IMPORTANT NOTICE: Chapter 10 has been heavily edited (as in a good chunk of it changed pretty much entirely), so if you haven't read it since it was uploaded go back and have a read. Its the bit after Natsu and Ayano get the Fireheart staff that's been changed.
Chapter 11: The Man Behind the Mist.
"I have a job for you" Charmain said, his hands folded before his face, his grey eyes staring intently at the sleepy dragon slayer in front of him.
'When don't you?' Natsu felt like saying, but he didn't. Why? Because he didn't have the energy to, not right now. It was too damn early in the morning and he hadn't even had breakfast, all available power was going to keeping him up and running, there was none to spare for unnecessary processes like moaning.
"Phantom Lord was recently disbanded" Charmain continued. Natsu nodded blearily, and then blinked just as blearily. Who was Phantom Lord again? A yawn blew that question away like a candle snuffed by the wind. It was a big yawn "They had a stockpile here" Charmain pointed on the map of Fiore laid out across his desk and Natsu's eyes vaguely followed to a dot marking a spot on the map "We aren't sure exactly what's inside, magical weaponry or armours, books and tomes, piles of lacrima, whatever it might be we want it."
"'We'?" Natsu asked sleepily, yawning again.
"Torched Heaven" Charmain told him simply "Phantom Lord was the number one guild in Fiore, they were wealthy in and of themselves, but had numerous connections and patrons whose wealth far outstripped their own. From can be gathered this was their main stockpile, located beneath a subdivision building" Charmain ploughed on, unaware that all of his words were going in one ear then out the other "and so we are expecting a considerable fortune to rest beneath. However, other factions have also gotten wind of the stockpile, and are moving to claim it. The council had sent a division of Rune Knights, several Dark Guilds have sent teams to the area, and it's rumoured that some legal guilds plan on claiming some of the loot themselves."
And all of the sudden Natsu was wide awake and grinning brightly, sleepiness fading instantaneously at the prospect of bloody battle "So" he drawled, peering at the marker on the map and ingraining it into his memory "What do I do once I've found this stockpile" he grinned up at Charmain "and have killed everyone else?"
There was a glimmer of satisfaction in Charmain's eyes, satisfaction that Natsu had understood so quickly, satisfaction at getting Natsu on board with his plan, satisfaction of knowing that the stockpile was as good as theirs already "I have arranged transportation, carts will take the objects and bring them here" Charmain told him, folding his fingers again "However they cannot be seen collecting it. They will travel slowly and stop in cities and towns along the way. They must not be seen" he stressed again.
That only made Natsu's grin brighter "So I guess I will have to kill everyone else, huh? Hehe, YAY!" he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet "I get to fight, I get to fight, I get to fight, YAY! I get to fight, I get to fight, I get to fight, YAY! I get to fight, I get to fight…"
Charmain struggled to maintain a straight face as Natsu chanted, though whether he would laugh or slam his head repeatedly into the desk even he had no idea. Sometimes Charmain felt more like a child minder than the guild master of one of the most notorious dark guilds in Fiore, then Natsu would burn to death another member of Torched Heaven and he would be brought right back to the cruel reality of things with the blood curdling screams of a man on fire ringing in his ears.
Funny that Charmain actually preferred the cruel reality to the mentally infuriating fantasy.
"Charmain, I'm off!" he looked up, lost in his own musing thoughts, to see the end of Natsu's scaled white scarf whip out of the doorway.
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Natsu wandered down the dirt road, trees just visible on either side of him, and the sound of a river running close by. Mist hung thick across the valley he was walking in, making in damn near impossible to see further than ten feet ahead. To one side sheer granite cliffs rose, currently made invisible by the mist, and to the other, also hidden, a gradient too steep to climb. Natsu wasn't sure if this was where he was supposed to be, just that it was somewhere in Fiore… well, probably somewhere in Fiore, anyway he'd think about where he was supposed to be going at the next crossroads, until then it was a simple matter of putting one leg in front of the other.
He pulled the fur lined, hooded grey jacket closer about his person, marvelling at the softness and heat the bit of fabric brought, and of course this particular jacket was all the more comfortable as it had been nicely worn in by Spitfire, who hadn't exactly given it over willingly. Not to say that Natsu had stolen it, no, of course… extorted was a more appropriate word, as at the time Spitfire had been hung over the edge of a cliff by his underpants and Natsu demanded the jacket in return for not letting go.
As for why that situation had occurred in the first place… Natsu frowned 'I think it had something to do with tinned peaches' he shrugged, sometimes the reasons for his actions astounded even Natsu himself with their absurdity. And why a jacket? Why not ask for a tin of peaches instead? 'I wish I had a tin of peaches' he mused. Breakfast had still not found its home in his stomach, as he had left the guildhall without eating even a bite.
He regretted that now, and cursed his excitement, several hours after leaving and if his stomach didn't shut up and stop growling even other moment Natsu was going to pummel it to death. He was annoyed enough without having his own organs worsen it.
Natsu stiffened, then grinned. A scent hit his nose, a man who stank of power and confidence. He wasn't moving, in fact he was completely still… waiting. His grin grew brighter "Well now, this should be fun" he continued along with a skip in his step.
