Light
Chapter 21
Natsu could only stare at the city of Crocus in slight awe from several thousand feet above, his ship circling over as he tried his best to figure out how to approach a conversation with the king. From what Makarov had told him, King Toma E. Fiore was a very fair and kind man who was willing to hear out his people. Natsu felt somewhat relieved at that, but also couldn't contain his worry as the thought of him just landing a ship in the man's garden would likely not be well recieved. Natsu's thoughts were interrupted when a light on his panel began to blink, signifying that he was recieveing a communication. He pressed several buttons on the tablet and Amanda's scowling face appeared on his screen.
"Hello beautiful." Natsu complimented her, hoping to diffuse any of her angeer before she could unleash it upon him. It seemed to work slightly as the blonde woman's lips quirked at each edge, and a small blush appeared on her face.
"Shut up. You know I didn't really mind it when you left us here to take care of business, but you could've warned us that every man here was a pervert!" The blonde practically yelled. Natsu winced for a moment before responding.
"Sorry about that. I kinda forgot. Who's the main cause of it?"
"The old dwarf and the coat wearing douche and the guy with the pipe." Amanda replied, her scowl deepening as she looked at something off screen. "Mara, put him down!"
Natsu smiled as he heard his other girlfriend off screen saying something that he couldn't hear, and then seeing a person in a familiar white coat flying by behind Amanda before crashing in to something else off screen. Natsu began to chuckle when he heard several voices yelling before a brawl erupted in the background. Amanda sighed before looking back at the screen.
"Why'd you have to leave me here?"
"I want you to get used to my family." Natsu replied with a smirk. Amanda huffed.
"Oh? And what are you doing? Just going for a cruise?"
"Actually I'm trying my best to figure out how I'm going to land my ship in the middle of the most crowded city in the nation without causing alarm." Natsu corrected. Amanda scoffed.
"Just push the yellow button three down from auto pilot and you'll activate your cloak."
"That was my Vanguard emergency beacon, and when did I get a cloak for my ship?"
"I had a lot of free time since I retired from the Vanguard. Anyway, the yellow button now activates a cloak I made based off of the ones the Eliksni use on their ships. Once you press it, you have ten minutes before it has to cool down, so get your business done quickly." The woman warned. Natsu nodded with a smile on his face.
"I love you, you know that?"
"I do. Now hurry up and finish that up and get your ass back here. I still haven't showered and I'm tired." The blonde grumbled before the screen went dark. Natsu sighed and shook his head, a small smile on his face as he pressed the cloaking button and steered towards the large castle in the middle of the city.
King Toma E. Fiore considered himself to be a kind man, and a just king. He held his kingdom higher than himself, showing them greater care or love than he himself had received growing up. His father had been a paranoid man, often locking himself away in his own fear of demons and ghosts, and leaving Toma's mother to raise him. Under her cold but watchful gaze, he grew to understand the finer points of ruling. At the age of 20, he had successfully quelled a coup by the farmers of Fiore, establing a stable union that thrived to this very day, without ever needing to raise a sword or order a death. At age 25, he negotiated a steady truce between his father's kingdom and the nation of Seven, opening the borders to trade that hadn't been seen in centuries. At age 28, Tome E. Fiore killed his own father.
The kindly man hadn't awoken that day with the intent of death, but when he had arrived for supper to find his father hunched over his mother, eyes mad and hands bloody, Prince Toma had lost his well tempered control. In a blind rage, the Prince had killed the king who dared to harm his mother. His mother had survived, though to say she was the same afterwards would be a bold faced lie. She had been rendered mute, and it was arguable if she were deaf or not.
The best doctors and physicians said it was a form of brain damage. It was an ailment with no cure, and Toma had to spend the next five years as his mother's caretaker. The royal court insisted that they had people specially trained for taking care of such a scenario, but the man had adopted his own paranoia. For over half a decade Toma took care of his mother, only turning to the staff to assist take his mother to be bathed and clothed. He would sit with her during dinner, gently feeding her and speaking of his day, and she would always have a gentle smile on her face as he spoke to her. She would always be wearing a necklace that he had gotten her, a gift from the royal family of Seven, and during his stories she would hold it between her fingertips and trace every fine detail. The stone was green, the people of Seven had dubbed it as jade, and it had been carved in to an elegant hummingbird. Toma would learn years later from traders in Pergrande called the green stone Hisui.
At age 33, Toma E. Fiore became the king with his mother's passing. There was no joy when Toma took the crown, and for many years Toma turned his attention to his kingdom in quelling riots and reforming his nation from the ground up. His first decree had been the declaration the the Kingdom of Fiore would take a stance of nuetrality among the world politics. The stance proved favorable as it allowed for trade with nations that otherwise wouldn't have allowed trade. Enemy nation would exchange goods through Fiore, having their own embargos against each other.
One such example was the nations of Bosco and Seven.
The two nations seemed to be in constant struggle over resources and prices, and rather then attempt to negotiate with each other, the two seemed happy to use Fiore as a middle man of sorts. Trades were never directly done with on another, though the two seemed to deal with each other on a regular basis once they sold or purchased the goods from the markets of Fiore. While the prift Fiore made off of the goods was only slightly higher than the product's original cost, when items are bought in the thousands or even millions, the small amounts easily become more than many can fathom. King Toma prided himself on the small steps that he took early on to insure that his kingdom could flourish. Small steps like funding a young man and his beautiful wife, who would later go on to establish one of the largest business conglomerates that the world had ever seen.
Toma hummed to himself as he wondered briefly how the Heartfilia family was doing. He sighed as he had heard of the young woman's death nearly a decade ago, and could only hope that Jude had taken good care of little Lucy. Last the man had seen her, she was hiding behind her mother's leg, peering shyly at the king. Toma smiled as it reminded him of his own daughter.
He had met the love of his life at age 40, quickly falling for the kindly duchess from the Pergrande royal family. Her name had been Yasmin, and she could be as sweet as honey, or as mean as a bear. She stood nearly two feet taller than the King, and nearly a decade younger, but her care for the man was startling. Toma often wondered if she was ordered to care for him as she did, as life with royalty was always a game of politics, or if she was just as taken with him as he was with her. He had decided very early on that he didn't care either way. Less than a year later they were married, and two years after that saw the birth of his daughter. One look at her green hair, and the man knew what his daughter was to be named.
Hisui E. Fiore was named after the thing her grandmother treasured before her death. Yasmin had been informed of the man's wish, and couldn't find it to deny her husband. Toma took to being a father better than any would have imagined considering his relationship with his father. Where Yasmin was strict, making sure her daughter was recieving the best education and protection that the royal family could provide, Toma was kind, teaching his daughter how to fish, despite his dislike of it, and sneaking cookies with her out of the kitchen. There were many days where the two would be seen sulking as Yasmin scolded the two, but the joy in her eyes belated her angered tone. The castle was graced with the sound of laughter and joy, something that the castle hadn't been graced with for decades, but tragedy seemed to follow Toma.
