After the fourth day of the GMG, at Sabertooth's current base...
The members were gathered before their Master, Jiemma, who was glowering at them. They had already realized why, knowing the man as they did. But the focus of his ire at the moment was Sting and Rogue.
The two had been among his top mages and even the best team in the guild. Thus, he had expected a victory when they were chosen for the day's battle, only to be sorely disappointed.
Let's just say that for being the top guild, Sabertooth had a few skeletons in the closet. Things that made the situation in the guild rather terse at times. The main reason behind the issues happened to be Jiemma himself...
''I let the disappointment of the second day slide, seeing as that one involved such a crippling weakness for dragon slayers. But this?'' Jiemma's eyes narrowed. ''Sting, Rogue, you've completely disgraced my guild today. What do you have to say for yourselves?''
Both were kneeling, their heads lowered as Rogue responded ''...There's not much to say, Master. Our opponents were superior this time.''
''Yeah, they were just stronger than we ever expected but...'' Sting began.
''SILENCE!'' The man boomed. ''I won't have it! You will pay for this dearly. Sabertooth has no place for weaklings, remove your guild marks at once!''
Both dragon slayers tensed while everyone looked on. Minerva grit her teeth as she tried to think of a way to stop this but she was coming up blank. Knowing her father, she highly doubted he would let Sting and Rogue off with this much. And if she did intervene and mess up, it could complicate things on a whole new different level...
Just as the subjects of the guild master's ire had resigned themselves to the seemingly inevitable, a voice spoke up.
''M-Master, please, don't!'' Lector stepped up in front of the duo, who looked at him in surprise. ''They just had an off day, that's all! Sting-kun and Rogue-kun are at the top of the guild, haven't they proven it already?''
Rogue grimaced as he hissed, ''...You idiot...'' He couldn't see how this could end well. Lector knew perfectly well why what he was doing now was a terrible idea. What did he think he was doing?!
Jiemma's eyes narrowed at the exceed ''And just who are you?''
The cat was clearly scared but he tried to be brave and went on ''M-my name is Lector, Sir! I'm a member of Sabertooth too.''
The man scowled ''A little pest like you? Absurd! And where do you come off, thinking you can tell me what to do with my guild? There's a limit to how insolent you can be.''
Sting ground his teeth ''Lector, stop!''
''But I just...''
''Get out of my sight!'' Jiemma conjured a huge blast of magic and fired it at the cat, who froze out of fear. Sting hurried his partner but the magic hit the mark, causing a cloud of smoke.
When it faded away, there was no sign of Lector at all.
''LECTOR!'' Sting cried out, tears gathering in his eyes. He had just...he was gone! Jiemma had actually...
Rogue recoiled, holding the terrified Frosch tightly as both stared at the spot where the red exceed had been a second ago. Frosch cried for his friend, Lector had just been trying to do the right thing! This wasn't fair, he shouldn't have died for it.
Sting fell to his knees ''Why...?''
Rufus pursed his lips in disdain as he and several others glared at Jiemma, who appeared satisfied. ''Now then...'' He paused and turned to the sobbing Sting. ''...be quiet, you fool! You really are weak to care for a pest like that!''
''You...!'' Sting got up and blasted him with a white ray that left the man stunned before he attacked again with more vigor in his rage, sending Jiemma crashing to the wall. He punctuated this with a White Dragon's Roar, knocking him down.
Many of the members stared on in shock, never had they seen anyone take Jiemma on so handily. He clearly couldn't fight even if he wanted to...
''D-damn...you...'' He croaked.
Sting barely seemed to pay attention to what he just pulled off and many suspected that he wouldn't even care in the first place. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to keep pummeling Jiemma.
While some were still in shock at the sight, others felt pleased and even vindicated. The truth was, very few even cared for the guild master, who had become a cruel tyrant. They had just no choice but to put up with it or he would make any who wouldn't obey him pay dearly. It had happened before, Jiemma had made the consequences of insubordination very clear. The last time it happened...
Well, it just so happened to be the source of the strange rumors about the guild (AN: Mentioned in the previous chapter). That incident behind the death of the two Sabertooth mages, a pair of twins, had actually been Jiemma's doing. The two had actually been a very good team and rising members at the guild but they had gotten fed up with Jiemma's standards and ideology so they decided to gather enough evidence and report him. They knew fully well that previous reports of Jiemma's cruel actions had been cast aside due to the man's connections as well as the power he managed to amass. He ruled the guild with an iron grip and while there were some who had fallen in line and focused on strength and others who just feared him, the majority of the guild hated him once they discovered his true colors.
He wanted Sabertooth to be number one no matter what and insisted on forcing his standards on everyone. If his wishes were not met, he would ensure that the one who failed him and even anyone who tried to get in the way, would be severely punished. Of course, Jiemma was smart about it and made sure that any loose ends would be tied up. Those who kept defying him in the end just left-the word was he had dragged their names through the mud. They couldn't get jobs anywhere because of him and it was so bad that most, if not all of them had left the country. The remaining members couldn't even be sure seeing as how they lost contact with them in a short while but Jiemma insisted on using them as an example of what would to those who defy him. They had tried to stop him, even get help from the council but with Jiemma's power, it just didn't work. No one believed them.