He reached a fork in the road, one fork led onward to the other end of the valley, at least Natsu assumed it did as he couldn't see for the mist, while the other led to a large building, whose appearance strongly resembled a military barracks more than anything else, that was built against, and practically into, the cliff, but its size ensured that it loomed at him from the mist all the same
But Natsu didn't really care about any of this, all he cared about was the man stood with his arms folded across his chest, leaning against a tree just to the left of the crossroads, partially facing the building to Natsu's right, but his eyes were locked on Natsu, tracking his every movement.
"Yo" Natsu greeted with a smile. While not shocked by the man's appearance as in his presence, his appearance as in his clothing was slightly more shocking.
He wore a dark blue cloak that left his arms and legs mostly bear, though they were in turn covered in bandages. He wore a pair of strangely puffed up trousers and what appeared to be armour around his waist and stomach. He also bore a bandana, its colour match his clock, with a metal forehead protector, along with a green face mask that obscured the bottom half of his face but left his dark eyes visible.
"What are you role playing ninja?"
Mystogan, an S-class mage of the guild Fairy Tail, blinked, then forcibly suppressed a sigh. What was it about his cloaked, masked, steel plated headbanded outfit that made people think 'ninja'? Was there some connection between those things and 'ninja'? Was it something more ethereal, or was it so blindingly obvious that Mystogan himself just couldn't see it? He put it down as one of life's greats mysterious as the man began talking and focused.
"So who are you? Oh, Alastor did say that when you ask for someone's name it's polite to give your own first didn't he?" he had actually said that five years ago, when he and Natsu first met "So my names Natsu, who are you?"
"Mystogan" Mystogan responded concisely.
"Mistgoon? Interesting name… then again my names Natsu so I'm not sure I'm one to talk, and I know someone called Dave and he's not one to talk either… though that might be because I pulled out his tongue… it also might be cause I then killed him… huh?" Natsu frowned, wondering which it was "Anyway" he shook his head, focusing on the here and now "Pissedgun, what are you doing around these parts?"
"Waiting."
"For what?" Natsu wondered.
"You."
"M-me?" he pointed at himself, for further confirmation.
He nodded.
Natsu blinked "Why?"
"Because."
And he had finally had enough "Can you answer me in sentences rather than single words please, I'm getting confused" he begged, his head trying to make sense of everything and failing spectacularly.
Mystogan sighed and unfolded his arms, standing upright "My name is Mystogan. I'm waiting here for you, and those like you."
"People like me?"
"Vultures."
"V-Vultures" Natsu was now even more confused "I didn't realise I was like a vulture" he looked down "But I don't have feathers, or wings or anything? This makes no sense!"
He didn't even bother sighing this time "It doesn't need to."
"It doesn't?"
"No…" he shook his head, then looked at Natsu "Just go to sleep."
Natsu blinked, was it just him or was the world suddenly a whole lot blurrier. He yawned loudly "I don't see why I should" he mumbled. He started swaying, but didn't notice that he was swaying "I mean… why do you getta decide that I gotta go to sleep. I don't…" he yawned again "…have to listen to you… do I?" Natsu reached up to scratch his head, but halfway there his hand forget was it was doing and just hovered in front of his face "Damn I'm tired" he muttered, staring at his hand even as it faded in and out of clarity "It's really odd, I didn't realise I was so... tired… Maybe… maybe I'll take you up on that… o…" he fell to his knees "off…" he collapsed forwards, his face smacking into the dirt, but Natsu didn't notice the sting in his cheek as it thumped into the ground, nor the dirt pressing on his cheek, nor the fact that he had a sudden close up of the road instead of the wider, landscape view that he had had before "…er" his eyes shut.
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Rike was a dark mage. He hadn't always been one of course, once upon a time he had been a legal mage of a legal guild, Storms End, then the magic council's restrictions on the jobs guilds could take got tighter than his guild hadn't listened. What followed was a fairly common story amongst dark guilds, their guild master had been arrested and the guild officially disbanded and someone else had taken up the post and led them into the dark.
In this case it was Rike's older brother Pike, their parents weren't exactly innovative with names, who had taken control and soon they were up and running as a dark guild.
They quickly become a subservient guild to Grimoire Heart, through an also subservient guild calling itself 'Black Heart', so they were like a sub-sub-contractor really, and their guild name had been changed to 'Storms Raging'.
That had been almost a decade ago, so Rike was moving into the mid-section of his life by now, having been in his late thirties, or thereabouts, when his guild turned from 'legal' to 'not-so-legal', also known as dark. Thereabouts as, to be honest, Rike didn't remember his age… or what year it was, or even what year he was born, he remembered very little of it, at least in specifics.
It stopped mattering after a while. What did years lived matter, when your blood could be spilled so easily, so casually, your life ended for minor offences, your existence snuffed out like fingers pinching a candle out.
Rike wore his years badly, looking at least a decade older than he actually was. His once brown hair was a dirty grey, his once clean shaven and in no way unattractive face was wrinkled, bearded, weathered by decades and scarred by years of battle and other conflicts, infighting, outfighting, assassins meant for someone else and stumbled across plots.
He had watched his brother die and wondered if he should try to avenge the only family he had left, and decided not to, instead serving under the man who had killed him and had assumed the position of guild master. He too died, as did his successor, more members came and left, some dead, others deserting, and all the while Rike felt like he was just standing there watching it all pass by, as if he never stopped watching his brother die, and was still stood there, watching, but doing nothing.
