Chapter 9 - The Seven Techniques and very own Action Figure
Sting felt his clothes wrap tightly around his body and it was not stopping. He started to struggle, but nothing worked. His clothes became tighter and tighter and his resource of air started to become short.
"White Dragon's Roar!" he hollowed and a tornado of light released from his mouth.
'How is she going to dodge that?' Erza gasped, remembering very well that one of the weakness of Reflector Magic is that the user can only control things one at a time. However, what happen next shocked her very much. The beam reflect back to the White Dragon Slayer. Now it is rushing to the blonde and he could not do anything, but become the target of the shot.
The white beam ran straight to the blonde, causing everyone to gasp. It seems the fight is defiantly over.
'It is the end,' Sting thought and squinted his eyes from the blinding light.
However, he felt his clothes tug and since he had no control of himself, he toppled over and the his attack shot pass him.
Once a large explosion was heard, he opened his eyes and felt his clothes loosening. He saw the mage in black standing in the middle of the field, staring down at him. The wind whizzed passed, picking her hair in the air.
"The fight is over," Htaru stated sternly and walked passed him, disappearing in the distance.
Everyone stared at her in shock. They never thought their newest recruit was this strong. No, they had never imagined her to be this strong. Sting didn't stand a chance, even without her magic. There might be a chance that Hotaru Ozachi is as strong as Erza, maybe even more stronger.
"I hope you all learnt a lesson today," a gruff old man voice was heard, making everyone turn to see the source.
"Master," Scarlet breathed out, not expecting the small old man being around.
"Hotaru all taught us today that even though you have great willpower and not giving up is a good thing, but knowing when to give up and retreat is very crucial," Macorav told the younger generation, "you might not be as lucky next time you fight."
The member's of Fairy Tail nodded at the old man, understanding his teaching, but there was a few -cough- Natsu -cough- thought otherwise. The Master smiled merrily and swatted them to go back in the guild, since all the excitement is over and told the Sabertooth mages to go back to their guild, after offering to nurse the White Dragon Slayer to health, of course. The two declined and the little old man just nodded.
"Master," Macorov heard a familiar stern female voice.
"Yes, I know Erza," the old man spoke, before the S-Class wizard could say anything, "I know you want answers and the exact person will answer them."
The two walked back into the rowdy guild and up to the second level to Macorov's office. The small man opened the wooden door and the two took a step in the room. The scarlet haired twisted her body to close the door, but when she turned her body, she saw the person who pondered her head lately.
She gasped, but quickly closed the door and sat next to the sleeping mage, after the Master ordered her to.
"I'll start off with my Seven Techniques," they heard a dull voice from the curtains of mysterious girl's hair, before they even asked any questions. She looked up, half-lidded, staring at the old man in front of her. "The seven techniques in order are: Paper Art, Moon Walk, Tempest Kick, Finger Pistol, Shave, Iron Body and Roku-oh-gun."
Paper Art makes the user's body go limp in order to avoid any attacks, and float like a piece of paper.
Moon Walk allows the user to actually jump off the air itself, allowing them to stay in the air for much longer than usual. The user could use this technique to cross great distances without ever touching the ground or set themselves up for swift, aerial attacks.
Tempest Kick is a powerful projectile technique, in which the users start by kicking at very high speeds and strength, sending out a sharp compressed air blade that can slice objects and greatly damage a human body.
Finger Pistol is a close-quarter combat technique, in which the user pushes their finger into a certain target at a very high speed, leaving a wound similar to a bullet wound.
Shave allows the users to move at extremely high speed in order to avoid attacks, as well as to attack at higher speeds and with greater power. It was revealed that the principle of this move was to kick off the ground at least ten times in the blink of an eye.
Iron Body hardens the users' muscles to the level of iron, in order to nullify damage taken from attacks. However, it can be broken by enough force.
Roku-oh-gun is the ultimate attack and defiantly the strongest the the Seven Techniques. The user places both his/her fists right in front of the target and launches a devastating shock wave and causing massive internal injuries. This is only used during desperate situations since it does also impact the user.
"I thought you only have six techniques," Macorov stated.
"I did," the raven answered dully, "I developed my seventh technique not too long before the joined Fairy Tail."
The old man nodded and then glanced at the scarlet haired, giving her a signal to ask away.
