"Levy!"
Yukino and Lucy looked on in fright as Duke Everlue continued to restrain their friend. His sole goal was the secrets inside the book known as Daybreak, and he would break Levy McGarden's arms to find them.
"What did you learn from that book? He must have buried a fortune and left a treasure map inside the pages. Didn't he?!" He tightened his grip. "Give it to me now!"
"N-no!" Levy resisted. "I won't let you have this!"
"Then so be it." Everlue held Levy to the ground. "Look, there's no need for this to be so complicated. I was the one who commissioned for this book to be created after all. Don't you think that makes me the rightful owner of any treasures it may lead to?"
"Let go of her!"
Yukino kicked Everlue in face as hard as she could, sending him flying through sewer.
"Thank you." Levy gingerly rose to her feet. She was free.
Lucy ran to her side. "Are you alright?"
"I'm ok. Where did you learn to kick like that, Yukino?"
The young celestial wizard looked away, her now trademark blush on her cheeks. "M-my father taught me self-defense when I was young."
"Well that was quite the attack." Lucy praised.
"How dare you strike me like that, you vile girl? Have you no sense of class?"
Everlue returned, his hand over his bloodied nose.
"You're one to talk." Lucy interjected. "Your mansion is the nastiest places I've ever seen. That and your taste in maids is far below average."
"Hold your tongue! My maids are the most beautiful women in all of Fiore!"
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. Levy thought with a nervous smile.
"Let us keep the book and we'll take it easy on you." Lucy urged. "Though we might still give a good smacking out of principal."
"You're certainly a cocky one." Everlue replied with an irritable sneer. "And what makes you think you're in any position to issue demands? You three girls are no match for my Diver magic!" A magic circle appeared on Everlue's back and with a boisterous chortle he dove feet first into the ground.
"So that's how he was able to travel underground." Levy realized. Suddenly the Duke appeared behind her.
"Give me the book!"
"Lu!" Levy tossed the book.
Lucy caught it. "I got it!"
Everlue disappeared again, this time reappearing before Lucy.
"Yukino!" Lucy threw the book as hard she could, it awkwardly falling into Yukino's waiting arms.
"I-I have it!" Yukino tried to keep a grip on the book but it was dangeroulsy close to falling into the sewage. When Everlue caught up to her she tripped, letting go of the book.
"Oh no!"
SOLID SCRIPT: ROPE
Levy summoned two strands of rope; one to grab the book and the other to pull Yukino back from the edge of the walk.
"That was a close one." she breathed.
"T-thank you." Yukino bowed.
Everlue loomed over the pair. His eyes full of anger. "Are we done with this game now? Just give me the book and I will forget all of this ever happened."
Levy and Yukino stood ready to face him.
"Not happening. I know what's going on in this book now." Levy revealed. "It's about a terrible character named Duke Everlue."
"Really?" Lucy was appalled.
"Terrible is a very harsh word." Everlue reasoned. He quickly shot himself around the tunnelway using his magic. "But you are right! The story itself is trite. Hardly worthy of the fame of Kemu Zaleon! How shameful!"
The girls did their best to evade his attacks.
"You forced him to write this book!" said Levy.
"How arrogant can you be?!" Lucy shouted.
"Me? Arrogant? Perish the thought." argued the Duke. "The opportunity to tell my story is an honor above all others. No matter the circumstances!"
"If that's true then why did you have to resort to blackmail?" Levy demanded.
"Blackmail?" repeated a confused Yukino.
"I don't see the big deal." Everlue stopped moving, taking the time to twirl his nose hairs with a smug expression. "All that was required was a little incentive for him to get the job done."
"Seriously?" deadpanned Levy.
"Any other person would have fallen over themselves for the chance to write a book about me." Everlue swam through the concrete of the walkway as he explained himself. "But he had the nerve to defy me. So I did what I had to and offered an ultimatum. Either he'd write the novel, or he would see his family be stripped of their citizenship."
The girls couldn't believe what they just heard.
"How could you?" Lucy implored.
"Stripping away someone's citizenship takes away their very lives." Levy said. "They wouldn't be able to join a guild or even earn a living!"
"That's awful." gasped Yukino. "Is he really that powerful?"
