SORRY! It seemed like their supposed meeting is postponed. I just had to put these scenes though. No. No fillers. It's pure part of the plot. Voila. Enjoy!


CHAPTER SEVEN – Mission


The current winter in the north doesn't do much to affect the climate right down in the south. The City Without Sound had not fallen victim to Magnolia's freezing weather – the current blizzard as such – and stands still as one enormous gigantic hot terrain of sand.

Its heat never ceases in the day, but lowers a great temperature when twilight breaks down in the horizon. Despite its great amount of sand, this city still has its wooden articulation – its oasis – and thus, people make a living out of oil, wood and other jungle vegetation.

And within that wildwood, a certain someone takes his time perfecting his techniques to hone his skills for the upcoming assignment. An assignment requires bloodshed. He thoroughly remembers his teacher's words; words that make his very being – as far as he knows.

He held his forearms together in two separate fists facing each other's fingers and slowly draws them back to his torso. He shuts both his eyes as he inhales one deep breath and utters words that brought about subzero emanation to his surroundings. His fists glowed viridian-colored smoke as chunk of frozen ice emerged from them and a hollow growl escaped its assumed mouth.

The chunk of viridian ice insinuated a tiger and locked its slanted eyes into his. Ice bored into his onyx orbs as it lunges an attack towards him in an instant. He lifted his right arm before the ice creature to stop any attacks – however, it dissipates even before it could even touch him, which earned an irritating tsk from the said man.

"Having troubles with your dynamic ice creatures?" a pink haired girl – around his age – emerges from the bushes and gives him a rough snicker.

His onyx eyes rolled in vexation. He crossed his arms and gave the girl a look. "If you're bored, I'm not interested to play." He turned back to where the ice creature once stood who situated eyes with him earlier.

The girl chuckled. "No worries. I just came by to drop something Ur said you needed to be reminded of for this assignment." He raised an eyebrow at her propaganda. "Tell me then scram away." The girl shifted from her position and gave him a dirty look. "Don't be like that, Lyon." She snickered. He glowered.

"Fine. Fine." She lifted both her arms in defense. "She told me you should never," he face darkened as she put emphasis on the last word. "…let anyone see your face." She finished.

He stood there with a confused expression on his face as he tried to absorb what the girl had just told him. "But I've done so many missions without hiding my face. What difference would – "

"It's her strict order."

At that, Lyon slightly stiffened for a moment before he closed his eyes and shrugged off. "Fine. Now go away. I need to train." His voice stern and irritable.

The pink haired girl beamed a smile at him. Before Lyon could even continue his training, she appeared right before him and handed over a sapphire-colored flora to which he took unconsciously as his eyes were caught by her gaze. As if on cue, his mind came back to him as the pink-haired girl disappeared from his sight leaving simple words behind.

"Settle that on the body after you do your job."

He gritted his teeth in annoyance. His eyes slanted as he narrowed them to look at the flower resting on his hand. Without any hesitation, the flora in his hand limped as it's slowly encompassed by ice and cracked into several pieces like broken glass. A gust of wind visited him as it carried along the pieces of ice that was once a lively flower of blue hue.

"I'm no wretched softie. Damn it!" He annoyingly thought. He could still hear the mocking laughter after she had disappeared into the woods.


A couple of days have passed since Juvia's irrefutable decision that she had come up with. She had agreed upon the marriage – uniting Magnolia and Crocus into one. It was decided upon Makarov that she was to leave the Lockser estate by the time a reply from the Duke was sent to their possession. It would be the signal that both parties have mutual understanding of what was about to happen.

It had taken almost three days for the mutual agreement to commence but a blizzard had unfortunately come its way over the city of Magnolia. Consequently, her leave was postponed for another couple of days until the snowstorm had stopped. She was to depart right after the contract was sent, and present herself before her groom-to-be considering that he had the upper nobility.

Lady or not – the ranking of your noble blood defines your status in society and you are to submit especially in terms of marriage once you've given your word. That was not necessarily a policy in society, but it was means of respect and presentation to other peers of noble blood. A mere mistake can cause your name to be ridiculed by the gossipers all throughout the kingdom.