Titania stiffly nodded and cleared her throat, before speaking. "Hotaru," she called the mysterious mage, making the raven glance at her with the corner of her eye, "please tell me more about those necklaces and about this Akira person."
The maiden in black grabbed one of her sacks tired on her belt and pulled her free hand out, gesturing the scarlet to give the raven her sack. Erza placed the brown sack on the girl's palm. Since the scarlet asked Freed to unlock to seal on the small bag, the mysterious girl opened both sacks and spread the necklaces on the Master's table. Macarov and Erza stood on either sides of the wooden table, as Hotaru stood in the middle. They scanned at the five necklaces that were displayed all over the table and Erza recognised three out of the five - the one Gray found, which was called, Dark Pearl of the Second Moon, the one that devoured that Silber guy, Earth Pearl of Absorption and the most recent one, Pearl of Armour.
Hotaru pointed out each necklace, but she didn't know their powers. The Pearl of the First Moon is like Dark Pearl of the Second Moon, but instead of having a black peal, the pearl is peach colour. The other necklace is the most different, in fact, it's not even a necklace. It looked like a shark's tooth. The tooth is a dirt brown colour and the tip is blunt.
"That is all the necklaces I gathered," the maiden stated, "and I think Miss Scarlet will tell you all she knows."
The Master turned to the S-Class wizard and she gave him a lock that she'll explain everything later. The old man nodded and turned to face the mage in black, who is now sitting in the wooden chair.
"Now, please tell about this Akira person," the old man said and hopped on his chair, as well as the scarlet haired.
There was a pause and silence devoured the room. The two waited for the mysterious mage to talk, but she stayed quiet. About a minute later, the girl finally let out a sigh. "I do not wish to talk about her," she told the two, looking down on her lap, "information about her is confidential."
"I understand," the old man nodded and crossed his arms, "someone with such knowledge if too many people know about her, especially the once she had not met or know in a personal level."
"Thank you for understanding, I must go now," the raven bid her leave and slowly stood up. She swayed to the door, opening and closed, leaving the now thick tensioned room.
The mysterious mage walked down the stairs to the rowdy guild hall. When people saw her, they praised her about her strength and power, some challenging, namely, Natsu. The girl just slightly nodded her head and kept on walking, not giving the wizards of Fairy Tail much attention. She grabbed her rolled up carpet, which was leaning on the counter and spread it out, laying it lifelessly on the wooden floor. Hotaru slowly lowered herself on the orange rug and crossed her legs. Her head bobbed down and her body slouched and the carpet floated a few inches off the ground.
She flew through the busy town, sleeping through the gossip and murmurs from normal folk and flying out to the woods, where her home lays. She flew through the thick forest that covered the bright sun and after a while, she finally arrived to the familiar cave, where a dirty rag doll laid, wearing a shimmering necklace.
"Aki-chan, I'm home," she muttered. Greeting her rag doll when she comes 'home' became more than a habit for the last couple of months. "Akira, fighting Sting Eucliffe did not really help us," the raven stated as she placed her doll on her lap, "he wasn't much of a challenge." She paused and stared down at the rag doll. "Yes, maybe Erza Scarlet could help me. She is strong and she may help me to unleash my full powers," she spoke.
The raven sighed and laid on her back. She yawned and closed her eyes, hugging her doll closely to her, not noticing the glint of light shining from the necklace.
The next day, Hotaru flew through town with her rag doll inside her crossed legs. She decided to bring the doll to the guild since she doesn't want to leave it alone in the cave and she knows that her team will not go to another job anytime soon.
The raven haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning and now is famished. She let out a snore-like sigh as she woke up from her slumber. She then groaned and squinted her eyes a bit, before feeling a light tap on the top of her head. Then a slip of paper fell onto her lap, making her pause a bit. The maiden in black picked up the piece of paper and blankly stared at the colour filled page. The piece of paper is, in fact, a flyer of Fairy Tail's fantasia parade, which was held every year. It contains a list of what is going to happen and running on the event. Merchandises and figurines of Fairy Tail, food stands, music concert, the yearly Miss Fairy Tail Contest and of cause the parade itself to wrap up the day. However, there was something quite shock the mysterious mage. There was also one more contest called, 'The Battle of Fairy Tail', which apparently was just added in this year.
