Chapter 9: Question of faith

The stone was cold, radiating outward to the small tunnel and sending shivers down Lucy's spine. The stone steps were steep and even tough the path was lit by torches it seemed to go on forever. The celestial mage had no idea how the red-haired mage had managed to go and do a preliminary investigation of the site. Lucy would have passed out had she been descending the stairs into the pitch-black oblivion that it had been a few hours prior. The stone walls of the tunnel were rough and dark, sucking in the light and leaving only a faint glow of the fire to light the path downward.

Lucy looked up sharply as Alexa appeared next to her -she had been walking in the front with Natsu only a moment ago. Looking back at the fire mage Lucy saw that he was conversing with Gray who seemed calm but annoyed. They were several dozen steps ahead of them and Erza even more so. Lucy turned her attention from the scarlet haired mage to the one by her side. She seemed fully recovered, but in the torch light Lucy could tell that she was much too pale. If they could have delayed the sealing they would have, the blond knew, but there simply was no time. That was something that the support mage had made clear after waking up.

FAIRY TAIL

"What happened?"

Alexa shifted her so that she could sit at the edge of the couch and looked at the armour-clad mage with a steady expression. Alexa could remember everything that had happened. There were just no words that could describe half of the things she knew and remembered from that moment. The things that the darkness, the cold and hateful magic had told her -there was no name for them.

"Whatever lies beneath this, whatever was locked away by that seal… it's awake. And it's tainting the land. That's what I felt." Her voice was quiet. There were no words for the feelings of terror, of the helplessness and hopelessness that had come with that magic. She never wanted to feel it again.

"It's awake?" Gray asked and sat down opposite of her. Alexa nodded.

"It has been for a while. The mansion, the village, the fields, the people and everything else. Everything has already been tainted with darkness from it." The support mage felt the tightening hold of Natsu's hand who pressed closer, seeking comfort as the bond pulsed gently. Alexa smiled and squeezed his hand in return.

"How can that be? We didn't sense anything when we came here." Erza pondered and Alexa turned her attention back to the female knight.

"The taint was very subtle, even I didn't notice it straight away. If one is not connected with the magic of the earth or attuned to the darkness of this magic, then you would never know. I just realised it when the creature spread its power today. The pulse was strong enough that I noticed it -no actually I noticed the feelings that came with it…" The brunette explained and then ran a hand through the dragon slayer hair. He shifted and slowly rose up and then sat down besides her. Their hands were still clasped, and Alexa didn't even blink as the fire user leaned against her shoulder. He seemed exhausted.

"Was that the reason you collapsed?" Gray asked when the silence had dragged on for a while. His gaze was intense -he was looking at her with shadowed eyes. She could see his doubts and his fears in that moment. He wanted her to wrong. And he feared that she was right and that whatever ley beneath the house was awake and readying shred its chains.

"Yes. I was reaching out with my own magic when the wave came -it was powerful and since I wasn't prepared for it my own magic fought against the intruder. While I was able to push it back, it had done more damage than I had anticipated. In order to get rid of the remainder of the energy left in my body, my magic basically burned it away -instinctually. Unfortunately, the result was that I collapsed -the energy that took and the strain that it placed on my body was more than I could cope with at that moment, caught unprepared as I was." The bond pulsed with worry and Alexa once again quickly assured the dragon slayer that all was in order. "Sorry for giving you such a scare."

Erza nodded before turning to Gray. "Anything to eat?" She asked and the ice mage stood up. "Yeah, I'll bring something over so we can eat." He headed to the kitchen.

Lucy had turned to Alexa and handed her a glass of water. The support mage took it gratefully and gave the blond mage a nod of thanks. The brunette took several small sips before setting the glass aside and moving her free hand to run through the dragon slayers' hair. The fire wizard seemed to perk up at the touch and then relaxed more. The bond, which had been cold and unresponsive had been slowly coming back to life -now it was almost back to normal. Alexa smiled as she received a feeling of relief from the mage leaning against her side.