"Please take care of the land for the meantime, Lord Makarov." She smiled at she looked over the carriage window to see Makarov off.

It had been decided that they were to leave the manor before another blizzard comes again. Makarov was concerned about Juvia's well-being for the trip considering she had never went out of her land to travel – she was much of a homebody. But she insisted anyhow to leave as soon as possible and to avoid making the Duke wait any longer. She knew she had to go – her family's name in line.

"Are you sure you have everything that you need?" Makarov inquired. Juvia nodded.

"Well then old fool, we'll be going." Gajeel nonchalantly waved goodbye to Makarov as he deliberately didn't see Makarov eye-to-eye. He was clearly still pissed with him even after the week that had passed.

"I'm really starting to regret I'd even told Adrian to keep you.. Sigh." Makarov rubbed his temples roughly as he stood at the staircase leading to the manor's door. "And you're really annoying!" Gajeel protested from inside the carriage as a vein popped in his head.

Makarov straightened out and gave Gajeel a warm smile. "Now boy, don't let me down. Protect Lady Juvia at all costs."

Gajeel leaned back at his chair opposite Juvia and managed a snicker. "Hmph. Like I'd need you to tell me that, bald-head."

A vein popped – but this time, at Makarov's forehead. He forced a smile. "Hope I'll never see you again, young man!" Gajeel turned to look at him, a grin present at his face. "All you can do is pray!"

And with that, the carriage carrying the both of them had galloped away leaving Makarov the only one to tend the manor – and take over Magnolia for awhile. He was indeed going to miss those brats; even if they were going to be the end of him someday. He watched the carriage until it was out of sight. He turned back into the manor with one thing on his mind.

He was to delve in deeper to the case of Cornelia Lockser – the previous Countess and her records as an ex-wizard.


Gajeel groaned in his seat for the seventy-sixth time (if that was even possible) during half of the trip they have covered to Crocus.

Though they were only north of Crocus, it would take roughly three days for them to get there as the terrains' sudden change – flat lands to mountains to flat lands and mountains again. It looked as if a never ending cycle of zigzags. So it would probably be understandable (and possible) for Gajeel to groan on his seat for now the seventy-seventh time.

"I really hate carriages." He muttered. Juvia looked over Gajeel for a brief second and gave him a sympathetic look before her eyes darted back again into the book she was reading. Though one may suspect it was a fiction book – but contrary to that, she was actually reading into maps and facts about the other dukedoms and kingdoms in Earthland. She grew curious of other lands before she had departed that on the previous night, she had spent hours on the library, reading.

And she didn't know how interesting it was before.

Interesting how she would soon be able to travel those lands – but with permission of her soon-to-be husband of course. Right, I'm going to be married… she sadly thought. She sighed.

"You okay?" Gajeel looked over at her with little concern in his voice. At least they could talk about something – anything! She had only been reading that blasted book for hours now. I need to talk! Gajeel inwardly thought. He didn't know what was more deadly; the errands he does for Makarov or the fact that he may die of boredom from the trip.

Sure, he'd ridden all over the continent by now, but he never rode carriages. He rode bare horses for heaven's sake! At least those were more challenging and fun than sitting inside a bow that's only been put together by pieces of whatever wood they used. Cursed these stupid carriages.

"Yes. Juvia's alright." She uttered without even giving him much of a glance. See! She's so in to that damned book that she ignores me. He protested.

Without getting much a any reaction from Juvia, Gajeel retreated to look out of the window – dark orange skies humming over the horizon. It was already twilight. By the looks of the terrain they're travelling, there are mostly still flat lands until a mile. They had to get shelter before it gets dark. He looked over his window a little farther to inform their valet to make a stop to any near inn they may drove pass by.

He shouted, but no answer.

"Hey! You! Wait – Listen for a minute!" he shouted. That set Juvia out of her focus. She eyed Gajeel before she looked over the window beside her, it was already getting dark.

"Gajeel-kun, shouldn't we make a stop?" she asked. Gajeel stopped his shouting and turned to look at her over his huge shoulder that was firmly gripping onto the carriage's window stool to keep him from falling. "Yeah, but your valet isn't listening." He looked back onto the creeping darkness and tried to sway the driver once more.

