A/N - I swear I totally didn't forget I had a account ... ok ... maybe I did. Oops.
Finally remembered to update lmao.
Chapter 11 - Mystogan Returns
Akira stood silently under the dim streetlight, staring at the figure who was standing in the shadows. She waited, watching for what his move would be. Her stance was relaxed, she knew he was no harm.
Slowly, he stepped forward so his face was half lit by the light. His mask still covered him, only the eyes visible. Reaching up with his hands, he gently removed it, his blue locks of hair falling free. Akira once more studied the red tattoo that streaked his face, admiring his appearance. She'd always wished he'd keep the mask off more often. But Mystogan was a man of the shadows, he'd always stay a mystery.
A gentle smile eased its way onto his face as he greeted her.
"Hello Akira."
Akira nodded in return, replying, "I was actually expecting your visit a bit earlier."
Mystogan responded, "There was certain … 'delays' on my mission. It took a while longer."
"You did end up interfering with Phantom Lord, didn't you?" Akira chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. Just as I predicted.
In response, Mystogan admitted, "I did take down all the sub branches."
Akira broke out into laughter, remembering a conversation from earlier. She turned to him, laughing as she told him, "Ironically, Gramps and I joked about exactly that."
Now it was Mystogan's turn to chuckle, "You know me too well."
A silence seemed to settle over them vaguely.
"Well, is this a social visit, or do you want something?" The words came out of her mouth before she even realized how horribly worded they were. "Wait … that came out kinda rude … sorry!"
Mystogan shook his head, finding amusement in her stuttering. He knew was she meant by the question.
"No, you're right. I suppose after two years of travelling with a companion, it's … strange, to not have anyone by my side this time."
A grin broke out onto Akira's face, "I feel honoured! The almighty Mystogan missed my company."
A faint blush quickly spread on his cheeks as he quickly turned away. Clearing his throat, he changed subjects. "Anyhow, since it's been a while I thought we could go on another small mission. That is, if you wish to join me."
Akira smiled, "Sure, anything particular in mind?"
Mystogan shook his head, "No, I hadn't picked one out yet. Thought I'd let you decide if you chose to come."
"You just don't want to go to the guild do you?" Akira accused.
Mystogan's eyes widened for a second as he immediately denied, "No … Okay, yeah." He chuckled lightly, "It does get tiring casting the sleep spell every time I enter."
Akira nodded in acknowledgement, "Fair enough. I'll pick a semi-decent interesting one then. Also, I will let Mira know I'm going on a mission with you. Turns out Master forgot to tell them exactly where I was last time."
"Seriously?" Mystogan raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Yeah. He said I was on a mission and left it at that, didn't go into detail. Some of them thought something bad had happened … they definitely weren't expecting to see me again, that much I could tell." Akira sighed in annoyance.
Curiously, Mystogan asked, "What was his reason for not informing them?"
Akira looked him dead in the eye, giving him an expression that read 'you're going to love hearing this' in a sarcastic manner. In an emotionless voice, she responded, "He was drunk."
Mystogan immediately sweat dropped, before rolling his eyes in irritated amusement.
"Of course he was."
Thankfully Mira had still been at the guild, so Akira was able to get inside and choose a mission to go on. She had promptly returned to where Mystogan was waiting, before the two of them left in the darkness of the night.
"So, which mission did you end up choosing?"
Mystogan had been silent for the most part, but now he decided to attempt to make small talk.
Akira nodded, it was probably wise for him to know. "Spotted one to take down a forest Vulcan. Apparently it's been causing trouble, few women have reported receiving undignified looks from it, but mainly it's stopping trade between two local towns because it's not letting anyone through."
Mystogan nodded, taking the information in. He mused, "Sounds interesting … large reward?"
Akira chuckled lightly, "Like you ever do the jobs for the money. Nah, it's not a high pay as the villagers aren't extremely rich, but I thought it'd be worth helping them."
"Agreed, others may not accept the mission otherwise."
