Chapter fourteen
This Isn't A Plot Twist
-•-
It had been days.
He didn't know how many. The magical realm was funny that way.
Gray sighed for what felt like the seventh time; yeah, he was keeping count, why? He didn't know. Probably to distract himself from feeling to drown himself in a lake of acid or whiskey, either one would be wonderful at the moment.
"Geez, what crawled up your ass and died?"
Gray glared at his Fae friend. One time before when he was in Fiore with Jellal and Mest due to some business the council needed him to sort out, they had been roped into attending dinner by a friend of Jellal.
Which made him question Jella's choice of friendship but seeing as he was in no position to argue, he shut it.
Thankfully though, that was the only reason he knew his way around the Fae houses and when Lucy didn't come out the other side, he knew they had to move lest they attracted attention. Faes were almost as curious as humans and right now, that wasn't what he required.
It quite literally took all of him to take Wendy to his friend's place which was thankfully easy to locate since it was opposite a memorial statue of a plain white dragon. Safe to say, Cana Alberona was surprised to see Gray, late at night, outside her house with what looked like a child who seemed to have seen better days no less.
"Nothing crawled up my ass and died, it's just that-"
"-Gray, I know you're worried," Cana said, twirling her magic cards between her fingers.
"Worried would be grossly underweighting it," Gray stated.
"But see you can't do much about it, I know you're concerned for your other friend who may or may not have made it to the realm but even you know," Cana said, "Once you enter the Fae realm through those godforsaken trees, you have to wait for a month to get out the same way unless you want to try the alternative method-"
"-which would be taking the official approval from the Queen of Fae which would be a viable option if only the Queen showed herself."
So since it had been some time since they had entered the realm, Gray had learnt a little bit about the Fae kingdoms, he didn't bother learning their courts because that would take an eternity to go through once. Honestly, the number of religious texts he had memorised would tremble at the history of Faes, it was that confusing.
However, nothing was as complicated as the Fae Queen herself.
The Queen of Faes never revealed herself even to her own subjects she seldom appeared. When the Great War was happening, she had always people around her who would relay her message and strategies through War tacticians.
Still, it made his brain befuddled and rightly so. Why would a ruler turn away from her own people?
It was odd but now that meant Gray had to wait for a month in the Fae realm.
And Wendy.
And Wendy.
That girl looked so heartbroken, Gray was positive he was gonna knock the brains out of Lucy's head when he saw her again. It was a when not an if, he had told himself. resolutely. Wendy had simply turned cold and quiet but she hadn't opened the door since the night they arrived. Nothing went inside, nothing came out.
But dumping himself with all problems at the moment wouldn't do them any good, he'd have to take action at some obvious point.
"That human girl," Cana interuppted, looking up to indicate the floor above them.
"Wendy." He inserted.
"Wendy," she referred with a shrug, not mildly offended by the scowling nature of his face. "She's gonna need food, right?"
"Yes, Cana, humans eat three times a day." He said, cracking his jaws.
"What gluttons."
It made him stare at her in veiled incredulity. "We're mortals, we need food for self-preservation."
"Wuss."
Gray rolled his eyes.
"I'll go and get her food upstairs."
"Good luck." He wished.
"Why?"
"Chances are the doors not gonna open." Cana narrowed her eyes as she took another gulp of the barrel she was previously drinking from and Gray wondered, is sustenance towards alcohol common in all Faes or was that just Cana?
Probably just Cana.
"Well, too bad that I have magic and absolutely no respect for privacy." She said going upstairs regardless.
Cana continued climbing stairs and when she finally reached the door. Muttering a charm, the door unlocked and she entered it with candles alighting themselves magically.
"Go away." A voice weakly reached out and the brown-haired fae almost took a step back at the darkness that surrounded the room in spite of light that was glowering.
"Kid, you know you're going to have to eat right?"
"I don't want to." said the tired voice.
"Look, sweetheart, if Gray said that your friend's fine then-"
"-How does he know that? How does anyone know that?" She asked, the voice growing bolder and stronger at the mention.
Cana paused in consideration. "You're right." She conceded. "Nobody does but that doesn't mean you should give up hope, y'know."
She saw hints of dark blue moving but couldn't pinpoint exactly where. There was something in the air, something dark, something Cana wasn't particularly a stranger nor a friend to it.
She ignored the feeling as she concentrated on the human child, "The person you're looking for, do you think they'd be happy with the way you're treating yourself?"
Silence answered her as Wendy lowered her brows in understanding, she was right. Lucy would be pretty mad if she knew that she wasn't taking care of herself. She could almost hear her chiding voice in her head and new-formed tears almost slipped out if it weren't for Cana's presence preventing them.
"You gotta be a strong kid." The Fae smiled at her before leaving the food on the table.
"Come down soon, you're scaring Gray out of his wits and as much as I like making fun of him even I can't see him that way." Cana grinned at her before Wendy took a deep breath and nodded.
"Plus, if you come along then maybe we could figure a way out." She said, waving back at the darkness that was left out by the light like it couldn't be reached. "Fae magic is pretty useful."
The brunette left her alone in her room and closed the door behind her.