"I can do anything!" Everlue burst from the ground and resumed his attack. "That book if proof enough of that! Though there were still a few...problems we had to address. I wasn't fond of his attitude, so I thought it best if he wrote behind the confines of a prison cell! He'd feel more…inspired that way." Everlue snickered. "He boasted about how his integrity as an artist would never allow him to give into threats, but in the end I still got what I wanted!"
"You're even more awful than I thought!" Lucy shouted as she dodged.
"You locked him away in solitary confinement for three years!" Levy yelled. "Do you have any idea how horrible that was for him?!"
Everlue cut off the trio when they tried to escape from the tunnels entrance. "If that was how long it took him to appreciate my greatness then so be it!"
"You're wrong!" Yukino objected.
"She's right." Levy echoed. "He couldn't bear to look at you, but he had to do it to satisfy your ego if he wanted to see his family again. He had no choice in the matter."
"How do you know all of this?" The Duke demanded.
"It's all right here in this book. "Levy held up Daybreak.
"Impossible." Everlue contended. "I've read that thing cover to cover, and nowhere in it is Kemu Zaleon."
"Of course…if you read it normally, but long before Kemu Zaleon was an author, he was a wizard! Using the last of his strength, he cast a spell on the book just as he finished writing it."
Everlue was furious. "Damn him! How dare he sully my story with such shoddy workmanship?!"
"Get over yourself! He may have focused on the pain and suffering you put him through, but that's only a small part of this story! The secret inside this book has nothing at all to do with you!"
"What is the secret?" Yukino asked, she was now more curious as well.
"I want to know too." Seconded Lucy.
"Tell me what you know right now!" Everlue demanded.
Levy placed the book in her satchel. "All you need to know is that I'm never handing over this book to you. It was never yours to begin with."
"You little-"
"Not so fast!"
Lucy intercepted Everlue, a golden key in hand.
OPEN GATE OF THE CRAB: CANCER
From out of Celestial Spirit Gate came a trendy looking crab man with shades on her face and scissors in his hands. Levy was confused by the spirit. Yukino on the other hand was spellbound. She had never seen another zodiac spirit besides her own. She had only read about them in books and whatever secondhand knowledge was given to her by Pisces and Libra.
Cancer turned to his master. "How would like your hair done today…baby."
"I'm not the one that needs a haircut." Lucy pointed to Everlue. "But that man there could use a serious makeover."
"I gotcha, baby."
"I'm not sure a haircut is the best way to handle this situation, Lu." Levy voiced.
"I promise Cancer does way more than cut hair."
Everlue was beside himself. He gnashed his teeth as he began to sweat.
No! it can't end like this! That dastardly hack of a writer probably wrote every detail concerning my business deals. If the council gets even a whiff of how I amassed my fortune I'll be ruined beyond repair! I can't let that happen!
In his desperation Everlue pulled out a golden key of his own.
OPEN GATE OF MAIDEN: VIRGO
When the gate opened, out came the hulking maid from earlier.
"Did you summon me, Master?!"
"He's a celestial wizard too?!" Lucy gasped.
"Retrieve that book for me!" Everlue ordered.
Levy tightened her hold on Daybreak, however the sight of her teammates on the maid's massive shoulders caught her completely unaware. From the looks on their faces they were just as surprised as she was.
"Jet?! Droy?! How did you two get here?!"
"What is going on here?!" Everlue yelled.
"We were fighting her in the lobby and then she started glowing." Jet explained.
"When he hopped on her we ended up here." Droy added.
"That means they passed through the Celestial Gate!" Lucy deduced.
"But I thought humans couldn't do that!" Yukino exclaimed.
"What do we do now?!" the boys panicked.
"Right now you need to get down from there!" Shouted Levy.
"Virgo, clean up this mess!" Everlue commanded.
SOLID SCRIPT: FIRE
Levy summoned a blaze of bright blue flames that sent Virgo flying back.
"Oh no!" yelled Everlue. "Virgo!"
"You horrible man!" Yukino summoned Polaris. "Do you know what it feels like to be separated from your family?! It's a terrible feeling! Now you will pay for your actions!"
The bear spirit grabbed Everlue and launched him high into the air, into the waiting scissors of Cancer. The sharply dressed spirit snipped away at the evil Duke, sending him back down completely bald - even his nose hairs were gone. It was a marked improvement.
