Disclaimers: I do not own Fairy Tail
A/N: So a short preview for next chapter as I turn my attention to Elemental Spirit Mage and Wild Master for the time being.
Big thanks to Tenryu no hoko for helping me with this chapter. Check out their stories when you have the chance.
Darkness Is His Greatest Ally
(Preview)
It was a cold night back in Magnolia as Master Makarov sat out in front of the guild hall by himself watching the night sky while sipping a glass of craft brew ale that was laid out on the table he was using. Though everyone left hours ago, the elderly mage decided to stay behind and revel in the silence.
"Ah, it is rare to have a night like this, so much peace and tranquility", he told himself before looking over at the forest to the left of him, "Do you not agree, Porlyusica?"
Appearing out of the darkness with only the moonlight to illuminate her, the medical advisor of Fairy Tail silently moves toward the table and takes a seat in the second chair by it.
"So I hear that Macao and Enno's kid is in town and that he has already made quite the first impression", she says as she pours herself a small glass.
"I will admit that he is having a hard time adjusting to his new surroundings but in time I am sure he will get used to it", Makarov replies.
"Are you certain of that?", Porlyusica asks, receiving a look from the Wizard Saint in response.
"Is there something you are trying to tell me?"
"Macao stop by and told me what you are planning on doing and even I have to admit that this is a rash decision even for you", the Potion Mage answers.
"Oh? I thought you would chastise him for not wanting what best for his own son."
"I bring other people's kids into this world, I do not tell them how to raise them in it", Porlyusica states.
"Fair enough", Makarov concedes.
"So before you go and do such a thing you should be aware that there will be dire consequences for such actions", Porlyusica says.
"I am prepared for the repercussions", Makarov tells her.
"But what about the rest of the guild?", Porlyusica questions him, "Are they just as willing to shoulder the burden?"
"Are you saying I should not give the boy a chance to expand his horizon?"
"I am saying that you need to think about this more and make sure the rest of the guild is ready for it", Porlyusica counters before taking a drink.
"Fairy Tail has endured worse."
"Yes, they have endured attacks from dark mages and genocidal dragons. What they have not endured is the animosity of the Fiorian people. Yes, while there is no written law by the Magic Council or in Fiore that prevents what you are trying to do, there is a reason why not even dark guilds recruit hellsouls despite all the raw power they would gain", Porlyusica explains, "There is simply too much "baggage", for lack of a better word, that comes along with them. Simply put, the cons outweigh the pros."
Makarov takes a breath before slowly exhaling.
"My father and his comrades built Fairy Tail for anyone who wishes to have a place of their own to call home."
"The boy has not been here long enough for you to determine whether or not he even wants to call this place home; he has not even been here two days. For all you know he is just going to wait around until he can go back home", Porlyusica points out, trying to keep her tone down, "This is not a decision you can just take likely."
"What makes you think I am going to ask Romeo the minute he gets back from Mulay Village?", Makarov questions Porlyusica, "I am going to give him time to get used to everything and if he starts to show interested in the guild then I will present the offer to him."
"You should probably let the rest of your brats know beforehand", Porlyusica suggests.
"They will in due time."
"Will that be before or after you give the boy the guild's insignia if he accepts?"
Makarov lets out another breath, this one of mild frustration.
"I know why you are doing this and do not pretend you do not know what I am talking about", Porlyusica said as she slowly rose up out of the chair, "It is time to let the past go. Nothing you do will bring him back."
….
"Have a safe walk home, Porlyusica, and do have a good night", Makarov says after a moment.
"Hmph", as the Potion Mage turns around and starts heading back the way she came. Though she only took a few steps before she stops and looks over her shoulder.
"Just so you know, while I was out picking herbs earlier today near my home I spotted your main gaggle of idiots. It looked like they were heading out on a job", she tells him.
"That cannot be right. If Natsu and the others were going by your place then that would take them in the complete opposite direction of the job they set out to go do today", Makarov states, "Did you have any clue on where they were going?"
Porlyusica shrugs, "I do not know nor do I care. But I did overhear the pink idiot yelling something about Mulay Village."
"Those brats are in so much trouble when they get back", Makarov said to himself.
"Something I should know?", Porlyusica asks.
"Oh, it is nothing", the Wizard Saint replies, "But do be prepare to be call upon to apply medical aid here in a day or two."
