Sighs... Well, this is it. This is goodbye.
Back to the Hunt
Adamine's already broken body could have fallen apart instantly when one of her cousins' spies appeared in front of her. The arms that had been supporting her gave out, and Ignatia hastily grabbed the girl up. As soon as her emerald eyes locked onto Isaac and Urian's most trusted comrade, Raid, the both of them dropped their jaws.
"My lady!" Raid howled before dashing towards her. The daggers in his belt were instantly sheathed, and he snatched her body up. Knee slid across the stone before he halted in front of her. Two hands cradled her sun kissed face where he promptly slammed his lips to her stunned mouth.
"Whoa! What the hell?" Bickslow yelped when he looked down to see Adamine's mouth locked with some random guy's.
Raid couldn't stop kissing her as his lips danced against hers once, twice, and three times. When he finally decided that he'd kissed her enough, the man's arms wrapped around her. "My lady, I cannot believe you're safe. Goddess, your cousins had me searching forever," he stated despite the tremors still wracking the chamber.
Adamine's face lit up brightly before she kissed her comrade in a customary Lancet greeting. Cradling Raid's face in her palms, Adamine just stared into his eyes for a second. The moment might have looked romantic had Bickslow not stomped his foot like an angry child. "What the hell is up with all this kissing?" he pouted, sounding like an angry child just as much as he looked like one.
It was then that Adamine noticed his visor had gotten completely smashed. He had nothing to hide the flush crossing his skin, and confused Adamine just explained, "Still don't know what kissing is, Bickslow. This is just how friends greet each other." As if to prove her point, she kissed Raid on the lips again.
Even as the cave around him was trying to fall apart and even as the growling coming from that huge ass hole in the floor got closer, Bickslow was positive he was going to blow a gasket if Adamine kissed that guy one more time. His totems attempted to snicker at him, but he hastily withdrew their souls back inside of his mind.
The apparent "friends" stopped staring into each other's eyes when two massive hands pulled from the pit. As soon as the beast named the Fifth Element rose its ugly head, Bickslow caught sight of Adamine limping to get into position. Something was wrong with her leg. That was obvious. He would also be surprised if she didn't have a broken rib or two. There was no way that she needed to fight this battle. Her injuries were becoming far too serious. It wasn't like the little idiot wore armor either.
When she tottered once more on her weak leg, Bickslow snagged her by the shoulder. Her hand clamped on Bickslow's shoulder for support, and he wrapped his arm around her waist to help her up. "You're not fighting this time," he explained.
"What?" she burst out. As soon as she tried to adjust against him, blood pulled from an internal wound. Crimson splashed across her lips. Clenching her ribs, Adamine snarled, "Black Pearl's down there. I have to get her!"
"You don't have to do anything," the strange guy that Bickslow felt oddly jealous of explained. He kissed Adamine again, and Bickslow had to resist the urge to make the guy's body spontaneously combust. All he had to do was get the guy to look him in the eyes. It was too easy. After raising a brow at Bickslow, the male stated, "Your cousins sent me to find you. Allow me the honor of becoming your knight as well. We cannot have our—" Eyes cut to Bickslow like he was just noticing the Seith Mage. "—lady harming herself any longer."
Mockingly, Bickslow thought, Ner. My lady. Ner. Knight in shining armor. Look at me with my pointy knives and foreign accent. I'll save the princess from the ugly demon arms. Ner. Na. Ner. He could have gagged.
"Don't worry about the Stoner," Bickslow commented. "She's got enough people to look after her." His head nodded toward Ignatia, Ever, and Freed. Even Laxus was adjusting to narrow his eyes on the dagger wielding mage.
All that got Bickslow was a glower from the foreign guy with the swoopy hair and foreign accent. Gloved hands ran through light purple hair, and the guy looked like he was about to say something until the demon pulled from the hole in the floor.
Large wings filled the room, and skeletal hands sunk against the cave floor. The punishing grip of the demon on the stone floor had it fracturing under the beast's weight. When those wings gave a single flap of their feathered flesh, a massive gust of wind filled the room.
Snatching Adamine before she could be pushed back by the breeze, Bickslow flexed his legs and held firm to his spot. Adamine was wounded. She didn't need to fight. It sucked that they didn't have a prominent healer with them. All Ever or Freed could do was heal minor wounds. Anything deep tissue was beyond their skill level.
When blood tried to bubble up on Mina's lips once more time, he wiped it off her skin. "That's why you're not fighting," he warned, trying to get the message across with a narrowing of crimson eyes.
"Gotta get to Pearl!" Adamine barked out over the harsh gust in the air. Her hair whipped wildly around her head, and she was gritting her red stained teeth. Stupid girl. She needed to learn when to back down. She was almost like a certain blonde slayer Bickslow knew all too well.
"Adamine," Bickslow stated for the sake of getting her to make eye contact with him.
"What?" she snapped, ready for another argument of how she was going to fight in this wounded state. She didn't argue. Their eyes locked, and as soon as his glowed emerald, she fell limp against his shoulder. The command to sleep was something she couldn't deny after he'd sunk his hands around her soul.
The stranger in the room tossed his eyes towards Adamine. He was standing in a position to protect the slayer, and when he saw Adamine limp on Bickslow's arm, he did a double take. Before Bickslow could hear the foreigner's voice, he explained, "I put her to sleep. You didn't want her to fight either." A simple nod was the reaction he got.
Coming up to Bickslow's side, Ignatia pressed two fingertips against Adamine's forehead. She couldn't be asked what she was doing because by the time the question arose on his lips, Adamine's body was shrunken to a pixie size. Like she was collecting fireflies, Ignatia pulled a lacrima from a pouch on her dress before sealing Adamine inside of it. "She won't be able to break from that even if she wakes up!" Ignatia howled over the roaring winds.