After which she narrowed her eyes, Cana had heard Gray tell her that the girl was human and she wouldn't blame him really because it seemed as if the girl believed it too and Gray after all was human.
But Cana felt and knew it.
That girl didn't feel human, far from it.
But for once in her long life, Cana hoped she had the wrong instinct.
| • • • • |
The Igneel fortress was a stronghold fortified against any attack, it was also the headquarters of the Alvarez kingdom, home to all Sorcerers. While all demons may stand firm on their belief that they were more powerful and overall better than the sorcerers, even they couldn't deny the magnitude of the power held by them.
Mystogan often wondered exactly where did all the hate come in from.
Was there a fight between Sorcerers and Demons?
Not that any of the books knew of except for the obvious bad blood which had risen due to multiple unfortunate events.
It hadn't made any sense to him back then, it didn't make any sense now either because both sides could be held collectively responsible and yet the unfairness of it all was drowned upon the demon race.
And that folks, was why Mystogan wasn't truly well-liked in the Court of Alvarez nor did he appear very often around it because he didn't agree to the beliefs forged by blindness and prejudice, he didn't want any part in it.
The most well-known notion perceived by all sorcerers that since demons were dark and evil, they must be eradicated.
Alright.
Demons were all things dark such as nightmares, shadows, the very symbol of evil.
Yes, they were.
But here's the thing.
One can't just wipe out darkness to embody light, that wouldn't make sense. Light has no meaning without darkness, co-existence was supposed to be the key. Mistakes happen and chances for redemption must be given because, at the end of it all, they lived together in the Earthland realm.
How was there going to be harmony if one race couldn't look eye to eye with another?
Mystogan entered the fortress and was immediately informed by one of the helpers that he was required in the court of the King before His Majesty would arrive. He thanked them and continued to proceed to the courtroom.
Of course, he'd want to see me. Mystogan thought as he entered the court attracting the attention of many officials who either smiled at him in greeting for the sake of pleasantries or openly scowled at him with disgust. Mystogan was well-aware how unwelcomed he was in his own realm.
But did he care?
No, not as much as they would like him to.
He stood by the King's throne bored before he spotted Milliana across the hall, he glared at her when she met his eyes hoping she could understand the enormity of trouble she had caused for him by dropping his precious Grimoire.
In response, she nervously laughed and decided it was a smart idea to get the hell out of there as soon as courtly matters were dealt and finished with.
The heavy doors of the court opened once again and everyone rose from their seats in respect, few soldiers marched in before a man upon whose head sat a crown that grew heavier with every step he took.
Black billowing robes.
Coal eyes sharp as the magic he possessed.
And sheer nonchalance in the air he commanded.
Zeref Dragneel strode to his throne with his staff upon which glowed powerfully a brittle crystal. He sat down on it as the court honoured him but Mystogan knew his friend would prefer the get it over with it because nothing was more mundane than just sitting and listening to the pettiest kind of problems.
Court didn't last more than half an hour though mainly because that's the point Zeref would, out of annoyance, finish solving all of their plights and just as soon as they came, the court of Sorcerers would be dismissed.
As everyone left, Mystogan stayed behind waiting for a command from his king who simply smiled at him in a way that was reserved only for his close associates.
"So, I've heard about your grimoire." Zeref said, leading them to his private balcony from the side of the court, the flowers in his garden were driving in full bloom as the season coddled their petals.
"Can you really not?" Mystogan asked, embarrassed causing Zeref to become amused at the pink flush on his friend's face, he nodded before taking another sip of wine from the goblet on the table.
He sat down and looked at the blue-haired man. "Not that I don't trust Milliana but she can be a little difficult sometimes."
Mystogan snorted at the Emperor's leniency. "Difficult? Really Zeref? That's the word you choose-"
"-it's a book, Mystogan. Let it go, you've lived long enough to memorise everything in it anyway." The black-haired man shrugged but nevertheless offered. "I'll lend you mine to cast the locator's spell upon it."
"I was going to ask you for it but yes, thank you." Mystogan sheepishly appreciated as he nodded at him as he plopped himself on the seat next to him.
Zeref let his hand simply play with a petal that had flown astray that had settled on the stone table. "So what happened in the Temple of Ashes?"
"About that Zeref," he said with an uncertainty that attracted Zeref's dread mildly. "Natsu Dragneel said that he couldn't sense anything."
"But?" He asked drinking from his goblet.
"But I think he's lying." Mystogan said, relying that information on his hunch
"I wouldn't put lying above that demon." Zeref stated frankly.
"Same." Mystogan agreed because it was Natsu after all, his reputation preceded him in matters like this as much as of a fun companion he could be. "But I don't know how I can force him -of all the stubborn demons out there- to tell something he wouldn't want me to know."
The King narrowed his eyes. "Mystogan, the Draconis isn't just a symbol of goodwill between the sorcerers and demons."
"It also was made of Osmium, the stone used for the purpose of divination by ancient faes." He paused as he tasted another sip of the wine. "To prophesize the future by the mouth of a Priestess."