The twins died just after getting everything ready and though Jiemma was purposefully vague about it, they knew he had orchestrated the whole thing. He was effectively telling them that his rule would not be challenged, no matter what.
That incident wound up reinforcing something within the best mages of the guild, they decided to use the twins as an example and stay back to protect the other members just like they had. Sting regretted that he had not helped them to this day.
''I wish we stood up against you sooner,'' Sting growled. ''This whole time we had to suffer in silence because we knew you'd make everyone's lives hell otherwise. I just wanted to make sure the twins didn't die in vain. They were right, we should've kept trying to stop you. Damn you to hell, you bastard!''
''...My, this was quite a surprise...''
Everyone looked at the door to see Minerva standing there, her expression dark as she glared at her father. ''Well done, Sting. I completely agree with everything you said.''
''Milady, he just...Lector was...'' Frosch stuttered as he tried to stifle his sobs.
''Lector's alive.'' She cut in, stunning the listeners. ''I managed to teleport him away from that attack in time.''
Sting almost expired out of relief ''That's great!''
Minerva was among those most active about protecting their guildmates. It had been partly out of disgust of her father's actions and shame as she had at one point followed with his orders but after things turned out how they did, she simply couldn't do it anymore. But no one thought any less of her and she was a figure many could trust within Sabertooth.
Minerva's expression however was still grim ''There's...still another problem. Follow me.''
She lead them to a somewhat secluded corner on the second floor and it was then that they immediately understood.
''What the hell is that?!''
Lector was being held in a translucent sphere that was surrounded an energy field. Under it directly was a circle with letters none of them could discern but it was glowing and seemingly emitting magic that just felt...wrong to many of them.
''Milady, how...?'' Sting asked.
''I don't know how it happened exactly but Lector was taken before I could get him back.'' Minerva admitted. ''My bastard of a father was the reason I could learn most of what I know about my magic. I wouldn't be surprised if he somehow found a way to circumvent it.''
''That would make sense.'' Rufus agreed. ''But going by your expression, I assume you know something about this spell?''
''I've seen him use it before.'' She admitted. ''I didn't know what it meant back then but...he tried this on someone who made an enemy of Sabertooth in the past. I couldn't see it all from where I was but going by what I heard...it's like quick sand. The more the person tries to escape, they more trapped they are. It even torments if they try to flee...and even then-it's very volatile...If magic is used on it carelessly, it explodes.''
''What?!''
''And he used something like that on Lector?!'' Sting was filled with new rage towards Jiemma. ''We could make him break it, can't we?''
''I don't know if it would work given how risky it sounds. Besides...after what you did to him, I doubt he'd be able to do much of anything.'' Rogue added. ''Rufus, can't you get rid of it?''
''I do have a possible spell for that but after what Milady mentioned? I don't think it's worth the risk.'' The memory-make mage returned. He'd never dealt with such a thing before so who knew what would happen...
''Dammit...there has to be something we can do though.'' The blond scowled. The idea of leaving his partner in such a situation made him feel ill.
Rufus crossed his arms and frowned ''...Milady, this kind of magic needs time to be set up right, doesn't it?''
The twin dragons, Frosch and Orga looked surprised by the question but Minerva exhaled ''So you've noticed. Yes, that bastard likely had this set up a while ago. He mentioned something about disciplinary measures since he wasn't satisfied with our Sabertooth's performance. He was absolutely insistent that we do something to remind everyone of the guild's power soon or else.''
Rogue blinked as a thought occured to him ''Wait, then what happened at the Naval Battle...?''
Minerva's expression turned into one of distaste ''That was me seeing no other way out of this. I expect it's also his way of making me answer for all the times I interfered in his schemes in the past. He made it clear that if we didn't win first place at least once today, he'd make sure the lot of us would pay.''
''Go figure...'' Orga grunted, he'd been more of the ones who wanted to concentrate on becoming stronger but after seeing what he did, he knew it wouldn't happen with someone like Jiemma in charge. The guild had been practically falling apart for quite some time now.
''Tch, this again?'' Sting scowled. None of them had been happy at that result but he knew something was up since Minerva wouldn't have done it otherwise. Sure she could be ruthless in battle but that was extreme. A similar command had been made before and he wouldn't be surprised if Jiemma saw it as a way to try and scare their competition.
''I intend to apologize to Lucy Heartfilia soon.'' She went on, her tone showing how much she hated what went down there. ''Not that I'd blame her for resenting me. It's a result of my failures more than anything. As Sting said, the twins were right. We should've persevered despite our failures and made sure to knock my father off his pedestal for good.''
''There's no point in regretting such things now.'' Rufus pointed out. ''But perhaps we should all go with you and explain the situation-they're more likely to understand then.''
''That's fine and all but...'' Sting glanced at Lector.
''Relax, I don't think anything will happen.'' Minerva offered. ''That thing's sturdy but nothing would take place without either the caster activating it or the trapped person trying to do something. So long as we leave it be, it should be all right.''
