It's the weekend! Finally! Let's kick it off with a new chapter!
The Dark Fairy
Chapter 21
Natsu, Joshua, Wendy, Carla, and Happy began to march towards the small doorway that was the entry and exit for the Edolas Fairy Tail guild. All of them had one thing in mind. They must save their friends, no matter what. Joshua was bringing up the rear when he suddenly felt a strong hand grab the back collar of his shirt and yank him back. He cried out before falling backwards causing the others to turn back and glared angrily at Edo-Lucy, the one who had yanked Joshua back.
"You all are a bunch of idiots." she grumbled as she put her hands on her hips, "You can't just go traveling to the Royal City without a plan."
Carla nodded beside Happy, "I agree. We need to know what we could possibly be dealing with."
Joshua got up and rubbed his neck, "You didn't have to yank so hard." he mumbled before standing up. "You could've just said something you know?"
Edo-Lucy shrugged, "It was funner my way."
Joshua frowned, "Alright, let's come up with a plan then." he looked over at Natsu and Wendy, "You two, get a good look at a map." He began to walk towards the door.
"Where are you going?" asked Wendy.
"To think." replied Joshua before opening the door and stepping out into the daylight.
Edo-Lucy stared at the kid as he quickly shut the door behind him.
"What's got into him?" she asked.
"Erza is the closest person to him." explained Wendy, "To hear that she is a villain in this world, and to also hear that our Erza has been captured, must be very hard for him."
Edo-Lucy frowned, "Well, if you all are actually going to do this, you better hope he is not a weak link."
Natsu glanced angrily over at Edo-Lucy, "If there is one thing Joshua isn't, it's weak." Lucy was taken off guard by the anger she saw on Natsu's face, "That kid, has been to hell and back. Just like our Erza. And he's lived to tell the tale." Natsu balled up his fist, "Never underestimate him, or call him weak. Never again."
Edo-Lucy was actually shaking a little bit at the fury in Natsu's eyes. Wendy smiled a little at Natsu's statement. The blonde then closed her eyes and sighed before walking away to talk with the Edolas Cana.
"Say, where is a map?" asked Happy.
"I can help with that." smiled a white haired woman. Happy's eyes widened before tears came into them.
"Happy what is it?" asked Carla.
"LISANNA!" cried Happy as he lept towards the short haired young woman.
Natsu stopped mid walk and turned sharply around, eyes wide, but then he remembered. This was another world, a world where it was entirely possible she never died. His face fell a little as he walked over and helped pry Happy off of the girl.
"Happy, she's Edolas Lisanna. Not ours." he explained to a shocked Happy, "C'mon buddy, let's find a map while we wait on Joshua."
Happy looked down at the ground, "Aye sir."
….
Joshua sighed as he walked away from the tree shaped guild hall. There was a lot of information he was trying to take in right now. This was a whole new world, universe even. Everyone was a parallel of their Earthland self that he knew. Erza and everyone else is most likely captured in the royal city, the Erza in this world is evil, and so is he. The Phantom and The Fairy Hunter, they would no doubt be tough opponents. Joshua frowned and kicked a pebble in front of him. This mission, it would require one thing people in Fairy Tail are not good at, stealth. He was just as bad too.
"Damn…" he mumbled before sitting down with his back against a large boulder, the guild hall still within his line of sight.
This was too much. He honestly didn't know what to do right now. They couldn't just barge in the front door. Natsu and Wendy had no magic. They told him as much when he arrived. Mystogan said the pill he gave Joshua would allow him to use magic, but he couldn't take on a Kingdom alone. He glanced down at the stone cuffs on his wrist. He probably could barely use it even if he tried.
"Boy, you still doubt the Force's powers." snapped a low, sophisticated voice that surprised Joshua but then made the kid's face screw into an anger filled expression.
"I thought I told you to beat it." Joshua mumbled.
"You really thought I'd actually leave." laughed the old geezer in Joshua's head, "No, after all, I have invested far too much in you to just let you be."
Joshua frowned. So he was just an investment. That was reassuring, "What do you want?" Joshua snapped lowly, trying to shorten the conversation.
"You still lack patience. Even for someone with your abilities, it'd be a good thing to learn."