"How intriguing," the girl muttered and started flying to the guild once more, ignoring the stares and whispered from the towns people.
Hotaru flew through the silver gates and turned to her right, seeing a stand, which appears to sell merchandises.
Now, Hotaru Ozachi does not seem nor is the type of person to be distracted or be engaged to petty things, but when was that stand there? She was one hundred present sure it was not there before, or was it? Considering she was sleeping every time she go the guild, it might had probably been there.
"Stupid," she muttered about herself and flew straight to the already opened double doors of the guild. However, she was stopped when a male voice called her. The raven dully turned her head to the right, staring at the man with her usual half-lidded eyes, poke-face. She didn't say anything, just dully stared at the merchant, expecting him to state his purpose of calling her.
"Come and see the merchandise stand," he gestured the girl, smiling a bit nervously. 'Man, she gives me the creeps,' he thought.
The raven blinked and let out a silent sigh, before slowly flew to the wooden stand. Max, the merchant seller of Fairy Tail, ducked down the counter and rattling sound could be heard. The mysterious mage crooked her head slightly to the side, examining the merchandises stacked in the small store. There was tee-shirts, towels and cups with the Fairy Tail symbol printed on it, Fairy Tail symbol necklaces, but the most eye catching thing were the rows of every Fairy Tail members figurines. Of cause the more popular ones where in the front of the row, but she didn't see hers and for some reason, Hotaru felt a bit upset and quite left out.
Once the mage realised that feeling, she squinted her eyes and stiffly shook her head.
Not long after, Max popped up from under the counter, holding two figurines. "Look," he told the girl, grinning, and placed it on the counter, "it just came in last week and I didn't have the time to put it on the shelf."
Hotaru's eyes slightly widen and let out a breath. It was action figures of her and creepily, it captured all the details of her and her carpet. One was her in her usual attire, sitting on her golden designed carpet, head down. Making the figurine a bit unique and quite funny, there was a white bubble, with 'z's printed on it.
The other one is her standing lazily, legs slightly parted and arms dangling by her sides and her head crooked to the side. Her eyes are half lidded, which hardly showing her scarlet eyes, staring with her strangely intimidating poker-face.
She felt a sweet bubbly feeling relishing through her body and mercilessly, the corners of her lips twitched up ever-so-slightly. No one can see it from the naked eye, but it was still something and it seems, slowly, very slowly Hotaru Ozachi is warming up to the crazy guild, even though, she was not intending to do so.
The maiden blinked and her lips fell down once more. She looked up at the merchant seller, dully staring at him and him doing the same, not knowing what to say or do. An extremely awkward silence layer up the two, making the merchant seller gulp and stared at her eery.
"What is the 'Battle of Fairy Tail'," the raven finally broke the silence.
Max heaved a sigh. He wouldn't say it out loud but he was getting quite intimidated with the newest member. "Well the Battle of Fairy Tail is a full day event, after the Miss Fairy Tail contest, were mages who want to compete between the Fairy Tail members. Whoever defeats all the participating members, get a huge prize," he explained, "Fairy Tail members could join too and of cause they are competent to have the grand prize."
The girl nodded and then flying away towards the guild wordlessly, coursing Max to have a sweat drop.
'Man, she is quite a strange one,' he thought, shivering slightly.
The maiden in black flew through the double doors of the guild and noticed the guild is rowdier than usual. Don't know how she could tell, but there is a difference. The girl sighed and flew towards the bar. She hopped off her carpet and swayed to a free bar stool, placing her rug next to her and her rag doll on the counter.
"Oh, hello, Hotaru," Mira smiled, popping out of nowhere, "what can I do for you today?"
"Just something simple to eat and drink please, Mira-san," the girl replied.
"Coming right up," the bartender giggled and whizzed off in the kitchen.
The raven sighed and played with her doll, not paying attention to anything in particular. The people around her stared at her weirdly and slightly shocked. Hotaru Ozachi does not look like the person to play with dolls, but in a way, she looks quite cute.