He had been overjoyed when his beautiful wife became pregnant once more, even more so when the doctors had informed him that he was to have a son. Hisui was ecstatic to find herself soon to become a big sister, and Yasmin was always seen with a smile on her face, even with swollen feet and a huge belly. It wasn't until eight months in when the first signs of issue occured. Yasmin had noticed herself becoming light headed, and her appetite had nearly vanished. The doctors had assured her that it was normal for an expecting mother, but when a royal aide discovered the queen collapsed in her study with blood pouring from her mouth, those same doctors were quick to try and pardon themselves. Everything imaginable was done to keep the Queen healthy, but it all seemed for naught. In the span of a week, the king went from married and expecting another child, to a widower and father of a deceased son.
Nobody held it against him when those same doctors who assured him nothing was wrong were brought to the axe.
Toma sat back on his bench with a deep sigh, still doing his best to come to terms with his life. He had done a great many things for his kingdom, and even more for his daughter. He was saddened that she had grown distant after her mother's passing. What hurt him more is that he allowed it to happen, and even now did very little to attempt to bridge the gap between the two. He resigned himself to attempting to do so, at least while he still had time.
the King was shaken from his musings when a violent wind seemed to envelope the garden, accompanied by a high pitch whirring sound. It continued for several seconds before seeming to die off, silence once again resuming as Toma watched the gardeners and staff running about to clean up any knocked over furniture or tend to the startled animals. The man took a deep breath as calm seemed to once again ensue, the sense of peace once more settling over the garden. Toma slowly raised a hand to his temple, massaging it gently when his head began to throb.
"You look like something is ailing you."
Toma's eyes shot up to see a large man with pink hair and wearing strange armour leaning against a tree across from him. Toma rubbed his eyes for a moment, nearly positive that the man hadn't been there moments before. "I suppose I may be more ill than first thought." The King mumbled to himself. The pink haired man chuckled and strode towards the small King calmly. When he stood before the man, he spoke once more.
"Do you mind if I have a seat next to you? It is a lovely day and it has been some time since I saw a garden so beautiful."
"I suppose," The King scoot over on the bench, allowing the pink haired stranger to sit. "And I believe I should thank you for the compliment. My wife is the one who planted everything here. There are things that my mother and grandmother planted, I have no doubts of this, but my wife seemed to be the one who introduced so much colour to the garden."
"She sounds like a lovely woman." The pink haired man complimented. Toma nodded slowly and let out a slow sigh.
"She was."
"My apologies!" The man spoke quickly, gaze stuck to the ground. "I didn't know..."
"No need to worry, young man. She was the light of my life, and I have come to treasure every moment that we spent together before her passing." The king smiled at the pink haired stranger, both eyes closed so that the man wouldn't see his pain. While Toma had swallowed down his grief to run his kingdom, he wasn't sure he would ever truly get over his wife's death. "But enough about that! Mind telling me why you're trespassing on royal grounds?"
"Well..." The pink haired man stared off to the side for a moment. "Who's to say I wasn't invited?"
"I would have remembered recieving and greeting someone as strangely dressed as yourself!" The small man laughed. The pink haired man had the decency to look shocked.
"You're..."
"Toma E. Fiore, current King of Fiore. Who might you be, young trespasser?" The king laughed jovially at the pink haired man's expression.
"My name is Natsu Dragneel, Kell of the House of Wolves. I was hoping to meet with you, but perhaps in a more professional setting." The man chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his head. Toma could only scoff at the man.
"And breaking in would allow that to happen?"
"Well no, but what I have to show you may convince you to hear me out." The man pouted, much to Toma's amusement.
"And what, pray tell, would you have to show me? Why should we even be speaking, not that I don't mind."
"Well as I said, I am the Kell of the House of Wolves. That sort of makes me their king. I was hoping to speak with you, and show you what I have to offer, in hopes of gaining an alliance and allowing my people to travel freely in your nation."
"My boy," The King spoke lowly, catching the pink haired man's attention. "I have heard a great many people plea for something similar, and not one has ever been able to provide me ample reason to allow them to do so. What makes you think that you are any different?"
"I have technology. I have the technology to make every doctor and medicine man on this planet seem like a common fool. I have the technology to travel the world in less than ten minutes. I assure you, I have something that nobody else has ever had." The man spoke to the King. Toma paused for a moment, allowing himself to imagine how such technology could suddenly exist. He turned to the strange man.
"Show me."
"As you wish." The pink haired man smiled and stood from the bench, gesturing the king to follow. The small man did so, following slowly behind the man and whistling a happy tune. He missed the way that the strange man's ears perked, and the way his nose twitched, and the two continued to walk deeper in to the garden.
"Getting in here wasn't that hard." The pink haired man started. "The problem was getting in unseen. Nobody knows what I used to get in, it's never been seen before so nobody knows how to identify the sound of it." The man spoke as he moved tree branches out of his way. Toma merely grunted and continued to follow, his whistling ceasing only to allow the man to catch his breath. After several more minutes of walking, the two happened across the strangest thing that Toma had ever seen. It stood twenty feet tall, and shone like brushed gold. Two huge boxes sat on either side of some sort of pod. The pink haired man walked up to the strange device and pat it a couple times.
"What is this thing?" The King asked. Natsu grinned in pride as he gazed upon the vessel.
"This is Kabr's Epilogue. This is a ship capable of going anywhere, even the stars, and is one of the many pieces of technology I was telling you about."
"This thing is a ship?" The King scoffed. "It looks more like one of my grandmother's statues. You're telling me that this hunk of metal can go anywhere, that it can fly?"
"Easily." The pink haired man grinned. Toma stared at the youth for a moment before turning around.
"You had me going for a moment, boy, but I'm afraid that I'm in no mood for games right now. My security will escort you off of the premises." The king raised a hand over his shoulder, and nearly twenty men in full suits of armour walked out from the surrounding forests, swords drawn as they all focused on the pink haired man. Natsu blanched as he stared at the men.
"Nobody needs to get hurt, your Majesty. I merely need you to believe me for five minutes and let me show you what I can provide for your kingdom!" Natsu shouted after the man. Toma stopped and stood still for a moment before turning a glare on to the man.
"Why should I trust you?"
"I'm not asking you to trust me for nothing. Give me a chance to earn your trust so that I may show you that I am genuine."
"Fine. I'll give you one chance. Bora of the Prominence was spotted in Hargeon just this morning. The man is a know slave trader and kidnapper, and the magic councel has proven unable to catch him. If you can bring me Bora in the next ten hours, given that Hargeon is about seven hours away by train, then I will be willing to hear you out." Toma snapped his fingers, gesturing one of the knights to stand before him. The knight quickly drew out a flyer and handed it to the king, who walked over to the pink haired man and handed it to him. "The clock is ticking boy." The King spoke quietly before walking out of the clearing, the knights all returning to the forests around him. Natsu frowned as he took in the image of the man, as well as the image of his ship as well. Folding up the flyer and tucking it in beneath his chest plate, the man hopped in to his ship and quickly set his way for Hargeon.
Toma turned around as the giant vessel, the one he had assumed a gaudy statue, rose in to the air before shimmering out of existence. His garden was once more overtaken with extreme wind once again as the ship hummed quietly and shot back in to the sky. The small king could only readjust his clothing as he stared back in to the forest where the ship had been, and let out a small huff as he strode back towards the castle. He had given the man the order in hopes of driving away another mad man with delusions of grandeur, but from what he had just seen this man was something completely different. He would have to notify the guards to keep an eye out for a pink haired man dragging a prisoner with him. He'd also have to begin training his daughter in the delicate work of politics, Toma sighed as he thought of how much he'd have to teach her to do on her own, and how little time he had to teach her.