"Quit berating me and start telling me what you want?" Joshua snarled as he bowed his head and rested his arm on his knees while the other leg was stretched out on the ground.
"Very well, I wish to teach you."
"I don't want to learn." Joshua replied.
"Not even if it would save your precious big sister, Erza?"
Joshua scowled. This guy knew just the right buttons to push didn't he?
"You've got five seconds."
"There is a power a Sith can easily use."
"What is a sith?" asked Joshua.
"You. That is what a Sith is. A being who can use the Force to it's fullest potential. Refusing to be bound by chains of any kind." explained the old geezer. "But that can all be explained later, for now, I wish to teach you something rather basic. I am going to teach you how to hide within the force."
Joshua's eyes widened, "Hide within my magic?"
"How many times must I say it is not magic. It's the Force!?" sighed the geezer. "No matter, listen and do as I say."
"Question," Joshua interrupted, "Before I start this, how will this help me right now?"
"I have heard everything you have heard. This is a stealth mission is it not?"
Joshua nodded.
"Then this technique I will teach you is perfect. It will allow you to hide your physical form within the Force. The only way someone would be able to find you, is if they bumped into you, or sensed your force signature. Which none of these insignificant beings are capable of doing."
Joshua looked up at the guild hall. The wind blew by causing some dirt to drift up and swirl about. Joshua thought about the geezer's proposal. The last time he got this guy's help, it ended badly. He really didn't want to listen to him. Everytime he did, someone would get hurt. But, he needed some way of being stealthy. He needed this technique in order to save Erza. Joshua resigned himself, he really had no choice.
"Alright, let's begin."
….
"Man, Joshua's been out there for a long time." commented Natsu as he looked out one of the small guildhall windows.
The sun had set hours ago and Joshua still hadn't returned back. He was actually starting to get concerned. He knew if anything happened to the kid while under his watch, Erza wouldn't let him live to see another day. Natsu gulped, that was not something he was looking forward to.
"Wendy!" he called. The blue haired girl looked over from the bar where she was chatting with her older Edolas counterpart.
"Yeah!"
"Let's go find Joshua. He's been out way too long."
Wendy's eyes widened as she finally noticed it was dark outside. Wendy nodded and followed Natsu out the door. What she saw took her breath away. Stars of all different colors and sizes filled the night sky like a million gems in the blackness. The moon of Edolas was massive and glowed a pale yellow as it shined its dim light down onto the world. It was a breathtaking sight. She then looked around and her awe grew even more. Natsu was shocked as well. All around them, boulders floated lazily in the air. Tree shook even though there was no wind, and streams of dust and dirt spiraled around as if gravity didn't exist.
"What the heck?" Natsu said.
"Hey what's going on?" asked Edo-Lucy who stepped outside to see why they were leaving so suddenly.
Edo-Lucy gasped at what she was seeing. Rocks don't float. Same with dirt. And trees don't shake when there is no wind. What was going on? She looked around warily. Was this some kind of trap set up by the Royal Army? She grasped the magical whip on her hip, readying for anything. Her brown eyes scanned the environment, looking into every shadow for any sign of an enemy. She then saw a young boy, sitting next to a floating boulder. His legs her crossed and eyes closed, hands resting on his knees. He looked incredibly serene as he sat there. The other two, Wendy and Natsu, saw him as well.
"There he is." Natsu said before cupping his hands around his mouth, "Hey Joshua!"
The boy's eyes opened. Lucy just caught a hint of crimson before the red color faded away and was replaced by hazel. She grit her teeth. The Phantom had crimson eyes as well. Something was not right about this kid. She jumped when she heard large booms. Lucy whipped her head around to see the boulders gently falling to the ground along with the dirt. The trees then stopped rustling and the ominous feeling she had only grew as she realized, this kid from Earthland had caused all of that!
"Hey Nastu!" he smiled, "I must've lost track of time."
"What were you doing?" asked the dragon slayer as he walked up to the kid.
Joshua rose to his feet and dusted off his pants.
"I was learning." he commented, "Check it out!" Joshua built up his magic around him. Natsu waited, nothing was happening. Out of nowhere, Joshua completely vanished.
