Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Pairing(s): Natsu Dragneal x Zeref
WARNINGS: Slight AU , Shounan ai (boy/boy pairing), you have been warned
Firelight and Shadows
By V. Shalyr
Scroll XXXIV: The Sun and Moon
Guards
"Let me get this straight," Natsu said, standing in the middle of the guild master's office, "Lucy is busy taking a break to work on her writing, Erza left on a cruise with Jellal, Gray's stuck at home with a common cold of all things, and Wendy took the cats on some island expedition?"
Master Makarov rolled up the scroll he'd been reading, making the red tassel on the end sway, and nodded.
"That's right, so you two will be going on this diplomatic mission by yourselves."
"In case you hadn't noticed, gramps, neither of us are that great at being diplomatic."
"You two won't be the diplomats." Goodness knows that would more likely cause a war than end one. "You'll just be going along to provide protection."
"We're being hired as bodyguards?"
Z wasn't really bodyguard material. He was more the kind of person who needed bodyguards, or the opposite of bodyguards. More like guards to help protect other people when his magic went out of control.
"Uh, are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"
"I think you two will be of great help to these people. They've run into some fairly serious trouble of late, and from what I understand, it should fall right into your areas of expertise."
That, and as had already been established, everyone else was otherwise occupied.
"Well, okay," Natsu said, still somewhat doubtful. "But don't say I didn't warn you if something goes wrong."
.
Red Bean Soup
Winter was on its way again. Through the open window of their apartment, Z could feel a crisp, cool breeze, and it helped to dissipate the steam rising from the pot he had on the stove. Huh, was that how this soup was supposed to smell? He'd procured the recipe book from a foreign trader and had no idea what the dish was actually supposed to be like. Perhaps it would smell better after all the other ingredients had been added.
"Are those beans?"
"Natsu," he greeted, stirring the contents of the pot to make sure none of it was sticking to the bottom. "Yes, red beans. It's supposed to be some kind of dessert soup that people have during the winter."
"That explains why you're putting brown sugar in it. Why the winter?"
"I'm not sure. Something about helping people stay warm I think."
They both looked down into the dark, bubbling liquid, thick with beans and bean mush.
"Well, if you say so, though I don't think that will make much of a difference to us."
"I suppose not. I thought it might be a healthier alternative to cake as far as desserts go."
"Don't get too carried away with the healthy eating thing. I don't mind as long as it tastes good, but seriously."
"I won't. I promise."
Z took a cautious taste of the soup. It actually wasn't too bad, sort of mellow and sweet.
"So what did the guild master want?" he asked, moving to the cabinet turned icebox in order to look for the miniature sticky rice balls that the trader who sold him the book had recommended. Let's see, he was supposed to cook them separately and add them into the soup when both were done to preserve the flavor.
"Right, we have another job. We leave at noon."
Z looked up at that.
"Today? But it's going to snow."
"Yeah, it's already started falling further north. But don't worry," and here, Natsu grinned, "I won't let you get cold."
.
Diplomat
Their new employer and his entourage met them in the front yard of the best inn Magnolia had to offer. There was a certain uniformity about their garments that reminded Zeref of tribal wear, and there was a distinct sky motif going on. Compared to the rest of his group, the diplomat in question seemed rather young, though what he lacked in age he more than made up for in enthusiasm.
"Hi, wizards from Fairy Tail! The name's Sho Solas, and it's a pleasure to travel with such renowned practitioners of the arcane arts."
The party had three carriages, and it was decided that Z would ride in the middle one with Lord Sho while Natsu sat up front with the driver of the first. While less than thrilled with this arrangement, Z had to concede that it made a lot of sense. Still, he tried to sit as close to the door as he could without seeming strange and made sure he knew how to open it quickly in case he had to get himself out of there in a hurry.
"How long will we be traveling?"
"Not too long. I'd guess a week or so. My home village is just one of a network of small villages throughout this region and none of us live too far apart," he explained, taking a sip of his steaming tea.
Hot tea in a moving vehicle seemed rather risky to Zeref, but he supposed that was Sho's business.
"Each village is named after something in the sky like the moon and different constellations. In fact, we're headed to the Village of the Moon now."
"And you are from the Sun Village, I suppose," Z said, looking at the sun design embroidered along the sides of the carriage's seat cushions.
"That's right!" Sho clasped his shoulder in a jovial display that made Z flinch and edge away as far as the space in the carriage would allow. In its porcelain cup, the tea sloshed dangerously. "Of all the villages, the Sun and Moon are the most influential. We used to be at war once upon a time, but now, we oversee the business of the villages together and maintain the peace."
"So then... what is this diplomatic mission for?"
"Ah, there was a bit of an incident last year that's threatening to ruin an important ceremony that's coming up in just a few days from now. Well, maybe more like two weeks—or sixteen days? It's basically the most important ceremony we have, hosted by the Sun and Moon clans and attended by representatives from all of the other villages."
"It does not seem to me as though you need bodyguards."
The young lord shrugged. For someone who was supposed to be in danger, he seemed uncommonly unconcerned.
"Normally, we'd bring more of our own guards. But the wile animals around the village have been especially aggressive of late, and the road we need to travel isn't the most safe. My father insisted on hiring guild wizards, and I thought the precaution would be a nice change of pace."
Z wasn't sure why, but he had the distinct feeling that Sho wasn't telling him everything. It wasn't for lack of talking though. Definitely not. And he asked a lot of questions too—about their magic, the guild, the jobs they had gone on, and so on. Z answered his questions in as few words as possible and wondered how long this carriage ride was going to be.