Natsu gave a rough sigh as he circled over the city of Hargeon, watching the port town thriving in the afternoon sunlight. Orange had begun to shade the sky, a signal of the beautiful colours that would be soon overtaking the night sky in vibrant reds and lavenders before sinking in to a blue before night finally claimed the sky. Natsu couldn't help but let his annoyance show on his face as he found a spot to land.
"There were rumors that your face will stick like that if you continue to make that face."
"Something you need, Specter?" Natsu ground out, refusing to look at the Ghost that was hovering over his console. He cursed himself for encouraging the little machine to develope it's personality.
"I was merely wondering how you planned to go about finding one man in a city of..." The Ghost turned to the port for a moment before turning back to the man. "63 thousand people, minus one."
"Minus one?" Natsu turned his gaze to the Ghost, who could only bob in the air in what he assumed was a shrug.
"Someone just died."
"Man that's dark." Natsu grumbled out. The Ghost just turned it's gaze back to the man, it's yellow eye doing nothing to unnerve him.
"Merely the truth. Humans live and humans die. I spent my entire existence waiting for you to die, mortality was something of a running joke between the unclaimed Ghosts. I thought you were going to live forever." The Ghost spoke in the most humorous tone that he had heard. Natsu just rolled his eyes as his ship landed in a clearing outside of the city. The guardian hopped out of his ship, the small Ghost floating behind him. "So do you have a plan?" The Ghost questioned once more.
"Well I do have a thought."
"Big surprise." The Ghost droned out. Natsu peered at the machine from the corner of his gaze.
"I haven't thrown you in a while..."
Natsu smirked at the silent machine and annoyed whirring behind him.
"My thought was that most slavers tend to run in the shadows, stealing what they can and running away as quickly as possible." Natsu pulled out the poster and unfolded it, the blue haired man's grinning face meeting his gaze. "But pretty boy here is different. Everything about him screams arrogance. He smiles like he knows something we don't, likely that he's paying off officials to let him get away. I think he's using his looks, and likely fraud, to lure women wherever he needs to in order to take them. If we're going to find this idiot, it's likely going to be somewhere that everyone can see him. He's a perfromer, an actor who sees himself as the hotest shit."
"And?" Specter asked.
"And we're going to stomp him out and drag him back to the King. Sooner we do that, sooner I can bring the Eliksni and Awoken down from orbit, and the sooner I can retire."
"Retire? You have the potential to force humans to evolve nearly a thousand years technologically, and you want to retire."
"Well I would do a few things first. I dunno, Specter, I'm still getting used to being home. I want to go fishing and nap in the forest. I missed my home." Natsu finished quietly. Specter merely whirred in response as the two neared the outskirts of the city.
"I suppose that jump starting humanity can wait. You have a lot of time, after all." Specter murmured. Natsu nodded as the two passed by a house, Natsu quickly grabbing a dark brown blanket from a clothesline before draping it over himself and pinning it closed, the blanket now acting like a cloak for the man. Natsu turned to the Ghost and gave it a bright smile.
"You like?"
"You look homeless."
"That's the point. This guy would spot the strange man in armour and would be put on edge instantly. We need this guy calm so he can lead us wherever we need to go."
"Even if he ends up taking more people? It IS his business after all." The Ghost inquired. Natsu let out a small sigh.
"I know. I don't want to let this bastard do anything, but it's likely that he's got a whole racket going on. Why else would a slaver pick a port town if he didn't have a ship? And what does a ship need?"
"A crew." The Ghost spoke in realization. Natsu nodded as the two continued in to the town.
"Exactly. Chances are, we catch this guy and his crew has someone on reserve that can take his place. Only way to stop this is to take them all out at once. There's no need to worry about people being taken either, as we're going to bust these guys and evacuate any hostages." Natsu smashed his fist in to his palm, a feral grin on his face.
"What about the prisoners? I'm assuming you're ship can't hold more than three people, max."
"I'll call in a shuttle or two. I own a fleet, so why not start using it?" Natsu shrugged. Specter merely whirred quietly for a moment before disappearing in to the man's pack, the two having started to see residents milling around as they neared the town's center. Natsu walked through several streetside markets, the vendors calling their wares out and doing their best to peddle their merchandise to passers. Natsu was thankful that in this crowd he seemed to be invisible, most just seeing the man as another wandering vagrant. Natsu did his best to act the part, occasionally bumping in to people and stumbling. He smirked internally as a shop keeper chased him away from his shop with a broom. He continued his act as he wandered the streets before a loud group of girls caught his attention.
"Come on! Salamander is in town!" A brunette woman said to her blonde friend, the two hurrying down a street towards what Natsu assumed was the center of town. Natsu quietly followed behind them, doing his best to remain unseen despite the large crowds around him.
"Wait, you mean THE Salamander? The Fairy Tail mage?" Natsu had to pause at the woman's question. Had he been made? He shook his head. It wasn't possible for them to know about his existence yet, he hadn't even been back a day. He kept close to the women while they quickly turned down another street.
"Yes, that Salamander. From what Debby told me, he was away on some super secret mission. He's back now and announced a huge party at the docks!" The brunette exclaimed. The blonde seemed to have caught some of her excitement as the two picked up their pace, Natsu struggling to keep up with them without being noticed. He was about to pick up to follow them, but found himself blocked by an especially thick grouping of people in the crowd. The man had his progress halted, but didn't fret too badly about it. He knew where to go, even if he couldn't be a hundred percent sure, but it seemed as if someone had adopted his identity.
Natsu couldn't have that at all.
"Doesn't anyone have respect for the dead?" The man grumbled to himself as he headed towards the dock, the setting sun now giving way to the dark blue sky that slowly grew darker as the night crawled on.
"So tell me what it's like to be a member of Fairy Tail." Lucy exclaimed as she sat in front of Salamander, adjusting her evening gown a bit. The man had been kind enough to allow her to change in to a gown better fitting the event's dress code. She felt stuffy and uncomfortable, but her time with her father had done her well in masking her true feelings. The man across from her seemed to be incredibly invested in her, even going as far as to invite her to his cabin for a private meal. Lucy had done her best to act grateful when the man kissed her hand and pulled her seat out for her. The man had taken to serving her the best food he had, and poured her a glass of wine though she didn't drink very often, tonight she felt she may need the encouragement that the drink could offer her. The blue haired man next to her seemed to pause in his meal for a moment before offering her his best dashing smile, which only mad eher skin crawl mildly.
"Ah yes, Fairy Tail. Well... we're a strong guild, the best in the country." The man seemed to draw in on himself in thought.
"And do you know Mirajane, or Erza?" Lucy asked, doing her best to contain her eagerness. The man nodded and gave a loud laugh.
"Of course, but only the strongest get to deal with them. They ARE S-class after all, and don't like having their time wasted by common weaklings." The man finished. Lucy let her frown show for just a moment, but it seemed long enough for the man to catch as he quickly corrected himself. "But I could alwys put in a good word for you if you pass the initiation." The man finished with a lewd smirk. Lucy shuddered before drinking the rest of her glass and looking once more at the man.
"On second thought, I believe my coming here was a mistake. There must surely be another way to join Fairy Tail. If you could please take me back to the port." Lucy spoke calmly as she stood. The blue haired man just smirked for a moment.
