A/N: Here's Johnny! Kidding guys. Lol
I'm back! School's been rough but I'm hanging in there. School is the number one reason why I haven't been able to complete the chapter and update the story. Luckily, with the holidays coming up, there's a chance I might be able to get to the Galuna Island Arc for the story before we hit the New Year. So I'm saying there's a chance? Yes. Yes I am.
Now my friends… if you haven't checked out my profile or noticed my comments on the many stories I've read then you probably don't know but I'll tell you. I have very, very bad pairing bias. Now for some stories I'll go with the status quo when putting two characters together but for others I'll be sure to step out of my comfort zone just to mix things up a little and see what kind of dynamic these characters have with each other given they aren't paired with their canonized significant other. That said, there some pairings I will not break up or will be reluctant to do so for sake of the story. Plus it makes sense given the fact knowing these pairings, it's hard to see guys like Natsu or Ichigo or maybe even Naruto get paired off with someone else. But excuses could be made for why.
Natsu loves his guild, friends, fighting and food in that order. Plus he's dense as hell. But between you and me, he's been around the guild long enough to know things so he isn't stupid. And of all the girls he best bonds with: Erza, Mira, Cana and Levy are like sisters. Lisanna was in Edolas and thought dead for 2 years so there's that. Lucy being in the picture and given what they've been through together… you can't deny the spark that's obviously between the two. They have a unique dynamic within the series which I'm sure Mashima realizes but trolls us with. Nevertheless, could you honestly see Natsu or Lucy with anyone else? For Natsu, maybe Erza. And Lucy? Maybe, just maybe Gray or Loke (Although his playboy persona and 'charm' is more annoying rather than endearing).
Ichigo had to constantly deal with his inner turmoil and fight for higher powers during his tenure in High School. He never really had time to sort out his feelings for anyone really. Rukia was like a sister more than a girlfriend but they were close. Rangiku I'm pretty sure thought so too when she talked to Orihime that one time. From my understanding, despite it being rushed, Ichigo probably sat down with Orihime to have a talk about everything which led to their relationship becoming what it was. Although I'm happy it finally happened, I agree with many fans when saying the thing felt rushed. Their relationship I felt needed some added depth just to confirm what some of us (me included) were hoping for. And just so you know… I'm open to multi-pairings with Ichigo as long as Orihime is still in. She's had the longest crush on him so why not her? I sure as hell wouldn't pair her up with Uryu.
And lastly we come to Naruto… Sakura has undying loyalty to Sasuke and Hinata had a crush on Naruto since they were kids. Honestly it makes sense to me but I wouldn't mind Hinata ending up with someone else while Naruto got with Sakura. Either pairing with our favorite resident Knucklehead Ninja works just fine. Enough about pairings though.
Question… Best Girl amongst the three main Saiyan spouses? Gine, Chi-Chi or Bulma? For me it's Bulma or Gine. Bulma was uber-supportive of Vegeta for years and her loyalty was finally rewarded after so long… after dealing with a few life and death situations. Gine was the wife of Bardock and the mother of Goku. She's the person that gave Goku his gentle side while the fierce fighting side comes from his Dad (obivously). Though I will say, I rarely see her get portrayed out of character on the site and to be honest… it feels too weird. I can see her being stern as a mother but not to the extent where it might become abuse (Although being from a warrior society that's not really saying much). Honestly, she and Bardock deserved at least a few cameo appearances just to show Goku where he truly comes from (no disrespect to Grandpa Gohan).
Now the sequel to Fairy Tail aka 100 Year Quest will get a mention but the end of the Fairy Tail story will be featured before the epilogue. Now Epilogues can be divided into multiple parts right? Given my English teachers were the best I ever had, I probably should have asked them. But anyways, the DB Super Movie may be a part of the Epilogue. I know for a fact Battle of Gods and Resurrection F will be in the Epilogue. But as far the DB Super Storylines like the two Tournaments or that whole thing with Zamasu? I doubt it. As much fun as I would have letting Bardock wreak havoc in those arcs, I'll do a general summary going into the last part of the epilogue. Hopefully I'll be able to do the fights and each individual epilogue section justice when the time comes which is a long way off.
So guys level with me… for those who have been able to find a way to read FT: 100 Year Quest, FT: City Hero and Edens Zero what do you think? Personally, the new chapters have been fun for City Hero and Edens Zero. However, 100 Year Quest makes me question a lot of things but I won't say much. All I will say is, it gets ridiculous how OP-ish some characters seem by Fairy Tail standards and the same could be said during the Alvarez War. I can't be the only one thinking that right?
Lastly… I've been indulging my time in Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Xbox One), Marvel's Spider-Man and Battlefield V (Xbox One). Battlefield V stays true to the Battlefield franchise and has the room for growth in future DLC. Still need to finish the story in Spider-Man before moving onto the DLC. And AC: Odyssey beat Origins by miles. It ranks at the top of the franchise and will be heavily considered for Game of the Year.
Side note… if Nel ever called Grimmjow by the nickname "Grimmy", I shout Kawaii! That would be adorable. Lol
Sorry for the lengthy A/N but I had to do it. They won't be this long in the future I assure you.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Dragon Ball Z. All rights, characters, and media belong to their respective owners.
Cover Art credit goes to Deviantart artist hsvhrt.
Now on with the show!
Sometime Later
Location [Classified]
Magic Council Fiore Branch
It had taken a few hours for the convoy to arrive but it did so with no hiccups along the way. In addition to that, Erza had simply sat in silence or on rare occasion regaled her guards with a few stories about her adventures. It was nice to see that not all Rune Knights shared the same views. Plus it was also nice to see Rune Knights have good, civil conversation with a mage from a Light Guild. Years of dealing with Dark Guilds and the subsequent aftermath of Light Guild jobs (mainly related to Fairy Tail), painted a bad image for mages in general. Erza was clearly one of a select few or from a good sized group who could say they never fit the stereotype. That stereotype being that mages were lewd, rude and drunken ruffians that did as they pleased and gave authority the proverbial bird and a sign that read F.U. So once the ride was over, the somewhat serious atmosphere lightened even a little bit.
