Chp. 21: Crossroads

Near Lake Scilliora

Kyousuke had gotten up early that morning to go and think. He'd found the lake was a nice, tranquil place to do so. Sera was due to meet him here later for breakfast, so this way he could do what he needed to do without being late. Hopefully she'd notice the note he'd slipped under her door. After that Kyousuke walked to the lake and took a seat in the shade of a handful of trees. A gentle breeze carried the scent of nature across the shore. It felt good, relaxing and warm. Kyousuke smiled and opened his eyes for a brief moment. For all the memories of isolation and loneliness that being in nature brought, at the same time he appreciated its beauty and simplicity. It helped clear his mind, and for the first time in a few days, maybe longer, he felt like things were peaceful. Peace and security…those were the things he strived to uphold, as he'd been taught when he'd chosen his current life.

Kyousuke closed his eyes again and returned to the less peaceful things. He still faced the decision of whether or not he should finish what Fargoue had built. His first reaction was that he should; it was his duty. He had always seen his code as inflexible, absolute in its instructions. Evil was to be routed out completely and like a disease it wasn't routed until it had been vanquished completely. Perhaps he'd vanquished it, though? Fargoue certainly seemed to have lost the ability to do anything that would cause harm. He was like a rabbit caught in a snare, alive but unable to escape his demise. Kyousuke could close like a hunter would, or he could let him bleed. It certainly would take little effort if the man no longer had assassins and henchmen to shield him. To his brethren there would be no wrongdoing in finishing the man. That was if he ever ran across another and they learned of this whole affair, he thought with the flash of a cynical smile.

There were consequences in doing it, though. The two that would affect him the most would be the damage to his relationship with Sera and by extension Fairy Tail. It pained him to admit but Saeko still lingered in his mind sometimes. He'd never known love before her and he would be cursed until his own death with the memory that she'd died in his arms, just after he'd reunited with her. Sera had shown her distaste for it, even after she'd apologized. It felt like they'd been together much longer, but he felt like he'd done so little. He felt ungrateful for all she'd done. She made him feel…at ease. Understood and wanted; she felt like a friend as much as she did a lover. Her shy, sometimes klutzy nature and the way her eyes and face seemed to light up over her passions. She was beautiful as well, and he'd found that despite himself he felt his desire to protect her flared often. More than anything she'd also tolerated his inexperience with romance and his constant focus on his teachings.

It felt like the whole guild had gone out of its way to tolerate him and welcome him. Lucy had guided him to their hall as soon as he'd asked. He was told he WOULD be considered family, not that he might. He'd found what he'd desired and that was a home that welcomed him. He started to realize that not only would he distance Sera from him, he would also distance the guild. They might understand, or try to, but like Sera it might be easy for them to see it as nothing more than revenge. Connie would perhaps stick by him, but then again Connie was also very supportive of Sera. He'd given Kyousuke a good thrashing just for being dense about her feelings. If that became the case, he'd grow apart from the others. He may even find himself cast out, just as Makarov's grandson had been.

Kyousuke felt a panicked shiver run up his spine. Perhaps though, Kyousuke thought again, he had already finished him? There were some who would argue yes, namely the man who'd trained him. His mind quickly sought to find a way he could justify that argument, at least to him. He fell back on what he'd originally been taught by the man who'd trained him. He found himself frowning for a minute. His Sensei had left the life, and had taken on the then-hotheaded youth only because he pitied that the boy otherwise had no chance at a future. He'd been pretty critical about the organization and their codes. Kyousuke wondered if he should go visit the man to get some advice on what he should do. It would take time, but at least it would help him reach his decision. Given how much the man badmouthed the organization, it was a wonder that Kyousuke had followed the code so closely. A sign of his desire to be a Lightning Swordsman coupled with his stubborn streak, the young man guessed.

His Sensei would probably tell him to stay. It was over, and now Kyousuke had more important things to tend to. That thought seemed to spark something; Kyousuke recalled something he'd learned when he was training. It was a phrase, though he didn't know its origin: You can't fix a damn by leaving one leak to tend to another. So in turn, he would simply be helping one problem by tending to the other. Kyousuke couldn't find it in him to accept it at that, but it at least made the guilt he was bringing upon himself feel like it was shrinking. He'd likely be wise to stay here, then. Kyousuke opened his eyes a felt a sting of guilt inside him. It was almost as if he were running from his sworn duty. Kyousuke hoped that was only him being too harsh on himself.