"WHAT THE!?" Natsu yelped.
Edo-Lucy and Wendy's eyes widened as well. Where did he go? Natsu sniffed the air. He smelled Joshua. He was standing in the exact same spot as when he disappeared.
"I can smell you." he smirked as he crossed his arms, "Neat trick though!" Natsu then got an awesome idea, "Can you teach me that!? It'd make pranking Erza so much easier!"
Joshua reappeared causing Edo-Lucy and Wendy's jaws to drop, "Maybe." Joshua grinned, "It was difficult to figure out though. That's why I was out here so long." Joshua the cracked his knuckles, "But now, I've got a plan."
"Do tell." commented Carla. How many powers does this boy possess?
"Well, this new power I have. It can allow me to sneak around people, as long as they don't bump into me or sense me in any way. I can easily sneak into the Royal City and figure out where our friends are once we're inside by using my sensory magic." Joshua explained, "Once that is done, I will get you guys into the city and you can do what you do best," Nastu waited, "Break things until the mission is complete and get our friends out."
Natsu grinned widely revealing his sharp canines. He pounded his right fist into an open left palm, "Leave the sneaking to you and I get to blow stuff up. I like it." grinned Natsu.
"One problem. How are you going to fight the Royal Army? You don't have magic, with the exception of the kid of course."
Joshua smiled, "Already thought of that," Joshua walked up to Lucy and pointed at her whip, "It's a magical item right?"
"Yeah."
"Then magic in this world revolves around the use of magical items and tools?"
"How else would you use magic?" asked Lucy as she crossed her arms.
"Well," Wendy replied, "In Earthland, all wizards have magical power with their own bodies. That allows us to cast spells."
Edo-Lucy's eyes widened. "That's… actually really impressive."
"Yeah, but that's also our weakness," Joshua continued, "No magic equals us being powerless. So, we will need magical weapons in order to pull this off." Edo-Lucy grinned a little, this kid had some guts, "I'm guessing you know where to get some?"
"Oh yeah." Grinned Edo-Lucy, "Louen. It's a town maybe a day from here. But we better leave soon, who knows what kind of timetable we are on right now."
Joshua nodded, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going."
Joshua started walking with Natsu before Edo-Lucy grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back again. Joshua fell backwards and landed heavily on the ground once again. Joshua growled and jumped to his feet.
"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA!?" he shouted angrily as he rubbed his back.
Edo-Lucy grinned, "Why walk, when we can drive?"
"Huh?" Natsu, Wendy and the others said together.
The low rumble of an engine grew closer. Edo-Lucy's smiled even wider, "He's right on time. As usual."
Joshua looked down the dirt path that led to the tree guild hall. Approaching them at high speeds, was the most advanced looking magic mobile Joshua had ever seen. The vehicle was compact and red in color with a large engine popping out of the hood and long exhaust pipes running along the sides. A flame pattern was painted onto the vehicle as well. The magic mobile drifted to a stop, kicking dust up as it screeched to a halt. The doors opened, Joshua and Wendy's jaws dropped. Sitting behind the wheel, was a pink haired young man with goggled on his head, a red jacket and blue pants. The man grinned at them with sharp canines.
"How's it going." he said coolly as he rested his elbow on his car seat and winked at Edo-Lucy.
"Right on time you grease monkey." Edo-Lucy commented, "Earthland Natsu and friends," She gestured towards the man behind the wheel, "Meet Natsu Dragion, driver extraordinaire."
"Thanks for using my full title, Luce." smirked the Edolas Natsu.
Joshua snorted a little as he stifled some laughter. Edo-Natsu narrowed his eyes at the kid, "What're you laughing at."
Joshua covered his mouth but couldn't help it. He pointed at the Earthland Natsu and howled with laugher, "You are so dead!" laughed Joshua as Natsu trembled staring at the vehicle.
"Why is he so dead?" asked Edo-Lucy.
"Our Natsu has really bad motion sickness." replied Wendy.
"Please...don't... don't put me in that thing." Nastu whined.