Now, whatever happened with Erza didn't happen with Bardock. He simply sat in silence meditating the first half of the trip and sleeping for the second half. The Saiyan had learned some forms of meditation during his early days in the military. He couldn't really see all the benefits for it and rarely ever took the time to do so. He quickly changed his mind when he saw the benefits through his dreams and visions. His son Kakarot and his allies had harnessed meditation in their training regimen, so he decided on giving it another shot. The biggest issue with trying to meditate though was his temper. Deep down he knew that his legendary rage needed to be calmed for he was like a raging lion who was always out of its cage. Bardock reluctantly quelled the beast within and started to do his best in mellowing out. With Bardock trying out meditation and sleeping as a way to pass the time, Ultear was disappointed she didn't get to talk to her fellow passenger at all. She would at least hope to get information on the mystery man taking Earth Land by storm but she weighed her options and decided to save any questions she had for the impending trial. So to soothe her aching boredom, the lovely Councilwoman caught up on some much needed reading. One book she read was talking about some spells while another book she read was a gritty romance novel with a hint (actually more than a hint) of spiciness. To her frustration, she couldn't find it in herself to satisfy whatever carnal desires arose from reading the hotter bits of her book. So she decided during the trip to fix her little issue by getting her usual kicks of messing with the Council and then going to her office for some much needed relief of the sexual nature.
Now the convoy was unloading the two Fairy Tail members close to where the trial was taking place. Ultear had left the guards with orders and proceeded on ahead to rendezvous with her fellow Council members. While that was taking place, Bardock had gotten a look at the strange building before him.
("How architects get by in this world is beyond me.")
The building in question was quite outrageous in its appearance. Topping the lower structure were a series of smaller structures suspended in the air at various heights, which composed of the rest of the headquarters.
The base was simple, a hexagonal or octagonal building composed of bricks, with large, square windows or double doors adorning many of its faces. On top, the structure grows drastically larger, extending outwards and taking the shape of a large, round and flat capsized dome, highly reminiscent of a bowl. Such dome was intricately decorated with dark, geometrical motifs. A series of rhombs were present in its central part, with the large ones being alternated with slightly smaller ones, and above them are numerous, sharp triangles pointing upwards, to the dome's largest part, which has a wavy decoration just below the flat top, with the structure's parts jutting outwards and creating angles.
Several meters above the bowl-like structure, floating on its edges, were ten slightly curved panels; the panels' sides facing outwards are divided into nine square sections, with each section being adorned by a simple motif, with three circles, placed one on top of another, flanked by vertical lines. The inner, curved sides were bare.
Another final structure was floating above the panels, in correspondence to the center of the capsized dome: sitting on a round platform, adorned with a simple motif, consisting of dark triangles alternated with light capsized triangles, and sporting large railings diagonally jutting outwards on the top, is a palace, which seems to consist of three main sections. The central one is an hexagonal or octagonal tower, with its faces adorned by a multitude of high, arched windows, topped by a very massive, round dome, which starts out as small from the tower's top, grows larger near its own center and then reverts to its starting size near its summit, which has a decorative structure on top, seemingly circled by a wide, floating halo. To such part's right is another, smaller tower highly reminiscent of it; on the left sits instead a shorter building, with a roof seemingly made of elongated tiles.
Bardock stared with an impassive expression but inside he was… it was rather hard to describe how he felt. First he meets the fruitcakes of Fairy Tail, the oddball and freakshow master of Blue Pegasus and to top it off…
"This is gonna suck." Bardock sighed out.
He was about to be on trial in front of government officials whose building must have had an eccentric architect. Needless to say, he thought his day would go better than this.
"Chin up Bardock. I assure you it won't be too bad."
The Saiyan spared a glance to the side as Erza was waiting to be escorted in.
"Besides, you and I both know what they really want us for. If anything let's not antagonize them and answer whatever questions they have. The quicker we do that, the quicker we can head back to the guild." The redhead explained.
That by far was the best idea he heard all day. Go in, don't antagonize the council, and then give them the answers they want before leaving. Easy right? Hell no. Bardock planned on making things a bit difficult for the Council once the proceedings shifted to their true purpose. Sure, Ultear seemed okay despite the woman's 'needs' becoming noticeable. Along with that, she hadn't made any attempt to irritate him during the trip so that was also a plus. She was a wild card from his initial impression of her. The Councilwoman being this unknown factor, extended well beyond the implications of this showy trial. What path Ultear would take was not his business but he would be wary all the same.
Snapping back to reality, orders came down to separate the two Fairy Tail members for the sake of how the proceedings were arranged. The Saiyan immediately knew the first half of the trial was for Erza while the second half was for him. So after the orders were confirmed, a small squad of knights plus a messenger escorted Erza straight to the court room while Bardock was to remain on stand by for a limited time in another room.
While awaiting whatever it was the Council had in store, Bardock noted that the interior had some style to it. The inner décor of the halls had reminded him of the inner workings of King Vegeta's palace. Of course, his royal highness wasn't all that focused on making his house look good but the nostalgia was still there.
Instead of sitting down and waiting, Bardock decided to stand, with a pair of guards flanking each side. The primitive means of transportation had a great drawback… it was incredibly slow which means it was an eternity before reaching a set destination. Luckily his legs didn't fall asleep after so much inactivity but it was frustrating none the less. He honestly should have said 'Screw it' and flew here but he had no intention of making Fairy Tail look bad and pissing off the Council, uppity bastards as they were. As moments passed, Bardock patiently waited until his senses picked up a new arrival in the room surrounded by five other men.
