Chapter 49
Into Death Bolt's Shadow
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, Energy Magic, and Ideas
Swirling black, endless shadow, the world dead, silent, cold around her. All sense of Energy, all sound, all feeling- it was all gone... She was utterly numb.
She couldn't recall what it was that had happened, one minute she had been about to enter an all out battle with Natsu, Solana... Everyone who were trying to stop her from saving Moon.
One moment she was ready to fight... Then...
... Jynx.
Jynx did something, and all the world went black before her eyes. Now she was stuck in eternal shadow... And handy any clue, nor enough strength to try and get out.
Her body felt heavy, weak... Dead weight, she couldn't move, she couldn't open her eyes, she could only float there- all her rage and anger, her drive to get Moon back- all of that simmered dimly below the surface and wasn't enough to pull her out of the black.
"What an interesting turn in events, hmm... Malunafrey...?"
Moon hunched over, curling in on herself and holding her head in her paws, arms stained red and running in crimson from the five new slashes she had received.
She couldn't remember anything but pain and fear since hatching from her egg- one minute, she was in the wide new world and alone- the next, the jaws of a monster hung inches from her nose and she ran. That beast had leaped and managed to grab her- but only her once soft, rounded ears- shredding them to bits before a burst of Magic allowed her Aera for the first time, and she flew away.
And then this Guild... These awful, evil people- they found her, found her wounded and starving, wandering aimlessly with nowhere to go... She was an easy target, a toy.
A slave
She let out a few shaky breaths before sobbing overtook her- it wasn't the pain from the wounds, it was the feeling of hopelessness- the realization she'd be forever trapped here, serving vile people who loved to make her life, and others- a living hell. She'd never be rid of it, she was going to die here- suffer for years before the sweet embrace of death allowed her a reprieve from this wretched life.
So young... Left alone, to die, to suffer through this... Did she deserve any of this?
She didn't think so, not that she knew much better...
"... Hey.."
Her entire frame shook as she jumped up, head snapping around and eyes filled with tears. She scrambled backward, hitting the bars of the cage and trembling- her eyes searching frantically for the unwarranted voice, expecting Master Tomaru or some other Member that was looking to poke and prod at her.
"Woah, easy, easy... Stay quite, don't make too much noise."
She blinked the tears away enough to see who it was that was peering at her through the cage bars- his young face and bright, purple eyes- a hint of boyish freckles dotting his face. He was nearly 13 or 14, from what she guessed- she hadn't seen him all that much, his father never liked that he would come up to her. Not that he tried, that boy knew he was in trouble if Master Tomaru found him talking or even interacting with her- he had always kept a distance, but now, as the Guild around them went silent as its Members shuffled out, he had chanced coming up to the cage- the desk of Master Tomaru empty as the man was gone.
The boy set her with a sympathetic, and unnervingly kind stare as he smiled slightly- it was a gentle, sweet smile- not the maniac, evil grins of the other Guild Members. She blinked, not sure what to make of it.
"... I'm sorry about them." The boy said quietly, she stiffened.
W-what...?
"... They're all so mean and evil to you, it isn't fair." The boy went on, seeing the confusion written on her face. "Its just who they are- evil people. You shouldn't ever have to be in a place like this."
"... B-but you...?" She stammered, her voice a little to high and squeaky- he winced and she paused, swallowing. "... You're here... Y-your father..." She stammered and the boy frowned a little.
"I don't want to be here." He answered honestly, catching her completely off guard. "I never did... I want to leave." She sweatdropped,
It didn't seem possible to her... That the flesh and blood of a man she knew to be wholly evil and terrible... That Master Tomaru's son could be so different. That this boy would want to leave this wretched Guild, that he'd be willing to leave his father behind.
"... I will leave." He said after a minute, she blinked in shock- her eyes meeting his, determined, strong...
"I'm going to get out of here." He said again, sounding more certain. "And when I do, I'll take you with me."
It felt like the world had fallen away from underneath her- like the Guild had disappeared, and the cage. The only thing in front of her, was that boy- her eyes never leaving his determined expression, and small, kind smile toward her. There was no way he had said that- the son of Master Tomaru, he would never have said that to her.
That... That he would leave, he would find some way away from this Guild...
... And he... He'll take me with him.
It was a chance at freedom, escape- a chance to escape the inevitable outcome that she would die here. That she would spend her life in pain and torture.
He couldn't mean it- she dared not believe he did, because despite herself... There was a small flare of hope. She's never felt that before, but she knew what it was... And she didn't want it to be destroyed. She knew he couldn't mean it, and she wished that feeling hadn't come- because she would feel even more cold and empty once it was gone.
"I promise I'll get us both out of here." He said, earning her attention again- still looking just as determined... And just as sincere.
Could this really... Be happening...?
"I don't know a lot of Magic right now- but I'm going to learn. I'll get strong enough to get us out of here, and until I can... I promise I'll keep you as safe as I can. I'll do what I can to try and make sure they don't hurt you so much anymore- you'll just have to hang on." He said, a fist clenching in front of him and eyes shinning in the dim with a fire.
Her tears slowly came to a halt, as she simply stared, mind reeling.
"We'll get out of here together. I'll protect you." He smiled and she felt something inside of her stir... Something warm. He smiled at her and turned away, seemingly digging in his pockets a moment, before moving his hand back and holding a piece of bread through the bars to her.
"Are you hungry?" He asked, she hesitated- before slowly taking it from him, still not able to say anything. He grinned, "I'll bring you food and talk to you when I can manage, and I'll even help you serve food and stuff- so you don't have to do so much."
"... B... But... Why...?" She stammered, "... Why would you do that... For me...? Your father... Won't he be angry...? You... You'd be risking so much... Even just talking to me..." It was all true, she knew that Master Tomaru didn't want his son to speak with her at all- and to go so far as helping her, and giving her food? To someone he didn't even know? They hadn't even talked to one another before this, and now he was promising to get them both out... It was such a risk..! And it didn't make any sense..!
He gave her a smile, an innocent, kind smile that was oh so foreign.
"Well, because we're going to be best friends." He said in a matter of fact way, her heart skipped a beat at the unfamiliar notion.
Best... Friends...?
"You and me, we're one in the same. We don't belong here, so we have to stick together to get out." He told her, "And we will get out, promise. Now- hurry and eat that before anybody sees." He backed away a little, "Don't cry so much anymore, I'm here now." He smiled, turning away. She stared, before jumping a little.
"W-wait...!" She called quickly, lowly. He paused,
"Hmm?"
"What's... What's your name...?" She asked, she'd never figured it out.
He grinned, a bright, happy smile that seems to warm her up just by looking at it.
"Kyo. We're gonna be the best of friends..." He paused, "... What's your name?" He asked, she stiffened.
"... I don't... Have one..." She mumbled and he blinked, before seemingly going into thought.
"Hmm... Well, you know what? I read this story a little bit ago, an old legend about day and night..." He smiled, "It talked about how nighttime and the dark can be scary sometimes, but there's always light to keep dark at bay- there's always that light that will remain even in total darkness. The light of the moon." He smiled a little more, "That's it, you're the light that shines still, even in total darkness down here, the small bit of light that gives hope that darkness will eventually fade away-"
"Moon. That's your name now."
She couldn't help thinking that he was that bright light in the dark... Her bright light.
She smiled, just a little- and for the first time.
"Best friends, then."
"Don't cry Moon, everything will be ok..."
Moon's eyes fluttered open to the dim and dark of the Guild Hall. Her ears twitched at the wispy memory of his voice, and the image of his promise to her slowly faded and she sighed- wincing half way through as pain flared across her entire being.
She rubbed at her wet eyes and silently cursed herself- even sleeping and unconscious she was still crying... Damn it...
She groaned, sitting up slightly in the cage and glancing around- the Main Hall was nearly empty now, she guessed many of the members were gone now on missions, or maybe to bed... Though most of them didn't really sleep. Her session of being thrown around like a rag doll had ended, thankfully... But her body was so bruised and broken now it hurt to breath, but again- she was used to it.
She clenched her paws a little and closed her eyes, she needed to quit with the crying, she had to steel herself against what was thrown at her- she needed to be able to face everything without whimpering and crying over it.
Despite the hopelessness and the numbing pain and sadness... Deep inside of her, there was a small flame- a small fire, of anger and resentment toward this damned Guild, and its wretched leader. She had been angry and unhappy about the doings of Extalia and sending the 100 eggs to Earth all on their own- she could get angry with other people's idiocy and stupid ideas- but she had never hated anything more than she hated this Guild, its doings, and its people.
