Still do not own any part of Fairy Tail! My life would probably be cooler if I did though :)
xoxo
Sparkles
Two weeks after Clover Town we were heading south down to the city that houses a guild called Lamia Scale. We learned from our time in Fairy Tail that they housed a magic wielder similar to the ice mage Grey Fullbuster, a saint wizard on par with Makarov Dreyar, and something called a God Slayer who's powers mirror that of Wendy Marvell the Sky Dragon Slayer. I was pouring over the map when I felt a nudge on my leg. "Yes My Lady?" I looked up from the map to meet the golden gaze of my owner.
"Oliver," she sighed my name. "Do you think they're there?" She looked so worried and that worries me. "I don't know how much more I can handle. How many masters have I ran into now?" she gave a bitter laugh as she counted out the number. "Twenty. Wow aren't I a little slut."
"Hey." I grab her hand in comfort. "I already told you to stop talking like that. What happened to you was not your fault and it kills me to see you like this. We are going to get them back." I gave her hand a squeeze and kept marking a route.
"You are not going to believe who I just saw on the train car in front of us." Nozomi sounded flustered.
"Who?" my owner asks without much enthusiasm.
"Those two gunslingers from Fairy Tail. They also had that boy—Romeo was it?—with them," she slumped down in the seat next to me. "What the hell are they doing encroaching on another guilds territory?" I shrugged in response.
My owner on the other hand shot up out of her seat and headed for their train car without so much as a glance back at us. "Do you think she liked Fairy Tail more than she originally let on?" Nozomi glanced after her.
I only shook my head, "I do not know Nozomi-chan, she's just lost and confused and scared about the future. I don't blame her for admiring their connectedness and family mentality. Plus they might have people who are like her and Naoki, if only we knew more about this dragon magic business." I huffed as I rolled the map back up.
"She says she hasn't had any more of those flashbacks recently. I wonder what's stopping them, they really seemed to help. How else would we have known about her healing ability?" Nozomi said as she stretched her legs out onto the chair across from her.
"It was a good thing too considering someone doesn't know how to climb a hill," I tried for joking but it sounded sad even to me.
"It's not my fault! I didn't see that rock and it's not like it matters anymore anyways." Nozomi paused and darted her eyes around the aisle. "She's getting stronger Oliver-kun, she's getting stronger and more out of control. You did see her back in Clover didn't you? She looked murderous when we fought that swamp thing."
I sighed and rubbed my temples in frustration. "I know, but what do we tell her? 'Hey you need to stop trying to rediscover your powers because you're freaking us out?' Yeah I hardly think that's fair." She swatted my arm in anger.
"No! I mean we need to train. It might mean we take a few hits that are gonna hurt, but she needs us. I know she won't just come out and ask, so we have to tell her it's okay." I consider this as we watch her walk back to the seats. "Was it them?"
"Oh, um yeah it was Alzach, Bisca, and Romeo." She sat down with a sigh.
"I wonder what they are doing here," Nozomi mused.
"Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale are on good terms I suppose, so maybe they're collaborating on a mission," she shrugged and gave no indication of talking about it further.
I didn't mean to bolt of my seat, but I couldn't help it Nozomi-chan said Fairy Tail was here and I wanted to sprint to them. 'Why do they make me feel so…so weird?' I mused as I quickly shifted into the look of an old nun. "Do you mind if I sit here?" I say as I approach them. "I've been walking the length of the train to keep my blood pumping but it seems to have tuckered me out!" I finish with a laugh.
"No of course Sister, please take a seat! My name is Bisca Connell and this is my husband Alzach and our friend Romeo Conbolt!" Bisca introduced everyone to me and I felt so at peace.
"Well aren't you a cute little thing!" I say to Romeo as I pat his head. "What's this?" I point to their guild mark on his arm.
"It's the mark of our guild, Fairy Tail." He smirked and looked so proud to show it off.
"Oh my! I have heard of Fairy Tail, my Sister's and I watched you at the last Magical Games! What a show indeed!" I clapped my hands together in enthusiasm.
"You did?! Yeah it was pretty cool wasn't it! Ezra and them are super strong, I hope to one day be in the games with Big Bro Natsu!" Romeo pumped his fist in the air.
I smile and laugh, "Oh you will get there someday. I believe in you," Romeo looked at me with warmth in his eyes. 'There's something that I miss dearly.' I sighed and stood back up, "Well I believe I have taken up enough of your time, thank you for letting me rest here for a while." I make a move to leave and Bisca stands up to block my way. "O-oh my, yes dear is there something I can do for you?" I felt the panic start to rise.