Standing amongst the crowd of Rune Knights was a stern, bespectacled man wearing white gloves and had his hair tied into what Bardock could see was a bun, allowing his bangs to flank each side of his face. And unlike the traditional Rune Knight, this man wore a blue blazer underneath his cloak (really a cape but is there a difference?).
("Why the hell does Specs have his hair like that?")
Although he gave no indication or hand gestures, the man stepped forward while the others behind him remained back. At the moment, the Saiyan and this bespectacled man were a few feet apart standing face to face. Most everyone could feel a slight build in tension in the room when the two men gave each other an analyzing gaze.
It was moment of tense silence before the man spoke with a simple question…
"You are the man identified as Bardock correct?"
Said man gave a nod confirming his identity to this new arrival.
"My name is Lahar. I am the Division Commander for the 4th Custody Enforcement Unit. It is pleasure to have your acquaintance." Lahar greeted with a slight bow.
This answered a question that had popped up to Bardock. He now knew who this man was and got a general idea of what his job entailed.
("Custody Enforcement Unit? Interesting…")
"Pleasure's mine… I guess." Bardock responded with a raised brow.
With a curt nod, Lahar glanced around the room, wordlessly giving orders as the men fell into a formation typical of security guards when escorting VIPs or high value targets.
"Please follow me." Lahar politely requested.
At that, Bardock gave a curt nod of his own and wordlessly fell in line next to Lahar. All the Rune Knights kept comfortable grip on their lances while making subtle glances towards the resident Saiyan. Bardock picked up on this and made sure to note that these guys were probably a bit nervous. Their anxiety was more than likely a result of the rumors stemming from the Eisenwald incident. Given how strong he was, he could take on anyone and walk out without a scratch. However, considering the situation he was currently in he'd rather not risk tarnishing Fairy Tail and adding legal troubles to his stay in this world.
"So… I take it you know why you're here?" Lahar inquired.
Bardock was brought out of his musings and briefly thought on the question. Of course he knew why he was here. Luckily he figured that out before leaving the guild behind with Erza and quickly diffusing a potential disaster with Natsu.
"Yeah. Mainly the trial's for show while really those windbags want answers as to who I am. That about sums it up really. Wouldn't you agree Specs?" He responded with a smirk.
The group of knights stumbled and shot incredulous looks towards the Fairy Tail member while Lahar merely raised an eyebrow and shifted his gaze to the man next to him.
"Specs?"
The tone in Lahar's voice was more curiosity than anything. Throughout his life and his career as a member of the Rune Knights, he wasn't really given any memorable nicknames. Yet Fairy Tail's newest decided to gift him one out of the blue. Was it for teasing or respect?
"Yeah. Got a problem with the nickname?"
Ok maybe it was a bit of both.
"Not at all."
Lahar took a moment to straighten himself out and regain his composure a bit. He honestly didn't think there would be any problems dealing with this man given his initial impression along with the background check. Something of which would come up in the trial in a matter of minutes.
"Truth is there are many who are curious about you. And it's not just the Council who wants to know more." Lahar began.
"Makes sense."
And how much Bardock was willing to spill depended heavily on him. He was willing give a few answers… but the rest had to remain classified. He may be a soldier with no formal command structure to call upon or even royalty to answer to anymore. But Bardock didn't give a damn about the circumstances. He slowly formed a plan on how to answer the possible questions posed to him. Adapting to the situation was not only part of being a soldier but also being a warrior.
"There are many Dark Guilds out there who would want that kind of power on their side. Additionally, neighboring kingdoms and independent nations also inquired about you. You are a new player in the system with capabilities that seem much stronger than even the best wizards in the world that we know of." Lahar explained further.
Bardock listened intently and noted this as shit he already knew. Of course he wouldn't say that out loud.
"Hopefully this trial will help answer some questions we have had on our minds for some time now."
At this point Bardock let the man ramble on. He was saving his breath for the trial at this point. On another note, he was amazed that the architect of the building incorporated a way for people to view the scenery. He wasn't much of a nature lover given his background and all the planets he visited. But surely if she were here… she would have encouraged him to enjoy the beauty of life out here.
Gine may have been a member of a warrior society and a former member of Bardock's squad, but even she could appreciate the small things in life… her family, friends and even some of the stories about the various planets out there teeming with exotic wildlife. She was a fierce fighter when she needed to be but she had the kindest spirit one could ever witness.
"We understand that given your occupation, time is important to you so I'm sure the Council will do its best in speeding things along."
Once again brought out of his thoughts, Bardock took a moment to note this man's professional courtesy. It honestly made him wonder why the Council had such a rough relationship with the magic guilds in the region. Wait a minute… that was just the Dark Guilds and Fairy Tail in general. Even though the rowdy bunch of fruitcakes were a legal guild, the Council sure loved to give them hell after they caused some sort of ruckus.
"'Preciate it. I don't like having my time wasted. I have bigger and better things to do, so I'd rather stay as busy as possible if I can help it." Bardock said with sincerity.
To this Lahar gave a nod of gratitude. He honestly felt that outside of Erza, Fairy Tail's newest member was one he could trust to do right by him, the Council and the citizens of the kingdom. Of course that didn't mean he wasn't going to disobey orders in the Council's investigations into some of Fairy Tail's secrets.
The group walked in comfortable silence before reaching the doors that led to the inside of the courtroom. The resident Saiyan wasn't nervous at all. This whole charade was nothing but an annoyance he was going to end. Sure he'd answer the Council's questions as long as they were reasonable. But he wasn't going to be professional about it if they aggravated him.
