Chapter 2 ~ 2 Ways to Make a New Friend
"Okay Lucy, hold on tight!" Rien warned cheerfully. She was sitting in the front of the saddle, hands wrapped around a small handle in the front securely and thighs pressed tightly against Wynn's belly. Lucy sat behind her, arms wrapped around her waist and trying to copy her position as best as possible.
"I'm ready!" The blonde affirmed.
Wynn stood up then, causing Lucy to shriek with surprise. She knew Wynn obviously had to stand before he could take off; she just wasn't ready for the feeling of his muscles underneath them or the awkward tilt that came with it because unlike a machine, Wynn had to stand one leg at a time. He let out a roar, causing several birds in nearby trees to scatter. Then, with a powerful pump of his wings, they were in the air.
"WHOOOOAAAA~" Lucy cried out, her grip on Rien tightening. Rien didn't seem to mind (probably because she couldn't feel it that much through the corset), letting out a laugh.
"Don't worry Lucy! We just have to get over the cloud barrier!"
Lucy screamed in reply, burying her face into Rien's back. A few moments later, everything seemed to straighten out again. The ride had become smooth, almost like a small boat gently floating in the harbor. Lucy moved back, taking in the sights. All around them was an endless blue sky, with clouds passing leisurely beneath them. It was breathtaking.
"If you think this is nice, remind me to take you for a flight at night." Rien started. "With the cloud covers beneath us, it feels like flying in an endless sea of stars. You can make out the constellations really well too. Personally, I've always loved Leo and Sagittarius the most."
"I'll have to introduce you sometime."
"Huh?" Rien gasped, cocking her head slightly. "What do you mean?"
"They're two of my celestial spirits!" Lucy exclaimed. "Definitely sometime during this trip, I'll introduce you."
"Whaaattt?! That'd be amazing!"
"Well, I have to pay you back somehow, I'm practically riding a dragon right now! Actually, this is probably better since dragons are so huge and scary, you know? I don't think I could sit on one all that well."
Wynn huffed in pride, letting out a snort of approval that caused both girls to giggle.
"By the way, how does Wynn know where we're going?"
"I know we're going in the right general direction." Rien smiled to herself. "But I'm actually going to use my magic to determine the quickest route to our destination while also calculating the safest place for us to land without being seen that gives us the shortest distance to walk."
"You can do that?" The celestial mage asked in awe.
"Yup! Can you read me the address again?"
"72 Broodley rd, Hygem, Fiore."
Rien nodded. Then, her form became stiff, and Lucy realized her eyes were probably doing that glowy-thing too. What she didn't expect was for Rien's hands to suddenly glow as well, creating a trail from where she touched Wynn's neck all the way up to the top of his head. Lucy leaned out slightly, noting that Wynn's eyes were glowing too.
"All set." Rien informed, putting her hands back on the saddle. "We'll be arriving just outside Hygem in one hour and sixteen minutes. From there, we'll walk for about twenty minutes to the archive building."
"That must be incredible, being able to see ahead like that." Lucy murmured. She felt Rien nod ahead of her.
"I know my magic isn't good for fighting. I might be okay in hand to hand combat, but there's not much I can do in a magic fight. I can't blow a hole through a mountain or take on hundreds of enemies at once. But I can see the world around me. I feel the flow of time; I can sense moments that are life changing and figure out the best solution to simple questions that would usually torture people for days. In an evacuation, I can tell you the safest place to be to avoid injury. If there was a storm, I could tell you which houses are most likely to be destroyed and which ones are okay to take shelter in. Sometimes, I can figure out what moves people are going make or what they're going to say before they even do it. So I'm not the first person you'd pick for an all-out battle, but that doesn't bother me. There are moments where I feel so connected to everything that I feel beyond the fight. Compared to what could be, what will be, those things feel so insignificant. I wouldn't trade my magic for the world."