Bisca pulls me into a hug, "No Sister it's just I thought you needed a friendly gesture today." She let me go and gave me a smile. "Thank you for sitting with us it made us feel better about this whole trip!"
At this I gave her an odd look, "Why on earth would you feel uneasy my dear? Aren't you going to visit your friends in Lamia Scale? I had heard such nice things about a friendship between the two guilds!" I rushed to add the last part.
"Oh yes Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail are friends alright! It's that friendship that's called us out here. Apparently there has been some signs of dark magic close to the city. Our friend Jura asked if we could help investigate the matter." Bisca looked worried and I grabbed her hand in support.
"Don't you worry about a thing dear, I'm sure it's all going to be okay."
"Thank you Sister, but it would make me feel a lot better if I knew you weren't going to be in the forest around the city for a while, please?" she asked me.
I waved off her concern, "Don't you worry about me, but if it helps then yes I will avoid unnecessary danger." With that I bid them farewell and headed back the way I came. I transformed back into my original form as I approached my two companions.
I was distracted with thoughts of dark magic and Zeref again as I approached. "What it them?" Nozomi-chan startled me out of my thoughts.
"Oh, um yeah it was Alzach, Bisca, and Romeo." I sat down with a sigh and turned to the window.
"I wonder what they're doing here," Nozomi-chan mused.
"Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale are on good terms I suppose, so maybe they're collaborating on a mission." I gave it the sound of finality because I didn't want to talk about it anymore. 'Thinking about Fairy Tail hurts my heart, thinking about Naoki and the others hurts my heart, and thinking about the Master mixed with this dark magic stuff hurts my head!' I crossed my eyes in frustration and tried to get a few hours of sleep before we reached the city.
Upon entering the city we immediately head for the city hall building. "We just need to find some kind of clue of who is powerful in this town." I push the doors open as I say this. "Good thing I changed back into my nun disguise," I mumbled to myself as we pasted a master of mine. 'This is starting to get ridiculous!'
"Nay do you see that room over there?" Nozomi-chan pointed to a room labeled records. "What kind do you think they are?"
"Probably basic building and case file stuff," I reply. "I don't think it will help. We need basically a roaster of all the people who live or have lived in this town. But it's worth a shot," we manage to get let in because they're public records. After a few minutes Oliver speaks up.
"Look at this," he held open a blueprint of a rather large building.
"What is it?" Nozomi-chan asked over his shoulder.
"It looks like plans for…a…brothel…" horror struck across his face. "But it looks like it was never completed. So, now there is a husk of a building on the outskirts of town."
"Sounds like a good place to hide things." I mused as I read the building specks. "What a strange thing to want to build in this day and age. Who would ever willingly work there?" I made a disgusted face. "Oh…I guess most wouldn't be willing would they?" Before the conversation could turn dark Nozomi-chan grabbed the blueprint and shoved it back in the drawer.
"Okay so now we know that drawer is useless!" she clapped her hands together. "Now we find something useful! Like who here owns the biggest houses!" she pumped her fist in the air and started to rifle through a different drawer.
"You're right Nozomi-chan," Oliver grabbed a stack of files from a desk and started to shuffle them around. "No need to worry about things that didn't come to fruition." With that we set about looking for anything related to wealth and the people who owned it.
"Oh my goodness!" I exclaim almost a half hour later. "I know this house," I point to a two winged mansion the size of a small island. "I know this house and the tastes of the people inside," I fold the blueprint up and shoved it in my bag. "This is where we start. Maybe we can find information about Master's whereabouts from them."
"Yeah maybe they write each other letters about how nasty they are," Nozomi-chan makes a disgusted face.
"That would help," Oliver replied to her sarcasm. I snapped my fingers in between them and made them focus.
"Come on guys, this is no time to fight we have to move," we left and made a start in the direction of the house. The walk was about twenty minutes. "Man this city is huge!" I cry as I rub my sore feet on a park bench. "How do these people do it all day?"
"You'll get used to it! It's all a part of having freedom," Nozomi-chan said as she sits down next to me. "Although I could go for a foot rub right about now," I laughed at her and she laughed back.
"I'm glad I'm not in this alone," I say as I grab her hand. Oliver rests his on my shoulder and I reach up to give it a squeeze. "I hope we are almost at the end of this mission."