Joshua snickered and pointed a finger at him. The cuffs on Joshua's wrist glowed blue as they suppressed most of his power but he didn't care. This was going to be worth it. Joshua ignored the stinging sensation and lifted Natsu using his telekinesis. He then quickly threw the screaming Natsu into the back seat of the vehicle before yelling at the other to hop in fast before he can get out. After all, they didn't have a whole lot of time.
Once everyone had piled into the surprisingly spacious vehicle, Edo-Natsu turned back to look at the Earthland wizards in the back seat.
"Strap yourselves in." he grinned wildly, "We're gonna be using max speed."
He grabbed the shifter and threw the vehicle into gear before stomping on the gas pedal. The vehicle lurched forward then accelerated at an alarming speed. The magic mobile was accelerating so quickly that Joshua felt like his body was being pressed back into his seat. The boy wasn't fazed though. On the contrary, he thought this was awesome. The rush was amazing. He threw his hands in the air and laughed as the car raced away from the guild hall that quickly disappeared in the distance.
"Natsu hang in there." Wendy said as she patted Natsu on the back.
Joshua looked at his comrade. The guy was already out of commision, cheeks puffed out, pale skin, and limp. Joshua chuckled a little while Edo-Natsu glanced back at them. He kinda liked the brown hair kid. He knew a good thing when he saw it, he was really enjoying his hot rod. He then looked over at his Earthland counterpart with disgust. How could he possibly be motion sick? It was disappointing.
"We should arrive at Louen in a few hours." Edo-Natsu commented, "Just kick back, relax," he heard Natsu blurp, "And do not throw up on the leather seats."
….
"Louen in sight!" Edo-Lucy shouted as she peered ahead of them through the windshield. "Park on the outskirts and wait for us. We got to make a run into town."
Edo-Natsu nodded and pulled the car to a stop behind a large rock formation. He looked back at the Earthland wizards, "Alright get out." he said rudely.
Like a bullet, Natsu jumped out of the vehicle and kissed the firm ground at his feet.
"Solid, unmoving ground!" he sighed happily, "Thank God!"
Joshua stepped out before extending a hand out to Wendy to help her out of the vehicle as well.
"Thanks." Wendy smiled.
"No problem."
"About time someone in the guild showed manners." Carla complained while she watched Joshua help Wendy out of the vehicle.
"Would you like help out as well Carla?" asked Happy.
Carla lifted her nose in the air, "As if I'd accept help from you Tomcat." she jumped gracefully out of the vehicle while Happy face planted on the ground.
"Alright everyone. Follow me, and keep your guard up. The Royal Army could strike at any time." Edo-Lucy ordered.
The others nodded and quickly followed her into town leaving Edo-Natsu alone with his hot rod.
Louen was a strange looking town. Unlike Magnolia, everything here was a round shape. It looked like not a single building had an edge or corner to it. Joshua raised an eyebrow, it looked weird. He quickly trailed behind Edo-Lucy as they crept through alleys towards an abandoned storefront.
"Magic may be illegal in our world. But that doesn't mean there isn't a black market."
Edo Lucy glanced up and down the street before waving the others after her and into the abandoned store. She then tapped a floor tile and pressed it down. A set of hidden stairs was revealed by a false wall and they all quickly descended down into the dingy black market magic shop.
As they entered the shop they saw a bunch of strange magical weapons and items stacked on dusty shelves on the walls. The old shopkeeper greeted them cheerfully once he saw Lucy and invited them to look around. Natsu quickly found a magical fire sword that he instantly fell in love with. Wendy just a few moments later, discovered a tiny tube that was actually at type of air cannon. Joshua meanwhile was sifting through some magical items on a shelf he could barely reach. Nothing was finding his fancy. They all looked so old and unreliable. Maybe he should just use his sword. He sighed and was about to turn away and look on the other side of the store when he saw a glint of silver on the top shelf. Joshua raised an eyebrow, he hadn't seen that thing there. He outstretched a hand and strained to use his telekinesis. The silver thing shifted then flew quickly into his open hand. Joshua's hand clasped quickly around the item and his eyes widened. He was holding a slender silver cylinder. He recognized what it was, that Ventress lady used something like this at the Tower of Heaven.
"Hey! How did you find that!?" asked the Shopkeeper.