"Just some word of advice though…" Lahar trailed off.
The bespectacled man glanced at the man to his side, while his subordinates kept stoic expressions maintaining a defensive posture.
"Be on your best behavior with my superiors. Given that gatherings like this probably aren't your forte, they won't take kindly to confrontation. That I can assure you." Lahar warned with a serious expression.
To this, Fairy Tail's recent addition took a look around at the men tasked with guarding him. He made note of the grips on their weapons getting a little tighter than before. 'Specs' was somewhat right in his assumption that he wasn't used to these sort of gatherings. What 'Specs' got wrong was the fact that Bardock sometimes lived to piss other people off. Those people were mainly some of King Vegeta's military advisors due to their own personal goals becoming more noticeable during his time in the military.
"Same with you and your men?" Bardock prompted with a straight face.
Lahar closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. He turned his gaze away from Bardock and back towards the doors in front of him.
"Yes."
The man dubbed the Lost Warrior gave a low chuckle before readying himself for the show that would go on in the next few minutes.
"Good to know."
The group had finally stepped through the threshold and Bardock honestly thought the room fit the building all too well.
The room was covered in decorative motifs, and leaning against a wall was a large, majestic structure that acted as a podium for the Council members or in case of in person absences their thought projections. The podium was complimented with armchairs for each Council member to sit on. Of course, given the occasion most of these seats were occupied. The lower part of such podium was the most intricately decorated, with highly elaborated bas-reliefs adorning the square pillars on its frontal part, with a pair of similarly adorned, rectangular concave parts, with rectangular, horizontal niches on top, held up by small columns, visible in the back, each housing what looks like a rectangular window. Noting the lower part, there seemed to be scribes or stenographers sitting face to face in front of the council itself. On another note, they looked similar to the amphibian-like person Bardock saw when the Council summoned him and Erza.
Located above the first level was a second, stage-like level, housing the Council members. This section could be accessed by a pair of staircases placed at the sides of the first level. The wall behind the seats for the Council members was split into various sections by thin structures going up to the wall's top, which slightly protruded outwards; each section was decorated by a large rhomb flanked by a pair of smaller arcs, complete with more, intricate motifs around them.
On top of the whole structure appeared to be the place for the Chairman, noted to be occupied by said Chairman, complete with an armchair reminiscent of a throne, larger than those for the rest of the Council members. Behind it, attached to the wall, is an enormous painting with an intricately decorated frame, which portrayed several waterfalls flowing down a cliff into the water below. A few mountains were also visible in the background.
In front of the assembly was where the accused mages usually stood during trial proceedings. It consisted of a small, rectangular area marked by a massive, decorative balustrade open on the back, on the part facing towards the large, double door giving access to the court, at whose sides were several stands for the trials' possible public to sit in. Currently, the area was open due to the fact Erza was standing off a few feet to the side of it, magic suppression cuffs no longer on her wrist.
When the group made their approach to the stand, Erza gave a nod of acknowledgement which Bardock returned. He took his place in the stand and quickly analyzed who was in attendance, starting from right and slowly going left.
The first was a young man who dressed himself in elegant yet simple robes; consisting of a long white frock-coat with black stripes across the edges and on the upper part of the arms, a decorated standing collar, large straps connected to decorated buckles closing the inducement on the front over a dark shirt, and matching pants and shoes. He also sported a ring on his right middle finger, and usually had the medallion attesting his status as one of the Ten Wizard Saints around his neck, hidden by his jacket's collar. This young man was Councilman Siegrain, the youngest member of the Magic Council and the 10th Seat. Bardock would refer to the young pup as "Pretty Boy".
Seated next to Siegrain was a person Bardock found himself familiar with not that long ago. Instead of sporting the lavender color, customized kimono, the lovely Ultear was sporting a pure white kimono with black trim and an unseen golden sash (or obi) around her waist. The Saiyan Rebel also noted she exchanged her white headband from earlier for a yellow-golden one. When the 9th seat took notice of Bardock's gaze, she perched her chin on her interlocked fingers and beamed a smile his way. It honestly made the man wonder what kind of hell she put the other members of the Council through on a daily basis…
Moving on, Bardock passed over two open seats that were supposed to be occupied. He felt a bit insulted not all the Council members would be here to question him but at the same time he understood if someone needed to take a sick day. Still though, it irked him a bit and he had to think quickly on whether or not to bring that up.
Next to the set of open seats was a short, old man with thick light-brown eyebrows and a small toothbrush mustache that reached halfway to his mouth. He is currently wearing a brown long sleeve shirt with black vertical stripes and a black three-spiked hat. This man was Mr. Yajima, 6th Seat of the Magic Council and one of Fairy Tail's biggest advocates on the Council. From his aura, the old man seemed to regard Bardock with both respect and kindness, something the Saiyan found welcoming. The Saiyan would dub him "Old Man Yaji".
Next to Yajima was a tall elderly woman, even though she was seated Bardock could tell her height. She wears a cloak like the other Council members, and has on a purple turtle-neck. The trait that caught Bardock's eyes was her long nose, which gave her more of a witch-like appearance. She had sandy blonde hair, which she tied up into a large ponytail that seemed to fan out into a series of spiky tear-dropped shapped tufts of hair. She was Belno, 5th Seat of the Magic Council. When his gaze met hers, they immediately tried to get a read on each other. That only lasted a few seconds before they gave their own estimation of the other… they would get along just fine.