Akira nodded, inattentively musing, "Ah well."
Deciding to change topics, Mystogan turned and asked, "So Mira was fine with you going on the mission?"
"Yeah, I told her I was going with you which surprised her. But she was glad I let her know instead of Gramps. He was already snoring drunk on the bar!"
Both Akira and Mystogan laughed, their voices echoing into the night.
Akira was at peace, she wouldn't have this any other way. Back with her guild mates again, yet also still able to spend time with Mystogan, just enjoying their company. The silence that took hold was not an awkward one, but rather comfortable. It was times like this Akira wished could last forever.
"So, how have you been?" Mystogan's voice cut through Akira's thoughts once more.
"Hmm?"
Mystogan rolled his eyes, "You heard me. Does it feel weird being back in the guild?"
Akira thought for a moment, before answering truthfully, "Yeah, I suppose. It's a nice weird though, I've been watching Natsu and Gray fight; the two of them are hilarious."
"Natsu still hard headed?" Mystogan chuckled.
His question seemed to spark something within Akira. Enthusiastically, she started telling him about changes in the guild. "Yeah, but you'd never believe it! Natsu, Gray, Erza and this new wizard you wouldn't know, Lucy, are all on a team!" She let that sink in before adding in jokingly, "Yes, Natsu and Gray are actually working together."
Surprise reflected from Mystogan's eyes, "Wow, really? Never could have predicted that."
Akira chuckled, "I know right! At least Erza keeps them in line."
Mystogan smiled. "Aside from that, anything else?"
"Oh yeah, loads. Turns out Loke is a Celestial Spirit, a zodiac one. He's Leo the lion," Akira quickly filled him in on the past events.
"Really?"
"Mm, and with the whole Phantom Lord incident, Gajeel and Juvia actually ended up joining the guild."
That comment caught Mystogan off guard the most. "They did? That's certainly … a surprise."
Akira nodded, "Yeah it was, many didn't like it. I actually just got from a mission with Gajeel few hours ago. Honestly, I don't think he's too bad." She continued to ramble on while Mystogan watched amused.
"I trust your judgement," he replied.
"Of course," she laughed, before turning serious. "And Laxus has become a dick."
Mystogan's first reaction was to stare in disbelief at her, before raising an eyebrow, signalling for Akira to continue.
"From the sound of it, he doesn't hang around the guild much anymore. He's rather rude to them all, he thinks he's far above them all. It's rather irritating." Akira gritted her teeth, fist clenching by her side. Laxus's change in behaviour had affected Akira more than she let on, she missed the old Laxus she once knew.
Slowly, Mystogan added, "Hmm, talking about Laxus, I'd be careful."
Now it was Akira's turn to be surprised. "Why?"
"Rumour is, he's planning something. No idea what it is, but I doubt it'll be anything but trouble. He's lost his way, and I worry the guild will suffer for it."
Sighing, Akira glanced up to the sky. "Hmm, I suppose I can see why people may think that. I will keep an eye out then, best be prepared. Although, I'd still like to hope that the Laxus I knew is still somewhere in there."
Understanding and admiration glistened in Mystogan's eyes, "You always look for the good in people, don't you?"
Without even looking back to him, Akira replied, "Of course, I never give up on others. No one is past saving."
From behind his mask, a faint smile crossed Mystogan's face. A noble value to behold. Hopefully you can hang onto it, for in this cruel world, our morals are constantly tested. I just hope you never lose that innocent, Akira.
It hadn't been any trouble for Mystogan and Akira to find the village. It was a simple path, and the villagers had been more than relieved to see someone fulfil their request. After some quick questions, Mystogan had decided they knew enough to go and head out in search of it. Along the way Akira had decided to make some short talk.
"I'm just saying, you're so … weird. One minute you're dead quiet and don't speak, but then when we speak to clients you have no trouble talking."
"Well that's because I need to know the situation," Mystogan rolled his eyes at Akira's antics.