Her head snapped forward when the wings of the skeletal reaper opened wide. If there was a name for the Fifth Element, Bickslow was assuming it to be death. This beast was death incarnate from its skeletal body to its black wings. When it rose a scythe up from the whole its massive form was pulling from, Bickslow knew what they were up against, a damned reaper.
"It woke when Laxus took me to the holding cell. Apparently, a tarot card was activated right before Adamine took the Master out," the foreigner explained.
"How do you know all of this?" Freed questioned as he helped Laxus to stand.
"I'm a spy sent to retrieve Adamine. Her cousins sent me with an important message about the kingdom, and I have to protect my lady from whatever and whoever is after her. The name is Raid, and the rest of what I know is strictly confidential. All that I ask is for you to trust me," purple hair explained. His yellow eyes looked towards the reaper. As soon as it reared back with its scythe, he withdrew his daggers.
They spun on his fingers, dancing before he threw a mess of them into the air similar to a trick Erza had been learning lately. They floated around him like her Heaven's Wheel Armor swords did, but when the scythe came down, something entirely different happened.
Tossing his gloved hand in the air, Raid stated, "Hallowed Blades of the Lancet Assassin!" Behind him the blades danced. They spun in a circular motion before pointing inwards, towards their user. When Raid's hands broke from the air and spread along either of his sides, white light charged from the blades. The light stabbed down into twenty points that stabbed inside of the body of the mage. When the scythe came down, Raid clamped two hands down on either side of the metal.
His knees bent under the weight of the giant's pressure, but his white glowing body didn't relent. As everyone stood stunned around him, he called, "I would greatly appreciate a little help here!"
Heads shook as some people found themselves, but Laxus was the first to recover. Despite his injuries, the dragon slayer leaped up from the ground. Lightning shot forward from his fingertips to stab against the metal blade in Raid's hands. The metal conducted his electricity straight to the hilt, and the beast holding the scythe loosed a snarling roar.
Jumping atop the blade, Freed's demon form charged forward. Darkness leaked from the body of the scythe wielder, but he only had his own darkness to give to the creature. A roar from his lips commanded, "Darkness Breathe!" The devilish version of a tornado pulled from the air around him. A black whirlwind charged to the throat of the demon, but it did nothing when it hit home. Just the brief moment of confusion in Freed's expression was enough to get him thrown from the blade he stood atop.
Skeletal limbs reached out, snatching the mage up, but Ignatia came in as another distraction. When Raid's Hallowed Body couldn't hold the scythe any longer, he threw it forward with a strength that belied his stature. As soon as the blade when hurdling forward, Ignatia shifted into her Giant Form.
The overgrown version of a small girl tackled the reaper. They were nearly the same size when Ignatia used her Giant's Fall attack. Two giants waged war in the cavern, and Ignatia's hand locked around the wrist of the reaper's. Snapping off the bone, she threw the fist holding Freed captive to the ground.
His body rolled, but he didn't stay down long. As soon as he recovered, another blow came his way. The blade he'd once ran across gave a horizontal slash. Snagging Laxus up before he could be taken unaware by the blow, Freed leaped into the air. As soon as they were there, Laxus used his Lightning Body to charge towards the reaper.
Four totems joined him. They created a shield around Laxus's body when a ball of black magic released from the open maw of the reaper. As soon as that blast broke the emerald shield of Bickslow's totems, Laxus sunk his hands down against the reaper. Electricity poured from his body to stab into the reaper.
Underneath him the demon bucked and thrashed. The scythe in its hands was blown off by a combined attack of Evergreen's Gremlin and Ignatia's Pixie Dust. The group was slowly dismembering the beast bit by bit.
Writhing limbs became an occupational hazard when Bickslow had to leap over a fist flying from dismemberment. His totems came close where he directed for them to fire towards the throat of the monster, but the he had a question. "How do you kill something that's already dead?" A disembodied hand turned into an enemy when Bickslow used his totems to guard their crawling charge.
Raid was dealing with his own problems as well. The daggers of the man came up defensively as he guarded against the stab of a skeletal appendage. With his teeth gritted, Raid explained, "Dova put one of her souls inside of it when they first came upon the guardian of this cave. According to the hieroglyphs, it's not to be awakened until the Coming of Armageddon." He grunted while doing a backspin away from a stabbing of the hand. Blowing the piece of bone to bits with another white light from his daggers, Raid added, "Since it's Lancet mythology, I would assume that to be when Prince Isaac is awakened."
"Prince Isaac? Adamine's cousins are a part of this thing!" Evergreen harped. She was nearly stabbed by the blade of the scythe until Ignatia flew in.
Using her pixie wings, Ignatia threw the blade over her head and to where Laxus and Freed were fighting against the main body. She huffed, "Yes! The three mages of nobility are each cursed. Adamine being the demi goddess. Urian being the prince hidden in lies. And, Isaac being born of impure blood. Adamine is to bring the liberation of Lancet. Isaac is to open the Gates of Hell. Lastly, Urian is to close the Gates of Hell. When one of them awakens, the others are soon to follow." Transforming into an Erinyes, Ignatia tackled one of the fingers on the dismembered hand. She howled, "Erinyes Fury!" Eyes rolled back in her head as pink light charged the air around her. Releasing that powerful blast towards the hand, she rendered it to dust. But, like most of her transformations so far, she hastily switched back to her regular self. Apparently, she'd only mastered her siren and pixie forms.
