The Flaming Dragon Slayer

A/N: Dark within the forest of Fiore, three mages travel. Their mission is to discover a source of energy forming within the forest. What is this source of energy? Is it human or is it a monster?

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Fairy Tail.

*SC* = Scene Change

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

Chapter 9: High Water

Three mages walk through the forest of Fiore. So far, the day has been uneventful. The first mage has blue hair with a red tattoo around his right eye. He wears a dark coat with heart designs on each side. Furthermore, he wears plated armor covering his abdomen, and dark pants with the Crime Sorciere symbol. The last thing he has is a blue high-collared coat.

The second mage has dark purple hair with brown eyes. She wears a tabard-like garment and has a white headband. She also has long black boots reaching her upper thighs. The third mage has long pink hair reaching the middle of her back. She wears a red dress with trims around the neck and a short skirt. She wears a yellow belt around her waist and has black colored stockings with brown boots.

The three mages continue their journey. For the past week, there have been unusual levels of magic released into the atmosphere around Lamia Scale. However, another source of magic has erupted near the capital. The first mage stops causing the other two to stop as well.

"Is there something wrong Jellal?" asked the second mage.

"We are getting near," replied Jellal.

"Ultear, what are we looking for?" asked the third mage.

"I don't know Meredy," replied Ultear.

Ultear turns to Jellal wondering what they are looking for.

"Jellal, why are we near the capital?" asked Ultear. "Lamia Scale is the location of the recent disturbances. Why are we heading away?"

"There is something beyond magic around this area," replied Jellal.

"Beyond magic?" inquired Meredy. "I'm confused."

"I can't explain it, but we need to search for it ourselves," said Jellal.

Ultear and Meredy continue to follow Jellal. They trust his judgment. If something is wrong, then they will follow whatever lead they have. For now, they need to walk over the mountain sight. As they approach the top of the mountain. They notice a large lake in the lower areas.

"At least we have fresh water below," stated Meredy.

As Crime Sorciere approaches the lake, Jellal begins to narrows his eyes due to the steam appearing from the lake. He realizes numerous dead fish and immediately stops Ultear and Meredy.

"What's wrong?" asked Meredy.

"Look at the water," said Jellal.

Both Ultear and Meredy gaze upon the lake and realize it is boiling. Their eyes widen the moment they realize the situation.

"What happened here?" asked Meredy.

"We need to search the area," said Ultear as she begins to head a certain direction.

"No," said Jellal. "It is best we stay together."

Crime Sorciere continues to walk along the coast of the lake while keeping a safe distance. They can feel the heat radiate from the lake, but they know they have to keep going. Jellal continues to think as he walks around looking at the surrounding area. Ever since the mysterious group of mages appeared a few weeks ago, these unusual creatures appeared as well. They look like animals, but at the same time, they are not animals.

Ultear breaks Jellal's concentration when she calls out to him. The blue-haired mage looks at her as she points forward. He follows her finger as his gaze fall upon a man-like object. The outer layer of the body has metal covering it. The object has the body of a normal size man except it has a skull for a head without the skin. Suddenly, red glowing eyes turn on in its eye sockets.

"What is that thing?" asked Meredy.

"It's made out of some type of metal," said Ultear. "Is it a machine?"

"A machine that looks human?" questioned Meredy.

"If it looks human, I wonder if it talks human," said Jellal. "Excuse me?"

The humanoid object turns its head towards Crime Sorciere as it points its hand towards them.

"Intruder!" exclaimed the humanoid. "Exterminate!"

The humanoid charges at Crime Sorciere, but it never makes an attack as Ultear breaks it apart with ease. She destroys the humanoid by tearing it to pieces using her orb.

"It is not human, but what is it?" asked Ultear.

"It is a cyborg," said a voice surprising Crime Sorciere.

"Who's there?" asked Jellal.