Joshua ignored him as he inspected the cylinder. It was ancient and had a very archaic design compared to what Ventress had used against him. It was much bulkier as well. Joshua looked over at the shopkeeper.
"How did you get something like this?" he asked.
"I inherited it from my father. And his father before him, and so on and so forth. But I never learned what it did or how to use it. My father was… he was taken by the royal army before he told me it's secrets." The man closed his eyes.
"How much?" Joshua asked quickly as he ran his hands over the metal.
"It's pracitcally priceless!?" gasped the shopkeeper.
"I'll pay 40,000 crowns for it." Edo-Lucy said quickly. "And 10,000 for the air cannon and flame sword."
"Lucy, why do you need such weapons."
Edo-Lucy grinned at him, "We're gonna take it to the kingdom, that's why!"
The shopkeeper widened his eyes. They were actually going to fight back! But that was crazy! He looked at the determined faces of her friends.
He then looked at the silver and black cylinder in the boy's hands, "Very well. But you don't have to pay for it."
"What?" asked Lucy.
"Consider it repayment for helping with those soldiers that tried to come through here a few days ago." the shopkeeper replied.
"Thanks!" they all replied before the sound of heavy footsteps echoes above them.
Everyone grew silent immeadiately and listened. They could hear muffled voices overhead.
"They went in here!" they heard a muffled voice say.
Edo-Lucy gulped. It was the army. She rested her hand on her magical whip.
"A false wall!" the voice shouted no longer muffled.
"Alright." whispered Natsu, "time to see what this can do." he grinned as he preppared to activate his fire sword. Joshua's left hand fell on Natsu's weapon and gently pushed it away as the boy stepped forward.
"What are you doing?" hissed Natsu.
"Save the magic. It's very limited." Joshua replied as he shifted his grip on the silver cylinder.
"And yours isn't?"
"Nope." Joshua whispered, "This sword, is not magic." He had no clue what it was powered on. But he knew in his gut it wasn't magic.
The soldiers charged down the stairs and burst through the entryway. The soldiers wore round metal helmets with faceguards. They had shoulder pads and thin gauntlets on their arms as well. What caught Edo-Lucy's attention however was the color of their tunics. They weren't the normal blue color the Edolas army wore. They were blood red. Only one army wore different colors than the others.
"The Phantom's soldiers!" exclaimed a terrified Edo-Lucy. She was about to activate her whip when Joshua confidently stepped forward.
"Freeze. Or be killed." growled one of the soldiers as he lowered his magical spear and powered it to fire a red magical beam at them. The other ten soldiers followed suit.
Hey geezer.
"What?"
What is this thing in my hand called?
"That-" The old man was silent for a moment, as if stunned that Joshua had found such a weapon, "Is a lightsaber."
Can it block magical blasts?
"Possibly."
Joshua grinned as his eyes glinted crimson for a moment. These were the soldiers of the kingdom that had capture Erza. His face became filled with anger. They would pay.
"Fire!" shouted the leader of the soldiers.
Edo-Lucy screamed in fear as the red magic beams leapt from the tips of the spears. Joshua lifted his head and pressed the button on the cylinder. In the blink of an eye a white beam of light emerged from the cylinder and hummed in the air. Joshua swung quickly, pretending that the magic beams were other swords. He felt the first beam impact with his weapon and saw it launch back at the soldier that fired it, striking the man and sending him falling to the ground. Joshua grinned, this was a fair fight now. He moved quickly, deflecting shots back at the enemy and watching them crumple quickly to the ground.
Joshua took a deep breath as the last one fell before looking back and seeing the stunned stares of Natsu, Wendy, Lucy, and the Shopkeeper.
"I think it's time we got out of here." Joshua said as he pressed the button on the cylinder sending the white light back into the hilt.
The others nodded and they quickly raced up the hidden stairs and out of the shop.
"There they are!" shouted some more soldiers.
Joshua reactivated his lightsaber, as the geezer called it and raised it in a defensive manner. He wasn't sure if he could do much though. There was a lot of soldiers running at them, way more than he could probably defend against. He tightened his grip on the hilt. This wasn't going to end well.