Back at Mulay Village, Everlue was barking orders at the four Eisenwald mages while pointing at Wendy, "You four take her! Make sure to prolong her suffering!"
"Get the villagers somewhere safe, Mayor Tupode!", Wendy shouts.
Jack nods and heads off deeper into the village leaving the Sky Dragon-Slayer alone to face off against the four dark mages who were now surrounding her.
"From what Lucy said, they were able to defeat them after some difficulty but that was seven years ago before I met them. I hope I can defeat them in time to help Romeo", she thought as she kept glancing at the town hall, flickers of torchlight piercing through the windows every few seconds as the majority of the bandits search through its interior for the hellsoul.
Back in the empty town hall, the bandits have split into groups of four, with only one man holding a lit torch to provide light for the entire bunch.
One such group was in the main auditorium of the building, a large empty room with tables and chairs scattered about. They scan the room from left to right, kicking over tables and chairs that got in their way. Normally, they probably would have found whoever they were after only a few moments after entering the room since they left one guy to guard the entrance they came through and the other three immediately moved toward the fire exit, blocking off all possible prefer routes of escape.
Unfortunately in most situations like this, not only was the person not hiding he was actually looking forward to them coming into the room.
It also probably would have help if the bandits would have directed their attention upward.
For if they did then the men would have notice Romeo laying across one of the support beams that stretch along the near the ceiling. From there he casually watched the bandits conduct a search of the room.
Seeing how their only source of light was the torch, their vision was severely limited while Romeo could see the entire room, including them, as plain as day even if it was only in black and white.
"Oh boy, and here I thought this would be difficult", Romeo tells himself as the thought back to how often he found himself in situations like this in Crocus. Be it in the murky sewers, abandoned warehouses, and even empty houses of the capital, Romeo was always surprise whenever rival gangs or even the city guards follow him into the darkness, knowing full well what he was capable of, with their torches being their only means of seeing into the black abyss most of the time due to magical illumination devices being too expensive to obtain.
"Sucks to be them", Romeo thought before spotting someone among the bandits who looked quite familiar, "Huh, so I was right about him", he told him as he gets up and casually drops down into a spot just outside the light of the torch.
"Hey, Jeb", one of the bandits whispers.
"What is it, Ted?", the man answers.
"You met these kids already at the train station, so is there anything we should know about them?", Ted asks.
"Well, I only met them for less than a minute, but I do know that that boy is a little rude asshole!", Jeb answers.
"Okay, that doesn't help us here", Ted said, "I mean, they're mages, right? So why are we chasing after them? Wouldn't it have been better to have the dark mages or the mercs do this?", Ted asks.
"Oh, come on, it's just one kid."
"But he beat up the mages."
"Because they got cocky. Look, there's two dozen of us in this building, I highly doubt one kid can take us all on. Besides, I'm not going to voice my displeasure to the boss about this while the Vanish Brothers are with him", Jeb says aloud though within the confines of his mind, "Though there was something odd about the boy other than his manners."
Suddenly, the sound of something heavy falling to the floor startles the Jeb, Ted, and the other man and they all turn around to the direction the noise came from which was the main entranceway.
And were surprised to see that no one was over there even though someone was supposed to be.
"Billy?", Ted calls out, "Billy, you over there?"
No answer came.
"Billy now is not the time for jokes! Boss wants us to get rid of this kid!", Jeb called out but still, no one answers.
Jeb and Ted cautiously approach the doorway, their swords stretch out in front of them.
The two men were almost at the closed door when they heard a noise behind them and they were plunged into darkness.
Jeb and Ted spin around just in time to see the torch lying on the grounds, the last of its embers fading out into the black.
"Tim?" Jeb calls out, "Tim, I swear to the heavens if you're trying to be funny, I'll gut you!"
Once more, no answer came, at least no verbal one did.
Instead, they hear something banging on the walls behind them. Instantly, both men turn around only to be welcomed by the sight of darkness. Then they heard the same noise again, but this time to their left.
Again they turn, swords pointing out toward the direction of the noise but again they are greeted by the blackness.
And a song.
"Here you are alone in of the dark", it was sung in a lullaby tune though the voice was far from being human. It was deep and dark and sound disoriented….