A man with short blue hair appears in front of Crime Sorciere. He has dark blue eyes and has a well-built body. He wears a thin blue shirt that hugs his upper body and he wears blue pants and shoes. He also has a black strap from his shoulder to his abdomen, which serves the purpose of holding the giant sword on his back. The most noticeable feature on him is the scar on his right cheek, which begins at the middle of his right ear and ends just below the right corner of his mouth.

"Welcome strangers to my study site," said the blue-haired man.

*SC*

Natsu and Gray enter another round of fighting causing Erza to intervene and slam both of them to the ground. She picks them up and glares at the two male mages. Natsu and Gray gulp as they try to run away only to meet the fists of Erza.

"You two are going to stay here and be friends!" exclaimed Erza with a dark stare.

Lucy watches the confrontation of her three teammates and laughs a bit. She also watches Natsu's expression and feels a bit sorry for him, but not enough to go up against Erza. She would rather stay out of the scarlet-haired woman's way. The blonde woman smiles as Natsu walks towards her. He sits next to her with a pout on his face and a large bump on his head. Lucy tries to keep herself from laughing since Natsu already has his hurt pride.

"Why?" questioned Natsu, as his head hits on the table.

"Perhaps you shouldn't fight with Gray with Erza around," said Lucy.

Suddenly, Natsu shoots up with a smirk on his face. Lucy raises an eyebrow at him and then rethinks what she said. The moment she places more thought into her words, she realizes her mistake.

"Hey, that was not a suggestion," said Lucy poking Natsu's shoulder.

Natsu slumps back down with a depressed mood again. Even his Lucy told him not to fight. Suddenly, Natsu catches his own thoughts. Did he just say 'his Lucy?' Natsu shakes his head to eliminate his thoughts. At the same time, the words 'special person' continues to ring through his head. Sometimes, he should not listen to Gildarts. His words are causing Natsu to think more than he should when this subject should not even be a concern to Natsu.

Lucy continues to look at her friend, who continues to depress over the situation with Erza and Gray. The blonde woman sighs as she grabs Natsu's arm and begins to pull at him. Natsu looks at Lucy with a raised eyebrow. He wonders why she is pulling him, but he decides to follow her lead.

"Where are we going?" asked Natsu.

"Just to walk around," said Lucy with a smile.

For some reason, Lucy's smiles is all Natsu needs to simply go with her. Something about Lucy wants him to be with her. Once again, Gildarts' words ring through his mind. However, those thoughts do not last long as Lucy snaps him out of those thoughts as she tries to pull on him.

"Come on," said Lucy.

"Okay," replied Natsu with a grin on his face.

Lucy smiles again at Natsu's grin. That smile of his always seems to set a happy mood for her. Her time with Natsu has been better ever since they restored their friendship. She will never let this go again.

*SC*

Crime Sorciere continue to follow the mysterious blue-haired man. For the past ten minutes, the man has led the mages into a cavern near the lake. Inside the cave, there are furniture including a table, a couch, a small kitchen, and a bed.

"Why are you leading us here?" asked Jellal.

"I want a decent place to talk," replied the blue-haired man.

The man leads the group to the table with four chairs.

"So, what might I help you with?" asked the blue-haired man as he yawns.

Jellal continues to watch the man's features. He notices the lazy expressions as well as the lack of focus.

"We are searching for anything on the recent disturbances," said Jellal. "You said you have been searching this area for a while. Have you found anything?"

"You're trusting me so easily?" questioned the blue-haired man.

"Yes, but at least tell me your name," said Jellal.

"Ah, well, I guess I can do that," said the blue-haired man. "My name is Midas. As for your answer, I only have limited information. What I can tell, is these creatures do not rely on magic for power."

"Are you talking about the so-called monsters appearing?" asked Ultear. "How is that possible? Magic is the source of our power. How can the creatures survive?"

"Perhaps the answer is simpler than we think," said Midas.

"How so?" asked Jellal.

"Well, have you seen these creatures in person?" asked Midas.