''...Actually, talking to Fairy Tail would be good for Lector too.'' He looked at Rogue in surprise. ''I have an idea. From what I've seen, one of their members should be able to get rid of this thing with little trouble.''
Frosch perked up ''Really, Rogue?'' He smiled when the former nodded. Sting relaxed a little, hating it but knowing they would have to wait a little longer.
Rufus' eyes widened as he realized what the shadow dragon slayer was getting at ''Ah, you mean...hm, that would make sense. I suppose it's a matter of convincing them, then.''
''We'll just have to try.'' Minerva said resolutely. ''We may not have the answers we need yet but as much as I want Sabertooth to be doing well, we need to change things.''
''Yeah, we're through dealing with the bastard.'' Sting agreed.
The next morning...
Things with Fairy Tail were of a more subdued air as those present thought back on what they learned last night.
The Dragon Graveyard, Arcadios' explanation and the most shocking part to many, that old place of Demon Fang's.
The graveyard raised a lot of questions on its own. But then there was that project, apparently even the games had been used as something to help gather the power required to make it work. Something that had been going for all those years. And now there was that issue with the Guardian of Time. Could they really make it work despite that?
Suffice to say, there were too many questions and not enough answers. No one was quite sure what to do at this point...
Warren sighed ''Man, it's a good thing today's a break...I'm not sure anyone could focus much on the games after last night.''
''You said it.'' Max agreed. ''That sure was a bomb, huh?''
Romeo nodded ''I find it really, really hard to believe that Natsu-nii and the others were the only ones to find about that horrible place. Those jerks in town all went and made Hope-nii the scapegoat to their anger because they couldn't do anything other than vent after everything was said and done. And they act like everything's peachy even when we all know that's a big fat lie, it's just so unfair!''
Warren and Max nodded in complete agreement. Bisca frowned ''Yeah, it really says a lot about Hope that he's actually handling things this way...Then there's this project. Even with this problem around the Guardian of Time I get the feeling that they're still going to keep going no matter what.''
''The knight did give that impression.'' Carla concurred, thinking of Arcadios's words last night.
''Man, just when we thought worrying about getting Fairy Tail back on top was the only thing to deal with before all this started...'' Nab trailed off.
Happy saw Natsu's expression darken ''What's wrong?''
''It all just makes so mad!'' He said at last. ''I hate how things are turning out. I thought we could help Hope deal with this stupid place and for good and have fun at the games but now look at all this! Like that jerk from yesterday, I still can't believe he just thought he could walk up and expect Hope to help them after all what happened.''
The exceed was about to respond but then he saw the half-open door to the building being pushed a little before Hope walk in, followed by Endymion. ''Hey, Hope are you all better?'' Happy regretted the words just after they left him. ''Sorry, stupid question...''
He stopped when the boy shook his head. ''I...'' He was honest with himself enough to admit that there was no way he'd be all better just like that after last night so...''...I will be.''
Victor patted the spot next to him and Natsu and the younger templar sat there ''Just take it easy, I think we all need more time to process what came of last night. Alzack was actually talking to about me something we think you'd want to hear too.''
Hope looked curious at this and the gun mage started to explain ''It's...about your old teacher. I wasn't sure until I heard her description but she's actually a wanted criminal, here in Fiore, Bosco and even Aetheria.''
Happy blinked ''Whoa, what else did she do?''
''From the talk going around, a whole lot.'' Alzack stated. ''I know there's an alliance between the nations now but it was actually supposed to start much earlier. Oriana was supposedly involved in one part but of course after she turned out to be helping Demon Fang, that was ruined.''
Lisanna raised an eye ''Wait, so they trusted her to do something for such a big deal? How come''
''She's the Chancellor's niece.'' Victor offered. ''Aetheria is ruled by the Grand Council and the Chancellor is the leader. Which brings me to another point, Reedus?''
The pict-mage nodded and picked up his sketchbook ''Hope, Victor was wondering if you might have actually known the Chancellor. Here's a sketch of him.'' He flipped to to a page which depicted an image of a man in his late fifties with sharp blue eyes and pale blond hair that was beginning to go grey.
Hope's eyes widened ''Wait, I remember him...''
Endymion blinked ''Wasn't he the one who brought you to Crocus in the first place?''
Reedus's eyes widened when the boy nodded and the rest looked in surprise. ''How'd he find you?''
''That...well, I'm not sure...'' Hope said slowly. ''...but I know it was after I wound up on my own because of that thief. He...I think he said I was probably caught up in all the chaos going on back then so he decided to help me. It's...still vague but I think something happened and he told me about coming here, he said he had a friend who he could count on to watch over me.''
''Wait, what even had you looking into that, Victor?'' asked Evergreen.
''It's just a few things I heard back when I was in the knights.'' He admitted. ''There was word about a traitor who turned on her very country and it was apparently someone close to the Chancellor. So much that he was counting on her to go and help a kid he sent over to Fiore and help him come back when things settled down.''
Hope's eyes widened, not knowing that the man had gone so far to help him. He did remember how kind he had been before-how when Hope had been lost and scared after finding himself in a strange place, he had been the one to come to his aid. He still couldn't remember just what happened back then but he did recall that the Chancellor had promised to get him back home when things settled down in Aetheria.
