THE ROAR OF SILENCE: ZEREF'S PLAN
CHAPTER 03: THE LION'S DAUGHTER
"I am Asleha, daugher of Leo, the King of the Zodiacs and a member of Fairy Tail."
Levy froze, Mira squealed while Lucy's mouth formed a small 'o'.
"Lucy, you didn't tell me you had a daughter this big!" Mira squealed, going heart-eyed.
"Mira!" Lucy said. It was so like Mira to bypass the main situation.
Lucy looked at the girl with renewed interest. She looked shy and slightly afraid though there was a blazing fire in her eyes. Come to think of it, her hair, her eyes, that ghost of a really familiar smile...
"You seriously look like the daughter of someone I know," Lucy mused, fingering her Leo key.
"But," Levy interjected. "How the Fairy Tail mark?"
Lucy noticed Asleha's left hand. Of course, the mark was as visible as daylight.
"I don't remembering seeing you around," Alzack muttered while Bisca nodded in agreement.
"I agree," Mira nodded, serious for once. "Alzack, Bisca and I have been for pretty long—and for the seven years we were absent, the Connells can vouch. Who marked you?"
Asleha looked around, the blaze intensifying.
"The first master of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermilion."
Happy grumbled as he stir the bubbling stew. It was sooo like Natsu to dump him the work of cooking dinner and go out to cool off himself. But, as he carefully separated the stew into two individual bowls and generously topped his portion with grilled fish bits, Natsu was acting strange. Not since this morning, since the mission. He hoped whatever it was, it smoothed out soon.
Natsu lounged under the tree, the cool, rough bark feeling strangely comforting against his back. He drew his knees closer to his chest as hugged them tight, burying his face. The ache in his chest as dulled, but it was still intense enough to be mildly painful. He wished he could talk with Igneel right now—there was so much to ask...
He exhaled out loud, as if trying to throw out his uneasiness but without success.
Lucy...
Did he honestly fall in love with her?
He remembered the conversation he had with Jellal the last time he visited the guild.
"That wasn't much of a guilt, ya know," Natsu grinned, slapping the older man on his back.
"Hey Natsu, easy with those pats," Jellal grumbled good-naturedly as he bumped fists with the pink-haired Dragonslayer. "Hard to say but yeah, I think I have loved Erza since the first time I saw her...I always wanted to protect her, be the reason for her smiles."
Jellal turned to face him, his face carrying a sad smile.
"Looks like I always made her cry more times than I made her laugh."
Natsu looked a bit uncomfortable as an image of a blonde girl with chocolate brown eyes materialized in front of him. He remembered the fear that had plagued him after the battle they had with Phantom Lord—what if he was just a couple of moments late the time Lucy jumped off the Phantom Lord HQ? She would have died...
He shook his head, trying to eliminate his old nightmare.
Of course not! Nothing can happen to Lucy as long as he was alive! Lucy was his nakama after all!
Another thought sneaked into his mind before he could squish it—was Lucy just a nakama?
"Exactly how old are you, Asleha?" Lucy exclaimed, jumping up on her feet.
"I am part Celestial Spirit, part human. So time doesn't affect me," Asleha said flatly, sounding almost bored. "I had stopped ageing after I attained the physique of a seventeen-years old female. Though I am susceptible to diseases and flesh wounds, my healing capacity is greater than a normal human. I am sturdy, I guess. As for age, I think I stopped counting after I turned five hundred last decade."
That made Gajeel and Elfman join the little group, curiosity getting the better of them.
"What the hell?" Gajeel growled. "You are a freaking grandma!"
"Watch your mouth, spawn of Metallicana!" Asleha sneered, jumping up on her feet. "You lookin for a fight pal?"
"Gajeel, quiet!" Levy hissed ferociously, prompting the Iron Dragonslayer to calm down. Elfman stood at the head of the table, his brows furrowed in thought.
"But how is this related to the meeting the Master went to attend?" he asked.
"And how did you know Metalicana taught me?" Gajeel demanded, ignoring Levy's furious look for the moment.
"As for the second question," Asleha began, beating Alzack to the answer. "You stink of dragons...I can recognise that nuisance of a magic anywhere. And as for the first question..."
She looked around, her eyes softening a little.
"You know, you are exactly the way Master Mavis envisioned the future of Fairy Tail," she said softly. Everyone was surprised at the sudden change of her tone, but her words couldn't help but put a smile on everyone's face.
"Crazy to the extreme, loyal to the core...that's how Master Mavis used to describe the guild in those days," she continued reminiscing, her eyes clouding slightly.