"That sounds… beautiful." Lucy admitted, her demeanor softening. "I think I know what you mean. I do my best to fight side by side with my spirits, but it's difficult. I simply don't have the same power as they do, and they can't fight their best if they have to worry about me too. I'm not sure what to do about it yet. Even so, I wouldn't trade my magic for the world! I've been blessed with so many friends..." The blonde trailed off, suddenly feeling awkward. Her magic gave her a variety of amazing friends, but Rein…
"And I found Wynn." She whispered gently, scratching his head. Feeling the mood becoming heavy, Rien decided to change the topic. "I could help you train if you'd like?"
Lucy's eyes widened. "Really? How?!"
"It depends what you'd like to do. If you'd like to improve your strategies for battle, I could help you come up with combinations. But, if it's about personal strength, I can help you determine the best next step. We could either try to find the best form of hand to hand combat for you, find the best weapon, or even which second magic you'd have the least trouble learning."
"Second magic?"
"That's right. Many mages adopt two forms of magic, whether it's to balance their magical container or make up for a skill they lack. Much of your magical is used to summon keys, which is generally done at the same interval. It would be far more efficient for you to learn a magic that can be released naturally in order to expand your magical containers."
"Really? I've never thought about that before. What magic do you think would be best?"
"That's a bit tricky. When it comes to organic landscapes, my interconnectivity with our planet formed by my magic gives me a sense of probability without prior knowledge. However, when it comes to abiotic factors or even magic, I need to gather data first, whether that's observing an opponent's magic or reading about it in a book. There may be a better magic suited for you that I have not yet encountered, but I can give you my best estimate with the knowledge I already have."
Lucy hummed. "Out of curiosity, what is it currently?"
She felt Rien's body stiffen, and this time she remained as such for almost a full minute before relaxing again. Lucy realized she must have been sorting through more variables than something as trivial as the likelihood of her falling over.
"Alright. I've outlined your optimal second magic based on what I've read about Celestial Spirit Mages, compatibility with your magic containers, the magic I've sensed from your keys, and the magic of those in our guilds. I've concluded that the best magic for you would be Spectrum Magic."
"You mean, like, a rainbow?"
"Sort of. Spectrum magic is like a cognate of light magic. It involves deploying different magical frequencies into light magic or existing sources of light that project the properties of more physical elements. For example, deploying the frequency of magic that creates purple light will give the light property of sound magic, whereas red is fire magic and blue is water magic. The concept is similar to Rainbow Fire, but uses light magic as opposed to fire magic. It would give you a wide array of strategies that won't use up much magic, allowing you to still open your gates and adds diversity with how you interact with your spirits."
"So what you're saying is, I could release different magic frequencies into existing light or light magic to give it the properties of other magics, and since I have the option of distorting the existing light with magic instead of creating it, I'll save energy to use on my gates?" Lucy summarized.
Rien grinned. She knew she sometimes used higher levels of vocabulary that not all people could follow easily, but when her magic involved the use of factors and precision, she found it natural to use more specific wording. It was refreshing for Lucy to be able to follow so easily. "That's exactly right."
"And both Loki and the Master use light magic, so they could probably help me!" Lucy exclaimed giddily. Suddenly, the possibility of getting stronger became much more tangible. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"
"I may have given heightened priority to available support in learning the magic to increase your speed and efficiency during development." The brunette admitted shyly. Was she being too invasive?
"Where have you been all my life?!" Lucy joked, her voice airy and teasing. Then, she continued- "we've got some time to kill, tell me more about the properties of each color?"
Makarov folded his hands, elbows on his desk, and tried to hide his shame. He knew Mira was right. In a guild where everyone was considered a family, Rien was an outcast. Even the lower tier members had found partnerships and friendships amongst one another, and if he was being honest, she did not belong in that category. Although Rien's magic was not necessarily offensive, what she'd trained herself to do with it was quite remarkable. Several times in a day he'd seen her flip over a chair before it had left the thrower's hand, or direct him to the best spot to make an announcement without becoming collateral damage. Working on her own, it was incredible, but what if she'd worked with others? What if she'd been able to tell Natsu where to direct his punches without burning down a building? What if she'd told Laxus that it was very possible for him to have been beaten by several Fairy Tail members working together? What if she could tell Erza the best armor for an enemy without Erza having to take any hits first?