Next to her was a tall middle-aged man, who appeared to wear small, round, dark shaded glasses. He wore a white and blue Magic Council cloak, with the hood up. Physical appearance-wise he had large thin lips and tan skin. In addition to that, he had black hair and huge sideburns that almost hit his lips. On his chin were small chin hairs. What stood out were the small eyebrows that apparently were point down, making him look angry and serious (Someone likely pissed in his cornflakes every morning). Bardock made a note that this guy wasn't someone he liked from the get go. He also joked internally how he must have had a stick up his ass the size of the Rainbow Sakura tree in Magnolia Park. This individual, too serious for his own good, was Leiji, 4th Seat of the Magic Council. Said Councilman tried his best to glare at the defendant who remained unfazed by it. Bardock 'affectionately' gave him the name "Sideburns".
Next to the disgruntled man was a short, elderly/old man with oddly flat brown hair, which tapers to a point in three places: on both sides of his face and in the center of his forehead. He also had tufts of hair on either side of his head that resemble ears (likely not real) and what appeared to be a light-yellow tail growing out of his backside (however this was unseen given he was seated); these two attributes gave him a very cat-like appearance. The other distinguishing facial features were his bristle-edged mustache, along with tiny, dark-colored eyes and eyebrows that resembled musical notes. For this man's attire, he sported a light-colored robe that bore stripe-like markings on both sleeves, down his sides, and on his back. This dwarf of a man was Michello, 3rd Seat of the Magic Council. The only thing Bardock could note was the air of indifference about him but he still felt the geezer was committed to doing his job. He nicknamed the little guy "Cat Man".
Last man standing (or sitting) at the end of the row was a tall, gray-haired elderly man with a considerably long beard, as well as a mustache. He had pointy ears and apparently had a habit of keeping only one of his dark-colored eyes open at a time. This man appeared to be wearing multiple layers of robes, much like the other members of the Magic Council, and on top of his head was a small bat-shaped ornament. This man was Org, often referred to as Master Org by subordinates. He was the 2nd Seat of the Magic Council and he carried a good amount of authority that was more often than not seen in the Chairman. Bardock immediately zeroed in on him and had a hunch he would be leading the trial proceedings and not the Chairman himself, even though said Chairman was in attendance.
Just out of curiosity, the defendant took a look up and found a shadowy outline of a man with a pointed hat. The Saiyan Rebel could even tell this man had a beard that would give Org a run for his money. Hidden in the shadows was Crawford Seam, Chairman of the Magic Council.
Now that all the players were in play, the Council could proceed.
"I now call upon the Division Commander of the 4th Custody Enforcement Unit." Org boomed.
Erza stood behind the pedestal or witness stand to Bardock's left. Lahar stepped in front of the stand and was in the Saiyan's view to the right side.
"I present to the honorable members of the Magic Council, Bardock of Fairy Tail." Lahar stated.
A Rune Knight was allowed to bypass the guard closest to Org and handed him a scroll. The 2nd Seat opened the scroll and set it in front of him.
"Bardock of Fairy Tail guild…"
Said man looked up with an expectant look. Org took this as a sign to continue.
"Due to your actions in the Lullaby incident, the Magic Council is charging you with property damages due to the destruction of the League Hall. Nevertheless, your selfless actions have saved countless lives and we took this into account before considering your punishment." Org elaborated.
A punishment? Despite doing a good job and cleaning up their mess? Yes, their mess due to the fact keeping Lullaby locked up was their responsibility. Oh well, Erza did say it would be just a slap on the wrist. The Council likely took into account all the good Fairy Tail has done and just hand down appropriate punishments to a select few who caused damages in the past.
"That said… you are hereby ordered to pay the fine of 500,000 Jewel. That is your punishment due to the outstanding property damages."
("I figured it would have been more… Oh well. Means I need to get a job big enough to pay it off.") Bardock hummed in thought.
Org motioned for one of the guards to take away the scroll that was now marked with his signature before putting his hands together, interlocking his fingers.
"We move on to more serious matters."
("Here it comes…")
It was finally time to answer the Council's questions. The resident Saiyan warrior thought it would have taken longer to get their little Q&A session but he appreciated the fact they wanted to get down to real business. Time to have some fun.
"Yeah…"
*Clink*
Without warning, Bardock effortlessly broke his cuffs and crossed his arms over his broad chest.
"I figured you guys wanted a proper meet and greet, so here I am." Bardock stated with a smirk.
At that moment, the Saiyan took into account all the various expressions on most of the people in the room. Ultear was giggling behind one of her sleeves, which was somewhat amusing and cute at the same time. Siegrain simply grasped his fist in one hand and smiled with an expression that spoke curiosity and intrigue. The other members of the Council, chairman included, along with Erza and Lahar (the knights might as well be included) were simply dumbfounded and flabbergasted. Bardock figured he could take this a bit further.
"What?" he inquired with mock ignorance.
Org went from slack jawed to sputtering as he pointed to somewhere on Bardock's body. Said man looked down and already knew he broke the cuffs. He just wanted to frame everyone's expressions for memories… and show the Council who was really in charge. He looked back up and eyed the Council with his best smirk.
"Oops." He said with a shrug.
And then the reactions came again. Leiji was gritting his teeth in slight anger, but it wasn't visible. Yajima shook his head while smiling. After all, the man had once been a member of Fairy Tail but that was ages ago. Nevertheless, Old Man Yaji was well acquainted with how Fairy Tail rolled so he honestly should have seen this coming. Belno regained her posture allowed a ghost of a smile to grace her face. Though she was stern, she knew when to relax if only just a little.