"Well, that's who we are," Mira chuckled. "You are our nakama, after all. And whatever it is, we will find a way."
"Yes of course. Let me get to the crux of the matter," Asleha said seriously.
"I am actually a historian in this age, and I was currently researching ancient alchemy in the Xiang-Hua Kingdom, a country to the north of Fiore. Two weeks ago, I came across an old document which I could estimate to be around two centuries old. The document, had it been discovered a couple of years ago, would have held no significance. But today, it seems pretty important. And especially after what happened last year."
She coughed lightly before continuing.
"It was a birth record sheet of kids born some five hundred years ago. But there was one name that jumped out—Zen Xiang Fa. Born to Mayrin Fa and Yao Lan Fa."
Everyone looked puzzled but a slow light of recognition began lighting up Lucy's eyes. Suddenly, she had a bad feeling about this.
"Zeref," Lucy whispered.
Asleha nodded, oblivious to other's shocked looks before continuing.
"Yao Lan Fa was a false name, I knew that. Thus, I began to search the true identity of the father. But when I uncovered the fact, it was as if knowledge itself was seeking to mock me."
She fisted up her hands, as if trying to gather her remaining courage before continuing.
"Yao Lan Fa was none other than the Spirit King himself."
Lucy clapped her hands to her mouth in horror as the others froze. A loud thud announced that Elfman had fallen to his knees, his legs giving way in shock.
"And how do you know Yao Lan Fa was a false name?" Levy whispered.
"Mayrin Fa was my aunt. My mother was her younger sister, Ying Fa," Asleha replied heavily.
"You didn't know that Zeref was...well, your cousin?" Lucy said awkwardly.
"Zen's father left when he was two, and his mother took him away to some other city. Technically, I never saw him since he had been taken away by the time I was born. And I certainly did not know my uncle was the Spirit King," she answered. "Union between humans and Celestial Spirits is a taboo, but both my father and the Spirit King broke it. And I am angry because my father got punished for his...whatever you can term the activity while that stupid Mustachio got scot free!"
She certainly resembled Loke at the moment, her hair poofing out the same way his did when he lost his temper.
Lucy looked slightly puzzled, rubbing her temples to alleviate the slight headache.
"But how come Loke never told us?" Levy asked, sounding slightly confused.
"He couldn't. He broke the law, he was punished with a century in prison and I became something akin to a topic of hushed discussions," said Asleha in a low voice. "It is the biggest taboo...do you think any Celestial Spirit Mage would create a contract with him after they hear about this incident?"
Bisca gave her a one-armed squeeze.
"It must have had been hard for you, all these years," she said softly.
"I wouldn't mind!" Lucy exclaimed, slamming her fist on to the table and making everyone jump. "Loke's my friend. I would have helped that idiotic Lion instead!"
"So, coming back to the point," Asleha began, finally cracking a smile. "I left my work and proceeded to come back to Magnolia as fast as I could. But apparently, some Dark Guild got the wind about me and almost chased me into jumping from the cliff when Alzack and Bisca rescued me. It was so frustrating, not able to defend myself when I knew I could have taken care of them with a single blow."
"Umm...why?" Mira asked.
"My brand of magic is way too unique...I can be easily recognized. But it was all in vain as that Dark Guild finally realised that I wasn't a Celestial Spirit mage but a half-Spirit. Rumours travel fast and I guess every Guild must know about me by now," said Asleha gloomily.
"But what I ain't getting is," said Gajeel, scratching his forehead. "What's the big deal?"
Asleha stared coolly at him, her eyes narrowing.
"I am a curio, one of a kind...some will see me as an abomination, some as a lab rat. And certainly not as a sentient being, you idiot," she said angrily.
"Watch y'ur mouth, grandma!" Gajeel yelled.
"Stop asking stupid questions, you idiot!" she yelled back.
"Gajeel, Asleha, calm down," Mira sighed. "Whatever it is, let's sleep over it. The Guestroom upstairs is empty, you can stay there, Asleha. Hopefully when Master comes tomorrow, we will find a solution. It's past midnight, time you guys went home."
Lucy checked her watch, realizing that Mira was indeed right. It was almost one in the morning. She yawned, stretching her limbs. She suddenly cringed when she thought of her mental promise of dropping in by Natsu's place.
It is already late, besides he would be asleep, she mused as she waved goodbye to the others and began walking towards her apartment.
I will check on him first thing tomorrow morning.
A/N: Loke's got a kid? And what's up with Natsu?
Fairy Tail does know how to attract trouble, doesn't it?
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Till next time!
ANIME DAISUKI!