"Yeah, but-" before Akira had a chance to answer, a large shadow started to overshadow them. The two mages looked up to see a giant object hurdling towards them. They only had a split second to jump out of the way instead of being crushed. Looks like the vulcan found us instead.
The vulcan slammed down, splitting apart Akira and Mystogan. Mystogan went flying backwards, while Akira was flung sideways, landing right before a giant rock slab, narrowly missing it by inches.
The vulcan seemed to grin, staring down its new targets. Its gaze landed on Akira, and no sooner than it had, hearts started to fill its eyes.
"Pretty girl!"
In a heartbeat, the vulcan started chasing towards Akira. Still recovering from the blow, Akira glanced up and stared wide-eyed as the giant monster charged at her. Where the hell is Mystogan?
On cue, Mystogan appeared behind it, moving his starves in quick movement to cast his sleeping spell.
The wave of power slammed through the vulcan, and it stopped its charge. However, instead of dropping asleep, the vulcan turned to face Mystogan, eyes alight with burning anger.
"Me don't like men. This pretty girl is mine."
Mystogan's eyes widened a fraction as the vulcan turned to charge at him.
"Watch out!" Akira yelled, still in shock. She hadn't expected the spell to fail them, but apparently it proved ineffective against the creature.
The vulcan reached Mystogan, throwing a punch. He quickly blocked, before trying to kick the legs out from underneath it. Both engaged in one on one combat, Mystogan barely keeping himself out of harms way. While Mystogan had good endurance and strength, the vulcan was a huge beast with large limbs, making it hard to get good hits in.
The vulcan caught him off guard, tripping Mystogan over. He grunted in pain as his back landed on the hard ground below him. This isn't going to work! I need a distraction to cast my spell.
As if his prayers were heard, the familiar female voice of Akira's came thundering forwards as she yelled out, "Soul Dragon's Shattering Fist!"
Hands lit up in her magic, Akira punched the vulcan squarely on the jaws, sending it flying backwards. She charged again, following through with a wing attack.
The vulcan flew back, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught. Akira's eyes narrowed, she glared at the vulcan as it slowly managed to pick itself off the ground. Once up, she charged again, slamming her fist into its stomach, causing it to double over in pain.
She lifted her fist back, getting ready for another strike. As her hand came down, however, the vulcan managed to catch it midway. Apparently all it had taken was some time for the vulcan to adjust, and it was now ready to makes it move.
Still holding her fist, the vulcan brought back its other hand and smashed his fist into her stomach, letting go of her as she went flying back.
Akira landed with a loud bang, her back hitting the rock wall quite hand. She slid down it, kneeling on the ground as she panted to get her breath back.
She gritted her teeth, "Dammit, you're harder than I thought."
Before Akira had a chance to stand up however, the vulcan was standing in front of her. It reached out and grasped her in its large hands. Akira squirmed, trying desperately to free herself from it, but the vulcan simply crushed her in his hold. Akira gasped, desperately trying to take in air.
The vulcan grinned menacingly, staring down at the girl.
"Pretty girl all mine."
"Like hell I am," Akira snapped.
Gathering up most of her energy, Akira breathed in deeply, before releasing her magic spell.
"Soul Dragon's roar!"
The vulcan was sent flying backwards, its grip on Akira instantly released. It slammed into a tree, hitting its head hard. The vulcan tried to stand up, however it was quite disorientated, the hit to the head leaving him dizzy.
"Ow. Pretty girl can fight."
Akira grinned before turning over to where she left Mystogan.
"Now, Mystogan!"
Mystogan nodded in approval. While Akira had been taking on the vulcan, she had bought him time to set up his starves in a certain position to cast his spell.
With the vulcan still in a haze, he took his chance. Setting up his starves to cast his spell, he quickly performed the movements as he yelled, "Five layered magic circle: sacred song."
Five layers transcending into the sky appeared above the vulcan. Magic energy seemed to gather within the circles, before a large beam of magic was sent down, hitting the vulcan full force.
