Secrets, part 8

Puck slept close to his wife. He knew it was only a matter of time until his king would call on him again. Still, he wanted to be home for his family. Kavi was still deathly ill and now this egg needed care. Veda tried not to show how excited she was, but he could see it in her eyes and the lilt of her voice. After more than a century of being told it was impossible, a child of their own seemed reside in the fragile shell. Puck, too, prayed that Titania's gift would remain unharmed. He knew they wouldn't get a second chance. He wondered what Oberon's thoughts were. Clearly he had a hand in this, but was his will yet done? No servant before had been permitted to even have a family. It seemed many things had changed during the last thousand years or so. Perhaps a miracle still had a chance after all.

-

Elsewhere, Yona, Van, and Natsu were hanging out near the barrier. Van couldn't come in, but they could hear each other just fine. Several feet away from the noise, Jasper, Lucy, Wendy, Juvia, and Gray held their own conversation. The exceeds had gone to explore the caverns, leaving their partners with some free time. While one group held a happy chat, the other seemed more dour.

"Noctis?", said Lucy. "Yes. They've come to finish what they started", sighed Jasper. "They were the ones that attacked your guild before", ventured Gray. Even though Jasper was lost to stasis during those events, he still heard much about them from his family. The event nearly ended both Serpent Wing and Kavi alike. "But why?", asked Wendy, concerned for her friends. "Mom said its what they do. The order exterminates one guild at a time...They probably didn't realize they failed to get all of us until recently. At least, that's my best guess...I'm just glad Kavi doesn't know about this", said the incubus. "Juvia knows them", uttered the water mage, after a brief silence. All eyes turned toward her. "Phantom Lord thought of using them once...The mages we sent to make the deal never returned", she explained grimly. Gray stared into the distance. "Just what we need - mage hunters", he thought. Things were bad enough with the virus. Now they had to face this threat, as well.

"Don't worry. We'll stand by your guild when they come", offered Lucy with a kind smile. Jasper glanced around. A small smile crept over his face as everyone nodded in agreement. He was beginning to understand why Fairy Tail had become coveted friends with his own guild. The glow lasted only briefly. "But who is everyone sensing? He can't be with Noctis", uttered Gray. Everyone thought a lot about this recently. Puck had told them not to worry. He was fairly certain this person was a friend. If not for his own self-imposed barrier, he would have already confirmed his suspicions. Still, air from the surface made its way through the crevices in the rock into the sanctum. A subtle shift of the wind told him all he needed to know.

"Dad thinks it's an old ally", stated Jasper. "We can hope", added Lucy. "I'm sure it is", beamed Wendy, trying to lighten the mood, "I'm sure that person is on their way here right now to help Kavi-san." Jasper grinned at her kind words and nodded. He was trying hard not to dwell on the grim side of things. A loud noise garnered the group's attention. Yona had Natsu in a very uncomfortable looking hold. "Say uncle!", she demanded. Van seemed to laugh hysterically at whatever had caused the scene. Truth be told, he was likely just glad it was someone else getting beat up this time. Jasper sighed, ready to apologize, but tit looked like Natsu was laughing, too. On that note, he grinned to himself, glad Yona was back to herself. The virus didn't seem to have any lasting effects and that gave him hope for his brother.

As the groups merged, Lucy stared down at the two dragon slayers in their petty squabble. "Luuuuucyyyy, save me", whined Natsu, his neck bent at an unnatural angle. "She can't save you", laughed Yona. It was only after her taunting, that noticed the slender shadow rising behind her. "Yona", chided Jasper. Her laughter ceased. That was the same tone Kavi used and she hated it. Sighing, Jasper eased up. "Please let him go." Annoyed, she did just that. Crossing her arms, she huffed, "You're no fun!". Wendy fretted over her friend, but quickly assured he was fine. It was only horseplay.

Before more could be said, Veda slithered into the moonlight. "Jasper, Yona", she called. As everyone looked up to meet her gaze, she smiled gently. "Your father wants to see you", said the naga. "Why me? I didn't do anything!...Yet...", said Yona. Veda snickered at her response. "You're not in trouble. Now come", she said, leading the way without waiting. Offering his hand, Jasper waited for Yona. "Van, keep the fun going. We'll be back", she said. "On it", grinned Van, evilly eying the fairies. "Just what kind of game were they playing?!", thought Lucy, a shiver running down her spine.