Although the thought of those memories brought another question to his mind, one he wasn't sure he wanted to visit given all that went down lately. Though it really hadn't been something he considered-ever. But his returning memories were beginning to turn a lot of things he thought he knew upside down and he wondered what else he might have had wrong.
Could it be...?
''Say, Victor, did you ever find out if there was a reason he did all that?'' Happy wanted to know.
''Not really.'' He admitted. ''I was wondering about that too. It kind of sounded like a lot went down back then but after what happened with that traitor...well, and what went down here, he's had some rough times too. I don't think he talked to many about what happened since.''
''...I thought he believed them.'' Hope said quietly. ''He said he'd make sure I could come back when he knew it'd be safe but time just went on and...well...''
He didn't go on but they all understood. The boy had no choice but to leave Crocus after Igneel helped him come back. Otherwise, with the situation as it had been, he may not have survived.
''He must be one heck of a guy. Going so far just for a normal kid he happened to meet...'' Wakaba mused.
''Oh yeah, he's admired back in Aetheria. Even when some people slandered him because of Oriana, most didn't care and they just had his back. They still do.'' Victor remarked.
''Also, you're forgetting Chibi isn't a normal kid. Heck, he's got something that would be a good lead to his identity for a big shot like that.'' Laxus added pointedly, tapping around the area the pendant would be, leaving them to understand.
''He's right, if it's such an important treasure, he definitely could've known Hope couldn't have gotten it by chance.'' Lucy realized. ''Hope, did you talk to him about the thief?''
The boy nodded ''And how the pendant reacted too- that's what lead him to us...from what he said, it sounded like he might have found something out about that person.''
Lucy figured that confirmed it. The pendant's reaction would've been a tip off to the fact that it was keeping the thief away. And she highly doubted that someone like the Chancellor wouldn't have known about the pendant considering how revered the Altair was in his homeland.
"Hope-nii are you sure about leaving things like this?" Romeo wanted to know. "After that awful way they treated you..."
"I don't see any point in bringing the past up with them." Hope said simply. "I may not trust them but I know they're not bad people. What's done is done, I can't look at them the same way ever again. The truth has been out for a long time and...well, you see how things are. It's just better to let it be. I'm happy with what I have now."
The fact that his old guardians hadn't even done anything despite knowing the truth about what happened when Hope came back before still upset the guild. Everyone knew that he had kept it a secret for their sakes but it just left them wanting to do something now. It was only Hope asking them not to that put a stop to this. But for now, they would wait and see.
They didn't care if they were the royal family or not, those people had gone too far and it went unsaid how much they hurt Hope. The boy deserved far better than this and they would make sure it would happen.
''So whaddya think about the project that jerk talked about anyway?'' Natsu asked the brunet, curious for his opinion.
''It sounds good when he says it like that but with all that's known about time travel, it's really hard to picture it working well. They know the risks and are clearly still intending to go with this even if the Guardian intervenes. I'm not sure if they even understand what the Eclipse Project could cause, even if Arcadios-san thinks he does. A change like what they're planning could have any kind of consequence.'' Hope replied. ''Besides...the thing about Zeref. See, Endymion told me what happened on Tenrou...''
''Wait, he just up and left?'' Macao stared when he finished retelling how the man found them after the battle with Meredy. The boy nodded, he still didn't like the implications of what the project, going to kill someone just because of something they might do wasn't right...
''It seemed like he really didn't want to fight. He actually made it clear that he didn't care for Grimoire Heart.'' Endymion informed. Left unsaid was the part the phoenix remembered about the man's reaction to the pendant, because that still didn't make any sense to him.
Was Zeref somehow familiar with a member of Hope's family?
''What I really don't get is how he wound up on Tenrou.'' Rebecca admitted, that had been bothering the phoenix too. ''I mean it sounds random for someone like him to be there of all places.''
The listeners had to admit that was a good point. And it just left them wondering if it really could've been a coincidence...
''What about Raven Tail though?'' Elfman asked after a moment. He had a guess after seeing Makarov's expression. ''They covered their tracks again?''
''Every last one.'' He affirmed, Ivan was thorough, there wasn't much clues to link the incident from last night to Raven Tail. ''We tried to make sure the Rune Knights were told of what happened but Ivan managed to convince them that those goons had nothing to do with him.''
The guild master thought that the free day was a great thing too, they all needed a change of pace now. It would do them a world of good.
Later...
The overall mood was beginning to grow better and back into Fairy Tail's usually cheerful one. It seemed that having talked things over all helped a lot...
''Whoa!''
Erza's eyes widened as she saw Droy dangling upside down from what looked like a tangle of his own plants, if she wasn't mistaken. Natsu's and Happy's snickering made her look at the duo ''What happened?''
''Remember that barrel surfing game Natsu came up with the other night? Those two were arguing about who could it make it better. I guess Droy decided his magic would help.'' Happy grinned, amused.
''Oh, honestly...'' She sighed and summoned a sword, cutting him free with in moments. ''...Droy, that was just foolish. Trying to one up the other in such a manner is just reckless, you boys are too competitive.''