They stopped for a late lunch of fruit sandwiches along the side of the road, and Natsu came over to sit with him.
"I couldn't help but notice that you chose to eat your lunch as far away from our new employer as possible."
"He is... a little overwhelming."
Natsu snorted. "Only a little?"
.
Importance
The moment the carriage pulled into the inn's front yard, Z escaped from the young diplomat's presence and hid himself in a dark corner of the tavern. Normally, he would have sought refuge with Natsu, but the Dragon Slayer had the unfortunate responsibility of babysitting said diplomat until they were certain of the inn's security. Z felt rather sorry for him, but not as sorry as he felt for himself. At least Natsu didn't have to ride in the carriage with the man.
Chair legs scraped across the floor and a girl sat down across from him. He recognize her as one of many faces he had seen under the helmet worn by Sho's guards.
"Excuse me, you're a wizard, right?"
"Yes."
"Can you make a love potion for me or something like it?"
Z lifted his gaze from his coffee mug to stare at her.
"Why would you want something like that?"
The girl let out a dreamy sigh, resting her elbows on the tabletop and clasping her hands under her chin while she thought.
"There's this boy who just joined Lord Sho's personal guard. He's such a talented warrior, and handsome too, but he hardly ever talks to me."
"I do not understand," Z said, and he really didn't. "Why would you want someone who only wants you because of a spell?"
"Isn't it obvious? It's everyone's greatest dream to be with someone they love."
"I wouldn't say that is entirely true."
Zeref had known many people with other dreams. Like taking over the world, for instance, or becoming the most powerful being in the universe. But... perhaps those were unusual cases.
"Can you do it or not?"
"No."
She sighed. "Well, it was worth asking. I've heard of wizards that can."
"Those wizards can make charms to make him want you, but they cannot make charms to make him love you."
Hopefully, he didn't have to tell her that these were not the same thing.
"I'm sure he would grow to love me."
"And are you sure he would forgive you for bewitching him? Magic doesn't last forever."
The girl pursed her lips and made an annoyed sound.
"You know what? I'm sorry I asked you."
Z looked away.
"I'm sorry. I only think that something so important should always be considered seriously."
The guardswoman raised an eyebrow at him, and then suddenly, her frown transformed into a smile.
"Oh, I see. That's why you two keep checking on each other. You must care about him a lot."
Z blinked slowly, wondering how this conversation had gone from love potions to his personal life. He really hoped Natsu got back soon with their room keys.
.
Secret
"I swear they're all hiding something," Natsu muttered, kicking their room door shut behind him with more force than necessary. He'd been in and out of their room constantly since they'd gotten the keys, and he'd just about had it. "They're jumping at every little noise and shadow."
Z put down his book and glanced back out the window he had seated himself beside. The falling snow had already blanketed the landscape and painted the rooftops of the small settlement white. Starting tomorrow night, they would all be camping out. It wasn't exactly a pleasant prospect, but Z found himself made uneasy by something other than the cold.
"Something does feel strange. I thought I saw something peculiar move out there in the snow, but it could have been my imagination."
He was known for being quite paranoid.
Natsu moved to look out the window as well, carefully sniffing the air. He didn't smell anything especially strange, but he trusted his partner's senses. Z might be paranoid, but he was also usually right. Perhaps that was the kind of sense a person developed when almost everyone wanted to kill or capture him.
"Any thoughts on what it might be?"
Z considered this. He'd been surveying the snowy scene outside all evening.
"I don't know, but if there is something out there, I don't believe it's human."
The Dragon Slayer made an interested sound in his throat, but he was somewhat distracted by the soft, black hair directly under his nose. Well, their client was in the room just next door; if something did attack, he was sure one of them would notice. No point standing around staring at the scenery.
That was when they heard the window glass shatter.
Pendant
Sho hit the ground with a thud, dragging half the bedcovers with him. A shining blade of light embedded itself in the pillow where his head had been, sizzling for a moment before evaporating. Kicking himself free of the sheets threatening to incapacitate him, he stumbled to his feet and threw himself towards the door.
"Help!"
Before he could turn the doorknob, said door flew open and he ended up sprawled on the floor of the corridor beyond.
Natsu ran past him the other way, grabbed the wrist of the strange attacker with one hand to force a second energy blade aside and slamming a fistful of fire into its chest with the other. The shadowy, humanoid shape reeled back from the blow and winked momentarily out of existence only to solidify once more—thinner and longer-limbed like an animated stick figure. It wavered, eyeless face turning between the newcomers and its original target, and then it spun and vanished back through the broken window.
"Hey!"
Natsu chased after it, but he could see nothing outside. There weren't even any footprints in the snow.
"Damn, whatever it was, it's fast."
Z picked his way through the mess on the floor and pulled something gold from where it was caught amidst the blankets. A pendant shaped like a stylized sun dangled from the end of a thin, golden chain.
"I wonder if this was what they were after."
"Give me that!"
Sho snatched the pendant from him and checked it hastily for damage. When he found none, his shoulders slumped and he fastened the chain back around his neck.
"Thank the stars it's all right. Father would have my head if this got broken."
"What's so special about it?" Natsu asked, mildly annoyed by his rudeness.
"Uh." Sho forced a laugh and didn't meet their eyes. "I—it's just a family heirloom. You know how people can be about ancient family treasures."
"I know you're lying," Natsu said, scowling.
Z frowned and asked, "That crystal at its center, is it a Lacrima?"