-

Several minutes later, half of team one stared blankly at a large egg. "How is that even possible?!", gaped Yona. Rani inspected it closely and beamed with joy. Ronen said little, just watching his partner's antics take up the time. Jasper hugged his parents, glad things were going their way for once. Once the happy news dissipated, Puck turned to another subject. "Seriously?!", asked Yona, excitedly. "Is it safe to take it down?", inquired Jasper, worried. "The barrier is likely next to useless. Many other guilds tried quarantine and it did little to slow things. With Kavi here in the sanctum, I see no reason to continue holding the rest of you here", explained the elf. Yona seemed lost to her thoughts of swimming in the sea, ignoring the little details. "How much longer?", asked Jasper grimly. The sudden shift in mood pulled Yona back to reality.

"Yeah, how much longer is he going to hole up down here?", she repeated, intrigued. Veda held her husband's hand tightly and stared into the ground. "Yona, that wasn't the question", she said sullenly. The dragon slayer glanced around and got dark expressions from everyone. "...Wait...Do you mean -...You're not seriously asking how long he has to live, are you?!", she spat. "You guys are his family; You can't give up! Give the man a chance! You heard how sick Sabretooth was before their mystery cure! If you're dropping the damned barrier, I'll go fetch it myself, but don't mope like you're just gonna stand around and let Kavi die!", she shouted. Her voice echoed through the large chamber. Rani hid her tears in her brother's shoulder. Veda let hers fall in shock. Puck simply stared at the girl's outburst.

Jasper stood stiffly next to Yona. Grasping his arm, she shook him gently for a response. "Don't be ridiculous", he uttered in a low tone. "What?", she asked, a little surprised by his intensity. Shaking her loose, he stared her dead in the eye with determined look on his face. "Of course we're not giving up, but we have to be realistic...Don't you see that?", he uttered, his voice shaking, tears rolling down his face. "Yona, we're all hoping for the best, but we must still prepare ourselves for the worst", stated Puck, the voice of reason. She looked back at him defiantly. "Drop the barrier. I'll leave tonight", she said. Puck sighed deeply. She didn't seem to get what they were all trying to say. "Tomorrow, you may do whatever you wish. I'll dispel the barrier...Under one condition...", he trailed. Jasper glanced between them. He'd never seen anyone stand up to his father like that before. It showed just how much Yona really cared, though she'd never admit it.

"Condition? Running my ass off to save your son's life isn't enough?", she snapped. "Yona, please listen", pleaded Veda. The dragon slayer took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. "What is it?", she asked, avoiding eye contact with Puck. "Take Blythe with you", was all he said. Yona darted her gaze. Did she hear him right? "And how in the hell do you propose I do that? He'll never agree to leave Kavi's side", she argued. "Leave that to me", stated the elf, cryptic as ever. "Dad...What are you going to do?", inquired Jasper, skeptical. Puck's methods were not always the most ethical when it came to reason. "Don't worry. I'm only going to talk to him", assured the elf. "What about Fairy Tail?", asked Ronen. "They're welcome to stay as long as they wish", replied Veda.

Rani tapped Yona's leg and waited for her to look down. "If you leave town, you'll break your promise to Lucy", she said. Yona cursed under her breath. She'd forgotten all about the eclipse, but surely Lucy would understand, right? "Kavi's more important. Valentine's waited 400 years. He'll wait a little longer", stated Yona. It was true and a lovely sentiment. Jasper only wished Kavi could hear her say that. A faint shriek emanated from the main sanctum, interrupting further conversation. They all ran as fast they could to see the commotion.

-

Once reunited with the fairies, Lucy stared in shock at an intruder. A small, furry animal seemed to be thoroughly sniffing Natsu after landing on him from above. It was no exceed, either. Happy and Charle stood nearby, just as surprised. "What is that?", asked Gray, peering from the far side of the barrier. As if on cue, the energy wall dissipated into nothing. Everyone glanced at their palms and friends as they felt their magic returned to them. Puck strode to the intruding animal without caution. Lifting it to eye level, he examined it briefly. "An opossum?", he thought out loud. "Is that a problem, Shinwa?", asked a nearby voice. A woman was standing among the rocks above. Apparently, she'd entered through the crevice. "Nova? So it was you", he said with a grin.

Dusting himself off, Natsu got to his feet. "Who are you?", he asked bluntly. Nova's previous confidence shattered as the color drained from her face. She stared at him as if she'd seen a ghost. The opossum in Puck's hand wiggled loose and landed lightly on its feet. Without warning, it changed into a person. A girl around fifteen flickered her silver hair out of her eyes. "Thanks for catching me!", she beamed. Pulled from her thoughts, Nova smiled faintly to herself. "That's enough, Tepin", she said calmly. "But Nova-sama, that one smells like - ", began the girl, but an icy stare from her mistress cut her sentence short. "There's a few that smell like dragons here, child. That's why we've come", stated Nova, gracefully leaping down to ground level.

