Induced Silence, chapter 4
Team Natsu followed their new comrade out of town and toward the hills. The terrain was uneven and rocky, making progress slow. The sun was finally coming out, breaking up the cloud cover. Glancing up, Yonaguni said, "Sweet! That'll warm up the swim hole ahead." "Do we really have time for a swim break?", asked Lucy. "There's always time for a swim break!", proclaimed Yona. "A little exercise, a little fun, and a chance to show off the goods!", she stated proudly. "What's the matter, princess? Shy? We can just get that out the way. Natsu! Come over here and slap her ass!" "What?!", exclaimed Lucy, blushing brightly. Yona snickered at the discomfort she had once again caused. "What? No good? You can always slap mine instead", she ventured, trying to contain her laughter. "Let's just go", sighed Erza, pressing forward. An hour or two later, the lake came into view. Despite the tensions, everyone was impressed at how easily Yona managed to catch fish. One by one, the slippery creatures flew from the surface of the water toward the waiting group. After eating their fill, everyone scattered about to relax. Lucy had gone off to the edge of the area where Erza followed to have a talk about their guest. Gray and Natsu were taking turns skipping stones over the water, each trying to out do the other. Yona snored loudly in the middle of everything leaving Juvia to her own devices.
Deep in the sea dragon slayer's subconscious, memories invaded her dreams. The past seemed like it had only just happened. The young girl sat her mother's feet, playing with her doll. Her mother silently knitted in her chair. Her father was due home from work any time now and her older sister was nose deep in her latest novel. The door swung open and in strolled her worn father. "Papa!", cried her sister, rushing forward to great him. Yona watched in silence, blushing faintly. She adored her sibling. They were several years apart, but that just showed how much smarter and more refined her sister was in comparison. Her sister could read, sing, dance, even play piano. Yona, on the other hand, was barely four and seemed to tumble through life. She hated the pigtails her mother braided into her hair each morning, wanting instead to go wrestle with the boys down the street. She watched everyone go about their business as usual. When night had fallen, her sister tucked her in. "What do you want me to read to you tonight, Yonachan? How about 'Sleeping Beauty'?" Yona eyed her sibling suspiciously. "Is that another princess story?", she asked cautiously. Her sister chuckled and smiled kindly. "Yes, but it also has an evil witch", she assured. Yona begrudgingly agreed. As she drifted off to sleep, she watched her sister's graceful lips speak eloquently. The last bit of light from the lantern always reflected off of her necklace as she kissed her little sister goodnight. What was that stupid pendant anyway? For once, it took shape. It looked like a key...
Back in reality, Gray tapped Yona's face. "Wake up. We need to get moving." Sitting up with a yawn, she glanced toward Lucy. Shaking the dreams from her mind, she let Gray help her to her feet. "I thought your hands would be colder", she stated sleepily. "Juvia's hands could be warmer", said the water mage, blushing. "That's why you have pockets", noted Gray. With a smirk, Yona stepped close to Juvia and whispered something in her ear. Gray shook his curiosity at Juvia's now beet red face and walked ahead. "Juvia can't do that", she stammered. Yona simply shrugged. "Just a suggestion. Who knows? It might get his attention." Once everyone was prepared, they pressed on. It would be at least a day before they reached the caverns.
That night, the group sat around their camp fire. Without the buildings to block the wind, it was getting pretty cold. Yona stared at the flames intently. Happy looked on in interest. Turning abruptly, she said, "Dance with me!" "Eh?" She swept the feline up and moved about the fire fluidly, her movements mimicking the flames. "That was random", smirked Gray. "Don't be a hater. I dance with my friends all of the time", retorted Yona, still enraptured by an inaudible rhythm. "It's really not the same without their music", she sighed. "Your exceeds play music?", inquired Erza. Not missing a step, Yona replied, "Ronen does. He has a fiddle that he totally rocks out on. Rani sings like an angel." Erza smiled softly to herself. Despite all of the trouble Yona had stirred up, she still missed her friends deep down. Noticing Lucy shiver, Natsu passed over his beloved scarf. He was warm enough without it, after all. "When was the last time you saw them?", he asked. Yonaguni finally paused, holding Happy tightly to her chest. "Almost a week ago", she said softly. With a sigh, she returned the exceed to the ground and took a seat. Placing a gentle paw on her knee, he offered, "I'm sure you'll find them soon." Yona gave a faint grin and patted his head. Without warning, a strange sound belted out from the shadows. "What was that?!", asked Lucy, hiding behind Natsu. "Soul stealers", replied Yona calmly. Erza drew her sword and stared into the night. "How many?", she asked. Yona shrugged, "No more than three." The sound