It sounded like the denizen of the Nine Hells itself and it was coming from their right side.
"Sooner or later I will cease your heart."
Now it was from their left.
"Then you will hit the ground with a thud."
From behind this time.
"And I'll watch you die in a pool of your blood."
Soon the room was echoing with the song making it impossible to find the source of the commotion and the voice alone was starting to bring out a level of fear that neither man has ever felt before.
"W-We got to get out of here!", Ted screams as he wipes the sweat from his eyes.
"He's just a kid!", Jeb berates him while trying his best to remain calm, "You want to tell the others that you're afraid of one kid?!"
"Screw you, I'm out of here!", Ted shouts as he bolts for the door.
"You fucking coward!", Jeb shouts at the man, "He's just a fucking kid!"
"You can go to h-argh!", Ted suddenly cries out.
"Ted? Ted?", Jeb calls out. When no response came, he slowly started edging himself toward the door, periodically swinging his sword as a precaution.
"You're just going to get some more of the guys to help you search. That's all you are going to do", he told himself, "A few of the guys to help you out then this whole night will be over for you."
"Oh, I don't think so", the voice calls out from the gloom causing Jeb to increase the speed of his slashes.
"Where are you?! Show yourself!", Jeb screams, his mask of bravado deteriorating more and more with every passing moment.
"What are you talking about? I'm standing right in front of you", the voice says.
Jeb hurls his sword in the direction the voice was coming from but instead of the sound of it hitting flesh as he had hope, he hears the clanking of it hitting the floor.
"Now that was just rude and unnecessary."
"To hell with this!", Jeb screams as he makes a break for the door, running as fast as he could. His fingers were just about to touch the handle when he was violently taken off his feet and hurl several feet across the room. He lands on top of one of the wooden table, breaking it in half down the middle upon impact and hitting the floor.
"Argh!", he moans after a moment before he started trying to get up, every movement sending waves of pain throughout his body.
"You know to tell you the truth, I couldn't care less about what happens to this village because it's not my problem. Hell, I almost said no to coming to help them", Jeb heard the voice say again, only this time he couldn't tell where it was coming from.
"Just let me go! Please!", Jeb begs.
"How about this? You tell me why you were at the train station this morning and I might let you go."
"I-I was dropping off a package to a middleman who was going to give it to our connections in Magnolia!", Jeb blabbers out.
…
"Wow, you squealed like a pig. I thought it would have been a little bit harder to get you to talk."
"The money is going to-", Jeb starts to say again.
"Don't bother. I have a pretty good feeling who it was going to plus I don't really care."
"So you'll let me go now?", Jeb cries.
"I never said that I would do that."
"B-But you promise", the bandits stammers out, "You said you would let me go if I told you why I was at the train station!"
"What are you talking about? I say I "might" let you go. I made no promise whatsoever that I would. But what you are going to do is definitely pay for making my day harder than it should have been in this place."
Jeb could feel his heart starting to beat faster and his breathing increase as the last shred of courage has now entirely disappeared within his body. Gone was what little loyalty he might have had toward Everlue and the others; now there was only one thing on his mind…
Self-preservation.
Ignoring the pain in his body, Jeb jumps up and makes another break for the door, pushing his legs beyond their limit.
"I'm going to blow through that door! To hell with the handle or if it is locked!", Jeb told himself as he lunges forward.
Only to have something latch onto his ankle in an iron grip and once more he goes flying across the room as whoever grabbed him flings him like a doll. This time he lands in the middle of a different batch of chairs and tables.
"W-Who are you?!", he screams in pain into the void, tears now pouring out his eyes as fear has now taken over the entirety of his heart.
"As I told you back at the train station, ~Jeb~", a voice calls out from behind him.
Jeb spins around and finds himself staring straight into a pair of blood-red eyes glaring back at him.
"None of your damn business."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A few moments later, Romeo comes through the auditorium doors, a broken wooden chair leg in his hand.
"Well, that was-", he starts to say before coughing, slapping his chest in the process, "Whoa, forgot how much that can hurt after a while. Anyway, time to go have some fun with the rest of these guys, oh boy!", he says before walking down the hallway, putting his shades back on as he hums a certain tune.
A/N: Romeo has his fun with the rest of the bandits while Wendy squares off against the Eisenwald mages. And who is Porlyusica talking about?