The lives, the death, men, women, children, he just watched them die, even though he was the one killing them.
He just felt numb.
Sometimes Rike hated himself, hated who he had become, but these moments of self-loathing were few and far between, most of the time he felt absolutely nothing about himself, but no matter what he never loved himself, never felt content in his life, but it wasn't that he wanted more, craved money, prestige, women, or even family and love, it was just that he never felt like this was where he belonged, but didn't feel much like moving either.
He travelled with others of his guild, seventeen not counting himself. Their history, their position, their skills, their magic, their friendships and rivalries, he knew most of it, but couldn't call up anything specific about any of them. Just calling up their names was a struggle so he rarely bothered talking to them.
They were all eager, excited, the subdivision of Phantom Lord where it was rumoured a treasure trove of loot waited was their goal. This was a big job for Storms Raging, and if they succeeded and took away the biggest slice, for doubtless there would be others wanting a piece, then this would be a good haul.
Rike wondered then when the last time he cared about a job was? When was the last time he looked forward to making some Jewels? He looked back far as he could and couldn't find one, not once since they had become Storms Raging had he been eager, excited even. The one time he remembered clearly, the one time he was happy and anticipatory, was when he and Pike had set out on their first request for Storms End, young, innocent and carefree, but adventurous above it all.
No matter how hard Rike tried, he couldn't see his brothers face as anything more than a blur, like a watermark on his memories.
Despite his age, and despite being only of average magical power, Rike had survived in the dark world he lived in, key to this was his knowledge of 'when to run away'. It had saved his life many times, but had earned him few friends, and Rike was grateful for both. He didn't want friends, friends were just something to lose, but he wanted his life, and for the life of him Rike didn't understand why.
Was he afraid of death? Running away from it like he ran away from those who might bring it upon him? Maybe. He had abandoned comrades to their doom, abandoned comrades who were then successful as well, but he did not feel he made a habit of running away, if he could win there was no reason too, but if he couldn't win then there was every reason too.
In the end, Rike thought that he might be running away from everything, his own grief for the actions he had performed, his dead brother, his own death, his own life, his emotions, his… his everything. He was just running away from it all, and Rike didn't mind that fact because running away was something he was good at.
"Sure you can handle yourself old man?" Rike didn't even look at the brash youth walking alongside him. They got a lot like him, young kids with a knack for magic who then used it for petty crimes slowly degenerating into more serious crimes. Criminality was a slippery slope, one step upon it and climbing back up was a very difficult job, so most never bothered.
"Leave Rikey alone, Col" said another man "He's a tough bastard. Just don't expect him to have your back when the chips are down."
The youth scoffed.
"Shut up!" their leader for this job, a man whose name, reason for leadership, and magic abilities were completely unknown to Rike. Or rather he didn't remember them as the current point, but likely had known about it and it might come back to him later "Damnable mist! We must be getting close by now…" he trailed off as the mist suddenly cleared.
The dirt road they had trekked down as occupied, a single man stood in its centre facing them. It was clear to them all that they wouldn't get past until he was gone. But Rike's attention had quickly turned elsewhere, to a nearby tree where a man… slept?
He was certainly snoring, and loudly at that, and he looked asleep, and there was a little bubble of snot hanging from his nose that expanded and contracted with his breaths. Definitely asleep then, having snot dripping out of your nose is really uncomfortable.
But the fact that he was asleep didn't bother Rike overmuch, nor did the fact that he was tied up, with thick strong ropes wrapping around his entire torso, what bothered Rike was his face. He knew that men, not personally true, but…
"We need to leave" he muttered.
"What planning on running away already Rike?" their leader teased.
"That man, the one sleeping over there" Rike kept his gaze fixed firmly on the masked man who stood there waiting "He's Salama…"
"Uff!" the masked man moved swifter than any of them though possible, the head of his staff smashing into a man on Rike's left's teeth, sending blood spurting from his gums, then the masked man was spinning and his staff caught someone on the back of their head, taking them down as well. Another was downed with a thrust to the stomach, and a fourth had his legs swept out from underneath him and hit the ground with enough force to incapacitate him.
The masked man spun again… and his staff hit a glowing blue wall of magic.
"Barrier magic" he commented, tapping it and watching ripples run from where his staff touched like waves in a pond disturbed by a pebble "Interesting, and rare, but not that rare" the eyes left revealed through that mask scanned the barrier intently, searching for any weak point. The barrier stretched to both sides far into the distance, in fact it reached the ends of the valley.
Or at least, the illusion of it did.
Rike couldn't really create, and certainly not maintain, a barrier that large so it only covered ten feet in front of them, the rest an illusion that was the much less taxing, just a simple light creating spell slightly modified and voila, a barrier.
"We need to leave!" he shouted, part of him wondering why he cared about that lot, and turning tail. Right into the lions jaw… or rather the dragons jaw.
Rike pulled to a stop, looked back and found the ropes burning away where they had once laid, the man they had once contained now stood in front of Rike, his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face "Well now" he said, his voice projecting amusement and little else "This is a treat."
Before Rike knew what was going on a fist had smashed clean through his skull, his brain turned into paste then char grilled.
He was dead… and still he couldn't find it in him to care.