Freed's body was launched backwards once more, and Bickslow shot his totems out to catch him in a green barrier at the same time that Raid did that white light thing. Instantly, he blew up the other hand coming after the two of them. When he slumped to the stone floor, Freed questioned, "Then how do we get rid of it?"
Raid turned hastily when another ball of energy was being charged in the demon's skeletal maw. Grabbing Ignatia up by the collar of her dress, he hauled them to cover. The entire group leaped towards the barrier Adamine had thrown up using her Gemstone Magic instead of her Slayer Magic. As the shadow ball stabbed into the back of their shield, Raid explained, "There must be… a Tarot card. Something of that sort. Do any of you believe you can get close enough to examine its body?"
"I can try!" Ignatia chimed, shrinking her body in an instant.
Raid's reaction was a simple nod. Even when Ignatia flew off, sneaking past the blast of the demon, Raid turned his eyes towards the group. In his proper accent, he explained, "I will be taking my lady back home with me after this battle is over and her wounds are seen to. The war in Lancet is becoming… worse…"
No one was able to object because their shield broke. Leaping up, Raid threw his daggers into the skeleton of their enemy. It did nothing. More blasts of darkness flew from its open mouth. Taking an opportunity to command them, Raid stated, "Ma'am, I will need you to fly towards the jaw of the Reaper."
After a second of realizing she was the only ma'am there, Evergreen pointed to herself. Her response from Raid was an amazingly patient smile. He fired a blast of his white light coated daggers to stop an elbow from crashing into the fairy, and when she got the hint, Evergreen got in close. "On my command!" Raid broke out with the accent that was still making Bickslow burn. "Now, then, gentlemen, I will need you to charge your attacks. We're taking that thing's jaw out!"
Even though Laxus clearly didn't like taking orders from any fancy speaking foreigner, he obeyed. The guys charged up their magic. Gold, emerald, ebony, and ivory all burned before each mage released their attacks.
"Lightning Dragon's Roar!"
"Hyperion Formation!"
"Darkness Breath!"
"Leprechaun!"
And, lastly… "Final Assault!" poured from the bodies of the mages. While the pixie form of Ignatia was behind the body of the Reaper, she saw the great beast nearly topple over when a mighty blast of magic slammed into a concentrated part of its body. The jaw that had been firing away Shadow Rays crumbled to a thousand pieces.
As a head toppled from the spinal column of the Reaper, Ignatia's hands came across a Tarot Card wedged in its throat. Slender hands gripped it as the toppling skull neared. Ignatia pulled with all her might, but the skull only came closer. Those thousand pounds of pressure neared her too closely as she tugged on the card. "Come on! Come on!" she hissed to the wedged item. Right when it looked like she was surely going to be crushed by the demon's skull, her hands pulled the card free. All of the bones instantly began to crumble around her.
Ignatia's wings frantically sent her weaving throughout skeletal body parts as she attempted to escape. When a massive wing fell her way, her only escape route was blocked off my black feathers. A shrill scream bubbled right up to the surface of her tongue before she found herself in Freed's arms. The demon transported her quickly out of harm's way before the two of them fell to their knees.
As the skeletal beast crumbled all around them, they could only stand their catching their breaths. Energy had been spent. It would take a while to recharge, and after all of this adventuring, it was Ignatia whose cry made the most sense. "I need to go to a spa!" Not one of the members of the group could have agreed more.
Even as they sat their catching their breath, Raid had to ask, "May I see my lady?"
A tired head nod was all he got before being handed the slayer in the lacrima. Amidst all of the chaos around them, Adamine didn't look like she had budged. The dragon slayer was curled up at the bottom of the lacrima. Her lips were parted beautifully, and her eyelashes laid spiky shadows across her cheekbones. Whatever that visor wearing Seith Mage had done to her, it had done its job. Adamine was safe and sleeping soundly. Raid was thankful.
His body fell down as he laid on his back. With Adamine securely in his grasp, the Lancet spy reminded, "Only until she's fully recovered."
Two Days Later…
Adamine didn't think that she could ever have it this good. Her hands roamed over pinstriped bedsheets, and she snuggled the black pillow between her arms even tighter. The smile on her face was that of sheer contentment as she laid in an actual bed instead of a stone floor or grassy meadow for the first time in forever. Yeah, she'd slept on beds before, but this was the first time she'd actually gotten to enjoy one.
Grinning at her situation, Adamine didn't think that the morning could get any better until the scent of brunch crept through the bedroom door. Her nose lifted up as if of its own accord when a Seith Mage popped his head into his bedroom. "I see you're enjoying the big bed," Bickslow observed, having offered to take the Murphy bed while Adamine recovered in his.
"Why? You jealous?" she taunted, sitting up on the bed to reveal her bandaged abdomen. Not only was her side bandaged, but underneath those bedsheets, her leg was in a cast. She hadn't come out of that scrape in the Dragon's Den without taking a few knocks, and she wasn't the only one.
Most of them were wrapped up nice and tight. Ignatia, who was staying with Evergreen at Fairy Hills, had wound up breaking her arm without realizing it. Raid had gotten a minor concussion from one of the blows he'd taken. Laxus was wearing a cast on his leg much like Mina. Freed was in a splint. Bickslow had a stab wound that had went clean through his side. Also, the hole he'd gotten through the bicep was wrapped up nicely. All of them were on the track to recovery thanks to a certain Porlyusica, a woman who still wanted to know just why everyone was so beat up. Also, she wanted to know who Adam, Raid, and Ignatia were. Laxus, amazingly, had convinced her to drop it and keep them a secret from the master. So far, Makarov didn't even know they were all back from their missions.