Erza had sat down and placed a book that she had been carrying down on the table in the middle of the chairs the group was occupying. Alexa turned her attention to her and saw the red-haired mage frown down at the tome. Before she could ask anything, the ice mage wandered back to the living area, carrying a tray of sandwiches and another tray with a large teapot and cups. The dark-haired mage had also lost his shirt, but Alexa was getting used to it. The trays were placed down, and the group moved to eat. When everyone was finally eating, and the silence had dragged on for a while Erza finally put down her cup and picked up the book. Erza flipped the book open and flipped pages until she found the correct one and stopped.

"The day was dark and cloudy. The monster's screams were just as present as the day before. The folk were terrified, and I must admit that I too was scared. Never had I seen such a creature -larger than the houses in the town square, it's length that of the fields in the south. It's voice shaking the trees and the earth. The very air vibrating as it screamed. I have never been as scared as I was on that day. Thus, I wonder what kind of a person could face such a beast and not tremble in terror.

That was why their arrival was even more important. They were unafraid of the beast that had ravaged the neighbouring towns for the last three days. The woman, I remember, was clad in fine silk that was coloured noble purple. Her hair like the rays of the setting sun, her skin tone that of the sands of the desert in the far East and West. She was the one to arrive first, and at her back was the man clad in deep blue -dark hair and dark red eyes, skin darker than I remember ever seeing before or after. They gave us no names, no way to tell of their heroics.

They came to us at the dawn, dark as it was and then wondered toward the monster's lair. Nothing but screams could be heard for three days and nights. On the rainy morn of the fourth day the sound stopped. There was flash of light that seemingly lit up the sky. By the gods will the skies parted, and the rain stopped. Sun shone upon us for the first time in weeks. They returned to our village come dark and humbly requested a bit of food and a place to sleep. The town celebrated -we poured these strangers, our saviours, best of our wines, offered them the best food and at the end of the night offered them the best beds.

Come morn they had vanished. Several weeks later a woman that we had never seen wondered to the village. She inquired after the monster and after retelling what had happened, she asked us to stay away from the place where the fight had happened. We did and we have been keeping people away. Some time ago the woman came here with a young couple who are now building a house on the site of the battle. I hope to gods that they come to their senses and leave. That monster still lurks there, defeated but still alive. I will keep retelling this story to the moment of my death -in order to prevent these people from ever having to feel the terror that came with the monsters screams.

-Ealdorman, X352"

Alexa looked at the book like it had offered all the answers she had ever had but at the same time had told her that the sun was blue, and the moon was her unborn child. This was what they had been looking for but as she went over every bit of information in her head the less it helped her. The information while valuable and incredibly useful was also useless. This person had not seen the fight and while he knew how big the beast was, he had no idea what it was or had any clear idea what it looked like.

"It doesn't really help us… but at least we know that the sealing took quite a while." Erza said as she closed the book and laid it down on the table once again. Lucy looked slightly spooked and Gray frowned. Natsu had sat up during the time Erza had been reading and was now looking at the tome with a frown as well.

"So… either those two wizards lacked power and the beast is a piece of cake or they were strong and the thing was just that though…" Gray muttered and Alexa sighed. Her senses were still a bit muddy but slowly sharpening as she reached around the house again. The whole mansion felt colder than the day before and when the brunette glanced at Lucy she could see that the blond was also a bit fidgety. The celestial mage was finely tuned to the shifts of energy and now that she new what to look for and was expecting she was also getting the chills. The blue eyes narrowed. No weak creature could cause such an potent aura.

"It's strong. Nothing short of extremely powerful would be able to take me off guard and invade my body since I have such a fine-tuned control over Ether. This was something powerful and most importantly malicious." Erza turned to her where she had been conversing with Gray about the book. The knight nodded slowly and then her frown deepened.

"This thing is a serious threat…" The voice was drowned out by the surge that Alexa felt. It was like the one she had felt earlier that day. This time she was prepared and she quickly channelled magic to form a shield around the group. The others barely had time to blink as a golden shield surrounded the them and then they too noticed it. The feeling of darkness that seemed to engulf everything outside the shield. The pulse was more powerful than the last time and the intensity showed as the shield cracked. The oppressive feeling mounted before suddenly vanishing.