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Mystogan said nothing as Natsu's fist went through the skull of a man and came out the other side, flames burning around it burning the flesh charcoal black. The rest of the dark guild also said nothing, too shocked, and Mystogan shared their shock, though not at the brutal violence, but rather at the fact that the pink haired man had broken through his sleep spell.
A spell powerful enough to cause intense tiredness even in Master Makarov, who was quite possibly the strongest person Mystogan knew, for this man to have broken that…
"That man, the one sleeping over there… He's Salama…"
'Salama…' Mystogan repeated in his head, it wasn't much of a stretch to figure out the rest of the word "Salamander."
"Oh?" Natsu glanced over at him "You know me?"
'I suppose that confirms that' Mystogan thought to himself, then scowled "I didn't realise…"
"Didn't realise what?"
Mystogan looked at Salamander, his eyes wide. He had whispered, so quiet a mouse would drown out the sound, yet Salamander had heard him "I didn't realise…" he repeated, measuring his words carefully "That I was in such revered company, Torched Heaven's Salamander."
Natsu grinned, then the dark guild that Mystogan had forgotten about started screaming.
"Shit, it's Salamander, run for your fucking lives!"
"AHHHHHHH!"
"Get away!"
Natsu watched them go as they disappeared into the wood "Running away? How boring… I suppose I'll just have to…" he breathed in deep "ROAR!" flames leapt from his maw, rushing forwards and charging over the forest, Mystogan was blinded by the fire, spinning a staff before him to hold back the intense flames, but their heat reached him still, drying his eyes and mouth, searing his skin from its closeness.
Then the flames died away, revealing burnt out trees, some torched till only stumps remained, others intact but charcoaled skeletons of their former glory, several more remained burning, like the torches of giants. As for the men and women who had fled into those woods, Mystogan already knew what had happened to them.
He closed his eyes tightly, biting back the lump in his throat, then opened his eyes and faced Salamander.
Salamander whistled as he appraised the destruction, then he frowned "Not bad, but it's not my best either… especially since" he glanced pointedly at Mystogan "you're still alive."
Mystogan said nothing.
Natsu grinned "Well then… shall we begin?"
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Strolling down a sunny street of Magnolia, with a spring in his step and an icy cold heart, Gray Fullbuster sighed in contentment.
Life was, once again, good-ish.
The Rune Knights had finally left, leaving Fairy Tail with little more than a slap on the wrist and Phantom Lord with being disbanded and their guild master stripped of his title. His good mood was ended when he remembered Salamander.
He had harmed Lucy, and Erza had been pissed off for days afterwards, the Rune Knights wouldn't dare even talk to her without Makarov between them and her she was so terrifying in her rage, then he destroyed Fairy Tail's guild building, admittedly it hadn't been the best condition beforehand, but still!
His fists clenched when he remember how injured Erza had been after her original fight with him, she looked… defeated. The strong indomitable young woman had been brought low, and it wasn't like what had happened against Phantom Lord, where she had taken a blast from a Jupiter Cannon and defeated Aria of the Heavens. Then she seemed to rise above her injuries, fighting Jose for several minutes where he had been knocked out in seconds. But after her battle with Salamander she could scarcely move, despite what she tried to convince everyone else of, and he saw, every time she thought no one was looking she would let the pain show on her face, then smile when she noticed someone looking.
"Next time" he growled 'Next time I'll show him who's boss, next time I'll take him on myself, get revenge for Erza, get revenge for Lucy, get revenge for Fairy Tail, next time… next time…' his shoulders sagged and he laughed humourlessly "Next time…" 'He'll kill me.'
"He would've killed me" she had said that, to him and Lucy "If you hadn't defeated Erigor, in that particular way, at that particular time, he would've killed me" she had smiled at them, a grateful smile, yet somehow false, not unhappy, not ungrateful, but not quite happy and quite grateful either, and said "Thank you."
Gray felt only rage, that Salamander would do that, that he would take a life so easily, that he would take Erza's, Erza's, life so easily. He had looked to one side and found Lucy with a similar look, her stained by fear, that if they hadn't been then, that if they hadn't done that, then Erza would be… Then she smiled for Erza and said 'What are friends for?' and they hugged and all was well, but Gray couldn't do that, instead he forced a smile and excused himself as soon as possible, so that she wouldn't see his anger.
'If we encounter Salamander again he'll kill me…' Gray thought sombrely to himself, then gritted his teeth 'He'll have to. There's no way I'm letting him get near Erza, not if I can help it, and even if I can't, I'll still fucking stop him…' the words rang hollow in his head, despite his anger. Even in a moment of rage he knew it not to be true.
"Gray!"
Gray blinked and looked away, but there was no one he knew around, no one he knew… no one he knew…
His gaze locked with another, a silver haired, dark eyed young man, a man he knew, but had passed over because of time spent apart and age they had both gained "L-Lyon?" the name trembled over his lips as he stared at his fellow student. All thoughts of Salamander were pushed to one side, ideas of their next encounter dashed, the earth upon which they had grown salted, all because of the man stood before him.
"Gray" Lyon had moved close while Gray had still been lost, they stood now but a few feet apart.
Their eyes met and Gray felt strangely like this was the start of a battle, or maybe not so strangely given the coldness and strangled aggression of their last encounter. They had not parted on good terms.
"I… I need… no" Lyon shook his head "I want to tell you something. There's something you deserve to know."