"Na. I could sleep in here whenever I wanted. I'd just have to move your fat ass," Bickslow stated back. He stepped inside of the room then laid his forearm against the doorway. He was apparently comfortable with her presence. With nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair slicked back from a shower, he had gotten very used to the dragon slayer in his bed. After looking at Adam from the doorway for a second, he apparently decided that he was going to move her fat ass. Sitting with her on the bed, he asked, "You doing alright?"
"I could be better," she admitted, rubbing her empty and growling stomach. Even though her mood was light, a seriousness crossed over her face. "If I knew where to start looking for Pearl again, I would be much better."
Bickslow's head nodded, and he laid his elbows on his knees.
They had searched for Black Pearl, Dova, and the Master after the battle had been said and done. Those with the worst wounds had gone to a hospital to get looked at while Bickslow, Freed, and Raid had looked for the runaways. There hadn't been even a piece of hair to prove they had been there in the first place. They had fallen through that hole and disappeared somewhere amongst the many bones that had tumbled down as well. As for Dova? No one had a clue. Not even Freed could see how she escaped his runes. It was all a great big mystery. One Adamine was sure to go looking into once she was healed.
"You're not going to join the guild then. Are you?" Bickslow wondered. He knew the answer. He just wanted her to confirm his fears.
"No," she stated solemnly. "I'm still a danger. The Priests escaped, Black Pearl is still gone, my kingdom is still looking for me, and I have to find Firmalione. Maybe, if my life ever slows down, I'll join… But, until then, I'll just be passing through."
His head nodded once more before he playfully fell back in her lap. A sharp Oof came from her lips before she blinked down at him. "Guess I'll just have to lay here to make sure you don't leave then," he stated, getting comfortable.
Adamine's lips held a sad smile before she began to run her fingers through his mohawk. He could have purred when her red painted nails, nails done by Evergreen and Ignatia as she slept, ran over the short, shaved sides of his head. This felt good.
"Is anyone else up?" she wondered, ruining his moment.
Popping open one red eye, Bickslow looked at her. He knew why she asked that. Adamine wanted to get going. "No," he stated firmly, lying because Freed was cooking brunch. Though it was surely not half as good as Mina food, Freed was still the best cook in the Raijinshuu.
"You're lying," Adamine called out, pinching his nose and twisting it.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! What was that for?" he hissed, rubbing his nose where she'd tried to pull it off his face.
"Oh, please, you can nearly drown in a river, nearly die in a cave, but when I pinch your wittle nose, you get all cracked up," she teased, poking him in the forehead.
"Yes!" he stated, "You can't ruin this handsome face. It's all I got to pick up the ladies. You know my personality is half-assed." He shifted to beam up at her. Pearly canines flashed up at her.
Rolling her eyes, Adamine sighed, "Please. You could get any girl you wanted."
"Why do you say that?" he wondered, blush crossing his cheekbones abruptly.
"Because I think you're right handsome and have a great personality," she explained. "If humans had a mating season, I wouldn't be opposed to being your partner. You would make good babies." Her face split into a big smile. Had Bickslow not known she'd lived her entire life in the woods with nothing but a dragon as her mother, he might have found that odd.
Since he did know all of that, he swallowed the knot in his throat. His Adam's apple bobbed before Freed entered the room.
When heat crossed Freed's face at their intimate position, Bickslow had to give a second to imagine what he and Adamine must have looked like to the mage. Bickslow was lying back in Adam's lap. Her hands were in his hair, and he was in nothing but a towel. Not to mention that all she was wearing was a wrapping of bandages around her breasts and abdomen before her body dipped beneath the blankets.
He belied the slight embarrassment at being caught like this with Adamine by greeting, "Morning, Freedrich. Nice day we're having. Isn't it?" Hands pulled to backwards, and he grabbed the waist behind his head. She fit so perfect in his long hands.
Not even noticing Freed was turning red or looking flustered, Adamine continued to run her fingers through Bickslow's hair. "Good morning, Freed. Are you cooking already?" she asked innocently.
"I-uh… Yes, I am. I was hoping you could help me with the stove… the pilot light went out," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck shyly.
Ah, yes. Many random things had been breaking around the apartment here lately. Ever since Adamine proved how nifty she was with a wrench, Bickslow and Freed had been making excuses for her to repair objects like she was their handyman. Why? They didn't want her to leave. They could fix everything themselves, but if that happened, Adamine might go running off to do her laundry list of missions.
The hands petting Bickslow stopped, and she rested her palm on his forehead. "Oh? All you have to do is lift the top and relight it. Do you not know how?"
Since Freed was sworn to never tell a lie thanks to his strict Rule Code, Bickslow lifted himself from Adamine's lap. Snickering, the Seith Mage proclaimed, "Freed's not the best handyman, ya know."
The totems that had been busily bobbing around in his skull ran out to fill their totem bodies. Once they were sealed within, one cried, "Not good at repairs."
Another added, "Not the best handyman!"
Even when the Rune Mage glowered in the direction of the floating babies, he chose to say nothing. Instead, Freed went to get Adamine the crutch she'd laid beside Bickslow's bed. One of his dolls beat the mage to it. Adamine's crutches hovered right over to her where she promptly used them to lift herself up.
Her bandaged leg threw off the bed like she wasn't even harmed. Had Bickslow not known the mage had turned her leg adamantine to keep from feeling pain, he would have said something. It didn't stop him from keeping an eye on her until she made her way to the door.
As soon as Adamine entered the short hall between the bedrooms and the living room, Bickslow's door shut for him to at least put some pants on. The sooner he got dressed, the sooner he'd be decent enough to present himself to others. When Raid and Ignatia came around, Bix and Freed weren't sure how long they were going to keep Adamine around.
