sorry this took so long! i don't have much to say, but i hope you enjoy this chapter! here we introduce another main OC, and Fengari village comes on the scene.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fairy Tail, that belongs to Hiro Mashima. But the OCs, do belong to me.
Chapter 3: Hero and Fengari Village
The wizards and Exceeds stumbled as the cavern shook.
"W-What's going on?!" Lucy shouted.
"The pillar!" Gray shouted. "It must have been holding the place up. Without it, it's all coming down! We've got to split!"
No sooner had the words been spoken, a large part of the ceiling came crashing down next to the ice wizard. Wendy shouted as she scooped up Carla and Aglaia. She knew that any second now, they could be trapped inside the mountain.
"We need to get out of here!" Erza shouted, bending down to throw the white-haired girl's arm over her shoulder. "Someone grab the other one and go!"
Together, Natsu and Lucy got the blonde up as everyone one rushed up the tunnel. Rocks fell left and right as everyone tried to stay together, despite the dead weights some carried. The cramped space made it impossible to move easily or quickly through it. Wendy nearly fell twice, but luckily Gray was there to catch her and keep pushing forward.
As the last wizard made their way out the tunnel collapsed, releasing a spray of pebbles and dust. The Fairies wheezed and coughed until the dust settled.
"That was a close one!" Lucy panted. "Oh, come on!"
At her outraged exclamation, everyone turned and let out shouts of their own. That cavern wasn't the only thing that had gone to pieces. The opening of the cave's entrance, their only exit, had closed up during the shake up. Setting the white-haired girl down, Erza marched up to the blockage, her expression cold and furious.
Summoning one of her toughest swords, the redhead began attacking the rocks that blocked her way, hacking and slashing mercilessly. Sparks flew as steel met stone and the noise following made an awful racket.
"Uh…I don't think that's going to get us anywhere Erza…" Lucy said sheepishly. Instead, she reached for her Gate Keys and pulled one off her ring. "Let me try something. Open, Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!"
"You called, Princess?" As Lucy instructed her Celestial Spirit to dig an escape tunnel, the red-furred Exceed Aglaia looked around.
"Ohhh, Dia and Phoebus aren't going to be happy about this, no sir…" she remarked sadly. "When they wake up, they're gonna be mad."
"Why do you say that?" Carla asked curiously. The green-eyed cat looked around and sighed.
"This is their home." Aglaia explained. "They live here with Helios and Lumina, in the mountain. They're not going to be happy when they find out their home is ruined; especially Dia."
"They live in this mountain?" Wendy asked incredulously. "Why would they do that? There isn't anything here."
The red-furred feline hopped out of Wendy's arms and walked over to sleeping Dia. Aglaia shook her head as she climbed up into the girl's lap.
"Because this is where Helios and Lumina live." She said simply. "But hey, you guys are guild wizards, right? What're you doing here anyways?"
"We're here for a request." Natsu answered. "Some village called about some stolen stuff. What was it again…? Ferngill? Fenwick..."
"It was 'Fengari Village', you hot-headed moron." Gray deadpanned.
"I was about to say that, Ice Princess!" Natsu shouted.
As the ice and fire mages argued back and forth, Aglaia turned to Happy and Carla. Her tail twitched as the red Exceed bounced up and down.
"I know where that is!" she exclaimed. "If we get out of here, take us with you. The villagers know us, so they'll help Dia and Phoebus."
"Aye!" Happy cried.
"Come on you guys!" Lucy called. "Virgo's dug us a way out. Let's get out of here."
With an excited shout, a pair of white wings appeared on Aglaia's back. She flew past Lucy and down the tunnel, bell jingling merrily.
"No need to tell me twice!" Natsu shouted as he jumped down the hole. The others followed suit, but with more care to accommodate the two unconscious twins. With two bodies as limp as wet noodles, it took a bit of skillful maneuvering to work their way out without any more injuries. Mavis forbid that they make the twins' injuries worse by knocking them against the walls and giving them concussions.
Popping out of the other side, Natsu breathed in and let out an exuberant shout.
"Man, daylight never felt so good!"
"But we haven't been trapped in there for all that long, Natsu." Happy pointed out as he looked over his partner's shoulder. Next to him, Aglaia and Carla looked around.
"So where is this village?" the white-furred feline asked. Aglaia pointed off to the left.
"That way, Miss Carly!"
"My name is Carla!"
"That's what I said…"
Erza followed through in the direction Aglaia pointed and noticed the path was covered by thick foliage in the form of bushes and vine-covered trees. Some of it would have to be cleared before anyone could even think about walking into that mess. After a few seconds of debate, the scarlet-haired Requip mage summoned a sturdy, wide-bladed sword in each hand. She was about to start hacking her way through when the ground began to shake again.