"Kyousuke!"

The young man looked in the direction of the familiar voice and saw Sera holding up a hand as she approached with a blanket and picnic basket. He smiled and got to his feet to meet her as she approached. Sera felt a bit nervous as she got closer to him. He'd been thinking about whether or not he should go after Fargoue for a few days, and while she'd kept herself from trying to influence his opinion with words, she'd been quietly hoping that he'd stay. She'd tried to stay close to him, show him affection, and things like that. She knew she shouldn't, but dammit she wasn't going to let him go without a fight, then now and ever. She let those feelings fade away as he lowered his lips to hers. They went back towards where he'd been sitting and set up under the shade of a few trees up the slope. Sera had brought beef jerky, bread with butter, water and fruit juice. They ate in silence for a few minutes. Sera glanced towards her boyfriend a few times while he was eating. The young man nodded as he ate a piece of bread.

"This is very good bread." He nodded.

"Fresh from the bakery; got one of the first loaves they put out." Sera replied with a smile.

"Early bird gets the bread loaf, I suppose."

The two chuckled before they lapsed into silence again. The Solid-Script Mage looked for something to talk about, like the scenery or more about the food. The biggest issue at hand kept nagging at her, though. She came to something after a few minutes.

"I was thinking maybe we should go on another job. You, me and Connie." She spoke up. Kyousuke looked at her and she took a bite of her bread as she tried to get together the right words.

"I…sorry that was me trying to segway towards what you're going to do." Sera sighed.

"No need to apologize." He replied simply.

The swordsman's smile was more forced now. He looked towards the water and tried to figure out how he should best segway into the subject, too. In the end a simple answer was the best way.

"We should; it feels like it's been a long time since we've done such a thing." He agreed. Sera stared at him a minute, then quickly looked down at her fruit juice as she took a sip.

"So does this mean you're staying?" She asked softly after. He nodded.

"It isn't worth jeopardizing what I now consider my home and the relationship I have with those around me." He sighed. Kyousuke then smiled.

"While it may be hard for me to come to terms with it or justify it quickly, I do believe it would be wiser to protect what is more important rather than running off after every single criminal I happen to see." He added. Sera nodded in a mix of agreement and understanding. The young woman looked down at her food, then flashed him a brief smile.

"Thank you for staying, Kyousuke."

"Of course, Sera." He replied. The swordsman leaned over and kissed her cheek. Sera flushed and returned the kiss to his cheek.

"I love you…very much." She whispered awkwardly.

"And I love you very much as well." He replied.

Sera scooted over and leaned against him; he pulled her into his embrace and let her rest her head on his shoulder. She felt warm, comforting in a way. Like he was safe with her and he'd never have to worry again. It made his choice feel all the more justified…

Vincent Fargoue had come to Fiore with a dream and the means to reach it. He left with little more than what he could carry. In the interest of bettering his chances, he'd long stopped wearing the tailored suits and had instead taken to making himself look like a lowly peasant. The only thing that might give him away were the suitcases he carried, stuffed with what valuables he could find and more clothes. No more first-class cabins on trains or ships, a point highlighted by him curled up in the corner of a ship's lowest class with many others fleeing Fiore in hopes of finding a better life elsewhere. He stayed away from everyone else despite shaving and letting his hair grow. Every time he thought about it, the man shivered with cold fury. The desire to lash out was frequent, but he had to stuff it down. In time, Vincent, in time… He thought to himself.

He replaced the feeling of anger and despair by reminding himself that he'd gotten away. In another example of its weaknesses, he'd easily been able to disappear when his camp had been attacked, then even more easily been able to bribe his way onto this boat, past any checks the government might do to guard against smuggling or fleeing criminals. Vincent stifled a snicker at the thought; Fiore would never bother to go beyond its borders to try and get him, not without word getting out. By then he'd simply run once again, or by then he'd be someone else. He mulled briefly on what name he might change to now. Something that retained the aristocratic feeling that his current name did, he decided. It certainly helped him over the fact that he was out of the game in Fiore for a long time.