But damn it- that dream made her grief all the more raw, because it brought back memories of Kyo and the years they spent here, growing stronger, getting ready to break free.
And then she remembered him getting killed- by his own father no less.
And then she remembered Frea.
She pressed her fists against her eyes to stop the new tears, shaking her head furiously and hissing again at the pain moving at all brought. She couldn't break down, she had to stay strong enough to last- her life would be hell from here on out, but she wouldn't let herself die easily, and she wouldn't allow herself to give up either.
She sat all the way up and slowly shuffled over to the edge of the cage, leaning against the bars with her back and letting her head fall back.
Giving up meant dying sooner, and dying meant everything would be gone... Her memories would be lost.
And even if her memories were full of pain and sadness, she wanted to remember it all- because there was happiness and pleasure among them too. The good and the bad, they were all things she wanted to never lose- she supposed she got that from Frea.
She glanced around the dim, noting there was no sign of Master Tomaru nor Hikien. She faintly recalled being zapped to wakefulness in the middle of the beating she had received, and the faint memory of Master Tomaru calling the whole thing to a close- before she had been thrown inside of her cage again. That's when everything went dark once more.
This place was sickeningly familiar, and she hated that it was that way. The same walls, same unnatural light, same tables, mugs... The same cage and the same bars. The same chains about her hands and feet, and about her neck. If these Magic Nullification Chains hadn't been around, she might have tried to contact the Guild via Telepathy- not that she was sure she had any Magic Energy left.
A small part of her was a little worried of whether or not the Guild would come to help her anyway... Nonsense really, but there was a small inkling of doubt.
Not that they could ever find this place anyway... I've been here so long, and even I'm not sure where Death Bolt is actually located... There are too many Spells set up to keep it hidden.
She let her eyes fall closed and her arms hung at her sides loosely, too exhausted to keep them near to her person- the chains rattled slightly in the near silence.
Her eyes snapped open as her paw brushed something in the shadow of the cage- something unfamiliar and something she knew shouldn't be there. She glanced down and her heart leapt to her chest,
Frea's Bag was on the floor of the cage beside her, nearly hidden in the dim- so much so she hadn't noticed it at all until now. What struck her was how it was there at all- she distinctly remembered it being thrown off during the battle with Tomaru- and knew she hadn't grabbed it, and highly doubted anyone else had. It should still be there, left and lost on the floor of that forest, and yet it was here. With her.
It was almost as if it had appeared on its own- a ridiculous notion of course.
She drew it closer, slowly and eyes flicking around in case anyone noticed what it was she had. It was heavy and a little dirty from the fight- but as always, it seemed to remain in stellar condition despite the damage it should have taken- an enchantment she supposed.
She opened it up and looked inside, her heart dropping a little to see the Calling Card Frea usually carried on request from Mirajane and Cana, was not inside- a means of communication she could have used. She figured it must have fallen out, or maybe Frea had forgotten it...
Knowing Frea- she usually only kept a spare change of clothes, some money and maybe a snack with her at all times. There was a small coin purse in the bottom from what she saw- but that wasn't what took up the bulk of the room in the bag.
It was that Book Frea always seemed to have on her, and the one that seemed to have some strange power and sense of self about it. The same Book she had seen Frea talk to, interact with- and the same Book she had only seen up close once. It was when Frea had been turned tiny during the Clock Arc Incident, when this Book transported itself to the Guild and landed on top of the Energy Dragon Slayer without warning.
She remembered it clearly, because the Book had flipped open rapidly before her eyes- before finally stopping on one certain and specific spot. She'd never been willing to tell Frea what it was she saw that day.
She didn't understand it all- the Book was clearly very old, dating back hundreds of years as a start. It had seemed to contain Spells- those Frea had used, or had others use from it- but she had also seen Frea's desk and the numerous notes taken on it. It seemed a recording of some series of events- a history book if you will.
So how was it, this ancient, centuries old Book had the symbol of the Death Bolt Guild printed inside of it? Hundreds of years before it was even an idea?
She slowly pulled the Book out, a small frown gracing her lips as she sweatdropped slightly. Something about this Book put her off a little, set her on edge even. Mostly, because she knew it wasn't a regular Book- no book should have a mind of its own like this one seemed to, and even then- she swore she could feel some sort of power rising from it as she touched it.
She set it in her lap and curled her paw over the edge, meeting resistance as the Book refused to open at all. She paused, sweatdropping slightly.
It lurched underneath her hand and she pulled it back as the Book slammed open, pages flipping rapidly and with too much noise for comfort. It stopped on the same page it had shown her before, she stiffened when the otherwise barren page despite the Death Bolt Guild Mark at the top- suddenly shone in a dim crimson and words appeared on the page.
She couldn't read them- they were in the Dragon Language, which took her by surprise but after a moment she figured she should have guessed.
'Drearand en Dargerio ecne thered yorte, wel egemre hilann erom ru a elttan ro hilarrn- de predenn ot ve legea pelta, ve niotder uf de ilkome vildi wel dyate de hjenn uf kel.'
Gibberish... Utter gibberish.
She wondered if this was how Frea had felt trying to read it...
"... English, maybe...?" She mumbled halfheartedly- knowing what Chase had been asked to read had not, and could not have been in this confusing and utterly unintelligible language. How had anything, let alone Dragons- have understood any of this? It seemed like an assortment of made up words that held no meaning- of course which was untrue, seeing as how Dragons had used this very language for centuries... But to Moon, she had no hope of deciphering it at all.
She'd seldom heard Frea speak it- and when she did, she never truly got around to asking what the words meant. For a moment she tried thinking back to the piles of notes she had organized while cleaning their room in Fairy Hills- those notes Frea had dedicated to figuring out specific words and their meanings- those she guessed she had managed to recall from her time with her Dragon, and whatever else she could dig up in the Guild's Library.
She closed her eyes a moment, the book did nothing to comply with her request for English- and she felt a small rise of indignation grow inside of her.
Dargerio and Drearand had been written on a small sticky note from what she could recall- Light and Dark.
Hilarrn had been one of the spoken words Frea had said when opening the Tomb in Nvindorr- to which had been explained to here that it meant 'one'.
Despite that, all her searching in her memory of the notes Frea had taken- none of the rest of the words on the page had been among them. She let out a long sigh and sunk down against the bars a little more- her head was pounding without thinking about the writing, and she was nearly too exhausted to even care.
... What could Light and Dark have to do with this damned Guild anyway? Everything here was Dark yes... Its people, the air, the atmosphere.
But any shred of light that her remained in this place had been snuffed out long ago.
"... Why is the Death Bolt Guild Symbol in here...?" She mumbled aloud wearily. "... How could it be...? Centuries before this Guild existed...?"
... Did this Book somehow document future events? How absurd a thought that was...
"... Why are you here..?"
She was talking to a Book. Great.
Her consciousness began to fall away into the waves of exhaustion and pain falling over her, she sleepily closed the book shut and put it back in Frea's bag. It didn't move nor change anything on the page- so she assumed it was done in its strange antics.
She carefully moved the Book and the Bag under the pile of old rags that should have served as some sort of bed- making sure it was out of sight so no one in the Guild would see it.
She leaned back against the bars again and crossed her bleeding and nearly numb arms over her, shivering slightly and letting her eyes close again, she could barely keep them open as it was.
... This was it... This was where she'd be from here on out...
... Damn it.. All...
Her ears twitched slightly as the faint sound of some sort of wind whispering over the stone walls of the Guild caught her attention- just as her mind was about to give way to nothingness. She didn't open her eyes, she just listened a little, not very intently either... It was common some breeze whistled over the rocks down here... She remembered that clearly...
"... Warning... Warning..."
Her eyes snapped open in an instant once she caught the faintest hints of the whispered words- not a voice she could recognize nor place, her eyes swept about the space frantically as a cold chill seemed to fall over her. The voice was so low she wasn't sure if she actually heard it, or imagined it being as exhausted as she was...
Her heart sped up when her ears were suddenly bombarded with a low, nearly imperceptible rumble of several whispered and hushed voices- too many to count, too many to understand... It was almost as if... These were the voices she thought she had heard... In... Nvindorr...
"... Warning... Dark things... Coming..."
"... warning... shadow is..."
"... coming..."