"An earthquake?!" Lucy wailed, hands flying up over her head.
"What's with…!?" Erza was cut off suddenly when something large and heavy whizzed past her head. Natsu and Gray leapt out of the way as a boulder the size of Master Makarov smashed into the cave wall behind them. Another set of boulders came shooting out of the ground as everyone ducked for cover. In seconds, a steady hail of rock began raining down on the wizards, who were trying their best not to get flattened. Not an easy task, mind you, when boulders the size of barrels were being flung at you.
"What the heck?!" Natsu shouted as he kicked a ball-sized stone away from him. He didn't notice that the boulder bounced off Phoebus' stomach, causing the unconscious teen to moan. "Who's throwing rocks at us?"
"Who's there?" a new voice shouted. "Identify yourselves or I'm going to burry you alive!"
"We're wizards from the Fairy Tail guild!" Erza replied heatedly. "You show yourself or we will be forced to take action!"
"Fairy Tail?" There was lots of rustling from within the bushes and the rocks stopped flying immediately. A person emerged from the vegetation, muttering.
"About time you guild wizards showed up. What the hell took you so long?"
Their assailant was actually a girl their age, 18, with deeply tanned skin and a wild mane of chestnut brown hair, swept up into a messy ponytail. Spiky bangs framed a face dominated by a pair of sharp, blazing eyes the color of leaves. The girl was about average height with curvy hips and an otherwise trim body. She had the look of someone who spent most of their days outdoors.
She wore a black vest that stopped at the middle of her ribcage, a green scarf tied in a floppy bow hanging from the collar. Her pants were the same shade of emerald green, made of billowing fabric that were gathered in around her ankles and held in place by a pair of wide, gold bands. There was a wide gold belt sitting low on her hips, with orange gems set in it and orange silk bands on her arms, one on her upper arm and the other on her opposite wrist. An emerald earring dangled from her left earlobe and the girl was barefoot.
"Well, can you prove to me that you come from Fairy Tail?" the girl asked, glaring pointedly at the wizards. Erza was the first one up on her feet.
The redhead stood her ground against the fierce brunette and showed her the blue guild mark on her arm. This seemed to agree with the girl, who relaxed slightly and nodded curtly.
"Good. I'd hate to have to waste my time digging trespassers out of the rocks. But really, what took you so…What the hell?!" The girl's eyes widened as she looked over Erza's shoulder, her gaze falling on the unconscious twins. She shoved past the Requip mage and ran pell-mell, kicking up dust as she slid across the ground.
"The Moon Empress…and the Shinning Sun…" The girl's eyes were as wide as plates as she stared at the twins in shock. "They've been freed…Who released the Solaris twins? Answer me now!"
"M-Me and N-Natsu did…" Wendy stammered. The blue-haired girl let out a squeak as the girl's green eyes fixed on her brown ones. "Is everything alright…?"
The girl, looking back and forth between Wendy and Natsu, muttered something under her breath before composing herself.
"Wait until everyone sees this..." She chuckled. Clearing her throat, the girl stood up and brushed the dust off of her pants.
"Please, follow me to the village. Our elders will be able to explain everything to you, including your mission. We will also take care of any injuries you or the Solaris twins may have sustained. This way, quickly." She turned around and made to walk back into the brush before stopping. "My name's Hero, by the way. Hero Lykos."
"Hero?" Natsu repeated with a snort. "What kind of name is that?"
"You got a problem, Pinkie?" Hero growled. "I suppose you have a better one, don't you?"
Natsu was about to snap back at her, but stopped when Lucy elbowed him sharply in the ribs. The blonde Celestial mage smiled apologetically.
"Don't mind Natsu," she said hurriedly. "I'm Lucy. That's Erza, Gray, Wendy, Happy, Carla, and Aglaia." Hero simply grunted as Lucy pointed out everyone. When she got to Aglaia, she smiled slightly.
"It's good to see you again, Aglaia. I don't suppose you recognize me, do you?" The red-furred Exceed blinked owlishly at the brunette before letting out an excited shout.
"Hero!" Aglaia flew up to Hero and stared at her in wonder. "Y-You're so big! What happened?"
Hero scratched the feline behind one of her ears. "I guess you didn't know, but you and the twins have been asleep for a long time, Aglaia. Just you wait until you see the village. Everyone will be so happy to see you three."
Picking up the cat and setting her on her shoulder, Hero marched off into the brush without a second glance to the Fairy Tail wizards. Natsu snorted angrily as he slung one of Phoebus' arms over his shoulder.