At first he'd simply been under some suspicion, but now he was a full-blown fugitive. Nicholas Kleary had apparently been arrested, turned in by Fairy Tail of all things, and Fargoue didn't trust the man to stay quiet forever. Going back to The Frontier was out of the question, at least for now. He was certain Mumfred would be looking for a chance to get Fargoue. He'd tried to take the older man's life, after all, and Mumfred was not the kind of man to forgive something like that. There were also rumors floating around that his homeland had become a little more dangerous. For a second he was glad he as little more than a beggar right now; business tycoons were apparently becoming unpopular over there. For now he had to seek refuge in the Kingdom of Stella. The only reason he'd chosen it was because it wasn't a place those after him would expect to find him. No, he thought, I'll return to Fiore eventually to take care of the one last piece of business there.

It was going to take time to gather what he needed, but he'd go back to get revenge against the man who'd caused his plans to fall apart. He didn't have very much to go off of, even with Nicholas's skills, but he had a basic idea. From what he gathered, the man was something called a "Lightning Swordsman". A group of roving fighters that used lightning-based magic combined with the weapon that formed part of their title. He also had one very important lead, and that was that this man was part of Fairy Tail. He'd heard the guild was a pig-headed bunch and a tightly-knit bunch, but everything had a weakness. It was only a matter of time before he found that weakness and exploited it. Fargoue smiled to himself, further comforted by the fact that he was down, but not out. Stella might even hold his real fortunes. I will find you, Swordsman…and I will treat myself to the satisfaction of killing you myself, even if it's with my bare hands He thought. He just had to keep being patient, and one day he'd get to see that sight. Vincent Fargoue, or whoever he'd be in his new life, had a new dream…

They called themselves "Lunar Moth". At first glance that name seemed to suggest that they were another one of the many guilds that dotted Fiore. They were a guild, but they were very different from most of the guilds people usually thought of, legal and dark. Lunar Moth was more or less a means for groups of bandits in the area to meet, hide, and on occasion forge temporary alliances. It's "guild hall" wasn't a building, but rather a secluded part of forest with a few hovels made out of woods, plants, and rocks. It was rarely occupied by more than a dozen people at a time, but it was the one place that anyone with the right knowledge could come to.

The area was a little busy today after a very successful raid on the small port of Guard Point some miles to the south. They were all smiles over the decent haul they'd pulled from a pair of merchant ships. One of them had snuck off with his share to hide some of it away. He picked his way through some tall grass and down into a ravine that wrapped back around into the woods where the others were gathered. He knelt down and removed a few rocks next to the bank. The man eased himself in, valuables first, and set them in a cubby buried a few feet down there. A simple hiding spot but one that he'd made look like just another rock in the countryside. The thief made his trip quick to keep suspicious away from him. As soon as the selected items were hidden away, he hurried back on another route. He came around the far side of the hill that shielded much of the camp, slowing to a casual pace.

As he approached the nearest group of people, he caught movement at the right edge of his vision. The man subconsciously opened a hand to pull out one of his Tonfas and saw a blanket of fog roll down the hill. It rolled in far faster than he'd ever seen, almost like it was alive. The rest of the camp stirred as they were enveloped in the shroud. The thief pulled out both his weapons and took a few steps forward, glancing back over his shoulder every other second. This could easily be a plot by someone here in Lunar Moth. There was a flash of blue, followed by a shout of pain. The thief tensed and kept his eyes on where he'd seen the phenomena, but suddenly it pulsed again to his left, far from where it originally had. He tensed as the sound of metal clanging against something followed, and then a female voice yelled the word "steel" off to his right. A man that was just inside his field of vision was hit and sent tumbling back by…an I-Beam?

The thief looked forward as he heard footsteps and raised his weapons. He summoned his courage. Then, out of the gloom came three figures. The first was a towering hulk of a man with some kind of pole or bar in his grip. The second appeared to be a short woman carrying a pen and a large bag. The last was a man with a ponytail and a sword. As details came into view, a crooked line of lightning raced up his blade. The thief charged him and the swordsman met his weapon with his own. Kyousuke was surprised but smirked at the challenge.

"Who the fuck are you?" His opponent spat. Kyousuke replied readily.

"I am Ishuu Kyousuke of Fairy Tail, and these are my guildmates…we've come to see to the disbanding of your so-called guild."

The "stray dog swordsman" was no more.

End

A/N: Thank you for reading.