His hands flung his towel into a laundry basket before he picked a pair of boxers from his Clean Pile. Soon as those were around his waist, he tugged up his dark, black/purple pants. His shirt pretty much taunted him as it hung from a chair in the room.
For some reason he felt like getting dressed meant Adamine was going to be gone. He felt like as soon as he put that stupid shirt on, he'd be letting her go. Snarling at the girlish thought, Bickslow snatched it right up. It hugged his broad chest and biceps before he latched a pair of suspenders to his pants. The pinstriped shirt covered his body nicely.
It flaunted his physique before coming up to create a high collar that Bickslow could pull into a makeshift hood. The hand came up to scratch the back of his head. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he thought back to what Adamine said about him. Handsome? Well, she was on point with that much. Bickslow had a Don't-Give-A-Damn style that was his charm. He thought the tattoo across his face was more of a highlighting accent than a distracting one. Personality? It wasn't like he was a bad person. Yeah, he liked to fight too much, and his babies wrecked havoc all over the place. But, he was a pretty nice guy.
Those things weren't what he was thinking about. He was thinking about what she said about being with him. Two hands clenched the sides of his head, and he tossed his blue-purple hair forward by slapping around at it. No one had ever said that they found him attractive or had a good personality… at least… not in a romantic sense. Those kinds of compliments were rare, especially to a guy.
Giving his head a hard shake, Bickslow forced his head out of the gutter. What the hell? He wasn't a lap dog. He wasn't someone's boy toy. Why the hell was he all torn up about this strange, rebellious girl and her strange, rebellious attitude? She was freakier than he was! He shouldn't be staring at the mirror trying to figure out what she meant by what she said. He was a guy!
Even as he snatched his armor plates up, he heard one of his dolls snicker, "Bickslow's nervous!"
"I'm not nervous," he hissed, lying to himself. Those babies knew him better than he knew himself. Whatever they said was truth. They were the purist things he'd ever come across because souls were stripped of their human shells. Forms of vanity and jealousy were lesser after a lost soul had been found. When those guys called him out, it was spot on.
"Bickslow likes Mina," another pointed out.
With the scowl on his face deepening, Bickslow opened up the door to his bedroom. As soon as he got into the hallway, though, he took a stutter step. Adamine was sitting on the counter with her legs daintily rocking back and forth in front of her. Diamond nails were peeling an orange as Freed tended to the stove top she'd got back in running order. When her green eyes met his and an instant smile swept across her face, Bickslow blinked a couple of times at her.
Two of his dolls rammed into his back to get him going while another reminded, "Mina's leaving."
"Go see her!"
The four little wingmen had his back. As soon as Bickslow drew a seat, spun it around, and straddled it all in order to make himself feel more masculine than the warmth creeping up his spinal column, he watched them fly around Adamine.
Her smile spread wider as she cradled one in her hands then kissed another when it hovered in front of her. Bix swore that he'd never seen a woman so comfortable with the supernatural until Adamine gasped, "Oh! Bickslow, I made you something!"
"Made me something?" he wondered, raising a brow.
Adamine's head nodded adorably, sending caramel locks bouncing around her shoulders. That long made was wild and untamable. He wondered just how she ever got it inside of that bandana. Breaking him from his question was a random object getting tossed his way.
Hands snatched the object in the air. When he looked down, he just blinked at a stone version of his wooden totems.
"It's not really for you per se, more for your babies. If you twist them, they unlock into individual shells," she explained, making a twisting motion for him to try out.
Curiously, he did. As soon as one came off, some form of locking mechanism released. Before it could fall, his babies had slithered inside of their new bodies. The poltergeists appeared pleased as they zoomed this way and that with their stone wings. Bickslow was absolutely positive that he'd fallen into like with Adamine when his babies tested out their new hosts. "Thanks," pulled from his mouth, sounding more surprised that he'd been given something for his souls.
"Your babies also need bitches," Adamine explained. "You should really look for some lady souls."
"You can tell?" Bickslow wondered, remembering that all of his lost souls had been men and one transsexual in a past life.
Adamine let a totem land on the back of her hand. Grinning at it, she snickered, "Duh. A guy is a guy no matter what form he's in. Besides, I caught them rooting through my underwear the day we got back."
"Uh… erm…" was all Bickslow could get out of his mouth as he looked away from a disappointed Freed and unfazed Adamine.
Freed broke into their conversation when he placed brunch on the table. "You do know that we have to see the master today about your railroad. Right, Adamine?" he checked.
Her head bobbed, and she hopped to her feet. No one would have suspected for her to have a broken leg were she not wearing a cast. Adamine on one foot was just as nimble as Adamine on two. He bet that she could still take him down even healing. That thought alone? Horrifying.
When she took a seat between the guys, she asked, "And, you really think that he would accept? Even given my conditions?"
After the group had gotten back, Raid, Adamine, and Ignatia had all snuck off. The Raijinshuu and Laxus had been positive they were going to ditch out to Lancet, so Freed and Evergreen had done some spying to keep an eye on them. What they had been doing instead of preparing to leave was preparing their conditions for the Magic Railroad. Given a circumstance that Adamine still wouldn't tell to Bickslow or Freed, she wouldn't be able to let Makarov retain his memory about meeting them. Raid had a special spell that would steal Makarov's memories without damaging any time between meeting Mina and seeing her go. Adam just wasn't sure Makarov would want to go along with joining her railroad when she added that to her contract. They were thinking of doing the same thing to the Raijinshuu and Laxus, but getting ambushed by an angry Evergreen had taken that suggestion out of the hat.