Gray opened his mouth to speak and found that he had no words to say, so he shook his head and thought a while longer "Okay… can we… is it…" he frowned trying to figure out partly what he was trying to say and partly how to say it "Do we need to go somewhere private?"
"I… yes" Lyon decided after a moment.
"Then…" Gray gestured behind him, ready to head to his apartment but still unsure of what was going on.
"A moment" Lyon said, turning on his heel and walking to three people who waited for him. He talked to them a moment, they cast cursory glances at Gray, a few of those glances were worried he noticed, then Lyon turned back around and the three also turned to leave, disappearing amongst the street. Lyon arrived at his side unnoticed as Gray watched Lyon's companion's departure.
"Err…" Gray scratched his head unconsciously, a little embarrassed at being caught staring, a little stupefied at the whole situation "Well… This way, I guess."
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Mystogan caught Natsu's punch on his staff, but the force of the blow jarred his arm. He spun it, trying to get a knock in, but Natsu's assault kept him too busy defending to try and launch an attack himself.
Why, one might ask, did he not use his sleep staff again, that had worked the first time hadn't it?
The answer was simple, he had tried… and it hadn't done a single thing. Why it had worked before but not now he didn't know, save for this nagging feeling that Salamander had wanted to go to sleep before, and chose that moment to do so, or maybe his spell had exacerbated a prior sleepiness.
Whatever it was, his sleeping spell wasn't working.
He leapt back, trying to put some distance between himself and Salamander, trying to give himself some room to breathe, or rather think and plan. But Salamander was on him in a heartbeat, his fists swinging and jabbing, and all coated in flames that could scorch the skin with only a second's contact, as Mystogan learned, to his excruciating pain.
Mystogan kept fending off Natsu's assault, waiting for his moments, choosing it very carefully. Then he struck.
His staff buried deep into Salamander's stomach, hitting with enough force to knock the air from his lungs and send him skidding backwards, his feet cutting trenches in the dirt.
"Ha" Natsu chuckled, and spat blood "You're not half bad" be bounced on the balls of his feet, his fists held in front of him, both of fire.
"I could say the same" Mystogan commented, keeping a close eye on Salamander's every movement.
"Hmm" a look passed across Natsu's face, but it wasn't one Mystogan could place with certainly, confusion, uncertainly, worry? It could have been any of them, or none of them "Huh" Natsu himself didn't look that certain as now he seemed confused, was it possible to be confused by your own emotions? Yes, it really, really was. He shook his head and grinned "Well anyway…" and with that he charged.
Mystogan leapt into the air, his fingers forming into a triangle and a magic circle forming in front of that.
Natsu blinked and looked around as from the ground that Mystogan had once stood upon a purple magic rose up and moved to consume him. Natsu didn't move, not even as the magic began wrapping around him. He merely looked up at Mystogan, and grinned.
An explosion of fire ripped apart the magic.
Mystogan was tossed back from the sheer force of the explosive fire magic, he smashed through the burnt out skeleton of a tree, getting coated in a fine layer of soot as he did so, and rolled as he hit the ground, rolling with his fall to minimize damage. No sooner was he on his feet than he was back off them, a fist smacking across his cheek and sending him careening in another direction, and again he was only just recovering when another flaming punch sent him flying.
The next time he was ready, and lashed out with his feet before getting up, knocking Natsu down to his level, the dirt, then scrambled to his feet even as Salamander did the same.
'Not half bad' Mystogan thought stretching the muscles in his cheek that complained painfully at every twitch 'That might have been an understatement.'
Natsu grinned "FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" standing less than ten metres apart, Natsu roared with all his might and magic, flames rushing out of his open mouth, more like a beam than a torrent of fire. That kind of firepower, literal firepower, at that kind of distance would obliterate anyone unfortunate enough to get in its way. They wouldn't even have time enough to scream.
"Three Layered Magic Circle" but Mystogan wasn't an S-class mage for nothing "Mirror Water."
Three magic circles formed in front of him, drawing the magic in, Mystogan heard his staves creak from the sheer power of Natsu's magic, the spell struggling to hold it all back.
"Huh? Well that's unusual" Natsu commented looking at it.
Mystogan released the breath he had been holding, the spell had held "Salamander" he said drawing Natsu's attention "I hope you're ready to burn" and the flames were released right back.
Mirror Water drew in the magic, then reflected it back, that was the beauty of the spell, an opponent's power turned against them, the stronger their magic, the worse it would be. The beam of fire consumed Natsu and hit the wall of the valley, sending rock blasting and cracking as it was burned.
It stopped suddenly, as the magic burned out, and for a moment smoke clouded his vision.
Then a burning fist emerged.
Mystogan was sent rocketing backwards, yet again, and landed in the river that ran through the valley, dyed black by ash. He lunged from the depths coughing up water he had swallowed in his confusion, and scrambled up the shore still coughing out the river.
"As I said" Natsu, stood in front of him his feet the only thing Mystogan could see "Unusual."
Mystogan looked up at him, then continued coughing. There wasn't much he could do in his state, and for some reason Salamander seemed to be giving him a moment to recover. How long that moment would last Mystogan didn't know, but he'd take it as long as it was offered. He looked up again as he was recovered and Natsu looked down at him in turn, then tilted his head.
And Mystogan faded away, drifting on the wind like mist.