Alexa slowly let the shield shatter after the last pieces of the hostile energy disappeared. Erza looked at the tome for a moment before turning to assess the team. Her gaze met the deep blue eyes.

"The seal…" The reequip mage didn't need to continue. Alexa nodded before turning to look outside. She could see the shine of the red moon and the darkness of the night. There was no time. "It will break soon. We have to do this now." Her tone was final, and the dragon slayer turned to her with an alarmed expression.

"What, you're not fully recovered, you just woke up!" His voice was heavy with worry and Alexa shook her head. "I'm fine. If we're talking about power reserves then I'm ready to go, but my senses are still a bit dull. That should however not last for more than a few hours."

The support mages reassurances did little to calm the pink haired wizard down. The bond pulsed with anxiety and worry. Alexa really hated making him worry but the time was short. The power of that last wave was too great -another day and the seal could be beyond repair. They couldn't risk that. Not if they wanted to complete this job and safe the people in the area. This monster could not walk free.

Natsu seemed to sense her resolve and he looked at her with anxious but determined eyes. "Fine but leave the heavy lifting to others on this one." His voice left little room for argument and Alexa smiled and nodded.

"I'll go down first." Erza's voice was met with instant protesting which the red-haired mage cut shirt with a commanding wave of her hand. Her eyes burned as she stood and marched to the door that lead to the underground cave. "We must know what where are walking into -if anything is amiss, I can flee or fight the best from this group. In the meantime, Aelxa, you should concentrate on your recovery." Alexa nodded and the armour-clad woman took out the key to the door and opened it. She shot a determined look over her shoulder and disappeared down to the oblivion.

FAIRY TAIL

The group reached the last stretch of stairs. Erza stopped a few feet from the bottom step and waited as the rest reached her. Lucy sighed as her feet touched the cave floor and she turned to the rest of the group. Erza, who had taken her leader position and watched the surroundings with a keen eye, Gray who flanked her left side, Natsu who took her right side with Alexa standing a step further back and in between the red-haired mage and the dragon slayer. Lucy stood beside her -taking the space behind Erza and Gray, turning so she could see their backs and the staircase behind them.

The group moved as one as they traversed the dark cavern, their lit only by the torch in Erza's hand and the flame that Natsu cradle in his hand. Lucy surveyed the area that the little amount of light allowed her to see -the path that they walked was smooth and its edges were decorated with carvings that she couldn't read. All around them were large pillars that emerged from the ground and reached into the darkness that lay far above them. Every bit of stone glimmered when the light bounced of its surface. Every so often she spotted carvings and paintings, all depicting battle scenes and some strange language that the blond didn't know and thus had no idea what it said. It was strange -the symbols were harsh but at the same time rounded and soft. It flowed gently across almost all surfaces that she could see.

They had been walking for well over fifteen minutes before they seemed to arrive at the right place. It was a shrine of some kind. To large pillars stood at each side of a stone table that rested upon several stone slabs that formed stairs. The area in front of the table was large enough for two people to kneel on. Above the altar, hanging a few feet of the table was a large gem -it was attached with chains to the boulder behind the table. The boulder was huge -it seemed to go on forever in every direction and only the gentle curve gave away the fact that it wasn't a part of the cave's natural structure.

Natsu moved forward to light the torched that lined the area round the altar. The fires came to life surrounding the altar in a large semi-circle. Lucy could see better with the fires alight and she could see the back wall behind the large boulder that rested against it. Her attention was drawn to the jewel that hung upon the chains. It was large, easily larger than her palm. In the light of the fires it shone purplish, but she could see that it was dark blue, with hints of green and gold mixed in it.