"How was that, baby?"
"Whoa! Way to go, crab dude!" shouted Droy.
"Where did you come from anyway?" Jet wondered.
Before the group could celebrate their victory, the tunnel started to rumble.
"It's caving!" Yukino shouted.
"What do we do?!" Jet panicked.
"We're going to be trapped down here forever!" Droy screamed.
"I don't want to be trapped here forever!" Lucy whined.
SOLID SCRIPT: DRILL
Levy's spell created a drill that burrowed through the walls of the crumbling tunnel, creating an exit just big enough for them all to fit through.
"Through here! Hurry!"
Virgo watched the wizards make their daring escape as the tunnel came down with Everlue in hand. Her eyes were focused on squarely Yukino.
Yukino and her friends watched as the Everlue mansion crumbled to dust as a result of the tunnel collapse. Because of the mansion's position on the hill, the destruction could even be seen from town.
"I hope those other maids were able to escape."
"We barely made it out ourselves." Droy sighed. His heart was pounding as fast as Jet could run.
"That was some quick thinking back there as always, Levy." Jet praised.
Levy found it hard to share in his enthusiasm. All she could think about was the possible reprimanding that awaited them back him.
"I really hope we aren't blamed for this." She prayed. "Master Precht has enough problems as it is."
After their adventure in the mansion, Shadow Gear, Yukino, and Lucy returned to the Melon Mansion. Much to the shock - and ire - of Kaby, Daybreak was perfectly preserved in Levy's hands. She placed it into his half open hands.
"I don't understand." he uttered. "The job specifically asked that this book be destroyed. Why are you giving it to me?"
"If you really want to burn the book, then it would be best if you did that yourself." Levy suggested. Aside from the secrets it held, Levy had a personal code to never destroy or otherwise deface a book. That was the reason why if they truly went through with the job, Jet or Droy would have been the one to dispose of Daybreak
"Oh don't you worry. I will strip away every page of this filthy tome until there is nothing left. I hoped I'd never have to lay eyes on it again."
"Believe me I understand why you would have such feelings. You wanted to preserve your family's legacy."
"What do you mean?" Yukino inquired.
"Mr. Melon. You're the son of Kemu Zaleon. Aren't you?"
Kaby dropped his head, his eyes now hidden from view. "…Yes. I am."
This revelation shocked everyone save for Levy and Kaby's wife.
"Have you read the book at all?"
"…No. I couldn't. My father told me that it was trash and that I should never set eyes on it."
"You what?!" Jet yelled.
"How could you not even read it, man?!" Droy demanded. "That's pretty low! Your old man died writing that!"
Yukino felt the same way the boys did in a sense. If she had the chance to read anything her parents or Sorano left for her there would be nothing that could stand in her way. She wanted to scold Kaby, but she remained silent. It was not her place. Besides there must have been a reason for his reluctance.
"Calm down, you two." Levy said. "Let Kaby explain."
"That book brought nothing but pain and suffering to my family." Kaby told them. "Thirty one years ago, my father suddenly appeared at our doorstep. We hadn't seen him in years. We thought he had abandoned us, and we'd never see him again. I yelled at him, demanding to know where he'd been but he only replied with 'Somewhere I won't return' and 'that it was all over.' Then the next thing I knew he chopped off the very arm he used to write with."
The wizards yelped at the thought, clutching their right hands. Lucy and Levy nearly fainted. Kaby continued.
"While my father was recovering in the hospital I asked why he chose to work for Everlue when I had warned him not to. When he replied that it was because of the money I was furious. I yelled at him. I said that he didn't care about us and that he abandoned his pride and family for profit. I called him a poor excuse for not only a writer, but a father as well. Those were the last things I said to him. He died shortly thereafter.
Even as I stared at his grave I couldn't let go of the anger and betrayal that I felt in my heart. As the years passed, my anger slowly eroded away into remorse. It's too late to ask for forgiveness. I know that now. So I thought the best way to atone for what I had done was to get rid of the very thing that caused him so much pain. It's the only way I know to honor him." Kaby lit a match. "This is what he would have wanted."
"No. You're wrong!" Yukino spoke up. "That's not what your father would have wanted!"
"How do you know?" Kaby argued.
"She's right." Levy pointed. "Look."