"It has been a month and a half since we left Fairy Tail." Oliver points out.
"Yeah we have to finish this and hurry back! They said that they would miss you too much if we were gone for long," Nozomi-chan stood up and offered me her hand. I took it and stood up among my companions.
'No, my friends these two are definitely friends.' I think as we start walking again. It took five more minutes to actually reach the house. "You have got to be kidding me…" I groan as I stare wide eye at Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale standing on the front steps talking to an all too familiar face. "That's master Rosenburg he is so rich it's ridiculous. Once he bought me this hideous dress that was all the rage in the capital. He made me wear it to a party…" I shuddered at the memory. We darted around the corner as they approached the gates.
"Don't you think this Rosenburg guy is a little weird?" we hear an unfamiliar voice say.
"Sherry that isn't a nice thing to say about a client!" yet another unfamiliar voice chided.
"No I agree with Sherry-san, that dude is defiantly hiding something. Why is there an abandoned building on the eastern outskirts of this city anyways Lyon-san?" it was Romeo talking now.
I took this chance to peek around the corner and saw a dark look pass over this Lyon's face. "It was a bad idea that came from the wealthy men in this town. A brothel," he made the word sound like acid coating his tongue. "It was our old lady and Jura here that finally put an end to the plans," I saw him point to a mountain of a man behind him.
"A brothel!? In this day and age?! There's no way they would even have staff!" Bisca was livid. "How disrespectful of women everywhere!" I watched as Alzach placed his arm around her shoulders in comfort or containment I couldn't tell. "And now someone is using it as a hiding spot for the accumulation of dark magic?! I don't think so! Let's get a move on!" she grabbed Alzach by the collar and started off for the abandoned building.
I heard Oliver sigh, "Why do we always get dragged into Fairy Tail messes?" he sighed again and rubbed his head. I stuck my tongue out at him. "That's very mature My Lady," he growled.
"Look I need to check out this dark magic business okay? It has just as much to do with Master as far as we know. Plus I know this is one of my previous masters, so that means Master is connected to him. And if this man is claiming there is dark magic I can only fear that Master has his hand in this whole mess," I finish by putting my hands on my hips. "Now this is the plan. I want you two to sneak in and find a link between this dark magic and the one in Clover Town, hopefully that can lead us to where Master is located, got it?"
"Roger," Nozomi-chan saluted me and transformed into a cat. "Oliver-kun I'm going to find a lose rock somewhere in the gate wall for you to crawl through." She darted off as Oliver transformed into a dog.
"Are you sure about this My Lady?" he gave me a weary look.
"Yes, Oliver I need to know. This whole thing is getting out of hand and I have a bad gut feeling we are going to find Naoki in the middle of all of this," I sighed and Oliver rested his massive dog head against my leg.
"We're going to save him, no matter what My Lady." With that he trotted off in the direction of Nozomi-chan. I started to follow the group of mages to the abandoned brothel.
The group had been walking for a while now and I made sure to keep a safe distance from them so they didn't notice me."Lyon-sama what is the meaning of this?" the woman named Sherry said with a shocked expression. I can't blame her though, all of a sudden that Lyon just grabbed her chest. "Lyon-sama!?" her eyes could not possibly get any bigger. And here I was under the impression this was going to be a quiet affair.
"It's not me Sherry!" we all watched as he struggled to pull away. "What magic is this?!" Alzach had grabbed him around the waist to pull him off.
"What the hell are you thinking?!" Bisca screamed and we saw Jura grope her butt. "Jura get off me!"
"Let go of my wife!" Alzach was already pointing a gun at him. But before he could pull the trigger Romeo had latched onto his leg. "Romeo?!"
"Alzach! Help me! I don't know what's going on!" Romeo was in a panic. The whole scene was just sad actually. I was about to intervene when I smelled something that made me freeze in place.
'What is that?' I sniffed again and almost gagged. 'What kind of magic is this?!' I wanted to throw up.
"Do you feel that?" Sherry suddenly became very serious.
"I swear Sherry I am not meaning to!" Lyon looked terrified of the woman.
"Not that you perv, this smells like a weird burning of something toxic." She covered her nose and turned slightly green. "It's making me sick, I think I'm going to lose my lunch!"