The voices faded entirely as silence fell heavily over her, her eyes wide and fixed to the bars of the cage across from her. A bead of sweat dripped down her face as she sat paralyzed, trembling slightly and heart racing. She couldn't force herself to believe she had heard that... She didn't want to think she actually had... Because it spooked her, a lot.
Voices with no bodies... Invisible speakers... Whispers on the wind...
She'd never think of herself as easily scared, nor quick to react to odd and disconcerting things in an in appealing way...
... But, however exhausted she had been- she couldn't manage to fall asleep again, and instead sat in silence and darkness, alone.
"Hmm?"
Laxus stood with his arms over his chest and eyebrow quirked, looking down at his grandfather as the Guild began moving out of the Guild doors in tense waves, the Old Man had stopped him in his tracks as he walked past him- Freed, Bixlow and Evergreen glanced over their shoulders uncertainly- having previously been spoken to by the Old Man himself. He thought it odd they gave him apologetic looks, before leaving the Guild entirely-
He blinked in shock at what it was the Old Man said to him next,
"You're not coming." Makarov said evenly, expression serious and arms crossed behind his back.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He grumbled, quite surprised at the statement.
"You are still on probation from taking any Job assignments, after what happened with Ivan- Porlyusica has not cleared you for work." He said in a matter of fact tone, "You will not be coming to fight in this battle- not today."
"I feel fine Old Man." Laxus muttered,
"Regardless, I will not allow you to come." Makarov murmured, earning a stare from Laxus, who's jaw clenched a little. He didn't like being ordered to stay put any more than Frea had, but he wasn't about to go around blowing through people because of it.
Mostly, because he figured that Prolyusica failing to clear him for assignments was not the only reason the Old Man was forbidding him from going- it was something about that serious look the Old Man had on, and the hints of concern he could see glinting in his eyes... There was something more the Old Man seemed to be thinking, though for a minute he seemed reluctant to say it.
"... Seeing how Frea reacted when I told her to stay at the Guild, I am worried she will run off the moment she comes to." The Old Man said at length, his tone soft and weary. His eyes fell closed a moment, "It is unlikely she will wake up any time soon, but we have been wrong about how long she would be unconscious before now. I do not wish her to push herself more than she already has, and I know her loyalty and love for Moon will not allow her to sit still if she does wake up." Laxus blinked, eyes narrowing.
Master looked up and fixed Laxus with a steady, serious stare that betrayed the weariness and the strain what had happened was putting on him- the Old Man was good at acting restrained and tough in situations like this- but the reality was that every time someone in the Guild got hurt or something like this happened, it was just another huge strain on the Old Man he didn't need. The Old Man hated to see any of his 'children' hurt or wounded, and despite himself he couldn't help but worry- a lot.
The Old Man loved everyone in the Guild dearly, but Frea had always seemed to have a soft spot in the Old Man's heart- maybe it was because she was one of the ones that was always in trouble and getting hurt. But the things that happened with Frea seemed to hit a lot harder sometimes, and it was clear the Old Man was worried about the Energy Dragon Slayer- he usually was.
He had, in all reality- become even more worried and protective over her after everyone had believed that she had died at the hands of Kasumi and Shadow alike... The ache of losing her then wouldn't ever heal, and seeing Frea so wounded and beaten, it probably made his heart ache all the more.
Laxus' eyes narrowed a little more,
"As you are still forbidden from taking jobs, and coming with us to join in this battle- I have something else to ask of you, though you may not like it." Master murmured, Laxus sweatdropped slightly.
"What?"
"If Frea does wake up- we both know she will try to follow us to Death Bolt, regardless of her condition." Master muttered, Laxus agreed- knowing that it exactly what she would do. "If she does... I need you here to stop her."
Laxus stiffened slightly, eyes widening a little in slight shock. The Old Man... Wanted him to keep Frea under control?
Him interfering at all- especially him, someone Frea oftentimes butted heads with regularly- having him be the one to keep her still and at the Guild if she were to wake up- his presence might just inflame her aggravation and rage more than it already was.
He couldn't say he was fond of the idea of having to hold her back and babysit her... Not that he was worried he couldn't take her on if need be.
"You are one of the few people in the Guild strong enough to take Frea on, especially as angry as she is right now." Master went on, "You are one of the few able to contend with her in all the years she having been here, you will have less an issue keeping her from running off than anyone else."
That he agreed with, because it was true- Frea oftentimes fought with everyone in the Guild, but it was a rare few that ever beat her in a fight, ever.
Laxus himself couldn't boast about having beat her- they always came up in a draw when they had fought one another, no one won- but he didn't lose either. The sequence of tying with one another is what spurred the want to have a rematch to test their strengths against one another- so they could see who would win now that they were older and much stronger than they used to be.
He was rather interested in having a rematch with her- but it wouldn't be his idea to have it now. He wasn't exactly interested in holding that rematch while keeping her from running off and getting herself injured again, or worse.
"You want me to babysit?" He muttered lowly, Master sighed slightly.
"... I understand being asked to deal with her should she awake may not be preferable to you. But in the end, its necessary- Frea cannot be allowed to fight, she's too injured to be moving at all let alone pushing herself into an all out confrontation with a Dark Guild just as dangerous, if not more so than Grimoire Heart was." Master murmured softly, "I know very well you two are usually at odds, and this would never be something I would normally ask of you... But I ask you try and put whatever unhappiness you have with Frea aside for now and do as I ask." Laxus' eyes narrowed a little and just looked at the the Old Man silently.
Master blinked once, his head tilting slightly. "Besides- I had thought you two were on better terms nowadays?" He asked and Laxus huffed slightly, "... If not then, at least would you please just do as I ask? Whatever you feel for Frea, even you must understand that letting her fight is unwise." The Old Man paused a moment, "You owe her enough to try and keep her safe and alive, for what she did for you with Ivan- don't you?" He added in, and Laxus' eyes closed a moment.
The Old Man brought up something that had been bothering him- he and Frea had started a tallying system for the favors they managed for one another- and they always worked to make sure they were even. After Ivan, and Frea's help- he owed her and he knew it, and that bothered him a little.
Call it a pride thing
He wasn't arguing that letting Frea fight Death Bolt would be an unwise decision- in fact it'd be a pretty damn dumb one. It wasn't a matter of not agreeing with the Old Man in this situation at all, he did.
... If he had been asked to do this a few years earlier- he would never agree to it.
"Tch... Fine. I'll keep her out of trouble if she wakes up." He muttered lowly, his somewhat lack of argument for the idea and ready willingness to do it catching Master off guard. The Old Man stared a minute, unable to believe he had agreed as easily as that.
"... If the Guild isn't standing when you come back, don't blame me." Laxus grumbled lowly, "I'll keep her from gettin' herself hurt again, but I can't promise we won't wreck the Guild when I have to fight to keep her here."
"... You will try not to hurt her, won't you?" Master asked quietly and Laxus blinked- a little surprised he had asked... Before he frowned slightly,
".. Tch... Like I'd even try to hit her, I'd say she's beaten up enough already." He muttered and Master blinked.
That wasn't the answer he would have expected... He would have expected something like 'not too much' or even something along the lines of only hurting her if he needed to to keep her under control... But Laxus seemed much more concerned with the idea that Frea was hurt enough already.
For a moment his expression softened and he smiled slightly, recognizing a more gentleness suddenly inside of his grandson he really hadn't seen before.
He really had changed... From that arrogant foolish boy he had to expel from the Guild...
Something had changed, and he hadn't seen it until that very moment. He knew this was nothing Laxus would ever consider doing, he would never ask unless he had to- and he did. Laxus would never have been willing to have anything to do with Frea before now, he certainly wouldn't have been set on not hurting her- because fact was, Frea wouldn't have any qualms hurting him if she did wake up. Laxus would never have been concerned enough about inflicting more damage on the already wounded Dragon Slayer- before now, he wouldn't have cared.
Even the way he agreed with little argument on the matter... It was odd, and the Old Man couldn't help but feel there was something more to do with why Laxus had agreed so easily. Something about his grandson's outlook on Frea that had changed...
Laxus would never admit it out loud- but he didn't mind this at all. The request made by Master wasn't something to get worked up over... Because somewhere inside of him, Laxus himself wanted to make sure Frea didn't get herself hurt again. That want to keep her from doing something stupid was sudden and extremely foreign to him- he usually wouldn't care what she did, but at the moment- he did.
