I do not own FT, all rights go to Hiro Mashima and all that jazz.
Geopolitics and Cake
On a different ship in a different part of the sea, two men stood straight at the bow. One had a hash mark like scar lining his left cheek and the other wore his hair in a knot at the nape of his neck and a stern expression (maybe it was the glasses). Both wore blue uniforms and had white capes fluttering behind them. The uniforms displayed the insignia of the Rune Knights: the soldiers of the Magic Council. Each man had a silver rapier hanging at their waste- the handles etched with intricate designs.
"Every day, more and more pirate ships cross into these water," the man with the glasses spoke with steely anger, "and there's nothing we can do about it." His fist shook, balled with anger, and he let out a deep breath. He stretched out his fingers in an attempt to calm himself.
His partner looked at him, and let his rigid composure fall. He rested his arms on the rail and let his back slump.
"It's a pirate's dream to reach the Red Sea, Lahar," the other man commented, "This place is like a Cathedral to a thief. We can't get them here- it's practically lawless."
"I know Doranbolt-" the man was interrupted by a pointed look from the other," Mest, but it makes me angry how we're on such a tight leash!" By now Lahar's military composure had also been dropped and the man let his anger and frustration lace his words.
Mest sighed, "You know we can't do anything without the council's permission-"
"And the council doesn't have the power to give permission here." Lahar finished with a glare at the distance, "But of all the places we get assigned to, we get sent here with just this ship in the biggest and dangerous sea. We're practically useless here!" When Lahar was assigned to keep watch in the Red Sea, his pride had been slightly dented. Wasn't he more important to the council than this?! He was a captain for God's sake!
"Small world, big risks." Mest listlessly shrugged.
Lahar scoffed, "Pretty damn big world to me."
Earthland was split into three continents; Fiore, Alverez, and Edolas. Edolas was mostly unexplored area and was generally viewed as uncharted territory. That is, until Alvarez started growing and claiming much of Edolas. Alverez had originally been a small continental kingdom with a struggling economy. Then the old king stepped down and a new one took the reins.
Under the new rule, Alveraz conquered lands and claimed half of the Edolas continent. Fiore, in an attempt to keep its land, made a deal with the growing continent; Alverez could have the entire Red Sea as long as they left Fiore alone. The empire agreed, and Fiore was safe. Alverez took the Red Sea and labeled it a National Grey Area, or in other words, No Man's land. Governments, other than the Empire's, were rendered practically powerless. The Red Sea, and all of its island inhabitants, soon became its own unofficial continent (though the technical definition of a continent involves the word "land") with Alverez silently presiding over it.
"I just don't get why we're even here…" Mest trailed off. He knew the Council couldn't do anything here, unless, of course, they wanted to wage a war with Alverez.
"I guess we have to do as much as we're able, at the least," Lahar's current anger had subsided as he went back his calm and put together composure.
"But we can't actually take people in, unlike Bounty Hunters. All we can do is stop a crime from happening." Mest didn't completely understand the politics of it all, everything just seemed fucked up.
Lahar faced Mest with a glimmer in his eye, "Yes, but we can chase our wanted criminals into places that we have jurisdiction."
"True, but we have to deal with those pesky Bounty Hunters," Mest pointed out.
"Always swooping in and taking our criminals, just for the money," Lahar admitted, it got pretty annoying.
"I swear they're like the Mafia," Mest chuckled.
"...The what?" Lahar's face contorted in confusion.
"Er, it's a book."
"Oh," Lahar nodded.
The two men stood leaning on the rail looking off into the distance in a comfortable silence. Lahar turned on his heel, his cape fluttering behind him, and regally walked to his office.
Mest looked back with a startled expression, "Are we still carrying out your plan?"
"We leave arrive in Hargeon in a week." Lahar looked over his shoulder with a determined expression.
Mest nodded and he too heaved himself up to continue with his work.
He just hoped the bounty hunters wouldn't get away like the last time….
~x~
In yet another ship, this one docked at a harbor, a young woman sneezed. She rubbed her nose as her friend gave her a concerned "bless you."
"Are you not well?" her friend asked, eyebrows creased with concern.
"Oh it's nothing Erza," the girl waved the other's concerned off with a dismissive tone.
Erza looked up with a playful smile, "You know Lucy…"
Lucy hummed back in response.
"A stranger in a bar once told me that when you sneeze like that, someone somewhere is talking about you.''
Lucy raised her eyebrows, "Someone's talking about me behind my back!" She feigned anger.
Erza snorted, "Oh no, We can't have that! We shall find this fiend and make him atone for his crime!" She planted her fist on her desk with a sense of joking affirmation.
Both girls erupted into hysterical laughter.
A knock was heard at the cabin door.
"Erza, I have your cake-."
Erza stopped her laughing and shouted, "THANK YOU BISCA!"
The redhead jumped out of her chair and quickly opened the door to escort her sniper in.
"I also have some new bounty posters," Bisca said after she placed a slice of strawberry cake in front of Erza, whose mouth was watering.
Lucy perked up, "Oh really? Let's go! I need more rent money."
"Lucy, why do you need rent money? You live on this boat." Bisca handed the bounty posters to the awaiting blonde.
"I have a family to support too you know." Lucy flipped through the posters. "Why must all these pirates be so attractive?! Oh, wait- nevermind."
Bisca laughed as she exited the room.
"OH MY GOD ERZA RAISE THE SAILS!" Lucy exclaimed as she practically jumped onto Erza's desk.
Said woman was relishing her cake and looking up with a startled expression. "Why Lucy?"
Lucy spoke with a frantic and excited voice, "There's a crew that has a combined bounty of over 100 million jewels!"
Erza nearly spit out her cake. "What is the crew called?"
"The Fairy Tail Pirates, and they pirate the ship called the, Fairy Tail?" Lucy trailed off in confusion.
"Why would they name their ship after the crew?" Erza asked while placing her fork down.
"How should I know?" Lucy continued, "Anyway, their first mate is named Laxus Dreyer and thier captain is a, Jellal Fernandes- is that how you pronounce it?"
Lucy's bewilderment was interrupted by the sound of metal clanging against a plate. She looked up in surprise to see Erza's fork on her plate and the last bit of cake untouched.
"Erza?" Lucy asked tentatively, "Is something wrong?"
With a shaky voice Erza said, "No, everything's fine." She pushed her unfinished cake away
"Are you sure?" Lucy was worried, "You never leave your cake unfinished."
Erza breathed in, "Lucy, please leave."
"But Erz-"
"Just go." Erza's voice became steely and Lucy got up to leave.
As Lucy left, Erza got up to look at the bounty posters.
Lucy felt a tremor of fear, for when the mighty Scarlet Severer became this way, not everyone was safe.
She quickly made her way out of the office and onto the deck. When she closed the door, she heard a frustrated growl and the sound of a knife hitting a wall.
Had she gone back in, she would have seen a bounty poster displaying the face of the Fairy Tail captain pinned to the cabin wall with a knife sticking out of the neck.
And done.
Characters being OOC but it's fanfiction and I'm not good at writing soooo.
As of now this has been the longest chapter so far so yay!
One thing about this story you should know; character's roles in this fic aren't entirely based on who they are in the anime or manga, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, feel free to comment and give me constructive criticism.
~Shad