When Souls Reach Out

The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire. - Ferdinand Foch

Cat was exhausted when she finally reached her Aunt and Uncles new home. She looked up at the 2-story home that neighbored...a mages guild. What the hell were they thinking. She just shook her head. The home was beautiful, though. Large open bay windows framed in white. Dove gray siding, with local stone accenting the foundations and around the doorway. The home over looked the enormous lake that she could make out from the front.

Cat placed the little red fox down and looked at the bald man, "Come on we need to break the news, and get Grammie to help me with short and fuzzy here." she nodded to the little red fox.

"Do you think they know that they bought a house next to a mages guild?" Walker asked with a surprised looked on his face. Most people refused to live next to mage guild because they were loud noisy and well unpredictable.

A huge plume of fire shot up from behind the guild hall followed by a giant spire of ice. Shouts could be heard but they duo were unable to make out words. they just shook their head and went to the front door.

Opal opened the door to see her great niece and friend. she was surprised when a little fox darted past her into the house. Opal knew what they were going to tell them. She saw the visions already. it was why they fled West Nitespring. Opal could feel the sorrow and sadness oozing off the tall man. Her niece was off as well. She hugged Cat. "My Catrina. I know what happened, not in detail. You need to speak with your grandmother. There is too much grief and heartache coming from both of you."

Opal made it a point to hug the man with her. She felt a tiny sob escape him in the embrace.

"Sylvia! You need to come down here now! Catrina is home and we have work to do." Opal called out not willing to wait on Cat to go to her grandmother.

Sylvia came down the stairs from her meditation to see the mess that was her granddaughter and company. Her eyes glowed green and evaluated every living creature in the downstairs area. The green light quickly snapped off. Gray silvery hair loose in wind was immediately pulled back into a loose bun, she hurried down the remaining steps and scooped up the little red fox.

"Catrina, why did you let this soul get some dim and dark? His is dim and gray but this…this one is nearly out. Sister, I need herbs to help them." Sylvia ordered softly. "Can you go to the mages guild and see if they have any chamomile, lavender, and sage? I doubt we have any that have grown enough since we planted them."

"Of course, sister. Should I prepare the back yard as well?" Opal asked.

"Have Frank do it. Do you think he remembers? It has been a while since we've done this."

The elder man appeared from the deck out back, "I remember you old bitty. I'm not senile." He laughed.

Opal grabbed her sandals and left for the guild just down the road. It was only a quarter of a mile walk. She loved that the house frank had found was right next to a mages guild. She was never part of a mages guild growing up. She and Sylvia grew up in Clan Felernas in the northern mountains of Bosco. They were part of a trio that no longer exists. Their middle sister passed away in the destruction of their clan with almost everyone else except the four women that now bear the clan marks of the mountain lion, herself, Sylvia, Lex and Catrina. She had met Frank on a trip to the Grass Sea. He wasn't a clan mage so he took her clan markings and her last name. It gave him roots he would always say. She had always had visions. She was the oldest sister. She saw the 'future'. Sylvia dealt with the souls of the dead, helping them to move on. She dealt with the past. Their middle sister also dealt with souls and would have the briefest vision of the nearest future. She dealt with the present that was coming into being. As teens, people would travel near and far in the mountain to see the sisters. They were worshipped as goddesses because of their powers. The clan was prosperous. Opal and Frank never had children until they were settled in West Nitespring and in their forties. Sylvia had three daughters, Catrina's mother Tess, Lex's mother, and a daughter who was still born. Their middle sister had two daughters. When Tess's husband and Catrina's father attacked the clan and decimated it, making it look like another victim of the clan wars with his shadow magic.

She laughed to herself now here they were in their sixties, still running. She looked at the beautiful guildhall in front of her that held young vibrant mages that had taken on a terrible darkness. She felt hopeful for her son and great nieces. She knew what the future held but kept it to herself. She felt her nerves walking up to the guild hall doors. She heard the commotion inside. She took a deep breath and walked in.

Mirajane watched the guild brawl with a smile on her face. She knew things were in balance in their little slice of the world. She scanned over the brawling participates and hummed as she ducked from a bottle. She did notice a newcomer to the guild. An older woman with snow-white hair past her shoulders walked into the guild. Mira watched the wonderment in her eyes as the elder woman took in the site of the other fighting in the middle of the hall. Mira was used to people coming into the guild to give her flyers for jobs. She assumed that this woman was here to do the same. Mira noticed the tattoo trailing down her right arm. It looked like part of some kind of feline with the tail curling around her wrist. The lady stayed at the door and watched with a smile as the fight started dying down and heading outside where Natsu and Gray were rumbling again.