"Sorry gorgeous, but that ain't gonna happen." He stood slowly from his seat. Lucy backed up several steps before bringing her leg up to kick the man in the groin. The man groaned as he slumped over, and Lucy used the opportunity to run to the door, though she found her vision staring to blur. She opened the door just in time to see the crew of the ship hauling the unconscious women below deck. She was about to run again when a hand caught her wrist and dragged her back in to the cabin. She was turned, and was able to make out the form of the grinning man before her vision went completely dark.
"Good haul this week, boys!" Bora called out to his crew, who all gave a loud cheer in response. Bora stood tall as he walked towards the wheel of his ship, relieving the crewman of control as he took over. "With all of this, we should be set for the next two years!" More cheers once again greeted him. He was about to give his, in his own humble opinion, well deserved victory speech, when a slow clapping erupted from behind him. Bora turned around slowly, expecting whatever would be on his ship this far out from port would be somewhat scary, but was disappointed to see a large man wrapped up in a brown cloak. The night sky hid most of his figure, though Bora was able to make out a tuft of pink hair when the breeze ruffled the man's cloak.
"Good speech, but you shouldn't lie to your men like that." The figure spoke smoothly as he stood before the man, his posture nonchalant.
"Oh? And do tell where I spoke anything but the truth." Bora spat at the man, already building his magic to deal with the stowaway. The stranger in front of him began to chuckle.
"The part where this would cover you for two years. It's going to feed and house you for much longer." The stranger trailed off happily. Bora relaxed his posture slightly and smiled at the man.
"And who might you be, a buyer perhaps? Normally we deliver the girls to Bosco for processing and sale, but if you'd like to make a deal now, then I'm listening." Bora crossed his arms. The stranger let out a loud laugh at the man, causing Bora to tense slightly. Something felt wrong.
"I'll be more than happy to make a deal with you." The man tossed his hood back revealing a full head of pink hair, tanned skin, and eyes that seemed too sharp to be anything but devious. "You surrender, along with your crew, and steer the ship back to port. Your men all get arrested and spend the next several decades in prison for multiple attempted kidnappings, and I drag you personally to the King."
"You're joking." Bora sneered. The pink haired man rolled his shoulder a few times and widened his stance.
"Do you see me laughing?" He questioned.
"No, but I'll be laughing when we toss your dumb ass overboard and watch you drown!" Bora sneered as he whipped his hands out beside him, a large magic circle appearing in front of the man and launching out deep purple flames. Bora watched with glee as the man was ungulfed, seemingly too shocked to dodge the flames before the struck him. He turned back to his crew to begin spewing orders for repair, when a deep chuckle sounded out from behind him. He turned in shock to see the man he had just attacked, standing in the same pose he had been prior to the attack, cloak burned away and revealing the strange armour underneath.
"That was a bad idea." The man spoke as he craned his neck, several loud pops sounding out over the flames around him. "But you'll have plenty of time to regret it later."
"What the-" Bora didn't get to finish his statement as a fist implanted itself in to his gut and launched him from the stern of the ship to the bow before the man was stopped by a stack of crates. He moaned weakly from the pile as his men began to shuffle around to form some sort of defense against the strange attack. All eyes turned to see the armoured man casually walking out of the wrecked upper deck of the ship. He hopped down and grunted slightly when he landed nearly ten feet lower on the main deck, his arms held out to his sides as he stood straight up.
"And he sticks the landing." He mumbled to himself before a loud groan broke his thoughts. He turned to Bora and couldn't help but mumble. "Well one of us did anyway." He turned his attention to the rest of the crew. "Surrender calmly and quietly, and I won't see how well any of you swim with broken legs!" He called across the deck. Several of the men seemed pensive at the ease of which the man stood, but the weak voice of their captain broke them from their courage.
"Kill him... You idiots..." The man groaned before slumping over. One man seemed to want to be the one to lead the charge, as he ran at the armoured man with a bellow. The pink haired man merely sighed before stepping in to the man's guard when he reached him and hitting an open palm to his gut. The man's breath was forced from his lungs before he was thrown across the deck, landing roughly on the staircase leading towards the upper deck. He groaned as he tried to right himself, only to feel a boot on his chest. He looked up to see the pink haired man standing with one foot on his chest, pushing him back down against the stairs. The man followed the motion and lie back helplessly against the stairs while the pink haired man took his time to speak.
"Do you know what the hardest bone in your body is? Don't answer, I'll tell you right now that it is your femur." He pointed to the bone connecting his hip to his knee. "It is strong enough, that when fully developed, can be as strong as a steel beam. However if the femur is broken, it takes about a year to heal, and my oh my what a year it will be. You will feel pain for every waking moment as the bone is healed. Apparently the pain is worse than childbirth." The man finished as he looked to all of the surrounding crew. "Now you may wonder why I gave you that bit of trivia... Well the answer is simple." With that, he brought his foot down on the man's thigh as hard as he could, wincing when he felt the bone snap under his foot. The man let out a loud wail as his femur was snapped like a twig, the leg twisting oddly to the side as the man cried out in agony. The pink haired man merely paused for a moment while he waited for the man to silence as he blacked out, which happened mercifully fast. "THAT was to show you what I will do to you, however unlike this man, I will personally throw you all in to the ocean and watch you sink under as the bubbles stop!" The armoured man growled out. "With all of that being said, one more time, surrender calmly and quietly. Get down on your knees and put your hands behind your head. One of you moves, and all of you suffer. Got it?"
"Yes!" The crew seemed to bellow fearfully, sinking to their knees as quickly as they could and placing their hands behind their heads. Natsu nodded as he pressed several buttons on his wrist before several loud noises echoed across the sky. The fearful crew turned enough to see several ships like they'd never seen before fly down and hover next to the ship. The rears of the vessels opened up, and several more armoured people came filing out and stood in front of the man. They all gave a crisp salute, which the man returned.
"Take these men and restrain them. We will be taking them with us to the palace." He nodded to the man with the broken leg on the staircase. "Get him medical treatment. I broke the bone cleanly, so it should be a quick fix in the medbay." One of the soldiers nodded and scooped up the man, not even flinching when he cried out in pain once more before slumping over again. Natsu pointd to several more troops. "There should be quite a few women below deck. Search it from top to bottom taking any prisoners that are hiding to the shuttle, and any women you find to a seperate shuttle. We'll take them just outside the city and see that they return home."
"Yes sir!" The group seemed to bellow as one before they moved about their orders. Natsu stood as the ship was emptied room by room; the women being placed on to a shuttle, many afraid when roused from their slumber, and the pirates were loaded on to a seperate shuttle. Natsu grinned as he saw the burly men walk on to the shuttle and sit down, only moving to be strapped in by one of the Awoken troops, but otherwise staying as silent and still as possible to not draw the man's ire once more. A third shuttle, one Natsu recognized as his personal shuttle, flew down and docked against the wooden vessel, opening to reveal the empty cargo bay. Natsu watched as Bora was loaded up, and was about to board as well when a voice broke him for his thought.
"Sir!"
"What is it?" Natsu asked while turning to the man, noticing that he was carrying a blonde woman in a maroon ball gown.