"Could have at least gave us a hand with these two." He muttered. Lucy shrugged as she took the other arm and the two hefted the blond up.
"Maybe she's just having an off-day or something?"
"That does not excuse her from being rude." Carla said crossly. Beside her, Happy nodded.
"That is none of our concern right now." Erza pulled Dia's limp body onto her back and straightened. "Let's follow her."
As the group went to catch up with the hot-tempered brunette, Wendy cast a final glance back at the mountain. The young bluenette's brow furrowed. Something had been bugging her ever since Natsu had found the plaque.
I'm sure I've heard the names Helios and Lumina before, she thought. But where?
"Wendy, come on!" Carla called. The Sky Dragon Slayer shook herself and turned back.
"Coming!"
…
"So, Hero, are you supposed to be some sort of wizard?" Gray shrugged as the brunette looked back at him. "You were the one throwing rocks at us, weren't you?"
"As a matter of fact, I am." Hero said proudly. "I come from a long line of Earth wizards. There aren't many magic-users in our village, so I'm one of the few wizards among our fighters…Where did your shirt go?" Hero stared at the Ice-make wizard like he had another arm growing out of his chest. Gray cursed vehemently, and the brunette glanced over at Erza. "I take it that's normal?"
The redhead nodded. "You get used to it. Hero, may I ask you something?"
"Eh, why not? Shoot."
Erza's eyes glanced back at the white-haired girl on her back. "You said that these two, Dia and Phoebus, had been sleeping for a long time. How long, exactly?"
Hero kept her eyes forward, trained on the sandy path ahead of her. Her hair bounced with each step and the sun shining through the trees cast a shadow over her face, obscuring her eyes.
"A long time. It's gotta be at least…" Hero tilted her head and cracked a grin. "Oh! Here we are, Fairies. Welcome to Fengari Village."
Just up ahead was the entrance to a rather large village. Wooden poles with strong vines woven loosely between them were fashioned into a fence. The gateway was crafted from carved wood, as was its intricately detailed doors. As Hero led the Fairy Tail wizards through the entryway, they marveled at the village.
It was enormous, nearly the size of Magnolia and filed with cabins and huts of all shapes and sizes. Long, log cabins were painted and decorated with bright textiles hung from their windows and over doorways. Grass huts dotted the wide main street as people walked to and fro. Borders of small stones formed the outer edges of dirt roads that all seemed to lead to the center of the village where there was a circle of benches around a tall palm tree. This was where Hero led the group of wizards, attracting the attention of the villagers.
Most of the islanders were like Hero, athletic and brimming with energy. Everyone from the children to the elderly had healthy-looking skin, ranging from lightly tanned to as dark as coffee beans, with either black or varying shades of brown hair. Most of them had some sort of tattoo and their clothing was a bright as their buildings.
But as the Fairy Tail mages entered, all the villagers stopped dead in their tracks. Women halted their weaving or chatting. A group of men with war-paint-decorated faces stopped their conversation and stared. Even the children, and there were a great many, froze in the middle of playing with wooden toys and leather balls to look at these new strangers. People began to make their way over to the strangers, eyeing them curiously and pointing and whispering. Small children twittered about happily, getting close views of the exciting new strangers. One small toddler peered up at Wendy and waved shyly, causing the Sky Dragon Slayer to giggle and wave back.
Erza noticed a group of women huddled of in a corner, pointing and whispering. Following their gazes, the redhead noticed that they were watching the unconscious Solaris twins. Their eyes looked shocked and amazed and Erza's curiosity grew.
"About time you showed up, Hero!" A deep voice called. Hero sighed and began muttering to herself.
"Um, what's wrong?" Lucy asked.
The villagers parted as a young man walked up, a fishing pole slung over his shoulder. He was tall and well-built, with a copper skin and a shaggy mess of chocolate-brown hair held together in a sloppy ponytail. He wore only a pair of baggy pants and an arm-guard and sported a tattoo of a sun on his left shoulder. His eyes were the same green color as Hero's, and shone as he smiled jovially. This smile became even brighter when he noticed the Fairy Tail wizards along with Hero.
"Oh, who are these guys?"
Hero gestured impatiently at the man.
"Orion, where are Grandmother and Grandfather?" she asked. "This is important."
Mumbling in confusion, Orion fixed the brunette with a blank stare. Then his eye caught sight of Aglaia, and the yellow-and-white haired boy being supported behind Hero. His eyes widened for a second and he swore under his breath.
"All of you, this way." Tossing his fishing pole to one of the villagers, Orion led the others to a cabin at the very back of the village. Smoke billowed out of the chimney and the scent of bread baking greeted the group as they neared the door. Hero was first up the stairs and pounded on the door.