echoed across again. It was hollow and harsh on the ears. It literally scratched its way into your mind. "Shouldn't we do something?", inquired Lucy, still unnerved. Yona lilted her head, listening carefully. "Doesn't sound like they're coming this way", she offered. "Guess that one didn't get the memo", said Gray, eying an approaching shadow. Mist flowed into the fire light. The creature was huge, at least nine feet in height. It loomed over Erza. She took a swing at it, but her blade seemed to simply pass through the beast. Its eyes glowed not with rage, but with anticipation. It was staring at Juvia. "What do we do, Gray-sama?", she whispered. Before anyone else could react, Yona stepped in front of the demon and stared it down. Slowly, it's eyes focused on her. A strange sound emanated from the creature. Everyone but the water mages covered their ears in pain. Juvia panicked over Gray. Yona simply kept staring. When the noise stopped, everyone looked up, ready to fight. A dark energy seemed to drift into the area. Then, the creature fell dead to the ground. Fluids oozed from what could be referred to as ears. Stepping near the corpse, Natsu, inquired, "What did you do?". "What was that awful noise?", added Lucy, still clutching one ear. Erza sheathed her blade and waited for answers. "Well?" Yona looked to Juvia who nodded in agreement. "That 'noise' was it trying to communicate", explained Yona. Gray glanced to Juvia. "Did either of you understand it?" Yona shook her head. "It's dead now. Let's get some sleep." Happy stood behind Lucy's leg, carefully watching the beast for movement.
An hour later, most of the group was sound asleep. Lucy laid close to Erza, Happy between them. Yona flicked some dead grass into the fire. Juvia watched her closely. "How did you kill it?" Yona smirked. "You haven't figured it out?" Juvia slowly shook her head. "You and me, we're water mages, right?" Juvia nodded. "Living creatures all have water in their bodies", stated Yona. Juvia's eyed grew wide. "You didn't..." Yona gave her knowing grin. "You should be able to do it, too." Juvia shuddered. She didn't like the idea of manipulating an opponent's blood, let alone imploding their brains. Her smile fading, Yona turned back to the fire. "You do what you have to in order to survive out here." Silence drifted in and soon enough they, too, passed into dreams.
The next morning, Natsu yawned. Only when he went to stretch did he realize someone was leaning onto him. Craning his neck, he spotted Yona. She'd wrapped one arm over his torso and snuggled in close. Unsure exactly why, his vision darted toward Lucy. She was watching in silence, folding up her blankets. Carefully dislodging his 'guest', he tried to act casually. Approaching his team mate, he said, "Lucy, you're up early." She ignored him. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Did you sleep well?" Slowly pausing her work, she said, "I didn't know you two were such good friends already." He glanced back to Yona who had now fully claimed his bed, unsure what to say. "What? That? I didn't even notice her." Erza interrupted further dialogue, approaching with a pair of fresh rabbits. "Natsu, you're up. Get the fire back up, will you?". He nodded and followed her, knowing he couldn't say anything to fix the tension with Lucy. Why was she mad, anyway?
Hours later, the group made it to the mouth of the valley. Bizarre crystals stuck up from the rocks. Natsu thought they were cool while Yona had seen them before and was uninterested. Everyone else remembered Asra and how they had almost lost their friend. "Natsu, don't touch that!", snapped Erza. Unaware of what was causing the group's unease, Yona said, Come on. It's not far now." They pressed on. A few hundred yards into the valley, a network of caves became visible. Openings and crevices dotted the landscape. That horrible sound from the night before echoed around them. Happy nervously rode on Natsu's shoulder, ready to hide under his scarf at a moment's notice. Juvia huddled close to Gray who did his best to ignore her again encroaching on his space. Erza scanned the area carefully. It was possible they were in the midst of the nest. Natsu focused on a weak scent he'd picked up from the breeze. "You caught it, too?", inquired Yona. He nodded. "What is it?", asked Lucy. "It smells like death", replied Natsu grimly. "Everyone stay close", said Erza. They moved slowly, but cautiously. At a split in the path, they decided it best to follow Natsu's nose. It hadn't steered them wrong yet. As they continued, he started to cover his nose with a sickly expression. Yona said, "It smells like rotten eel guts out here", making a face of her own. They ultimately came to the end of the path. Two caverns lay before them. The smell was too strong to differentiate now. "They likely both lead down", stated Erza. "It doesn't look like the paths are connected", observed Lucy. "Should we split up?", asked Yona. Glances were exchanged. It was dangerous prospect. Eventually, they decided. Erza, Yona, and Gray would take the left path. Natsu, Lucy, Juvia, and Happy would take the right. "Be careful down there", said Erza. Natsu nodded. It was time to face the depths.
To be continued...