'Where is this coming from? The brothel is supposed to be another mile.' I shift my eyes all around as the group tries to unbind themseleves. 'Can I do this?' I think as I search for the source of the smell. I turned around for one second, but that's all it took. Bisca and Jura were both sent flying, Romeo and Alzach were smashed into the ground, and Lyon and Sherry were being crushed into a tree. 'I smell it! It's here, but where?!' I darted from behind my tree to another one closer to the group.
"Faaairrryy Taailll…" a very creepy voice drawled out. "No more…Faaiirrryyy Taaail!" with that Bisca was dislodged from Jura and face planted onto Lyon.
"What is this!?" Lyon screamed as him and Bisca rubbed butts. "This isn't funny!"
"Where is it?!" Jura was up and swinging around rocks, but to no avail. "Show yourself you coward!" still nothing happened and it became eerily quiet. Everyone was still trying to detach themselves when an ear shattering roar came from a few feet behind me.
"What?!" I turned around in time to come face to face with a gigantic monster. It was a blood-red, scaly thing with eyes like two black pits. I managed to dodge its frontal attack and skirt around behind its massive back leg. 'It walks on all four? What kind of monster is this?' I felt my magic surge through my body. "There has got to be a weak spot." I dart around barely missing its back foot coming down to crush me. "There!" I make it to the underbelly and trust my fist straight into the soft flesh.
The monster let out its terrible roar again and picks me up with its mighty front paw. "Nooo moorreee Faaaairrryy Taaiiillll!" It screeched and chucked me at the group.
"Sister?!" Bisca lets out an exasperated moan. She was hurt pretty badly in the last attack.
"Well hello there dear! Fancy running into you here!" I try for nonchalance but given the circumstances I failed.
"Bisca you know her?" Sherry finally managed to stand again and she was alone.
"Yeah she was someone we met on the train, but Sister I told you to stay away from the forest. You promised remember?" she gave me a stern look.
"Yes but—" I was cut off due to the monster taking a swing at Jura and Alzach. "Hold on dear!" I managed as I launched into my next bout with the creature. Jura managed to trap it with his rock magic and Alzach shot it in the eye. The monster screamed and thrashed around but there was no way to break free. I moved closer to the beast.
"Wait! Get back!" Romeo ran up to me and grabbed my hand. "It could hurt you!" he tried pulling me away, but I just pulled him into a hug.
"Thank you for your concern Romeo-kun. But do not worry, look," I pulled the top from my head and revealed that there was no damage. "I am fine. We need to find a way to seal this creature." I walked hand in hand with Romeo up to it. "I think I know him," I mused as we circled it.
"Really?" Romeo gave me a disbelieving look. I chuckled and placed my hand on my chin.
"Yes this is defiantly old magic emanating from this creature. Some kind of attraction magic at that," I gave him a pointed look and he looked away blushing. "What is in these rocks of yours young man?" I point the question at Jura.
"Oh, um they're just regular rocks and earth infused with my magic, ma'am," he gave me a quizzical look. "Why?"
"I'm just trying to understand why it hasn't attached us to each other," I reach out and pluck a hair from its front side. It howled in rage.
"Nooo mooree Faaairry Taaailll!" It screamed.
"And another thing, why does it seem so driven to destroy Fairy Tail dear?" I look to Bisca who is being supported by Alzach. "Oh my," I rush over to her. "Let me, that's it just your hand." I place her hand to my forehead and then give it a light kiss. "Okay dear you should be as good as new!" with that Bisca stands up and gives a shocked response.
"How did you do that?"
I just smiled at her, "I told you dear, there is no need to worry about me." I turn back to the beast and am struck by a memory.
'Remember my Beloved One, demons come in many forms and with many powers. Do not let them into your mind, for if you do they can create chaos and pandemonium within you.' I was struck dumb by the sudden image of the golden dragon lecturing a young version of myself. 'There weakness is usually the opposite of their power…'
"Opposite of attraction is…repulsion?" I look down at Romeo and me holding hands. 'We're keeping it here with our obvious affection.' I quickly released Romeo's hand. "Everyone quickly do not show any signs of affection! In fact show the opposite—repulsion!" I picked up Romeo and threw him to the ground.
"Hey!" Romeo cried out at the same time that the monster screamed in protest. "That worked?!" He stood up and sent a fury of attacks at me, I managed to dodge most of them. He got me with the last punch and I went flying into a tree.
"Romeo!" Bisca yelled at him. It worked though, the monster started to thrash around again.