Belno had a great amount of respect for each of her colleagues, even for all their faults. But even she knew she couldn't get along with everyone. Yajima, Org, Crawford Seam and Michello were treated as good friends despite the crankiness she sometimes got from Org and Michello. Leiji was an acquaintance due to the fact she found his over-zealousness of achieving justice a bit much. Which is why both the Chairman and the 2nd Seat trusted her to rein him in should the need arise. Siegrain and Ultear though… she knew from day one something was off about those two. Instead of going to Org or the Chairman, Belno went straight to Yajima, who she trusted with her entire being. She of course knew of his history with Fairy Tail and his stances with regarding how the Council treated them. She remained fair and objective when the subject of his old guild came up but she stepped in when things crossed the line due to the various opinions of the Council becoming personal.
Back to the reactions though… the Chairman merely sighed due to the absurdness of Bardock's little (not so little) display of strength. Michello had a sour look that said disapproval but really said disinterest combined with annoyance. Ultear let out a hearty laugh which appeared to be genuine. For once Bardock found that happy, somewhat goofy look on the time mage's face to be fitting. Siegrain let out a short chuckle which made Bardock's paranoia flare up a bit. Erza face-palmed and let out a slightly stress filled sigh. And Lahar… just cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses with a slight push of his index finger.
"Enough! We shall have order!"
Org's deep voice settled down those in the courtroom. Although, amused smiles could still be found on the faces of Yajima, Siegrain, Ultear and even Belno of all people. The 2nd Seat cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him.
"Now, given the circumstances of recent events you have made many, if not all of us on the Council curious."
Bardock dropped his smirk and put on his trademark scowl. His brain was now working through all the possible questions and answers just like before.
"Before July 2nd, there's no apparent record of someone named Bardock in the various archives we have. It is as though you appeared out of nowhere."
That was true. Whoever Bardock's unknown friend was, didn't think this little detail through. Minor issue though…
"All we have on you are various eyewitness accounts and your guild registration form. Which begs the question many of us are wondering… just who exactly are you and where do you come from?" Org inquired while narrowing his open eye.
The first two questions are simple enough. The answers though…
"My name is Bardock. My former occupation was a soldier. And to top it off…"
Some in the courtroom assumed it was a rather fancy belt wrapped around the waist band of Bardock's armor. Oh how wrong they were when the man's belt seemingly unwrapped itself and started wiggling back and forth like a tail belonging to a feline or even a monkey. This action caused many, if not everyone in the room to suck in some air while their brains processed the sight before them.
"I'm not human. I'm an extraterrestrial warrior from another universe. And due to some extreme circumstances I ended up here not of my free will."
See in Earth Land many things are possible with magic. In Earth Land, there are various scholars who study many things when it comes to the world around them and the stars above them. Yes, there were many denizens in Earth Land who would say there's the possibility of life beyond their own blue world. But there was no way to prove any of the theories presented and no evidence really presented itself. So… when a man comes in claiming not only to be an alien but to be from another universe, one can't help but meet this claim with…
"Hey man! Do you think this is some sort of joke?!" Leiji shouted as he shot up from his chair.
One couldn't help but meet such a claim with open skepticism. Yet Leiji met more with disbelief and mockery.
Bardock's eyes moved to the man who dared challenge his background so he did what he did best in this type of situation.
"I ain't joking 'Sideburns'. I honestly don't have much to prove but I'll tell you this much. I sure as hell ain't lying about what I just said. Think you can come up with an actual theory as to who I am? Be my damn guest." Bardock retorted.
"Why you-"
"Enough Leiji. Sit down, you're embarrassing yourself and honestly you should do a better job of keeping your composure. And if you grate those teeth anymore you'll wind up getting braces later." Belno ordered in a no-nonsense tone.
Grumbling, Leiji sat back down and then Belno spoke out once more.
"My colleague does have a point to an extent. Tell us Bardock, besides these little displays you have shown us, is there anything else you would like to add that could possibly support your claim?" Belno asked.
Now they were getting somewhere. The Saiyan was right in his hunch about the 5th Seat and his respect for her grew a bit more. She was asking a good question which would be difficult to answer given he had little evidence to produce. Even so he moved forward.
"Well… what I am exactly is classified due to my people's history and our somewhat unique biology. However, what I can tell you is that I'm much stronger than most mages, even entire guilds put together. In addition to that I don't practice magic at all." Bardock explained.
The two stenographers were typing away and paused ever so slightly when the man said he didn't use magic. Skepticism that was evident before was growing and it didn't take long for someone to call the sole Saiyan of Fairy Tail out on it.
"Young man, do you honestly expect us to believe you don't use magic?" Michello prompted with a raised brow.
"That's right."
Yajima decided to chime in, curious himself about what his fellow Fairy had just claimed.
"If that's the case Bardock, what was it we saw you use against Lullaby? And how exactly were you able to do things not many in this room could pull off with the amount of power we assume you're packing?"
This was both easy and difficult to answer. Easy because he could give the Council an idea of what exactly he could do. Difficult because he didn't want anyone stupid enough to try and harness the same power that could only be harnessed by select groups amongst his home galaxy, maybe even his home universe. The idea of someone using Ki in combination with magic made him paranoid because he didn't need the additional headache. Sure he could take them on with preparation and training. But he was operating on limited resources which included just the clothes on his back, weighted clothes gifted to him by his unknown ally and the power boost he got after nearly dying.
"All I can say is I use an energy source similar to Ethernano but it's just more potent and powerful."
Each member of the Council took in that little piece of info and let it settle as they formed their own opinions on the statement.
Ultear's interest in Bardock's story grew. He's some alien warrior from another universe who wields a power greater than any magic. Fairy Tail was awfully fortunate to recruit such a man. She figured that he would be better off serving alongside her and her master. His power could very well be the key to accomplishing her guild's goals and her own personal desires.
Siegrain was mentally jotting down as much information as he could from this 'interview' as possible. This man may be the proof to the Multiverse theory as well as possibly answer the question of "Are we truly alone?". That and add on the fact he wielded a power greater than magic? Today was getting to be far more interesting than anticipated. Still, he hoped Bardock would not become a roadblock for his personal goals.