Opal was amazed at the site of the mages. They fought each other but remained friends. She smiled. She looked around and was greeted by a stunning platinum blonde at the bar that waved her over. "Hello dear, my name is Opal Sinclair. We bought the house next door. Our herb garden hasn't yet sprouted yet to where we can use them yet so I was wondering if you had a few that I could borrow?"

Mira put the record book away and stood and straighten her blue summer sun dress. "Oh you bought that house. Well I would like to welcome you to the neighborhood and apologize ahead of time for the noise. I think we do in the kitchen, one sec." She smiled at the elderly woman.

Opal turned and took in the site of this mage guild. It looked well-worn in places and other brand new. She knew in her heart that both her sisters would have loved being guild mages. The adventures they would have had when they were younger. Now they were past their primes and could pass on the wealth of knowledge they learned from their life to the next generation.

"You are correct Seer in your thoughts. You and your sisters will live on in the next generation, but you are always welcome here at Fairy Tail…and White Sea. Where you should have been all those years ago." The tall blonde man said as he came down the stairs. He smiled at Opal. His lavender eyes held kindness and reverence towards her. Kaleb felt her presence when she entered the guildhall. He knew of the Sinclair's eldest sister, but never met her. He had met the youngest, Sylvia several times before he had become guild master. Of course, he watched Cat and Lex grow up at White Sea. The Pradeshs knew of their clan, northern clan with the three sisters with the gifts of the Goddesses. There were rumors that all seith mages descended from that clan, but it was untrue. Seith magic was found all over Ishgar. Their clan just had a higher tendency to produce them as Vander's clan had for shadowquip magic. The proof was that Bixlow and Cristoff's clan had Bixlow to show that not all seith magic came from that clan.

Opal quickly put up her mental guards as she watched the tall blonde man descend the stairs. She knew who he was right away in his White Sea guild master regalia complete with the wizard saint emblems. She bowed, "Master Pradesh. I had no idea White Sea was in Fiore, nor did I know that this was a White Sea branch." Opal said with respect. She kept up to date on the going-ons of Bosco. If she was being honest, she treated the inner teenager in her to a few issues of Sorcerer Weekly. She knew who his brothers and father were. She remembered that tragic day that took the matron of the family.

Kaleb looked at the older woman. He felt her mental barriers firmly in place. He silently cursed seers' ability to shield themselves so well. "This isn't a White Sea branch. It's out sister guild. My husband is the guild master here, Laxus Dreyer."

Mira came out with a little bundle of dried herbs. She had them placed in a brown paper bag. "Here you go ma'am. I added a few extra other herbs in there in case you needed them." She said with a smile. She noticed Kaleb, went, grabbed two mugs, filled them with beer, and handed them to Kaleb. He nodded his thanks.

"Thank you my dear. I'll be on my way. My sister gets a little impatient when she has to wait for things to finish her spells." Opal smiled a sad smile and left.

Mira waved good-bye. She turned to Kaleb who handed left yet. She saw a worried look on his face. "Master Kaleb, is something troubling you?"

Kaleb shook his head and said, "I believe the Gods and Goddesses are planning something big Mira. I just don't know what because the most prominent family of seith magic users from Bosco just moved in."

Mira informed him cheerfully, "Oh yeah she said they are our next door neighbors. I don't understand why seith magic would bother you since Bixlow is your brother and all…"

With a groan, "Great right next door. It's not their magic that bothers me Mira. Not the magic. Miss Opal is the sweetest out of the bunch. Wait til you meet Cat. Great just great and Vander's around here too. My day just got better." Kaleb walked off with two mugs in his hands.

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Sylvia sat on the oversized couch. It was just her, Cat and Sam. Sylvia had managed to heal the major cracks and crevasses in the fox's soul. Walker had went down to the lake with Frank to give the two women room to work and not be caught in their magic. Sam regained his human form and was able to retrieve his hoshi no tama. It help him regain more of his magic that he had expended at the site of his ruin guild hall in West Nitespring. Sylvia had gotten Sam some of Nick's clothes so he didn't have to be naked. Walker and Frank returned to the house just in time for Cat to let him and Sam know what she did at the guildhall. Before she was able to Walker rushed over to Sam and embraced his friend as the two men reunited.

They shared each other grief. Neither man was to big so cry or so tears of sorrow or happiness. "Your back to your human form you shithead. You had me worried I was gonna have to house break you or something." Walker laughed through the tears. "And why didn't you tell me you were one of the Kitsune that were rumored in Sin? Who else is one or is it just you?"

Sam laughed and sat back from his friend. He had saved the big bald man from the gang life when he was fifteen by giving him a place to live and work at in the guild. "At least you didn't put bows in my tail unlike someone else. Yes, I am one of 'those kitsune that haunt Sin'. No, I'm not the only one. Astrid Dresdan is the only one that I can confirm. I have my suspicions that Oscar's daughter may be carrying a spirit in her. I don't know why it never manifested though."