"We are at full capacity on the shuttles, but we have this one left. There is room on the prisoner shuttle, but..." The man trailed off weakly. Natsu sighed.
"Put her on my shuttle. Strap her in as far away from the prisoner as possible. I'll see that she recieves medical treatment as soon as I finish with the king." Natsu pinched the bridge of his nose while the Awoken man completed his order. Several minutes later, and all of the troops stood gathered on front of the man on the deck of the ship. Natsu looked to all of them before relaying his new order. "I want the shuttle with the women taken to the outskirts of town and the women released. Return to the ship as soon as you empty yourselves of your cargo. The prisoner vessel will follow me to the King's castle. Any questions?" Natsu felt some relief when none of them questioned him. He always worried that the troops would not take to listening to him, as they technically served Mara, but was relieved to see that his orders were well recieved. The troops all snapped off a salute and climbed in to their proper shuttles, Natsu stood on the deck as he watched the three shuttle climb in to the sky and hover in place several hundred feet up. Natsu pushed a button on his wrist, and could hear his ship approaching from the outskirts. Turning towards the deck of the ship once more, the man sighed and let flames overtake his person as he set the ship ablaze. As the three shuttles flew in to the black night, many on the shore were treated to the sight of the yacht belonging to 'Salamander' become engulfed in white hot flames, sinking below the waters several minutes later.
"Why do you want me to learn all of this so suddenly?" His daughter's voice questioned him. Toma pinched the bridge of his nose as his daughter expressed her distaste yet again. He had pulled her and Arcadios away from the library, her haven since her mother's death, and began to teach the princess the delicate art of politics.
"Because I am old and would like to retire one day. I want to sit back and fish-"
"You hate fishing." She deadpanned.
"I could learn to love it!" Toma countered. Hisui merely huffed before following after the man.
"Fine. Let's just hurry this along. I was in the middle of something important..." The woman pouted. Toma sighed once more, deciding to hold his tongue for his reason for teaching her for now.
"Right, your little celestial project, I assume?" He felt his frown deepen when she took on a shocked look at the man.
"How did you-"
"You are the princess, and have access to everything this kingdom has to offer. I am the king, and I have access to everything and EVERYONE that this kingdom has to offer. Did you think that I'm not keeping a close eye on everything you do?" Toma replied in an annoyed murmur. Hisui's shock turned to ire as she rounded her gaze to Arcadios.
"How could you tell him?"
"I'm sorry, Princess! I-"
"He did what I told him. Had he kept it a secret, and I found out..." Toma trailed off lowly as he faced his daughter and her sworn protector. He saw both of their eyes widen when he dragged a finger across his throat. "I don't care what you do in your free time, but I will give you this warning, Hisui." Toma closed his eyes as he turned away from her. "If what you do brings harm to my kingdom, or my people, then I will deal with anyone and everyone responsible swiftly and without prejudice."
"Do you mean that you would kill-"
"This land has thrived peacefully for nearly 30 years!" Toma rounded on his daughter. "I have quelled rebellions with words, but I have always had the means to end them by the blade if need be. I have maintained peace in these lands, and her surrounding allies, and I will not let it be thrown to the wind just because some of my own blood has grown a wild hair to toy with forbidden magic. I know well what the Eclipse Gate can do, and it will only bring you pain! I beg of you, as your father, to heed my warnings." The man turned his pleading gaze to his daughter's. Hisui looked at the man silently, the time traveller once more coming to mind, before turning her gaze away. Toma frowned at seeing her answer, before straightening his back and hardening his gaze. "Fine, you want to play a dangerous game, then I'll give you very real consequences."
"What are you-" She stopped when Toma held his hand up and let out a sharp whislte. Arcadios stood to attention, before the doors all along the hall opened up and the armoured knights all stepped out. Hisui could easily recognize the members of her father's royal guard, with Arcadios being a serving branch member and all. What she didn't expect was her father to turn to her with a gaze as sharp as steel.
"I begged you as your father. Now I order you as your king. If you are caught pursuing the Eclipse Gate further, then your entire guard and staff shall be executed." Toma finished, his voice leaving no room for arguement as he looked upon his guard. "Do you all understand your orders?" He bellowed. The guards all snapped out a hearty 'Aye!' before retreating back in to their rooms. Toma turned his gaze back to his daughter, noting her pale features.
"H-how... How could you be so cruel?!" His daughter shouted at him. She turned to run away, but her arm was quickly grabbed by Arcadios, and she was forced to turn back to facing her father. Toma nodded to the man, who kept silent.
"You need to understand that you are playing with peoples' lives. If your plan is successful, do you know the dangers posed with whatever is on the other end of one of those gates? They were created by Zeref, and you are just blindly putting your faith in to that stupid book and some cloaked stranger who gave it to you. Rest assured that if he had not continuously evaded my guard up to this point, then he would be caught and interrogated. I will not let you further risk the kingdom that I have spent my entire life keeping safe! You have not known true conflict for your entire life, and I will not let you be the one to introduce it to yourself and so many others. If anybody dies from here on out because of your pursuits in to the unknown, then it will be your own fault. Those will be your demons to bare, and their blood will be on your hands."
"But father, the book has been right this whole time!" Hisui protested. "It even predicted mother's-"
"Enough! You will not dare your mother in to justifying you practising something so vile and evil as that dark contraption!" Toma shouted, his cheeks flushed in rage. Hisui recoiled, as if physically stricken, and turned her gaze from her father. "I loved your mother more than anything on this planet. She was the light of my life, and she blessed me with something I would easily give my life for. You." Hisui turned her gaze back to her father, the man now clenching his head, as if the memory pained him, before lowering his hand down once more. "Your mother made this drafty castle in to a home. She brought a beauty to my mind that I thought I would never have, and as every day passes, I see more of her in you. You have her radiant smile, and you're smart. By the gods you are smart, but I need you to remember your history." The man spoke gently as he grasped at his daughter's hand. Hisui debated pulling her hand from his grasp, but seeing his broken look convinced her otherwise. "Your grandfather, my father, spent his entire life chasing curses and fearing demons. It consumed him to the point of maddness, and I see that mad glint forming in your eyes as you dig deeper in to this magic. I do this because I love you, and because your mother wouldn't want you to go down this path. Please just remember the past, and that the future is not absolute, and trust me when I tell you that it is a dangerous path." The man pleaded with his daughter, who could only give a tearful nod.
"Okay, father, I promise." She gave a small hiccup. Toma nodded happily and moved to release his daughter's hand, but before he could, Hisui tightened her grip on it. "But I feel you must know, the book predicted your passing as well." The woman looked to the ground in sorrow. Toma sighed, wishing that the book were lying, before squeezing his daughter's hand in his once more. She turned a tearful gaze to meeting his morose smile.
"Death is just another part of life, my dear. My life will end, as has every other person who has existed, but I must make sure that I leave behind good memories and a worthy successor." Toma finished. Hisui nodded tearfully, and followed after her father. They continued down the hall, before a loud roar was heard across the palace, one that was incredibly familiar to Toma. He turned his gaze to his daughter, and gave her a small smile. "Now why don't we go in to the garden. There is someone that I think you should meet."