Sho froze for a moment then hurried to tuck the pendant under his shirt.
"Sort of, yes, but it's only a tiny piece and doesn't have much power. Mostly, it's for ceremonial purposes."
Neither of the wizards believed him, but neither of them said anything either. Whatever was going on here, they'd figure it out with or without Sho's help.
.
Protein
"Hey, tell me more about this village we're going to," Natsu said, looking from the road ahead to the carriage driver—a surprisingly young woman with her dark hair done up in a crazy pattern that reminded Natsu of an exploding dandelion. "What kind of place is it?"
He and Zeref had come up with a list of questions last night that they hoped to gather answers to, but he couldn't remember them at the moment. Trying to remember was driving him just a bit insane. Ugh, he should have written them down.
Dandelion-head shrugged, her attention not leaving the horses.
"It's nice enough, but the buildings are all so old. My brother likes the historical atmosphere, but I find it creepy at night."
"You mean like ancient ruins?"
She cracked a smile at that.
"Well, not quite that bad, but you can definitely tell that it's our oldest village. I guess so much happened there that the land remembers."
Natsu wasn't sure what she meant by the land remembering, but it sounded important so he made a mental note of it.
"I wonder if I'll be able to pick up some tea for mother when we stop at Whitewood Farm," she continued, more to herself than Natsu.
"No one told me we're stopping at a farm."
"It's just a short stop to pick up the pigs."
"Pigs?" Natsu repeated, not at all sure that he had heard that right. "What, they serve pork during the ceremony?"
She shot him a scandalized look.
"Of course not. We're all vegetarians. We don't believe in killing animals for food. The pigs are for Miss Luna. She likes pigs. They're clean, intelligent animals."
"Uh, right..."
The only thing Natsu knew about pigs was that they made excellent bacon. He'd certainly never heard anyone else claim pigs were clean or intelligent. That wasn't important though. It was the other part of what she had said that worried him.
"You people don't eat any meat at all?"
"That's right."
This was the worst thing he'd heard since they'd been forced to go on this assignment, and he was still very much preoccupied with it when the carriage rolled to a halt before a large, green farmhouse.
"Z! They're vegetarians!" he declared the moment he'd managed to get a hold of his partner. "I can't be a vegetarian."
"No one said you had to be," Z pointed out reasonably. "We can easily get our own food."
"Oh, well, I guess that's true." Natsu let go of him and glanced towards where several farmhands were herding three pigs onto a wagon. There were two pinkish white ones and one black one. "At least I eat all of the animal. That counts for something, right?"
"Well, you certainly don't waste anything."
"Yeah, people should never waste food."
Or anything else really, like time or money or talent.
"Did you discuss anything other than the upcoming menu?"
"Yeah, but nothing interesting. You?"
Z let out a long-suffering sigh.
"Lord Sho is very talented at talking about nothing."
.
Tent
Despite all the times they had camped out, Z realized that they had never used a tent before. With the weather shaping up the way it was, however, tents seemed a wise idea. Pitching it wasn't as hard as it first appeared with all the lines and poles and pegs, but it was still a slightly confusing experience.
While Natsu made a circuit of the camp's perimeter, he unrolled the blankets inside their tent and then sat for a moment with his eyes closed, letting his senses wander outward in search of any disturbances. There didn't seem to be anything major, but there was definitely a sense of unrest. The feeling seemed to permeate the entire area, and only grew stronger in the direction in which they were traveling.
Normally, winter brought with it a sense of quiet and stillness. It was the season when things died and the earth slept.
For a moment, Z found himself wishing for his partner's dragon form. There was no better companion than a Fire Dragon when camping out during the winter. The thought made him smile.
"Something amusing?" Natsu asked, joining him in the tent. He left the flaps open so they could keep an eye on the goings on outside.
"I was just thinking that I'm getting too used to being warm and comfortable."
"Don't be stupid. That's a good thing."
"Sometimes, it worries me."
"What does?"
"...You're going to tell me it's ridiculous."
Natsu just raised his eyebrows and waited, so Z did his best to explain.
"So basically," Natsu said dryly, "you're saying that it makes you worried sometimes because you're happy? You're right, I do think that's ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with being happy."
Put that way, he supposed it did sound a little strange. It was hard for him to explain to Natsu that sometimes, he felt as though he didn't have the "right" to be happy. The Dragon Slayer might or might not understand, but he would definitely not agree. After all, who in the world had the right to decide these things? In the end, it was a pointless thing to wonder about.
.
Predawn
It seemed they were destined not to have any peaceful nights on this trip.
The bear's entry into camp was heralded by a thunderous roar and the crash of breaking timber. The animal was huge, and its shaggy, dark brown coat was flecked with white flakes of snow. Scraps of green canvas clung about its shoulders—leftovers from the thankfully unoccupied tent it had ripped to shreds.
"Why isn't it hibernating?" Z wondered, throwing up a barrier to protect a few terrified members of Sho's retinue.
Natsu threw a blast of fire to drive it back towards the woods.
"Maybe something woke it up."
It certainly looked angry. Z wondered if he imagined the glint of red light in its eyes. It could have just been a trick of the flames.
The bear shied away from the blistering heat and changed direction, charging toward Sho's tent. It hit Z's barrier with enough force to make the wizard wince from the sound of the impact then staggered back a little, stunned by the collision. Natsu took the opportunity to strike the side of its head and it reeled away from all of them, snarling in pain and confusion. It shook itself hard, hesitated, then lumbered off into the trees. Zeref found himself feeling rather sorry for it, and Natsu probably did too because he let it go.