Daybreak started to glow.
"What is this?!"
"The wizard Kemu Zaleon – or should I say Zekua Melon – cast a spell on that book that would be lifted whenever you received it."
The book began floating. The title rearranged itself, spelling out "Dear Kaby".
"This is his letter to you." Levy smiled. "Hidden beneath a spell that rearranged the words of the book so no one else would be able to read it."
The book opened and the letters flowed out of the page in a beautiful sequence of light. Everyone was left in awe.
"It's beautiful." Lucy marveled. The boys agreed.
"Wow." Yukino gasped with a smile.
"He didn't give up writing out of shame." Levy said. "He stopped because he finished this; his Magnum Opus. Inside this book is everything he ever wanted to say to you, and if read the correct way it's easily his greatest work ever. Now that the spell has finally been lifted you can read it for yourself."
I thought of you the entire time.
Kaby's eyes started to mist as the final words his father said to him echoed in his mind. When the book fell back into his hands, he could no longer fight against the emotions in his heart. He fell to his knees, clutching the book tightly as if it were a newborn child.
"Thank you, Father." he wept. "I swear to you that no harm will ever come to this book."
"Well there goes our reward money." Jet sighed. While he was happy for the Melons, two million jewel was nowhere near easy to come by.
"I was really hoping to get some of that two million." Droy lamented.
"We're not getting the reward?" Yukino asked Levy.
"We were supposed to destroy the book, not translate it." Levy shurgged. "So no payment for us."
Though slightly saddened, Yukino started to smile. The sight of happy faces was enough of a reward for her.
"You must let me do something." Kaby implored. "It wouldn't be right to just let you leave empty-handed."
"I agree. You guys did so much." Lucy added. "It's only fair."
The boys found their hopes suddenly renewed.
"Well if you insist-"
"We appreciate the offer, but no thank you." Levy interrupted. "It's getting late so we should be heading home now. That means you too, Mr. Melon."
"W-what do you mean?"
"It's ok. You don't have to pretend anymore. Isn't that right, Lu?"
The blonde was alarmed. "Why are you looking at me?! I don't know anything!"
"Come on, Lu. It's pretty clear that this place is your house."
"Its wha~t?!" Jet and Droy yelled.
Lucy hung her head in defeat. "You caught me. How did you know?"
"I noticed it as soon as we walked in the first time." Levy pointed to a symbol on the floorboards. It was a star with keys making up the points. "That pattern is the Heartfilia Family crest, right?"
Lucy nodded. "This is my family's summer home. I'm surprised you noticed that. You're pretty observant, Levy."
"Well they say the devil is in the details. I'm also guessing that the Melon's really don't have two million jewel either."
"N-no. We don't." Kaby admitted nervously. "Miss Lucy was the one providing compensation for the job's completion."
"So the job was a hoax the entire time?" Jet groaned.
"That sucks." Droy said.
"I wouldn't say it was a hoax." Lucy replied. "If it helps I really learned a lot from this experience. I had no idea that Kaby was related to the Kemu Zaleon. Also the Melons may not have the money, but I certainly do, and would be happy to pay it for all that you did."
"It's ok, Lu. You don't have to." Levy refused. "Besides you helped us out on this job, so it would feel wrong to take the money."
Lucy smiled at her friend. "Ok. If that is how you truly feel then I accept your decision."
Jet and Droy fell over.
"Thank you. We're going to be heading out now. Come on, guys."
"Coming." Jet and Droy dragged themselves behind their leader, their heads hung low.
"Safe travels." Lucy waved. "And, Yukino."
the girl turned around. "Yes?"
"I hope we meet again. I'd love to see the rest of your Celestial Spirits."
Yukino smiled. "Me too."
"I still can't believe those people weren't rich."
"I still can't believe we turned down two million jewel."
"Don't remind me."
Team Shadow Gear and Yukino were on the long walk back to Magnolia. After departing what Levy revealed to be the Heartfilia summer home, the group set up camp in the forest for the night before continuing on at sunrise.
"Are you sure this is the right way, Jet?" Levy asked. She looked down at the map she kept in her satchel as she rode on Polaris along with Yukino. "This is pretty far from the normal path."
"Don't worry so much." Jet waved off. "Wakaba told me and Droy about this shortcut a while ago."