Walker scratched his head, "Little Piper huh? Speaking of which when are we gonna tell her about her brother and mother?"

Cat cleared her throat, "Um…I need to talk to you two about that." The two men looked at the blonde sitting across from them. Cat never felt so nervous but then again she never did anything like she did either. Sylvia shot her a look of curiosity as well. She didn't even know what her granddaughter had done. Cat looked down as she fiddled with the hen of her shirt and swallowed a big lump in her throat, "Well you guys know that I'm a seith mage right…and I can see souls right…well…uh…I killed that other seith mage with the souls of your, er, our guild mates, but not without their consent. All I did was give them the boost of power to do it. Well…she is now longer living. They, uh…burnt her very soul with theirs."

Sylvia gasped, "Catrina you didn't cast that spell did you…"

Cat continued after she licked her lips when she looked at her Grammie, "Yeah I cast Soul Retribution allowing them to burn her with Soulfire. Um…but they were still there Grammie. Still needing something. None of them would move on. So I…I…bound them to me…for now anyway." She pulled out a string of beads that glowed with hints of colors. She laid the large string of bead on the coffee table in front of her grandmother. "Grammie before you say anything else, I couldn't leave them there. Daddy still has seith mages and worse that work for him. Imagine what he would have done with all of them. They need a burial and they need to say their thank you and good byes to these two men. We need to give them a funeral pyre."

Sylvia was quiet. She considered what her granddaughter was saying. She knew how dangerous her former son-in-law was. What had Sylvia concerned was that Cat had used seith magic that no one had taught her and was only written about in tome with dust on it. Tomes that were ashes thanks to Strauss. Battlefield seith magic was where the tales of Valkyries came from. The tales of beautiful women scouring the battlefields for 'worthy souls' to take to the afterlife. They were actually seith mages gathering the souls of the dead to turn the tides of battle with the very spell Catrina had used. This was practiced centuries ago when there were battlefields.

"Catrina stop acting like I'm angry. I'm not. You did what your instincts told you to do. You are also right you need to release the souls in these beads and we need to set up a proper funeral pyre for them. Mr. Saxe, you are the guild master. How would you like to honor you family?" Sylvia barked at Cat but ended in a respectful tone towards her guest.

Sam was shocked at the women. He never met seith mages like this. Usually they would just manipulate a person soul turning them into puppets, but then again those were dark seith. "Uh…a funeral pyre would be perfect, ladies. I heard that there is a mage guild nearby. Could we see if they would help us with a proper mage funeral?"

Frank and Opal left for the mage guild. Cat went out back to the soft green grass where her Uncle Frank had set up and lovely stone circle in the shape of a ship. The ship signified the vessel for the soul's journey. She laid the string of bead out in the circle. It was a long string. Sylvia stood behind her with Sam and Walker flanking her. Cat held her arms out in front of her with her palms up. Her eyes glowed a mesmerizing green. The string of beads lost their glow but all around her and the others were the souls of the fallen guild mates. Sylvia let her magic bleed into Cat's and held hands with Sam and Walker. She was able to push a tiny amount of magic into the men to where their eyes glowed with just a hint of green. Both women heard gasps of surprise and anguish from them.

Sam was filled with guilt. Tears renewed on his face ran down his face. The spirits as he saw them all around him smiled at him. One came forward, Felix. Sam could help but cry at seeing his friend in spirit form. Felix spoke to him, "Master stop it. Don't feel guilty. I died doing what I swore to you that I would do. All of us died trying to protect those that couldn't fight the evil that was sent, but in the end we were overpowered. We all know that you will regroup and go back and kill those bastards. We know that we did not die in vain." Felix faded back with the others. The hint of magic in Sam and Walker faded as well.

Cat sagged down to her knees. It was a lot of magic to move souls from items. She moved about 200 of them at once. She felt drained. Sylvia came and helped her granddaughter to her feet. They walked into the house. Sylvia went and brewed some tea for everyone.

Frank and Opal returned an hour later with a few guests. Sylvia recognized all of the Pradeshs that walked through the door. She had been in and out of the White Sea guild enough after Cat and Lex when they were younger. "Kaleb, Cristoff look at you boys. You have grown into some handsome young men. And I hear I should be congratulating you, Master Kaleb?" Sylvia hugged both men and kissed them on the cheeks. "How's that wily father of yours? Is he still just as handsome as ever?" She teased.

Kaleb and Cristoff laughed at the older woman antics and the mention of Arman Pradesh. Kaleb spoke, "Thank you Ms. Sylvia. Dad is fine and still single as ever."