Rien always told Makarov that her magic was limited, but he knew that in her hands, it was almost limitless.
"She's on a mission now Master," Mira reminded him softly, trying to make him feel better. "We have time to do something before she gets back."
"You sound like you have an idea."
The barmaid smiled, opening her hand to reveal three small white lacrima with a soft pink core. They were commonly used in therapy to help patients show memories of dreams or events. However, the Magic Council refused to use them because powerful mages could alter their memories.
"We're gonna show them everything we know about her, and Lucy will show everyone what happened during this mission. We're going to force everyone to see Rien of Fairy Tail."
Rien patted Wynn's back as they came to a stop in a small clearing about ¾ of a mile out outside town.
"Thank you, buddy." She smiled, sliding off the saddle. She offered a hand to Lucy and helped guide her down as well.
"Yeah, thanks Wynn. You're such a good boy" Lucy cooed, scratching his nose. The Wyvern let out a purr, his tail thumping his tail against the ground.
"Okay Wynn. Hopefully, we'll meet you back here tomorrow, but I'll blow the whistle when we need you. Feel free to fly around, and don't wander off too far. Also, try not to let anyone see you, alright?"
Wynn snorted, lightly bumping his forehead against Rien's.
"Thank you. So Lucy, are you ready to go?"
"Yup! Are you excited Rien?"
"I'm a little tired, but yes. As much as I loved the forest, it's been a long time since I helped actual people."
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to drag you out on another mission right after you got back!" Lucy exclaimed. She stopped walking, a worried look on her face. "If you're too tired we can rest at a hotel and start the job tomorrow."
Rien smiled warmly. "Th-thank you for worrying about me, but I'll be alright. I may be at around eighty-percent efficiency, but that should be more than enough for this job. We just have to trap the intruder tonight and find out how they were getting in so the archive can fix its security. With my magic, it shouldn't be too difficult."
"So if you're the strategist, I guess that makes me the fighter! It's my turn to kick ass!" Lucy said, striking a pose. Rien started giggling, with the blonde following right after.
They made idle chatter as they walked along a forest path not far from where they'd left Wynn. Having heard Rien's explanation about her needing knowledge on people and magic to make her predictions more accurate, she'd decided to tell the girl in detail the abilities and spells her spirits use. Rien listened attentively, seeming to take mental notes which Lucy enjoyed. The members of her team weren't the best when it came to listening to her ideas.
Finally, the two girls arrived at the regional archive building. It was a truly beautiful structure, made out of white stone and marble with several marble columns holding up a part of the roof hanging over the stairs. The roof was mostly flat, and Rien noticed several guards standing on top of it.
"Excuse me, we're the mages sent from Fairy tail for the national archive job?" Lucy introduced, raising her hand to a guard at the door to show him her mark. The brunette turned and lifted her hair, showing the brown mark on the back of her neck.
"Thank you for coming. Right this way." The man answered stoically. He was wearing a black suit and tie with sunglasses to cover his eyes. Lucy and Rien exchanged a look. Everything seemed so… official? Classified? Secretive? Rien shrugged as the two girls followed him inside.
They walked past the receptionist's desk and down a few hallways until the ended up in front of a door with security room written across it on a golden plaque. Their escort opened the door, waving a hand to single them inside. The room was fairly cramped a dark. Two more men were sitting in wheely chairs on either wall and against the wall opposite the door was a woman wearing a blue blazer and pencil skirt. Her red hair was tied back into a bun, and she wore glasses on her face.
"Hello, ladies. Thank you for coming. You may call me Ms. Lucinda. I'm the head of security here in the Hygem regional archives."
"It's a pleasure. My name is Rien Lobelia." The brunette greeted, offering out a hand. Ms. Lucinda gave her a firm shake, then turned to the other.