He chocked it up to being the need to repay the debt he owed and left it at that- though on the edge of his mind, seeing the blood Frea was stained with, especially across her back- that image lingered with a small, faint tenseness that flickered inside of him. Remembering how she had been strung up to the Guild door- that made him very angry, though he quelled it.
He could still smell her blood on the air, and remembered distinctly the look of pain on her face when she moved in the wrong way- the way she was beaten and bruised and broken. She looked like shit, and clearly felt like it too if she had passed out the moment her Magic was no longer a factor. It had never been often Frea looked so defeated and hurt- though recently it happened more often, and despite himself... Seeing her like that made a small twinge flash in his chest, his body to tense up a little. He didn't understand what did that, seeing her like that made him much more tense than it ever had...
... He didn't like it
Master smiled and nodded, "Thank you." The Old Man murmured and Laxus huffed,
"Whatever..."
"... Hmm..." Master hummed slightly, noticing Laxus wouldn't look back at him- and instead he seemed to be glancing back toward the back of the Guild. "... I doubt this battle will be easily won. We have all the information available from The First and Aisha alike- but we still know little." This time Laxus glanced his way. "Most of us will go to face them, but others will stay. Warren will be responsible for communication, and a few more are staying to man the Hall while we're gone."
"Fine by me." Laxus muttered, "The less people here, the less bother." He grumbled, Master blinked- noticing the return of Laxus' usual attitude.
"Master."
Both he and Laxus glanced toward the door where Erza was waiting patiently, most everyone already moving. Master nodded once and turned,
"... Do what you believe is needed in order to ensure Frea is safe." Master murmured as he started walking away. Laxus blinked, before grumbling under his breath.
"Yeah, yeah..." He muttered lowly, turning away slightly, before pausing.
"... Don't get yourself killed, Old Man."
Master nodded just once, not looking back as anger was allowed to bubble inside of him again.
"Better worry about yourself." The Old Man called back, "Frea will not be happy should she wake up."
Laxus frowned slightly, being left on the Guild Hall with Warren, Macao, Wakaba, Nab, Levy, Droy, Jet, Kinana, Laki, Sam and Reedus alone- everyone else moving toward Death Bolt and all intent on payback, as well as bringing Moon home. Levy was at a table filled with books and papers, clearly reading up on what she knew of Death Bolt- her two guard dogs close behind. Warren was standing over a map set up with the approximate location of Death Bolt marked- Sam just next to him. He hadn't seen the Old Woman come inside- but he could smell Porlyusica in the Infirmary, along with the scent of Wendy and her cat.
The rest were sitting or standing around, all grim face and tense- everything deathly silent as they waited for the real battle to begin, for those in Fairy Tail heading for the Dark Guild to begin their fight- and bring Moon back with them. There were very few in the Guild who weren't looking to march on Death Bolt and give them hell to pay- those who didn't have the Magic or Power alone to fight were the ones to stay. But not being among the war-party was not enough to lessen their tension.
The town itself seemed silent and waiting in tense, all with bated breath- the sky overhead continually swirling darker as clouds amassed and the scent of rain on the air sharpened- still not enough to wipe away the scent of Frea's blood.
Laxus let out a sigh and turned toward the back of the Guild,
Being left behind should infuriate him just as much as it had Frea, but he wasn't very angry with it- and for why he wasn't, that was beyond him. He was plenty willing to stay at the Guild now where normally he'd be one of the first to jump in and face Death Bolt head on. He'd usually see it as demeaning being forced to stay here...
... Not this time. Things... Are different this time around.
He'd come to realize it frequently now, the one thing that stood out in all that was happening;
Everything had suddenly changed, slowly and very little at first... But now things were changing more, still changing...
The biggest thing that had changed... Was him, and he still wasn't sure why.
It had been time for him to grow up, to change his attitude and his actions- he'd been a huge fool in the past and he knew it. He just hadn't been expecting to change in all the ways he seemed to have.
He let out a low growl at himself, he hated thinking about all that shit so much- he wanted to stop thinking about it, but it was very hard to do so. He wasn't good at thinking or brooding, it pissed him off too much. He never liked it, and so he never did it- he never let things bother him that much, especially not inane thoughts and wonderings.
He shook his head to clear the thoughts entirely and started walking,
Think in the now and the things he would do in a moments time, that's all he needed. He was better with actions anyway,
... Hmmph... That damned cat... Might have been right about that at least...
"You're very tense." Chase murmured softly, his eyes flicking toward Aisha as they made their way trough a dark forest surrounded in dusty cobweb and dead leaves.
They were following amongst the group of Fairy Tailers heading toward Death Bolt- everyone was tense, they were all burning in anger but as they marched forward- the ferocity of their rage had waned. It had been a good 2-3 hours since heading out at first- most of it had been spent commandeering a train to bring them as close to the Death Bolt Guild as quickly as they could manage.
The remainder of the trip would be spent trekking through this very old, very dark forest. The air itself was heavy and cold, it set everyone on edge- Chase even more so being able to feel the rising Negative Energy as they traveled deeper- the only light provided being the faint blue glow of the Energy Trail he had going- and the flames flickering off Natsu's raised fist ahead of them.
Every once and again Master and Freed would move about, the group stopping to allow them time to dispel the various Spells that had been set upt to block passage, or send them astray. The forest was teeming in Magic, all of it seeming to measures to ensure no one grew close to where Death Bolt was- however strong such Spells were, they proved little match for the expertise of Freed and Master. What other Magic Chase could feel... it was dark and powerful festering- and it was growing stronger the farther they traveled.
He glanced sideways toward Aisha, having long ago noticed that she was being very, very quiet- and the sheer tense coming off of her in waves was more than the rest of the Guild combined.
What caught him off guard was the tiny inklings of fear he could feel pricking off of her every now and again.
For a very long while, Aisha had been talking back and forth with Master- she, being an Information Broker with many contacts throughout Fiore- she knew of Death Bolt and had been asked by the Old Man to share what she knew with him.
Since then she hadn't said a word, and he sweatdropped at the way she was acting- he couldn't remember the last time he had felt actual fear coming off of the MoonLight Mage at all.
"... Hmmph..." Aisha huffed slightly, it being the only response as she refrained from looking toward him.
"Is there something the matter?" He asked lowly, sweatdropping slightly.
"... Its this Guild..." She muttered after a long pause, "... Its notorious... The stories I have heard about the Mages that call themselves members..." She shuddered, just slightly. He sweat dropped a little more, suddenly seeing her eyes narrow and flick around them warily, something about her posture and that seemingly afraid look she had.
Fear, true fear...
"... Something is very very wrong here."
He glanced away, sweatdropping a bit more and eyes narrowing. Of that... He could definitely agree. The Energy around this place was dark and malignant, as of the Energy of the Dark Guild itself had seeped into the Land around it and poisoned it entirely- to do so would mean a lot of Mages, a lot of power.
Maybe too much power.
It felt as if a shadow had fallen over everything the moment they set foot in this wood, and it only deepened the farther they traveled.
He took in a breath,
"I agree." He murmured lowly. "... But despite that... We'll get through this. Not even Death Bolt, no matter how notorious it is, they aren't strong enough to beat us. To win against Fairy Tail, they can't do it."
"Why are you so sure?" Aisha mumbled lowly, he blinked in surprise- she wouldn't look to him when he glanced her way.
"What the hell does that mean?" He asked,
"... Hmm... You have a lot of faith in this Guild. Sometimes I think too much." She replied lowly,
"Why wouldn't I? We're both a part of Fairy Tail, we're all family here- all comrades. As long as we work together, nothing is impossible to get past." He answered lowly, eyes narrowing. He wasn't sure what brought on such negativity about the Guild in her... At all.
"Tch..." She growled, suddenly coming to a halt and turning toward him, her eyes sparkling in muffled anger- the serious look on her face, the grim frown... He wasn't sure he liked the look. "You wouldn't get it. This damned Guild... Its built up on the innate power of 'togetherness' of Family. You all think if you rally together, you can do anything." She huffed a little. "I know you all believe that, whole-heartedly. Its a nice notion, and I've been content to allow you all to believe what you want... But I know Dark Guilds. I know them better than you, than anyone in this damn Guild. I know what they're like, truly like- especially the strong ones. The only other person in Fairy Tail who knows Dark Guilds, and the power Evil People can really hold as well as I do- is probably Moon." His eyes widened slightly, coming to a halt next to her.