"Alright brats!" a booming voice was heard, which snapped the maiden in black out of her own little world. She turned her head up to the second floor, seeing the Master standing on the rail. "The Fantasia Parade is coming up in a mere three months and we have to assign all of you a float you'll be parading on and the nominations for Miss Fairy Tail," he ordered, "and I'm pretty sure you are all aware of the new event, The Battle of Fairy Tail. I would also need volunteers to fight the contestants. Naturally, all S-Class wizards will take part of this event."
After the last word that left the old man's lips, the whole guild became wild and extremely rowdy.
"I want to take part of this!" Natsu grinned, "Man, I'm so fired up!"
"Aye!" Happy cheered on his best friend and then turned to the Celestial Mage, "Lucy, are you going to take part of it?"
"I'll pass," the blonde rejected the Exeed and swatted her hand, "I'm not really interested."
'You think I should participate?' Hotaru asked as she stared down at the rag doll. Her head crooked at the side, staring at the dirty doll and then slightly nodded. 'You're right, it will see how my skills exceed,' the mysterious mage thought deeply and not notice the silver haired bartender placing the plate of food in front of her.
Later that day, the sun still shining bright, people chattered and wind whistling. Two Fairy Tail mages walked - well one is walking, while the other is flying - through the town to scout a good place for the Battle of Fairy Tail. The two silently walked - and flew - out of town to Fairy Hills, not once spoken or glanced towards each other. This pregnant of a silence had been lingering for a bit too long, until one finally broke it with a long sigh.
"Hotaru," the S-Class mage called the raven. The maiden in black just side glanced at the woman and then looking straight forward. Which, only coursed the older woman sigh once more. "I know you are one conservative person, but you got to open up to us for us to help you," she sighed, getting a tad anxious.
There was a long pause between the two before the raven finally replied in her signature monotone, "I see no reason to talk about myself so broadly, Miss Scarlet. I have my secrets and all that I asked is to help me scavenger the remaining necklaces, that is all."
"So you don't care about anything else?" Titania spat, not liking the bland and selfish answer the other gave her, "What are you going to do after this? What about Fairy Tail? We are a family! We are your family now!"
The mysterious mage only let out a low and dry chuckle. "Family? I do not know this word, Scarlet," she replied back coldly, but it did give a trigger towards the Beast Hunter Maiden. Family? What is this word? She had never felt it nor had one, well from what she remembers. However, she did have her rag doll. She knows no one in a personal level, but her beloved doll. Quite pathetic, isn't it?
"If you just accept us, them we would show you the meaning of family," Erza urged the younger because she could see it. She could see the pain and loneliness in the raven's raven eyes. How much the mysterious mage try to conceal those feelings with her mysterious facade and poker-face, Erza Scarlet could see through them, because she nows those feeling too well.
"I had been alone since I could remember, I do not wish to change it," the maiden in black replied dully.
"Just try," the scarlet haired told the raven, getting in front of the flying mage and placing her palms on the other's shoulders to stop her in her tracks. Erza stared into Hotaru's half-lidded scarlet ones, "open up to us, so we can help you. Don't push me away, Hotaru."
"Very well," the girl sighed in defeat, "I'll give you basic information about myself when we arrive at Fairy Hills. I do not wish other people to know about us. It is between you and me, Scarlet."
With that, the two started to head to their location again. Erza looked down at the conservative mage and smiled softly. She may seem nosey, but people like Hotaru, needs more than a push to crack that thick shell open. She is quite please the girl is just telling basic information about herself. It's progress and the scarlet haired is quite satisfied.
Now, Hotaru, on the other hand, is confused. She doesn't understand why the scarlet haired want to break through the barriers she built around, herself. Yet, she is not one bit irritated, in fact she became a bit scared and happy. She's scared that if she opens up to the older, she might get attached. That won't be good if she loses the older woman. Now, she had nothing to lose because she's all alone - with the exception of her dolly - and if anything happens, she won't dwell and experience losing something important over again. That's why she's scared, but the raven didn't understand why she was happy. It wasn't that strong, but it was still there. In a way, she felt acceptance, like this morning, when she found out, she too, had a figurine along side with other Fairy Tail member's action figures. She doesn't understand this feeling. It's so foreign to her, so strange and different, it frightened her in a way. Happiness was never really the emotion in her system. This is indeed strange.
Author's Note: Hello, chapter 9 is finally up! I know, it's a bit boring, but I want some character development.
Thank you StarGiard147 for following this story!