"OPEN GATE OF LION: LOKE!" shouted a woman's voice over the clamor of soldiers.
A doorbell sound rang out around them and suddenly a man appeared in a suit and shades. He had wild orange hair on top of his head and gave off an aura of power.
"It's good to see you guys are ok." he smiled at Joshua and the others.
"How!?" exclaimed Joshua.
"Natsu! Wendy! Josh!" shouted a familiar voice. Joshua looked to their left and saw the Earthland Lucy racing towards them from an alley. She quickly stepped up next to the others and smiled at them, "You guys are ok!"
"Yup!" smirked Natsu.
"Not for much longer if we don't get out of here." Joshua replied.
"How many can do you think you'll get with that glowstick kid?" Loke asked.
"More than you can get with your glowing hands."
"Wanna bet?"
"Last person who betted against me had to do a centerfold for Sorcerer's weekly." Joshua smirked, "You sure you want to do that?"
"Yeah, I'll reconsider that."
Silence for a moment.
"Loser buys the other dinner." Joshua suggested.
"You're on!"
….
Sunlight streamed in through the windowed doors of the large bedroom. The pale, bone thin figure in the sheets winced as the sunlight hit his closed eyes. He let his eyelids open and winced. It was so damn bright. He frowned and sat up feeling an arm slip down his bare chest. He looked to his right and saw a red head nestled up against him. The man smiled slightly. He barely ever felt happy, but these were the few moments that he did. He bent his head down and placed a kiss on the woman's forehead before throwing the sheets off of him and standing up.
Scars lined his entire body. The scars of war ran deep into his skin and gave the only kind of color to his incredibly pale skin. He stretched out his bony arms and yawned momentarily before walking towards the balcony and staring out at the royal city before him. It was a sprawling metropolis now, very different from what he remembered it. He remembered it being a battleground as the Alvarez Republic invaded. That his first day as a commander of a royal army. Erza's first day as well. They had saved each other's lives that day. And they were saviors of the kingdom as well. They were able to hold of Alvarez's legions until Pantherlily finally arrived with his 1st army and brought down Edolas's fury upon their enemy. At that battle, he discovered how delicious a human heart tasted. They had run out of food a few days before Lily finally rescued them all. So he resorted to the next best thing, human hearts. After all, there was a legend in Edolas that the only organic thing capable of containing magic other than an Exceed was a human heart. He could personally confirm that legend. It's all he had ever eaten since, and he had not died, but instead grown stronger despite his somewhat frail appearance.
Ever since those fateful days, the man had been leading the counterattack, then conquest of the Alvarez republic. A very successful conquest at that. He had never lost a battle and was within striking distance of their capital when he was called back here. The king couldn't seem to keep the people under foot. Especially this Fairy Tail Dark guild. They were troublemakers and they had to be dealt with.
A knock was heard at the bedroom door. The man looked back at the door as Erza stirred under the sheets. He frowned at the door. The guards knew better than to disturb them this early in the morning. Another knock and the man grit his teeth. Someone was about to have the worst morning of their lives. He grabbed the doorknob and threw the door open to see a small girl standing there.
"What?" The man said with a venom in his voice that made the girl tremble.
"Um, sorry to disturb you General Knightwalker sir! But King Faust wishes to meet with you immediately!" she bowed repeatedly.
Joshua Knightwalker sighed. What an annoyance.
"Very well. Let me get dressed."
He quickly closed the door and walked over to the dresser.
"Who was it?" asked the sleepy voice of Erza Knightwalker behind him.
Joshua threw on a dark shirt to go with his black pants then donned the red coat that signified him as a military general.
"King Faust." he replied, "Who else?"
"What does he want?"
"A meeting. Just with me." He walked over and kissed her lightly, "I won't be long."
"You better not be."
Joshua Knightwalker nodded and walked out of the room.
"Just follow me sir."
The little girl saluted then began to frantically run down the hall leaving the general in the dust. Joshua sighed and grumbled to himself as he slowly strolled behind her. He knew perfectly well where the throne room was.
After a few minutes of walking the palace halls he came upon the throne room where King Faust, the bearded, elderly king of Edolas lounged on his throne. Joshua approached the ornate thrown and bowed to his king.