"Thank you for welcoming us. My name is Lucy Heartfilia." She spoke politely, and Rien guessed it wasn't the first time Lucy had introduced herself that way. Had she been born into high society perhaps?
"I appreciate your coming on such short notice." The older women spoke. "Quite frankly, one of the higher-ups has been looking for any excuse to fire me as he feels a woman is not fit to run this position. I fear if we don't catch the thief soon, it'll be exactly what he needs to get his way. Don't worry about the others here, they wear headphones connected to the cameras to help them catch anything they might miss. They can't hear us. Besides, they want me in this position even more than I do. The alternatives aren't exactly stellar."
"Then we'll be sure to help!" Lucy said passionately. She couldn't stand people who looked down on others based on their gender. "We'll catch the thief, I promise."
"Do you have any footage you'd be able to show us?" Rien asked curiously. Lucinda nodded, beginning to type on the keyboard.
"This is all we have."
The camera focused on the center of the room, which had several tables and chairs. The shelves were lined up against the walls of the room, with a few wheeled out near the tables. Suddenly, a man appeared silently on one of the tables, his head down. He wore all black under a large black trench coat, with a white mask on his face. The guards, standing on either end of the tables with their backs facing him, didn't seem to notice his appearance. The man stared straight at the camera, then suddenly appeared before it. A single green eye was all they saw before the camera went black.
Lucy screamed and Rien flinched when the man suddenly appeared before the screen. The brunette placed a hand on her racing heart, trying to calm her nerves. Still, something about the video was bothering her.
"Are there any security cameras outside?" She wondered.
"No, we haven't been permitted to put the cameras up. Currently, the town believes them to be too invasive. No one wants to feel like they're being filmed every time they walk past the archives."
Rien's eyebrows furrowed as she thought. It was strange to think they didn't have cameras. She thought the archives would have been more important than a brief moment of discomfort. "Does he come every night?"
"For the past five days, yes."
"Then I think what we need is a good old steak out." Lucy grinned. "I'll wait inside, and Rien will be on the roof."
The brunette agreed. If it came down to a fight, Lucy would be waiting inside with her keys. Although what she didn't tell security was that she wouldn't be trying to stop the man from getting inside. Her first purpose was to observe. She wanted to see who the man was and how he was sneaking into the archives. If Lucy was taking on the part of the job to catch the man, then she was going to figure out how to make the building safer in the future.
From the security office, the girls spent the next hour exploring the room that had been broken into. Rien and Lucy both agreed that the man was using some form of teleportation. Not only were there no footprints, but the guards had reported not hearing footsteps either. Whoever they were trying to catch was using magic for sure.
Finally, as the sun went down, the two girls got into position. Rien stood on the roof, eyes closed, using her magic to take in the area around her. Meanwhile, Lucy was in the archive room, hidden in the back with her eyes trained on the table where the masked man had first appeared.
The Fairy Tail girls were ready.
Mira and Makarov spent the next few hours in his office, making a list of memories specifically about or including Rien. They were meticulous, wanting to make sure they weren't missing anything. While they usually would try to keep presentations or speeches short due to Fairy Tail's extremely small attention span, the two had agreed every second was worth it if it meant giving Rien the attention she deserved.
There had come a point where the knocking on the door had become unbearable. Questions were coming faster than they could ignore them.
'Who was that?'
'Where's Lucy?'
'Tell us where the job is so we can join her immediately!'
'Why did Lucy run away?'
'Who's Rain?'
When Mira came out in her Satan Soul, a dark aura about her, and Master Makarov had grown as large as the building would allow, both booming for the guild to leave them be, Fairy Tail finally began to realize whatever was going on was an extremely serious matter. So, as the two most powerful members in the building poured over their plans, countless mages waited in anxious fear. When day turned to night and the office door remained firmly shut, they began to slink away with a sense of shame about them, even if they didn't know what the shame was for.