"There are things out there that 'Family' and 'togetherness' can't overcome. Sometimes it doesn't matter how many people you have, how strongly you feel- whatever. Sometimes there is just too much darkness, to much evil to overcome by any number or degree of passion. Sometimes there is no end to a darkness. And this Dark Guild, especially this Dark Guild- it may not be enough our numbers or the power of 'Family' all of you hold so dearly to." She sighed slightly, none of the conviction leaving her voice. "There are dark forces that can't be destroyed by such things as what Fairy Tail believes in. Sometimes something is just too evil for even the strongest person or power to destroy."
"Have you really such little faith in the Guild..?" He asked lowly, after a longtime of silence between them. His eyes sparkled in the dim, unreadable to her- just as hers were nearly unreadable to him.
"Its not a matter of faith." She muttered, his eyes softened a little.
"... Then its personal experience?" He asked softly, catching her off guard. She stiffened a little, and his expression softened, becoming a little... Sympathetic. Gentle even.
"You mentioned that Moon may be the only one who knows as well as you do- you said that because she and you went through the same thing, didn't you?" He asked softly, she sweatdropped. "You were prisoner to a Dark Guild after your village was attacked, right? You've got experience with them not because you're an Information Broker, but because you lived through it?"
She looked away from him, eyes closing and falling silent. Chase frowned a little, eyes softening as he felt waves of pain and sadness begin sparking off of her. He just gazed at her, he didn't expect she would answer that question, it was probably really painful for her... He could only imagine...
"Yes." She muttered, taking him completely off guard with the response. Her fists clenched at her sides, her entire body tensing as... Anger began to spark off of her as the memories came flooding back. "It is personal experience, that's why I'm so adamant about this."
"Aisha..." He started, her purple eyes snapped open and looked to him, glinting madly.
"No, I don't want sympathy, I don't want you to ask about it- just no." She growled, "There are things in this world better left unspoken, and this is one of those things." He paused,
"... You don't fully believe everything you said."
Their attention snapped around toward the new voice, as Solana made her way toward the both of them, her emerald eyes glinting in the utmost sadness- sadness for her sister, for what she must have gone through. Solana had been following along closely beside Lucy and Natsu, Loke near them as both Spirits had come through their Gates on their own- and now she moved toward Chase and Aisha.
She and Aisha hadn't been close since finding each other again, and Solana regretted it... But she also knew Aisha had changed and that she wasn't looking for the close, sisterly bond they had once shared. She was much more independent now, and she hated being coddled... She was just happy that Aisha had let someone close again, even if it wasn't her.
She had been listening to Chase and Aisha talk for a long time now, every moment she knew Aisha had suffered more than she understood... And she knew very well her sister would never share what happened in the past with her.
"I am not talking about what happened, that's in the damn past." Aisha hissed, looking suddenly very angry. Solana just gazed at her,
"That's not what I'm talking about." She murmured, both Aisha and Chase blinked. "I'm talking about what you said, about some evils being to great for combined power, or love to overcome."
"What about it?" Aisha muttered lowly, eyes narrowing.
"While what you said can be true... Sometimes it only takes one thing, one person- to be able to defeat the truly dark things." Solana murmured. Aisha stiffened slightly, "Don't tell me you forgot about that?" Solana smiled softly, sadly. "Its very close to us... That even in total darkness, even when all good and light seems gone and snuffed out... There is always some shimmer of light, even in total darkness."
Aisha looked away, sweatdropping. Chase blinked, glancing between the two of them as if he had missed some thing- which, he had. It was an old story, and one the both of them remembered well.
Even at night, when the sun is gone and the world falls to shadow... The moon and the stars always provide light, it is never truly dark.
Even in the day, when the sun shines and dark seems chased away- it is never truly gone, shadows remain, even the sun cannot destroy them.
They live within one another, one cannot exist while the other is gone. They are two of the same halves, always there, always together...
... One light can be enough to drive away a world of darkness.
"... Sometimes, you only need a single, small person to defeat the biggest evils." Solana murmured. "Its a matter of finding that one person, that one light. They may be hard to find, but they are always there."
Aisha sweatdropped, "... Question is... Can we find them...?" She whispered, eyes falling closed. Chase blinked, looking from Aisha to Solana as it suddenly clicked for him.
No, he didn't know the whole story... But suddenly he understood what Solana was getting at. In Aisha's life, in all the pain and the shadow she had to live through- there had been some sort of light that still shone, a light that pulled her through all the evil that had threatened to swallow her. She found that light that still remained, however weak or small it had seemed... And she made it through, she got herself out of the shadows and the evil.
... Because Aisha... Had been that small, single light once... And if she had found that light in herself to make it through the horrors of her past, there must be a light here, in this new incoming evil.
"We'll find it." He said suddenly, catching Aisha's eyes. Solana smiled slightly, he was a quick study it seemed... And the way her younger sister looked up to him in that moment, her eyes flashed... There was a small flicker of faith, she trusted him.
Chase smiled, eyes shining as Aisha simply looked up at him in purely wrapt attention. Solana smiled softly, turning away. Even if she couldnt be the person her sister could look to the most for comfort, advice, safety, friendship... she was very happy that she still had someone, and that that someone was Chase-
... Frea... you were a great mentor to him... I've no doubt you tuaght him much more than just Magic...
Solana smiled slightly, eyes glinting. You seem to be able to teach people all sorts of things, without even meaning to... Frea...
Aisha POV
"We'll find that one person, because its true- there is always hope. And we can find it, wherever it is." Chase said firmly, Aisha just blinked.
She... Couldn't help but believe in what he said.
It was odd that- how easily he was able to get her to trust what it was he told her... And how easily it seemed, he was able to get her to relax. Her tenseness, and her fear seemed to melt as she looked to him.
It was this foreign hold Chase seemed to have over Aisha that Solana had picked up on, and nudged a little to try and calm her sister down. Even if she couldn't do it herself... At least Chase could, and that was plenty for the Sun Dragon Slayer.
Aisha nodded, just once- smiling just faintly.
"Right."
As it would happen... That one light may just be in the most unexpected of places, and it was certainly different for everyone. She may have been her own light all those years ago- but suddenly she had a new one, and it shone a calm, cool light blue.
"... Warning... shadow is... Coming..."
Moon's eyes narrowed, fixed to the floor of the cage and sweatdropping, her paws wrapped about her person and ears twitching. She had been trying for hours to catch onto those whispered words... The words without voices, without bodies...
The words that sent chills running up and down her spine.
She hadn't heard them since that first time, but even now- what little she had managed to hear was swirling around in her mind relentlessly.
What on earth... Could have said those things...?
She shook her head, a wash of pain flaring up at the movement.
Her eyes moved to scan the Hall, slowly beginning to see people begin to file inside, sit down and grumble quietly among themselves. She sighed, many hours had passed, and not a moment of it had been spent in sleep, and now the Guild was starting to stir... And soon her torture would pick up again.
"Morning."
She jumped, knowing immediately the voice was not that of Master Tomaru, but of someone else. Someone she had once thought her friend, and someone who had turned into a monster.
She felt shivers run up her spine, a chill falling over her as she scrambled from the edge of the cage- or at least tried to.
Someone's hand reached through the bars, hooking a finger around the metal collar clasped about her neck, drawing her back toward the bars before she could scramble away, eyes wide and fearful as her blue gaze met a dark, cold, red one.
"My favorite little snack is finally back." She murmured, her eyes hard and voice low, and dripping in hardly hidden menace. Her face remained expressionless, it usually did- it was when you could see emotion that you should truly be afraid.
In her eyes, as Moon came to know all too well- there was malice, danger.
Hunger.
Blood lust.
It was nearly as bad as Tomaru... As it probably should be, but in this woman- it was a hundred times more potent. One of the most insidious beings she had ever known. It was this woman... she was truly afraid of this woman, and for very good reason. Not even Master Tomaru nor the whole of the Death Bolt Guild chilled her to the core as much as she did. Because this girl, this girl was a large part of the Dark Heart of the Death Bolt Guild- it was as if she was the true and most powerful source of darkness and evil in this Guild... the true heart of evil in Death Bolt.
Death Bolt's most true, evil, and most powerful shadow...
"L-lyla..." Moon stammered, eyes narrowing as the woman smiled, a small, twisted smile.
"So you remember me then?" Lyla murmured, pulling Moon closer as she grinned evilly. How could she not?
There had always been one person in this hell-hole of a Guild that she loved, that had ever cared for her and she cared for just as much.