Laxus cleared his throat at the little reunion. "Excuse me for interrupting throwback Thursday but your sister asked us up here for a favor."

Sylvia looked at the larger blond, "Oh I'm so sorry. Please forgive me for reminiscing. I'm a just an old lady who remembers these two as little guys both with dark hair. We were wondering if we could hold a funeral pyre behind your guild because of our friends here lost their entire guild to a terrible incident."

Kaleb turned to his mate, "Laxus this is the fire that I was telling you about two weeks ago. I can't tell you how to run your guild…"

"It's fine with me. I'll have my mages set it up however you need it. We'll give them a Fairy Tail send off if you need that as well. I might not be a seith mage but my best friend is and he would kill me if I didn't help those that help the lost and wondering souls like you ladies are doing." Laxus said and left the house.

Cat left shortly after Laxus did after she hugged Kaleb and Cristoff. She was not in the mood to wonder down memory lane at the moment. She needed to find Piper. Kaleb told her where she lived. She headed over to the brownstones. She found the address she needed and knocked on the door. An older man answered the door. She explained who she was and that she needed to speak with Piper. The man let her in. She looked around the home. It was lovely and clean. Piper came down the stairs. Cat felt her magical power push at her body. It felt like when she first met Sam and Astrid. "Piper?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Um…I'm Cat. I am…was a member of your brother's guild. There was an incident…" Cat gulped. She saw the other woman's anxiety as she put a hand over her mouth. She couldn't say anything else. She released her magic on the onyx bead on her wrist. A small purple flame only visible to Cat manifested. It morphed into an ethereal form of Riko. They shared a looked and Cat nodded to the spirit. He entered her body. "Piper it's Riko. I'm sorry. I messed up. I'm gone now. Mama is too and that's my fault as well…" He went on and told Piper the entire tale of what had happened. At the end, Piper hugged Riko.

"I forgive you, brother. I know the past haunted you and you couldn't shake what had happened. I know what you did to the others was not your doing. You were being controlled. I still love you brother. You will always be in my heart. Please know that and please forgive yourself so that you can move on." Piper told Riko with tears rolling down her cheeks.

That night behind the Fairy Tail guildhall, a large wooden funeral pyre was erected. Flowers of all kinds adorned it. Walker had helped the fairies with the emblem of the Red Foxes so that they were scattered around the pyre. There was one large one at the top of the pyre. The sun had set it was dark. The entire Fairy Tail guild and the members of White Sea that were in Magnolia gathered around. Sam was flanked by Astrid and Piper. Walker stood on the other side of Piper.

Sam took a deep breath and stepped forward. He stood proudly with his red ears and tails in the soft breeze of the evening. He conjured up his fox fire to start the pyre. He closed his eyes and held his hands out palms facing the pyre silvery white flames started to form. He spoke as the flames grow, "I summon the winds of the North, the winds of the South, the winds of the East and the winds of the West to give you the breeze to your back to speed your journey to the other side."

Astrid stepped forward in the same position black inky flames built in her palms, "I call upon the shadows to grant you safe passage through the valley of shadows so evil may not harm you."

Piper followed suit of her kitsune elders, bright golden flames erupted in her hands, "May the stars shine brightly to guide you to your destination."

The foxfires mingled together creating a gorgeous flame that twisted in one large flame that flickered golds silvers and deeps blues. Sam finished, "Until we meet again, my family. I love you all and thank you for everything." Astrid embraced him as he sobbed. She knew that he created a guild so that he could have a family.

The mages behind them wept openly over the great loss and sent their own magic into the air celebrating the lives of the lost mages as the funeral pyre flames grew brighter hotter and taller. The entire wooden structure was engulfed. No one left it until the flames were nothing but glowing coals.

Cat looked around with her magic to check the souls. They were gone. She had given them what they needed. She had allowed them to say their final words to a man they loved and served proudly. She looked at Piper. She knew the woman would be ok. She just needed time to grieve. What Cat wasn't expecting was the purple soul that was standing next to her. Riko wasn't moving on. Cat sighed. If he didn't moved on he would become a wondering soul. She called to Riko. His soul came to her. He looked at her. 'I'm not willing to leave her. Bind me to you. I'll be yours. I want to make up for what I've done.' Cat nodded. She never turned a soul down. They stayed until they could move on. Tito was the only one who stayed. Cat left the guildhall and went home to rest. She was tire and exhausted mentally physically and magically.

Cat made it to her bed, flopped down, and pulled the covers over her head. She was out like a light. She was deep in sleep that she didn't feel the bed dip down and the kiss planted on her temple, "Goodnight sunflower. When you get rested we have work to do. Daddy dearest needs to pay and the devil has come to collect." The presence was gone into the shadows.