto his ring finger of his right hand. His father(if he could call him that) was an enchanter and enchanted this lacrima with a powerful Troia spell. Something that Christopher himself also learned to do.
Erza was...uncomfortable. She watched as the boy placed a ring on his finger at the beginning and all he did was stare out the window. She had invited him to accompany her on this mission out of curiosity and the desire to know the boy better. From what she had seen he was quiet, calm, expressionless and enjoyed reading.
"So...if you don't mind me asking, what's with the ring?" she asked trying to break the uncomfortable silence.
Turning his head to face her he replied, "My father was an enchanter, and he taught me many spells and enchantments before he died. I have also learned even more from the books that I have read. This ring contains a lacrima enchanted with a Troia spell that aids with motion sickness."
"Do you have motion sickness?" asked the redhead.
"I don't know why but it's a dragon slayer thing. From what Fiera told me dragon slayers are horrible with all transportation but flying," he explained slightly biting his lip.
"Fiera is...your dragon?" she asked, she was still skeptical on whether or not the brothers were raised by dragons or not.
"Yes. Fiera the Altering Dragon. Natsu's was Igneel the Fire Dragon King." Erza was confused if each dragon trained each boy then was Igneel and Fiera their parents?
"Igneel is an enchanter?" she asked hoping that he would give a detailed answer.
"No, I have never met Igneel." replied the stoic teen.
"But if Igneel is Natsu's dad then how-" before Erza could finish Christopher cut her off.
"We aren't actual brothers," he said now visibly biting his lip.
"So you remember your human parents?" she said surprised. Natsu had said that he was very little when Igneel found him so how old was Christopher when Fiera found him.
"Sadly." was his only response. She could see pain flicker in his eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said deciding that it was best to back out of this conversation.
"It's alright...they weren't the best parents anyway. Fiera was more of a real mother to me than she ever was."
At this point, Erza felt like she had intruded too much into his personal life to continue on the subject. A sudden change would be nice, "So, as an enchanter, what have you made?" the girl asked.
"Only a few things...a necklace, three rings, a pair of earrings and four bracelets," he replied pulling something out of his pocket. Erza gazed at the necklace that was hanging from his outstretched hand. It had a rose-red lacrima in place of a jewel. Not that you could tell the difference.
"Here," he said gesturing for her to take it.
"No I couldn't," she said holding her hands up, "You made it yourself, it would be wrong of me to take it." she denied the gift despite the selfish, clothes-loving part of her screaming for her to stop complaining and accept it.
"I enchanted it with protection and minor healing spells. You are a close-range fighter, the healing can aid you with minor or large cuts, and the protection adds an extra defense around your skin increasing it's thickness as well. Gives higher resistance to magic attacks and can repel lesser ranged attacks, including non-magical ones. Take it, it can help you." he said pressing it into her unwilling hand.
For the thirty minutes passed and neither had said a word. Until, "Hey Erza, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, I will answer to my best ability," she said agreeing to whatever question he would ask.
"Before I ask I need to explain something to you," Erza nodded her head before he continued, " I use altering magic, I can bend anything to my will. Another thing that is included in my magic is an ability called vision. I can see reality and the line of fate. Things that cannot be altered no matter what, things that have happened, the desired truth or the future."
"So it's like Cana's fortune telling," replied Erza understanding most of what he was saying.
"No, Cana can only see the definite future, things that will happen no matter what. I can see much more than that." Erza frowned, 'Just what point is he trying to make?' she thought as the boy let out a sigh.
"I had a vision recently, and I have a strong feeling that it was about you." he leaned forward and placed his hands between his legs and looked up at her.
"Erza, I was walking through an empty village with rosemary being the only plant present. There was a large lower and a stairway glowing with white light. At the top was a girl with red hair on her knees weeping, in front of her was a boy with blue hair being restrained by chains and an invisible barrier between the two." when he finished he noticed that Erza had visible paled and her hands were shaking.
"Don't answer, I have a feeling that this was something that you don't want to remember. But if you ever want to talk, or show me via memory lacrima. I'm there for you." he said resuming looking out of the window. Knowing that this was a topic not to be touched he left it at that.