They didn't need to know what had disturbed it. Chances were, they'd find out soon enough.
.
Deaf
Z was developing a sort of selective deafness where it came to Lord Sho as a method of self defense. If he paid attention to everything the man said, his brain would go numb.
He missed Natsu, which was silly because he could see him just by looking out the window. The snowfall had slowed down the progress of their carriages considerably, and the Dragon Slayer was helping out by clearing away especially challenging drifts of snow with his magic.
Would it be rude if he read a book while the man talked?
"Father actually got attacked by a mountain lion. Can you believe that? We don't even live that close to the mountains. Not really."
"Do animals around your villages always behave this way during the winter?"
Sho jumped at the question. Z hadn't said a word to him all morning. He'd started to wonder if the wizard had fallen asleep with his eyes open.
"Well, yes, I suppose they do, but some winters are worse than others."
"This is one of the bad ones."
Sho's gaze slid away.
"It is."
Despite an obvious effort to keep his voice nonchalant, the two, short words were laced with guilt.
"That must make this time of year difficult."
Sho shrugged.
"A little, but we've got a lot of experience handling it and it's mostly gotten a lot better over the last couple decades. Hopefully, in a couple more years, it won't be a problem anymore."
"So you know why it happens?"
Sho had done an excellent job so far of sidestepping his more serious questions, so Zeref was surprised when this time, he actually got an answer.
"It's what the upcoming ceremony is for."
After that, the man grew unusually quiet, and Z discovered to his chagrin that this was somehow worse than the ceaseless stream of nonsensical chatter.
He sighed and went back to watching Natsu's one-sided slaughter of the snowdrifts. He was starting to get a headache.
.
Mistake
"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Zeref asked, allowing Natsu to pull him through the window into a storage room that smelled of dust.
"You want to know what's going on too, don't you?"
"Yes, but... are we not violating their trust by eavesdropping?"
"They're the ones who hired us and then didn't tell us anything about what's really happening. It's not like we're going to go blabbing about whatever it is we hear."
"I suppose so..."
Still, at first, it didn't seem like they were going to hear anything at all. The room where Sho was meeting with the Moon Village's headman had no windows, and they both spoke so quietly that their words came through as barely more than a whisper. Natsu was just considering how to change tactics when the thud of a fist slamming down onto a table broke the soft murmur and it was followed by an indignant exclamation.
"You stupid child! We're only having these diplomatic talks because of the mistake you made at last year's winter festival. All I can say is that you better be here to apologize to my daughter."
"I—but—I didn't mean... it wasn't my fault."
"Are you saying it was hers?"
The question came out like a sword being unsheathed.
"Well, no, but..."
"But nothing! You caused this mess. Now you need to fix it. You're an adult now, and that means you take responsibility for your actions."
There was a pause, then Sho said in a more subdued voice, "But I don't know how."
Now that he had stopped protesting his guilt, the older man's voice lost its hard edge.
"Think on it. Your parents always said you were bright. Stop focusing on who to blame and put yourself in her shoes. I'm sure you'll make the right decisions. You've got until the next full moon or it'll be too late for all of us."
"Do you... really think it will be that bad?"
"Look at what's happening to all the villages. You tell me."
It sounded like their conversation was winding down. Natsu motioned for Z to move back the way they had come and followed silently after.
"Do you think they're talking about those shadows? The woods around here are full of them."
"I would assume so," Z said, thinking back to the wilderness they had passed through on their way here. The eerie sensation of being watched by countless pairs of eyes had been quite unsettling, so much so that Z had relocated himself to the first carriage with Natsu despite Sho's protests. The young diplomat couldn't seem to grasp that it was for his own safety.
"Wonder if that's why Gramps wanted us to come."
Zeref wouldn't put it past him. The old guild master tended to know more about the goings on in the world than he let on. Perhaps it was an age thing. The same could be said of Z, except that Makarov was more well connected.
"There are a lot of guards for such a small place," Natsu mused, straightening out his clothes so it didn't look like he'd been sneaking around where he shouldn't be. "And they're all armed to the teeth."
"There are the wild animals to consider as well."
"That's true."
They'd seen the villagers drive off a wild boar—a difficult feat to be sure, and they had to admire the lengths to which the men and women went to avoid seriously wounding the animal. Ironically, that was probably a major reason for the sheer array of armor and weaponry. It was a lot harder to get rid of the animals without hurting them than it would have been to kill them.
"You two. You're the guild wizards, are you?"
The woman who approached them had a stern cast to her features that made her look older than she probably was. The multiple strands of wooden beads around her neck clicked and clacked with her steps.
"Yeah?" Natsu said, voice guarded. The look in the stranger's eyes felt far too calculating.
She stopped in front of them and crossed her arms, inspecting them from head to toe.
"I hear that you two are a couple. How long have you been together?"
Z stared.
Natsu raised his eyebrows.
"A couple years, I guess. It's hard to say exactly." Did the seven years he'd lost on Tenrou Island count? "A long time anyway. Why?"
The woman examined them for awhile longer then nodded to herself.
"You two are going to help me with something."
"We are?"
"You were hired to help this village," she pointed out. "This is important. Come, I'll make you some tea while I explain."
The wizards exchanged curious looks then Natsu shrugged and they followed. There was no harm in listening to what she had to say.
.
Brisk
The woman wasted no time getting down to business. Even before they'd sat down at her table, she was talking, her words even and brisk.
"Luna is my daughter. She and Sho will be married in a week."