"Magnolia shouldn't be too far from here." Droy said.
"I don't really think Wakaba is the best person to take directions from." Levy sighed. She put the map away. "Either way we should be careful. There might be bandits waiting around out here."
"If there are we can handle them no problem." Crowed Droy.
"Yeah we'll protect the two of you." Jet declared.
"Thanks, guys but I don't-"
A ruffle in the bushes quickly placed the wizards on guard.
"What was that?" Yukino fretted.
"Who's there?!" Jet shouted.
CHAIN PLANT
Droy threw a handful of seeds that sprouted long vines. They out stretched into the bushes, grabbing hold of whatever was hiding in them.
"Nice! Just hold him there!" Jet readied himself to attack.
"Hold on, you guys!" Levy warned. "We don't know-"
Suddenly Droy's vines froze and shatter to pieces. A figure leapt into the air and landed in front of the group. It was Lyon Vastia. The quartet were surprised to see him, though they were even more surprised that he was only in his underwear. Yukino covered her eyes, her cheeks blazing red from embarrassment.
"Why are you in the forest in your underwear?" Levy asked somewhat nonchalantly. She was clearly used to this odd behavior.
"If you must know I was searching for a bathroom." Lyon stated.
"Why did you strip before you found one?" Jet inquired.
"That's just weird." Commented Droy. "Besides why would there be a bathroom in the middle of the forest?"
"I was expecting privacy. I had idea you all would show up."
Yukino had quick a peek before covering her eyes again.
That didn't answer their questions at all.
"So you just finished a job as well?" Levy asked.
"Yes." nodded Lyon. "This path house a shortcut that takes you right back to town in half the time it normally would."
"I told you this shortcut was a good one." Jet whispered to Levy with a smug grin.
She rolled her eyes. "I know. I know. You don't have to rub it in."
Once tempers died down - and Lyon put his clothes back on - the Fairy Tail wizards all took a break on the edge of a nearby cliff, comparing stories about the jobs they had just completed. According to Lyon he had just finished capturing a group of shady merchants selling fake Fairy Tail merchandise near Balsam Town.
"Well I'll be on my way home." Lyon stood up and dusted himself off. "I suggest you all do the same if you wish to avoid trouble."
"Why?" Asked Jet.
"Yeah what's the rush?" seconded Droy.
"Is something happening?" Yukino inquired.
"Kagura will be back soon." Lyon said ominously. Shadow Gear's faces all turned white, but Yukino was still confused. She had heard the name before, but she had yet to meet the person in question.
"I don't understand. Is this Kagura person bad?"
"N-not really." Levy stammered. She tried to keep a smile on her face, but her fear was making that more than a little difficult.
"She's scary." said Jet.
"Really scary." Droy gulped. "She's like an animal."
"Or more accurately a wild beast." Added Lyon.
"More like a total monster." Jet corrected.
Yukino pictured a fire breathing woman with devil horns stomping over a town while people screamed and fled in all directions. She started to shake.
"That's not nice, you guys." Levy chided. "…Though I'd be lying if I said those weren't accurate descriptions."
"Either way we should hurry back." Lyon suggested.
"He's right. We should-"
Suddenly a large explosion buried the group in a mound of sand.
"What…happened?" Levy coughed. During the commotion she heard Yukino scream.
"Polaris!"
When the dust settled the Fairy Tail wizards saw Yukino's spirit tied up by its hands and legs on a pole surrounded by a group of strange men and what appeared to be a giant chicken.
"Look at the size of this thing." One of the men smirked. He was clearly the leader of the group.
"No more berries for us." Said another.
"Yeah. We could eat on this thing for days." Added the second man's twin brother.
"I see a feast in our future." Foretold a man with a crystal ball in his hand.
"Meat!" shouted the chicken man.
"Let's hurry and cook this thing." The leader told the chicken.
"Meat!" the chicken man ignited the end of a staff in his hand.
"I'll take mine medium well." Requested the fortuneteller.
"Hold it right there!"
Shadow Gear, Lyon, and Yukino stood on top of a boulder overlooking the group's campfire. Yukino quickly closed Polaris' gate, saving him from being the next entree on the bandits' menu.
"Where did our feast go?!"