''...Erza, you're practically more competitive than at least half the guild.'' Endymion said dryly as the plant mage mumbled an apology. Natsu and Happy worried at how she would take that, neither of them had the nerve to say such a thing. But Erza took the very true statement rather well.
''I will admit that.'' She allowed. ''But I at least try to know what I'm getting into and make sure to use my abilities well. That was just going off half-cocked, he could've gotten hurt.''
''Fair point.''
Wendy was talking to Hope and Rebecca about Chelia nearby. ''So she gave you advice with your magic too? That's really nice of her.''
The girl nodded with a smile ''Chelia's great! She thought we could get some tips from each other, our battle gave her some good ideas so she told me all about them.''
''That's good. It's amazing how you two hit off, really. Like you've been friends forever.'' Rebecca smiled.
It was a short while later that they had visitors no one expected.
''Sabertooth?!''
Everyone stared at the group of five mages present. What on Earthland were they here for?
''What the hell do you want?'' Natsu demanded angrily.
Minerva remained calm ''...Given all that's happened, I think we owe you all an explanation.'' That left them surprised. ''But first, I'd like to apologize to Lucy Heartfilia. I will be the first to admit that my actions in the Naval Battle are despicable, but that only went down as a result of my personal failures...I couldn't see any other way, but I truly am sorry.''
Makarov could find no signs of lying whatsover, leaving him thrown off ''What do you mean? You make it sound like you had no other choice.''
''At the time, I didn't. You see, despite the front Sabertooth presented...'' She proceeded to explain about Jiemma, his terrible rule and cruelty over the years, finishing with using a couple of incidents, including what happened to the twins as an example.
''What the hell? Why didn't you report him?'' Jet stared on in shock. He never could've expected Sabertooth had an issue like that going on.
''Don't you think we tried?'' Rogue returned irritably. ''The bastard was powerful and in control. He made sure no one would believe a thing we said. Milady has been protecting the other guild members from him for a long time.''
''Anyone who tried to do something about him wound up regretting it.'' Orga grunted.
''Why didn't you just leave? That shouldn't even be counted as a guild.'' Lisanna frowned.
''Because we know what happened to the ones who did leave.'' He retorted. ''Jiemma dragged their names through the mud. They'd be lucky to get even a small job with how he black-listed them. The ones we do know about left the country. When Milady actually tried talking to the Council, they never believed her.''
Evergreen sighed ''Of course not.'' At his raised eye, she added. ''Let's just say we have our own experiences with the Council's failings...''
''Is it really that bad?'' Happy couldn't imagine that. Putting up with the horrible situation in Sabertooth couldn't have been worth it...
Gray had an answer ''Yeah, we've seen people like that, remember? I know the majority of people in dark guilds are assholes but some of them are only there because they have no other choice. It was the only place that would accept them. I think the same applies here, so it's like they're stuck between a rock and a hard place.''
''Does he really have that much power, though?'' Elfman wondered, being still skeptic of all this.
''He's the guildmaster, Elfman. So yeah, in the end, his word holds the most power.'' Makarov informed grimly, disgust clear in his tone. He'd heard a few things about Jiemma but he never imagined the man was like this. ''People would assume that he knows best about his own guild members so they believe his word first.''
''We tried to do something, he still always got away with it in the end.'' Sting explained. ''We'd almost given up by the time we got to know the twins, they're the reason we stuck through with it all. They actually tried to do the right thing, no matter how hard it was on them. If their plan had worked, we wouldn't be here by now. I don't think I'd be exaggerating if I say at least half the guild was planning on just leaving after the Games, no matter what may happen after that.''
The rest of his team's silence spoke volumes and it really drove home how bad their situation must have been. They were clearly honest about all this. Those five were the cornerstones of Sabertooth's strength, so it really wasn't that surprising that they would manage to defend other members from Jiemma.
Any bit of resentment Makarov had against them had died by now. He had to admit, Gray put it best. The Sabertooth team had been stuck between a rock and a hard place. He wouldn't hate them for trying to put their comrades first.
''...So he had something to do with the Naval Battle as well?'' Juvia wanted to know.
''That was his idea of reminding everyone of Sabertooth's strength.'' Minerva spat, disgust clear in her tone. ''He made it very clear that if we didn't get back up on the ranks soon, he would've made sure we'd pay dearly. He's already shown that he doesn't think much of murder even if it suits him and he's never forgotten how I've been getting in his way. So his retribution would be that much worse, and not just on me...I couldn't chance it.''
Victor could see what she was getting at, whatever punishment he had in mind was likely going to be that much worse. But this did bring another question to mind ''Wait, so since you're all here, what changed?''
This lead to Rufus filling them in about the previous night, leaving them shocked. The only troubling thing was that Jiemma somehow escaped before they could make sure he was arrested but none of the members cared, so far as they were concerned, he was history and good riddance.
''Of course, it only serves as a reminder of just how far he was willing to go.'' He added, telling them about Lector's situation then.
Gajeel's eyes narrowed ''Hold on, there's no way he would've worked something like that out on the spot, right?''