... But once upon a time, there had been two people.
She simply gazed into Lyla's red eyes, ears falling back against her head. She frowned slightly, a flash of pain running through her heart, and a small wave of anger, her fear suddenly masked a little.
"... I could never forget." Moon hissed lowly, Lyla smirked slightly.
"Oh, such anger in those eyes of yours, Moony." She murmured, her face inching closer. "Anger at me?"
"Do you need that answer?" Moon muttered,
Lyla smirked and leaned in, her lips inches from Moon's ear as she chuckled lowly, coldly.
"I suppose not." Lyla whispered lowly, "Not that I care you're angry... It was rather fun at the time. Even now, the memory of seeing the blood, hearing him scream..." Lyla smirked, shuddering in pleasure at the thought- Moon's stomach flipped.
"... I just wish I'd been the one to do it. And, I wish I could have eaten him whole. Pity I didn't get the chance."
Moon winced, feeling Lyla's grip around her collar a tighten and begin pulling at the skin. She sweatdropped, feeling herself grow colder and colder the longer she was this close to the girl. It was almost as if her very being could lower the temperature, like the pure malignancy inside of her was potent enough to seep into the air itself...
It wasn't possible, she had thought that for a long time. She remembered Lyla... She remembered her, before she was this... This monster.
She had once been kind, sweet, honest... Innocent even. She had once been her friend, she had been gentle- Moon had cared very much for this girl, and Lyla had cared just the same, they had been one in the same so many years ago... And now she was blood-thirsty, brutal, and twisted. As if some great evil had seeped into her and tainted a once bright, good soul.
Something had changed her, in the most drastic way... Enough to change someone who had been loyal and kind, into someone willing to sell out their own friends.
... Their own family...
"He was your brother, Lyla." Moon growled, as the girl pulled back, still grinning darkly. "And you sold him out... You got him killed."
"That I did." Lyla chuckled, Moon frowned.
"Don't you feel anything...?" She mumbled, Lyla tilted her head, blinking a few times. She looked slightly confused a moment, before her twisted smirk returned, her eyes darkening, the space around her seeming to grow darker. Moon felt like a cold sheet of water had suddenly dropped over her head, seeing Lyla's grin grow wider as she drew her tongue over her teeth- which for a moment, looked unusually pointed...
"Hunger."
Do you have any idea, the amount of trouble you've been stirring up?
All the things coming after you... They're starting to affect other people now... Get them hurt.
You... You're in the sights of some ancient Thing... The world seems out to get you, nearly every week there's something new out to get you... You're in trouble all the time, you're fighting all the time... And more often then not, you end up hurting.
And then there's people getting hurt around you. Taken...
"DAMN IT!"
She clenched her jaw, not at the agony sweeping over her very moment, but at the utterly screwed up life she as leading now- the anger, the rage.
The guilt
She was trouble, she knew that... She stirred things up, she always had something going on around her, or after her- and in the end, she managed to screw over not only her own life, but the lives of those around her.
It was as if bad things were attracted to her... Kasumi, Shadow and Winter... The Council... All of it. So many bad things happened to her, she was targeted, she was being controlled, something was trying to get to her- and in the end, it was looking to kill her.
Tomaru... What happened with Solana... What I did in Nvindorr... I even managed to drag Sting and Rogue into this mess involving this Thing. They almost died, Chase almost died...
... And in the end, all of that had been aimed toward me.
Now... Now I managed to put Moon in danger.
I couldn't stop Tomaru, he took her... And it was because of that Thing. That damned wound it gave me, the pain- whatever it was, it destroyed my Magic. And in the end, I lost- I lost, I failed... And god knows what the hell Tomaru is doing to Moon now that he's got her...
Her fists clenched at her sides, ever floating in that great sea of darkness around her. She kept trying to push herself to wakefulness, every inch of her being was screaming at her to wake up- to go and save Moon.
She had to, it was her fault they got in this mess in the first place... She had to try and fix it.
But because she was unconscious, because she couldn't wake up- the Guild was on their way to Death Bolt. They were putting themselves on danger now- if she hadn't lost they wouldn't be facing that Guild, they wouldn't be fighting.
... Nobody would be getting hurt... On my fault... My mistake...
"Damn it all!" She snapped angrily, "Damn me and damn everything out to get me! Damn that Thing, damn my screwed up damned life! Nobody should be getting hurt, not on my part, not ever!" She clenched her jaw more, eyes scrunched closed, fists clenched and body shaking.
"I don't want anyone getting hurt on my part, on my fault- not ever again!"
That had been her vow, her damn promise... She wouldn't let anyone ever get hurt by something she did. She wouldn't hurt anybody she loved, over anything ever again. Years of being called a Demon, being feared and hated... Being afraid of herself, and what she could do to the people she cared for if she lost it.
She'd never define herself as someone who got scared, or even felt fear... But there had always been one thing, one thing she hadn't shared with anyone- a deep fear that haunted her every day. It was the same thing that made her promise to protect everyone... And probably the same thing that had caused her to keep so many secrets. To keep that she had caused that Magic Anomaly a secret, to keep what happened with Solana and the Celestial Key Making Spell a secret... The reason she had always kept herself distant from everyone, why she never shared personal thoughts...
In the end... She was afraid of herself, of her own power, and the evil she could do with it.
She was afraid of the evil she could be forced to do... And even the awful things that could happen if she... If she ever went Dark, like so many people she knew had.
It had been this worst fear that had been realized... When Shadow managed to take control, when her recklessness hurt the people around her... When that Thing controlled her and forced her to open the Gate in Nvindorr, and even tried to make her murder her friends back at Hilshine.
And now- simply being around, simply being in the middle of everything crazy... That was starting to hurt the Guild, the people she was around. Those she cared for more than anything... And though she'd never admit it out loud, or to anyone else...
Everything going on... It was breaking her apart. She really was crumbling... And she hated it, damn it!
"What the hell am I supposed to do?!" She snapped, running her hands through her hair.
'Die.'
Her body stiffened, eyes snapping open and gazing around quickly. She didn't know why she bothered, she knew that voice all too well now... And she still couldn't understand how it got into her head at all.
My mind is supposed to blocked off... Always...
"Die...?" She mumbled, blinking.
'If you're dead, no one around you is swept up in your own conflict, no?' The voice murmured, low and hissing. 'If you're dead, you can't be forced to harm the people you care for, and you won't be around long enough to turn Dark.' The Thing broke off, chuckling.
'Which... In the end, you will turn Dark. Its inevitable.'
She sweatdropped, her heart skipping a beat. She knew better than to believe it, to listen to it... It was all lies...
... But still, she doubted herself. She always had... She'd come to beleive why Kasumi had ever taken her.. ever chosen her to be the one she wanted to destroy Fairy Tail... was because Kasumi had known there was some sort of Dark inside of her already, that she could be Dark... that she would be...
'And when you do, you will kill everyone you once thought you 'loved', Malunafrey.' The Thing hissed lowly,
'In the end, the only destruction coming for them will be you... So why not end it early? Before you fall into Shadow, and never come back?'
She clenched her fists, silver eyes sparking in anger- but the light of doubt and uncertainty in her eyes couldn't be hidden.
"Shut it!" She snapped coldly, "You're dead wrong! All you want is me out of the way! I already told you, I'm going to destroy you! There is no way around that!" Anger and abstinence began to flare up inside of her, and for a moment her own doubt and nervousness faded.
It simply chuckled,
'... If that is how you want it to go, then there will be no way around you turning Dark, Malunafrey.'
She faltered, feeling herself falling a little, her sudden resolve shattering.
She knew... When she was being.. Lied to... It.. Wasn't...
No!
She shook her head furiously, eyes burning in rage and fangs bared. She felt a fire rise inside of her, the pain intensified but the cold was being driven away.
"You. Are. Wrong!" She yelled, "I am done listening to you! Done with you and you're damned lies!" She swept her arms out around her, the dark suddenly illuminated in blazing silver as Magic bubbled under his skin in a rush- she had felt not a single ounce of it for so long, and now there was a torrent, a flood.
She knew she shouldn't be doubting herself, she knew she shouldn't be afraid of things she could do, or might even would do. If this Thing thought she would turn Dark, she'd never let it happen. If her life was pulling other people into a torrent of danger- she'd do everything in her power to keep them from harms way. And her power would have to be enough.