"You guys got a lotta nerve jumping us like that." Jet cracked his knuckles.
"Talk!" Lyon demanded. "What guild do you belong to?!"
"We're not telling you a thing!" The leader refused. "Attack!" The other bandits fanned out.
"Let's finish these guys off quick and head home." Jet said.
"I agree, but don't think you can give me orders." Lyon retorted.
"Let's go!"
At Droy's call the boys battled the bandits. Yukino and Levy stayed back a safe distance and watched.
SAND BOMB
The leader of the gang summoned a torrent of sand, trapping Jet inside.
"Oh no!" Yukino cried out.
"He'll be fine." Levy told her. "We should find somewhere safe to hide until the fighting is done."
As they ran across the battlefield, Yukino couldn't help but notice that Lyon wasn't using magic to take care of his enemies. In fact he was dispatching them with little to no effort at all with his bare hands.
How strong is he?
Yukino slid to a stop when she saw the fortuneteller blocking her and Levy's path. Levy slowly moved her to the back as the man's crystal ball started to glow.
"You will soon see someone special, though the stars foretell trouble in your future. Be wary of fire, iron, and stone."
Levy was bewildered to say the least. "Come again?"
"That's enough out of you!" Lyon elbowed the man in the face, knocking him out before he could say anything else.
"Just where did these guys come from?" the leader of the group was so preoccupied with Lyon and Droy that he failed to keep an eye on his bomb.
It exploded, Jet landing behind him.
"Now you've done it, you jerk. There's sand everywhere in my hat and coat now." His fist started vibrating at a high speed. "Take this!"
EAGLE CLAW
Jet punched the bandit as hard as he could, sending him soaring into his comrades and ending the fight. With the bandits defeated, Droy tied them to a nearby tree using his vines.
"Well that takes care of that." Said Lyon.
"They picked the wrong day to mess with us." Jet beamed. Droy agreed.
"Serves them right."
Levy and Yukino on the other hand were trying to figure out just where the bandits came from. They hadn't noticed anyone following them earlier.
"Lulla…" the leader of the group uttered. Levy leaned in closer.
"What did you say? What's 'Lulla'?"
"Lul…lulla…lulla…by…"
The boys heard his mutterings as well.
"Lullaby? What's that?"
"I've no idea."
"Weird. Think he's dreaming or something?"
"What's that!" Yukino pointed to shadow fast approaching them.
"Out of the way!" ordered Lyon.
Everyone dove out of the shadow's path, watching in shock as it formed into a hand under the captured bandits.
Before they could react the hand closed, pulling the tree and the bandits into the ground. There was no way they could have survived. The hand then disappeared just as quickly as it came.
"What...what just happened?" Levy shuddered.
"I don't know, but whoever it was they were fast." Jet commented.
"Yeah." Droy nodded.
"I can't sense their anymore presence either." Lyon told the group.
Yukino covered her mouth in horror. Those men…they're…
"Lullaby." Levy muttered. Now that she thought about it she vaguely remembered that name from somewhere, but the pieces had yet to fall into place. Though it was clear that whatever it was had lead to the bandits' demise. She would have to research the word when she returned home.
I have a bad feeling about this.
As the group pondered their next move, a man covered in shadow escaped through the trees with an evil smirk on his lips.
A foreboding wind blew the East Forest that morning. A beautiful young woman with long black hair and a nodachi attached to her hip walked with a purpose through the lush greenery. When she exited the forest, the town of Magnolia came into view.
She passed by a couple taking a walk on the outskirts of town, not sparing them a glance as they stood shocked decorated monster horn three times her size floating behind her as if it weighed less than nothing.
There was no mistaking it.
Kagura Mikazuchi had returned, and with her was a job of the utmost importance.
New chapter! We have reached the end of the Daybreak arc. I know there were very minor changes to canon, but I promise those will come few and far between as the story continues. Some one said last time that they felt Lucy was kinda shoehorned into the arc, and I do agree with that, but like I said I wanted her and Yukino to meet as soon as possible so I had to squeeze her in a bit.
Next chapter sees the introduction of Kagura Mikazuchi "Fairy Tail's Strongest Woman" and the start of the Lullaby arc. Hopefully you all will be looking forward to that.
As always leave a comment/review letting me know what you think. Thanks for reading! :)