Induced Silence, chapter 8
The fairies quietly descended the rocks toward their bound guild mate. Yona stayed hidden at a higher level, ready to alert them should something go awry. Natsu, Lucy, and Happy went around the left of the chamber while Erza and Gray went around the right. A few of the creatures seemed to sense something was off causing a ripple effect in the ranks. The beasts with wings fled down the tunnels. The armored creatures gathered near the isthmus. The workers, those seen above ground, stalked the cavern, trying to pinpoint the mages' scent. Over head, Rani and Ronen flew, dropping small stones to confuse the beasts. Erza and Gray were first to reach the water fall. Gray silently entered the water, making his way toward the throne. Erza stood at the ready to defend him. At the other side of the falls, Lucy and Happy made their way across while Natsu watched their backs. Happy rode atop Lucy's head, keeping a weary eye on the creatures. Behind the throne, Gray helped Lucy out of the water. They quietly made their way around front of it. The guarding beasts had their focus in the opposite direction. If they could remain silent, they could slip out without a problem. Lucy grasped Juvia's hand, trying to jar her from her trance. Her skin was like ice. Her eyes glowed eerily. "Juvia", whispered Gray. He reached out to tap her face. A sickening 'crunch' sprang forth and the head fell into her lap. "Eeeeehhh!", screamed Happy. The guards turned immediately. Lucy clutched Happy to her chest. "Look, those aren't her clothes", she whispered. It was truly astounding. The queen from the mural was the exact image of Juvia. At some point, the creatures bound her here, trying to sustain her with gathered souls. Strange orbs spewed from the neck of the corpse. They quivered and twinkled as if they were fire flies. Gray took stance in front of Lucy. Natsu and Erza closed in behind the beasts.
One of the armored creatures managed to get a hold of Erza's arm. Her answer was simple - remove the arm from the offending creature. It took more effort than she had planned, but she managed to sever the limb. The so called workers, or soul stealers, were making their way toward the fairies. They were faced with armored monsters in front and wraiths that could erase their existence in back. Lucy called Aquarius with the pool that surrounded where they stood. As usual, she was not amused to be pulled into battle. Several of the armored creatures washed into the basin and sank with their heavy bodies. Erza faced the rest while Gray joined Natsu to fend off the encroaching horde. "Behind you!", shouted Yona. She waved frantically, trying to point something out. Lucy turned. Something hazy was behind the rushing falls. Trusting her friends to keep her safe, she ran for it. Some kind of crystalline cocoon stood there. Inside it - the real Juvia. She didn't look good. She was pale and contorted. Lucy banged on the surface of the pod, trying to get a response. Nothing.
The boys were being overrun. For each soul stealer they knocked down, it seemed four more crept out from the tunnels. One held Gray off the ground by his throat, seizing the smallest opening. It gaped wide and tugged at his essence. A blast of sea water sent the beast flying. Gray coughed, relieved to have his air way back. His aura shimmered as it settled back in. Yona leapt down from Ronen and Rani's paws and helped him up. He grinned, ready to thank her, but nothing came out. His voice was gone, just like Rani. Annoyed, he took it out on the brethren of the creature that had stolen his voice. Just as the numbers started to thin, the pool around the throne began to shiver. The ground beneath the mages trembled. Something was coming up, something big. Everyone stared in amazement as it broke the water's surface. It was huge, much bigger than the others. Its form looked something like a giant centipede. Several arms and wings shook in fury at the invaders. The floating souls from before gravitated toward it. Everyone had to brace themselves against the powerful suction of the thing's massive jaws. Erza's sword was ripped from her hands. The exceeds came crashing down. Natsu readied his dragon's roar, but found that it did little to discourage the beast. It focused on him, angered by his attack.
While the chaos ensued nearby, Lucy tried to figure out how to free her friend. Happy watched the fight nervously. With determination, Lucy summoned Virgo. Despite the spirit's abilities and several attempts, nary a scratch was made on the case the held Juvia hostage. "Would you like me to try again, Hime?" Lucy shook her head. They couldn't break it and they couldn't tunnel in from beneath. With an apologetic bow, Virgo returned to her world.
