A/N: Here is the second chapter for today. It is very different from the past chapters in terms of POV since this has been written in third person. There will be more interludes later, though these will have the focus of one character in particular. I can reveal as much as this: The next interludes will be written from Lucy and Makarov's POV, though still third person.
I really hope you won't mind me doing this every now and then. I just thought it would get kind of monotonous if we never got hear what was going on with the other characters.
Alright, onto the chapter. It's time for the Council to get involved.
It was just another afternoon in the Fairy Tail guild hall. Cana was sitting at a table near the bar, gulping down ridiculous amounts of alchohol. Levy was reading her books in the corner, accompanied by Jet and Droy, who seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. The Thunder God Tribe was at the request board, looking through the countless requests to find one befitting of their level.
Only one thing seemed off that day. A few members had gone and left without a word, causing the guild hall to be much quieter than usual. Most had simply brushed it off as Team Natsu having left to cause a bit of trouble again, but some had already realized the significance of their disappearance.
On the second floor of the building, the Guild Master, Makarov, had gathered the three S-Class wizards present at the time: Erza Scarlet, Mirajane Strauss and Laxus Dreyar. With the entire hall visible from their position, their meeting began.
"I can't believe this," Erza stated, gritting her teeth. "I would expect Natsu to do something this reckless. I could have guessed that Gray and Lucy would have gone along with it, but... I had thought Jellal to be wiser."
"I should have seen it coming," Makarov admitted regretfully. "Maybe I did. The subject should never have been brought up before Natsu. We all knew he felt that he had a score to settle with Zeref. It appears that he was not alone in feeling this way."
"Do we have any leads on their location?" Laxus added in, looking over at Makarov. "If they are headed towards Tenrou Island, we might be able to catch up to them if we leave now."
"But the Council has the island under constant surveillance. They have guards stationed in every single town close to the shores near it." Mirajane shifted her gaze downwards. "Those five wouldn't be reckless enough to challenge the Council. Who knows what would happen if they realized..."
"All I want to know is what source they got their information from and how that person managed to tip them off." Erza frowned. "Jellal would never waste his time following a bad lead. He must believe fully in this source. Of that much I am certain."
Before any of the others could add in a word, the doors to the guild was slammed open and storming in came a dozen or so soldiers, all with the symbol of the Magic Council on their clothes. While the guild wizards were still confused, the soldiers swiftly prevented any means of escaping.
"What is the meaning of this?" Makarov shouted angrily at the soldiers as he jumped off the ledge on the second floor. "What business does the Council have with Fairy Tail this time for them to bring soldiers into our guild hall?"
"We have received word that your guild is housing a criminal, who has long ago been found guilty of committing several crimes against the magic world and the Magic Council itself."
The soldiers in front of the main entrance stepped aside, letting a young man with long black hair and glasses pass through. His shirt had the same symbol as the soldiers wore, but he seemed to be a much more important individual. Erza narrowed her eyes at the newcomer.
"Lahar..."
"I have been dispatched by the Council to retrieve the traitor Jellal Fernandes and bring him to justice." Lahar stepped towards the Guild Master under the eyes of many angry Fairy Tail members. "As you know, this man is a dangerous criminal on the run. I am sure you understand the gravity of the situation and the position you will be in if it became known that your guild had been hiding him."
"Of course we understand," Makarov said calmly, though his eyes were still showing how angry he felt. "But let us be honest with each other. You and I both know that this man you seek have been dead for years. Why would the Council want to look for him now and here of all places?"
"And as I said before, we have been told where to find him." Lahar's voice turned sinister at the mockery Makarov were trying to put him through. "We have our information from a source inside your guild. Do not pretend to be ignorant."
"Oh?" Makarov asked, unaffected by the attempt to put him off. "And who is this source that you speak of?" Lahar's accusations had started loud whispers inside the hall. No one knew for sure who the snitch was.
"I told them."
Suddenly a young girl with long, wavy purple hair and big eyes stepped forward. She appeared to be very nervous, her voice shaking, and yet determined to speak up.
"Laki?" Mirajane exclaimed in disbelief, most of the other guild members having the same reaction.
"I'm sorry, but it had to be done," Laki said with teary eyes. "You all heard him! He was going to look for Zeref and now he's missing! He is dangerous! Please don't kick me out of the guild, Master."
"I see," Makarov murmured and turned to the heartbroken girl. "Don't worry; I won't kick you out of the guild. I'm not angry with you. You did this with the best intentions and fact is..." Makarov came to face Lahar again. "We have no idea of Jellal Fernandes' current whereabouts. But know this: Criminal or not in your eyes, Jellal is a member of this guild and should you in any way treat him unjustly, Fairy Tail will raise their voice against the Magic Council."
The guild shouted out to show their support for their Master and this somehow managed to intimidate Lahar and his soldiers. Slowly, they began to appear weak before the united guild.
"Very well," Lahar gave in. "I will see to that Jellal Fernandes receives a fair trial once he is in our custody. If that is all..." He turned and ordered his soldiers to leave. "We shall begin the search immediately!"
Once the soldiers had all left, Erza came down the stairs and went to Makarov's side, clearly troubled by the situation the guild had been put in for the sake of one man. However, she did not utter one word.
"You needn't worry," Makarov assured her. "We are Fairy Tail and Fairy Tail protects its family, no matter the cost. We can only pray that the Council too can come to terms with this."
A/N: So what do you think? Was it alright? It felt strange to not write from Jellal's POV for once, but it got easier with the next interludes.
Now we got to see what has been going on in Fairy Tail since Jellal and the others left. The Council is after him now, which will certainly mean that there's going to be trouble in the future. This chapter takes place at the same time the group leaves Rosemary village, just so you know~
For this chapter, I found the music piece Bonds from the second OST fitting for pretty much the entire chapter. It's a slow, beautiful peace that fits perfectly to describe how the members of Fairy Tail stand together through all hardships.