The celestial mage turned to see Alexa slowly step toward the altar. Once again Lucy was struck by the image of her -the dark hair had been gathered into three braids that began from the very front which had then been braided together, forming one large and complex braid. She was clad in a high collared shirt with no sleeves and black pants that resembled the ones that Lucy had used to worn when riding. The brunette had opted for black leather shoes with a low heel that wouldn't be a hindrance in a fight. As she stepped up to the altar and stood upon in, Lucy saw something beautiful and for a moment felt a power in the air. The fire cast shadows that seemed to flatter the support mage and at the same time gave her face the harshest expression.

Lucy stood still -her breath seemed to freeze. The woman in front of her -this woman who suddenly appeared in their lives- was powerful. To what extent Lucy couldn't even guess. But she could feel the power in that moment. The magic seemingly crackled in the hair and it was warm. It felt safe. Lucy basked in the feeling for a moment longer before reaching for her keys and gripping them in her hand. She could feel the power and she could feel the answering power that reminded her of the suns blazing heat. The blond opened her eyes and saw that the dragon slayer had moved to stand next to the support mage. The blue eyes rested upon the fire user before she nodded and turned back to the three mages who stood below them. She nodded to Erza.

"We can start." Her voice was determined, and Lucy wondered what gave her such confidence in that moment, because even without being a very good at sensory magic, Lucy could feel the darkness, the hate and the killing intent that surrounded them. Erza nodded and turned to her two companions.

"Our job is to keep Natsu and Alexa safe, this thing will undoubtedly want to end the sealing ritual before it can end." Erza said and Lucy and Gray nodded. The celestial mage once again sought out the deep blue eyes and found them. The brunette was frowning at them. The support mage turned to Natsu and then back to the group. She made a motion in the air and her eyes flashed gold.

"Ether magic: First Stage!" Lucy blinked as her body was surrounded in golden light that seemed to wrap around her body in a protective sheen. The magic was warm and seemed so natural it felt like it had always been there. Curiously moving her arm, she found that the magic didn't hinder own movements. Lucy reached for her keys and flicked her arm as she grasped the correct one.

"Open, gate of the Lion!" The orange haired spirit appeared in a flash of light and bowed to his master as Lucy turned the key to herself. "Star dress: Leo form!" After the magic of the support mage and the key mixed, she was left dressed in the dress, but this time there seemed to be additional protective guards at her shoulders, forearms and calves. They didn't hinder her movements or weigh her down -they were light and seemingly made for her.

"My lady, how can I be of service?" Lucy didn't blush at the compliment, far too used to Lokes' antics.

"We may have a fight on our hands soon. I need you to watch my back and protect Alexa and Natsu." Lucy told him and the leader of the zodiac cast a sharp glance at the pair standing on the altar. The orange haired spirit gave bow but looked quizzically at the brunette. Lucy couldn't fault him, the pair standing in the light of the fire was in deep conversation, standing with their foreheads almost touching, hands clasped together. Lucy felt that familiar pang in her chest but at the same time she felt a realisation come to her -the reason that the brunette was so sure and determined. She loves Natsu and she trust him with her life. And he trust her with his life. And he loves her. It was a humbling thing to realize the power that thrummed in the air around them wasn't their magical power but the bond that they shared. And Lucy felt herself smile in wonder.

FAIRY TAIL

"You don't have to do this, we could wait." His voice was soft but Alexa heard the concern in it. She stopped braiding her hair for a moment before shaking her head gently, careful not to disrupt her hair too much. She glanced at the dragon slayer where his form was reflected in the mirror she was sitting in front of and then continued the braiding as she answered.

"Yes I do. We don't have the luxury of waiting. Even if the seal would hold another week, the damage would be too severe to repair then. We must do this now -in order to protect the people living here and that family. We can't let this creature out." Her voice was determined, and she reflected that feeling trough the bond as well. The feelings she received in return were ruled by concern and, to her surprise, resignation. He knew that there was nothing that could change her mind and he would go along with. Reluctantly but still. Pinning the end of the third braid she started braiding the three together.