''Yes, Lector was the unfortunate victim of the method he was planning to use to punish us if we hadn't met his standards yesterday.'' Rufus admitted. ''Being so familiar as he was with Milady's magic, we believe he used that to activate the trap.''
Freed raised an eye ''That seems like quite the terrible set up-what did he do?''
In response, Rufus manipulated his magic in a way so that they could see his memory of the trap. Makarov balked, recognizing the spell ''Is he insane? Using something like that on his own guild?!''
''Wait, you know of this, Master?''
''I've only seen records about it but it's an old spell that was used in prisons a long time ago.'' Makarov admitted. ''This magic was deemed abhorrent because of the consequences it could cause, it was banned years ago. They were right to leave it alone, that's for the best. If anything, trying anything if they weren't sure it would work would've been bad for that exceed.''
Needless to say, his guild was just as appalled. No matter how you looked at it, the fact was that it was only because of Minerva trying to save Lector that things wound up like this, otherwise, any-if not all of them could've been the victim instead. It was sickening, to them, their guild was home. But Sabertooth didn't even have that comfort, all because of someone who they should've been able to count on...
''...That doesn't mean there isn't a way to deal with it, right, Grandpa?'' Hope asked after a few moments. He glanced at the pendant as he went on. ''Maybe if there was a method quick enough before the spell activates...''
The man began to smile as he caught on to the boy's line of thought ''That's actually about the best way to go.''
''You sure about this?'' Natsu clarified, also seeing where this was going.
''Yeah, I think it'll be fine.'' Hope returned. ''It sounds like they've had it bad and after what Grandpa just said...even with what went down between our guilds, leaving anyone in that kind of situation is just wrong. Sorry, Lucy...''
But she shook her head ''Don't be. Thanks for respecting my feelings but I think you're right. You should help them.'' The celestial mage thought she would've still been angry with Minerva and the rest of her team after all what went down but she found that she only felt bad for them. She couldn't imagine what dealing with that situation was like. Jiemma sounded like nothing but a monster and while they put up quite the act, she could see that they had little choice. If anything, she thought it was good of them to stick it out to help the rest of the guild.
Rogue relaxed, knowing his first assessment of Hope was correct. The boy truly was kind. He'd actually been the one the dragon slayer had thought of talking to last night but Hope figured the issue out before he could get to it.
Lucy looked at Minerva ''Well, seeing you as clearly mean to turn a new page...''
''Absolutely.'' The latter said at once. ''We're not going to do things his way anymore.''
She smiled ''...then apology accepted. Let's just let bygones be bygones.''
Minerva was surprised but very much relieved by the show of forgiveness, noting how the rest of her team felt the same way.
''You're...taking this pretty well.'' Orga said after a moment.
''Well, I can't speak for everyone but the way I see it-we were pissed off at you guys yesterday, we worked a lot of that out in the battle.'' Gray said with a shrug.
"Also, given recent experience, we have our own reason to give this second chance." Erza stated.
''And after hearing your story, hating you guys seems really pointless.'' Rebecca chipped in.
Freed nodded ''Although, I'm curious, what happened to Jiemma anyway?''
''We don't know. When we had enough time to make sure he could answer for his actions, he was gone.'' Sting admitted. ''A few of our other members are talking to the Rune Knights, this time we've got enough proof that he can't screw up. Either way, I say good riddance.''
''Fro thinks so too.'' Frosch agreed before looking at Hope. ''Would you really help Lector?'' He felt much better when the boy nodded with a small smile.
''Much appreciated. Now then, shall we?'' Rufus tilted his head a little.
The Sabertooth group returned to base with a group that included most of Fairy Tail's teams and Makarov and took them to the site of the trap.
Erza couldn't help but grimace ''No wonder this spell was deemed abhorrent, this magic feels disgusting...''
Hope had to agree, he knew without a doubt that he'd made the right choice. Learning of the situation in this guild made him all the more appreciative of his adoptive grandfather. Makarov had always gone out of his way to help them, it was thanks in a big part to him that Hope knew Fairy Tail could really be his new home. It just made him all the more grateful to him and the rest of this group of amazing people who accepted him as one of their own.
The boy placed a hand on the pendant and leveled his other hand towards the trap. The pendant lit up as he willed his memoria magic to activate and cast Zero Ray. The trap began to glow ominously. However with the pendant's boost, the memoria spell quickly erased it without preamble, much to general relief.
Endymion swooped in to catch Lector before he hit the ground, letting a relieved Sting pick him up ''Thanks! Thank you so much!''
''You're welcome.'' He smiled back as a happy Frosch was cheering at the turnout.
''I'd have been just glad if you'd heard us out but to think you even went and took care of this...'' Minerva began to smile. ''...it really means a lot.''
''You were trying to do what was right by your guild mates, we can hardly fault you for such a thing.'' Erza stated. ''Though showing that you really can make a new start would be all we'd expect of you.''
''Oh, don't worry about that, it'll happen. Things can finally get better around here.'' Sting stated, to which the others agreed.
When they were about to leave...
''By any chance, have you seen Yukino?'' Rufus inquired. ''All our attempts to find her failed but I recall that she was particularly interested in talking to Lucy.''