"Grandmother, Grandfather!" she bellowed. "Open up, quickly!"
"Will someone please explain to me what's going on here?" Natsu exclaimed. Orion turned and smiled nervously.
"I take it you guys found these two then?" When he got the affirmative, his smile was replaced by a frown. "Well, you see…"
"You have found our missing wizards…"
At the sound of the old, scratchy voice, everyone turned back to the cabin. Standing in the doorway, next to Hero, was a solemn old man with thick gray hair and a matching beard. His face was heavily lined, but his dark eyes were as sharp as a tack. He was dressed in somber robes, leather sandals, and there was an intricate necklace hanging around his shoulders. It looked like it was made of wood and some kind of bone, with a central pendant carved into a sun and a moon.
"I am Okeanos Lykos," the old man said. "I am the leader of this village and one of the people who put up the request that brought you to this island. I see that you have already met my grandchildren, Hero and Orion, not to mention Diana and Phoebus Solaris and Aglaia."
Lucy nodded. "Yes, but can you tell us what's going on? We found them, up in the mountain."
Okeanos nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but another voice cut him off.
"Of course my dear. Please, why don't you all come in and my husband and I will answer all of your questions."
A kind-looking old woman stepped out into view, her gray-streaked hair braided with blue ribbons and beads. She wore silver and blue robes that resembled those of a priestess, with a similar necklace around her neck. Her green eyes were calm and gentle, though it shocked the mages of Fairy Tail when they saw the long bandages wrapped around her head. Clearly, this woman had been injured recently. Okeanos looked at his wife reproachfully.
"Hestia, please. You should be in bed after what has happened." Hestia Lykos waved him off with a wry smile.
"Nonsense. These children have come here to answer the request we put out, and they have returned the twins to us. It is only right that I be here for this. Now please, all of you, follow me."
Turning around, Hestia made her way back into the house with everyone in tow. The elderly woman led them to a sort of living room, large enough for the group to move about comfortably. The furniture was simple but sturdy and the walls were decorated with hunting weapons, carvings, and photographs. Hestia had everyone sit around the fireplace while she pulled out two mats and gestured to her grandchildren.
"Please, dears, put the twins on those and I'll take a look at them."
"So I take it these two are from your village then?" Gray asked.
Okeanos nodded. "In a matter of speaking, yes. Originally, Diana and Phoebus lived in this village ever since they were small. They moved into the mountains later, and Aglaia came soon after. But they have always been treasured members of this village. But tell me, how was it that they were released from the crystal?"
"You knew they were in that lacrima?" Erza asked. The old man nodded gravely.
"Yes. Fourteen years ago, the twins and Aglaia disappeared. We looked everywhere for them, but they were nowhere to be found."
"I found them while I was up in the caves." Hero added seriously as she stroked Aglaia's fur. "I was just a kid then, but three of them have always been important members of our village. I thought they might be up there and I was right…"
"We had begun to lose hope," Hestia added. "That we would never see them free again. How did you break the seal?"
"Dragon Slayer magic." Carla answered from her spot on the floor next to Wendy. "Wendy and Natsu practice Dragon Slayer magic, and they were the ones who managed to break through the lacrima."
The white Exceed's words had a peculiar effect on the villagers. Okeanos and Hestia looked up sharply, eyes fixed on the two wizards in question. Hero paled, and Orion looked back and forth between Natsu, Wendy, and the Solaris twins. It was Aglaia who eventually spoke up, dashing over to the two Dragon Slayers.
"For real?" she exclaimed. "Are you really Dragon Slayers?!"
"Uh, yeah? So what?" Natsu asked as the small feline pushed her face against his.
"That explains so much." Orion said slowly. "No wonder nothing worked. We were trying the wrong tactics…"
"What do you mean?" Lucy asked. "What explains what?"
Okeanos chuckled. "All in good time, child. But for this, you have our most sincerest thanks. Now then—"
"Uh…Wh-Where am I?" a silvery voice asked drowsily.
Hestia gasped and Hero's jaw dropped. Everyone whirled around and stared at the far corner of the room.
Two sets of eyes stared back, blinking through sleep and confusion. A pair with a golden left eye and a silver right one, and another pair with the opposite colors.
Dia and Phoebus Solaris were awake.
so what do you think? bad, good? let me hear it.
-mariposablossom: i'm glad you're enjoying this so far. ^^ and thanks, i'm glad my characters are good. Dia's dress is pretty big, and luckily that's only a special occassion kind of thing. Aglaia is the same size as Carla. and that's cool, Melanie is a pretty good character. she's actually one of my favorites in the story so far. ^^
well, that's all for now. Read and Review, and thanks! BYE!