All three members of Crime Sorciere nod in confirmation. They each recall the moment they came across the monsters during their journey.

Flashback

The three members of Crime Sorciere continue to walk through the forest of Fiore. A few hours ago, they just finished eliminating another dark guild. So far, Crime Sorciere's goal is to eliminate every dark guild. However, such a goal is far from complete. The moon begins to rise as the three members of the team continue their journey. Meredy stops walking causing her two partners to stop as well.

"Hmm, something isn't right," said Meredy.

Soon, Jellal and Ultear begin to feel a sinister sensation. Something is not right. Soon, the three mages see smoke coming from the nearby villages. They run towards the village only to see fire spreading through the town. Ultear raises her orb and uses her magic to restore the damaged village as well as stop the fire. Once the flames stop, the three mages see the numerous dead bodies on the ground. The bodies range from children to elderly people causing the three mages to cringe.

"What happened here?" asked Meredy.

As Ultear is about to walk forward, a shadowy creature jumps out of nowhere. Jellal strikes the monster down before it has the chance to strike Ultear. Meredy and runs to Ultear as Jellal looks at the creature.

"What is that?" asked Meredy.

The three mages stare at the dark creature, which resembles a tiger with red lines. At least, the red lines were bright at one point. The red lines are now dim, but still noticeable. Before any of them have the chance to examine the creature further, another tiger monster rushes out from the dark forest nearly striking Meredy. Fortunately, Ultear stops the creature before it has the chance to do anything.

"Heavenly Beams!" shouted Jellal striking the forest again.

As the explosions occur, numerous monsters run out of the forests.

"Infinite Spheres!" shouted Ultear hitting the monsters with her orb at amazing speeds.

"Maguilty Rays!" shouted Meredy as she unleashes numerous yellow blades.

The three mages continue fighting at the mysterious monsters. However, the fight only lasts for another three minutes until the monsters begin to retreat. Ultear and Meredy are about to chase after the monsters only for Jellal to stop them.

"No, it is best to stay away," said Jellal. "We have no idea what we are dealing with."

Ultear and Meredy decide to follow Jellal's advice. They know charging into a battle without proper preparation could lead to death.

Flashback Ends

"You have seen them," said Midas. "Do you really think those creatures are supposed to be on this planet?"

"Are you saying they come from somewhere else?" asked Meredy.

"Possible," replied Midas.

Jellal remains silent as his two companions talk to Midas. He stares at the blue-haired man with high suspicious. Who is this person? How did he even search for these monsters without them killing him?

"You've told me your name," said Jellal. "Yet, I do not know who you are. Why are you researching these creatures? How did you know where to look?"

"Rumors," replied Midas.

Jellal's suspicions do not go away. In fact, Midas' answers only make him wonder who this blue-haired man really is. Just by one look, Jellal can tell Midas is a lazy person. Why would something so lazy waste their time looking for something that is difficult to find?

"Are you sure you are not hiding anything?" asked Jellal trying to push for any information he can.

"I'm afraid not," replied Midas. "Now, as much as I want to continue having your company, I think it is time for us to part. I have other things to do and I will be gone for a few days."

"Perhaps we can stay here and help," said Meredy.

"No, it is best to leave," said Midas.

Jellal knows this man is hiding something and is about to decline Midas' offer. However, before Jellal has the chance to say anything, he stops his sentence the moment he realizes something is different about Midas. He looks at the blue-haired man and feels a powerful aura from the man. Who is this person and what type of power does he have? At this point, Jellal realizes that Midas has completely changed. Midas now shows a darker and serious expression.

'What happened?' wondered Jellal. 'A moment ago, he seemed calmed and lazy. Now, his attitude has completely changed.'

"Ultear, Meredy let's go," said Jellal causing the other two mages to look at him with a bit of shock.

However, the tone of their ally immediately tells them something is not right. They decide to follow Jellal to avoid any possible conflict. If he deems this Midas dangerous, then he is dangerous.

"All right," said Ultear.