"I know, but… but what happened today… I guess I just… I just want us to be careful." His voice was tired, and Alexa felt ashamed. She had caused a great deal of distress, worry and fear to her team and most importantly to Natsu and now, without any delay she was jumping into danger and dragging the whole group with her. She lowered her gaze to the table where the mirror was situated.

"I'm sorry. I know it scared you." Her answer was meek and she knew it. Natsu hadn't been scared, he had been terrified. He had thought that she was going to die in his arms when she had collapsed on that roof. She couldn't imagine the terror that he must have felt. And she never wanted to feel like that. Screams of people dying as the city collapsed around them, the bond straining, scream of terror -the image vanished as soon at it came and Alexa promptly pushed it out of her mind. She turned to face the fire user and saw his gaze search out her eyes.

"It wasn't you fault… there's nothing to apologize for." The dragon slayer was suddenly striding toward her from where he had been standing in the doorway of the bedroom. He stopped in front on her and Alexa lowered her hands from her half-finished braid. She was sitting in front of a dressing table. He reached out and ran his fingers along one of the braids. Alexa leaned into the touch with a sigh and felt as the bond seemed to vibrate with power, love and trust. "I promise I'll protect you. I'll keep you safe. So… just promise that you'll stay with me."

Alexa watched his eyes, the fire in them diminished by the fear of losing his bonded. The brunette smiled; the tilt of her lips gentle as she regarded him. "I'll be with you until the end." Natsu nodded but didn't smile. His fingers moved to her half-finished braid and continued where she had left off. His fingers were gentle, and Alexa watched him intently. He was still too… The silence dragged on as the dragon slayer slowly finished the braid.

Alexa regarded the finished result. It was pretty good considering it was his first-time braiding hair. A fed strand could have been better twisted and it was a bit looser at one point. For Alexa it was perfect. And with a bit of practise he would be as good as her. She smiled as she though about teaching him and then letting him help her as she readied for the day or for bed. The though was so random and at the same time it filled her with so much love. Oh, how much she loved him. There were no words how much.

Alexa turned her head and regarded him as he tied the ends of the braids with a tie. She smiled and turned when he let the braid fall from his hands. "I could use another pair of hands when doing my hair -it can get tiring doing intricate braids. I'll teach you when we get back to Magnolia." Her words seemed to wake him. His eyes brightened and locked onto hers. The fire -which had been dim, was now growing with every second that passed.

"When we get home?" He asked and Alexa nodded as she stood. The bond seemed to solid in that moment. The feeling of love all encompassing. They were whole, they were loved, and they were together. The kiss happened without too much thought. It was like a promise. Soft, filled with love and oh so sweet and fulfilling. It brought so much joy and happiness that the support mage thought she might faint a second time that day.

They parted and smiled, the moment stretching on as they stood close. She had longed for this and she knew that so had he. This feeling of love and safety was so much more than anything else in their lives. For Natsu the only things that could begin to rival it were the guild and Igneel. For Alexa there was only the faint memories of her happy childhood and her grandfather who had taken to guiding her after the tragedy. The bond was however even grater than that. It wasn't just the love and the feeling of safety it was the knowledge that you were accepted, everything from the darkest thoughts and secrets to the saddest moments and happiest times.

"We're going to be fine, and once this is finished, I promise that we're going to go on a real date." Alexa told him and Natsu smiled.

"I'll take you to see the fountains, I'll walk with you along the beach, we can go shopping and eat at that place that sells Erzas' favourite cake." Natsu promised and Alexa hummed as she was wrapped in his arms. The embrace was warm, and she sighed in content.

"I love you." "I love you too."

A/N

Allright. So we're closing in on the sealing ritual. So the next chapter will either be a bit longer or a just a bit shorter than normal depending on how much I'll put into it. Or it might be just perfect. And with the next chapter we're done with the first part of the story. After this we're diving into the mystery of the desert kingdom and getting a closer look of the other characters as well as getting closer to the mating season.

Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated! Shout out to Anko4Life for her continued support. Thank you!

Please forgive my grammar mistakes since English is not my first language.

Thank you! :)