The rest of the Council, Chairman included mulled over that last bit of info. Leiji obviously didn't want to believe it without concrete proof. That and he was hoping for a more suitable punishment for Fairy Tail's newest addition other than some fines, yet his hands were tied. Michello wasn't too heavily interested but he would be lying if he said he wasn't the least bit curious. Yajima could tell that Bardock wasn't lying. In addition to that, the 6th Seat needed to get in touch with Makarov for old times sake just to see what his old friend knew about the newest addition to the family. Belno was mentally making notes starting from physical appearance to psychological framework. The sagely woman was interested in interacting with Bardock more just to get a feel for his character and maybe just what his future outlook might be. He carried himself like a true veteran of warfare and commanded the respect of everyone in the room. His aura was like that of an alpha male in the pack which meant if you were weak, you would be weeded out and dealt with. It made her wonder just what he went through just to get here in the first place. Org picked up on the same thoughts and immediately zeroed in on two important details that nobody asked about yet.
"You said you were a soldier correct?"
At this question, Bardock gave a curt nod of affirmation.
"If that's the case, have you killed before?" Org asked in a grim tone.
The atmosphere shifted and many in the room couldn't help but wonder what this otherworldly visitor's response would be. Belno, Ultear, Yajima, and Erza all frowned at the implications, each of them having different thoughts than the other concerning someone they found an admiration or respect for. Leiji of course had his thoughts on how to deal with Bardock should he be a threat. Siegrain didn't let his mysterious, devilish smile leave his face as he just sat back in his chair. The young Wizard Saint already had a feeling what the answer would be. He just wished his fellow Councilman didn't waste his time in asking an obvious question. And as for Michello… he just wanted answers for future reference.
Suddenly the Saiyan Rebel closed his eyes and let out an eerily dark chuckle. Erza and Lahar were both nervous while most of the Council was on edge. Bardock opened his eyes and looked to the people in front of him with a smirk that screamed 'Don't mess with me'.
"I wasn't the only one. But let's just say the body count was, and still is a lot higher than the number of people in Earth Land right now."
Org's other eye shot wide open at that statement. Everyone minus Siegrain reeled back in shock at yet another ridiculous claim. Yet Bardock said this with no hesitation and no remorse for his past actions. If any indication, this may have well ended any further point in asking questions.
"I think that should satisfy the curiosity of my colleagues. Wouldn't you agree?" Siegrain said, eyeing each of his colleagues.
Although his eyes were on the rest of his fellow Council members, his question was directed towards the subject of everyone's thoughts. Said subject took this as a cue to finally leave, no permission needed. Bardock's face twisted into a scowl before he uncrossed his arms and turned around, beginning his walk out of the courtroom.
"We're done here."
Erza stared at the retreating figure of her fellow guild member before starting a brisk walk to catch up with him. Of course she stopped when he did when the Saiyan Rebel took a moment to glance over his shoulder in Siegrain's direction.
"By the way…"
Siegrain hummed as he quirked an eyebrow awaiting a possible last minute statement.
"You should wipe that smile off your face 'Pretty boy'. Otherwise I'll do it for you. Got it?" Bardock leveled.
At that statement several of the Rune Knights took a few steps forward before being signaled to hold their position by Lahar, who hadn't even turned to look Bardock's way as the Saiyan was leaving.
Siegrain's smirk was replaced by a frown, slightly put off by the man's attitude. Ultear took note of this and was inwardly grateful to Bardock for putting the young Wizard Saint in his place. She had very much wanted to see the blue haired mage taken down a notch due to his apparent cockiness and lack of maturity at times. Still she was somewhat bothered by the fact that a man that caught her interest could be so casual about an insane body count that very well exceeded the population of the entire planet. It just made her question all the more what exactly Bardock went through.
Not wanting to let any members of the Council have the last word, Bardock strolled out through the double doors with Erza in tow. And just like that, whatever was said in that courtroom would be a long topic of discussion for the Council in the coming days.
Several minutes later
Tension this thick required precision and power just to cut it. Why?
Bardock didn't give details but good enough answers to give the Council an idea as to who he was and his experiences. That satisfied him so long as he didn't give the why he was here in the first place. So again, why the need to cut the tension? Well…
"We need to talk."
After leaving the building, the duo of Bardock and Erza found a clearing nearby to collect themselves before making the trip back to Magnolia. Currently, the Saiyan was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed as he looked his traveling companion who seem to regard him with rising suspicion as well as a bit of disgust. It seemed fair to be honest. His past wasn't really pretty to begin with and he embraced it with no regrets… well mostly.
"About what?"
Erza stood her ground and kept giving Bardock a stern gaze.
"Everything."
So that's what it was? Bardock's tail had long wrapped itself back around his waist, doing so while exiting the courtroom. He didn't need anyone gawking at the fact he had a tail. The less headaches he dealt with the better. On top of that, he discarded what remained of his cuffs during the walk out in one of the hallways. He pitied any of the mages who had those on.
"All you need to know is that I told the truth. I just left out details they didn't deserve to know." Bardock said in an even tone.
At this, the Queen of the Fairies narrowed her eyes slightly. She knew that his patience was probably starting to thin a bit. The feeling was very much mutual. The very man who helped her and her comrades stop a threat was some sort of alien warrior from another universe with a body count that would and should make most not be able to sleep at night. It pained her at first but that pain turned into disgusted outrage. She honestly couldn't believe that a man like him could just brush off the fact he ended so many lives with no care at all. It was maddening!