"You wished to speak with me?"
"Yes." replied the old yet still strong voice of King Faust, "I want to know what you think of the latest lacrima we obtained from Earthland. Have you seen it yet?"
"I saw it as I came into the city." Joshua replied, "It was most impressive. It might even power Edolas for a decade."
"That is the hope." replied Faust as he rose from his chair and signaled for his finest general to walk with him, "We are going to use it to end Extalia."
Joshua narrowed his eyes, "Why do that?"
"The lacrima will fuse with those damn Exceeds. When that happens those false gods will be ripped apart and turned into magical power." Faust explained, "Such a monumental event would allow us to have never ending magic power!" he declared triumphantly, "That is what Byro tells me."
"Byro is an old fool." Joshua snarled.
"Hm."
The general looked at his king, "There is no such thing as everlasting magic power. Such a thing can never exist. Doing such a thing would waste the power we have already gained." he explained, "However, those lacrima. They contain the friends of certain insurgent cells in the kingdom."
"So?"
Joshua grinned evilly, "So, we use them as bait. Draw these terrorist out of hiding then destroy them. After all, there is nothing they wish to do more than save their precious friends."
Faust rubbed his chin uncertainly.
"Afterwards, you will have no more rebellions. At least none that can't be quelled quickly." Joshua continued, "Then you can feel free to use magic as you please, even direct our magical fury at Extalia if you so please. I honestly could care less for those furballs." He stopped walking, "I just want to complete my task before we do anything against them."
Faust nodded, "It makes sense. But how would you get those dark guilds to fall for the trap."
Joshua was about to reply when one of his soldiers ran up to him and quickly bowed.
"Sir! Report from Louen!"
Joshua exhaled, "Continue."
"Our division there has located some insurgents. They have attempted to engage them but have been beaten back."
"My men do not get beaten back." hissed the general, "Who is causing this?"
"Um… a boy sir."
Joshua glared at his soldier, "A boy?"
"Y-yes s-sir!" quaked the soldier as he saw the murderous glare directed at him, "He's using magical abilities we've never seen before."
"Details." grumbled Joshua.
"U-um, he is moving stuff with his mind a-and he has a laser sword, like your own sir."
That got Joshua Knightwalker's undivided attention. "Who is this boy?"
"We don't know sir. But he bears the Fairy Tail guild mark."
"Who is he with?"
"Three females. Two of them blonde woman roughly eighteen in age. One girl roughly ten years of age, blue hair, a male with pink hair about eighteen years, and two exceed."
"Exceed?" questioned King Faust.
Joshua recognized those descriptions. He remembered a certain queen describing them to him as targets to be eliminated by the Exceed in Earthland. He even suggested the idea of implanting the mission into the minds of the Exceed chosen to eliminate the pink haired male and blue haired girl. After all, it wasn't just King Faust that sought his military expertise.
"Hair color of the Exceeds accompanying them?"
"One is light blue, the other is white like snow."
Joshua's lips parted into an evil grin, Perfect. The little princess has returned home. "Execute order 17." Joshua ordered quickly. The guard's eyes widened.
"O-order 17?"
"Do I need to repeat myself?" snarled Joshua.
"N-no sir! It will be done sir!" the guard saluted then raced away.
"Order 17?" questioned Faust.
"Yes, an order that activates some lacrimi I personally keep for… nefarious purposes. One such purpose is activating a hidden order in someone's mind. The white haired exceed traveling with our little rebels just so happens to have one of those hidden orders in her mind. When the Lacrima activates, it will trigger a mental map in her brain. She will interpret it as some form of precognition when in actuality it will be my preprogrammed orders leading her directly to us. Along with her companions." Joshua stared at an amazed Faust, "That is how we will get the rebels to take the bait."
Faust was amazed. This is why this young man was his top general.
"Is there anything else you need your highness?" asked Joshua.
Faust shook his head, "No. You may have your leave."
Joshua bowed and walked back towards the halls and stairs that led back to Erza's room. It had been years since he had been home. He wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.
And end chapter! This is starting to get interesting, I wonder what will happen next. Let me know what you guys think. As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!