It will be enough
"Screw you! I will fight you, and I will win!" She snapped, "Throw your lies at me, whatever you have! I have been through worse, you are nothing, anything you do is trivial! I am going to completely destroy you, there won't be anything of you left when I'm done!" Her Magic increased tenfold, biting back the swirling black. "I'm not letting you win, and I'm not going to let anyone get hurt, I'm not letting you or anything kill the people I love! I'm sick of you, and tired of your jabbering!"
Her eyes hardened, suddenly steely and glinting in furious rage- and power. Deep, innate power... Power hidden deep within, and an expression that would send fear through anyone's heart. True and utter resolve.
"Now, get out of my HEAD!"
Everything was engulfed in such bright light unlike any other, every shred of darkness was destroyed by the intensity in moments, and she was left in pure white.
Her eyes widened in shock, suddenly feeling herself sucked down ward and hurtling at such an insane speed- if she were to hit the ground, she'd be done for.
Her eyes scrunched closed, body tensing as the ground reared up inches from her nose-
"... Well done, Frea... My dear..."
She lunged forward with a slightly panicked gasp, silver eyes wide and covered in sweat, breaths coming in harsh ragged gasps, heart racing. All sense of Magic and Power faded the moment she came to- aware of the familiar sight of Jynx's Seal still on her arm. Her eyes were met with the painfully bright light of the Fairy Tail Infirmary, before she scrunched them closed and her jaw clenched, doubling over as her pain and agony caught up with her tenfold.
She hissed, trying her best to stifle the yelp of pain rising in her throat, gasping slightly at it instead. Her head was spinning, for a moment she was having a hard time trying to place what was going on-
"Lay down!"
Her body went rigid at the ordered command, realizing too late there was a hand coming down at her- before that hand landed on her forehead and she was pushed back against the pillow roughly- a large SMACK resounding as the Old Lady pulled her hand back, leaving an angry red mark on her face.
She hissed, agony flaring up in not her forehead and body- but her back too, remembering faintly Tomaru's sword carving across her back.
Her eyes met the agitated red ones of Porlyusica, her vision still blurry and head swimming but clear enough to know who it was.
"What the hell... Tch... Granny...?" Frea mumbled, breaking off to wince. She was slightly miffed she had let herself get hit like that- but she forgot about it the moment her back seared in agony and she shut her eyes, rolling to the side a little to try and keep from laying on the wound. Even the pain in her shoulder couldn't compare... It seemed mostly healed now, but her back..
"Frea..!"
She cracked an eye open, recognizing the soft tenor of Wendy's voice nearly immediately, and recognizing the worry in it. She sweatdropped slightly, Wendy's eyes sparkling in worry as she immediately saw the pain flash in the Energy Dragon's eyes.
Porlyusica let out a low growl, "I wouldn't have to act so rashly if you were not an utter fool!" The Old Woman scolded lowly, though her features softened when she too recognize the amount of pain Frea seemed to be in-
For someone who usually hid their pain very well, to see such raw and powerful pain in Frea now was a little disconcerting- and it was certainly rare.
Wendy moved toward the bed, Carla next to her and eyes shining- Frea was immediately hit with just how tired the little Dragon Slayer looked... She must have been using her Magic quite a bit.
"Frea, are you alright...?" Wendy mumbled, Frea sighed slightly- forcing her breathing to calm down and pushing her thoughts of the dream to the back of her mind.
"... Mostly..." She mumbled, a lie- but she didn't like worrying anyone.
"... Wendy healed most of your wounds." Carla announced softly, "As best as she could manage, but we haven't been able to try and address that wound across your back yet." Carla's eyes glanced to Wendy a moment, ".. Wendy's tired, she needs to take a break."
Frea nodded slightly, Wendy looked a little defiant.
"I'm fine." Wendy argued softly,
"Don't be foolish." Porlyusica muttered, Wendy sweatdropped. "You've been using your Magic too long, I can take care of the rest." Frea simply looked at Wendy a moment, eyes halfway closed.
Wendy looked ready to argue... It was commendable, it always had been... How concerned Wendy was for others, how she worked hard to do her part even if it meant exhausting herself.
Frea's eyes narrowed a little, sweatdropping slightly.
... She supposed she was the same way...
"... You need to look after yourself too, Wendy." Frea mumbled softly, earning the Sky Dragon Slayer's eyes. Hypocritical coming from her... But her rage had simmered down some, and now she wasn't thinking too rashly anymore, and she once again saw reason in taking time to rest.
Wendy looked a little surprised, still frowning in concern and unhappiness. Frea managed a small smile, though the pain on her face was still clear.
"I feel a hundred times better, you've done a lot. Thank you... But now you need to rest." Frea told her softly,
"She is right." Carla broke in softly, Wendy's eyes fell, still looking very unsure.
"Ok..."
Frea sighed a little, before wincing again.
"Its good to see you thinking straight again." Carla said, looking to Frea who just blinked, sweatdropping slightly.
"... Right..." She mumbled, eyes closing. "... I was acting... A little too violently... I suppose..."
"For good reason." Wendy murmured, Frea cracked an eye open to glance her way. "You were acting that way, because you really care for Moon." She nodded slightly,
Her gaze moved toward Porlyusica as she caught the Old Woman's attention, ".. How long have I been out?" She asked slowly.
"Four hours, nearly five." The Old Woman muttered. Frea felt her heart drop a little,
That's too long...
"... Hmm..." She hummed, before her teeth gritted against a wave of pain passing through her entire being.
"This wound needs to be treated." Porlyusica said lowly, her hand moving to gesture toward the bandages wrapped around her torso- they were stained crimson where the wound on her back was. "I wrapped it for the time being, but it needs more care than that." Frea took a small breath, glancing toward the Old Lady. She was met with a stern look- but one she could clearly see sympathy in.
"Since you're awake now... roll over, and let me get a better look, so I can set to work." The Old Lady ordered softly, Frea sighed internally but complied anyway- stifling the groan of pain at moving as she slowly rolled over on to her stomach, lifting her shirt up and pulling it over her shoulders to let it rest around her neck.
She took note her shoulder was wrapped, but found that moving it was still hard- especially when trying to move her shirt up. The other various cuts and bruises were nearly gone, and those bones she had felt fractured and broken seemed mended as well... Wendy had done a lot of work.
She crossed her arms under the pillow, eyes falling halfway closed and wincing slightly as she felt Porlyusica set to work- and the pain flared again. She buried her face in the pillow, eyes scrunched closed.
"... O-oh... My..."
Wendy did her best to keep her voice low and cut it off as the gasp rose up her throat at finally seeing the full extent of the wound. It was the same sort of reaction that came from Carla, though she hid her shock a little better.
It was shock and worry that started to spark off everyone in the room at once, once she had rolled over. Frea hadn't need to see the wound to know how deep, or had it was- she could feel as much, the pain was immeasurable though she kept herself quiet, only tightening her grip on the pillow a little more tightly.
The wound was very, very deep. The skin shredded and inflamed, the amount of blood lost from this wound alone must have been massive, and the amount of agony- the full length, and the size of it. They could imagine the pain was unbearable, unbearable perhaps to anyone other than Frea- who they knew could handle pain unlike anyone else.
Wendy and Carla exchanged glances, before glancing toward Porlyusica to see the serious expression on the Old Lady's face- before Wendy gently moved closer to the bed, her hand resting lightly on Frea's arm a moment- a small effort at comfort, being easily able to see the amount of pain the Energy Dragon Slayer was in. It wasn't often Frea couldn't keep her pain hidden, though she tried very hard now... She couldn't do it.
"... Forgive me for the unpleasantness, child. This wound is very serious." Porlyusica murmured softly, Frea nodded, her face still settled on the pillow- body tensing as the agony seared through her again.
Perhaps it would have been better.. If I had stayed unconscious... She did her best not to focus on the pain, nor what the Old Lady was doing- she instead did her best to concentrate on the sound of rain hitting the roof of the Guild continually, the low rumblings of thunder far off and the scent of the moisture hitting her nose. It did little to help, and she bit her lip, fingers curling into the pillow again.
Laxus POV
The door to the Infirmary had been left slightly ajar, and now Laxus- who had taken up a post outside the door, in case Frea started a riot- glanced inside silently, eyes narrowed to slits and sweatdropping slightly.
He needn't be close to her to see how much pain Frea was in, nor to see the seriousness of the slice tearing across her back like an angry red line. The simple tensing of her body as the Old Woman set to work was enough, and with his heightened hearing he could hear Frea stifling her winces in that pillow- he himself felt an ache in his body just seeing the wound, seeing her pain... He could only imagine.