She respected him for the power he possessed and the bravery he fought with in helping stop Eisenwald Guild and the demon Lullaby both. Yet, she was disgusted with him for the fact he had secrets built upon the mass graves of what amounted to other alien civilizations. Yes, Erza couldn't find a lie in Bardock's testimony when the Council questioned him. Yet he left out key details that made him more suspicious than anything. Which led her to one conclusion… she couldn't fully trust the man.
"So what happened with Erigor and Eisenwald? Was that supposed to be mercy? Or did you just spare them to save yourself the trouble of being convicted of murder?" She questioned in an accusing tone.
Of course she crossed the line but Bardock wasn't going to let her get under his skin. He simply narrowed his eyes right back at her and gave her a response.
"I held back because if I went all out they would be dead and I wouldn't be here." Bardock retorted with venom in his voice.
A wind blew as silence followed, neither person taking their eyes off the other. This short moment of reprieve from a possible war of words had become a battle of wills in the form of a staring contest. But this battle was not to be.
Bardock uncrossed his arms and walked past Erza, not even sparing a glance her way as he stepped past her. He was several feet away before he spoke.
"I'll tell everyone at the guild my story when I'm damn well ready. Until then I got a fine to pay off and training to do. So let's get out of here before we both do something we'll regret." Bardock stated in finality.
With that, Erza lowered her head and sighed.
"Fine. Will you fly us back?" She asked while turning around.
She never really needed to ask. He motioned towards his back with a thumb and she complied. Wrapping her feminine, yet powerful arms around the Saiyan's neck she gave a nod indicating she was ready to leave. Bardock slowly levitated off the ground before picking up speed and flying in the direction of Magnolia.
The pair of Fairy Tail members had left while unbeknownst to them, they were being observed by several parties of interest. Behind the scenes, moves were being made and new enemies were waiting in to appear.
A/N: So finally done! Man that was daunting!
So yes, Bardock answered questions posed by the Council. But this wasn't the chapter I was aiming for, at least not entirely. I wanted Bardock to keep key details to himself as to not paint himself as a threat to the public. On top of that, Bardock isn't telling his life story here, he's giving them general information for the record while letting the Council gauge if he's a threat to the public at all. No doubt, some of what was said in the courtroom will reach certain people. Who you may ask? I won't leave out the possibility of the Guild Masters knowing or even the Wizard Saints but I know the Council will inform the Royal Family for sure, not much of a spoiler there.
Although Erza herself is not perfect, she does have reasonable grounds to not trust Bardock. I myself don't know the body count he had in his time in Frieza's army but my best estimate is between 2-4 million people (Possibly over 5 million). Take into account he and his team sometimes went Great Ape means greater devastation to a well populated area. All that said, Bardock is a warrior through and through. He was a soldier, a damned good one who followed his orders to the letter. Disobeying orders meant death so it was more than just following the instincts in his Saiyan blood. Deep down I believe there is some remorse for the lives he took but he would probably just say he wouldn't change a thing. His past is what ultimately defined him, for better and for worse. He's moving forward with that mindset and the rest of Fairy Tail will ultimately see that.
So there's another project in the works. I don't know how many of you are big time Mecha anime/manga fans but I hope you will like it when I get around to doing it. I've read and re-read what are arguably the best Gundam stories on the site done by the brilliant authors operation meteor and Aldaeus, which inspired me to put things in motion in making Gundam stories of my own. However, this time around I'll try my hand at bringing Universal Century characters into the starring role. But how long before I can get a chapter up for this project? Time can only tell given I have three main projects for the site going on right now. But when the time comes to finally get the first chapter, I assure you all it will be worth the wait.
If you haven't checked my profile out or heard the recent news, I have adopted Slayers of DxD. This story was originally done by Crossover Wizard Master before dude923 took over as author of the story. I love the story dude923 did and I'm sure a lot of you guys thought the story had potential to be great if it were to be continued. Now the role of author falls to me and I've already posted a somewhat decent prologue. My version of 'Slayers of DxD' is for old fans and new fans of both Fairy Tail and High School DxD. Hence the reason I started with a basic prologue as a basis for the story going forward. There is a poll on my profile that I will keep open until the second week of December roughly that will decide which version of the story you, the readers, want to see done. I encourage all who read that story and this one to go vote on the poll. Choose wisely my friends (*Commence evil laugh*)! Seriously though, the voting is getting interesting and I'm loving it! Before I move on let me address something… given that it is DxD, many of you read my A/N from the previous chapter. This story will likely be my sole exception when it comes to Harems and how I treat Issei. But if I'm doing a harem, I will do it the right way and in a tasteful way. As far as Issei goes… I'll treat him fairly. No promises though.
Next time… this is probably a chapter many of you have been waiting for. This isn't some heavyweight showdown but it is big nonetheless. Bardock is meeting both Laxus and Mystogan in the next chapter. Not only that, Bardock will be taking a job that ties into the Galuna Island arc. That job will be bringing in one of the first foes from Universe 7. You heard me! Bardock gets to fight foes from the DBZ series for the first time in the story since the Prologue!
Bardock's Move Set [Updated]:
Full Power Energy Wave
Riot Javelin/ Final Spirit Cannon
Power Ball
Final Revenger
Super Energy Wave Volley
Rebellion Spear
Vortex Crusher
Spirit of Saiyans (In Progress)
Explosive Wave
Kiai (Technically New)
Meteor Combination (Technically New)
Great Ape [Transformation]
Kamehameha (In Progress)
Solar Flare (In Progress)
Spirit Ball (In Progress)
Apologies for the long author's notes but I had to get some things off my chest. Special thanks to the readers and authors who took the time to read both this story and the Slayers of DxD Reboot. More thanks to those who favorited and followed both stories. You guys rock! More updates and new chapters will come your way!
See ya later!