It screamed in agony, the spell injuring it greatly.
Finally, the spell finished. Akira looked back to where the vulcan was, glad to see it down and not moving. They had done it, the vulcan had been defeated.
A magic seal appeared over the vulcan, before it transformed into the form of a young boy. Akira stared confused for a second, before realization hitting her. Vulcans use take-over. They take over a human's body as a host, so now the vulcan has been defeated, the boy is back to normal.
Smiling, she turned to Mystogan, "Looks like we take him back to the village, and it's a job well done."
Mystogan turned to her and nodded, "Yes. I'll grab him."
As Mystogan walked over to pick up the boy, she couldn't help but notice that he limped slightly. His left ankle must have been injured or something when he was tripped.
Mystogan wasted no time in picking up the boy, flinging him onto his back. He turned around, walking back to Akira. As he reached her, he spoke in a monotone voice, "We're done here."
Akira stood still as he walked off, before sighing.
"Well, that was … interesting."
They were fairly close to Magnolia now, still walking on their trip back to the guild. Whatever limp Mystogan had after the battle was long gone. There had been little conversation, Mystogan being naturally silent, and Akira not having anything to say.
Akira started to think about what would happen when she got home. Would Gray and the rest finally be back? She made a mental note to ask how their relaxing holiday went. She tried to remember what day it was, when the thought finally struck her.
"You know, I just remembered. The Fantasia Parade in Magnolia is on at the moment, would have just started," she broke the silence.
Mystogan thought for a moment, trying to recall what she was talking about. "Oh yeah, it happens once a year. It's been a long time since I've seen the festival."
Akira smiled fondly. A silence settled over them once again.
Finally, Mystogan spoke up, "Perhaps if we hurry we can reach home before it finishes."
The look on Akira's face was priceless. She snapped her head towards him, quickly joking, "What, you're going to show your face in Magnolia? What on earth, who are you!?"
Mystogan rolled his eyes playfully, "Ha-ha … I just have a bad feeling, that's all. Feels like I should be around Magnolia for next few days or something, I'm not really sure."
A bunch of emotions crossed Akira's face. "Oh … Well, try not to let your 'sense of impending doom' ruin my fun, okay?" She attempted to lighten the situation.
Mystogan turned to her, giving a disapproving glance. Now was not the time to joke around. "Akira …"
Akira cut him off before he could lecture her, sighing. "No, I know. But seriously, I really just need a few days to relax and enjoy myself."
"Fair enough," Mystogan curtly responded, sighing to himself. His first thoughts were that Akira did not care for his instinct feelings, but upon hearing her response, he realized she had listened, just wished for some downtime. He couldn't blame her, life in the guild was always hectic, especially hard for someone who'd returned after a few years of peaceful quietness.
Silence yet again filled the void.
A few minutes later, Mystogan was able to hear Akira curse to herself.
"Damn."
"What?" He raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her sudden display.
Akira sighed, turning to Mystogan as she answered, "I just realized, isn't there a Miss Fairy Tail contest each year during the festival?"
Mystogan hummed in agreement, "Yes, I believe so. The prize money is always good too, but of course most of the men enjoy it the most. What about it?"
Akira idly mused, "Wouldn't have minded joining in this year, just for the fun of it, seeing as it's the first time I've been home in a while, and a bit older. However, I'm pretty sure by the time we get home it would have already happened, I'll miss it."
Mystogan raised an eyebrow at Akira, incredulously replying, "I'm not complaining. The idea of men perving on you doesn't sit well with me."
A grin broke out onto Akira's face as she teased, "Please, we both know I could win."
Mystogan was beyond grateful for his mask, for his cheeks lit up scarlet at her response as he shrieked out, "Akira! Don't say things like that to me!"
Akira laughed, grinning widely.
"You're such a shy virgin. It's amusing."
If Mystogan was capable of going even redder than he already was, he certainly would have. Darn you Akira!