He maintained eye contact as he continued. "The only reason why it would shine is that—"
"—The Draconis has chosen its medium."
"Precisely." Zeref gestured as he slanted his eyes at the petal. "Unlike the times before, the Draconis wishes for us to search for the person who has been gifted with being the Priestess, upholder of peace amongst all nations."
"Yes, it's never been like this though, do you feel there might be a reason?"
"I think so." He said, introspectively. "The Draconis doesn't do anything without a reason."
"So trust me when I say this," Zeref raised his head and firmness lay stark in his dark orbs. "It doesn't matter if the demon doesn't wish to share, we must compel him to. He has seen something significant in the Draconis and we must acquire that knowledge."
"Yes, Zeref but like I said—"
"— Although, you don't need to scrutinize him."
"I don't?" Mystogan said, partly confused and partly relieved.
"No." Zeref said, rising from his seat with a flush of his robes swaying behind him as he smirked at the dodger blue painted skies.
"I'm going to pay Hell a little visit."
Mystogan swallowed toughly, that wouldn't end well.
Zeref might have been someone with the patience of a thousand-year-old monk but Natsu was equally infuriating and completely capable of pissing off any amount of forbearance in him.
Like what happened in the feast of Mistfalls, where all nations come together to celebrate *cough *cough* unity among them after the Great war and Natsu had somehow managed to offend Zeref single-handedly with just one sentence.
No one knew what he said but it caused Zeref to flood in his purple aura and rage. The pair of them successfully ended up slaughtering the halls to the extent that its reparations caused the Feast of Mistfalls to be delayed by six centuries.
So much for unity huh.
He looked back at the shattering calm on Zeref's face which felt akin to him when he was plotting. The black-haired nodded to himself, approving of the plan he had made and Mystogan sweatdropped at the movement, to which he paid no obvious mind.
Come to think of it, Zeref pondered. He hadn't seen the jerk for a long time, not that he cared but that was beside the point but he had heard of him being trapped by a human which made him roll his eyes, only Natsu could have managed such a feat.
Good. He had something to greet the bastard with.
Looking back at it, Mystogan would always find it funny how the two of them shared the same last name but Zeref had once made it beyond clear that they were by no means related.
He made sure everyone knew not to compare him— the Emperor of Sorcerers, calm, elegant and graceful to that reckless Demon Lord who couldn't, for the sense of any kind, control his temper.
"Oh and Mystogan, your twin is here."
So lost in his thoughts Mystogan was that he almost didn't hear him.
He absent-mindedly nodded. "My twin is —what?"
He spun around to see Jellal stare at him with a brow raised; how long was he there? Better yet, why was he there? If Mystogan was indirectly unwelcomed by the Court of Alvares then Jellal was subtly banned from its premises. They really did avoid their birthplace like the plague.
Unless, his visit seemed to warrant something gravely important. Eleven out of ten times, it didn't exactly mean good.
"Hello, brother." He greeted with a smiled and then turned to Zeref with a low bow who dismissively waved it off.
"How have you been, Jellal."
"I've seen better days." He said truthfully while he sat down with them and it seemed to Mystogan that his brother could use a little sleep and rest. Yet, that was all a farce; everyone in the room knew that the kind of pain ailing Jellal wasn't physical but perhaps the long-suffering absence of another.
"I'm sure you have." Their King said softly as he would to a brother. "What brings you here Jellal and that is not to say you're not welcomed—
Mystogan grunted at the falseness, earning a glare from Zeref that silenced him at once as his twin laughed at it.
"—Something that would be of your interest." He said, keeping his eyes lowered.
"What's wrong?" Zeref inquired, soothingly, Jellal smiled at it and Mystogan knew why. The only person who truly accepted the pair of them here was Zeref, the three had become best of friends in quite some time. And the way Zeref would always fiercely defend them whether it was in court or not was something that was endearing to both.
"How do I put this?" Jellal said in discomfort as a breeze flew past quickly. "There has been a revival of a magical ancestral line that we had thought was dead."
"The descendants are living then?"
"Yes." He said, unsure of their reactions.
Zeref looked at Mystogan as Mystogan looked at Zeref. What could make Jellal so stiff? Nothing had ever reached that effect and it muddled them that something could.
"Okay." Mystogan nodded understandingly. "Whose the ancestor of this line then?"
Jellal sighed and Zeref anticipated the breaking of a storm.
"Anna Heartfilia."
Welp. Not a plot twist was what I said but hmm.
Jellal, Mystogan and Zeref share a pretty nice friendship because I'm tired of seeing Zeref as the ultimate bad guy. So no, not gonna happen here and Natsu and Zeref's relationship is going to be fun to explore. I can finish this story in sixty chapters (max) but I'd rather be done in, well, let's hope it'll finish by forty-something.*Fingers crossed*
Yeah, hope ya'all are keeping your sanity sane in quarantine.
Anyway, see ya'all next week. Do drop in a review or a bone or The Andes. Sorry, it's quarantine. I think what sucks about it for an introvert is the fact that EVERYONE else is home too. And that just steals the peace of being at home. I should prolly quit ranting.
Okay byeee, take carree.
Chaol