"It wouldn't be like him not to," Bickslow commented, taking a massive bite of their brunch. Makarov wasn't the kind of guy to just put a mage down when he or she was in desperate need of help. Adamine was a prime case. She was the kind of mage Makarov would help out of the kindness of his soul. Not to mention that her looks would probably convince the master she was worth working with. The old perv did have a thing for busty women.
After a short conversation with the guys attempting to soothe Adamine's doubts about the whole situation, breakfast was finished. The dishes were cleaned, and there were no more ways to stall Adamine from leaving the house. Besides, with the determined look on her face right now, Bickslow doubted a ten foot spike wall that was on fire could stop her.
When she tucked her crutches underneath her and set out the door, they turned up in front of the guild sooner than they had wanted to. Adamine rolled her shoulders when she stared the guild down. It was just as big as she had remembered it to be. It was just as intimidating as she remembered it to be. Now that she had actual business to do here instead of just borrowing the library, Adamine didn't feel so uneasy about going inside.
Besides, it wasn't like she didn't have support on her side. Laxus, Raid, Ignatia, and Evergreen were already waiting for her. Laxus had his Sound Pods in and had a tense expression on his face. Raid and Ignatia looked eager to get the first major stop to the Magic Railroad in functioning order. Evergreen didn't look very happy at all.
Her hands were on her hips. A scowl was on her lips. When Adamine came up to her, she snapped, "You had better not try any mindsweeping on us, Adamine Terra. Do you hear me?"
Grinning, Adamine offered up a shy smile. "I promise that the only one losing his memories today will be Makarov if everything works out okay." She adjusted to reach for the heavy doors of the guild, but Laxus beat her to it. Without a word, he opened up the jar of utter chaos that was Fairy Tail. The only strange thing about it today was the fact that the fire dragon slayer, Ice Mage, and Demon Queen weren't around. Neither was the one who howled about her cake all the time.
Green eyes blinked at the quiet within the guild, and she checked it out. The only ones in there were a blue haired girl with her nose stuck in a book, a teen eyeing a man's beer like she was going to steal it at the earliest opportunity, and a few more faces Adam had seen the last time she'd come in. Otherwise, no chaos.
"Nice for everything to not be flying in the air for once," Laxus intoned from behind Adamine. "You won't be needing these." His hand pointed to his headphones. Judging by the smug grin on his face, Adamine assumed he was teasing her.
Her tongue stuck out at him before she even knew it was doing that. Mocking him, Adamine teased, "Derka. Derka. Look at me! My name's Laxus Dreyar, and I broke my leg because I saved the girl who pisses me off on a regular basis."
His fist crashed atop her head lightly. She looked like she was going to bark something at him until that had directed her skull towards Makarov. He was sitting on the bar with a beer mug pulled to his lips. Upon seeing Laxus, the Raijinshuu, and three strangers all bandaged from head to toe, his beer left his mouth very, very slowly.
"I thought the mission was to deliver a book," Makarov asked of Adamine and Bickslow. "And, I thought the rest of you were on your own missions. As for the rest of you…" He looked Ignatia and Raid up and down. "Who are you?"
Dropping to his knee, Raid crossed his fist over his heart. "I am Raiden Sin, a spy sent to retrieve my lady, Adamine." His hand gestured to introduce Ignatia, but the girl had already flown in her pixie form up to Makarov's face.
His eyes crossed as he tried to get a bead on the hyper creature flying between his eyes. "You're the Giant Mage. Evergreen told me that you have a Giant form like mine!" she blurted out hastily. "I'm Ignatia. Nice to meet ya, Master Makarov."
Giving him an apologetic look, Adamine explained, "I'm sorry, master. Ignatia and Raid are old comrades of mine. They'd been looking for me after we got separated. Also, that mission we took turned out to be a trap. The book we found only wound up…" Adamine's mouth carefully explained the entire situation.
It took a full thirty or so minutes before she was even able to get the conference down to the real meat of the situation. Adamine's fingertip trailed the frothy mug of a rootbeer float, and she finished up with, "Essentially, we're all foreigners from Lancet like Laxus tried to get me to admit when we first met. Our mission is to create different safe houses for Lancet mages and children to escape slavery via our Magical Railroad. Were Fairy Tail to join, you would become our first safe house in the kingdom of Fiore. I know that it's a lot to take in, and that we would have to take your memories of us away. But, I hope that you can at least consider our—"
"I'll do it," Makarov interrupted.
Adamine's ears perked up, and her head jerked. Doing a double take to the pinstripe wearing master, she stammered, "Y-You'll do w-what?"
"I'll do it. There's no reason for your people to live in fear of their government," Makarov explained. When a twinkling light appeared in his eyes, he added, "For you to be so young and already concerned with the lives of hundreds, you'd make a guild a grand master someday. If only I could get a certain grandson of mine to appreciate others as much as you do." Makarov's eyes cut towards a scowling Laxus.
"Y-You'll do it," Adamine breathed, her astounded expression matching the ones on Raid and Ignatia's faces. "Even with the Mind Swipe?"
"I'd be proud to do it in order to better your kingdom, Adamine. Just tell me what I need to do when the orphans get here and—"
His words were cut off when the small master was scooped into Adamine's arms. "Thank you!" she proclaimed, nearly leaping from her seat. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! You have no idea what this means to me!" Her lips slammed down onto his to the jaw dropping shock of the Raijinshuu and Laxus. Faces paled when light pink chapstick dotted Makarov's face, and jaws nearly slammed through the floor as the woman with the broken leg spun him in the air.
Not getting left out of the party, Ignatia grabbed onto Adamine's shoulder. The pixie spun around and around while proclaimed, "Wooo!" the entire time. Raid wasn't too far off. He grabbed Makarov and the girls up to slam them against his chest.