"C-Christopher...could you…." said Erza struggling to speak as he turned facing her once more, "Could you...give me the interpretation...of that vision."
Christopher looked into her eyes, there was a great pain but there was an even greater determination.
"Alright, the village must have been named rosemary or that was what it was known for. The glowing stairway is a symbol known as the stairway to Heaven. The stairway led to the top of the tower so the tower must be something like a Tower of Heaven. As for the girl with scarlet red hair, I believe that's you. The crying signifies great pain, sorrow or loss. As for the boy...I don't know who he is but the barrier represents something close to distance, something blocked or hidden. As for the chains. They signify trapped or unwillingness."
Erza didn't know what to say she felt all of her pain and sorrow being pushed back at her, this boy who barely knew her, knew something that no one in the guild other than the master knew. Without realizing it a tear fell down her face.
Wiping it away she said, "I'm so weak...I can never…" at this the boy in front of her laughed. Not a hardy laugh but a good chuckle.
Anger welled in the red-haired teen, "What do funny!?" she demanded. At his, he laughed even harder.
"Sorry, Erza. It's just I don't understand why you being weak is a bad thing."
"I couldn't protect those I love! I couldn't save any-" before she could finish the boy placed his hand over her mouth shutting her up. Normally she would beat him up for this but his serious expression and what he said next stunned her.
"There is nothing wrong with being weak Erza. It's staying weak that is the problem. And you have done no such thing, you have made a new life for yourself, a new path. You have overcome the past despite it still hurting you. You have grown stronger since then, you crying does not mean you are weak, you are just human." removing his hand he gave her a smile, the first smile she had ever seen him give.
"There is nothing, weak about you Erza, you can't always be strong. But you can always become stronger." That was how the conversation ended as the train pulled into the station. Stepping off the train the pair made their way down the dirt path through the town to the town hall.
"Excuse me, sir, we are here to aid the people of the town, where can we find the mayor?" asked Erza to the gentleman standing on the stairs.
"You children are here to aid us?" asked the man.
"You're the mayor, aren't you?" said Christopher to the man.
"Of course I am, you don't see anyone else here dressed as elegantly as me," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Of course, clothes are the very essence of demonstrating who you are." agreed Erza as a matter of factly.
Christopher sweatdropped at this scene as he struggled with agreeing with Erza's statement to meet her halfway.
"But we aren't here to talk about clothes, as fun as that is, we are full-fledged members of the Fairy Tail Guild so please have no doubt that we won't get the job done," stated Erza with utmost seriousness in her voice.
"And what about you boy, I can see where she comes from but what can a young boy like yourself do?"
"First you could get out of my face," he replied to the mayor who was three inches away from his face.
"What was that boy?!" asked the mayor who had absolutely no idea what he had said as Christopher was speaking in the ancient tongue.
"I specialize in enchantments, minor healing and I can aid in moving and removing debris." said the enchanter.
"Humph, you kids get the job done and then you can get paid. Do whatever you deem necessary." with that he walked away.
"Wasn't he a nice person," said Erza as Christopher sweatdropped.
"I don't think that was what I would describe as nice." he deadpanned and began to observe the area.
"What do you want to start with?" asked Christopher to the redhead, as she was the one who chose the mission.
"The quicker we remove the debris the faster we can get to fixing up the town," said Erza. They walked to the town center where many people were either injured, ill or trying to aid the ones who are in pain. Jumping onto the roof of a damaged house the pair observed the damage.
"It will take weeks to finish this!" cried Erza clearly upset that she would remain so long away from the guild.
"It would help if we had more people," said Christopher.
"Yeah, but how do you expect us to find more, almost everybody is either sick or injured. And if they aren't their tending to them."
"I do know some healing spells," said Christopher.
"Yes but what can you enchant that can help?" asked Erza wondering what he was thinking.
"Erza, watch this," he said as he walked into the town square. Erza stood next to him while he gave a small smile.
"Listen." was all he said before he closed his eyes, following his lead Erza closed hers as well.