Toma could only grin as he saw his staff once more righting the toppled furniture and soothing the startled animals, but what caught his attention more was the familiar golden vessel accompanied by two large silver vessels as well. The three ships were parked in the center of his garden, surrounded by knights with weapons drawn. The king merely grinned wider as he practically dragged his daughter with him towards the two vessels. Upon reaching them, Toma quickly issued the order to stand down, which the knights all did reluctantly, before the canopy on the golden ship hissed, opening up to reveal the same pink haired man in strange armour that he had seen earlier that day. His armour glowed brightly in the setting sun, casting the man in a nearly golden aura as he climbed off of the ship and stood before the king."
"Your Majesty." The man greeted with a nod.
"Kell Dragneel." Toma nodded back. Hisui looked between the two men before also greeting the man in armour, who turned to her in surprise before holding out his hand.
"I am Natsu Dragneel, Kell of the House of Wolves. It is a pleasure to meet you." The man smiled kindly. Hisui felt her face flush, and nearly smacked her father when he let out a hearty chuckle.
"It is polite to introduce yourself, my dear." The man snickered. Hisui blanched for a moment before turning back to the Kell.
"Hisui E. Fiore, Princess of the Kingdom of Fiore." She took his hand, and gave a small 'eep' when he kissed the back of her hand. Toma laughed before turning to the man once more.
"I believe you have teased the poor girl enough. Now, have you concluded your business?" The king asked, his tone becoming less jovial towards the end. Natsu nodded before grinning to the man.
"Easily. If you would please follow me." The man spoke as he walked towards the rear of the large silver vessel. Toma and Hisui followed behind, though the knights kept their weapons drawn for any potential dangers. The hatch on the back of the ship hissed as it opened, revealing a severly bruised Bora the Prominence and a blonde seated as far away as possible. Both were restrained by the safety harnesses on their seat, but Bora was at least conscious enough to recognize the situation.
"Mercy?" He rasped out. Toma took a few steps forwards, the injured man feeling relief at his friendly face vanish when the king gave a jovial 'Nope!', as Natsu released his harness and the man was dragged off to the dungeons. Hisui turned her gaze to the unconscious blonde in her seat, noting some familiar features.
"Excuse me, Kell Natsu, but who is that woman?"
"Her?" Natsu turned his gaze to the blonde that he had forgotten until moments ago. "Don't really know. She was on his ship, and my other ships were full up, so I loaded her up in this one and am going to give her medical attention when I return to the ship." Natsu shrugged before turning to the king. "I assume that I have earned enough trust to show you what I have to offer for cooperation?" The man questioned the shorter king. Toma hummed in thought for a moment before nodding with a small smile. "Great, we'll depart shortly, but for now you may want to take these other prisoners as well."
"Other prisoners?" Toma asked curiously. Natsu nodded and grinned as the second silver ship opened up, revealing all of the men inside.
"What is a nefarious pirate without his nefarious crew?"
"Fair enough." Toma grinned as he motioned his knights to move the detained men from the ships. Within five minutes, all of the men were now off of the ships and being escorted to the palace dungeons.
"So what will you do with them now?" Natsu watched the last of the prisoners turn a corner. Toma turned to the pink haired man and smiled.
"Well I believe that I will bypass their trials from the Magic Council. I have reason to believe that there are some in there that Bora has paid who would see him released within a week."
"Good plan." Natsu hummed. "With you being the ultimate governing body in this nation, the Council will have no choice but to obey your decision."
"Spoke like a true leader, my boy!" Toma laughed out. "So, what do you have to show me?"
"Well." Natsu paused in thought for a moment. "I suppose everything, but you will have to travel with me to my kingdom. It won't take more than a few minutes." Natsu finished with a smile. Toma gave the boy a cautious gaze.
"And where is your kingdom, by the way? Did you perhaps pick up some land in the instability of Bosco?"
"Higher." Natsu stated simply.
"The mountains of Seven?"
"Higher."
"Have you usurped a heady chunk of land from Pergrande perhaps?"
"It's easier if I show you what I mean by higher." Natsu motioned towards one of the silver ships before walking inside. "You're welcome to bring whatever guards you want to. I understand that I haven't completely won you over yet, but that'll change soon enough." Natsu called within the ship. Toma nodded to three of his guards, while Hisui looked to Arcadios, who was already walking in to the ship. Several minutes later, and they were all strapped in to their seats by people that Toma could swear were blue, before Natsu's voice rang out.
"Now this may seem strange, but it's okay if you get sick. My kind of travel will really take it out of you if you get motion sick."
"What kind of magic will you be using?" Hisui spoke aloud, only to recieve a chuckle in response.
"No magic. Everything you are about to see is pure technology." And with those words, Toma and Hisui, as well as their guards, felt like their stomach were being pulled from their bodies as the ship took off and roared in to the night sky.
"Sorry about that." Natsu spoke as he stood at the open door to the shuttle. He gazed in small sorrow at how disheveled everyone looked. Hisui's green hair was mussed, her tiara hanging sideways on her head. Toma had faired the best, only looking wildly at the man as the knights all seemed to be in need of severe adjustment, or cleaned of vomit. Once unbuckled, none of them could retreat fast enough from the ship, though the sight that greeted them was shocking. Blue people moved all through the hangar, accompanied by some humanoid machines. Electricity arced and the sound of tools grinding metal echoed through the room as everybody worked. They were all snapped from their awe when Natsu chuckled. "It isn't polite to stare. Some of the Awoken may take offense if you continue to do so." Natsu spoke as he brushed by the crowd, a hand over his shoulder gesturing the group to follow him. The groupo followed him through several hallways, winding and turning, the group marveled at the solid steel that surrounded them. They would pass more Awoken, who all snapped a salute at Natsu, who grinned and waved them off as the went by. After several mor minutes of walking through the strange structure, they came to what Natsu called the 'Bridge'. They couldn't help but stare in awe as they took in the room.
Men and women stood at consoles as tall as themselves, seemingly surrounded by computers that they expertly controlled. These cubicles seemed to line a pathway, past a giant sphere that seemed to stare at them when they entered, to what had the group in awe. At the very end of the room was a large round window. From that, the group could see the bright blue surface of a large sphere, only broken up by the black stars that seemed to frame the surrounding sphere. In the distance, they could make out the familiar shape of the moon, and it dawned on them what they were truly seeing.
It was Earthland.
"I'd like to formally welcome you to the Kingdom of the Reef, as well as the House of Wolves. I accept you as my guest, and hope that any negotiations from here on out will be beneficial."
"As the King of Fiore, I thank you for your hospitality, and hope we can come to a benficial understanding as well." The small man grinned. "However, I shall defer any negotiations to my daughter."
"What?!" Hisui all but shouted, causing the entire bridge to fall silent as everyone stared at her. She blushed and stared down at the ground, causing Toma to begin to chuckle.
"I feel that my time as the political decider is coming to a close. You are young, as is my daughter, and you already have so much at your disposal... The world is moving forward, and I fear I would do nothing but hold it back. My daughter is young, and while she may be inexperienced, I can tell you have no shady ulterior motives, so you would be a good first for her." The man smiled sadly as he gazed at his daughter. Natsu hummed in thought for a moment.
"I suppose that makes sense. How about we have a bit of a pause first. I'd like to explain some technologies to you, good for banking and whatnot. Why doesn't one of my men give your daughter a tour of the ship, given that she may have to know her way around if she will be spending any amount of time here." Natsu supplied with a smile. Toma nodded, and soon Hisui was being led from the room, Arcadios trailing closely behind her. As soon as the door slid closed behind her, Natsu turned an eye to the small king. "Now how about you explain the real reason why you want your daughter taking over?"