A few minutes later, Crime Sorciere leaves the cave. The moment they step outside, they feel a huge weight off their shoulders.

"Who is he?" asked Meredy.

"I don't know," replied Jellal. "But it seems like this situation is getting worse."

"I wonder what connection Midas has to this situation," said Ultear.

Jellal remains silent as he considers Ultear's words. To him, she is right. Midas has a connection to these monsters, but the problem is what that connection is.

*SC*

Makarov remain in his room as a letter arrives for him. He opens the letter and begins to read the situation. After he finishes reading the letter, he sighs. Soon, a knock occurs on his door. Makarov tells the person to enter revealing Laxus. Laxus approaches his grandfather as he notices the old man's concern expression. He stops in front of Makarov's desk carefully watching his expression.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Laxus.

"There is another sighting of the shadow monsters," said Makarov. "I want you to gather Erza and Mirajane. I have a mission for the three of you."

Laxus narrows his eyes at Makarov's words.

"Are you sure you want to send all three of your S-Classes mages?" questioned Laxus.

"At this point, I have no choice," said Makarov.

"Very well," replied Laxus as he turns around and leaves the door.

Ten minutes later, Laxus returns with Erza and Mirajane as they enter the room with serious expressions. Makarov remains quiet as the three mages sit down on the chairs in front of him. Soon, Makarov begins to explain the situation to them.

"There is another sighting of the shadow monsters," started Makarov. "There has been a sighting five miles west of Oshibana Town. I want the three of you to board the train and head there immediately."

Erza and Mirajane turn towards each other. The master is sending all remaining S-Class mages on the same mission.

"What about the guild?" asked Mirajane.

"I will do my best to protect it," replied Makarov. "I don't want to risk the three of you, but we cannot allow this Marek to continue attacking villages. There is a chance Oshibana Town is the next target."

"Oshibana Town is a major city," said Erza. "For weeks Marek has attacked small villages. Why would he change his tactics?"

"He might be cocky or something is forcing his hand," said Laxus.

Erza and Mirajane consider Laxus' words, but regardless they must head to Oshibana Town and prepare to defend the city.

"All right, I think it is time for us to go," said Erza.

"By the way," interrupted Makarov. "Try to keep this hidden from the others, especially Natsu."

The three S-Class mages nod and decide to begin their mission. After the three mages leave, Makarov sighs as he massages his temples. He hopes three S-Class mages will make a difference, but he trusts his children and he knows they will pull through this horrible situation.

*SC*

Five hours pass as Natsu enters the guild alongside Lucy. For a while, Natsu has become a bit bored. He has not been on any missions due to his injuries. However, now that he is in better shape, he decides to go on another mission. He and Lucy begin looking for Gray and Erza, but they only find Gray.

"Gray, do you know where Erza is?" asked Lucy.

"No, but I did see her leave with Mirajane and Laxus," replied Gray.

Natsu and Lucy look at each other in confusion. They wonder where Erza went with Mirajane and Laxus. Makarov watches Natsu and Lucy hoping they do not follow the group of S-Class mages. However, he drops his head the moment Natsu shouts out his words.

"We should follow Erza!" shouted Natsu. "She might be on a good mission!"

"No!" shouted Makarov gaining the attention of all the Fairy Tail members present. "All three are on an important mission. This is an S-Class mission and nobody else is allowed to follow them. Is that clear?"

Natsu begins to complain, but a hard stare from Makarov shuts the dragon slayer. Lucy places her hand on Natsu's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. Natsu calms down due to her hand and begins to sulk a bit.

"How about we go on another mission?" asked Lucy.

Natsu's mood changes almost immediately, as he begins to grin at Lucy. Lucy smiles back in return and heads towards the job board.

*SC*

A/N: All right, the end of chapter nine. I would have finished this chapter sooner, but a few family celebrations occurred for a few days, so I had to put it on hold for a bit. Nevertheless, it is done. Thanks for reading and please review.