"If my arm wasn't broken, I would be helping clean up this mess!" said one man.
"My leg is broken, so I can't walk. But if I could boy would I be runnin' around here cleaning up this slop!" said another. Similar complaints were heard around the area.
"See Erza, I can use healing magic to fix the bones and then they could aid us." said the dragon slayer.
"Isn't healing magic lost magic?" asked Erza.
"Yes, but Fiera left me her library. The library has thousands of magic books, from lost magic to forbidden ones. Even holder magic." he explained. Approaching one of the men that was complaining loudly about his arm and that he would rather be helping than resting Christopher said, "Pardon me sir, but would you allow me to examine your arm, I am a wizard from Fairy Tail and I would like to check on your condition."
Erza looked at the boy who now had emotion in his voice, had she not known him as well as she did she would have never have realized the tale he had just spun.
"Sure thing kid." said the man glad for a distraction. Unwrapping his arm from the cast Christopher began to use his magic. Healing magic generally was blue in color, although it can also be in light green.
"Holy shit! Kid what the hell did you do!?" half-shouted the man as he moved his arm around like normal.
"Lost magic, Healing magic. If you're available you can aid Erza in beginning to clear this rubble while I heal other people so that they can help.
"Sure thing kid," he said patting him hard against the back.
"Erza, think you can handle being in charge of cleanup duty?" he asked going back to him calm and expressionless tone.
Smiling Erza replied, "As long as it's not masters cleaning duties I'm good." Both teens shivered at what master had done to Macao and Wakaba when they made a mess of the guild. That was something they wouldn't wish on anyone.
When she had left Christopher went to the man with the broken leg repeating the same procedure and gaining a similar reaction.
"Holy hell kid, you are a miracle worker. Now I can help with cleanup." said the man running to join Erza and the other man.
Word of his healing abilities spread those with broken limbs all lined up to be healed. By the time the sun set the total of thirty able-bodied people were ready to begin work the next day. Christopher was tired, his magic was low. As a dragon slayer he could easily replenish his magic but doing so would make others uncomfortable. After eating a full meal the boy leaned against one of the stone houses but before he could fall asleep Erza approached him.
"The sun barely set, you're going to sleep now?" asked Erza curiously but sternly making sure it wasn't him trying to skip work the next morning.
"Yes, healing magic takes up a lot of magical energy, I have very high reserves but healing thirty people takes a lot out of me. I might not be able to help till noon tomorrow." said the dragon slayer.
Erza nodded, from what she had read healing magic indeed did take up a lot of energy. That was one of the reasons it was now lost magic. With help from the townspeople and lots of healing on Christopher's part the town was repaired by the end of the second week. After the mayor paid the two they split the 200,000 jewel.
Arriving back in Magnolia the two felt accomplished but most of all they grew closer as friends. Before entering the guild Erza placed her hand on Christopher's shoulder.
"We should go on another mission again sometime," she said with a smile.
"Sure, I wouldn't mind," he replied giving a small smile in return.
Opening the guild doors they were met with Gray and Natsu in the middle of a brawl, Cana comedically telling Gray that he wasn't wearing any clothes, Laxus being an ass to Reedus, Macao, and Wakaba enjoying the chaos, a blue-haired girl wearing an orange outfit reading a book, and the master smiling waving to them noticing that they returned.
"Natsu," said Christopher causing both boys to freeze with Natsu looking at his brother, "I'm not cooking for you the rest of the week." he finished with Natsu whining.
"But Nii-san! You're cooking is delicious!" he said still holding Gray.
"I told you before I left, and I will keep my word," he replied pulling out his book and sitting next to the girl with blue hair as he began to read.
"This is your fault Ice boy!" shouted Natsu to Gray.
"Sorry that your brother said no to you ash brain!" retorted Gray as the two began to fight again.
"Natsu. Gray." said Erza as the two froze once more and began to shiver in fear, "What did I say about fighting in the guild hall?" she said sternly.
Shaking his head Christopher pulled out a ring and began to enchant it. He sighed inwardly and smiled to himself. 'This guild just keeps getting better.'