"The first step to Lancet's liberation! I cannot believe it! My pr-My lady, we're actually going to make the Magic Railroad!" Raid gushed.
When Adamine finally sat Makarov back down on the counter, she clasped Raid's hands in her own. Their fingers intertwined as they both stared excitedly at each other. "We have to tell Isaac and Urian ASAP. Do you have your stuff packed?"
"Of course, my lady! I got everything together as soon as the young Dreyar retrieved me from the inn."
"I've got everything, too!" Ignatia chimed, holding a shrunken suitcase over her head as she flew around the mages' heads like a good luck angel.
"Then that means we're all set!" Adamine gushed. She released Raid's hands to give a deep bow to the bright scarlet master. "Makarov, you have just become an ally of the rebel forces of Lancet. If there is anything that the Dragon Goddess Allegiance, Fellowship of the Shade, or Crystal Fragment Pact can do for you, all you need do is contact us! Raid will make sure you have their contacts remaining once he performs the Mind Swipe." The three largest rebelling forces of Lancet slipped from Adamine's lips. One was her legion of warriors, mages Adamine had collected for a war she was hoping to wage against the tyranny of her kingdom. The other two were the bands her cousins Isaac and Urian were creating. Those three groups were what allowed unseen and unregistered entry and exit through hidden ports across the Lancet shore. Pirates weren't always the bad guys.
Makarov could barely fathom a word before Raid had already pressed two fingertips against the man's skull. Light glowed around Raid's hand, and in a few seconds Makarov was laid out on the bar like he'd gotten slammed down drunk. "He'll have a hangover when he wakes up, but he won't remember the three of us," Raid explained. "Depending on how high his levels of magic are, depends on just how fast we need to get out of here. Familiar Amnesia only works when one stays away from those remembered in the subconscious mind. Besides, we have to leave now for Lancet. I've already called a ship in for my lady."
Adamine and her group hustled out of the guild with the Raijinshuu and Laxus hot on their heels. Before they could even make a break for it, Evergreen snatched Adamine up by her tank top. "I believe you're forgetting something," the mage huffed, tapping her foot against the ground.
"Oh! Yeah, you're right!" Adamine's hands fished around in her leather backpack before she withdrew a pair of lavishly designed diamond earrings. Evergreen's eyes got as big as the moon when the diamonds were placed into her hands. "I got everyone presents!"
"When did you—How did you—How much money did this cost?" Evergreen gasped, nearly breathless as she gawked at the beautifully hand carved diamond earrings meant to dangle from a platinum chain threaded through her pierced ears. Even though she was astounded by the weight and design of the pure diamond, she didn't waste a second replacing her old earrings with these new ones. Ignatia threw her a compact where Ever could examine the earrings in more detail.
"I dunno," Adamine stated with an easy shrug. "Raid brought me enough money to purchase a small country, so I decided to use it to buy you all gifts. My cousins have access to the Royal Coffers, and Isaac sent him with my cut of his earnings. We're rich. I think. Is that the right word for unnatural wealth in material items?"
"It most definitely is!" Evergreen stated, still staring at her shimmering bling.
"Ignatia said that you would like jewelry," Adamine explained, smiling at Evergreen before the woman crushed her in a hug.
"It's too much, but I'm totally worth it!" Ever proclaimed, gripping Adamine tight despite the wounds they both sported.
When Adamine's wheezing breath got Ever to release her, Adamine added, "And, I have stuff for the rest of y'all." Pulling out a pair of Sound Pods with sharp spikes on either pod, Adamine handed them to Laxus. "Those can gather sound waves from anywhere in the world. Also, your lightning will keep the lacrima charged, so there's no reason to worry about shorting out the system. I wasn't sure what style you would like, but Raid suggested these. Personally, I would have gone for the cat ear ones. He said that wouldn't be your style though."
Laxus weighed the pods in his hands before giving Adamine a grin. "I appreciate you not letting her get cat ears," he mentioned to Raid before mussing Adam's hair in his grip.
"No problem," Raid mentioned, looking to Adamine with a grin on his lips. "She's very giving but not the best at gift choices. Adamine was like that from the day she was born. Probably why people were always so overwhelmed with her status."
"But, we're not done yet!" Ignatia cried out, zipping around Adamine to perch herself on the woman's shoulder. Leaning into Adamine ear, she whispered, "Get the thing I picked out for him." Chocolate eyes looked towards a confused Freed before Ignatia flew shyly behind Adamine's back.
Grinning, Adamine pulled one last gift from her backpack. "We actually got you two because I wasn't really sure what you'd like best," Adamine explained. She pulled a diamond file out for his sword before fishing around for the last item. "And, Ignatia thought that you would be privy to something along the lines of this…" Her hand wrapped around something unseen in the bottom of her backpack before she handed a wrapped gift towards the Rune Mage.
"You really didn't have to, Adamine, Ignatia," he stated, slightly blushing at the random gift giving. Some part of him wished that he had something to give back to the kind women he'd met. The rest of him was just curious about what was going to be in the box.
"Hey, why does his have a bow?" Evergreen pouted.
"Because I didn't buy it. This is Ignatia's gift to Freed since he saved her back in the cavern," Adamine stated, glancing to the red faced pixie. As soon as Freed looked Ignatia's way, the pink haired girl dashed behind Adamine's back once more.
Freed's head inclined, green locks tumbling over his shoulders. "Hopefully, I can purchase something for you all the next time you come in." Once his slim fingers pulled on the pink ribbon keeping the wrapping together, green cloth fell away to reveal a book with no cover. His eyes held a question, but he opened the book up to a random page either way.