Natsu blinked "Okay… that's definitely unusual. Um, Misty, where'd you go? H-hello?!" he looked about "Where's he got to?" Natsu grinned and spun, his fist meeting Mystogan's face "You can't hide your scent, Siegogan."
Mystogan winced and rubbed at his cheek 'Well, I suppose if it was that easy it would've been boring.'
He faded away again.
"Oh, are we playing hide and seek?" Salamander asked, peering around, using his nose more than his eyes to seek him out "Alright then… I'M IT!"
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"I'm sorry" Lyon's apology broke Gray out of his stupor. Before Gray could speak harsh, biting words, words he just might've regretted, Lyon spoke "And I know sorry isn't enough, I know it never will be, I know it's not the sort of thing that can ever be forgiven, or that I can ever forgive myself for" their eyes met, but Gray couldn't hold the gaze and looked away "I know I should offer my life in forfeit. A life for the life I took… but I won't."
"I have something to live for" he continued, not giving Gray the chance to speak, not wanting to hear it, not yet at least "something that makes my life valuable, something more valuable than this. So I can't let you take it, I'm sorry" he stopped, wondering how to continue.
Gray laughed, at first it was just a chuckle, then it grew louder, until it was wild, raging, almost maddened laughter. It died down suddenly, into ragged breaths so close to sobs.
Lyon gulped back his own fear and continued speaking "You're welcome to hate me" he smiled humourlessly "I deserve it" Lyon frowned at the table between them "I hate myself" he looked up then, looked at Gray "But there are those who don't, and…" he trailed off, unsure of how to describe his own feelings.
"You don't want to hurt them, don't want to make them sad, you just want to protect them" Gray continued where Lyon faltered, his gaze up at the ceiling.
"Yes."
He grinned bitterly and glanced out the window, then blinked "I think they want the same."
"You do?" Lyon frowned in confusion this time, rather than self-loathing. Gray had seen them for no more than a minute, how did he know anything about them? He found Gray looking out the window and followed his line of sight.
Sherry, Toby and Yuka all sat on the opposite roof, staring into through the window and glaring pointedly at Gray.
Lyon sighed "Sorry about them, they're…"
"Odd?"
"Yeah."
"But you wouldn't trade them for the world."
Lyon smiled "Make that two worlds, three, four, even five… the answer will always be the same."
Gray returned the smile and they spoke in unison "No."
Gray frowned. Why couldn't he feel anger? Lyon had just told him that he had melted the ice that contained Deliora, and the demon was dead inside, the ice was more important though, for the ice was Ur. And so, why was it that Gray couldn't feel any self-righteous rage or hatred?
"Lyon" Gray said, after a few minutes brooding "What aren't you telling me?" he knew his fellow student well, even though years had separated them, well enough to know that much.
Lyon froze "I…" he closed his eyes momentarily, ordering his thoughts, then opened them and confronted Gray "I won't lie to you. There is something I'm holding back, part of this story that I have edited, something I'm hiding. But I won't tell you what it is, I… I owe… them, too much" Lyon chuckled wistfully "Though I doubt I owe them anything at all in truth, I was probably just…" he shook his head "Never mind that. I'm hiding something, but other than that I've hidden nothing."
Gray opened his mouth, then shut it 'And what you owed to Ur?'was the question that had been on his lips, and then he would've seen the hurt, the regret, and the pain and self-loathing in Lyon's eyes and regretted ever speaking. So he didn't bother speaking in the first place.
"I see" Gray stood, and Lyon tensed, waiting the oncoming reckoning "I can't not hate you, Lyon" he said, painstakingly slowly "I just… can't. You killed her!" he flinched but didn't, couldn't , deny it, it was true after all "But… But I'm glad… I'm glad you've found something Lyon" Gray's hand touched his shoulder and he looked up to find a warm smile on Gray's usually frozen face "I really am glad. You killed Ur" suddenly the grip was too tight "So live, Lyon. Live your life to the fullest, that's the only way you can repent for that crime."
Lyon frowned, that made absolutely not sense.
"She loved us, Lyon" Gray continued, seeing his fellow student's confusion "She loved us as if we were her own children. She claimed we weren't, that we didn't replace her, and I believe that. But we don't have to replace the child she lost in order to be as good as her own children. So live, for her."
"I…" Lyon gulped past the lump in his throat "I will" he promised.
"Good" Gray smiled again "Now leave before I say something I'll regret."
Lyon smiled as well, but it was spiced with bitterness and thankfulness as well, he was thankful Gray was sending him away, but embittered by the fact that Gray would say something he would regret, and on top of all of that Lyon knew he deserved such words "I will" he repeated, before standing and heading to the door.
"Lyon" Gray's voice caught him before he could leave "I… Ur would be proud of you, even though you… even though…" he shook his head "She'd be proud of you. I know she would be."
Lyon felt himself shake, those words shook him to the core, warmed him like nothing else could, and it was not a bad warmth, it was a nice warmth. He forced himself to speak, but couldn't turn around, couldn't look Gray in the face with tears streaming down his own "I think, she'd be more proud of you."
"Then I guess she'd be proud of both of us, equally."
Though neither saw the others, they shared a smile, then Lyon said goodbye and left, and Gray finally let his tears fall freely.