"Saw through me that easily?" Toma gave a small chuckle. Natsu nodded and moved to a seat. Toma followed and sat next to the man. " I guess you really are quite perceptive, but then you'd have to be given your position."
"I've seen and done my fair share." Natsu spoke as he leaned back in his seat. "I've learned pretty well to tell a liar when I see one. So what gives?"
"If I can completely honest?"
"I'd be insulted if you were anything but." Natsu countered. The king gave a small chuckle.
"I'm dying."
"... Come again?" Natsu spoke as he stared at the king, who could only nod with tired eyes.
"I said that I'm dying. I've been having sever headaches in the recent months, and no medications were helping me. I summoned a healer named Porylusia, from Magnolia, and she examined me from top to bottom. She found a growth in my brain, something agitating the flesh in my head and causing a large mass to appear in my skull. She gave me some meds to hopefully slow the growth, but the headaches are getting worse and the mass will only grow larger. She said when it reaches a certain size, that it will begin to affect my motor functions and my organs will begin to shut down, and will eventually stop my heart or my lungs, and I will die."
"Did she tell you how long?" Natsu asked solemly, his mind whirring at everything that he was being told.
"She said I had two years max, but I'd be lucky to go another six months..." The man finished with tears in his eyes. "All I ever wanted was to do right by my kingdom. I wanted to watch my daughter grow and fall in love. I wanted to spoil my grandchildren with cookies and sneaking away from the guards to go camping and give them a proper childhood. I want to give them the same childhood that Hisui had, full of laughter and good memories, none of the boring politics of royalty. I'll have to settle with making sure my daughter has a stable foundation from which to lead." The man held in a sob. Natsu was about to speak, but was interrupted when Specter phased in to light in front of him, performing several scans on the king. Toma could only look in mild shock as the small machine ran it's yellow eye over the man.
"What are you doing, Specter?" Natsu questioned the small machine, which only turned to Natsu and whirred.
"It seems as if he has stage four brain cancer. His chances of survival with what I can tell from the medications in his system are currently zero percent." The Ghost spoke. Natsu pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Yeah. We kinda established that, no need to be a dick." Natsu groaned. The Ghost whirred at the man before speaking once more.
"However, with medical technologies from the Golden Age files we pulled from Rasputin, I believe we can treat his ailment and raise his odds of survival up to 90 percent."
"And we have these?" Natsu asked. The Ghost whirred for a moment before chirping several times.
"Affirmative. We merely need to harvest the material necessary to build any components we don't have, and we can begin treatment."
"Can you tell what we will need most?" Natsu spoke eagerly, though the King seemed just as eager if his expression was anything to read from.
"Silicon and copper for circuitry. We will also need a large amount of gold and platinum. We do have the chemicals required to begin treatment in halting progression, but the hardware we will need to create will take several months to fabricate. The medications we issue should halt it long enough for us to build the required pieces to properly treat and cure his ailment."
"Well," Natsu leaned back once more before turning a grin to Toma, who could only look on hopefully. "Looks like you may get to spoil those grandchildren after all."
"What do you want from me though?" Toma asked through tears. He was not stupid enough to believe it came at no price, but was surprised when Natsu waved the man off.
"Your daughter is in charge of the negotiations, not you." Natsu waved him off. "Everything that will be discussed will be between myself and her, but I will throw this one in for free. Just supply us the resources and we'll call it good. You are a good man, who has led his people to thrive under his care. You just focus on getting better, and don't worry about owing me anything. Understood?"
"Thank you!" Toma cried as he shook Natsu's hand, tears streaming down his face. "Thank you so much!"
"Don't thank him yet." The Ghost whirred. "The medications we are going to put you on while we build what we need will take a toll on your body."
"What kind of toll?" The king asked nervously.
"Vomiting, weakness, loss of appetite, blood in your urine and stool. Weight loss and dehydration. Your immune system will be incredibly weak, so you will need to be isolated, lest you die from a common cold." The Ghost listed smoothly. Toma grew more pale with each new symptom.
"Rough." Natsu whistled lowly.
"Indeed." The Ghost spoke. "I recommend we see about isolating him in the medbay here on the ship."
"Why can't I be home for it?" Toma questioned. The Ghost merely scoffed.
"Those areas aren't sterilized. Here we can control your environment to an absolute, ensuring nothing can complicate your treatment."
"Okay..." Toma spoke quietly to himself before nodding once more. "Okay! I accept these conditions so long as you and my nation are allies moving forward. I want my daughter to be able to visit whenever she wishes." The man spoke. Natsu nodded.
"Of course. She'll be free to come and go as she pleases. We will have a shuttle on the palace grounds at all times to ensure the fastest travel here and back."
"Thank you." Toma said once more. Natsu merely waved it off as the door slid open once more, and Hisui and Arcadios entere the bridge once again. Hisui rushed over upon seeing her father wiping away tears.
"What's the matter father? Did he do anything to you?" The princess questioned before turning a narrowed gaze to Natsu. The man held both of his hands up in surrender before the princess shot to her feet and knights on the bridge all drew their blades, causing the Awoken to draw their weapons as well. Arcadios stepped towards the man, only to stop as the ground in front of him sparked as one of the Awoken fired their pistol at the man's feet.
"Any closer to the Kell and you die!" The Awoken woman spoke. Natsu merely held his hand up, as did the King, and both motioned for their company to stand down. The knights and Awoken holstered their weapons, but continued to eye eachother wearily. Toma was the first to break the silence with a heavy sigh as he stared in disappointment at his daughter.
"I had hoped the lessons I taught you in remaining calm would have stuck in your mind a bit better." The man closed his eyes as he leaned back in his seat, feeling another headache forming.
"Huh?" Was the only response his dumbfounded daughter could give. The old man merely waved his hand at Natsu.
"You explain." He grumbled as he rubbed his palms against his closed eyes.
"I suppose." Natsu hummed for a moment before turning to the princess. "I guess the first thing I should ask you is if you have any idea on what you just did."
"I was checking on the wellbeing of my father." Hisui ground out as she glared at the pink haired man. "And making sure you didn't hurt him."
"And in doing so; your tone caused alarm in your guards, who were already in a state of caution, to automatically draw their weapons. Did you forget that you are technically on foreign grounds, and are accepted as my guests? In doing what you did, you have spit on my hospitality, insulted my honor, and shown hostility in my own home. When it comes to dealing with diplomats and royalty, being calm is everything. Had this been anybody other than me, your actions would have rightly declared a war." Natsu pointed out, his hand gesturing to the Awoken crew, who still had hands resting on their pistols. "And a war with an enemy you know nothing about, no less."
"I didn't... I was just-"
"Your concern for me is deeply appreciated, my dear." Toma spoke calmly as his headache subsided momentarily. "But you must always act with tact. Cooler heads prevail, and while it is good to show your passion, it can also lead to needless death. Politics is a matter of pride. Step on another politician's pride, and you may pay the price in blood, or worse."
"Worse?"