The others fought hard. The giant creature caused tremors, causing underground crystals to burst forth. Erza had changed armors and attacked it with everything she had. It grabbed in her in its claws, unafraid. Struggling to get free, she readied to requip something better, but the beast had other plans. It swallowed her whole. "Erza!", yelled Natsu. Yona stepped into the water, getting better control. It was fresh water, but it would have to do. She summoned all her strength and hit the thing at the back of its head. It cried out in pain. With a grin, she hollered, "Natsu! Let's go!" Silently joining in, Gray made himself the bait. The creature clawed at him wildly, making a few deep scratches across his torso. Ignoring the bleeding, he used his ice to confuse the monster with reflections. Natsu and Yona teamed up, determined to take out the creature. In mid attack, a horrible noise emanated from the beast. It was twenty times worse than the sounds they'd heard earlier. Everyone fell to their knees, including Lucy. She covered her ears, but the sound was so intense, it made her feel ill. As the horrid noise echoed throughout the tunnels, she heard a nearby 'crack'. She glanced up and was relieved to see the chrysalis breaking. Water poured forth. As the thing emptied, Juvia slid down to the floor. Lucy dug her fingers in and tugged with all her strength. Her fingers bled from the sharp edges, but she didn't care. She had to get Juvia out. Pulling against her own tears, she was surprised to see another set of hands jump in to help. It was Loke. With a grin, they pulled together and the case shattered.
Yona was the least affected by the screech, so she recovered the quickest. "On your feet, Salamander!", she ordered. Shaking it off, he rejoined her for their combined attack. They both let loose their roar. Yona's sea water and Natsu's fire combined into a hell blaze of steam and super heated liquid. It crashed into the beast, boring a hole straight through its head. They rushed forward to finish it off. Gray created swords of ice to hack into the thing's abdomen, freeing Erza. Half way through its hide, something started moving. Erza had cut her way out of its stomach. She was coated in gore, which now covered Gray as well. Ignoring the 'ick' factor, he offered a hand to haul her up to ground level. Thousands of glowing orbs drifted out from the corpse of the once imposing monstrosity. Everyone grinned with relief at the sight of Lucy supporting Juvia as the girls made their way out from behind the falls. What remained of the soul stealers stood transfixed at the sight of her. Juvia looked over the exhausted faces of her comrades. She knew what she had to do. Using all she had, she managed to stand on her own two feet. The beasts watched her in awe. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When her eyes opened once more, a cold determined look shone from them. One by one, the creatures started to fall, seemingly of their own accord. A few popping sounds could be heard from the ones closest to the group, but it still made little sense. Yona grinned. She knew exactly what had happened. She lunged forward to catch Juvia as she collapsed. "You did good", she smiled. Juvia held her head, still dazed. Erza wiped the slime from her eyes and assured Natsu she was fine. He gave her a smile that said, "I'd expect nothing less". "Gray-sama", called Juvia. Kneeling before her to meet at eye level, he tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear. He offered a kind grin. "Are you all right?", she asked. He nodded, unable to answer.
It seemed a chain reaction echoed through the cave system. When the group made their way back to the surface, every creature they passed was dead. Gray carried Juvia while others made their own way. Passing yet another chamber of corpses, Natsu asked, "What did she do?". Juvia was fast asleep, content in her beloved's arms. "Isn't it obvious?", teased Yona. Erza smiled faintly, having figured it out. "You're cute, but you're not too bright", said Yona. Gray smirked at that comment. Yona sighed, annoyed she had to explain it at all. "Look, remember how those things always had that mist shroud?" "Yeah", nodded Natsu. "Well, it's basic manipulation of water", explained Yona. "Those things could use water magic?", inquired Lucy. Yona nodded. "So, it was simple enough. Their 'queen' just had to give the order to them." "What order?", asked Natsu, still confused. "They imploded their own brains", stated Erza. "A handy trick. Can't imagine where she learned it", smiled Ronen. When they hit the surface, daylight greeted them. It felt good to be back in the open air. The glowing orbs were steadily floating up from the multiple cave entrances. "All those souls...They're finally free", said a tiny voice. Everyone turned in amazement. It was Rani. She held her throat in shock. "It's back!", said Ronen, hugging her tightly. "One of the orbs must have been her voice", offered Erza. Just then, everyone turned to stare at Gray. He shook his head.