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Mystogan panted. This was one of the hardest, most pressing, and most dangerous fights he had ever been in, and he wasn't known for playing it safe. Then again he wasn't known for much besides being mysterious, but the point was Mystogan had gotten himself into some pretty nasty situations in his lifetime, guarding a magical artefact against an evil professor, fighting a mythical monster in a secret chamber, going back in time to save someone who he thought had been executed but hadn't actually been because he'd saved them, going back in time was complicated, like really complicated, and fighting his way through three challenges to face off against the evil dark mage Volbetron, and they all paled in comparison to this.
He was battered, bruised, and more than a little burned, his clothing was in tatters, his cloak a ruined mess of charred fabric, his chest bare where he had been forced to ditch his shirt after it caught fire, his left leg also bare as he had had to cut that away to avoid being burned, and his mask was held on by a thread.
Salamander looked worse yet seemed far more resilient, both to pain, the moment when Mystogan's staff had, accidently, stabbed through Natsu's leg and he had just pulled it out and offered it back sprung to mind, and damage, the number of times Mystogan had slammed Natsu's head with enough force to knock a man unconscious, and with a fairly weighty wooden staff and all, and the only damage that seemed to do was jarring Mystogan's arms.
Natsu grinned at his through the scrapes "This is great" he said cheerily… then he frowned "This is great" he repeated sounding… unsure? Was that the right word? Mystogan didn't know, so he just waited "This… this is great… so why?" Natsu looked up at him "Why I am bored?"
If he had the energy to Mystogan wouldn't felt annoyed at that proclamation, fortunately, though whether for him or for Natsu, Mystogan himself didn't know, he was too tired to be annoyed and instead just relaxed somewhat. Lowering his staff, but keeping his awareness tuned up to max "Why are you bored? I'm certainly not" he didn't have the time to be bored, too hard pressed fending off Salamander.
"I don't know" Natsu whined, sounding incredibly childish "I shouldn't be. This is great, you're strong, seriously strong, I mean I reckon you could go toe to toe with Alastor… well probably, I don't actually know" Natsu scratched his head "See I don't think I've ever fought against him, at least not properly, so I couldn't say… anyway you could definitely beat Spitfire, the guy who's below Alastor on my power ranking board."
Mystogan resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and that took some doing, it was a strong urge "Well… excellent" he said, feigning delight in an obvious manner.
He wasn't sure Natsu noticed though "So you're strong, you're tough, you're not giving in… you're everything I want out of an opponent" he mused, staring at something off in the distance, Mystogan doubted he was staring at anything tangible, he was staring at something beyond the world, memories, thoughts, feelings, those sorts of thing "And I'm bored" Natsu looked down at his hand.
His knuckles were blackened by a dark bruise, the skin split letting droplets of red run over the dark purple flesh, a scrape marked the back of his hand, while on his palm was another scrape, this one showed red beneath a thin membrane but wasn't bleeding.
"I don't get it" Natsu said.
Mystogan's breathing had calmed and he was able to stand a little straight, rather than be bent double "Do you usually find fighting fun?" he asked.
"Yeah, most of the time" Natsu said "Sometimes not" he scratched his head "but that isn't very often, and it's mostly when I don't want to or have to drag out a fight or fight someone really weak or something like that" now he frowned, then he smiled "Oh, and it's especially fun if the opponent is strong."
'And he already confirmed that I am strong, by his standards at least, so… Wait a second, why am I trying to help Salamander understand his conflicting feelings regarding our battle?' he blinked 'Oh that's right' now he remembered 'To give myself more time to recover and plan and possibly escape… maybe all three. Okay… err… so where were we?' "Then…" he coughed to clear his throat, mainly of ash "…am I weaker than another opponent you've faced recently?"
Natsu blinked and stared at Mystogan, then after a moment his gaze shifted, looking beyond the masked man. Scarlet hair danced across his vision "Oh for fucks sake!" Natsu cried "Why won't she leave me alone?! Here I am, trying to enjoy a perfectly good fight, and that" he punched a nearby tree, the charred wood breaking away "little" he punched again "fucking" he hit it a third time "bitch won't just leave me the fuck alone!"
'Well I guess we found his problem' Mystogan mused. Then his face set in determination. Natsu was distracted, looking away, punching at a tree, if Mystogan struck right now, right at this moment… 'The question becomes can I cripple him in one blow… should I even try to cripple? Killing… killing him would be safer… and not underserved, in no way undeserved if even a quarter of the crimes laid at his feet are genuine' he gulped, setting himself to the task, convincing himself, he had to, as Mystogan didn't really want to, did think he had the right to take a life, especially when he was a stranger to this land, to this world. But in this case rights could go to hell 'Wait' he told himself 'Pick your moment' his eyes scanned Salamander, watching intently 'And then…'
"Natsu-sama."
His eyes went wide and Mystogan spun to face whoever had spoken no more than ten feet away yet Mystogan hadn't heard a sound during their approach, despite his senses being highly attuned and in the present situation highly wary. He found a red haired man wearing a long cape there, a katana, still sheathed, in one hand, stood staring at Salamander, giving Mystogan not a glance, yet.
"Huh?" Natsu blinked, looking surprised but not overly concerned at the man's appearance "Alastor, what are you doing here? I thought you were out wiping out a dark guild that had pissed off Charmain… what was their name again… Interest Perks?"