It took little thought to realize that it must have been that sword that Tomaru had plunged trough her shoulder- that it was that weapon that had inflicted such a large, long and serious wound. He faintly thought that it would end up leaving a long scar across her back... Just another one to add to the list he supposed...
His eyes remained locked on her figure for a very long time, before he made himself look away. His eyes closed, jaw clenched and arms crossed over his chest- a sudden bout of anger rising inside him despite himself. Anger he still didn't quite understand. Seeing Frea so hurt and wounded, to see her in so much pain all because of one man... It made his blood boil, boil hotter than he himself believed it ever could.
A large part of him wanted to tear into Tomaru, to destroy the man that had done so much damage and string her up like he had, nearly killed her. A part of him wanted to be there with the Guild, giving hell to Death Bolt.
And yet a part of him was determined to stay here and make sure Frea didn't go hurting herself again.
He sighed slightly, leaning against the wall outside the door, eyes still closed.
Frea waking up wasn't much a shock to him, despite her condition. She had proven time and time again she really couldn't be kept down for long, but the fact she hadn't jumped from bed immediately was surprising. Though he was sure she would try and run after the Guild as soon as the Old Woman was done with her... She was just so hot-headed and stubborn.
And she cares... almost too much...
His eyes opened, ears catching on to something aside from the quiet murmurings of the Guild, and Frea's quiet wincing... The sound of flapping wings, and the tinkling... Of bells.
His eyes narrowed a bit more, slowly stepping away from the wall and attention turning to the new sounds among the rumble of the rain outside. With the new sounds came two new scents, ones he didn't recognize.
He cast a small glance back toward the barely open door, before making his way toward the Main Hall- hearing the sound of feet approaching the Building from outside.
Who the hell is that?
"The Trail ends here..." Chase mumbled, standing at the head of the group of Fairy Tailers as they faced the large gaping hole hearing into the earth- the pitch black leading downward into nothing. The faint light of his Trail flickered, but would not penetrate through the entrance to the tunnel- even for all his trying, some sort of Magical Barrier blocked his Magic from going any farther.
Master Makarov's eyes moved slowly from his Magic, to the tunnel entrance itself- narrowed and glinting in the utter dim all around them. Aisha was standing not far from them, her eyes narrowed as she leaned in to inspect some scratching into the edge of the tunnel.
"There's a barrier keeping my Magic from going any farther." Chase murmured,
"As not to allow anyone to traverse a maze of tunnels into the heart of the Death Bolt Guild easily..." Master murmured, eyes closing a moment. "A sound strategy, it is rumored that the inner workings of the Guild itself is quite like a Labyrinth."
".. Any reports that made it out of those tunnels and back to the Magic Council... None of those people ever made it out of that maze." Aisha muttered lowly, glancing back toward the Old Man, looking serious.
"Precisely." The Old Man murmured.
"Master, how do we intend to approach this?" Erza asked, walking up to stand beside him. "If it truly is such a a maze inside, there is a chance we could all become separated and lost. And attacked once we became more isolated."
"And finding Moon in such a maze is going to be extremely difficult." Lily muttered, walking up with Gajeel and Natsu in tow.
"This is also true." Master replied.
"We may not be able to do anything about getting split up eventually," Gajeel grumbled, arms crossed over his chest. "But finding Moon at least, that shouldn't be too hard."
"What do you mean?" Erza asked,
"Well, we can sniff her out." Natsu murmured, having moved up to the edge of the tunnel, his nose twitching slightly as he peered into the darkness. He grimaced slightly, as if what he smelled was something acrid- "Its faint... And among all the other scents its jumbled, but I can smell Moon. Definitely."
Master Makarov glanced between Natsu, to Gajeel who nodded to confirm he could catch Moon's scent as well. The Old Man's eyes landed on the tunnel entrance as they fell into silence a long time, waiting for his orders.
"... Hmmm... It is possible these tunnels will be made to split us apart." He started at length, "While I do not doubt any of you cannot handle yourselves alone, I would prefer to remain together- even if that means in smaller groups."
"It is possible we may not find a way toward the heart of Death Bolt through some paths, we may even find a dead end... But we will stick together as closely as we can, and form smaller groups should the need arise." His eyes moved toward Chase, "Do you believe once we are inside the tunnels, you may be able to sense Moon?"
Chase nodded, "Teach locked on to Tomaru despite this barrier- even if my Trail doesn't get through, I will be able to sense Moon's Energy Signature once passing through the Barrier."
"Then it will need to go like this;" Master murmured, nodding toward Chase, Natsu and Gajeel. "In the case of us being separated- the rest of you are to ensure you remain in a group with either Nastu, Gajeel or Chase. The three of them will be able to lead you toward Moon, and the inner sanctum of the Death Bolt Guild- with that there is less chance of getting lost." He received small, firm nods from everyone before him.
"Yes, Master."
"You got it."
"Sounds good."
"The Death Bolt Guild is notorious, it is known highly for the lives it takes and the ruthless nature of those Wizards a part of it. These people have harmed our Family, taken them prisoner, strung them up- and done more damage than anyone should ever be allowed. They have taken the lives of countless innocents and threatened the lives of those in our Guild. They have given us a proposition of war." Master Makarov said gravely, eyes glinting furiously. A look shared by everyone else. "Give them no mercy, as they will not show you any. We are here to take back one of our Family, and to atone for the unforgivable actions they have taken upon our Guild, and our Members."
"They're actions are unforgivable, and deserve to be reprimanded!"
A chorus of noise rose up around them, all eyes burning and all of them bubbling in anger. Anger toward the Guild that had done harm to two people they loved, taken and humiliated- to do such great harm to anyone in the Guild was not something Fairy Tail would forgive lightly, if at all. And they would not forgive Death Bolt now- they would give them hell to pay.
"Hell yeah!"
"We're gonna get 'um!"
"Team Exceed sticks together!" Happy growled,
"We'll rescue Moon, no matter what." Lily muttered, nodding to Happy's comment.
"... Time to make those Bastards pay for what they did to Silver..." Gajeel growled, cracking his knuckles.
"Yeah, we'll make 'um pay tenfold for the things they did." Gray growled,
"For Frea, and for Moon." Natsu muttered lowly, face dark. "Nobody gets away with doing that to Fairy Tail." He smirked slightly, "Since Frea ain't here to give those bastards hell, we'll just have to. A hundred times over, and we'll save Moon too."
"Hell yeah." Gray smirked,
"Gihi..." Gajeel snickered, grinning at the thought of payback.
"Its our turn to stand up for her." Chase muttered,
"Like Frea's always doing for everybody else." Lucy said, fists clenching. "We're fighting for her, like she always does for us."
"Truly." Erza murmured, "And we'll protect Moon with every bit of might as Frea would. As she would for any of us. Moon is still a part of this Family, and we will stop at nothing to ensure her safe return!"
"Yeah!"
"Its our turn now!"
Fairy Tail flooded in the dark entrance, a sudden flame of pure anger and power that erupted among the shadows of the area around them. A burning charge wanting nothing more then to repay for the sins that Death Bolt had committed, for the crime it had laid against the Guild and two members of their Family. A burning brand of Magic, and burning bond of Family and love...
Aisha stepped in beside the torrent of such sudden fire and pure emotion, her purple eyes narrowed and passing over the angry faces and the determined expressions. She scanned over the lot of them before her eyes met the emerald gaze of her sister, and they simply gazed at one another for a small second.
Even this sudden blaze, this fiery burning brand of energy and emotion... It wasn't the light they needed to drive the torrent of shadow and evil away that lay in wait for them inside the vast, winding expanse of the Death Bolt Guild. The burning anger and power of the Guild wasn't light enough to battle the deep, dark shadow that lay at the heart of Death Bolt... A sleeping evil, a hungry one.
A vast, powerful, truly evil and dark... Shadow.
Alright! Here's to the new chappy- the full fight against Death Bolt is coming up next- along with Moon's defining moment, and a returning character! (Guess who?)
Anyhoo, lots more action and interesting stuff in the next chapter- this one was a bit bland like the last one, sorry for that! Next chapter will have lots of breaks, fights, hurts, and possibly a little ships~
Thank you so very much for sticking with me and Frea! I truly appreciate you time, your follows, favs, reviews, all of that!
Please, follow, fav, and Review! Thanks!
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