''Well, she did actually come over a few days ago.'' The girl in question returned. ''Yukino wanted to give me her zodiac keys because she didn't think she was good enough for them but I wouldn't go for it. She clearly cares a lot to put their interest first, I wouldn't ruin her bond with the spirits. But we haven't seen her since, I actually thought she left the city...''
Endymion had a thought ''Wait, you tried to find her? Does that mean you...?'' He looked at Rogue.
The dragon slayer knew what he was thinking ''Yeah, we were just on our way back when I noticed you two that night but there was no luck, her scent just eventually faded.''
''I'm sorry to say, we haven't seen her at all since the second day.'' Makarov offered, noticing how this left them troubled.
Frosch looked down, he'd always liked Yukino, she'd been so nice. What in the world happened to her?
At Mercurius...
''Arcadios-sama.''
The knight turned his head to find Yukino walking up to him. ''So Lucy-sama and Hope-sama refused to cooperate with the project?''
It wasn't known much outside the palace but he'd come across Yukino just as she was leaving Crocus following her exile and filled her in on the situation. The girl had seized on the opportunity and agreed to help him, thus she'd been staying at Mercurius ever since.
''Yes, but don't fault them. They have their own reservations and concerns.'' He said gently. ''Fairy Tail has good reason not to trust us. Sir Hope was...someone we failed terribly in the past. But even then he heard me out and told me the truth. He can't participate even if he wanted to. The Eclipse Project would break a cardinal rule for any Aetherian, his very magic never would've worked in the first place.''
''I see, I suppose that's understandable. But what now?'' Yukino inquired. ''After all, with the Guardian of Time...can we count on that person understanding our cause?''
''That...I do not know.'' Arcadios admitted. The Chancellor, Alan Dale, had been a good friend of his majesty's for years. That was why he had left Hope with him in the first place. He couldn't be sure who the boy was at the time but the presence of the Altair's pendant and that Hope could remember someone giving it to him said plenty. It couldn't hae happened with just anyone after all.
He hadn't ever gotten the full details but it seemed there were people after Hope at the time. That had convinced Alan that bringing him to Fiore was the best solution while he worked to settle things down in his homeland and later made sure the boy could return.
Alan had been furious when he heard of what happened to Hope afterwards. His wording had made it clear that he had actually found out just who the boy was and why he'd found him in that situation, which made it all the more imperative to get him back. But there was no chance of that happening then, not when many of them believed Hope had died. The explanation he got left him all the more angry, stating that there could be no excuse for the way they treated an innocent child who should've been able to rely on them.
If anyone hadn't been ashamed of how that situation turned out, that particular event definitely drove the ramifications of their actions in that day deeply. The King had been even more hurt and disappointed with himself when Alan cut ties with him as well, refusing to trust him ever again.
Unfortunately, Alan could've been a great help towards their current issue but there was no way he would lend them a hand after his last visit. Arcadios really couldn't blame him either, no one did, not with how ashamed the entire situation left him. Especially seeing how Hope was handling things now...
''We have to keep going.'' He said at last. ''Our research proved that it can be done. We've come too far to stop now. With apologies to the Guardian, we must do this.''
''Yes, I'm sure that person will understand.'' Yukino offered.
A girl with vivid green hair and eyes of a matching shade leaned her head against the window and sighed, wondering what she could do.
This was Princess Hisui E. Fiore.
While the plans had been made in preparation for the games, there was one issue they never could've seen coming and it troubled the princess to no end.
''Years ago, I never thought I would have friends or a family again. But I found those things and more-thanks to Fairy Tail.''
Hisui closed her eyes as she remembered those words, her heart clenching as she knew how true they were. For the speaker had been someone she knew well-her own family's ward.
She could still remember her surprise to learn of the deal her father with his friend from Aetheria but she hadn't thought much of it. The girl had been curious to get to know Hope and they wound up getting along very well, she found him very sweet and kind and she came to think of him as the brother she never had.
She found herself remembering a certain conversation they had once...
''There you are!'' Hisui smiled. ''I've been...'' She blinked. ''...what's wrong?'' He made to speak but seemed to think better of it and bit his lip. ''Come on, you can tell me.''
He looked at her for a moment before looking away ''...Is it really okay for me to be here?''
Hisui frowned ''You're talking about what those visitors from the other day said, right? Well, of course you can! Father agreed and we want you here-that's what counts. I told you, don't listen to them. Don't you like it with us?''
''I do...i-it's just...I'm scared, I don't want to lose this too...''
''Oh...'' She bit her lip, regretting her earlier tone. Of course he was scared, he had already been abandoned before and he'd known them for this long-it sadly made all too much sense. '...well, you don't have to worry about that-you're family too now!'
''R-really?''
She nodded happily ''I promise, you can count on us!''
Hisui sighed, knowing that promise had already been broken in the worst way. She wouldn't be surprised if he thought they all despised him but it couldn't be farther from the truth, Hope was the victim in all this and they had failed him. And to think he had just been trying to help when all that went down...