"Serpent Strike" Alastor corrected without missing a beat "They have been defeated, and so Charmain sent me ahead of the convoy. He wanted to make certain you were done" he then glanced at Mystogan and Mystogan had the discomforting feeling he was being evaluated and so tried to evaluate Alastor in turn.
'Alastor, so supposedly I could go toe to toe with him…' Mystogan didn't know whether or not he could, there was something about the man, something that hinted at power, a certain danger to his presence, but people had said that about Mystogan as well so maybe he was just being overly cautious. He blinked as a thought struck him, then shook his head 'I thought I'd heard that name before, King of the Red Haze, one of Torched Heaven's 'Blistering Trio'. Ha… how'd I forget something like that? Well it was probably because I was more concerned about my life at the time.'
"Busy?" Alastor asked, turning his gaze back to Natsu.
"Huh?" Natsu blinked and looked around "Oh, you're still here are you Vigor Mortenstein?"
Mystogan blinked "How… how the hell did you get there? Pissedogun, Siegogun, Mistgun, Misty, all these are honest mistakes by someone who doesn't have that great a memory for names, by which I mean has a terrible memory for names" Natsu twitched "But Vigor Mortenstein? That makes no sense. My name is Mystogan."
"Shaddup" Natsu whined "Dammit, why does everyone get on my case about getting names wrong, have simpler names you meanies."
"Natsu-sama" Alastor said calmly "The transport will arrive soon, it would be best to eliminate him quickly."
"Can't be assed."
That unhesitating and distinctly grumpy remark made Alastor pause, it wasn't like Natsu to not want to fight someone, and he looked from Natsu to Mystogan wondering what he occurred "Then" his hand inched towards the hilt of his katana "would you like me to…"
"No" Natsu rebutted the offer before it could be fully made "Blistergun… sorry erm, Kissedogan? No, that wasn't it…. Missedapun?"
"Mystogan" Mystogan said.
"Right, well… that… anyway" he shrugged "Piss off."
That made Mystogan pause this time "You expect me to just leave?" he asked.
"Yeah."
Mystogan's expression went unseen, but he didn't leave.
"You're not an idiot, Mystogan" Natsu told him "You can't beat me, every time you knock me down I'll get back up again, and you know that. With Alastor here your chances of victory went from minute to non-existent, he's a source of fire to keep me powered up and could maybe probably possibly defeat you himself" 'Well that made things clear' Mystogan thought to himself"Only Alastor can't have you cause if I can't have the fun of beating you into a bloody pulp then no one can. So… piss off."
Mystogan, glanced at Alastor, then back to Natsu. Then he felt a shiver run down his spine and turned back to the red haired man. Alastor's expression hadn't changed, it was still as blank as it had been when he arrived, his posture hadn't changed, he still held his katana in a relaxed grip and stood looking more like he was pausing from a morning walk than anything else. It was his magic that had changed.
Whereas before it had been calm and still, now it raged furiously, burning with an intensity that came nowhere near to Salamander's but with a coolness, a level headedness, that chilled him despite the magic's heat. In comparison Salamander was like a wildfire, far more powerful, far more destructive, far more terrifying, but Alastor was a red hot poker being slowly stabbed through a tortured man's torso.
He slung his staff back onto his shoulder. In the end Salamander was right, he couldn't win, and he wouldn't die here for no reason "I'll find you again" he said "both of you. When I'm stronger I'll find you, then, Salamander, we'll have a fight you can't help but find fun, the most fun you will ever have" he let a smile grace his face "Enough fun to die for."
Natsu gave him a casual grin "Good luck with that. No really, good luck" he shrugged "Sorry I couldn't have more fun."
Mystogan turned around on the spot and… advanced in a different direction… away from the enemy.
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Alastor watched him leave before turning his gaze back to Natsu "Natsu-sama… is there a reason you let him go?"
"Alastor… shut up" was Natsu's response.
And so Alastor shut up.
"When are these damn carts getting here, I'm bored?" Natsu whined.
"Soon" Alastor told him, wondering briefly if he was supposed to remain shut upped, and then decided that it was definitely a question and therefore asked for an answer.
"How soon is soon?"
"Soon."
Natsu pouted furiously, then sighed his childish anger evaporating like water on… well, on him.
"Stupid Erza" he mumbled, kicking a nearby rock and hurting his toes.
Alastor glanced over and raised an eyebrow.
Hello, again.
I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but at the same time I feel that this is the best I can do while still doing what I want to do. That's the real problem, I want (almost) everything that has happened to happen but aren't happy with the way they happened or the fact they happened or some other stuff like that. Anyway, the point is I'm not happy but I am satisfied with this chapter.
By the way I'm closing in on the magic number (whatever it is nowadays), so I only need about fifty or so more reviews and I'm king of the archive, well top dog at least. So if you want to help me out review, if I can achieve that number in this one chapter then I'll have beaten NeoShadows with less chapters, less words, less favourites and follows, and a lesser fic... hehe.
Well whatever, I'm not fussed, I'm just happy I finally got this chapter done, it was a right pain (which is why its a bit late) its undergone one or two rewrites, then I had it at about five thousand words and decided it needed more fleshing out, now its about eight and a half (not including the authors note), so anyway, the point is I had trouble with this chapter. Not that you care, obviously, you have a chapter why the hell would you give two shits about my issues. By the way... I'm being sarcastic.
Toodles.