"He's talking about an embargo." Natsu explained, thankful for Ikora and Mara drilling politics in to his thick skull. "Insulting the leader of another nation could lead to them creating an embargo, and while not hostile, it can damn the economy of a nation, especially one like Fiore, who thrives in trade. If your economy collapses, it could lead to poverty, starvation, or outright civil war. People won't stand under a leader who they percieve as selfish or uncaring of the people."
"The people of Fiore would never rebel." Hisui spoke factually to Natsu, who could only sigh and look to Toma. The old man decided to take the reigns of the conversation once more.
"They can and they have before." Toma spoke, taking in his daughter's shocked appearance. "Shortly after my mother died and I took the throne, the grain farmers bordering Bosco were threatening rebellion for being unfairly taxed. The history books will tell you that I quelled the upstart before it could gain momentum, but that isn't entirely true. By the time I was able to negotiate a tax reform, they had gained the support of the lumber and mining workers of the north and east respectively. It is part of the reason that I had to declare our nation as nuetral. With no trade embargo placed on us from enemy nations anymore, we could trade goods at a cheaper price, thus lowering taxes and raising income. It wasn't perfect, merely taping over a crack in the foundation, but it was a stable start. With that no longer as an issue, I was able to focus on building our nation in to the economic super power that it is today, reforming it from the ground up. But I wouldn't have been able to do so had I not been able to sooth the pride of those leaders and negotiate with them."
"So you see." Natsu spoke as the king caught his breath. "Being calm and picturing the future, rather than the present, is the best way to operate. I brought you both here to negotiate an alliance between our nations, but your father and I had another matter to discuss."
"I thought you said you were placing mein charge of the negotiations." Hisui turned to her father, who only nodded to the green haired woman.
"And you are. Kell Dragneel and I were merely discussing his medical program."
"Why did you want to discuss that in private? If he could bring something better than what we have to the table, shouldn't it be discussed with me first?" Hisui frowned. Toma sighed for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth in debate before turning to his daughter.
"For the same reason that I brought you with me, and am having you negotiate with Kell Dragneel."
"Which is?" Hisui tapped her foot impatiently.
"Because I'm dying." Toma stated plainly. Hisui's foot stopped tapping, and Natsu could hear her choke on her breath.
"W-what?" She asked shakily. Toma frowned and repeated himself.
"I said I'm dying. Kell Dragneel was speaking with me about medical technologies that he has at hand, and that he can likely cure what is killing me. Without his technology though, I will be dead within two years." Toma finished plainly, his eyes closed. He opened them a moment later, taking in his daughter's stunned face. She quickly turned to Natsu.
"What are your demands?" She questioned. Natsu quirked an eyebrow at her.
"Demands?"
"Don't play stupid! What are your demands for healing my father?!" She took a step towards the man, only to recoil when she saw every member of the Awoken crew once again draw their weapons. Natsu held his hand up once more, causing them to halt and stand anxiously, but they didn't dare move.
"No demands. Your dad is a good man, and the world would be a darker place without him. I do this as an act of good faith, from my kingdom to yours, in hopes that I can show you that my interest in peace is genuine." Natsu smiled gently at her, causing the baffled woman to turn to her father.
"Is this true, father? He isn't lying?" Hisui asked her father. Toma shook his head and smiled gently at his daughter.
"No, my young darling, he is not lying. I will be recieving treatment here for the next few months until I am cured, so you will be in charge until I return." Toma smirked as Hisui began to stammer.
"But father, I can't... I couldn't possibly... How-"
"You will be fine." Toma placed a hand on hers. "You have my entire staff on standby to act as advisors, not to mention you will be able to come see me whenever." He chuckled when he saw her turn slightly green at the thought of travelling once more on a shuttle. "You will be perfectly fine until I return. Just relax and get a feel for it. The position will be yours eventually."
"Father!" The woman complained. Toma giggled to himself.
"Relax! Hopefully it won't be for a very long time." The man chuckled, before turning to Natsu. "So when can we begin my treatment?"
"I can send a message down to the medbay, but it may take a couple hours to get it set up for quarantine protocals. In the meantime, why don't you shadow your daughter while we negotiate?"
"That sounds like a lovely plan." Toma grinned as another seat was brought out, and his daughter took a seat across from the pink haired man.
"Excellent!" Natsu clapped before looking to the princess. "Now let's start with the the fact that I want myself and my people to be able to move freely in and around your nation."
"I suppose that is acceptable so long as you submit a registry and travel log of incoming and outgoing." Hisui spoke calmly, noting her father giving her a smile and a thumbs up.
"Deal. Next, I want my people to be able to harvest resources withing your borders. In exchange for this, we will supply new technologies exclusively to your kingdom."
"I suppose that is acceptable, so long as we can perhaps negotiate some of your weapons in that deal." Hisui turned her gaze to one of the Awoken, her eyes lingering on the pistol on her hip.
"I suppose we can finer tune that bargain." Natsu spoke in thought. "I'm incredibly wary to let even the smallest of my weapons get in to the hands of the wrong persons." The man finished warily.
"What kind of damage can these weapons do?" Hisui asked, eyebrow raised.
"They aren't like your weapons." Natsu spoke slowly. "They use technology, and not a hint of magic within them. They aren't made for non lethal combat as well. Each of these weapons is made to kill. In the hands of a professional, like myself or any of these Awoken, they can make non lethal more attainable. However you have nothing to counter one of these weapons, let alone anything I have that is bigger."
"You have bigger weapons?" Hisui asked, now genuinely curious. "How could we go about acquiring them? What could we trade with you to possibly get you to part with some of those?"
"There's no need for those." Toma countered his daughter, now looking at Natsu. "We have enough to defend our borders, with FACE and Etherion. Not to mention our nuetrality protects us well enough."
"Merely thinking of the future." Hisui pouted. "Just because we are nuetral doesn't mean that other nations may respect that."
"It's okay." Natsu spoke as he faced the princess. "I understand the want to protect your nation, especially with everything I have shown you, but those weapons are off the table. The devastation they can cause is too severe to offer anyone. Earthland isn't ready for the weapons that I can build."
"All the more reason to bring us up to speed." Hisui countered.
"In due time." Natsu spoke, a frown on his face. "But do you honestly think you can safely say that you could control weapons that can reshape a continent, or harness the power of the radiation to burn a nation to cinders in seconds? The weapons I have contain the ability to easily kill millions in minutes. Can you honestly say that your society is ready for such vast power at their fingertips?"
"No..." Hisui spoke weakly, now realizing the potential dangers that Natsu's weapons could pose.
"I thought not. Trust me when I say that I'm keeping them from you for your own good, not out of spite or some shadowy plot."
"Okay." Hisui sighed, already tired. She turned to her father, seeing the man nod once more. "Then let's move on to the next topic."
"Ah yes." Natsu snapped his fingers. "Transportation and housing!"
"Hello?" Lucy called from inside the back of the shuttle. She had awoken to a strange place, strapped in to a seat that she couldn't seem to unbuckle herself from, and everyone was ignoring her. "Can anyone hear me?!"
It has been quite a bit. I've had some things to deal with, with my recovery and then an attempted suicide within my family. I've been super busy, and only been able to write for about 15 minutes every couple days. For me, that isn't even enough time to get a proper flow going.
But I sat down today on got nearly half of this entire chapter typed out. I hope you all enjoy it.
Sorry again for the wait,
Temper