It was a good thing she hadn't finished preparing the tea yet because they would probably have choked on it.
She caught their expressions and added, "It's the truth, although I know they don't act like it. I take it he didn't tell you. I don't know why I'm even surprised. He should be ashamed of himself, although I can't say Luna was any more sensible."
She huffed in annoyance and yanked open a cupboard to retrieve the tea leaves.
"The wedding was actually supposed to take place at the last festival. It's what you might call a political marriage, but they'd both agreed to it—and then they went and disrupted everything."
"Sorry, but we're really confused here," Natsu interrupted her. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The woman turned to frown at him.
"Did that boy not explain anything?"
"He has been doing his best to avoid it," Z said.
"Of course he has."
For a moment, her eyes flashed with real anger. But then all the emotion seemed to drain out of her and she sank into a chair after placing the teapot on the table.
"The ceremony that takes place here in a week is only one part of a much more complicated ritual that spans one entire year and is reenacted every two decades. The sequence begins with a wedding at the winter festival, but at last year's festival, the two of them had a huge fight and the wedding never took place. The timing is crucial, you see, and they missed it. This past year has been one long string of disasters because of it."
"So instead, the wedding will take place this winter," Z guessed.
"That's what needs to happen, but it won't work either if they haven't worked out their differences. This ceremony is part of a much greater gesture of reconciliation, and reconciliation has to come from the heart."
Before she could explain further, a knock came at the front door and she left the room to answer it.
Natsu turned to his partner with a peculiar expression on his face the moment she had gone.
"Is she trying to recruit us to do marriage counseling?"
Unfortunately, that was what it was starting to sound like. Or rather pre-marriage counseling. The couple weren't actually married yet.
"I... don't think we're qualified for this job."
Natsu scratched the back of his head. Honestly, he didn't think so either. They had been hire to fight monsters and fix whatever impending magical catastrophe was due here, not to provide relationship advice.
.
Luna
Dinner in the village was a communal affair. Since it had stopped snowing, cooking fires had been built in the open area at the center of the village and everyone who wasn't on guard duty gathered around them, helping out where they could. Z found himself peeling potatoes next to a girl who was glowering at said potatoes while she worked as though they had personally offended her. Natsu was in the woods searching for wild game, but from the looks of things, if he wanted meat as part of his dinner, they would have to do their cooking out in the woods as well. Of course, the matter might not come up. It was more than likely that the shadows in the woods had scared away most of the animals that they would normally eat.
"I wish you hadn't gotten here so quickly," she said, her voice grim and clipped as she hacked away at the defenseless roots.
Z wasn't sure what he was supposed to say.
"We arrived exactly on schedule."
"I know," she said flatly, still not looking at him. "Or they could have left Sho behind. I thought I asked them to send his brother instead."
"He... has a brother?"
The long strips of potato skin piled up in her bowl. The newly peeled roots got placed in a second bowl next to it that was half full of cold water so as to prevent them from going brown.
"He has an older brother and two younger ones. Yuda doesn't have as much magic as Sho, but at least he's always been kind and polite to me."
At this point, Zeref finally worked out who it was he was probably talking to.
"You are Lady Luna?"
She rearranged her dark brown hair behind her shoulders to keep it out of her way as she worked.
"That's me. You didn't know?"
"We are new here."
"I know that," she said with a sniff. "He didn't talk about me then."
Zeref thought back. The man had talked so much and almost all of it had been impossible to follow. He'd tuned out of half the trip.
"He might have. I don't really remember."
This only seemed to darken her mood further, and Luna moved on to chopping the peeled potatoes into neat, square chunks.
"Is it that important?"
"Well... I still think he owes me an apology, but I thought I might be able to forgive him if he at least showed signs of caring."
"It seems to me that he is the one you should be telling this to, not me."
"I don't want to talk to him. He just doesn't understand."
"He is not going to magically understand you from a distance."
That was a lesson he'd learned rather well.
He was starting to wonder if Luna and Sho had even been friends. But perhaps that was the problem with political arrangements. The parties involved were lucky if they could at least find something in common to build a real relationship on.
Z had often felt trapped by his own circumstances, but in comparison, he'd had a lot of freedom too. He was smart and his magic made him powerful, so he'd always been able to make his own decisions. Even when he'd felt like he hadn't had many choices. In a lot of ways, those choices had been limited by himself.
"Sho never wants to talk about anything important," she snapped suddenly, carving a peeled potato into bits with unnecessary vigor. "Oh, he loves to talk all right. But the moment anything serious comes up, he just runs away. I wish his brother had been the one born with the magic. At least I know he's not a coward."
Well, perhaps they had been friends after all. At the very least, her assessment of her betrothed seemed spot on.
"Can you... tell me more about this magic that you keep mentioning? Why does it matter that he was the child born with the most magical talent?"
As far as he remembered, Sho hadn't demonstrated any signs of being a wizard.
Luna turned to give him a speculative look.
"I'm not sure if I should tell you. We don't usually tell outsiders the details. Then again, you're here now, and we don't usually let outsiders visit during this time either..."
She trailed off, pondering this, then gave a single, abrupt nod.
"All right. Personally, I think it's unfair that you don't know."
And she was rather sensitive about unfairness at the moment.
Before she could begin on what promised to be a long story, however, the sky suddenly went dark.
.
First Sign
Funny really, Natsu thought. He was the only one on the edge of the woods who had no idea what was going on, but he was also the only one who was not panicking.