A ring of strange faces stared at her in awe. She was tall and well built. Dark curls framed her face and hung down her back. Her mismatched eyes were only offset by her pointed ears. Puck cleared his throat and introduced their visitor. "This the lady Necahual and her assistant...Tepin, was it?". The girl nodded, "That's me!". Nova stepped close to the elf and met his eyes. "It's been a long time, Puck", she said coolly. "Near twenty years, I'd say. What brings you back to Fiore?", he replied. Everyone else could feel an odd energy in the air. Was it some kind of tension between the two or was it just an overwhelming presence from this new friend? Lucy jumped in surprise as Tepin appeared beside her. "Don't worry. It's just a little magical fallout. It happens when two high level beings face off", she beamed. Wendy stared at Nova in curiosity. High level beings? Was Nova an elf, too? Before she could ask, Tepin surprised her, as well, sniffing her intently. "This one smells like a dragon, too!", observed Tepin with glee.

"Yes, Tepin", sighed Nova. "Tell me, Puck. How many are infected here?", she asked. "So, it was you!", grinned Natsu. "You've been curing all the guilds?", inquired Lucy. "I have, but something tells me the worst case has thus far eluded me. Where is the fallen?", replied the strange woman. "Kavi", uttered Jasper. Nova turned and peered at him with interest. "An incubus? I knew you'd wed a naga, but I was unaware you had taken in other fey into your home. I suppose Oberon must have approved or neither of you wouldn't be standing here." Shaking it from her mind, Nova returned to her focus. "The dragon slayer, where is he?", she asked directly. "This way", replied Puck and the two vanished from sight.

"Okay, will someone tell me what the HELL is going on?!", ranted Yona. "Um...Some furry thing fell on your friend and then a lady showed up. I think she's here to see Kavi", said Van, recapping. Yona glared at him, annoyed. "You asked", he shrugged. "What, where's - ?", began Lucy. Her eyes quickly found Tepin. She seemed to be inspecting the exceeds with interest. "I heard about flying cats that could talk! That's so awesome!", she beamed. "But what about you?", asked Happy. "What exactly is an opossum?", asked Charle, a little coldly. Tepin smiled wide, unbothered by the question. "We're not from around here. We live somewhere across the ocean, in the New World. To be an exact, I'm a marsupial. Nova-sama found me when I was little. Guess I got orphaned...Something must have eaten my mom. I don't really know", she said, thinking it over casually. "..Eaten?...", ventured Rani, unnerved. "Yeah, it's kind of rough for tiny, furry things like us back home", grinned Tepin.

"Mom, who was that?", asked Jasper, taking control of the conversation. "I'm not sure", said Veda, staring after her husband. "Your father never mentioned her by name before", she sighed, curious herself. "Some kind of secret?", asked Yona. Veda smiled politely. "We have no secrets. He likely never had reason to discuss miss Necahual in the past", she said. Tepin stared at Veda with wide eyes. "A winged serpent, like Quetzalcoatl?!...Are you a god?". If her eyes grew any wider, they wouldn't fit in her head. She was in awe. "No, no! I'm no god, just a naga", said Veda, waving nervously. Tepin looked her over skeptically. Having found no feathers, she let it go.

"Don't worry about my mistress. She's only here to help", grinned the girl. "But who is she?", repeated Natsu. Tepin seemed to think about that. "Well, she used to live here in Fiore a long time ago, but some bad stuff happened and she had hide. Then at some point, something really important happened, then she left the continent. She said that one guy would find her if she only switched countries... That's all", said Tepin proudly, as if she'd explained something in great detail. "She came for the virus?", asked Lucy. "How do we know she didn't cause it?", said Gray, weary of these strangers. "Take it back, Snowflake! Nova-sama wouldn't hurt a fly!", shouted the girl. Natsu stifled a laugh at the name. "How did you know Gray-sama is an ice mage?", asked Juvia, intrigued. "It's nothing special. One of my gifts from my mistress let's me get a quick read on people. That guy has some serious ice on his shoulder if you know what I mean", replied Tepin. Again, Natsu hid a laugh from Lucy's glare.

"One of your gifts?", repeated Wendy. "Your mistress must be some kind of mage, but what does she do?", inquired Charle. "Everything!", beamed Tepin. "That's not possible", said Van flatly. "Why? You can enhance any number of attributes. Why should Nova-sama be any different?", retorted the girl. Van blinked plainly. The kid really could read people's abilities. "She's not human, is she?", ventured Jasper. "Nope", chimed Tepin with a twinkle in her sea green eyes. "What is she?", asked Happy. "I'm not telling", teased the girl lyrically. "I don't care who or what she is. If she's been saving everyone from that virus, I'm willing to give her a chance", shrugged Yona. "Can she really cure Kavi?", inquired Rani, with hope. Tepin seemed distracted. She twitched an ear as if listening. "Sorry, my mistress needs me", she said and scurried off toward Kavi's room. Unsure of things, Jasper and Yona followed. "Is it really okay for all of them to go back there?", asked Lucy. "They won't let any harm come to Kavi-kun. All we can do is trust that Lady Necahual is as powerful as we've all been sensing", said Veda. She hoped she really was. She'd give her tail to save her adopted son.