Rien remained firm in her silent vigil. She'd spent a good half hour calculating what kind of wizard they'd be facing and how they might have gotten inside, going over the facts.
First off, she recalled how he had appeared with his head down against the table. One would assume that after teleporting, the caster would be glancing around immediately any sense of danger. Although they could choose where to teleport, they had no control over what people or creatures might be in the area. She took into account that maybe they'd done research beforehand.
She recalled how their head had snapped up to look directly at the security cameras lens, appearing there not even a second later. Rewatching the scene in her mind's eye made her shiver, but it was important information nonetheless.
She thought of the guards' reports that they'd never heard footsteps, even though the intruder had clearly been in several locations throughout the room. Multiple storage cabinets and shelves had been opened with files removed, all of which ended up back on the table. She considered then that perhaps their law-breaker hadn't known how the archive was arranged. That was the clever bit. The archive magically rearranged itself every night, and the only way to find a specific piece of information was to check the magic file located on Ms. Lucinda's laptop. Anyone who wanted to look at a file would have to be approved by her first, in which case she would send them the location of the file for that specific day. Perhaps the intruder had realized this fact after the second or third day, which is why the search was more spread out amongst the room.
Now, Rien was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the roof, the red aura around her body only slightly visible. Her eyes were closed in concentration. She sensed every twitch of a guards arm or the shuttering of the leaves in the trees. Rien was using an extremely sensitive spell. She was actively detecting all the factors in the environment around her with no clear goal in mind, only taking note of variables that could be changed. The slightest loss of concentration would end the spell immediately.
Then, she felt it.
The brunette stood, continuing her spell while lightly tapping a small lacrima attached to her shorts.
The thief had arrived.
Male. 6'1. 152 Lbs
He appeared on a tree branch first, body facing the trunk of the tree. Before he made contact with the bark, his head swiveled towards the roof. She felt a burst of magic, and it took everything in her not to lose focus when the man appeared on the edge of the roof. The girl forced her body to remain lax and her breathing even. If she let him know she knew he was there he would flee immediately, and they would be back to square one.
Rien sensed he had taken another jump, landing on the glass of a skylight. He angled his head down, disappearing once again.
The edge of her lip lifted.
She knew how he got inside.
Rien stood, startling the guards around her. She shook her head, dashing for the latch on the roof that would take her downstairs. She crept as quietly as she could, emerging near Lucy's location. From the door, she could see the man teleport over to a shelf and begin browsing its contents. The guards hadn't moved, but were told to clear the room until the girls got the intruder subdued as soon as they jumped into action. Rien reached out with her magic to Lucy, showing her the conclusion she'd reached and the best probable outcome.
Lucy smirked.
Showtime.
"I think that should do it, master." Mira sighed, stretching her arms above her head. It had taken hours of pouring over memories, but the two had done their best.
"If only we could have her tell us how likely this is to work." The master chuckled, exhaustion laced in his voice. He knew just as well as Mira did that if Rien knew what they were planning, she'd never let them go through with it.
"All that's left is Lucy's memories of the mission. They should be catching the intruder right about now." Mira noted. "I hope whatever Rien does tonight will prove how amazing her magic is."
Makarov hummed. "I have no doubts in her. I'm more curious to see how well those two work together. Lucy is already fairly clever if her team would just listen to her. Her observations and the power of her spirits along with Rien's magic could be quite the powerful combination."
The barmaid nodded. "I agree. We'll have to see how it went tomorrow. Goodnight Master."
"Goodnight."
Makarov sat at his desk, thinking of all the mistakes he'd made when it came to Rien Lobelia. He loved her just as he loved all his children, but he certainly hadn't shown it.
'Just wait a little longer Rien. This old man will fix his mistakes'.
Aww, so Lucy and Rien are getting to know each other better. I'm excited about it. I'm also really excited about this new magic I want Lucy to learn. Another made up one; we'll see how it goes. As of writing this chapter, I haven't worked out all the kinks yet. Oh well, we'll get there!