Well, whatever. He'd leave figuring out what the hell happened to Z. Natsu would deal with the immediate problem, which was the dense, misty darkness surrounding the village. It looked more gray than black, and it grew thinner the farther away from the village, wreathing the trees in smoke.
Natsu?
Yeah, I'm here. How are things inside?
Z sounded equally calm when he thought back, They're frantic, but other than that, it's quiet. I suppose we should dispel it before asking questions.
I could probably burn it up, Natsu said slowly. But... not without destroying everything inside it at the same time.
I can deal with that. Just give me a minute.
In the village, Z moved to a vacant area next to the cooking fires followed by Luna and a handful of others.
"What are you doing? This is bad. Why are you drawing at a time like this?"
Z signed and stopped writing.
"Do you want Natsu to burn this village to the ground?"
"Of course not!"
"Then please stop interrupting me."
She opened her mouth then shut it and crossed her arms. Z waited to make sure that was that then returned to his work.
Okay, he thought to Natsu, go ahead.
Outside, Natsu started to power up then paused and glanced around at the milling patrol unit.
"Hey, quit running around like headless chickens and get back out of the way unless you want to get hurt."
The anxious warriors obeyed, scurrying back as far as they could while still keeping the darkness in sight.
The Dragon Slayer waited impatiently for them to evacuate then let the magic loose.
For a moment, the evening turned to day. Fire, bright and hot and ferocious, devoured the strange, gray energy. Then abruptly, everything was normal again save for a peculiar, lingering sense of anger in the still air.
.
Night Sky
"We've always referred to it as the Curse of the Night Sky," Luna said gravely. "Our ancestors were arrogant and thought they could use their magic to capture the stars and keep the light of the heavens to themselves. I know it sounds rather mystical, but that's the thing with legends. They figured it would make them powerful, and back then, the Sun and Moon villages were at war. In war, people scramble for any advantage they can get with complete disregard for the consequences. It's unclear which village attempted it and which one tried to interfere and appropriate the power for itself, but that's hardly important anymore."
She sighed and took a bite of her roasted potatoes and herbs. Most of the older villagers had gathered for an emergency meeting, but the two wizards had chosen to speak with Luna instead.
"Those strange creatures out in the woods... They're given life by fragments of what our ancestors called Star Lacrima. I guess... because these Lacrima were created out of selfishness and for bloodthirsty reasons, their essence is twisted and dark. Dealing with them is our penance in a way. They are our demons, and they do their best to get in the way of the Ritual of the Sun and Moon."
"The ritual that was supposed to start with the wedding?" Natsu asked through a mouthful of food. It was actually quite good, and he'd appropriated an entire basin of the stuff for himself.
"That's the one." Luna's brow wrinkled at his mealtime manners, but she refrained from commenting. "The elders don't like to talk about it with outsiders because it makes them feel ashamed. Our ancestors angered nature itself with their actions, but they managed to pacify the spirits with a ritual of reconciliation. At this ceremony, we're able to neutralize a number of the Lacrima fragments that still exist without suffering serious magical backlash. Our hope is that a few more years of this and we'll have unmade all of them."
She hooked a finger under the chain around her neck and pulled. A pendant slid from beneath her collar, shaped like a crescent moon cradling a familiar shard of crystal.
"Sho has the counterpart. These two pendants are important in allowing the ceremony to work, and only someone with the right kind of magical potential can make them work."
For a moment, her expression grew clouded.
"This was actually supposed to be my elder sister's. She had more talent than I do, but she was killed by those creatures when I was nine and things changed."
The corners of her lips pulled downward and her eyes grew watery. They didn't ask for more details. Clearly, she needed some time alone with her memories.
Natsu considered this while he made most of his bowl disappear then glanced over at his partner.
"So what do you think? Can we destroy all the remaining Lacrima for them?"
Z had spent most of the conversation gazing out into the trees. At Natsu's question, he took a moment to recollect his thoughts.
"The woods feel angry."
"Yeah, I noticed that too."
"Somehow, I don't think our interference would help matters. We can stop this village from being overrun by those creatures, but if their problems really do come from angering the land and this ceremony is an act of reconciliation..." He shrugged, trying to find the right words. "We might just make things worse if we step in."
Natsu finished off the rest of his dinner and stood up.
"Right. In that case, I guess we'll just do what we can."
.
Child's Game
The small, wooden bird sped through the air amongst the children, darting past reaching hands and zigzagging under outstretched arms, the brightly colored feathers attached to it making it look almost like a real bird instead of a toy. They laughed as they chased after it, dodging around one another in an attempt to catch it.
"Mind if we join in?"
The boy who had been taking a break on the side beside a well glanced up, startled to find the two strangers. The wild-haired one grinned.
"It's a game, right?"
The child nodded. "We take turns flying the bird, and the others try to catch it. The one who captures it then becomes the flier."
"And how does it work?"
"Here, see?" The boy pulled another one of the wooden birds from his pocket and held it up to show them. "There's magic in it that lets it glide through the air, and if you're the one who activates it, you can direct which way it goes."
He cupped his hands before him, cradling the bird within them. Then with a whispered request for it to fly, he tossed it gently up into the air. The small wooden toy glowed briefly and then its wings began to whirl. It sort of resembled a hummingbird. Once it had begun to move, the child guided its motions with careful, sweeping gestures of his hands. After a minute, he deactivated the bird and held it out to them.
"You can try with this one if you want. I don't mind. If you really want to play, you might want to practice a bit first."
.
Shortcuts
Sho hadn't expected to find the two wizards taking part in a children's game. He hesitated some distance away, unsure if he should interrupt.