"No Bisca-san it's okay! You have to do it too!" Romeo and I continue fighting while Jura holds the monster in place.
"Lyon-sama you pervert!" Sherry suddenly screamed and punched him in the face. "Take this!" she sent a tree flying at him and the monster was in agony.
"Okay…but only because it seems to work…" Bisca hid her face under her bangs as she turned to Alzach.
"Huh? Bis…ca?" Alzach was suddenly terrified as his wife drew her arm back and punched him square in the nose. "Biiiissssccaaa!" Alzach was sent arching over two trees. Soon the monster was withering in pain and screaming for us to stop fighting.
"Time to end you!" I focus my magic into my fist again and jump to hit it in between the eyes. With that final blow the monster disappeared in a cloud of smoke and fire. "And that ends that nonsense." I turn to everyone and they look pretty beat up. "Come here," I point to Romeo and he limps over to me. "Give me your hand…yeah just like that, there we go." I gave him a light kiss and transferred my healing to him.
"Hey how come you don't got any bruises?" Romeo pouted.
"Healing magic," I winked at him and proceeded to heal everyone. "There now everyone should be as good as new!" I was feeling exhausted.
"You mind telling us what you're doing so far from town Sister?" Jura suddenly cast he massive shadow over me.
'Why do men think that's intimidating?' I could feel a vein throbbing in my forehead. 'I should knock him down a few pegs!' before I could knock him into next week I come up with a quick lie. "The head priest in the city called on me to come investigate some strange dark feelings the city seemed to wrapped up in," I pulled my hood back up and fixed my grey hair. "It just so happened that I was looking for an abandoned brothel in this direction. I am very surprised to find you all out here! Bisca-san I thought you said there was some dark magic you were supposed to be investigating?"
"We are…we were, it was coming from that brothel you probably were heading to Sister," Bisca looked at me wearily.
"Shall we proceed together?" I ask with a smile. "Company is far superior to solitude don't you think?" They all look at me with apprehension. When no one response I start to move on ahead. "Well it was nice to see you all again. Please be careful!" I give them a backwards wave as I head to the brothel.
"Wait Sister!" Romeo runs up behind me. "I'm coming with you!" he slows when he catches up with me. "I don't want to leave you alone. There could be more monsters!" I smile and nod down at him. Eventually they all decide to go with me.
Once we are at the brothel I was the only one not surprised to find it smoldering. "What happened?!" Sherry tries to put out the last remaining flames.
"I believe this building was used as a summoning point for that demon." I pick up a charred piece of wood and sniff it. 'Dark magic was definitely used here.' I turn to walk back to the city. "There is nothing we can do here now."
"Sister…why do you know so much about demons and dark magic?" comes Alzach's voice. I stop and stare out at the fading sun.
"That is my specialty. I am one who studies the ways of old. Dark magic used to run rampant throughout these lands and demons once walked among humans," I cross my arms in front of me. "Come, it is going to be dark before we reach the city." I did not enjoy lying, in fact it made my tongue feel heavy and my throat dry. We walked in relative silence back into the city only the occasional twig snapping or chirp of a bird broke it. Finally we make it to the edge of the city. "This is where I leave you. Thank you for your help," I bow to the group and head to meet back up with Oliver and Nozomi-chan.
"Wait, please Sister!" Bisca comes up to me and wraps me in a hug.
'Well this is not something I was expecting.' I think as I hug her back. "What on Earth is this for dear?" I pat her back and she releases me.
"Thank you for being there today, I'm not sure what would have happened had you not been there," she scratched the back of her head. "I'm sorry that it seems that we don't trust you. It's just strange you know…how you know so much about dark magic." I waved my hand dismissively.
"Do not fret dear, you are not the first and you will not be the last." I grab her hand and squeeze it. "You all, please be careful on your journey," I look directly into the eyes of each of the mages. With that parting message I make my way back to the original house. It took me almost an hour even after I transformed out of an old lady body.
I saw Nozomi-chan and Oliver sitting in animal form by the gate of the house. "What a lovely pair!" I cooed at them and kept walking. Soon they were following me around the corner and we break into a dead sprint. "Over here!" I sided into an alleyway and they followed. "You are not going to believe what I saw!" I say as they transformed back.
"You aren't goin' to believe what we found in that mansion," Nozomi-chan hands me an envelope and I pull the contents out. I had to read it twice to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
"Guys this is the break we've been looking for!" I nearly scream as I pull them into a bone crushing hug.