"It's over Lancet mythology, customs, and our native tongue," Adamine explained. "Ignatia remembered what you said about Dova likely not knowing the history of Fiore and being unable to break from your runes because of that. This way, you'll know enough about our history to never fall into a similar trap. All of the information in there is what we compiled ourselves. Raid over customs, Ignatia over our mythology, and me over the translations. Educational books on Lancet are impossible to come by unless you're a member of nobility. The poor don't own reading material. Many don't even know how to write."
"Not know how to…" Freed's eyes grew large, and he clutched the book tighter in his hands. "Adamine, if any of the orphans you bring through Fairy Tail don't know how to read or write, make sure they stay long enough for me to teach them the basics. This book will allow me to translate well enough to teach them basic grammar and structure. A more important book has never been in my possession." His head bowed solemnly, causing Ignatia to peak over Adamine's shoulder.
"Looks like you got yourself a crush," Bickslow taunted, calling Ignatia out.
The pixie's nose lifted into the air as she crossed her hands over her chest. "You must be kidding me."
"My lady," Raid cut in. He suddenly had a headpiece on with a small microphone at his mouth. Covering it with his hand, he explained, "The ship will come to port in two hours. We must hurry to keep Captain Kenwae from waiting."
"You called Kenwae!" Adamine cried. "I haven't seen him since the shipwreck! Come on then! We've got to go!" Her hands grabbed onto her companions. When Laxus and the Raijinshuu didn't immediately follow suit, Adamine shifted to look behind her.
They looked… sad. Those somber expressions halted Adamine in her tracks, and moisture tried to arise in her eyes. "Come on, y'all. Don't do this to me," she pouted. There was a sudden tingling in her nose, that weird sensation that told her tears were soon to come. "I'll be back. I promise."
Tucking his Sound Pods into a pocket of his coat, Laxus was the first to take a step towards her. Hands came around Adamine's waist, and one settled against the back of her head. When she was pressed firmly against a broad chest, Laxus laid his chin atop her skull. "You'd better not be lying," he warned. "Or, I'll personally hunt you down and kick your ass."
The surprise from the contact had Adamine's eyes popping wide, but she returned the hug. Pulling her arms around his body, she let her head rest against his chest. "I'd be mad if you didn't," Adamine admitted.
"Ah, hell. I can't take it anymore!" Bickslow hissed out. In seconds he was latched onto Adamine and Laxus.
Right behind him were Evergreen and Freed. Both mages tackled Adamine. Soon, their weight was added to. Like he couldn't help it, Raid joined in to announce, "I don't even understand why I'm so upset, but I am!"
Ignatia wrapped her arms around the mass to cry, "I'm not ready to go either!"
Warmth engulfed Adamine as she let her shocked eyes close. This was odd. Adamine was actually safe. She was sound. She was amongst comrades. Had her Hellhound been in on this group hug, it would have been perfect. Had her mother been in on it, it would have been heaven. A single tear dripped down the side of Adamine's face as she held onto the group for just a bit longer.
When an announcement on the other end of Raid's lacrima stated that their train had arrived, Adamine didn't feel like she was ready to go. Had it not been her cousin Isaac's voice giving the statement, she probably wouldn't have.
Then, a new voice came over the lacrima. "Oi! Raid, can my cousin hear me on the other end of this thing?" Urian's voice barked. "Oi! Mina! Adamine! Listen up, you beautiful pain in my ass, I rode a freaking pirate ship for five freaking days just to see you. I swear, if you show up late to the port, I'm going to go Ice God Slayer on your ass. I will freeze you to the freaking crow's nest! Do you hear me?"
There was an abrupt scuffling then sharp screeching on the other end. It sounded like a fight was going down before Isaac's voice came on. "Forgive my brother, Raid. You know how idiotic he is every second of every day."
With a grin on his face, Raid stated, "Aye, my lord. We'll be on the train posthaste. Adamine, we must go." His eyes settled on Adamine's, making sure that he got the message across.
Tiny fangs bit down on the inside of her lip, and Adamine let her head give a short nod. The warmth of her comrades left her body when she pulled back. Nervous hands even adjusted her bandana. Once she was positive it was set to rights, she stated, "Alright. Thank you. I'll try to be back as soon as possible. Okay?"
"You'd better not break your word," Freed called to the back of Adamine's head. She was already on her way.
"And, you'd better write to me! I want letters and postcards and presents! I don't even care if it's a really tacky knickknack! You'd better make sure you get me clothes, too! Even those stupid ones that read, 'My best friend went to Lancet, and all she got me was this crappy T-shirt'," Evergreen proclaimed, waving her hand over her head.
"Next time you come back to Fiore, we will have a rematch, Adamine!" Laxus stated.
"And, try not to kill yourself! I don't know what you'll do without me to save your ass," Bickslow hollered.
His babies flew around him. They cried, "Bye, Mina!"
Adamine threw her hands up in the air. She spun to walk backwards. Blowing them all a kiss, she waved them goodbye. When she lost sight of them and entered the heart of Magnolia, it was just to go on another adventure. One step closer to Firmalione. One step further away from Fairy Tail. It was time to get back to hunting instead of being hunted.
So... Just a little question. I'm not ready to stop writing about Adamine. I want to know if you'd be interested in me writing a final, fourth story to her series. The other stories in the series are finished. Actually, with this one done, all of my Adamine stories are done. The fourth one would be about the Lancet Grand Magic Games, a tournament now that a proper king or queen has been crowned (I'm not going to tell you who it is because not all of you have finished the series.). It takes place before the Tartarus Arc just to put you on a timeline.
Tell me what you think of that idea. I'm not ready to get rid of my baby. Also, I hope this ending was okay for you all...