While he was struggling to make up his mind, Natsu excused himself from the game to grab a cup of water and stood for awhile beside the well just observing.
"You seem pleased," Sho said, approaching him.
"I'm glad he's having fun. It's rare to see him this relaxed around so many people."
And around children no less. It helped that the toy bird could be animated from a distance. Unsurprisingly, Z was quite adept at it, and the village children enjoyed the challenge.
Natsu found it a rather endearing picture.
"Oh, I see." Sho sighed. "I guess I shouldn't interrupt them then. I was hoping to talk to him."
This got Natsu's attention.
"About what?"
Sho shifted his weight from foot to foot, his gaze dropping to the packed dirt.
"I heard that he spoke with Luna."
"That's right. We both did."
"You did too? Then... do you know if she's still mad at me?"
"Have you apologized to her yet?"
Sho hung his head.
"Then yeah, I'd say it's a safe bet that she probably is."
Sho's shoulders slumped, but Natsu was unsympathetic.
"Seriously, stop looking for shortcuts and just go talk to her. Aren't you embarrassed at all that you can't even look her in the face? I mean, that's pretty pathetic."
"You don't have to be so mean about it."
"I'm just saying it like it is. Whatever you did, it's got to be bad if she's still angry with you a year later."
The man grimaced but didn't deny it. Although he hadn't meant to hurt her, her father was right. It really didn't matter who was at fault. It didn't change anything.
It was just... hard to face someone that he knew he had hurt.
.
Favor
"What did you say he asked us to find?"
"This," Natsu said, handing him a scrap of paper with the sketch of a plant on it in black ink. "I'm amazed at how realistic it looks. Can you believe it? I watched him draw it himself."
"Sho did?" Z was likewise surprised. "He is quite artistic. Some color would have been helpful though."
"It's supposed to be yellow and glow in the dark. I'm hoping that's a suitably unusual trait. Apparently, they believe it grows where stars have fallen."
"Did he know where we should begin our search? This is not a small forest."
"He said to head east. There's supposed to be some rockier terrain in that direction."
Zeref glanced up at the sky—or what he could see of it anyway with the gray fog once again beginning to thicken.
"I suppose we had better hurry then."
The strange creatures born from the Lacrima fragments became more active with nightfall, and it would be better for the village if they returned by then.
"So what were you talking about with the children?" Natsu asked, not taking his eyes off their surroundings. He could sense the shadowy specters watching them, but they were keeping their distance.
"They knew a surprising amount about what happened between Lord Sho and Lady Luna. I suppose most of the villagers forget that the children see and hear things too." Z glanced one more time at the sketch, committing it to memory then pocketed it. "It started with him accidentally insulting something she had cooked for him, and it just digressed from there. But what actually caused the fight was his mention of her sister."
"The one he was originally supposed to marry."
"I assume so. It... upset her deeply."
The Dragon Slayer shook his head.
"Sounds like some silly, messed up stage drama, but I guess people's lives can really be that way sometimes and silly things can still be important. You don't mind when I tell you I don't like something you make, do you?"
"No. I would much rather you were honest with me."
And anyway, he wasn't the kind of person who would take such comments personally. You didn't get to be really good at things that way.
"It's crazy how many problems come from people just not talking about things though."
"Perhaps that is because talking is not enough. There has to be a desire and a willingness to understand." Z paused then added, "Although it sounded to me like what happened at their festival was rather a lot more complicated than that."
Relationships often were.
It made Z wonder how his and Natsu's relationship managed to remain so simple.
Natsu snorted when he expressed this sentiment.
"It only feels simple because we choose not to let it be complicated. Our lives are too damned complicated as it is."
.
Fallen Stars
Luckily, the wild boar ambushed them just before they found the flowers and not after. Z's magic dispatched it before either of them could do anything else, killing a ring of trees around them in the process. Well, no help for it. Natsu wasn't going to let the opportunity go to waste anyway. Looked like there would be meat at the dinner table later at least, and the Dragon Slayer was very much looking forward to it. Vegetables were all well and good, but he got hungry so much more quickly when vegetables were all he ate.
The flowers in question shone a pale, iridescent yellow that reminded Z of the golden pearls he'd seen in a shop when they were on Princess Arianna's island. Sprinkled across the dark grays and greens of the rocky hillside, it was easy to see how they had earned their name as fallen stars.
"I have to admit," he said, kneeling to examine the blossoms more closely, "that these appear quite exceptional."
Natsu set down the boar carcass he'd been carrying so he could join him.
"What do you know? They really do glow in the dark."
They both reached for the nearest plant, which was why—when the wave of odd emotions struck—it hit them both at the same time. A bittersweet mixture of happiness and regret so intense that it was almost painful made Zeref gasp and yank his hand away. He looked up to find an equally startled Dragon Slayer now eyeing the flowers with wary respect.
"What just happened?"
Z raised a hand to his temple then dropped it again, shaking his head dazedly. The emotions had come with vivid visions of vast, star-filled skies and a dizzying sense of great distance. No wonder they were both a little disoriented.
"It seems that its appearance is not the only unusual thing about it."
"I would have preferred to be warned," Natsu said dryly.
His irritation was halfhearted, however. He, too, had to admit that these botanical specimens were something special. That vision of the night sky had left him with a nagging, unidentifiable wistfulness that made him restless and a tad annoyed.
His partner, on the other hand, looked enchanted.
"I wonder if we could bring one home to examine. I suppose it's fortunate that this area has not seen much snow."