-

In Kavi's room, Puck watched closely as Nova ran her hands over Kavi. She never touched him, just hovered in his aura. "He's in bad shape", she said, sensing the twisted energies. "This is the worst I've seen...I can't promise I can save him", she stated, meeting Puck's hopeful eyes. "Please...We'll do anything", pleaded Blythe. Nova eyed the lad carefully. "You have the same blood type", she observed. Blythe nodded, unsure how she could tell. A small knock on the door let in the trio from the main sanctum. "Tepin, I've given you some of my power. I need you to wield it for me", ordered Nova. "Yes, ma-am!", saluted Tepin. "Wait, what are you going to do?", demanded Yona. "It's not without risk, but you said 'anything', did you not, young blood mage?", said Nova. Blythe nodded resolutely.

"What's happening? Please let us help", said Jasper. "All you can do right now is stand back", said Tepin. Nova stepped close to Blythe as the looked at him with a soft expression. "Your magic has only been unsealed a few minutes. That will make this all the more dangerous. Are you still willing to risk your life for this man?", she asked sincerely. "Yes", replied Blythe without hesitation. "Risk his life? What the hell are going to do?!", snapped Yona, annoyed at being ignored. Nova stood to her full imposing height. "You've been here all along, haven't you? Your magic has shielded you from infection", she explained to Blythe. "But it doesn't work against germs...I tired...", he uttered. "It's only just awakened recently. You have much to learn, but fear not. Your blood will act on its own to protect its host", she stated. Yona's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen.

"Blythe, don't do it! If you give Kavi your blood, you'll lose your immunity. If you get sick like him, then what?! You really think he wants you to die for him?! He'd never forgive himself!", yelled Yona, now being restrained by Jasper. He held her tightly to avoid an attack on Nova, but his heart agreed with what she was saying. "We'll only transfer half. This is your last chance. Do you wish to continue knowing that what you see before you could be your fate?", said Nova, almost as if she didn't want to do it. Blythe glanced at the concerned faces around him, then to Kavi's pallid complexion. He wouldn't last much longer without treatment...

Taking a deep breath, Blythe held Kavi's hand tightly as if asking for forgiveness. "Do it." Yona started thrashing again. "You idiot!", she shouted. A knowing look from Puck sent Jasper into action. A few swift taps and Yona collapsed in his arms. "Damn it", she uttered as she lost consciousness. Lowering her gently to the floor, Jasper whispered, "I'm sorry." Puck nodded to Nova, who in turn sent a look to Tepin. The girl nodded and stepped forward. Pressing her palms together, she closed her eyes to focus. "This may hurt a little...Okay, a lot", she warned. Blythe nodded. He didn't care. If it meant saving Kavi, he'd gladly endure any torture.

Jasper stayed crouched with Yona close to his chest. He watched with anticipation as an odd energy filled the air. He expected to see the blood flow through the air as it did when Blythe controlled it, but that wasn't case. Blythe's expression shifted to one of pain as he held his heart with one hand and tightly onto Kavi with the other. He suddenly looked awful. He grinned faintly, about to pass out. "Thank you", was all he got out before falling into the side of the bed. Tepin breathed deeply and opened her eyes. "It's done, Nova-sama", she said. Glancing at the fallen mage, she added, "I warned him it would hurt." Jasper stared in shock. "What did you do?", he asked, near breathless. Nova scruffed the girl's hair with a peaceful smile. "Tepin's magic is interesting. She can teleport things, essentially, exchanging two objects through space instantaneously. She's never done it with blood before, but it seems to have been successful. Now all we can do is what for them to wake", she explained.

Puck helped Blythe into the bed beside Kavi and covered him up. A mix of worry and gratitude shone from his eyes. "It must be true love to have such a strong bond. Those who find it are the lucky ones", sighed Nova, seemingly lost to painful memories. "I love you, Nova-sama!", beamed Tepin. Nova smiled faintly at the girls sincere enthusiasm. "Let them rest. Bring the girl", she said, nodding toward Yona. Once everyone left the two lovers to rest, Jasper carried Yona to his room. He knew she would be furious with him when she woke back up, but he had little choice. Surely his father knew best...Didn't he?

-

To be continued...