By sundown, the flow of fleeing souls had stemmed, but was still going. "There must be thousands", observed Lucy. The group had made camp not far from the caves. Juvia slept near the fire, recovering her strength. Gray watched over her, deep in thought. "Do it", whispered Yona, over his shoulder. He jumped to the side in surprise. He sent her a questioning look. Taking on a sneaky expression, she said, "You were thinking about kissing her, weren't you?". He shook his head and frantically waved his hands. She laughed. "You're too easy", she teased, scruffing his hair. She sat beside him and sighed. "You were worried, though. You have to admit that much, at least." His expression made her chuckle. "All right, all right. If looks could kill", she laughed. "Gray-sama?", whispered Juvia, still half asleep. She sat up and hazily looked around. "Before you ask, Lucy saved you", stated Yona. Juvia nodded. She sort of remembered that part. "What about the creatures?", she inquired. Gray and Yona exchanged glances. "They won't bother anyone any more", replied the dragon slayer. "What's wrong?", asked Juvia, concerned. "He lost his voice. It'll come back, though...Probably."
On the other side of the fire, Lucy watched them with a soft smile. She snapped out of it as Natsu sat next to her and offered her a grilled fish. Accepting it, she argued with herself. "Lucy." She looked up at the call her name. Natsu was staring right at her. "You know you can't take anything she says seriously", he taunted. Lucy nodded and slowly picked at her food. Trying to her ignore her red cheeks, she ate and hoped the subject would pass. Nearby, Happy danced with the other exceeds. Erza clapped the tune while Rani sang. She really did have a lovely singing voice. "Don't forget me!", yelled Yona, joining into the festivities.
Gray stared at the glowing orbs as they made their way to the heavens. "It's really pretty", said Juvia shyly. "Yeah, it is", he replied. He grinned to himself, glad his voice had returned. Fidgeting with her fingers, Juvia asked, "May Juvia sit closer?". After everything that had happened, he didn't argue. She rested against his shoulder with the sweetest of smiles and for once, he didn't push her way.
A few days later, Yona was seeing the fairies off. Her village was still in shambles. "It'll be awfully quiet here now", said Rani sadly. "It's a shame the calm isn't natural", sighed Ronen. "I don't think you'll have to worry about silence for long with this one around", teased Natsu, playfully hugging Yona. "That's true", grinned Ronen. "What will you do now?", asked Erza. "I dunno. Maybe let the other villages know its safe now", shrugged Yona. "That doesn't really sound like your kind of work", taunted Gray. Yona turned and scanned the area. What would she do now? Everyone she knew was gone. No one was around to need her. Her unusually sad expression didn't last long. Lucy set a friendly hand upon her shoulder. "I know somewhere you might fit in", she grinned. Yona turned to face the others. Everyone had the same goofy, inviting smile. Trying to hide her tears, she said, "I don't think you guys could handle me long term." Ronen cleared his throat, a sure sign he had something to say. Yona looked him flatly. "What is it?", she sighed. "There's no one here, Yona; Absolutely nothing left for us." "Just bad memories", added Rani. "And?", she said stubbornly. "It might be worth our while to explore some foreign shores", said Ronen. Giving in, she laughed. "I get it. Maybe we'll see the world for a while, okay?". The exceeds nodded. "If we get bored, maybe I'll look you guys up", said Yona, faintly blushing. "I saw that", teased Gray. She stuck her tongue out at him in response. "Take better care of Juvia, all right?" He nodded. "And princ-...Lucy, look after Valentine." "Of course", she replied with a grin.
An hour later, they were gone. Yona skipped rocks over the breaking waves of the ocean. "Well, Kaur, I think I found him a good home", she said. "I think she'd be proud", stated Ronen. "She'd probably try to braid my hair or something stupid like that", replied Yona sarcastically. "You guys ready to go?" She looked down at her friends. Rani had a few small bundles packed. "Let's get out of here", she smiled. She took up her bundles and she and her exceeds made off for somewhere that didn't house such awful memories. Well, maybe they weren't all bad. After all, she did make some new friends.
The End