"I don't see why not. There's plenty of them here," Natsu said, although he added doubtfully, "Don't know why you'd want to study one though. I don't think I like them very much."
Z lifted his gaze to Natsu's, confused.
"Why not?"
"You don't think they're..." The Dragon Slayer trailed off, gesturing with his hands while he searched for the right words. "Kind of sad?"
The Black Wizard considered this while he unfolded one of the cloth pouches he usually used to collect edible plants. He turned it inside out and used it like a glove to remove some of the flowers without touching them with his bare skin.
"I suppose there is an element of sadness in it, but it makes me think of home. It is the sadness of precious memories which are precious both because they make me happy and because that is what they are. Memories."
Flowers stowed away, complete with carefully preserved roots, Z straightened to find his partner watching him with an uncharacteristic tenderness. Z seldom talked about these particular feelings because they tread far too close to dangerous mental territory, but it wasn't difficult for Natsu to figure out why such memories were so important to him.
"Well, come on then," he said quietly, moving to retrieve the boar. "We should probably roast this before we go back so it doesn't upset them. I smelled a stream on our way here. It shouldn't be hard to find a good place along it to build a fire."
Z nodded and followed with one last glance back at the glimmering hillside, mind already skipping forward to what seasonings they could use.
.
Dark Morning
On the day of the ceremony, the sunrise never came. Or rather, they couldn't see the daylight through the dense, gray fog that had rolled back over the village.
Natsu and Z kept a respectful distance from the old shrine just outside the village where the villagers were gathering for the ceremony. Although they had been invited, both of them felt keenly that the ceremony was meant to be a private affair and no place for outsiders. It was the result of something shameful in their history, and anyway, the two wizards had to keep an eye on the shadows watching from the trees.
"Sho is more skilled a wizard than I would have guessed," Z said, shifting his seat on the rooftop and looking back at the torches that had been lit before the shrine's rectangular entryway. "Did you see what he did with that flower?"
"You mean the ring he made?" Natsu asked, still watching the woods rather than the ritual.
"Well, there is that, but I was thinking about the enchantment he placed on it. Seems those flowers can be used to imprint personal memories and emotions. Whatever he plans to say to her, he wants to make sure she knows he is sincere."
Natsu could smell incense on the wind mixed with the fresh scent of dew.
"Reliving someone else's memories sounds kind of creepy if you ask me.""
"Hmmm. Yes, I suppose that would be quite disturbing. But I wonder... if it would really help people understand one another."
Natsu gestured at a point along the tree line to their left and Z responded with a flick of his writs, catching a shadowy figure in a magic circle that prevented it from advancing any further. He couldn't see as well as Natsu in the dark, but the Slayer's directions were enough to help him pinpoint their targets. Once he was sure the creature could not escape, he tucked his hand back under the heavy, winter cloak the villagers had given him. Whatever they had used to weave it, it proved extremely warm and he was very grateful for it.
"They're not very bright, are they?" Natsu observed.
The area was now dotted with the golden circles like eerie, ornamental spotlights. There had to be at least a dozen, and the ceremony beyond hadn't even started yet.
"They want to preserve their own existence. Their boldness is understandable."
"You think they're capable of thinking that much?"
Another gesture, another magic circle.
"Perhaps not."
.
Disenchantment
Even from this distance, Zeref could see the Lacrima set into the sun and moon pendants glowing fiercely silver and gold. And as their respective keepers held them up, that light intensified and rippled outward.
Natsu looked around at his partner's sharp intake of breath just as the wave of light washed over them and spilled into the trees. Everything in its wake shimmered as though wrapped in a thin film of shining water, and then the light touched the forest and the formerly dark heavens began to fill with stars. Some of the shadows scattered, but others remained still as though transfixed, and as the glow touched them, they thinned and dissipated like smoke on the breeze. The chips of Lacrima that had given them life would flare briefly and then vanish, leaving behind only wisps of starlight that lingered in the air for a moment before drifting skyward to add another point of brilliance to the dark expanse.
"Well," Natsu muttered, "you don't see that everyday."
His partner murmured a soft agreement. For a ritual designed to neutralize an old enchantment, it was certainly unusually spectacular. Spells were usually more remarkable when they were being cast than when they were being broken.
"Do you think that means we're done here?"
"I suppose we shall have to ask them."
.
Illustration
The old woman was painting coasters. She had several of the round, clay discs laid out before her on her work bench, and several other completed ones were on display upon a cloth-covered table.
The coaster that had caught his eye—mostly for its comparative simplicity—looked like a white and a black teardrop fitted together to form a circle. In the center of the white teardrop was a small black circle while a corresponding circle of white lay at the heart of the black.
"It is a symbol that we use to illustrate the world," the old woman said when she caught him studying it.
"You mean the balance of light and darkness?"
"That, and also something more. You see, light and darkness are complex concepts. Contrary to popular opinion, they are not the same as good and evil. In the darkest shadows, you can sometimes find the brightest light. And in the brightest of lights, sometimes, there will be the darkest shadow."
Z looked back down at the ceramic coaster and its white and black teardrops. It was an interesting addition to the usual concept of balance. He wasn't sure what he thought of it though.
Light coming from darkness and darkness from light.
On some level, he supposed it made a kind of sense, but for some reason, it troubled him too.
After pondering it for a moment longer, he bought the coaster and four others from her and stowed them away in his travel bag. Their friends would probably appreciate the souvenirs. He could sense Natsu approaching, finished at last with making arrangements for their journey home. It was time to go.
TBC...
.