A part of her feared facing Hope, he had every right to hate them and she was fully willing to take that, if only there was a way to help him somehow. Arcadios told her about the previous night, and she was shocked as it cleared up many of her suspicions about him, also grateful that he even heard the entire situation out in the first place. Unlike Arcadios though, she hadn't expected him to help and she had made a point to tell the knight that he and his friend were perfectly justified in making their own choice. It would be wrong to just force such a thing on them and she wouldn't stand for them troubling Hope or his new family, that was the least she could do at this point.
Hisui had always liked the tales about the White Paladin. It amazed her to learn of someone so kind and selfless. Learning his identity only just made her sure that he more than deserved all the praise and faith people had in him. She was already looking for a chance to approach Hope soon, she couldn't stand leaving things like this. But she couldn't just yet as she had business to handle here, the thought of which made her think back to another matter at hand. The project.
What Arcadios didn't know was that two people had helped her proceed with the Eclipse Project, both had remained sure that despite the Guardian of Time possibly interfering, it could work.
She couldn't help but wonder why that was though...
All the guilds got busy preparing themselves for the final day of the Games, determined to at least make sure to do well. Even with the advantage tipping towards Fairy Tail like it did, the points promised by the battle royal could give them a chance to turn things around. So if they made the most of it, they could possibly turn things around.
''Bottom line is, let's make sure to give it our best shot, no matter what.'' Arana told her teammates, who nodded.
''We'll make sure no one underestimates Mermaid Heel!'' Risley grinned.
''I have to say though, Fairy Tail sure gave everyone a shock.'' Beth remarked.
''Yeah, but good on them! I hated how people made fun of them every year, it's about time things turned around.'' Millianna stated.
The girls could understand where she was coming from as they all found that distasteful too. Even if a guild performed badly, it was no reason for all the mockery the Fairy Tail team had to put up with all this time.
''Maybe you'll get a chance to fight Er-chan, Kagura-chan. That'd be something else!'' The cat loving girl added.
The swordswoman lips twitched ''It certainly would, Millia. I would very much like such an opportunity.''
Though when the subject came to Erza, she wound up thinking. She had an idea of how she met the redhead before, but she couldn't be certain as it brought a distant memory to mind. It just made her all the more curious about the scarlet knight.
Shaking the thought off, she spoke up ''At any rate, all of you make sure to rest up. We'll have to be at our best tomorrow.''
''Right!''
Lector woke up with a start, shocked to find himself in the room he shared with Sting, Rogue and Frosch.
Wait, the last thing he remembered was Jiemma attacking him...he'd thought for sure that he was a goner...
The sound of footsteps brought his attention to his best friend's presence. Sting grinned, relief clear in his eyes ''Hey, good to see you're up, buddy.'' He chuckled as Lector leapt in for a hug a second later, quickly returning the gesture and reminding himself once again that his partner was safe and sound.
''A-all that happened?'' Lector looked amazed when Sting brought him up to speed. ''So...he's gone? For real?''
''For real.'' He affirmed. ''It's time for Sabertooth's new beginning, Lector. From here on out, things are just going to get better for us all.''
''Yeah, that sounds great!'' The exceed beamed.
''You wouldn't believe how happy they were.'' Lisanna told Evergreen. ''Turns out we really didn't know much of anything about Sabertooth. I really feel bad for them, seeing how they've had it makes me appreciate Master all the more.''
''Tell me about it, those guys really counted on Sting and the others the most. It looks like they really do get along nicely without that jackass screwing things up.'' Gray stated.
''Good for them.'' Lily nodded.
Happy flew over ''Gray, Laxus, Hope! Master Mavis wants to talk strategy for tomorrow with the teams.''
''Oh yeah? Thanks, Happy, we'll be there.'' The first returned. The exceed nodded and flew off, presumably to tell the rest.
''I wonder what kind of strategy...'' Evergreen looked curious.
''It should be an excellent scheme. I remember Gramps mentioning something about her being one heck of a strategist in her day.'' Laxus remarked.
''You don't say? Sounds promising!'' Gray smirked.
As they headed over to meet her, Hope found himself thinking back on all what happened today. No matter how he looked at it, his returning memories threw a lot of things in doubt. And now he had more questions than before. While he hadn't thought it would come to this when he first got here, now he knew that he needed to talk to the royal family. They could have answers he very much needed.
But for now, he reminded himself to focus. They were coming up to the climax of the Games and he wanted to give his all for Fairy Tail.
And let's stop here.
Well, this wound up bigger than I thought. I hope it was good. For a while, I wasn't sure about how to handle Sabertooth but then I got this idea and I had to try it out. I didn't want to give things away in the previous chapters but there you go. Sabertooth here really did mean well and the twins were actually well-liked in the guild, making their deaths that much harder on everyone. It also served as a point where Minerva and the others decided to remain true to their beliefs no matter what.
And all what went down has Hope questioning a lot of what he thought he knew, including his birth family. That's why he wants to talk to the royal family and see if they know anything that could straighten this out. Alan may have a mistake in trusting Oriana but he did actually figure out just who Hope was and that was why he had been meaning to get him back. Things are going to come to a head soon.
Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Till next time!