Juvia settled uncomfortably on her seat. She had never experienced spending the night outside of her manor before. She felt rather wearisome at this point – not knowing what she should do. She felt her stomach churn as nervousness and fear slowly engulfs her. She was scared – scared that she's out of her comfort zone and vulnerable to any attack.

Just like 7 years ago – when it was also during darkness that she'd seen an orange sky painting over the horizon as the orange intense flames ate away the remains of some of Magnolia's little towns.

She unconsciously held her hands up between her head, shut her eyes firm and started shivering. Her palms became sweaty and her forehead trickled with cold sweat. She'd dropped her book which had then caught Gajeel's attention.

He rushed over to her side took her hands and forced her to open her eyes. "Juvia! Juvia!" he called out. Her eyes fluttered open – blue met darkness and felt another set of warm hands grasping onto hers. She breathed out. "Gajeel-kun."

"Damn it, woman. Don't scare me like that!" he growled as he went back to his previous position by the window – still trying to get the valet's attention. Suddenly, the carriage jumped a few feet from an impact – probably a huge hump on the ground – and had tumbled back into land as the horses kept galloping onto the trail. Thought he can't see the features of the valet well from the dark, Gajeel could make out his silhouette and noticed him plummet into the ground; and they passed by swiftly by his limped-looking lifeless body.

Lifeless… body.

Something snapped in Gajeel which alerted his senses to possible incoming attack. He tried to worm his way out of the window and drive the horses himself – or both of them may suffer the worse case possible.

"Gajeel-kun?! What are you doing?" Juvia screamed at his careless attempt to get out of the carriage. "I'm trying to save ourselves, if you don't mind!" he shouted back. "What do you mean!?" she asked for an answer. Despite not knowing their circumstances yet, she knew that something was wrong and Gajeel knows why.

Gajeel slightly turned to face Juvia – the carriage uncontrollably rattling at the quick pace the horses had taken after the valet was (probably) knocked out of his position; wind blowing harshly as they took much more speed. Both Gajeel and Juvia were getting trouble finding balance in the near dilapidated carriage. "The valet's knocked out onto the ground – and nobody's driving!" he shouted as he got outside, his footing on the window stool – still trying to get himself balanced one way or another. "Grab the swords from other my seat. Protect yourself while I try to stop this thing!" he ordered.

Juvia had never taken any order from Gajeel before – but in this situation, she was not going to think otherwise. She managed to open up the seat compartment and found two blades shaking together. If he meant to protect herself, did he mean that someone's trying to kill them?

But before she could find an answer, the carriage shook massively – probably from unkempt driving – and found herself shoved into the compartment, completely losing balance. Her head was resting atop the seat while her torso was slumped against the wooden wall – slightly cramped – and her legs were almost at the same height as her head.

"Oww." She tried to stand and steady herself when she heard Gajeel shout. "Watch out!" he crawled her way into the rattling carriage and looked out of the window to see that the other end of the road was now a cliff. The carriage suffered yet another tumble, but now it was slowly tilting into the cliff. Juvia scrambled away onto the other side and pushed to put her weight and help Gajeel stir the carriage back to its original place.

Slowly as the carriage's speed was decreasing, it was tilting back to its old position and slowly ceased to a stop. Juvia miraculously managed to get unscathed or stabbed from the twin blades she had in both hands after all the rolling inside. Her stomach was screaming to spit her guts out after she'd ridden a hell-like carriage that was most likely sending her off to the pits of death.

"G-Gajeel-kun…" she managed to get off the carriage as she crawled down. She was sick from all those rolling that she felt like involuntarily vomiting. But one thing had held her guts in:

A dagger was held in front of her neck as she kneeled down – wrists held out together by another pair of cold hands.

"Where's the key?" the man held his knife closer - her bare flesh touching the cold metal.


HAHAHA I FAIL AS A WRITER. Lol. Since it's the first time I've written a rather – action-ny (whut) scene, I guess I failed back there. Please don't kill me.

So, we finally got a glimpse of Lyoooooon (mylovesosweet) and sorry, no Gray at this chapter. Maybe in the future? :D